the printer, became a proprietor, Sterling shortly afterwards relinquishing his share, although still acting as editor. 1830. With the New Year the second title, " Literary Chronicle," was discontinued, and "The Weekly The Weekly Review," which had now been amalgamated, Review. substituted. At the same time the day of publication was changed from Wednesday to Robert Saturday, the last issue for 1829 being on December 30th, and the first for 1830 not until the following Saturday week, January 9th. This number opens with a very severe criticism of Robert Montgomery's 'Satan': "Half the young men at either Oxford or Cambridge, if they gomery's were compelled, as a task, to write a poem on the same topics as those treated of in 'Satan,' would produce a more creditable work......Mr. Montgomery calls up spirits; but, instead of coming from the vasty deep, they rise from the ditch of the 'Dunciad.'" On January 16th the prospectus of the new series is given, in which it is announced that several of the best contributors to the London Weekly Review have joined the Athenæum. The Athenæum has always been a warm supporter of the various provident institutions in connexion with the trades or professions immeTook's Court. The price was the same as that of the Athenæum, &d., and free by post 15. VOL. I. D 'Satan.' Printers' Pension Charles Wentworth Dilke becomes editor. diately associated with journalism, and we find thus early a strong appeal in favour of the Printers' Pension Society. The occasion was that of Lord Morpeth taking the chair at the annual dinner : "It was only till within these few years that any fixed plan was adopted for their relief [the decayed printer, his destitute widow and orphan]......We cannot too strongly recommend the Society to all those who have the love of literature and the welfare of their country at heart." And now, after so many changes and uncertainties, during which the journal had been offered to Mr. Alaric Watts for 80/.,* and to Dr. Stebbing, with the whole of the back stock, for 100%, the time had come when the editorship was to pass into the hands of one who was not only to establish the journal as the leader of opinion, but was also to put down with a strong hand the then existing system of trade criticism. It was on the 5th of June Charles Wentworth Dilke became the editor, taking upon himself the entire control. Mr. Dilke was then in his forty-first year, having been born on the 8th of December, 1789. He had been a contributor to the Westminster Review, the Retrospec*Bookseller, August 31st, 1864. + Dr. Stebbing's letter in the Athenæum, January 19th, 1878. tive, and Colburn's New Monthly, and also for a time editor of the London Magazine. His great critical ability and soundness and fairness of judgment-his thorough, searching, and most painstaking investigation of every subject upon which he wrote, sparing neither time, labour, nor expense to sift and examine everything having even the most remote bearing upon itare well known, his only anxiety being to discover the truth. Mr. Thoms in Notes and Queries, August 13th, 1864, thus makes mention truth. of his friend :-"The distinguishing feature of his character was his singular love of truth, and His love of his sense of its value and importance, even in the minutest points and questions of literary history." And again in Notes and Queries, October 28th, 1865: “He had no pet theory to maintain. The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, was the end and object of all his inquiries, and in the search after this he was indefatigable." Such was the man who now took the paper into his hands, with the resolve that the reading public should have the opportunity of obtaining, as far as was in his power, accurate information upon all the subjects treated by the Athenæum. He determined to break down once and for ever the system of publishing puffs, whether the publishers sent or did not send their books or advertisements. This great fraud upon the public was to be put an end to, or, failing sufficient support, the journal should be abandoned. There should be no attempt at any compromise with the unclean thing. In justice to those then engaged in the publishing trade it must be remembered that they were merely continuing an old-established system. There had never been a newspaper started upon the principles of free and independent literary criticism. Authors had always been accustomed to laudatory notices, and resented strongly anything like fault-finding, considering, when they handed a work to a publisher, that it was a part of his business to secure for it favourable reviews. The then existing literary journals were all ready to bow the knee, and the Athenæum came upon authors and publishers alike as a great innovation. They could not understand that their own interests as well as those of the general public would be served by the establishment of such a paper. Of course there were a few independent publishers who felt that while they might suffer by the just censure of a bad book, they must benefit by a commendatory criticism which the public knew to be honest. This principle is now so fully recognized that it is difficult to believe what a hard-fought struggle was required to establish it, and that it was only owing to the thorough independence of all connected with the Athenæum that this position was attained. It is pleasant to record that the public press gave most generous and efficient support, and warmly and zealously came forward to serve the cause. On the 19th of June notice was given to advertisers that all advertisements would, in future, be inserted in the stamped edition as well as in the unstamped without increase of charge beyond the additional duty of 3s. 6d., the advertisement duty being 7s. upon advertisements appearing in both issues. It should also be here noted that the stamped shilling edition to go by post had to pass as a newspaper, and for this reason an account of the corn and money markets was inserted. Advertisements inserted in both issues. Death of On July 3rd the death of the King is announced, with due regard to the services George IV. he rendered to the fine arts:-"As Journalists of Literature and Art, we trust it may be permitted to us us to express our sympathy with all lovers of either at the death of the most distinguished Patron of both since the days of Charles the First. It was under George the Fourth that the National Gallery was founded-an institution yet in its infancy, but which will flourish when more agitating |