ABSTRACT
As early as 1677, a directory of merchants living in or near London was published. Like Jesse Cook, John Isack was apprenticed as a young man in order to give him the skills that would ensure adult independence. Collyer's awareness of catering to the needs of the differing social classes probably arose from his occupation; Collyer was a bookseller, who also wrote didactic literature and translated French, Latin and German works, and would be aware of the varied audiences for the printed word. The advice given to parents and guardians on the choice of a master is so necessary, that it could not be dispensed with; as here the grossest errors are frequently committed, and it is too often seen, that for want of sufficient care in this particular, the unhappy youth is inevitably ruined.
