men of invention and industry-第49章

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Instead　of　books　being　articles　of　luxury；　he　proposed　to　bring

them　into　general　consumption。　　He　would　sell　them；　not　by

thousands；　but　by　hundreds　of　thousands；　〃ay；　by　millions；〃　and

he　would　accomplish　this　by　the　new　methods　of　multiplicationby

machine　printing　and　by　steam　power。　　Mr。　Constable　accordingly

issued　a　library　of　excellent　books；　and；　although　he　was

ruinednot　by　this　enterprise；　but　the　other　speculations　into

which　he　enteredhe　set　the　example　which　other　enterprising

minds　were　ready　to　follow。　　Amongst　these　was　Charles　Knight；

who　set　the　steam　presses　of　William　Clowes　to　work；　for　the

purposes　of　the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge。



William　Clowes　was　the　founder　of　the　vast　printing　establishment

from　which　these　sheets　are　issued；　and　his　career　furnishes

another　striking　illustration　of　the　force　of　industry　and

character。　　He　was　born　on　the　1st　of　January；　1779。　　His　father

was　educated　at　Oxford；　and　kept　a　large　school　at　Chichester；

but　dying　when　William　was　but　an　infant；　he　left　his　widow；　with

straitened　means；　to　bring　up　her　family。　　At　a　proper　age

William　was　bound　apprentice　to　a　printer　at　Chichester；　and；

after　serving　him　for　seven　years；　he　came　up　to　London；　at　the

beginning　of　1802；　to　seek　employment　as　a　journeyman。　　He

succeeded　in　finding　work　at　a　small　office　on　Tower　Hill；　at　a

small　wage。　　The　first　lodgings　he　took　cost　him　5s。　a　week；　but

finding　this　beyond　his　means　he　hired　a　room　in　a　garret　at　2s。

6d。；　which　was　as　much　as　he　could　afford　out　of　his　scanty

earnings。



The　first　job　he　was　put　to；　was　the　setting…up　of　a　large

poster…billa　kind　of　work　which　he　had　been　accustomed　to

execute　in　the　country；　and　he　knocked　it　together　so　expertly

that　his　master；　Mr。　Teape；　on　seeing　what　he　could　do；　said　to

him；　〃Ah！　I　find　you　are　just　the　fellow　for　me。〃　　The　young　man；

however；　felt　so　strange　in　London；　where　he　was　without　a　friend

or　acquaintance；　that　at　the　end　of　the　first　month　he　thought　of

leaving　it；　and　yearned　to　go　back　to　his　native　city。　　But　he

had　not　funds　enough　to　enable　him　to　follow　his　inclinations；

and　he　accordingly　remained　in　the　great　City；　to　work；　to

persevere；　and　finally　to　prosper。　　He　continued　at　Teape's　for

about　two　years；　living　frugally；　and　even　contriving　to　save　a

little　money。



He　then　thought　of　beginning　business　on　his　own　account。　　The

small　scale　on　which　printing　was　carried　on　in　those　days

enabled　him　to　make　a　start　with　comparatively　little　capital。　

By　means　of　his　own　savings　and　the　help　of　his　friends；　he　was

enabled　to　take　a　little　printing…office　in　Villiers　Street；

Strand；　about　the　end　of　1803；　and　there　he　began　with　one

printing　press；　and　one　assistant。　　His　stock　of　type　was　so

small；　that　he　was　under　the　necessity　of　working　it　from　day　to

day　like　a　banker's　gold。　　When　his　first　job　came　in；　he

continued　to　work　for　the　greater　part　of　three　nights；　setting

the　type　during　the　day；　and　working　it　off　at　night；　in　order

that　the　type　might　be　distributed　for　resetting　on　the　following

morning。　　He　succeeded；　however；　in　executing　his　first　job　to

the　entire　satisfaction　of　his　first　customer。



His　business　gradually　increased；　and　then；　with　his　constantly

saved　means；　he　was　enabled　to　increase　his　stock　of　type；　and　to

undertake　larger　jobs。　　Industry　always　tells；　and　in　the

long…run　leads　to　prosperity。　　He　married　early；　but　he　married

well。　　He　was　only　twenty…four　when　he　found　his　best　fortune　in

a　good；　affectionate　wife。　　Through　this　lady's　cousin；　Mr。

Winchester；　the　young　printer　was　shortly　introduced　to　important

official　business。　　His　punctual　execution　of　orders；　the

accuracy　of　his　work；　and　the　despatch　with　which　he　turned　it

out　soon　brought　him　friends；　and　his　obliging　and　kindly

disposition　firmly　secured　them。　　Thus；　in　a　few　years；　the

