ABSTRACT
The TIMES of London has been a daily newspaper under that name since 1788 (and two predecessors under other names carry the tradition back to 1785). In the second decade of the nineteenth century it had not, however, risen to the position of dominance and prestige it was to enjoy later in the century; it was one among many daily newspapers, rated rather more stodgy (though to businessmen, perhaps, more “sound”) than the Tory Morning Post or the Whig Morning Chronicle. Daily newspapers as a group kept clear of book reviewing as much as possible. If weeklies like the Examiner and Champion had plenty to do and too little time to prepare thoughtful reviews of new literature, the commercial dailies, whose stock in trade was purveying the latest news and rumors about wars, politics, crops, and business enterprises around the world, had even less energy left to tackle book reviews, though they were more likely to review musical and dramatic events and artistic exhibitions that had ephemeral but current interest.
