Sixty Years a Bookman, With Other Recollections and Reflections

by Joseph Shaylor

At this time "Hannay's Almanac" also had a large sale, but it only survived a few years after the first issue of the greatly renowned "Whitaker's Almanack," now over fifty years old. This almanac deserves the success it has secured. No business or even private intelligence department can afford to be without it; it practically has no competitor, and the knowledge it contains might well be termed universal and encyclopædic.

While speaking of Stationers' Hall and Stationers' Court, I will try to remove an impression which suggests that the word Stationers originated from the locality in bygone times being connected with the paper trade. This is not so; but being so near St. Paul's Cathedral, it was one of the stations at which vendors of crosses and other wares for religious observances had their stands or shops for the sale of these articles; hence its origin. The following streets also derived their names through being near or associated with St. Paul's Cathedral: Paternoster Row, Creed Lane, Ave Maria Lane and Graces Court. In Ivy Lane dwelt the wax-chandlers who in bygone times supplied tapers for lighting the Cathedral.

I cannot say if religion at this period had a passion for more excitement than at the present time, but undoubtedly there were more books of that character sold than there are to-day. What immense sales such books as the following had: Hall's "Come to Jesus," "Heaven Our Home," "The Sinner's Friend," "Across the River," Beecher's "Life Thoughts," "The Pathway of Promise," "Able to Save," Baynes' "Lyra Anglicana," "Christ is Coming," "Letters from Hell," "The Gates Ajar," Oxenden's "Pathway of Safety," "The Heavenly Home," or the "Employment and Enjoyment of the Saints in Heaven," with works by Dr. Guthrie, Richard Weaver, Dr. Vaughan, A.K.H.B., Dr. Winslow, and books on the coming end of the world by Dr. Cummings. In fact, one of the leading journals of this time discussed the question as to what devotional books were most popular, and the answer given was, "Not the 'Imitation of Christ,'" but works telling the Christian how to make the best of both worlds, and describing heaven as minutely as if it were a first-class hotel, where every pleasure is provided for the elect. Judging from the titles this would appear correct, but fortunately this class of book has almost ceased to be, and works of a more reasonable and literary character have taken their place.

Some years ago I wrote an article bearing upon this subject, and as I feel that the words are as true to-day as when written, I here produce portions from the article which deals more fully with this question.

It must be apparent to anyone glancing through the publishers' lists of the books now being issued, and comparing them with the lists of fifty years ago, that a great decline has taken place in the production of religious books. This decline is observable not only in the old-fashioned religious publications which were looked upon as belonging to the classics, but also in the more modern productions of a like character. These latter sold by their thousands, but the demand for both appears at the present to have nearly passed away, and their sale is now of the most limited description.

In an attempt to account for this decline more or less plausible reasons have been adduced, but the most forcible, perhaps, is, that just now there is no religious wave passing over the country, nor are there any great ecclesiastics who have time or who consider it part of their duty to be continually issuing books on purely religious subjects. Add to this the fact that trade frequently runs in cycles, with the effect that the depression in this particular class of literature is just now at its lowest point. When this is so, something often occurs to bring it back again to its normal condition, and this may prove to be the case in the production and sale of religious books.

A potent factor in this depression is undoubtedly the growth of independent thought, which was such a marked characteristic in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The influence of Puritanism, which so deeply affected English life, and which in past ages permeated the action and thought of this country, has now nearly spent itself, so the sale of old Puritan books has almost ceased. During that period the noblest characters were moulded from those appearing in the Bible; these are now shaped more by education and culture. Whether this will be to the advantage of the nation, must be left for a future generation to decide.

There is much truth in the remark that the literature of a nation largely indicates the disposition of its people; but this observation scarcely applies to the religious side of our national life, for, although there has been a great decline in the issue of religious books, the activity of nearly all sections of the Christian Church during the same period has been most marked. The result of this is the establishment by the various religious denominations of special publishing departments for their own particular class of religious works. They have also weekly and monthly periodicals which circulate amongst their own people and through their own channels; and although these with their books do not in all cases come through the ordinary distributing agencies, and are not always recorded in the return of books issued during the year, yet, even taking all this into account, there is undoubtedly a great decline in the issue of religious works.

For some years previous to this period many of our religious writers were at the height of their popularity and their books were having immense sales. Much of this success was due to the writers' influence in the pulpit. Among the most prominent was the Rev. J.R. Macduff, whose first and best known book, and the one that had the longest vitality, was "The Faithful Promiser." Originally written with the intention of being sent only to his old friends as a memento of his connexion with the parish he had just left, it found favour with a much larger public who eagerly purchased edition after edition until hundreds of thousands of copies were sold. Next in popularity was his "Morning and Night Watches," which also had an enormous sale, and his "Memories of Bethany," the sale of which ran into many thousands. All the books of this author were more or less successful (and he was a most voluminous writer), but the sale of the majority has now very greatly decreased, while some are seldom, if ever, inquired for.

Dean Goulburn's "Thoughts on Personal Religion" was once to be found in every bookseller's shop throughout the kingdom, and at the height of its popularity had an annual sale of nearly ten thousand copies; now its circulation is of a very limited character. This was one of the books which Mr. Gladstone generally gave to the young men who were fortunate enough to come within his sphere of influence.