A little longer and their tasks are done, and they have all melted away. Then Bottom the weaver finds himself awake, near a hawthorn thicket. The strange visions of the night fit through his brain; the ass's head, which so admirably fitted the wearer, and the elfin queen, who so freely offered him her love—what were they? Bottom answers the question himself, and from his muddled brain pours forth this version of the adventures of the night. "I have had a dream,-past "the wit of man to say what dream it was: Man is but an ass, "if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was"there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had.-But man is but a patched fool, if he "will offer to say what methought I had."* 66 And thus, in one of the most beautiful compositions man ever penned, Shakspeare has preserved the airy visions, the summer's evening dreams, about the fairy people of the woodlands of Warwickshire. My paper has extended much longer than I at first intended; but I think I have proved what I have tried to do our great poet's strong love for the forest, and that it was no transient feeling which inspired the words which Amiens sang : Under the greenwood tree, Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither; There shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather.+ Midsummer-Night's Dream, Act iv, Scene 1. + As You Like It, Act ii, Scene 5. THE PAMPHLET LITERATURE OF LIVERPOOL. By Thomas Dawson Esq., M.R.C.S. (READ 4TH FEBRUARY, 10TH MARCH AND 3RD NOVEMBER, 1864). HAVING, for several years, been a collector of books and pamphlets printed or published in, or peculiarly relating to, Liverpool, I had intended presenting to the Historic Society a catalogue of books and pamphlets united, under the names of their authors, in alphabetical order. In this, however, I have been partially anticipated by Mr. Mott, who has published in our Transactions a catalogue of books published in Liverpool. It has been thus left to me to grapple with the more arduous task of cataloguing the pamphlets, which, for uniformity, I propose arranging in the same chronological order and to the same date-1850. The papers read to the Society, and intended to form a preface to this catalogue, cannot possibly be printed for want of space, the list having extended far beyond the ordinary limits of a single paper. The difficulty of getting together these little links, which, united, form such a strong bond of union with the past, is very great;-they are scattered about in unaccountable places, and for the most part neglected and forgotten. The present catalogue is very far from exhaustive, being little more than a list of local pamphlets which, by quiet perseverance, I have been able to gather together for my own library. About the year 1700 a printing press appears to have been first established in Liverpool, under the management of Samuel Terry, in Dale Street; he must have had a good business, being possessed of Greek type and able to commence a newspaper. How long he had been settled in the town pursuing this trade is unknown; the earliest specimen I can find of his work is a pamphlet printed in 1710, for Joseph Eaton. From this date I commence my catalogue. It is amusing to have it on record, that so recently as in the year 1647 two dictionaries were ordered for the parish school, with the injunction that they be chained to the desk or wall— a striking proof of the rarity of books in Liverpool at that period. As a pamphlet is generally an essay or treatise on some subject of temporary interest, we shall find, in looking through the present collection, that many of these bear upon the more important events in the history of the town and illustrate those rapid but gigantic strides which so suddenly carried Liverpool to her present eminence among the great commercial cities of the world. It must not be forgotten that the pioneers of her greatness rose from the ranks and had to keep pace with the enormous growth of commerce; had therefore abundant other calls on their attention and but slight qualifications for literary work. Yet, notwithstanding these drawbacks, the period of a hundred and fifty years embraced in my catalogue is not entirely barren of productions whose interest is enhanced by their literary merit. Of their special interest to the members of a Society engaged in reclaiming from oblivion whatever conduces to a clearer apprehension of the past a glance at the titles here recorded will afford ample proof; and, in dismissing the present imperfect compilation, I cannot refrain from expressing the hope that the Society may succeed in obtaining from other sources the means of rendering it more nearly complete. Serials 131. CATALOGUE. 1710. A Sermon preached at the Assizes, held at Lancaster, August 27th, 1710. By Henry Richmond, Rector of Leverpoole. Pr. for J. E., and sold by Joseph Eaton. 1714. A Sermon preached on the occasion of the Death of Her late Majesty, Queen Anne of Glorious Memory, in the Parochial Church of St. Peter, in Leverpoole, on Sunday, the 5th of September, 1714. By Henry Richmond, Rector of Leverpoole. Pr. S. Terry for Anne Eaton. 1719. A Sermon preached before the Right Honourable Mr. Justice Powe and Mr. Baron Price at the Assizes, held at Lancaster, August 27th, 1719. By Henry Richmond, Rector of Liverpool. Pr. S. Terry, in Dale Street, for the Booksellers there. A Sermon at St. Peter's Church, in Liverpool, 27th September, Pr. S. Terry, in Dale Street, for the Booksellers in Liverpool. Pr. Samuel Terry, in Dale Street. 1722. Wolstenholme's Charity Sermon in Liverpool. Pr. Liverpool. 1734. Liverpool Poll Book. Candidates-T. Bootle, F. Cunliffe, T. Brereton, R. Geldard. 1738. Sermon at St. Peter's, for the Blue Coat Hospital. By N. Hartwell. 1740. Short Account of a Course of Philosophy and Astronomy. By J. Arden, Teacher of the Mathematics in Derby. Pr. J. Sadler. 1745. Wolstenholme's Sermon on Rebellion of 1745. Pr. in Liverpool. 1748. An Act for Cleansing and Enlightening the Streets of the Town of Liverpool, and for keeping and maintaining a Nightly Watch. 1750. A Sermon preached in the Old Church, at Liverpool, for the Publick Infirmary. By John Stanley, M.A. Also contains the Auditor's Report from March, 1749, to March, 1750. Pr. John Sadler. 1751. Sermon at St. George's, for the Blue Coat Hospital. By J. Phipps. To the Worshipful the Magistrates: to the Gentlemen of the 1753. A Letter to a Priest of the Church of Rome, on the Subject of Image-Worship. Pr. J. Sadler. Sermon preached at Wigan Church, on Sunday, November 4th. Pr. John Sadler. 1754. Poll Book; Candidates :-Hardman, Salusbury, Lloyd. 1757. A Table showing by inspection, what sum must be insured to cover any principal either for Self or on Commission, at any Premium from 1 to 30 per cent., either Pounds or Guineas. Pr. J. Sadler. 1757 to 1759. Ten Pamphlets, bound, small Quarto, concerning Alderman Joseph Clegg-to the Worshipful Mayor and the Common Council of the Corporation of Liverpool. Some printed in Manchester. 1758. Sermon on the Death of Samuel Hunter, Jun., Mariner. The Love of God. By John Johnson. Pr. E. Owen. 1761. An Account of the Extraordinary Medical Fluid called Ether. By Matthew Turner, Surgeon, in Liverpool. Pr. J. Sadler. Two Squib-books and Poll-book, Candidates :-Sir W. Meredith, 1763. A Dessertation upon the Subject of Circumcision, &c. By John Brakell of Liverpool. Sold by J. Gore. |