BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

    INDEPENDENT ADVERTISER

    On 4 January, 1748, Gamaliel Rogers and Daniel Fowle published the first issue of the Independent Advertiser. Isaiah Thomas asserted that “this paper was published weekly on Tuesday, but the day of the week was not mentioned in the title.” The latter part of this statement is correct, but the day of publication was Monday, not Tuesday.341 The issue of 2 October, 1749, is numbered 92; that of 5 December, 1749, is numbered 93; and there are no known copies of issues between those two dates. These facts would indicate that no issues were published between those dates, were it not for the further fact that the numbering of papers was so erratic as to be worthless. Still, though the issue of 2 October contains no notice of discontinuance, it is probable that the publication of the paper was suspended until 5 December. Thomas wrote:

    The continuance of this paper was short. Rogers and Fowle dissolved their copartnership in April, 1750; and, their Independent Advertiser ceased with their connexion, after being published two years.

    The following notices, printed in the issue of 5 December, 1749, indicate that that was the final issue and that the publication of the paper had previously been suspended:

    There is hardly any Character, that deserves less Envy, and more Candour, than that of a Political Writer; especially if he writes from Principle, and is perseveringly honest.

    Mankind are grown so corrupt, as to esteem all Pretences to enlighten or amend them, suspicious; and so proud, they had rather suffer the most threatning Disorders than by receiving a Cure, implicitly lay under the Reputation of having them: Upon this Account, no one can promise to himself Applause, whenever he really deserves it. And however agreable the Character of a fine Writer may be; yet so difficult is it to be obtained, so liable to be lost by any Intermission or Alteration in those Methods by which it was first acquired; in short, so precarious and fugitive as to afford no solid Motive to Spirit a Man to encounter the Difficulties which lay in the Way of it.

    These Considerations render the Writers of this Paper entirely contented with the Determination of the Printers, who have for some Reasons declined the farther Publication of it; which Event determines us to give some Account of our selves and our Views to our Readers, with whom we have had so much Intercourse, as to make some Ceremony at parting decent and necessary. — This would have been done before, but the Intentions of the Printers were not certainly known, and there was some Probability they would re-assume it. . . . (p. 1/1).

    The Printers of this Paper hereby inform their Customers, That they fully design’d to have carried it on longer, at least to the End of this Year, had they not met with the Misfortune of having two of their Hands taken off from Business, so that had no other Discouragements happen’d, they could not supply the Subscribers as usual (p. 2/1).

    The bibliographical details relating to the Independent Advertiser are arranged under the following four heads:

    • I. Titles.
    • II. Days of Publication.
    • III. Publishers, Printers, and Places of Publication.
    • IV. Devices.

    I TITLES

    1748, January 4: The Independent Advertiser.

    II DAYS OF PUBLICATION

    Monday.

    III PUBLISHERS, PRINTERS, AND PLACES OF PUBLICATION

    1748, January 4: Published and printed by Gamaliel Rogers and Daniel Fowle in Queen Street.342

    IV DEVICES

    1748, January 4: A cut of arabesque design.

    1748, January 11: Britannia liberating a bird confined by a cord to the Arms of France.343