The pictorial press : its origin and progress / by Mason Jackson.

  • Mason Jackson
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The pictorial press : its origin and progress / by Mason Jackson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    22/384 page 6
    As the art of printing extended, many of the productions of the press assumed the character of neics to attract readers. Sermons, satires, and travels, were all put forward under the name of neics, and sometimes a single grain of truth was deemed sufficient to leaven a whole bushel of fiction. Most of these publications were small tracts, and published at irregular intervals. Some of them were adorned with engra- vings on the title-pages, which show that even at this early period the authors or printers of these papers were imbued with the pictorial spirit. The idea of illustrating current events had already taken root, and we find examples of it long before the establishment of regular newspapers. The earliest form of the newspaper is known to haA'^e come into existence during times of war and tumult, and it was for a long time believed that the first English newspaper was brought forth under similar circumstances. But when the English Mercurie of 1588 was proved to be a forgery, the enthusiast in newspaper history received a heavy blow and sad discouragement. It seemed so highly probable, when this country was threatened with the descent of the Spanish Armada, that something like a newspaper might have sprung into existence, that people were only too ready to adopt the imposture. When the whole nation was greatly excited and anxious to learn something about the reality of their danger, nothing was more natural than for the sagacious minister of Queen Elizabeth to appeal to the people through the printing- press, and by its means endeavour to calm the public mind by circulating printed sheets of intelligence, ' for the contra- diction of false reports.' But we were compelled to admit that Lord Burleigh had missed his opportunity, and neg- lected to use the most powerful means for exciting the patriotism or allaying the fears of his countrjTuen. The author of this remarkable imposition showed great skill and acuteness in constructing his false newspaper, and fixing the date of its supposed publication. The forgery has been attri- buted to Lord Hardwick; but what were his motives it is difficult to understand. Unlike Chatterton and Ireland, he
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