66 Description of a moveable Table 
number of holes underneath, by which it might be put 
upon the axis or pivot in any part, as occasion might re- 
quire ; and as these holes, if made of a circular form, 
would perhaps not be all exactly of the same size, (either 
from the difficulty of making them so originally, or from 
some of them being oftener made use of than others) , 
which consequently would take from the machine that 
steadiness which the artist always finds essential to his 
work, I thought it would be better to make them square, 
and, of course, to make that part of the axis which fits 
into them square also. Below this square part, the axis 
is round, and turns in a socket, so that there is no danger 
of its becoming either too loose or too tight. In this 
manner I had a table made, and I find it to answer the 
purpose for which it was intended in the most complete 
manner. Indeed, I find it much more commodious for 
engraving than any other method $ for, when it is neees 
sary to engrave in the corner of a plate, if we turn the 
plate upon a cushion, and support it with the left hand, 
(as is the usual way,) that hand finds it difficult, from the 
weight of the plate, to keep it quite motionless ; and the 
smallest motion in the plate renders it impossible to per- 
form the work properly, consequently that part of the 
plate is worse executed than the rest : but, upon my table, 
where the plate is fixed upon a pivot or axis, and sup- 
ported by a projecting part under it, the left hand has 
much less to do, and the plate always turns round paral- 
lel to what it rests upon. 
Thus I have given an account of the motives which 
induced me to contrive this table, and of the manner in 
which I have executed it. It has been approved by Sig- 
nor de Vangelisty, professor of engraving at Milan, 
(who, upon seeing it, immediately made trial of it) and 
by the Imperial Academy of Vienna : I therefore take 
