Jifplayed, while managing the concerns of
others, pointed him out as one who might
be entrusted. He has often been heard
to acknowledge his gratitude to the late
who liberally,
Mr. Thomas Longman,
and unafked, offered him any fum, on
credit, that might he wanted. In a thort
time, however, thefe mati beginnings
fwelled into concerns of importance. Mr.
R's active fpirit, knowledge of bufinefs,
and reputable connexion, foon enabled him
to atchieve the higher branches of the
bufinefs, and, in the purchase of copy-
rights, he became the rival of the most for-
midable of the old established houfes; and
before the year 1780, he had the largest
wholefale trade that was ever carried on
by an invidual. In 1784, he took into
partnership his fon and brother, who are
his fucceffors. In the rife and progrefs of
fo great a concern, Mr. R. was an eminent
proof (if fo plain a truth requires a proof)
how much may be done by habits of atten-
tion, industry, and, above all, inflexible
integrity and perfeverance.

We have

authority to fay, from the most fuccefsful of
his rivals, the first bookseller in London, and
now a magiftrate of high rank, that "of
too much
George Robinfon's integrity
cannot be faid." It was this which frequent-
ly involved him in the troublesome, yet
honourable offices of arbitrator in cafes of
difpute, and executor and affignee in the
events of death or bankruptcy; and there
are probably none in the trade who cannot
testify in his favour in fome one of thofe
departments. He had, indeed, a na'ural
-averfion to every thing little, mean, and
partaking of fubterfuge and undue artifi e;
and many will remember, that, when his
indignation was routed by actions of this
defcription, he expreffed it in terms pecu-
liarly harth and inaccomodating. As his
fuccefs, in business proceeded, he extended
his liberality to authors in no common de-
gree; and it will be difficult to find an in-
lance where he did not amply gratify the
with of the party, if at all compatible
with prudence, or even the distant probabi-
lity of return. It was his opinion, that libe-
rality to authors was the true fpt of book-
felling enterprize, and, perhaps, little can
be done if occafional failures are allowed
if the
to break in upon this fiftem.
writer of the prefent article, who for many
years has enjoyed Mr. R's intimacy, were
to venture on an objection, at a time when
he feels nothing but regret, it would be
that Mr. R. rather gave too much than too
little, and that he fometimes gave a confe-
quence to works, which neither their own
merit, nor the opinion of the publick, could
ever fanétion-Still another trait of bis
character must not be forgotten. If, added
to their concern with him as a publisher,
his authors obtained his friendship, no man
could ferve them with more active zeal in

every emergency; and, although he had on
fome occafions the common fate of gene-
rous minds, that of bestowing his favours
improperly, he never permitted fuch a cir-
cumftance to contract his defire to ferve
those for whom he profefled an attachment.
Few men will probably be regretted by a
more extenfive acquaintance; and it is
particularly noticeable in his history, that,
amidst the strictest attention to business, he
was throughout the whole of his early life
enabled, by a due divifion of time, to ap-
propriate more to focial pleasures than
many men could venture to do with impu-
nity. For the focial enjoyments of life,
indeed, he was eminently qualified. He
had improved the fcanty education of a
Northern village by fome reading, but
principally by the company of literary men,
and by a memory uncommonly tenacious.
His own mind was fhrewd, penetrating,
and enriched by various experience. He
had likewife a great fhare of wit and viva-
city; many of his bons mots, which have
been pretty extensively circulated among
his friends, would do credit to men of the
ficit reputation in this minor department of
genius. His fenfe of ridicule was remark-
ably strong, and few men excelled him in
telling a story, of which he had a plenti-
ful ftock, and which he varied with cir-
cumftantial embellishments that were irre-
fiftibly laughable. Verfed, too, in the li-
terary and bufinefs-history of his time, his
converfation was a rich fund of information,
and his memory in dates and minutive gave
an authority which made him be frequently
confulted when points in difrute were to
be accurately afcertained. Of late years
he vifited lefs abroad, but was feldom happy
without the company of his friends at
home, who found themfelves welcomed to
a well spread table, without ceremony and
without afle&tation. He impofed no condition
but that of punctuality to the hour of dinner,
and in that particular, it is well known,
he never relaxed to perfons of any rank or
condition. Such were fome of the features
of a character which will be long remem
bered by a very extenfive circle of friends,
and n which the writer of this article
could expatiate at a greater length, were it
neceifary. To have faid lefs would not
have been refpectful to his memory; and
to indulge the feelings of private friendship,
in more ample recollections, becomes the
province of memory ra ner than of public
record. Mr. R. was feized with the line:s
which proved fatal on Monday, May 25,
while at a meeting of book! ers, at the
accustomed place, the Chapter coffee-
houfe: from this he was obliged to retire
havily, and foon exhibited fymptoms of
fever; this abated fo far, in the tubfequent
week, as to give hopes of recovery, thefe
hopes were particularly encouraged, even
on the evening, June 5, preceding his

death,

INDEX to the POETRY in VOL. LXXI. PART 1.

