1887-1888.] si 



Press, much legal knowledge was essential to the merchants of 

 the period. Extracts were given from one of these works, 

 " The Young Clerk's Vade Mecum" 1765, including a warrant 

 not much used at present, which runs thus — " Warrant for not 



coming to church, to &c, County of to wit. Whereas, 



oath has been made before me, one of his Majesty's justices of 



the peace for the county aforesaid, that A. B , of did not 



upon the Lord's Day last past resort to any church, chapel, or 

 other usual place appointed for common prayers, and there 

 hear Divine service according to the form of the statute in that 

 case made and provided. These are, therefore, to request you 

 to bring the said A.B. before me or some of his Majesty's 

 justices of the peace to answer the premises given, &c." Other 

 books were then described, including dramatic works and the 

 reprints of the poets, such as Pope, Goldsmith, Burns, &c. 

 It was noted that the early editions of Burns were very scarce, 

 as they were much defaced, and, indeed, destroyed by the 

 thumbing undergone in the country houses where they circu- 

 lated largely. Six titles of tracts printed on the state of the 

 linen trade in the last century were given, and the hope was 

 expressed that this branch would receive further elucidation. 

 It was shown that but two works in the Irish language were 

 produced, the first an Irish Catechism, in 1722, the other the 

 Gaelic Magazine, printed in 1795, and edited by Miss Brooks, 

 one of whose spirited renderings was quoted, a translation of 

 an elegy on Carolan. The art aspects of the Belfast Press were 

 then treated of. It was shown that the early printing, with, 

 perhaps, the exception of the beautiful little " Psalms of David 

 in meter, 1700," now preserved in the First Presbyterian 

 Church (Rev. A. Gordon), was of a moderate character, no 

 embellishments of an artistic kind being used till the year 1738, 

 when the first woodcut is observed in a reprint of the London 

 Magazine. This woodcut is a poor reproduction of the copper 

 plate which figures in the original edition. The first book 

 published in Belfast illustrated with woodcuts was exhibited. 

 It is entitled, " The most pleasing and delightful History of 

 Reynard the Fox and Reynardine his son," printed by Daniel 



