OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

RETIBEMENT OF MR. HENRY FROWDE. Mr. Henry Frowde, publisher to the ! University of Oxford, retired at the end of last month) at his own desire, from that work with whioh his name has been so long and honourably identified. The University Press, however, is not to be tho loser thereby, as Mr. Frowde, whose knowledge and experience in publishing ' are unequalled, will continue to give his services for consultation, while in tho active managership of the London office | he is to be succeeded by Mr. Humphrey Milfotd, for many years hie associate. _ Born in 1841, of that same Devonshire stook that produced James Anthony Froude, the historian, Mr. Frowde succeeded to his present position thirty-nine years ago. In those days the scope of the Press , publications tvas much more limited than it is now. At that time there were no series of reprints^Oxford anthologies in prose and verse, World's Classios, and the like. These ie was for Mr. Frowde to call into being, and everybody knows by their enormous popularity how such ventures have been justified. Another great undertaking was the Oxford English Dictionary, still- being issued in parts as" completed. During his time, indeed, Mr. Frowde has established some wonderful records, especially iiU the way of Bible production, a leading feature of the Press. One achievement, perhaps the greatest publishing feat on record (for so it has been described), was the issuing of the Revised Version of the New Testament. I At midnight, 16th May, 1881, the doors ! of the warehouse at Amen-oorner were opened, and before midday every bookseller in the kingdom had been supplied with copies for sale. In this way over a million volumes had been sent out, which being sold retail with like rapidity, repeat orders flowed in thick and fast to nearly the same number, one city bookseller having disposed or 15,000 copies. When, four years later, the Revised Version of the Old Testament was issued by Mr.' Frowdo, ths deniand was almost as phenomenal, and .though on those eventful occasions attempts were made to obtain advance copies, not one succeeded, despite the fact that the sheets of the edition of the Old Testament passed through 10,000 hands. The annual output of Bibles has been going Up steadily, a fact whioh must alsoue largely credited to Mr. Frowde's enterprise as a publisher. Over a mil* , lion Oxfotd Bibles has long been the annual product of the Press. %Ih 1875 the number was half a million, in 1860 it was 650,000, in 1885 700,000, in 1890 I 906,000, and in 1896 the figure reached one million. It is now over a million and a quarter. '