40 PEOCEEDIKGS OF THE 



Science is rightly exacting of proof \\ hen she is called upon to 

 revise her history ; and it now becomes our duty to enquire, and 

 if possible to decide, whether these statements are true, — whether 

 the pamphlet was printed in 1849 or at some later date. It may 

 be admitted at once that the general appearance of the work — the 

 paper, type and style of printing — is entirely in its favour. This 

 is the opinion of many eminent authorities who have kindly 

 examined it for me — of Sir Frederick Ivenyon and his staff at the 

 British Museum Library, of Mr. Madan, Bodley's Librarian, and of 

 Sir James Murray. 



The Paper. — I have submitted photographs of the watermark 

 to Mr. Lewis Evans, who kindly wrote May 2, 1913 : — 



"I have been lookiug through two collections of watermarks 

 that I have but can find nothing conclusive in them. I have two 

 small undated pieces of paper of which I enclose a tracing very like 

 the mark in the pamphlet, they are hand-made, either English or 

 Dutch, and I should think between 1790-1850 : the YI or more 

 probably I.A-^ is not an uncommon mark, but whether it stands for 



6, 4 or I. Van I do not linow. The pamphlet paper is I 



fancy Dutch and 1 think it would be made before 1849, but I do 

 not know how far Dutch paper was in general use in U.S.A. about 

 that date. The shield with 3 lines across it is fairly common 

 in Dutch papers." 



Mr. G. A. James Eothney also kindly wrote from John 

 Dickinson & Co., London, April 30, 1913: — 



"We have found a letter from the East India House, Leaden- 

 hall St., dated 5th Oct, '55, which has a watermark identical with 

 the size mark, but it has no Eoman lettering lY. 



Mr. Johns — our great paper ex])ert — rather fancies it is a Dutch 

 handmade." 



The Type. — Mr. Horace Hart, controller of the Oxford L"ni- 

 versity Press, has kindly examined the type for me. The words 

 " Some Recent Lectures " on the title-page and cover are almost 

 identical with a line of "two-line Small Pica ornamented Latin" 

 in a trade catalogue issued by the late firm of Y. & J. Eiggins. 

 The catalogue was undated, but an order form with the decade 

 " 188- " was bound into it. "The Origin of Life" (p. 1) and 

 " The Dangers of the L^nseen '"' (p. 20) are almost identical ^ith 

 " two-line Brevier Monastic No. 2" in the same catalogue. It is 

 certain that this type in the pamphlet was copied from that of 

 Messrs. Eiggins or vice versa. I applied to E. H. Stevens & Co., 

 successors to Y. & J. Eiggins, but was unable to learn the date. 

 Messrs. Stevens wrote Apr. 22, 1913: — "ThetwoEaces that you 

 mention are quite old and out-of-date, and we have no record of 

 the date when they were first made." 



Mr. Hart has written to me. May 23, 1913, on the questions 

 raised in the preceding paragraph : — " I think you may take it as 

 conclusive that the American founder would follow the English 

 founder and not the other way about. Ton may also take it for 

 granted that the typefounding firms Avould continue issuing their 



