to a close. Besides printing, as has been already stated, all the latter part of the work (from the beginning of St. Luke,) on my own account, I had advanced the publisher more than 8001.-a sum which far exceeded all that I was worth. Still, as the copy-right (which is in such cases usually made the publisher's,) had been mortgaged, or conditionally resold, to me for security of this money, I thought myself safe. Moreover, as the work was now finished, and sold well, and the publisher had for some months been exempted from all outgoings on account of it; I had little fear of his being unable to stand his ground: and hence I increased my actual loss, which followed, by declining to receive some money that I might have had, because I thought a near relation of his ought to be relieved from the serious embarrassment in which, I was told, he had involved himself in order to serve him.

"Even my more sagacious friends, and those more conversant with transactions of this nature, were of opinion that the publisher's credit was so low, that even in case of failure, his debts could not amount to any large sum; but, in the event, on his executing a deed of assignment to his creditors, (within five months after the Bible was completed,) claims were made on his estate to the amount of above 10,000l. Still, however, with the latter part of the work in my possession; and with the copy-right pledged to me, and vested in me, unless redeemed by the payment of all that was my due; it appeared to me, that I could have come in, even before a bill of sale, (which he had given,) and have secured my debt, by rendering all the former part of the work of little value without my concurrence. A statute of bankruptcy would certainly have left me the copy-right, and the concluding part of the work. But I feared thus to secure payment in full to myself, while scarcely any thing was left to the other creditors, would appear a dishonorable transaction. I said, 'I can go on with my ministry creditably, if I lose 2001. or 3001; but if I lose my character for integrity, or even bring it into suspicion, I cannot I consented, therefore, to come in as a 'creditor under a deed of trust, delivering up all the latter part of the work in my possession, only retaining the copyright irredeemably.-At first, some creditors were clamorous against my proposal: but, the solicitór employed, soon shewing them their mistake, my offer was acceded to unan

imously: and, at the close of the business, I received from the whole company the unavailing compensation of thanks for my disinterestedness.

"I at first supposed, as I believe the other trustees did, that a dividend of 7s. or 8s. in the pound would be obtained: but I never received more than 1s. 2d. in the pound on my 8401., and that after long delays.

"Thus all my little property, arising from a legacy of 150l. from a relation, another of 100l. from John Thornton, Esq., and some others of smaller amount was sunk as in a vortex; and I was left at least 500l. in debt. I lost full 500l. by the publication, besides all my labor, and 2001. given me by friends in consideration of what had occurred.

"But what was still worse, I fell into discredit as to the management of secular affairs; of which I felt the effects in rather a mortifying manner a few years after, when the trustees determined to sell off all the residue of the edition. This I could have purchased for 4201.; and I was morally certain that it would produce me more than twice that sum, besides precluding all questions about the copy-right: but I could not raise the money. At least, being discouraged by those liberal friends who had before assisted me, gave it up in despondency, or rather, I trust, in resignation to the will of God; though aware of the consequences, and constantly affirming, that the loan of 420l. at that period would serve me more than the gift of 500l. a year afterwards.

"The whole residue, together with the copper plates, from which certain prints accompanying the work had been taken, was in consequence sold, in 1798, for 4501.,* to a person who purchased it with permission from me to reprint as much as forty-one numbers, to complete sets, on condition of paying me an acknowledgment of one guinea for each number reprinted. This condition, however, he disregarded; and, on the ground of possessing the copper plates, assumed a liberty of printing at his pleasure, thus virtually advancing a claim to the copy-right. No bookseller therefore could be expected to engage in a new edition, unless the work were taken entirely out of this purchaser's hands:

In a letter handed to me since this sheet was at the press, he says: "I would rather have given 1000/ could I have raised the money, than let it be so disposed of. It was like the execution of a dear friend: I would not be present! and I believe the other trustees did not take all proper precautions for my security."

I

which led me, about a year afterwards, to inquire the terms on which he would part with what yet remained unsold; when he demanded 9001 for it, though he acknowledged that he had already received double the purchase money, and had incurred comparatively little expence!

"These circumstances, however unfavorable to my temporal interests at the time, have proved a most important benefit to the work. Had I sold it to the booksellers, as I should have done, could I have secured it against encroachment, without having recourse to Chancery; I could hardly have failed of being cramped by them, as to the expensive improvements which I contemplated: but, retaining it in my own hands, I added, in a new edition, fifty sheets to the comment at an expence of 7001; besides the marginal references, which cost more than 1000l. printing.

