116 Selections from the Correspondence of 



authors : but of the manner not the least hint was given. This 

 led me to think what possibly this method might be ; on which 

 occasion the scheme which I sent you occurred to my fancy. 

 And as my own appeared to be feasible, and I heard nothing fur- 

 ther of that mentioned in the newspaper, I concluded they might 

 be different, and mine of use, though others should have failed. 

 Mr. Graham's arguments fully convinced me that the improve- 

 ments I proposed for a quadrant cannot answer my expectations ; 

 but I cannot say I am as much convinced that the method of 

 printing cannot succeed, from the objection the printer has made 

 to it. For the charge of composing and of the paper being the 

 chief charge in printing, when once composing may serve for an 

 age or longer, and for a hundred editions, it seems to me a strong 

 argument in favor of the new method, rather than an objection 

 to it. But perhaps the prejudice one has in favor of his own 

 conceits, and a jealousy that printers may oppose it with a view 

 to their own interest, may make me a less proper judge in this 

 case. My situation in this country puts it out of my power to 

 make any experiment of this method of printing ; otherwise, 

 could I have procured as many types of the fashion and metal 

 which I propose, I should have put the matter out of dispute be- 

 fore I had sent my thoughts of it so far as England. But as the 

 first author of it is in England, and has all the opportunities he 

 can desire to recommend it, it is needless for me to think further 

 of it. Only if you be acquainted with him, you may inform 

 him that if the charge of lead plates be thought too great, that I 

 think the impression from the types may be made on thin boards 

 of lime-tree or poplar ; both which are of a smooth grain, very 

 soft while green, and hard when dry : and of any other thoughts 

 I have had on the subject, I shall be well pleased that he make 

 what use of them he thinks proper." 



A particular account of Dr. Colden's invention, which resem- 

 bles the early attempts at stereotype printing, is given in a letter 

 to Dr. Franklin, dated October, 1743, which is published in the 

 American Medical and Philosophical Register, (edited by Dr. 

 Hosack and Dr. Francis,) and also in Sparks, Works of Frank- 

 lin, Vol. 6, p. 18. The latter also gives the correspondence with 

 Mr. Strahan (the printer to whom Mr. Collinson submitted the 

 plan) upon this subject. 



