Abstract

Book Notes and Byways

Some isolated facts regarding the periodical the London Gazette seem sufficiently valuable to deserve presentation collectively. The journal has had perhaps the longest continuous existence of any periodical in the language and during all these years it has been the official organ of the English Government. Today, its announcements are considered the most authoritative statements available in matters of state. The present article deals with some facts regarding the early history of the paper and more particularly with the conditions affecting its publication during the reign of Queen Anne. Before 1700 the London Gazette had a comparatively uneventful career; in spite of a growing interest in political journals after 1650, it remained for years merely the medium for domestic and foreign news of an official nature.