"Many, no doubt, have wondered what could induce me to involve myself in pecuniary transactions to the extent I have done, which have required me to contract debts that I have not yet been able wholly to liquidate; and to struggle with difficulties beyond the conception of most persons, and wholly beside my inclination, and my talent and turn of mind. This may appear the more extraordinary, after I had firmly declined the most liberal offers of assistance, to enable me to take the work out of the original publisher's hands, and to print it on my own account,— -on the ground that this would so occupy my mind about pecuniary concerns, as to unfit me for the work itself. But the fact was, I had now no other alternative left, if I would improve the first rough sketch of a work, which I always deemed the grand business of my life. I must either leave the whole to be reprinted by the person above referred to, sheet by sheet, after the old edition, according as one number or another might be wanted; or I must have recourse to Chancery-which I greatly dreaded; or I must print on my own account, which I knew I could legally do. The very friends also, who before declined advancing me 420l., now offered to lend me considerably more; and some others concurred. The booksellers likewise assured me that, as soon as the work was so far advanced that there were any volumes for sale, it would pay its own expences. Thus encouraged I ventur

ed to undertake it.

"For a considerable time all went on well with my new edition. The sale actually answered the expenditure, though that was little short of 1000l. a year: and it appear

ed probable that a profit would accrue to me sufficient to reimburse my former losses. But at length such an enormous rise took place in the price of paper, attended by a considerable advance in the charge of printing, as, together with the additions I made to the work, caused my estimates to turn out nearly 1000l. too low; and the sale of the whole edition scarcely cleared more than prime cost. Indeed every page

1 added increased my expence, without at all advancing the price of the book-which had been fixed from the first: and I actually paid at the rate of 13l. for every additional sheet, for the privilege of improving my work.

"To conclude this subject at once. I have been favored to live to superintend a third edition; and by that I have fared somewhat better: but, except the sum given for the copy-right since that edition was concluded, I certainly have not cleared so much as 1000l. for the labors of above twenty-one years. I do not, however, regret this. God has provided for me and mine very graciously: by means of this publication my grand design, of accomplishing from the press what I found myself little capable of effecting from the pulpit, has eventually succeeded beyond my expectations: and I needed my trials and difficulties, both to correct the many evils connected with the undertaking, and to counterbalance any flattering circumstances arising out of

it."

This history of the production and publication of my father's Commentary on the Bible was written in the year 1812. Early in the following year all the transactions relative to it were brought under the view of the Court of Chancery, in consequence of the person who had purchased the residue of the first edition asserting a claim to the copy. right, and endeavoring to support an injunction against my father, and the booksellers to whom the work was now sold. The injunction was in the first instance granted, but it was immediately dissolved on the case being heard. I have, in some parts, a little enlarged and cleared up the narrative from the report of the proceedings on that occasion. friend, present in court, wrote to my father as follows, immediately after the decision: "The Chancellor went into all the transactions very minutely indeed; in the course of which he spoke of your conduct, as author, creditor, trustee, and, at one period, proprietor and publisher of the work, in the most honorable terms."-One short extract from the printed report may be given. It was contended by counsel

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against my father, that one of the agreements into which he had entered with the original publisher was "illegal, as being a laical dealing, contrary to the canons:" on which his Lordship remarked, in giving judgment, "Whether it is so or not, I am not now called to inquire; but I think I am not going far out of my way to say, that the laical dealings of a clergyman can never be less the subject of blame, than when they consist in writing, and promoting the circulation of explanatory notes on the Bible."

Previously to this decision, besides all the injury he had suffered in his property, my father and his publishers were assailed by advertisements and placards, strongly reflecting upon their character and proceedings. But the question was now finally set at rest, and the work has been exposed to no subsequent molestation.

This great work of my father's life was begun January 2, 1788; the first number was published March 22, following; and the last copy was finished for the press, June 2, 1792: during which period the whole was twice written over by his own hand. One great error committed was, beginning to publish so soon after entering upon the composition. This caused the author to be distressingly hurried throughout his whole progress. Sick or well, he was obliged to complete his weekly task; except as in some few instances he was compelled to plead for a short respite, by the suspension of the publication. I have actually known him, with great difficulty and suffering, prepare as much copy as he thought would complete the current number, and then, when he had retired to bed and taken an emetic, called up again to furnish more, what he had provided being insufficient for the purpose! It is needless to point out how injurious to a work, as well as distressing to an author, such a hurried execution must be; and the reader will agree with me in thinking it surprising, that a work, so composed, should have been found to possess such intrinsic merit, and gain such acceptance as it did, even in its most unimproved state. One effect was perhaps on the whole an advantage-especially as any disadvantages accompanying it have been removed by the author's subsequent indefatigable labors-namely, that he was compelled, in the first instance, to be in so great a degree original; to give the result of his own reflections almost alone. There was little time to consult, much less to transcribe from other authors,