Bacon's Laws the Typographical Monument of Colonial Maryland

It will be remembered in this connection, that the seal eventually used
on Bacon's title-page was engraved on wood by Thomas Sparrow of An-
napolis. On the title-page of the session laws of 1765, however, Green used
the seal of the Province, engraved by another hand. It is possible that here
was the plate made in response to Sharpe's request, but the reason that
Sparrow's woodcut was substituted for it in Bacon's book is not known.

In the meantime, on two occasions, November 13, 1764, and February
26, 1765, to be exact, the Governor had transmitted additional sheets of
the book as they issued from Green's press, announcing, in sending the second
set of gatherings, that the work was now "printed down so low as the year
1745." On the tenth of July 1765, he announced the approaching comple-
tion of the task in the following words:

"The Acts are at length all printed & I now send you copies of the last of them, & as
soon as some Copies of the Index & Preface can be printed the Books will be bound & ex-
posed to Sale; as soon as they are I shall transmit you some of them with the Great Seal
appendant to be lodged in the Council Office and delivered to the Board of Trade."¹

Finally, on July 21st, 1766, a year after the announcement that the print-
ing was practically completed, Sharpe wrote in the following terms to Hugh
Hamersly, who had now taken the place of Caecilius Calvert as secretary
to his Lordship:

"The Collection of the Maryland Laws which hath been printed here being at length
published I shall by a Ship of Mr. John Buchanan (Capt Hanrick) which is ready to sail
hence for London transmit you two bound Copies one of them for the Lords of Trade to be
presented with the inclosed Letter & the other for the use of the Council Office Their Lord-
ships having long ago called on me for them, the next Ship Capt. Richardson in Groves's
Employ will bring you another Copy or two."²

When one recalls that nearly six years had passed since the Lords of Trade
had given order that copies of the Maryland laws be sent them, one is in-
clined to admire the patience with which their Lordships had awaited their
transmittal no less than the coolness of the note from Sharpe which accom-
panied the volume when it was finally put into their hands. "My Lds," said
the Governor,

"a compleat Collection of the Acts of Assembly which have been made in this Province
& are now in force having been just printed here after many obstructions & Delays I em-
brace the first opportunity to transmit Your Ldps a Copy in obedience to your Commands
some time ago signified to Your Ldps most obedt. humb. servt."³

At last then, the great book was printed and published, evidently in the
summer of 1766. Although the title-page bears the date 1765, yet from the

¹ Sharpe Correspondence, July 10, 1765, Archives of Maryland, 14: 202.

² Sharpe Correspondence, July 21, 1766, Archives of Maryland, 14:322.
³ Sharpe Correspondence, July 25, 1766, Archives of Maryland, 14:322.

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