The publication of John Wilkins's Essay (1668): some contextual considerations

Abstract

John Wilkins's Essay towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language was published in 1668. It was an attempt to institute an artificial language based on the order of things, and was expected to contribute to improved scientific practice, to facilitate inter–linguistic communication and to ameliorate religious controversy. Wilkins was a founding member of The Royal Society, and the Essay was published under its imprimatur. The printer to The Royal Society was John Martyn, and this article traces the occasionally damaging impact Martyn had upon the publishing practice of the early Royal Society, before considering the steps Wilkins took to ensure the best possible reception for his work. Prominent amongst these was the fact that although Martyn's name appeared on the title page of the Essay , Wilkins was principally dependent on Samuel Gellibrand—another, more creditable, printer with whom he had a long–standing relationship—for its publication. Wilkins's approach to the production of a book of the Essay 's size and typographic complexity is also considered.