;

ors of the present art. "This improvemeut," says James Ged, "is principally considerable in four most important articles; viz. expense, correctness, beauty, and uniformity." But these improvements were controverted by Mr. Mores and others. In July, 1729, William Ged entered into partnership with William Fenner, a London Stationer, who was to have half the profits, in consideration of his advancing all the money requisite. James, then an Architect at Greenwich (who built Sir Gregory To supply this, Mr. John Page's house, Bloomsbury Church, &c.,) was taken into the scheme and afterwards his brother, Mr. Thomas James, a founder, and James Ged, the inventor's son. In 1730, these partners applied to the University of Cambridge for printing Bibles and Common Prayer-books by blocks instead of single types, and, in consequence, a lease was sealed to them April 23, 1731. In their attempt, they sunk a large sum of money, and finished only two Prayer-books; so that it was forced to be relinquished, and the lease was given up in 1738. Ged imputed his disappointment to the villainy of the pressmen and the ill-treatment of his partners; (which he specifies at large,) particularly Fenner, whom John James and he were advised to prosecute, but declined it. He returned to Scotland in 1733, and had no redress. He there, however, set about Sallust, which he printed at Edinburgh in 1736, 12 mo. Fenner died insolvent in or before the year 1735; and his widow married Mr. Waugh, an Apothecary, who carried on the printing-business with her, and whom she survived. Her printing materials were sold in 1768. James Ged, wearied with disappointments, engaged in the Rebellion of 1745, in Captain Perth's regiment; and, being taken at Carlisle, was condeinned, but, on his father's, account, by Dr. Smith's interest with the Duke of Newcastle, was pardoned, and released in 1748. He afterwards worked for some time, as a journeyman, with Mr. Bettenham, and then commenced master; but being unsuccessful, he went privately to Jamaica, where his younger brother William was settled as a reputable Printer. His tools, &c., he left to be shipped by a false friend, who most ungenerously detained them to try his skill himself. James Ged died the year after he left England; as did his brother in 1767. In the above pursuit Mr. Thomas James, who died in 1738, expended much of his fortune, and suffered in his proper business; "for the Printers," says Mr. Mores, "would not employ him.because the block-printing, had it succeeded, would have been prejudicial to theirs." Mr. William Ged died in very indifferent circumstances, Oct. 19, 1749, after his utensils were sent for to Leith to be shipped for London, to have joined with his son James as a printer there. Thus ended his life and project: which, ingenious as it seemed, must," says Mr. Mores, "had it succeeded have soon sunk under its own burthen," for reasons needless here to recapitulate. It is but justice, however, to add, that, since that period, the plan has been revived, first by my friend Mr. Alexander Tilloch, the learned Editor of "The Philosophical Magazine," who, without having known of Ged's plan, obtained a patent for a similar . invention, which he afterwards relinquished. But the exertions of Mr. Andrew Wilson have been more successful; as he has been able to accomplish several very considerable Stereotype Editions."

It will be recollected that Stereotype-printing was practised in Paris,ereit was generally adopted in England, and numerous beautiful Editions of the classics were printed there from Stereotype plates. A work on the Christian Religion. said to be translated from the German, by the late Queen Charlotte, was the first book Stereotyped and Printed in England, executed by Andrew Wilson, and published by Harding of Pall-mall. This mode of printing being now so general and so well known, and ample descriptions being given in the various Encylopædias, render it unnecessary here.

The Logographic mode of Printing was invented about 50 years ago by an ingenious Irish gentleman of the name of Johnston :-this system was arranged by the casting of whole words upon one piece of Metal, and arranging those more generally in use, in the most convenient position to the Compositor, in a similar way to single types as now placed in the Cases.

The only person that took up this mode of Printing was the late John Walter, Esq., the original proprietor of the Times Newspaper. At this time he printed for a few Authors, and one or two Booksellers-among the former was the celebrated Rev. Dr. Trusler, among the latter the late Mr. Owen of Piccadilly; but this mode of Printing was soon found not to answer-in fact a very unlucky accident occurred at its commencement, which was as follows. An elegant edition of Robinson Crusoe was printed in 2 handsome volumes in octavo; it was intended to have been dedicated to his Majesty, but unfortunately the Letter M broke from the rest, and a large portion of the impression went into circulation, (before the accident was discovered) dedicated to his ajesty! this created an unfavourable impression in the trade, and the Logographic Art of Printing fell to the ground.

Engraving on Stone, Engraving on Copper, Drawing upon Stone, or Lithography; Drawing upon Zinc, or Zincography.

Engraving on Stone rested with the ancients for a length of time; but was lost in the middle ages, nor was it revived or practiced with any success in Britain, until about the middle of the 18th Century. Soon after which, Mr. Tassie produced a catalogue of his extraordinary performances. The following very interesting account of this talented man is given in the Encyclopædia Britannica.

