The Publishing Family of Rivington. By Septimus Rivington. (Rivingtons. 10s.
net.)—A family which has been connected with the publishing trade for two centuries deserves to have its history recorded with the care that Mr. Rivington has bestowed upon this highly interesting book. Charles Rivington in 1711 took over the old business of Richard Chiswell, and the firm which he founded lasted till 1890, when it was bought by Messrs. Longmans. Meanwhile the author, ceasing to be a partner in the old firm, had set up a new firm which still connects the family name with publishing. The book is in effect a supplement to the literary history of England, for Charles Rivington and his successors published for, or had business dealings with, all the great men from Pope, Johnson, and Wesley down to Newman and Pusey. They specialized in theology from an early date, and they did much in the last two generations to improve school- books, and thus to benefit education. Mr. Rivington describes very clearly the methods of publishing in the eighteenth century, when the trade was well organized and the popular author reaped his reward. Pope, for example, received 1,200 guineas for his Iliad, together with an edition of 750 copies to sell to subscribers a month in advance of the ordinary trade edition.
Previous page
