DETONATING SYSTEM. 6? 



however, that Joe has invented any thing without suc- 

 cess ; and as to his workmanship, as I said in the last 

 edition, was I merely to observe that Mr. Joseph 

 Man ton's guns are so far before those of the gunmakers 

 in general, that those who cannot see this are like in- 

 different judges of a picture, who, for want of profound 

 science, would be as well pleased with the gaudy paint- 

 ing of some young artist as with the picture of a fine 

 old master, I should appear like a hireling of this 

 maker. But I only beg of whoever differs with me 

 in opinion, when he next sees any other first-rate 

 gunmaker or mechanic in town or country, to say to 

 him, " Now tell me, on your honour as a tradesman, 

 whose guns, NEXT TO YOUR OWN," [mind this] " are 

 the best and most scientifically made?" and if they do 

 not say (or think) " Mr. Joseph Manton's," I will resign 

 all claim to judgment of a gun, or to the kind patronage 

 with which my work has been honoured. In short, let 

 any one look (not with the naked eye, but with a mag- 

 nifying glass) at the work in every part of Mr. Joseph 

 Manton's guns, and at those of most other makers, and 

 he will discover about the same difference that there 

 is between one of Leader's or Houlditch's town-built 

 coaches, and that gothic vehicle which among our mo- 

 derns is yclept a " Jarvy" 



But let every man make every part of a gun himself, 

 and then, I believe, Mr. D. Egg would in his younger 

 days have had the laugh against them all. This, how- 

 ever, is no more required than that an architect should 

 handle well a hammer or a trowel ; and a great part of 

 those mechanics who set up and work for themselves 

 consists of those who, from having been journeymen in 



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