PRINTING 



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the Long Parliament, the oldest that has been discovered being a quarto pamphlet of 

 a few leaves, entitled ' The Diurnal Occurences, or Daily Proceedings of both houses 

 in this great and happy Parliament, from the 3rd November, 1640, to the 3rd of 

 November, 1641. London: printed for William Cooke, and are to be sold at his shop 

 at Furnival's Inn Gate, in Holborn, 1641." (Fig. 1669.) More than 100 papers with 

 different titles appear to have been published from this time to the death of the king, 

 and upwards of 80 from that date to the Restoration. These were at first published 

 weekly; but, as the interest increased, twice or thrice a week; and even, it would 

 seem, daily, at least for a time. Such were the ' French Intelligences,' the ' Dutch 

 Spy,' the ' Scots Dove,' &c. ; but ' Mercuries ' of all sorts were the favourite title. 

 Thus they had ' Mercurius Acheronticus,' ' Mercurius Democritus,' ' Aulicus,' ' Britan- 

 nious,' ' Laughing Mercury,' and ' Mercurius Mastix,' which last faithfully lashed all 

 the rest. The great newspaper editors of the day were Marchmont Needham on the 

 Presbyterian, and Sir John Birkenhead on the Eoyalist side. These were followed by 

 Sir Roger 1'Estrange, who has also been ranked amongst the patriarchs of the news- 

 paper press. Pamphlets were also issued in prodigioiis numbers during those troubled 

 times ; the average being calculated at four or five new ones every day. Ecclestoris 

 English Antiquities. 



1669 



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 DIVRNALL 



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In 1709, one daily paper, fifteen papers, three times a week, and one twice a week, 

 were published in the metropolis. In 1724 there were three daily, six weekly, and 

 ten three-times-a-week papers, in London; and provincial newspapers had been 

 established in various places. The reign of Queen Anne also witnessed a new and 

 most successful species of literature the issue of the ' Guardian,' ' Spectator,' 

 and other such literary sheets, published at short intervals. The strong good sense 

 of Cave, the printer, originated the ' Gentleman's Magazine,' which completely 

 established the principle that the patronage of men of letters is best, confided to the 

 people, and not to the great and fashionable. This publication soon had rivals to 

 contend with in the ' Monthly,' ' European,' ' London,' and ' Critical ; ' but it has 

 survived them all; and a complete set of 'The Gentleman,' is highly prized at the 

 present day, and is extremely amusing and valuable. 



The first newspaper published in Scotland was the ' Caledonian Mercury,' in 1660, 

 under the title of ' Mercurius Caledonius ; ' but its publication was soon after inter- 

 rupted. In 1750 a newspaper was, for the first time, attempted in Glasgow. 



The increase of newspapers in America has been much more rapid than in this 

 country; in consequence partly, no doubt, of the greater increase of population in 

 the Union, but more probably of their freedom from taxation, and of the violence of 

 party contests. According to a return published some few years back, the aggre- 

 gate circulation of papers and other publications was about 5,000,000 ; and the 

 entire number of copies printed annually in the United States amounted to about 

 422,600,000 annually. 



The first newspaper published in the West Indies is said to have been the 

 Barbadoes Mercury,' It was established in 1733, acd died in 1852. 



