New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-28
STUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
BY CHARLES T. CoNGDON.
JAMES LACKINGTON.

considered trihes at the bookstalis ought to re-
spect the memory of one who in his day was the
largest dealer i'll literary merchandise IN London
His shop was in Finsbury square, and In his usuai
grandiose way James Lackington called IL Inc
Temple of the Muses." 1t was huge building. as III
had need to be- since half q million OF volumes
were constantly sale under its roof. lhese were
arranged in galleries and rooms rising In uers. AZ
the bottom the most costly WORKS WIN
eyery floor the prices diminished. The hrst cata-
logue which Lackington issued contained twelve
Thousand volumes. Over the door hoated a flag
with the inscription: Cheapest Book-shop in the
Worldo Like many others who have accumu aed
handsome fortunes Lackngton began in small
way He has told the story of his early struggles
and ultimate success in most amusing auto
biography which he published in 1871. Another
book by him entitled, Z" Confessions and Letters"
was published in 1894. For some reason before his
death he tried to suppress DO h these works. but
both were republished in 1927 and if not very
common are frequently to be met with in libraries.
The copy of the Memoirs which | read in boyhood
had recollect. a fine print of "The Temple of the
Muses." but this ia wanting in the reprint before
me- its place heing supplied by a SNUG portrait OF
Lackington. This portrait must have been in some
previous edition, for the complacent author says of
1T that as striking likeness it has been honored
with the appreciation of all who have seen it," 1t
was recognized, he says by Mrs. Lackington's little
dog the faithful Argus" who went at 1t with such
IL
sary to remove him from it, lest he should damage
It, Lackngton, in relating this, bursts into the
following quotation from Pope's Odyssey: " He
knew his lord he knew and strove to meet, And all
he could his tall his ears his eyes Salute his
master and confess his joys" The old bookseller,
by the way, is great hand at quotations. and Jugs
in of those ornaments upon every possible occa-
sion and sometimes upon slight provocation This,
with the grandose of the successful trades
man, makes the Memoirs sometimes diverting and
sometimes dull but like all such books. frankly
and veracousy written, this can be read with pleas
ure and chatted about hope, for while without
serious loss of time and space
Like many men much better remembered by the
world than he is, Lackington began life as jour
neyInan shoemaker his father being also of the
"gente craft of leather" He was born in Somerset
shire in 1746 o. S. the elder Lackington was
nominaly Quaker, that being the religion of his
ancestors. but he had contracted fatal habit of
drinking, and thus involved himself and his family
in tho EXTREMIST poverty. So far from respecting
the memory of this convivial Quaker, Lackington
wrote long after: 9" find myself ready to the
husband and father that could thus involve his
wife and helpless infants in such deplorabe scene
of misery and distress He died unregretted by his
own children" Lackngton suggests that
there should be law made, to Danish such
fathers" and argues that children should be
taught to despise and detest unnatural, brutal
parent" Little Lackington placed with
baker, and tells us that his name became cele-
brated for selling large number of pies and pud-
dings." which he cried through the streets of Wei
lineton Soon he to the dignity of selling
almanacs in the same way, which may have given
him taste for the pursuits of his manhood He
was soon apprenticed to an Anabaptist shoemaker
whose son becoming Methodist undertook to
vert the whole family. +" In the long wn or
nights" says author " as sat at work to-
gether he proved lin his wayl that every man had
original sin enough to damn thousand souls; and
a deal was said on that subject. Quotations
also made from some deep author who had
asserted that there infants in hell but span
long and that hell was paved with infants
skulls" LackngtOn, as he says, caught the in
fection," aud became a Methodist also he read ten
chapters in the Bible every day; he learned many
hymns by rote; he perused Mr.. Wesey's sermons
at night by the light of the moon, for his master
would not allow him candle and being forbidden
to attend Methodist meetings he jumped out of a
two-s.ory window that he might do so, whereby his
feet and ankles so bruised that he amonth
i'm bed. and seriously thought that the Lord had
not used him well, resolving not TO put much
trust in Him in future" There is good deal in tho
book about the interior workings of Mr.. Wesey's
connection, for Lackngton when writing was in
i the gall of bitterness and the bond of niquity,
though subsequently he converted again.
While travelling about searching for shoemalline
work, LackingtOn seems to have kept up fondness
for books. He mentions purchasing in Bristol
Hobbies Translation of Homers Had and
Odyssey" which he found it every difficult to
read" This not strange, considering that it is
probably the worst translation made since the con-
fusion of tongues. He bought and read also
"Walker's Paraphrase of Epctetus" and was
charmed by " the principles of the Stocs." He also
bought " Plato on the Immortality of the Soul, y
"Plutarch's Morals" Seneca's Morals" "The
Morals of Confucus," The Morals of Epicurus u
and was greatly edited by these fascinating books
which taught him to bear the unavoidable evils
attending humanity, and to supply all his wants by
contracting OF restraining his desires" The plea
of eating he despised living mostly upon bread
and tea, and saving his money to purchase books.
However. by way OF comp cnsation for this dietetc
asceticism he was always in love with one young
woman or another, with Nancy Smith or with
Hannah Allen, with dairy maids maids of all
work getting into sundry scrapes. which he relates
with frankness. He falls in this part of his Memoirs
into quotations from Johannes Secundus TiEullus
and Hammond's Love Elegies, and has not so
much formerly to say about Plato. Seneca.
Plutarch and the rest of his favorte moralists.
Nancy Smith he marrcs, although their finances
and they discovered that they had but one half
penny to begin the world with"
Leaving his wife behind HIM. though he soon sent
for her, Lackington went up to London to seek his
fortune He obtained work, but was very poor.
Still he did not forget tho old book shops and fire.
quently added volume to his small collection {" /
the money that should have been expended in
purchasing something to eat" Once when he had
gone out with half crown to buy a Christmas
dinner he bouptt instead Younp'a NiCbt