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Theatrical Review, 1846-47 (3 Wanderer, 1818.

numbers).

Thistle, 1869 (1 number).
Tickler, 1883.

Times, 1858-59 (2 numbers).
Times (evening), 1877-

University Journal, 1832.
University Magazine, 1882.
University Review, 1884.

Voice of the People, 1883. Voluntary Church Magazine, 1833-39.

Weekly Miscellany, 1789-92, 6

vols.

West Country Intelligence, 1716. West of Scotland Magazine, 185557.

Wizard, 1873.

Workman (1 number), 1858.

Young Men's Journal, 1833. Young Men's Christian Magazine, 1879

Young Misses' Magazine, 1800.

"The

While most of these possess points of interest, there are two or three we select for special mention. West Country Intelligence," 1716, is understood to be the earliest representative in the West of Scotland of the modern newspaper. It is a tiny sheet, measuring 7 by 5 inches, and is occupied mainly with copies of royal messages and speeches, and despatches from abroad, but there is a little home news, of which this, from the number for 16-21 January, 1716, may be taken as a sample:

"Tis very dangerous Travelling in the Country by Reason of a great Fall of Snow: For on Monday last, one William Finlayson Younger, Merchant in Paslay, an honest thriving man, of good Credit and Reputation, went from this Town for Paslay, he was found Yesterday about 4 a-Clock in the Afternoon, with a considerable sum of Money on him, near Erkleston half a Mile off the Road, in a Writh of Snow, having some Life in him when found, and breathing about 5 Hours thereafter, and so dyed, being never able to speak, whose Death is very much regretted.'

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The copy in the library is only a fragment, consisting of some three and a half numbers. It was formerly in the library of the late James Maidment.

The next volume to mention is the "Glasgow Courant," for 1747 to 1749, beginning with No. 105 and continuing to 208, in very good condition, containing as may be supposed many very interesting intimations concerning the Glasgow of those days.

One of the most valuable items in the list is the complete set of "The Glasgow Mercury," of which the first number was published Thursday, January 8, 1778, and the last on Tuesday, 27th September, 1796. To attempt to indicate the many elements of interest in this series would lead too far, but the introductory and valedictory addresses of the publisher are worth quoting, if only as marking the difference between the ideas of newspaper management then and now. In the first number he gives notice :--

"To the Public. The curiosity of mankind has produced a number of periodical papers, many of them published daily, and conveying accounts of the transactions of the times. Of these the weekly paper [the 'Mercury' was to be weekly] appears to be the most useful and satisfactory. In the daily paper you have the tale of the day without any certainty of its truth, but in the weekly paper you have articles mostly of authentic intelligence. The Editor, having leisure to distinguish truth from falsehood, imparts that information that seems to merit attention."

The announcement of the cessation is in another way not less curious. It appeared, as stated above, on 27th September, 1796

"On the 9th August and 13th instant, an advertisement was inserted in this paper, announcing the proprietor's intention to dispose of it to any person who might consider it an object worthy attention. As he has failed in carrying his design into execution he must now inform the public, and particularly the subscribers to the Paper, that this Number is the LAST of a series which has been continued during a period of nearly twenty years. The proprietor's chief, or rather only, motive for discontinuing the publication of the MERCURY arises from the extensiveness of his printing business in general. Were this not the case, so far from having any thought of resigning the paper, he is enabled to declare that he would carry it on though the encouragement he has always experienced were considerably lessened."

Large as the library collection of Glasgow periodicals is, it is well understood that it is by no means complete, and all available means are taken both to complete sets of such as are present only in part and to secure those of which no portion has yet been obtained.

Other portions of the Glasgow collection have to do

with such questions as the public health, the water supply, the disposal of the sewage, and other matters of public importance. Glasgow trials form a group. The collection of programmes of meetings and entertainments held in the City Hall, from 1865 to the present time, which was preserved and presented by Mr. Duncan Brown, hall-keeper, and has been securely bound in ten substantial volumes, is a piece of local history to which very few libraries possess a parallel. But it is impossible here to name the many items of local interest-personal, political, literary, ecclesiastical, or artistic which the collection contains, and we leave it with the remark that it promises to become one of the largest and most complete of the provincial gatherings of local literature.

CHAPTER X.

Early Glasgow Printing - First Printing in the City List of Glasgow Printers-The Brothers Foulis- Works on Scotland-The National Covenant-Knox's History of the Reformation in Scotland

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Scottish History, Topography, and Biography-
The Black Acts"-Miscellaneous Scottish Books.

THERE remains for notice the third of the collections of a special kind which the Mitchell Library possesses. This is conveniently known by the name of "Early Glasgow Printing." By great good fortune a copy of what is believed to be the earliest piece of printing executed in the city was secured at a very early period of the library's existence. This is a tract of sixteen pages, bearing the following title :-"The Protestation of the Generall Assemblie of the Church of Scotland, and of the Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen, Borrowes,

Ministers and Commons; Subscribers of the Covenant, lately renewed, made in the high Kirk, and at the Mercate Crosse of Glasgow, the 28, and 29, of November 1638. Printed at Glasgow by George Anderson, in the Yeare of Grace, 1638."

The title-page is adorned by a rude cut, the naked figure of a man. It has no apparent relation to the subject of the tract, and may have been a portion of a larger design. The first introduction of printing into Glasgow is a matter of so much local interest, that the following record from "Extracts from the Records of the Burgh of Glasgow, 1573-1642," may be permitted, although it is doubtless well known to many of our readers:

4 January, 1640. Ordaines the thesaurare to pay to George Andersone, printer, ane hundrethe pundis in satisfactioun to him of the superplus he debursit in transporting of his geir to this brughe, by the ten dollouris he gave him of befor to that effect, and als in satisfactioun to him of his haill bygane fiallis fra Whitsonday in anno 1638 to Mertimes last.

The distinction of being the first printing done in Glasgow has been claimed for a small book bearing date 1634, and with the following title:"True Christian Love to bee Sung with any of the Common Tunes of the Psalmes [Col. 3-16, Let the Word of God dwell in you]." Printed by I. W. for John Wilson, and are to be sould at his shop in Glasgow, 1634. The general opinion, however, is that this was printed at Edinburgh by John Wriettoun, or Wreittoun, for the Glasgow bookseller.

The collection so appropriately and happily commenced with the earliest Glasgow print has now grown into very considerable dimensions. The annual report for 1884 states that "the department of Early Glasgow Printing' has received additions bringing up the number of volumes contained to about 820." All books printed in Glasgow before the commencement of the present century are included. It is believed that

most of the printers who exercised their calling within the city are represented by at least one of their productions. Materials are not as yet available for a complete list of these predecessors of our present typographers, but the following names are among them. The dates following the names are not intended to show either the beginning or the ending of the work of each respectively, but merely the date of the first book of each now in the library. A few of the names are those of publishers, not printers :

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The pre-eminent name, whether for the excellence,

the accuracy, or the quantity of the work, is that of

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