Ohituarif Notices. Ixi 
exhibited in 1851, and were there in combination for the first 
time. 
Mr ISTelson could never be induced to lay claim to the invention, 
and I believe he did not patent it. It was with difficulty that he 
was induced to allow the original model to be exhibited in the 
Edinburgh Exhibition of 1888. He did not care about the matter 
on personal grounds ; but he was anxious that, as Edinburgh has the 
credit of introducing stereotyping in the British Islands, so Edin- 
burgh should have the credit of having produced the first rotary 
printing-machine in the world. 
Mr Helson’s fertile mind was always generating fresh ideas, many 
of wffiich Avere turned to jDractical account in his business, and 
especially in his school-book work. Though not a professed man 
of letters, he had remarkable facility in writing for the young in a 
manner that arrested attention. His first school-books were edited 
by himself ; and to the last he continued to write lessons and to 
project new books. Considering the thousands (I might say the 
millions) of school-books issued from his press during the last 
quarter of a century, it would be difficult to exaggerate the extent of 
his influence on the youth of the country. Though not a professed 
linguist, he had original views about the origin and development 
of language, and especially about grammar, which received the 
approval of distinguished scholars. Though not a professed scientist, 
he developed new ideas in connection especially wdth geography and 
map-making, which were endorsed by eminent specialists like Sir 
John Herschell. 
He was a man of indefatigable energy, with a great capacity and 
an insatiable appetite for work. When a new idea had taken hold 
of him, he could not rest till he had carried it out. It possessed 
his whole mind, and in favour of it everything else had to be laid 
aside for the time. To this power of concentration much of his 
success in business was due. Much also was due, however, to his 
sound judgment, and to his possession in a remarkable degree of 
wffiat he called the publisher’s instinct. The projecting and the 
working out of new schemes gave him the keenest enjoyment. 
Difficulties only gave spur to his intent and zest to his labour ; and 
if he was not too much elated by success, neither w^as he easily 
daunted by failure. 
