Let ter^prefs -plate or. Stereotype Printing* ajS 



mon printing ! The trade knew what we were at, and would 

 take care of any thing done in the new-fangled way ! 

 The fir ft eflays, therefore, were in the loweft fenfe of the 

 word common: one or two hifories*, and a cheap edition of 

 The Economy of Human Life. We alfo printed a Greek vo- 

 lume, Xcnophons Anabajis, 1783, and had plates for feveral 

 final! volumes of the Englifh Poets almoft tinifhed, but the 

 latter were never put to prefs. Having preferved two or three 

 of the plates made along with Mr. Foulis, I mall fubjoin to 

 tiie prefent account a Ipecimen of one or two. They have 

 been damaged by Iving about for a number of years, and by 

 a carriage of ^00 miles; yet I (hall offer no apology for their 

 appearance. 



Twice then had this art been invented and practifed in 

 Britain, when about three years ago Didot, the celebraied 

 French printer, applied it to logarithmic tables, and afterwards 

 to feveral of the Latin claffics, and to various French publi- 

 cations, which he has executed vvitL considerable accuracy. 

 The prefs- work has been carefully attended to, and does great 

 credit to the printer. Indeed, after what Didot has done, 

 clamour and prejudice will attempt in vain in future to decry 

 letter- prefs-plate, and his name will always be mentioned as 

 a principal promoter of this ufeful art, the introduction of 

 which will be marked as a lingular asra in the hiftory of 

 priming. Some of his countrymen indeed (for I cannot fup- 

 pofe Didot would attempt it) wifh to afcribe to him the 

 whole merit of the invention, and to have it believed that it 

 originated with himfelf. The facts I have dated (how with 

 how little juftice this claim is made. It is true he may have 

 discovered, for himfelf, the fecret of the art ; but it is hardly 

 credible that he could be ignorant of Ged's progrefs and ot 

 ours, especially as it is well known that, when patents are ob- 

 tained, a fpecification of the procefs is obliged to be put upon 

 record, of which any one may obtain an office copy at 3 

 fmall expenfe. 



Having Mated what relates immediately to the invention 

 of modern Stereotype, it would not be ingenuous were I not 

 to (tate that claims have been fet up in favour of a Dutch- 

 man as having pradifed the art even prior to Ged. The fol- 

 lowing extract, tranflated from Nicw Algemein Konfi en Let- 

 ter Bode 1798, No. 232, will put our readers in poifefiion of 

 all we have yet met with refpecting this printer. 



' A kind of books technically io called inch as The Seven Champions 

 of Chriftnuiom ; The Twelve Ciejhrs ; The Wjkry of Kalentine and Or/cm; 

 The French Convert ; and fuch fcientific and clathcal performances, of 

 which great number* arc annually exported to America. 



S 2 " Abov* 



