MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 19 



which are sunk hy the graver on the surface of a 

 copper-plate are the parts which receive the printing 

 ink, which is first smeared over the whole plate, and 

 the superfluous ink is scraped and rubbed off, that re- 

 maining in the lines being thus transferred upon the 

 paper, by its being passed, together with the plate, 

 through a rolling-press, the rest being left white 

 in the wooden block, all the parts which are intend- 

 ed to leave the paper white, are carefully scooped 

 out with burins and gouges, and the lines and other 

 parts of the surface of the block which are left pro- 

 minent, after being inked, like types, with a ball or 

 roller, are transferred to the paper by the common 

 printing-press. The difficulty, therefore, of picking 

 out, upon the wooden block, the minute squares or 

 lozenges, which are formed by the mere intersection 

 of the lines cut in the copper-plate, may easily be 

 conceived. 



The great advantage of wood-engraving is, that 

 the thickness of the blocks (which are generally of 

 boxwood, sawed across the grain) being carefully 

 regulated by the height of the types with which 

 they are to be used, are set up in the same page 

 with the types ; and only one operation is required 

 to print the letter- press and the cut which is to il- 

 lustrate it. The greater permanency, and indeed 



