His foundry was only a small one, and does not appear to have received much patronage or to have issued a specimen. The following is Mores’ summary of its contents:—

“MR. ILIVE’S FOUNDERY, 1734.

In 1740 (July 3) the foundry was purchased by John James, in whose premises, says Mores, it lay in the boxes named Jugge, and underwent very little alteration. With regard to the sets of Greek matrices, Mores also states that though James paid for these they never came to his hands.

Although abandoning type-founding early, Ilive continued to print until the time of his death in 1763. Mores says he was an expeditious compositor and knew the letters by touch. He was, however, less noted for his typography than for his opinions.

Nichols tells us he was somewhat disordered in his mind. In 1733 he published an Oration proving the plurality of worlds, that this earth is hell, that the souls of men are apostate angels, and that the fire to punish those confined to this world at the day of judgment will be immaterial. This discourse was composed in 1729, and spoken at Joiners’ Hall pursuant to the will of his mother, who died in 1733 and held the same singular opinions in divinity as her son.[724] A second pamphlet, entitled A Dialogue between a Doctor of the Church of England and Mr. Jacob Ilive upon the Subject of the Oration, also appeared in 1733. This strange Oration is highly praised in Holwell’s third part of Interesting Events relating to Bengal.[725]

In 1751 Ilive perpetrated a famous literary forgery in a pretended {348} translation of the Book of Jasher,[726] said to have been made by one Alcuin of Britain. “The account given of the translation,” says Mores, “is full of glaring absurdities, but of the publication, this we can say, from the information of the Only-One who is capable of informing us, because the business was a secret between the Two: Mr. Ilive in the night-time had constantly an Hebrew Bible before him (sed qu. de hoc) and cases in his closet. He produced the copy for Jasher, and it was composed in private, and the forms worked off in the night-time in a private press-room by these Two, after the men of the Printing-house had left their work. Mr. Ilive was an expeditious compositor, though he worked in a nightgown and swept the cases to pye with the sleeves.”[727]

In 1756, for publishing Modest Remarks on the late Bishop Sherlock’s Sermons, Ilive was imprisoned in Clerkenwell Bridewell, where he remained for two years, improving the occasion by writing and publishing Reasons offered for the Reformation of the House of Correction in Clerkenwell, in 1757. He also projected several other reforming works.[728]

In the last year of his life, 1762, he once more became notorious as the ringleader of a schism among the members of the Stationers’ Company, of which the following narrative (communicated by Mr. Bowyer) is given by Gough:—

“He called a meeting of the Company for Monday the 31st of May, being Whit-Monday, at the Dog Tavern, on Garlick Hill, ‘to rescue their liberties,’ and choose Master and Wardens. Ilive was chosen chairman for the day; and, standing on the upper table in the hall, he thanked the freemen for the honour they had done him—laid before them several clauses of their two charters—and proposed Mr. Christopher Norris and some one else to them for Master; the choice falling upon Mr. Norris. He then proposed, in like manner, John Lenthall, Esq., and John Wilcox, Gent., with two others for Wardens; when the two first nominated were elected. A Committee was then appointed by the votes of the Common Hall to meet the first Tuesday in each month at the Horn Tavern, in Doctors’ Commons, to inquire into the state of the Company, which Committee consisted of twenty-one persons, five of whom (provided the Master and Wardens were of the number), were empowered to act as fully as if the whole of the Committee were present. July the 6th being the first Tuesday in the month, the newly-elected Master, about twelve o’clock, came into the Hall, and being seated at the upper end of it, the Clerk of the Hall was sent for and desired to swear Mr. Norris into his office; but he declined, and Mr. Ilive officiated as the Clerk in {349} administering the oath. A boy then offered himself to be bound; but no Warden being present, he was desired to defer until next month, when several were bound; some freemen made; and others admitted on the livery; one of whom, at least, has frequently polled at Guildhall in contested elections.”[729]