The Grub Street Journal, 1730-33

The Grub Street Journal was perhaps the most widely-read weekly journal in England of its period. The first four years are reprinted here, representing the journal in its prime in terms of quality and popularity. This edition is enhanced with a general introduction and comprehensive annotation. The Grub Street Journal was known for its witty and outrageous style. Edited by Richard Russel and John Matyn (for the first year and a half), the journal’s aim was to attack lewd and vicious nonsense or wicked stupidity in order to reform the taste of the generality of Readers which is very much depraved. Swift, Fielding and Pope all had their works scrutinised by the journal and Pope was an occasional contributor himself. This reprint can be used as a resource for researchers interested in the Swift-Pope circle. The Grub Street Journal is also rich with political satire targeted at Robert Walpole’s administration. The journal was also a reaction to the print explosion in England at that time which blessed England with a mass of hack writers and unscrupulous booksellers. The discussions and accounts of dubious practices that accompanied this boom are a useful source for academics studying the history of journalism and publishing.