men of invention and industry-第50章

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'Encyclopaedia　Metropolitana'there　were　twenty　of　Applegath　&

Cowper's　machines；　worked　by　two　five…horse　engines。　　From　these

presses　were　issued　the　numerous　admirable　volumes　and

publications　of　the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful

Knowledge；　the　treatises　on　'Physiology；'　by　Roget；　and　'Animal

Mechanics；'　by　Charles　Bell；　the　'Elements　of　Physics；'　by　Neill

Arnott；　'The　Pursuit　of　Knowledge　under　Difficulties；'　by　G。　L。

Craik；　a　most　fascinating　book；　the　Library　of　Useful　Knowledge；

the　'Penny　Magazine；'　the　first　　illustrated　publication；　and　the

'Penny　Cyclopaedia；'　that　admirable　　compendium　of　knowledge　and

science。



These　publications　were　of　great　value。　　Some　of　them　were

printed　in　unusual　numbers。　　The　'Penny　Magazine；'　of　which

Charles　Knight　was　editor；　was　perhaps　too　good；　because　it　was

too　scientific。　　Nevertheless；　it　reached　a　circulation　of

200；000　copies。　　The　'Penny　Cyclopaedia'　was　still　better。　　It

was　original；　and　yet　cheap。　　The　articles　were　written　by　the

best　men　that　could　be　found　in　their　special　departments　of

knowledge。　　The　sale　was　originally　75；000　weekly；　but；　as　the

plan　enlarged；　the　price　was　increased　from　1d。　to　2d。；　and　then

to　4d。　　At　the　end　of　the　second　year；　the　circulation　had　fallen

to　44；000；　and　at　the　end　of　the　third　year；　to　20；000。



It　was　unfortunate　for　Mr。　Knight　to　be　so　much　under　the

influence　of　his　Society。　　Had　the　Cyclopaedia　been　under　his　own

superintendence；　it　would　have　founded　his　fortune。　　As　it　was；

he　lost　over　30；000L。　by　the　venture。　　The　'Penny　Magazine'　also

went　down　in　circulation；　until　it　became　a　non…paying

publication；　and　then　it　was　discontinued。　　It　is　curious　to

contrast　the　fortunes　of　William　Chambers　of　Edinburgh　with　those

of　Charles　Knight　of　London。　　'Chambers's　Edinburgh　Journal'　was

begun　in　February；　1832；　and　the　'Penny　Magazine'　in　March；　1832。



Chambers　was　perhaps　shrewder　than　Knight。　　His　journal　was　as

good；　though　without　illustrations；　but　he　contrived　to　mix　up

amusement　with　useful　knowledge。　　It　may　be　a　weakness；　but　the

public　like　to　be　entertained；　even　while　they　are　feeding　upon

better　food。　　Hence　Chambers　succeeded；　while　Knight　failed。　　The

'Penny　Magazine'　was　discontinued　in　1845；　whereas　'Chambers's

Edinburgh　Journal'　has　maintained　its　popularity　to　the　present

day。　　Chambers；　also；　like　Knight；　published　an　'Encyclopaedia；'

which　secured　a　large　circulation。　　But　he　was　not　trammelled　by

a　Society；　and　the　'Encyclopaedia'　has　become　a　valuable

property。



The　publication　of　these　various　works　would　not　have　been

possible　without　the　aid　of　the　steam　printing　press。　　When　Mr。

Edward　Cowper　was　examined　before　a　Committee　of　the　House　of

Commons；　he　said；　〃The　ease　with　which　the　principles　and

illustrations　of　Art　might　be　diffused　is；　I　think；　so　obvious

that　it　is　hardly　necessary　to　say　a　word　about　it。　　Here　you　may

see　it　exemplified　in　the　'Penny　Magazine。'　　Such　works　as　this

could　not　have　existed　without　the　printing　machine。〃　　He　was

asked；　〃In　fact；　the　mechanic　and　the　peasant；　in　the　most　remote

parts　of　the　country；　have　now　an　opportunity　of　seeing　tolerably

correct　outlines　of　form　which　they　never　could　behold　before？〃　

To　which　he　answered；　〃Exactly；　and　literally　at　the　price　they

used　to　give　for　a　song。〃　　〃Is　there　not；　therefore；　a　greater

chance　of　calling　genius　into　activity？〃　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃not

