types, worked off his
papers, folded his sheets, and personally distributed them to his
subscribers. Franklin had done pretty nearly the same things before.
Gaine, who in his after-life was an object of a good deal of curiosity to
the citizens of the republic, enjoyed the consideration due to an honest
man, and many kindly feelings.

Many as were his merits, and great as was his enterprise, Isaac Collins
was most widely known, the latter part of his long career, by his editions
of the works on grammar, and other school books, by the prolific Lindley
Murray. As in the case of Franklin, his earliest effort of magnitude was
the printing Sewell's _History of the Quakers_. The neatness and accuracy
of his printing were familiarly remarked among readers; and these
excellencies he displayed in his quarto Bible, the first of that form
which was printed in this country in 1790. Collins was a native of
Delaware. He projected a weekly paper, the _New Jersey Gazette_, which he
published at Burlington during the Revolution, and, some time after, upon
strenuous Whig principles. He had authority, like Franklin, for the
emission of paper money for the State Government. He removed to this city
in 1796, and a few years after this time I knew him. As his career was,
many portions of it, like Franklin's, I had the greater admiration of him.
He died in 1817. That he enjoyed the acquaintance of Franklin, of
Rittenhouse and Rush, of Livingston of New Jersey, and others of the
truest patriots in the great struggles of the country, may be inferred
from his profession, his public station, his integrity, and his general
character. In the society of Friends he was prominent, and, like Thomas
Eddy and Robert Bowne, he was occupied with hospitals, and ever zealous in
good works. He did vast service to the city as a printer, and as such he
is here introduced.

The oldest inhabitants of our city may well recollect the bookstore of the
Swords, Thomas and James. Some sixty years ago they began operations in
Pearl-street. They commenced when New-York was little more than a village
in population, and when literary projects were almost unknown. They
deserve ample notice as most efficient pioneers, in their day, as printers
and booksellers, and through a long career they held a high rank; they
were assiduous and economical almost to a fault: their integrity was never
doubted; their word was as good as their bond. They printed good works in
more acceptation