urchases made in the hall, remarks: 'Among other books, one of the life
of our Queen, which I read at home to my wife, but it was so sillily
writ that we did nothing but laugh over it.' The stalls were
distinguished by signs. One of the early issues of 'Paradise Lost,'
1668, contains the name, among others, of Henry Mortlock, of the White
Hart, Westminster Hall, but whose shop was at the Phoenix, St. Paul's
Churchyard; Raleigh's 'Remains,' 1675, was printed for Mortlock. The
majority of the hall booksellers had regular shops in St. Paul's
Churchyard or elsewhere, for it is scarcely likely that they would open
these stalls during vacation. Matthew Gilliflower, of the Spread Eagle
and Crown, was one of the most enterprising of his class during the last
quarter of the seventeenth century. James Collins, of the King's Head,
was here contemporaneously with Gilliflower. C. King and Stagg were also
extensive partners in 'adventures' in new books, and were among the
'unprejudiced booksellers' who acted as agents for the _Gentleman's
Magazine_ during the first year of its existence. At about the same time
also, B. Toovey and J. Renn, were selling books here. Early in the reign
of George III. the traders were ousted from Westminster Hall; and in
1834 the dirty and mutilated vast parallelogram was thoroughly cleaned
and repaired. Westminster Hall as a bookselling centre bears the same
affinity to the trade proper as the sweetmeat stalls at a fair bear to
confectionery. The books exposed for sale would only by a rare chance be
choice or notable, and it was certainly not a likely place for folios or
quartos.

BOND STREET AND PICCADILLY.

At the latter part of the seventeenth and the beginning of the
eighteenth century, several booksellers had established themselves in
Bond Street and Pall Mall. One of the best known is John Parker, 'an
honest, good-natured man,' with whom was apprenticed, in 1713, Henry
Baker, the antiquary, a friend of John Nichols. Parker's shop was in
Pall Mall. At No. 29, New Bond Street, in 1730, we find J. Brindley, a
reputable bookseller of his time, and who was one of a society formed in
1736 'for the encouragement of learning,' which had a chequered and an
undignified career. His shop was at the sign of the Feathers, and in
1747 he describes himself as 'Bookseller to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales.'
The only example of his catalogue which we have seen is dated 1747, and
it includes 4,289 lots, among which we