ing, called Syndicks. This letter I delivered by myself, when this gentle man afked me what advice I had from counsel about their privileges; which was the first time I had heard any thing of the contents of the above mentioned letter from the university. This being a farther confirmation of this man's treachery, I let Mr Smith know my former jealoufies of him and, fince he was præfes, I begged of him to call a meeting before I left this place, that I might know their opinions; and accordingly being met, they granted our request for paying into the university L.100 yearly, and five pounds per annum to one Jonathan Plinder, an old decayed printer in that place. I told Thomas James, I was informed such a letter was fent by the university to his brother, to take advice of counsel as it directed, and was much furprised he had concealed the contents from the company; when he anfwered, he did not know the use of it. I defired him to go along with me to thank the gentlemen of the university, which he refufing, I told him I would go alone then; but feeing me pofitive, he went in company; when he, with no little affurance, afked them, That if my project should mifgive, were we obliged to pay them an hundred guineas yearly? and farther, he doubted of the validity of their leafe. To both which they answered, We had to do with gentlemen; and then we got their decree figned unanimoufly. When we came to London, I acquainted my other partners with my fuccefs at Cambridge, and Thomas James's behaviour and concealnient of the forementioned letter. His brother took bun heartily to task; who told me how he had chaftifed him, and got his promife of better behavi. our for be future. Then we refolved to go altogether to Cambridge, to atted two other courts, called Caput and Convocation,, to get the finifling Awoke to their leafe. We appointed a day to set out; but Thomas James thought fit to inform the King's prin ters (our antagonists) of our refola. tions, who had been at Cambridge two days before we arrived, and had renewed their former offer of Li 500 to the university, befides an yearly premium; and the more to ingratiate themfelves, carried along with them fpecimens of Callon's types, to fhew the imperfection of Thomas James's, as were exhibited before himself, when he was obliged to own there was no comparison: but, having an impreffon of that plate with me I had formerly made from Mr Caflon's types, made. it plain my work muft be always an fwerable; which the gentlemen being convinced of, our leafe paffed the o ther two courts next day. The university being confined to make that grant only in the name of one fingle perfon, we were asked which of us fhould be nominated; when Fenner and Thomas James stood candidates, and by the power given me of the cafting vote, I gave it in favour of Fenner, who promised, as foon as he came to London, to make a transference to the whole concerned; but no fooner we returned thither, than there was a propofal made to fend Thomas James to Holland to pur chase proper types, which was accordingly done, when in two months stay there, he brought upon us à charge of L.160, and only one fet of types home with him, though in greater quantity than he had either orders or we ufe for. Having heard me frequently fay, that the best plates I could make would be from types before they were ufed or inked, he caufed to fet up four pages of a Bible, to make a plate from them before any impreffion had been taken from them. The im preffions were made, when there appeared like two hundred blors in each page, which he was fo fond of, that he carried them directly to his brother. Being furprifed, I cauf. ed take impreffions likewife from the types, when the fame number of blots appeared there too: and when the compositors dompofitors obferved the types, they told me that about a third of them ne ver had been adjufted; then James himself was set to adjust them. After this, I made a whole fheet of a Bible, and impressions were taken from both type and plate; when Thomas James brought a quire of fine paper, and was prefent at the impreffion taken from the type, and placed his feal on the middle of each sheet. Seeing his eagerness to catch advantages, I went for a quire of the fame kind of paper, and defired him to be witnefs to the impreflion from my plates; and having ftamped my feal likewife on each fheet of mine, both impreffions were fhewn to Samuel Palmer and his brother, who were fatisfied with the perform ance. This was fomewhat grating to Thomas James. The next malicious fratagem he fell upon (being witness to the taking of these impref. fions) was, to acquaint his brother with the defect of the impreffions in the corner of one of the fheets, which he had picked out on purpose, which defect was owing to the platten's being patched with paper; but as his was firft caft off, there were more of them injured in that particular place than of mine; which fhewing his brother, and convincing him of his malice to the undertaking, he confented that he should have no farther concern, or be allowed to come to our meetings, which occafioned the delay of our contract, and confequently of the transference, not knowing whether he was to be any more a partner. Then we got compofitors, and fet to work about a Bible and two Prayer-books on that letter brought from Holland; two Prayer books upon a Brevier let ter, which we had from Thomas James, which were laid afide after four fheets were made in plates; and likewise an octavo Prayer-book, whereof nine fheets were made, and likewife thrown afide, which afterwards, when I left them, they completed in the common way. I made likewife plates