humble　beginner　with　one　press　became　a　printer　on　a　large　scale。



The　small　concern　expanded　into　a　considerable　printing…office　in

Northumberland　Court；　which　was　furnished　with　many　presses　and　a

large　stock　of　type。　　The　office　was；　unfortunately；　burnt　down；

but　a　larger　office　rose　in　its　place。



What　Mr。　Clowes　principally　aimed　at；　in　carrying　on　his

business；　was　　accuracy；　speed；　and　quantity。　　He　did　not　seek　to

produce　editions　de　luxe　in　limited　numbers；　but　large

impressions　of　works　in　popular　demandtravels；　biographies；

histories；　blue…books；　and　official　reports；　in　any　quantity。　

For　this　purpose；　he　found　the　process　of　hand…printing　too

tedious；　as　well　as　too　costly；　and　hence　he　early　turned　his

attention　to　book　printing　by　machine　presses；　driven　by　steam

power；in　this　matter　following　the　example　of　Mr。　Walter　of　the

Times；　who　had　for　some　years　employed　the　same　method　for

newspaper　printing。



Applegath　&　Cowper's　machines　had　greatly　advanced　the　art　of

printing。　　They　secured　perfect　inking　and　register；　and　the

sheets　were　printed　off　more　neatly；　regularly；　and

expeditiously；　and　larger　sheets　could　be　printed　on　both　sides；

than　by　any　other　method。　　In　1823；　accordingly；　Mr。　Clowes

erected　his　first　steam　presses；　and　he　soon　found　abundance　of

work　for　them。　　But　to　produce　steam　requires　boilers　and

engines；　the　working　of　which　occasions　smoke　and　noise。　　Now；　as

the　printing…office；　with　its　steam　presses；　was　situated　in

Northumberland　Court；　close　to　the　palace　of　the　Duke　of

Northumberland；　at　Charing　Cross；　Mr。　Clowes　was　required　to

abate　the　nuisance；　and　to　stop　the　noise　and　dirt　occasioned　by

the　use　of　his　engines。　　This　he　failed　to　do；　and　the　Duke

commenced　an　action　against　him。



The　case　was　tried　in　June；　1824；　in　the　Court　of　Common　Pleas。　

It　was　ludicrous　to　hear　the　extravagant　terms　in　which　the

counsel　for　the　plaintiff　and　his　witnesses　described　the

nuisancethe　noise　made　by　the　engine　in　the　underground　cellar；

some　times　like　thunder；　at　other　times　like　a　thrashing…machine；

and　then　again　like　the　rumbling　of　carts　and　waggons。　　The

printer　had　retained　the　Attorney…general；　Mr。　Copley；　afterwards

Lord　Lyndhurst；　who　conducted　his　case　with　surpassing　ability。　

The　cross…examination　of　a　foreign　artist；　employed　by　the　Duke

to　repaint　some　portraits　of　the　Cornaro　family　by　Titian；　is

said　to　have　been　one　of　the　finest　things　on　record。　　The　sly

and　pungent　humour；　and　the　banter　with　which　the　counsel　derided

and　laughed　down　this　witness；　were　inimitable。　　The　printer　won

his　case；　but　he　eventually　consented　to　remove　his　steam　presses

from　the　neighbourhood；　on　the　Duke　paying　him　a　certain　sum　to

be　determined　by　the　award　of　arbitrators。



It　happened；　about　this　period；　that　a　sort　of　murrain　fell　upon

the　London　publishers。　　After　the　failure　of　Constable　at

Edinburgh；　they　came　down　one　after　another；　like　a　pack　of

cards。　　Authors　are　not　the　only　people　who　lose　labour　and　money

by　publishers；　there　are　also　cases　where　publishers　are　ruined

by　authors。　　Printers　also　now　lost　heavily。　　In　one　week；　Mr。

Clowes　sustained　losses　through　the　failure　of　London　publishers

to　the　extent　of　about　25；000L。　　Happily；　the　large　sum　which　the

arbitrators　awarded　him　for　the　removal　of　his　printing　presses

enabled　him　to　tide　over　the　difficulty；　he　stood　his　ground

unshaken；　and　his　character　in　the　trade　stood　higher　than　ever。



In　the　following　year　Mr。　Clowes　removed　to　Duke　Street；

Blackfriars；　to　premises　until　then　occupied　by　Mr。　Applegath；　as

a　printer；　and　much　more　extensive　buildings　and　offices　were　now

erected。　　There　his　business　transactions　assumed　a　form　of

unprecedented　magnitude；　and　kept　pace　with　the　great　demand　for

popular　information　which　set　in　with　such　force　about　fifty

years　ago。　　In　the　course　of　ten　yearsas　we　find　from　the

'Encyclopaedia　Metropolitana'there　were　twenty　of　Applegath　&

Cowper's　machines；　worked　by　two　five…ho