Magazine Contents - January 1731
The first issue of Gentleman's Magazine, subtitled the Monthly Intelligencer, was published in London, by Sylvanus Urban (Edward Cave), in January 1731.
It was 40 pages long and was divided into seven sections: essays, poetry, current events, personal notices, prices of goods, a register of books, and observations on gardening.
The essay section was made up of excerpts from editorials and letters contained in the popular newspapers of the day.
One item from the Grubstreet Journal, dated January 14, relates the opinion of a certain Dr.
Quibus, that malefactors (criminals) should be used as human subjects for medical experiments, not only as a means of advancing knowledge, but as a means of deterring others from a life of crime.
The poetry section would become a popular outlet for amateur poets, and many of the poems were published under various pseudonyms, or anonymously.
Here is an example of a love poem from the first issue: To heal the wound the bee had made Upon my Delia's face, Its honey to the wound she laid, And bid me kiss the place.
Pleased, I obeyed, and from the wound Sucked both the sweet and smart: The honey on my lips I found, The sting went through my heart.
Among the current events, we learn that a certain Timothy Croneen, known to have robbed and murdered a man and his wife, was to be hung by the neck for two minutes, then have his head cut off, then have his bowels extracted and thrown in his face, and finally have his body divided in four quarters.
In the next section we learn about such personal milestones as the death of Mr.
Morris, coach-maker to the Prince of Wales, the marriage of Edward Warren, High Sheriff of Cheshire, to Lady Betty Cholmondely, and the appointment of Thomas Price as Assistant to his Majesty's Wine-cellar.
The prices of goods section includes currency exchange rates, stock quotations, and current prices for tea, sugar, various grains, spices, and wines and spirits.
Announcements of recently published books alert us to The Spendthrift: A Comedy, by Matthew Draper, and an anonymous Dictionary of the Fabulous History of the Heathen Gods and Heroes.
Among the recommendations for gardening in the month ahead is the advice to prune fruit-trees and vines, and to transplant all sorts of flowering shrubs.
Apparently, the threat of frost in February in London was considered low.
It was 40 pages long and was divided into seven sections: essays, poetry, current events, personal notices, prices of goods, a register of books, and observations on gardening.
The essay section was made up of excerpts from editorials and letters contained in the popular newspapers of the day.
One item from the Grubstreet Journal, dated January 14, relates the opinion of a certain Dr.
Quibus, that malefactors (criminals) should be used as human subjects for medical experiments, not only as a means of advancing knowledge, but as a means of deterring others from a life of crime.
The poetry section would become a popular outlet for amateur poets, and many of the poems were published under various pseudonyms, or anonymously.
Here is an example of a love poem from the first issue: To heal the wound the bee had made Upon my Delia's face, Its honey to the wound she laid, And bid me kiss the place.
Pleased, I obeyed, and from the wound Sucked both the sweet and smart: The honey on my lips I found, The sting went through my heart.
Among the current events, we learn that a certain Timothy Croneen, known to have robbed and murdered a man and his wife, was to be hung by the neck for two minutes, then have his head cut off, then have his bowels extracted and thrown in his face, and finally have his body divided in four quarters.
In the next section we learn about such personal milestones as the death of Mr.
Morris, coach-maker to the Prince of Wales, the marriage of Edward Warren, High Sheriff of Cheshire, to Lady Betty Cholmondely, and the appointment of Thomas Price as Assistant to his Majesty's Wine-cellar.
The prices of goods section includes currency exchange rates, stock quotations, and current prices for tea, sugar, various grains, spices, and wines and spirits.
Announcements of recently published books alert us to The Spendthrift: A Comedy, by Matthew Draper, and an anonymous Dictionary of the Fabulous History of the Heathen Gods and Heroes.
Among the recommendations for gardening in the month ahead is the advice to prune fruit-trees and vines, and to transplant all sorts of flowering shrubs.
Apparently, the threat of frost in February in London was considered low.