for a Grammar, when my partners made choice of an overfeer who did not understand the Rudiments. At this time we had about a dozen compofitors, and finished two Prayer-books, without taking an impreffion of one fheet; being obliged to make two plates for each page (and very often a greater number, till he was fatisfied that he had got two fufficient for the work): this learned overfeer was made judge, to break down what he thought convenient to be caft over again; but his judgment fhewed itfelf in breaking the best, which I frequently difcovered, and fhewed him the plates after broke, to give him reason to be convinced of his error; though all the excufe he made for himself was, that there were faults in the compofing, which fhould have been his business to have known before they were brought to me. Having obferved this practice for frequently, I made my complaint to Mr Fenner, that impreffions might be taken of the whole work, to fee how far we had been impofed on: Feaner not feeming to agree to it, furprised me much, my demand being so juft. A little after I came to disco ver there was an understanding be tween Fenner and this overseer, who was likewife clerk to the difburfements, of which John James bore the far greater fhare, without ever taking receipts or clearing accompts with Fenner, who had his game to play with this clerk in making up the accompts as he told me afterwards that he had a promise of fifty pounds from Fenner, to make up the accompts as he fhould direct, and to continue him in his favour; and he added, that it was then in his power to difcover to me, how far Fenner defigned to trick and play the rogue both against John James and me. But having in due acquainted Mr James with my obfervations and fufpicions of this overfeer, we determined to employ a more proper man, to whom we would allow double the wages that the other had. Accordingly another another was got, who feeing the former's performance, and efpecially that on the grammar, he let us fee, there was like twenty errors in every page, and all the rest of his work fhewed he had no judgment in the matter. Our new overfeer immediately propofed to get Dutch preffinen, and 'we immediately fent him to Holland to fetch them over; and in the mean time our old overfeer was continued till the other's return; and, knowing he was to be no longer employed, he committed rather greater blunders than for merly but before our new overfeer went away, being acquainted with the king's printers, informed them of the advantageous offers we had made him, and his crrand to Holland ; whereupon they debauched him likewise, and told him, that if he gave us his tools (as he had promiled to do on our paying for them,) he would throw himfe f out of bread; and that the univerfiry's leafe would not be worth an half penny to us, because they were to lead an injunction against it. It evi 'dently appeared he was in concert with the king's printers, by the people he brought over with him; one of whom was a fuperannuated failor, who ingeniously confeffed his ignorance: and, after eight days ftay with us, went home again, although he was under contract for a year at weekly wages. Another of them, to excule his ignorance, told us he was bred a baker, aod had been but two years at the prefs. The other two were father and fon; the father was a little old man between fixty and feventy years of age, and both fo weakly, that they took four palis at the preis inftead of two that the English made, who mocking them for their practice in their business, the fen, being afhamed, ran away from us in two months, Our new overfeer, being along with them at Cambridge, and having no other plates to work upon, but the former uncorrect ones (which he himself had condemned) caused cast off a fheet, which he fent up to London, and which met with approbation; having done his utmoft to fave his own reputation, and conceal the ignorance of thofe he had brought from Holland. After this, my partners ufed their preffing inftances to perfuade me to go down to Cambridge, which I refufed till the contracts fhould be figned, and the transference made. But telling me, that would take a time, and that the people would be out of work, they gave me an holograph writ of John James, figned by him and Fenner, wherein they confirmed to me 100l. to be paid yearly, or quarterly, for the use of my family; thirty fhillings a week for my own fubfiftence; and likewife obliged themfelves to confirm to me one fourth of the profits that should arife from the work, and to extend their obligationTM in form with all expedition, which, by their verbal promife, was to have been done within fix weeks thereafter: having complained of their former payments, they affured me I should be paid punctually for the future. But after feven weeks ftay at Cambridge (Fenner having fent down his brother to be cashier,) I had no greater payments made me than at the rate of ten. fillings per week; having made preffing demands in terms of our agreement, this Fenner told me, that if I were not fatisfied with what he gave, 1 might go about my business, for they could do the work without me. By this time having got a fheet of a Bible made by the direction of this new overfeer, which appeared more beautiful than any hitherto done, Fenner, hearing me fo much commend it, pretended to have a curiofity to look at it, but lifting it up from the place where it lay to a better light, dropt it; obferving this, I ran to take up what might be unhurt, but he knocked even what remained whole to pieces, which fhewed 'twas not an accident, but real design. I foon after discovered their plot : for, having placed all