4'2 Mr. Parkes's History of 



To the last number of the nineteenth volume, the following 

 advertisement was annexed : " This is to give notice, that the 

 proprietor thinks fit, whilst the coffee-houses have the votes 

 every day, and six newspapers every week, to discontinue this 

 weekly paper, (the 19th volume being now finisht,) and carry 

 on the design in future in volumes ; and, in pursuance of this 

 resolution, 30 numbers shall speedily be printed all together, 

 to compleat the 20th volume, and after that an intire volume 

 shall be publisht quarterly. This is further to give notice, that 

 besides the quarterly publication, the first undertaker likewise 

 designs to have it continued again in Weekly Papers, as soon 

 as ever the glut of news is a little over." 



The whole of this very curious work is comprised in about 

 1500 pages, and is usually bound in two or three volumes in 

 folio. My own copy extends to No. 10, of the 20th volume, 

 printed June 14th, 1697. 



It seems that the Marquis of Halifax, Sir William Temple, 

 and the learned Sir Thomas Pope Blount, very much patronised 

 this work, and that Sir Wm. Temple was a frequent contributor 

 to it. We are told by John Dunton, that " these volumes 

 growing quite out of print, a choice collection from them, in three 

 volumes, have lately been reprinted and made public, under the 

 title of the ' Athenian Oracle.' " He adds, " the copy of these 

 three volumes I sold to Mr. Bell, in Cornhill, and it is thought 

 he will get above a thousand pounds by it*.'*^ A pretty good 

 sum in those days for the copyright of three octavo volumes. 



V. 1691. " The History or Learning, or an abstract 

 of several books lately published, as well abroad as at 

 home." By one of the two authors of the "Universal Histori- 

 cal Bibliotheque." Quarto, London, printed for Abel Swalle 

 and Timothy Childe, at the Unicorn, 1691. 



The first number of this work was dedicated to the Earl of 

 Dorset and Middlesex, Lord Chamberlain of their Majesties 

 houshold, and signed J. D. de La Crose. Then follows a pre- 



* SeeDunton's " Life and Errors." London, 1705, page 263. 



