772
HISTORY" OF PRINTING.
as the sale of the " rotes" was then vei^ con- siderable. Itwas enjoyed at the same penodby Mr. Charles Bathuist, Mr. John Whiston, and his partner, Mr. Benjamin White; and also by Mr. Charles R3rmers, as partner with Mr. Davis. At the first institution of the literary fund for the relief of distressed authors, Mr. Davis kindly gave them his gratuitous services as one of their registrars. After a long and exemplary life of 73 years, Mr. Davis went out of existence, in a manner singularly calm, and devoid of sickness. He bad been indisposed for some time with the gout; but was thought to be quite recovered; and, a few moments previous to his death, had been diverting himself with playing at drafts with one of his daughters ; but suddenly drop-
nhis head, and remaining for a second or two at posture. Miss Davis, imagining he had a sudden twinge of the gout, said, "Are you in pain, sir?" No answer being made, she flew to his assistance, but found all assistance vain. He yias no more. — Mr. Davis was much valued as an honest and intelligent individual. He had read much, and to the purpose. Some little matters he had written ; but they were principally jeiix cTanrits, arising from temporary circumstances, and dispersed in the public papers, particularly the St. Jama'i Chronicle. The only volume of his which is known, he having acknowledged him- self the editor, was a valuable collection of the Maxims of Sochefoucaidt, 1774, 8to. Few men, however, knew more of books, or more of the world ; and fewer still were equally willing to advantiige odiers by a free communication of that advice which, being the result of experi- ence was the more valuable. He always wished to know his man before be opened his mind to him; but, once knowing him sufficiently to think him worthy of his confidence, he would communicate freely, and urge the party to exert himself sufficiently to be able to make the best use of his friendship. In every society he mixed with, he may be said to have been the life and soul, as he had the happy talent of rendering himself beloved equally by the young and by the aged, and that without the least departure from the strictest decorum of manners. Temperate in the extreme himself both in eating and drink- ing, few men enjoyed more heartily the convivi- aliQr of a select party ; and scarcely any one excelled him in those minute but useful atten- tions to a mixed company, which lead so use- fully to support conversation,and to render eveir man better pleased with his associates. His inti- mates were those of the first rank in life and literature ; and his politeness in facilitating the researches of literary men has been the theme of many a writer. He was of amiable manners in private life; and his long management of an ex- tensive business had made known to many of the first characters in the kingdom, and to almost all literary men, his integrity as a tradesman, his extensive information as a scholar, and his real value as a man. His family suffered a severe loss by his death ; and none, who knew him, will read this notice without acknowledging that
they have lost a worthy fiiend. The fbUowiog epitaph is placed on a small tablet undet the oigan-loft of St. Bartholomew the Great :
To the memorr of Mr. Locktsr Davii, of the parish of St. Andrew Honnm; who departed this life April as, 1791 i in the ;ad year of hii age. Bis tenderness and attention as a hnsband and father have rarely been equalled, bat never exceeded. His integrity was inflezihlei the soUdity of his Judcmeat and el^ance of liis manners (which were preserved by temperance to the latest period of his life) rendered him at once the instiuctor and delight of a nomerons acquaint- ance I his advice being ever solicited, and seldom taken but with advantage. Indeed, the chasm he has lot in society will not be readily supplied, for we may troly say with tlie Poet, ' Take him for all in all we shall not look upon his like again.'
Also Mrs. Mart Datis, who departed this life Nov. B, 1769, in the «8th year d her age. She was an affectionate wife, a tender motlier, and a sincere friend.
1791. Alexander Adah, LL. D. recto^ of the high school in the city of Edinburgh, pub- lished his Roman Antiquitiei, and for the copy- right of which he received the sum of £600. It was translated into the German, French, and Italian languages.
1791. In the course of this year were sold 150,000 copies of Paine's Rights of Man ; and 30,000 of Burke's reply.
1791. The Grumbler. The essays thus entitled, were the production of Francis Grose, esq. and were originally published in the English Chroni- cle newspaper, dnring this year.
1791, May 12. Died, Francis Grose, an eminent antiquary, in the fifty-second year of bis age. He was F. S. A. of London and Perth ; and captain in the Surrey militia. After having illustrated the Antiquities of England and Wales, in a series of 352 views of monastic and other ruins, in four volumes, and those of Scotland in the course of two years, in 190 views, and two volumes, with a map, he was on the point of completing his design by those of Ireland, where he had been employed about a month before his death. He published the first number of the Antiquities of England and Wales in 1773, and completed the whole in 1776, with the addition of a collection of forty plans. The historical account of each place, annexed to each plate, and several of the drawings themselves, were communicated by his learned friends, whose assistance he gratefully acknowledged in the preface to vols. iii. and iv. In 1777, Be resumed his pencil, and added two more volumes to his English views, in which he included the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, in 237 views ; and to these were added a general and county maps, completed in 1787. The whole number of views, in England, Wales, and the Islands, amounts to 589, besides forty plans, the head-pieces, and other plates illustrative of his piefetory disserta- tions on monastic institutions, castles, and mili- tary matters, gothic architecture, druidical and sepulchral monuments. Among his engravers are to be reckoned Bonner, Canot, Cook, Dent, Drawaza, Ellis, Godfrey, Grig^ion, Hall, Heath, Innes, Lespinieie, Mason, Mazell, Morris, Ntfw-
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