my tools and juftruments infruments in order at Cambridge, agreed on by our minutes. Then ir his brother at London and he thought Fenner applied to Mr Mount and Mr they could do the business without Page, who had a corfi terable mortme, and fo fought all opportunities gage on Mr Baket's privilege of printto fall out with me; for it was plain ing; Mr Balker being to receive from his breaking of my plates (the 11,000l. due to him by the Governgoodness of which was owing to our met, with which he defigned to pay new overfeer's improving of the pages, of that mortgage: Fenner hearing of and pr ferving of fuch pages as were this, conjuring this a proper time, fufficient for the work), that, if they made prosofals to conjoin Mr Mount found they could fucceed in their de-,, and Mr Page with him in the univer fign, they would impofe upon John fity's leafe, which he had fill in his James, by making him believe they own name. Thereafter he came to Couls pg form the work better than, Cambridge, where I acquainted him ryfelt, and to have no more occafion how haughtily I had been afed by his for me. This new overfeer Raid on- brother as is above related; and told 1 ten days at this time that I was at him, I would go to London to fee Cambridge, when the meffengers actu- John James, and provide proper perally came down with the injunction; fons to carry on the work, and have who having fent for him, he kept them our contracts figned, which ought to company al that night, and defired have been done three months before them to conceal themfelves till he that time. He told me, I should get hould get all that was due to him no more papers figned than what were (which was only three guineas), and already, for John James would adbe gone for London, which he accord- vance no more money, and would be ingly did next morning; and they, ap- no longer concerned; but that he had peared that afternoon, and laid on their taken care of himflf, and was to take injunction, which in few days after in Mr Mount and Mr Page for tharwas removed by a decree of the chan- ers. I then told him, I had his figncery in favour of the univerfity, ed obligation for a fourth fhare, and would go to London to let Mr James know his defign, who had already laid out fo much money on that affair.Finding me obilinate, he begged me to itay fourteen days, and make the Calendar of a Prayer book, that he might have one of them bound in order to fhew it to Mr James, and that he would endeavour to get him to continue his concern, and to bring him to Cambridge in that time which they failing to do, I w. nt to London; but before I fet out, I thought it fit to. remove part of my tools, at leait fo many of them as fhould disappoint him, or any other, in the difcovery of any part of my invention. I likewile carried with me fpecimens of most of the fheets caft off, to compare them with what Mr James might have gǝt fent him from Feaner. Mr James took out of his pocket thofe theets Our overfeer having now left us, this Fenner our clerk (being a few weeks before an iron monger) affumed the direction as overfeer likewife, and inade always choice of the worst plates for the profs-men to work on, and feat the bad impreffions to John James, which he fhewed to ftationers that he expected would be purchaters, who attributed the faults of the inprefion to the badnefs of the paper. Fenner having got already as much from John James as he could expect he would be willing to launch out on this affair, he made a demand of L. 500 for this paper, which Mr James refuled to pay his fhare of, telling him that he was informed it was no thing but the refufe and rubbish of his fhop, and that he ought not to have furnithed paper without the advice and confent of the concerned, as had been VOL. XIV. No. 84. 3 M fent him by Fenner from Cambridge; tools, to be more attentive to my p formance for the discovery of the my(ley, and then to fhuffle me entirely out of the bufinefs. In the twenty-fix weeks time they expected 1 would finish the half of a Bible, and the half of an Octavo Prayer-book. I told them I faw through their aim, and parted with them, Then Fenner went a fecond time to Cambridge, and practifed for two months with as little fuccefs as before: at his return, he called us to another meering; and I carried along with me a countryman of mine, a member of parliament, to whom they offered a fheet of clean what arpaper, to fill up ticles he thought fit for my advantage, if I would return to Cambridge. This gentleman anfwered, that I had a friend in the place who understood matters of that kind better than he, and defired them to appoint an hour and place; but accidentally dropping his name, was known to Mr Fenner, having heard him plead a caufe in the Exchequer in Scotland: when the defendant was feemingly to have loft his caufe, this gentleman recovered it to Fenner's great furprize, which made him believe that gentleman would be too many for him to meet with on my affair. The appointment, however, was made, but neither he nor James Kept it. Some days after, my friend the member of parliament and I met with them in another place, where were the two James's and Fenner. Thomas James, being the intimate of Mr Mount and M、 Page, was informed by them, how far Fenner had ben bargaining with them for the privilege of the univerfity; which John James hearing, told Fenner that he was a knave and a rogue, and had all along picked his pocket, but that he would ftrip him to the fit for his money. After this, my friend and I gave over hopes of getting matters accommodated; but he went to my Lord Iflay (by whofe affiftance we had obtained the leafe, which was granted. |