merely　by　books　creating　an　artist　here　and　there；　but　by　the

general　elevation　of　the　taste　of　the　public。〃



Mr。　Clowes　was　always　willing　to　promote　deserving　persons　in　his

office。　　One　of　these　rose　from　step　to　step；　and　eventually

became　one　of　the　most　prosperous　publishers　in　London。　　He

entered　the　service　as　an　errand…boy；　and　got　his　meals　in　the

kitchen。　　Being　fond　of　reading；　he　petitioned　Mrs。　Clowes　to　let

him　sit　somewhere；　apart　from　the　other　servants；　where　he　might

read　his　book　in　quiet。　　Mrs。　Clowes　at　length　entreated　her

husband　to　take　him　into　the　office；　for　〃Johnnie　Parker　was　such

a　good　boy。〃　　He　consented；　and　the　boy　took　his　place　at　a

clerk's　desk。　　He　was　well…behaved；　diligent；　and　attentive。　　As

he　advanced　in　years；　his　steady　and　steadfast　conduct　showed

that　he　could　be　trusted。　　Young　fellows　like　this　always　make

their　way　in　life；　for　character　invariably　tells；　not　only　in

securing　respect；　but　in　commanding　confidence。　　Parker　was

promoted　from　one　post　to　another；　until　he　was　at　length

appointed　overseer　over　the　entire　establishment。



A　circumstance　shortly　after　occurred　which　enabled　Mr。　Clowes　to

advance　him；　though　greatly　to　his　own　inconvenience；　to　another

important　post。　　The　Syndics　of　Cambridge　were　desirous　that　Mr。

Clowes　should　go　down　there　to　set　their　printing…office　in

order；　they　offered　him　400L。　a　year　if　he　would　only　appear

occasionally；　and　see　that　the　organisation　was　kept　complete。　

He　declined；　because　the　magnitude　of　his　own　operations　had　now

become　so　great　that　they　required　his　unremitting　attention。　

He；　however　strongly　recommended　Parker　to　the　office；　though　he

could　ill　spare　him。　　But　he　would　not　stand　in　the　young　man's

way；　and　he　was　appointed　accordingly。　　He　did　his　work　most

effectually　at　Cambridge；　and　put　the　University　Press　into

thorough　working　order。



As　the　'Penny　Magazine'　and　other　publications　of　the　Society　of

Useful　Knowledge　were　now　making　their　appearance；　the　clergy

became　desirous　of　bringing　out　a　religious　publication　of　a

popular　character；　and　they　were　in　search　for　a　publisher。　

Parker；　who　was　well　known　at　Cambridge；　was　mentioned　to　the

Bishop　of　London　as　the　most　likely　person。　　An　introduction　took

place；　and　after　an　hour's　conversation　with　Parker；　the　Bishop

went　to　his　friends　and　said；　〃This　is　the　very　man　we　want。〃　　An

offer　was　accordingly　made　to　him　to　undertake　the　publication　of

the　'Saturday　Magazine'　and　the　other　publications　of　the

Christian　Knowledge　Society；　which　he　accepted。　　It　is

unnecessary　to　follow　his　fortunes。　　His　progress　was　steady；　he

eventually　became　the　publisher　of　'Fraser's　Magazine'　and　of　the

works　of　John　Stuart　Mill　and　other　well…known　writers。　　Mill

never　forgot　his　appreciation　and　generosity；　for　when　his

'System　of　Logic'　had　been　refused　by　the　leading　London

publishers；　Parker　prized　the　book　at　its　rightful　value　and

introduced　it　to　the　public。



To　return　to　Mr。　Clowes。　　In　the　course　of　a　few　years；　the

original　humble　establishment　of　the　Sussex　compositor；　beginning

with　one　press　and　one　assistant；　grew　up　to　be　one　of　the

largest　printing…offices　in　the　world。　　It　had　twenty…five　steam

presses；　twenty…eight　hand…presses；　six　hydraulic　presses；　and

gave　direct　employment　to　over　five　hundred　persons；　and　indirect

employment　to　probably　more　than　ten　times　that　number。　　Besides

the　works　connected　with　his　printing…office；　Mr。　Clowes　found　it

necessary　to　cast　his　own　types；　to　enable　him　to　command　on

emergency　any　quantity；　and　to　this　he　afterwards　added

stereotyping　on　an　immense　scale。　　He　possessed　the　power　of

supplying　his　compositors　with　a　stream　of　new　type　at　the　rate

of　about　50；000　pieces　a　day。　　In　this　way；　the　weight　of　type　in

ordinary　use　became　very　great；　it　amounted　to　not　less　than　500

tons；　and　the　stereotyped　plates　to　about　2500　tons　the　value　of

the　latter　being　not　less　than　half　a　million　sterling。



Mr。　Clowes　would　not　hesitate；　in　the　height　of　his　career；　to

have　tons　of　type　locked　up　for　months　in　some　ponderous

blue…book。　　To　print　a　report　of　a　hundred　folio　pages　in　the

course　of　a　day　or　during　a　night；　or　of　a　thousand　pages　in　a

week；　was　no　uncommon　occurrence。　　From　his　gigantic

establishment　were　turned　out　not　fewer　than　725；000　printed

sheets；　or　equal　to　30；000　volumes　a　week。　　Nearly　45；000　pounds

of　paper　were　printed　weekly。　　The　quantity　printed　on　both　sides