Mr. Kendal’s account of the Dighton rock. 187 
chalker is in the situation of a restorer of ancient readings ; he under- 
takes to connect and to supply ; but the real antiquarian will prefer the 
original, with all its obscurities and chasms. An attempt at restora- 
tion is one thing, and may be valuable; but a true copy is anoth- 
er. I attempted the use of chalk myself; but I found that I com- 
pletely confused the sculpture, and that the first thing necessary was 
to wash all the chalk away. ‘The inscription is to be copied only with 
the pencil. ; 
While I make every allowance for the adoption of fallacious meth- 
ods, for haste, and for inadvertence, there is one course of defence for 
what is erroneous in the draughts, against the palmer of which I 
presume seriously toprote st. It is that ofattril diversities be- 
tween the copies and the original to the i injuries of tir time upon the latter; 
and particularly of supposing, that when figures are found in the cop- 
ies, of which no trace can be discovered on the rock, that they must 
have once existed there, and that they have been since obliterated. 
Tam satisfied, by a variety of evidence, of the over liberality of this 
argument, a eae aety antiquity, for the mere end of sustain- 
ing the credit of gentlemen’ seyes.. I appeal with confidence to the 
testimony afforded, by a comparison of the several copies with each 
other ; and which copies it is of importance to preserve for the very 
purpose of meeting the imposture. By examining the inscription on 
the rock, by comparing with it the older copies, by sifting the asser- 
tions of those, who represent it as having within their memory decay- 
ed, we shall be convinced, that no material alteration, within the 
preceding century, has really taken place. The decay no dyubacos- 
tinual ; but it is very slow. 
- But if, losing sight of the rock, we content ourselves with compar- 
ing the draughts with each other, we shall soon be ashamed of assum- 
ing facts upon so money abasis. Admitting the authenticity of the 
