Lito'ari/ Journals. 5 1 



XIV. 1699. " The Histop.y of the Works of the 

 Learned, or an impartial account of Books, lately printed in 

 all parts of Europe, with a particular relation of the state of 

 Learning in each country. Done by several hands." London, 

 printed for H. Rhodes, at the Star, near Fleet Bridge, ^c, 

 1699 — 17 10. This work is usually seen in 8 thick quarto 

 volumes, but I have a copy in 12 volumes, containing 760 

 closely printed pages in each volume, and I understand that the 

 copy in the British Museum consists of 12 volumes. 



The first volume is introduced by a sensible preface, giving 

 an ample account of the plan on which the work would be 

 conducted, and some of the volumes have wood-cuts of appa- 

 ratus,<^c., on the letter-press. 



Among the editors of this very valuable work may be men- 

 tioned Mr. Ridpath, of whom John Dunton says, " he is a 

 considerable scholar, and was first designed for the ministry, 

 but by some unfortunate accident or other, the fate of an author 

 came upon him. He was very fortunate in engaging in the ' His- 

 tory of the Works of the Learned/ which was originally my own 

 thought, and I published the first book of the kind under the 

 title of the Athenian Supplement, and the next under that of 

 the Complete Library. It was this ingenious gentleman (Mr. 

 Ridpath), that invented the Polygraphy or writing engine, by 

 which one may with great facility, write two, four, six, or mora 

 copies of any one thing upon so many different sheets of paper, 

 at once. This engine being moved by the foot, while the hand 

 guides the pens, it keeps the whole body in warmth and exer- 

 cise, which prevents many of the usual inconveniences of a 

 sedentary life, besides the time which the engine saves in 

 dispatch*." 



Since the above was written, a friend of mine has accidentally 

 met with a thirteenth volume of the " History of the Works of 

 the Learned" for the year 1711, in quarto, printed like the fore- 

 going, and publislied by the same bookseller. From an inspection 

 however, of this volume, it appears that the publication of the 



* Dunton's Life, page 239. 

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