(Vol. viii., p. 81.)
Some time ago I suggested, in the columns of "N. & Q.," a collection which
might prove interesting, of the remuneration received by authors for their
works, sending my first instalment thereof. A correspondent (W. R.) has
since contributed to the stock; and I now beg to add a few more cases which
have lately occurred to me. In the instances of plays, &c., I have confined
myself to the sums paid for the copyright; any remuneration accruing to the
author from the performance, a share of the profit, benefit, &c. &c. being
too diffuse to bring into a tabular form; and, in the case of works
published while that servile system was in vogue, I have not attempted to
record the amounts paid for dedications by the inflated "patrons," nor even
those raised by subscription, except in one or two cases, where such was
(which was rarely the case) a genuine transaction:
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Title of Work. |Author. |Price. |Publisher. |Authority.
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_Phaedra_ |Edmund Smith |60l. |Lintot. |Dr. Johnson.
_The Wanderer_ |Savage |10l. 10s. | -- |Ditto.
_Beggar's Opera_ |Gay |400l. | -- |Spence.
Poems |Ditto |1000l. |Subscription|Dr. Johnson.
Translation of eight |W. Broome |600l. |Paid by Pope|Ditto.
books of the _Odyssey_,| | | |
and all the notes. | | | |
Ditto of four books of |Fenton |300l. |Ditto |Ditto.
ditto | | | |
Edition of Shakspeare |Pope |217l. 12s.|Tonson |Ditto.
_Amynta and Theodora_ |Mallet |120l. |Vaillant. |Ditto.
_The Poor Gentleman_ |G Colman, sen.|150l. | -- |R. B. Peake.
_Who wants a Guinea?_ |Ditto |150l. | -- |Ditto.
_Tales from Shakspeare_|Charles Lamb |63l. | -- |Himself.
|Mary Lamb | | |
Contributions for two |Charles Lamb |170l. | -- |T. Moore,
years to the _London | | | | Lord J.
Magazine._ | | | | Russell.
The King of Prussia's |Thos. Holcroft|1200l. | -- |Galt.
works, translation of | | | |
_Exchange no Robbery_ |Theodore Hook |60l. | -- |R. H. D.
| | | | Barham.
_Sayings and Doings_ |Ditto |600l. |Colburn |Ditto.
(1st series) | | | |
_Ditto_ (2nd series) |Ditto |1050l. |Ditto |Ditto.
| |150l. | |
| |200l. | |
_Ditto_ (3rd series) |Ditto |1050l. |Ditto |Ditto.
_Births, Marriages, and|Ditto |600l. |Ditto |Ditto.
Deaths_ | | | |
Editorship of Colburn's|Ditto |400l. per |Ditto |Ditto.
_New Monthly_ | | annum. | |
_Rejected Addresses_ |J. and H. |131l. |Murray |H. Smith.
| Smith |after 16th| |
| | edition | |
_Country Cousins_ } | | |Paid for by |}
_A Trip to Paris_ } |James Smith. |1000l. |C. Matthews |}Himself.
_Air Ballooning_ } | | |for his Ent-|}
_A Trip to America_} | | |ertainments.|