$74 Account of the Origin and Trogrrfs of 



they had ufed for years as a flat weight to lav upon papers oa 

 the cud of the defk. After what I have \wi\ Rated, I need 

 hardly add that the plate has received confidcrablc injury* 

 and that it would be unfair to judge by its prefent appear- 

 ance of the degree of perfection to which Ged had brought 

 the art. It is extremely probable too, that the forms from 

 which he made his moulds were compofed of worn types, 

 which will always produce plates that may be faid to be worn 

 before they are ufed. 



Befides the Sal nit, I have another work printed fome years 

 after from plates of Mr. Ged's manufu&ure. The book is 

 " The Life oj God in the Soul of Man," printed on a writing 

 pot, i2tiio, ami with the following imprint : u Newcastle: 

 Printed and fold by John \V hit e, from plates made by 

 William Ged, Goldfmitbin Edinburgh, muccxlii." 

 It is a very neat lktle volume, and is as well printed as books 

 generally were at the time. 



Though we had leafon to fear from what we found Ged had 

 met with, that our efforts would experience a ftmilar oppofition 

 from prejudice and ignorance, we perfevered in our object for 

 a confiderable time, and at lait refolved to take out patents 

 for England and Scotland, to fecure to ourfelvcs, for the 

 ufual term, the benefits of our invention ; for the difcovery 

 was dill as much our own as if nothing (inula r had been 

 praclifed before; Ged's knowledge of the art having died 

 with his fon, whofe propofals for reviving it, publiihed in 

 1751, not having been followed with fuccefs, he went to 

 Jamaica, where he died. The patents were accordingly ob- 

 tained ; nay, they are even expired : and yet we hear people, 

 who only began their ftereotype \abo\irs yejlerday, taking to 

 themfelves the merit of being the full inventors ! — As to be- 

 nefits, however, I have as yet reaped none, and Mr. Foul is I 

 believe has reaped as few ; for, owing to circumstances of a 

 private nature, and which no way concern the public to 

 Know, the bufinefs was laid afide for a time ; and having af- 

 terwards quitted Glafgow and removed to London, 1 foon 

 found mylelf fo much occupied with other concerns, that I 

 have hardly had time even to think upon it nnce. I ought 

 however to obferve here, that its being fufpended was not on 

 account of any imperfection attending the art, or objections 

 againft its being a fit objeel: to be profecuted. On the con- 

 trary, feveral fmall volumes were aclually printed from plates 

 made by myfelf and Mr. Foulis, and the editions were fold 

 to the trade without any intimation of their being printed 

 out of the common way! We had heard whiipers that- 

 our work could uot poflibly be fuch as would pais for co?n~ 



