Note 434 — REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE: 1702–1714. (continued 3)
Reading edition
In the catalogue of a sale by Messrs Puttock and Simpson, Leicester Square, London, June 1860, the following group of articles occurs:
‘157 Mitchell (Will.), the “Tinklarian Doctor” of Edinburgh, Tracts by, viz.:
‘Inward and Outward Light to be Sold. A wonderful Sermon preached by the Tinklarian Doctor William Mitchell, in the sixty-first year of his age, concerning Predestination. 1731.
‘Second Day’s Journey of the Tinklarian Doctor. 1733.
‘Short History, to the Commendation of the Royal Archers, with a Description of six of the Dukes in Scotland, especially Argile, written by the Tinklarian Doctor, with a remarkable Colloquy in Verse at the end, entitled One Man’s Meat is another Man’s Poison. 1734.
‘Voice (The) of the Tinklarian Doctor’s last Trumpet, sounding for the Downfall of Babylon, and his last Arrow shot at her, &c. 1737.
‘Prophecy of an Old Prophet, concerning Kings, and Judges, and Rulers, and of the Magistrates of Edinburgh, and also of the Downfall of Babylon, which is Locusts, who is King of the Bottomless Pit. Dedicated to all the Members of Parliament (1737).
‘Revelation of the Voice of the Fifth Angel’s Trumpet, &c. Edinburgh, 1737.
‘Tinklarian Doctor’s Dream, concerning those Locusts who hath come out of the Smoke of the Pit, and hath Power to hurt all Nations, &c. The author refers to the Earl of Hyndford, and wishes he had the knowledge of the hangman of Perth! Edinb. 1739.
‘Tinklarian (The) Doctor’s Four Catechisms, all published separately. [Edinburgh] 1736, 1737, 1738.’
The auctioneers add: ‘A singular and remarkably rare collection of eleven tracts. [The author] appears to have been a bookseller or petty chapman in a small way. The most illiterate (and sometimes obscene) language, applied to the aristocracy, is used in these works, and the most severe animosity is displayed towards the Catholics (in the advertisements at the end), because they would not accept, or purchase for a penny, the Light, &c. The works of this author are unmentioned by all Bibliographers, and we can trace only a single piece in the British Museum under the heading of the Tinklarian Doctor, but none of the above, neither do any occur in several other public libraries where reference has been made.’