Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-01-25
Authors Remuneration.
interesting Items About Men Who
Baye Written Books.
BY Frank 81. Stsnffar

sctlbes, men who were SPECIALLY trimmed
In the art, and vho derived their main
tenance from is
LII does not appear that any portion of
their gains were divided with the authors
OF tbs book. The latter found his remun-
Grafton partly in fame, but chiefly in mis-
appointment to some lucrative Office in
church or state.
Chaucer at various times held offices
IN the customs. Spenser received from
Qleen Elzaoeth a grant of kilcolmau
castle when he was secretary TO Lord
Grey in Ireland. Congreve wss appoint
ed secretary 10 the Island OF Jamaica at
salary of II 900 year. James l. grant
ed to John Stowe, historian, letters
pateut under the great seal permitting
him ito ask, gather and take the aims of
all our loving subjects" These letters
were read by the clergy from the pulpit
IL each parish which he visited. He was
an avowed and properly licensed m=nGi-
cant.
Next came in vogue the dedication sys
ten, which naturally accom- panied that
OF patronage. In the time of Queen
Eizaoeth the practice had come il to
FASHION or dedIcating a work, not te
Spencer,
spite of his pretended horror of fagniug.
prenxed seventeen dedicatory sonnets to
his "Fairie Queen" Faller introduced
5weive special dediestory title pages in
his Church History" besides fifty in
Scorpions to as many different benefac-
tors. Joshua Sylyesr er carried the dedi-
cation to still more ludlcrous extent.
His works were dedicated TO eightv-fve
the usual dedication fee from each, his
profits must have beeu considerable. The
terms of adulation became most extrava-
CANT just after the Restoration. Then
the common price of dedication varieo
from 420 to $40. After the Restoration
the price fell to sums varying from five
to ten euineas, rising to twenty guineas
during the REICH of George l.
In the latter part of the seventeenth
century the method of publication BY
subscr: ption was introduced. Before
that the booksellers were mere dealers in
books; but they came at once to the
front as publishers, because the subscrib-
ers secured in advance to some extent
represented the public, however limited
ana adventurous. Authorship then be-
came possible as liberal profession, and
publishing became possible as an organ
lied trade, Though for time the sub
scription plan was simply more extend
ed kind Of patronage, it was the trans
ltlon stage from the system OF patronag e
TO the system of free anC upfettered pub
hoation.
Archibald Constable Yves the tirst 60 set
the fashion of enlightened liberty toward
authors, fashion which rival publishers
were forced to follow. He issued books,
expecting them to find their public. He
stimulated the public taste for pure ana
sound literature. His jud yment WIS ex
cellent and his literary insight remark
able; he was thereby enabled to guage by
antici patton with striking accuracy the
acceptabiiity and success of the works
which he published, and paid authors &C
oordmgly. As it may interest some of
our readers to know what com pensatiou
noted authors received for their works We
subjoin number of instances, without
any reference to the order of time, aud
ending with the latest that have come
under ouv observation.
According to Pope's estimate, Dryden
uetted 81 200 from his Virgil. Gray
realized $4,000 from his play of "Tht
Beggars' Opera" and of Polly" which
was a sequel to it. The name of toe
manager who shared the profits with Gay
was Rich, which led 70 the motto: 1.-The
Beggars' Opera made Gay rich and Rich
gay"
Scott received $1,000 for the copyright
of "MaTmion." Constable made sd
vances. of money to Scott, amounting in
one instance to 10000 a. a :ime, for
works still in embryo, the very TITLES of
which had not been determined ever by
the author. Ia was led to it by SCOTS
ever-increasing demand for higher terms
and the. fear that rival publishers would
decoy Scott away from him by more
tempting offers. In the end it led Ia
Constable's ruin as publisher,
Prior received 10000 for his book of
poems, after which the Earl of Oxford
made him present of a like sum.
Samuel Clark received $500 for trspsiat-
ing Newtons "Optics" into Latin. Rich
ard Savage received over goo for one
of his plays. Thomson, author of THE
Seasons" received but three guineas for
his poem on winter" the -Four Seas
ons" brought him about five hundred
guineas.
Pope realized nearly $4,000 for his
translation of the 'Iliad" and about "a -
600 for his translation of the "Odysey"
He received from LIntot, the Publisher
$4,000 for his translation of Homer" q
sum which enabled him to set up his villa
at Twjckenhsm. That success allowed
him to triumph over the slavery of pa
trouage in a memorable couplet:
Thanks to Homer. since lived and thrive
Indebted to no prince or peer alive"
1t was vain boast, however, for when
he was offered $1,000 to suppress his at
tack on the Duchess of Marlborough, in
the character of Atosa, he took the
money, yet allowed the libeI to he print
ed.
Fielding first sold the copyright Of
Tom Jones' for G25, but broke the con
tract and subsequently sold it TO MilIar
TO- G20O. Afterward Millar paid $1,000
for Amelia" Jonsor received e2OO for
his Lives OF the Poets" the sum he
named, his publishers graciousIy gave
him $500 additional, to which they added
another e100 after the work was publish
cleared $4,000 by the book.
Milton received $40 for "Paradise
Lost" The only property john Tillot
sermons. Fortunately, however, owing
to the treat popularity of their author,
publisher paid her 9, 800 guineas for them.
Mark Akenside, received at the age of %.
e120 for his pleasures of Imagination"
In the later years of his life Glldsmith's
yearly income from his various publica-
tiohs was el,5O0. James Mcpherson re-
allied e1200 from his translation of
"Ossian.r The first book of poems is
sued by Robert Burns brought him a
profit of over $500.
Robert Dodsley, born in 1903, who
began life as a footmen in a wealthy
family, made enough out of his two plays
"The Toy Shop" and "The King and
settle in London as publisher and
bookseller. He projected THE Annual
Register" and acquired 2 handsome for
tune. JoDson vas paid 600 for "Ras-
salas" the only novel he ever wrote. For
his narratives of Captain Cooks dis
covernes IL the Pacific ocean, Hawks
worth received &c, 600, an enormous sum
for very inferior article. It was fail
ure, and mis- modification over 1t il said
to have FASTENED his death. Il was very
much inferior to his "Telemschas."
Hugh Kelly realIzsd ESQ from his
comedy entitled "Fslse Deiicacy." Long
fellow received $3.50 for his poem of the
Spanish Student" Cooper received
800 for every article of his Naval
The publishers of Ora
hams Magazine is said to have paid ].
P. R James 1920 for q novel which ran
l..