E.
ELEGY on the miseries of

Genius 164. during a
Burial in a country Church-
260
yard
Emelia, from the Spectator 348
Epilogue to the Farce of Crofs
Purpofes
163

F.

Phedrus, Tranflation from
the 2d Fable of 351. Ap-
plication of the fame 252
63
Pindaric Addrefs
Pye's Ode for the New Year
65. for his Majesty's
Birthday
548

258

Sonnet 257.
of Cowper

N.
NAVAL Poetry 258, 352, 548
Nickols, Joln, Verfes to a
Daughter on her Birth-
day
448
Nocturnal Contemplations,
Parody on Gray's Elegy 549

Q.

a

ODE for the New Year 65.
to Zephyr 67. to Fortune
67. on a Rofe 68. for
his Majefty's Birthday 548.,
FEVER, Tertian, Li es du- on our Atchievements at
ring a
548
Copenhagen
P.
Fortune, Ode to
Frankin, Maria, in Mortem PARENTS, the afflicted, an
261
Elegy
550
66 Perambulatory Mufings

Friend, Lines to a

69

67

ངང་

261

to the Memory

165

165

Store Gardens, extempore
Lines in

Perez, Story from inVerfc161 YEAR, Ode to the New 65

INDEX

R. J. fays, "If the leg flature fhall at fome
future time agree upon a law to prevent
the frequent and growing crime of adultery,
I fhould hope, that a prohibition to publish
the trials would materially conduce to the
defired preventative. I have before me a
provincial news-paper, in which an adver-
tifement, near a column in length, an-
nounces an "entire new volume of trials
for adultery, &c." to he just published.
Then follows a long lift of thote heroes
and heroines who have fo diftinguifhedly
ftamped themfelves with notoriety; not
forgetting a N. B. and P. S. which fays,
"thofe gentlemen or ladies, who prefer
having the above volume fent to them un-
der cover, may direct," &c. I believe,
Mr. Urban, and your readers will be of
the fame opinion, that if thefe reports can
be fo conveniently admitted under cover to
our farms and cottages, as the purport of the
advertisement holds forth, more mischief
may refult than many are aware of. The
peace and happiness of the community
muft proceed from virtue and honour,
parents should hold them up as a pattern
for their children, and they will experi-
ence from it natural affection and do-
mestic felicity; but, if the reverse of this
takes place, if parents become diffolute,
and children profigate, the bonds of fo-
ciety will be difunited, our manners will
become ferocious and cruel, and states will
expire in convulfions and anarchy."

A CORRESPONDENT informs us, that
Mr. HOLLAND, the Architect is in poffeffion
of a fine collection of antique fragments
purchased for him at Rome by Mr Tatham,
previous to the Revolution. It confift of
fome of the heft fpecimens of ornamental
fculpture, and may therefore b confidered
an acquifition to the country, as the study
of fach models ferve in an eminet degree
to form a correct tafte in ftudents of ar-
chitecture

25

497

122

about the time of Edward III. The le-
gend is an abbreviation of "Sigillum Jo-
hannis Champenes," and the whole is ex-
actly in the ftyle of that period annexed to
antient deeds in his poffeffion.

X. X. (of Oxford) recommends an ap-
plication of Melaffes, effectually to prevent
or remove Chops of the Skin.

W. D. (of Neath) fays, the following
paffage in Macbeth, A&t II.
"Hark! peace,

It was the owl that fhriek'd, the fatal
bellman

Which gives the ftern'ft good night,"
was unintelligible to him, until he hap-
pened to take up an old Newgate Ca-
lendar, where he read that it had been
the custom for the bell-man of St. Sepul-
chre's, the night before execution, to warn
thofe that were condemned to die to make
preparation for their unhappy fate, in the
following, or fimilar words:
"All ye who in the condemn'd hole dolie,
Prepare ye all, to-morrow ye muft die,
And when St. Sepulchre's bell doth toll,
The Lord of Heaven receive your foul,"

This is evidently the cuffom alluded to
by Shakspeare; and as he hath not found
it noticed by any of his commentators,
thinks it may not be unacceptable to our
readers to point out t'e allufion as expla-
natory of the great dramatic peet.

A CONSTANT READER, Who is a fub-
fcriber to the GOVERNMENT TONTINE,
would thank any of our readers to inform
her, how it is known when the lives orop
which were nominated by Government,
they not having any intereft in it; and Go-
vernment oeing gainers by foppofing them
living will not take any means to certify
their death. She knows there are hits
printed, but as no certificates are required
for the receipt of their tha es, and many
of the partes fo nominated living and dp-
ing in obfcunty, the things the d fcovery
S, (of Portsmouth) obferves, that the mult he together cafual, to the great de-
feal, fig. 2. ta . 497, appers to be of triment of the re 1 fcbfcriber.
[NICHOLS and Sex, Printers, Red-Lion-Palage, Fleet-Sticet j