"This truly ingenius Modeller, whose history is intimately connected with a branch of the Fine Arts in Britain, was born in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, of obscure parents; and began his life as a country stone mason, without the expectation of ever rising higher. Going to Glasgow on a fair-day, to enjoy himself with his companions, at the time when the Foulis's were attempting to establish an Academy for the Fine Arts in that city, he saw their collection of paintings, and felt an irresistible impulse to become a Painter. Hle removed to Glasgow; and in the Academy acquired a knowledge of

John Anastatius Freylinghausen's abstract of the whole doctrine of the Christian Religion, London, 1804, was the first book stereotyped on a new process. Watt's Bibliotheca Brit.

drawing, which unfolded and improved his natural taste-He was frugal, industrious, and persevering; but he was poor, and was under the necessity of devoting himself to stone-cutting for his support; not without the hopes that he might one day be a Statuary if he could not be a Painter. Resorting to Dublin for employment he became known to Dr. Quin, who was amusing himself in his leisure hours with endeavouring to imitate the precious stones in coloured paste, and take accurate impressions of the engravings that were on them. That art was known to the Antients; many specimens from them are now in the cabinets of the curious. It seems to have been lost in the Middle Ages; was revived in Italy under Leo X. and the Medici Family at Florence; became more perfect in France under the Regency of the Duke of Orleans, by his labours and those of Homberg. By those whom they instructed as Assistants in the Laboratory it continued to be practised in Paris, and was carried to Rome. Their art was kept a secret, and their Collections were small. It was owing to Quin and to Tassie that it has been carried to such perfection in Britain, and attracted the attention of Europe. Dr. Quin, in looking out for an Assistant, soon discovered Tassie to be one in whom he could place perfect confidence. He was endowed with fine taste : he was modest and unassuming: he was patient; and possessed the highest integrity. The Doctor committed his laboratory and experiments to his care. The associates were fully successful; and found themselves able to imitate all the gems, and take accurate impressions of the engravings. As the Doctor had followed the subject only for his amusement, when the Discovery was completed he encouraged Mr. Tassie to repair to London, and to devote himself to the preparation and sale of those pastes as his profession. In 1766 he arrived in the Capital. But he was diffident and modest to excess; very unfit to introduce himself to the attention of persons of rank and affluence besides the number of engraved Gems in Britain was small; and those few were little noticed. He long struggled under difficulties which would have discouraged any one who was not pos sessed of the greatest patience and the warmest attachment to the subject. He gradually emerged from obscurity; obtained competence; and, what to him was much more, he was able to increase his Collection, and add higher degrees of perfection to his Art. His name soon became respected, and the first Cabinets in Europe were open for his use; and he uniformly preserved the greatest attention to the exactness of the imitation and accuracy of the engraving, so that many of his Pastes were sold on the Continent by the fraudulent for real Gems. His fine taste led him to be peculiarly careful of the impression; and he uniformly destroyed those with which he was in the least dissatisfied. The Art has been practised of late by others; and many thousands of pastes have been sold as Tassie's, which he would have considered as injurious to his fame. Of the fame of others he was not envious; for he uniformly spoke with frankness in praise of those who executed them well, though they were endeavouring to rival himself. To the ancient Engravings he added a numerous Collection of the most eminent modern ones; many of which approach in excellence of workmanship if not in simplicity of design and chas

tity of expression to the most celebrated of the ancient. Many years before he died he executed a commission for the late Empress of Russia, consisting of about 15,000 different engravings (see article GEM, in the Encyclopedia Britannica). At his death in 1799, they amounted to near 20,000; a Collection of Engravings unequalled in the the world. Every lover of the Fine Arts must be sensible of the advantage of it for improvement in knowledge and in taste. The Collection of Feloix at Paris consisted of 1800 articles; and that of Dhen at Rome of 2500. For a number of years, Mr. Tassie practised the modelling of portraits in wax, which he afterwards moulded and cast in paste. By this the exact likeness of many eminent men of the present age will be transmitted to posterity as accurately as those of the philosophers and great men have been by the antient statuaries. In taking likenesses he was in general uncommonly happy and it is remarkable, that he believed there was a kind of inspiration (like that mentioned by the Poets) necessary to give him success. Writer of this Article, in conversing with him repeatedly on the subject, always found him fully persuaded of it. He mentioned many instances in which he had been directed by it; and even some, in which, after he had laboured in vain to realize his ideas on the wax, he had been able by a sudden flash of imagination, to please himself in the likeness several days after he had last seen the original. He possessed also an uncommonly fine taste in Architecture, and would have been eminent in that branch if he had followed it.-In private life Mr. Tassie was universally esteemed for his uniform piety, and for the simplicity, the modesty, and benevolence, that shone through his character."— Encyclopædia Britannica,

The

The great Prize of the " Shakespeare Gallery "-drawn in Mr. Boydell's Lottery on the 28th of January, 1805, fell to the lot of Mr. Tassie, the above ingenious modeller.

Engraving is divided into so many branches, and is so important and interesting an art, that numerous volumes have been written upon the subject; and the Encyclopædias and Dictionaries of Engravers, and the Fine Arts, present such ample details and directions for the execution of each separate branch, that I shall only give an outline of each. Mr. Elmes in his valuable " Bibliographical Dictionary of the Fine Arts," not only describes the whole of them, but in many instances gives valuable information for practising each, particularly that of the more modern invention of Engraving or drawing upon Stone, termed Lithography, with which Senefelder, the Inventor, has furnished him with the means which he acknowledges, and other valuable communications that he has given.

It is stated in the Dictionarium Polygraphicum, that the art of Engraving is for the greatest part of modern invention, not being older than the 16th Century.

"It is true indeed, the ancients did practise Engraving on precious stones and crystals; some of which works are still to be seen, equal to any production of the latter ages; but the art of Engraving on plates of metal or blocks of wood in order to form prints from them, was not known till after the invention of painting in oil."

Elmes in his General and Bibliographic Dictionary of the Fine Arts, states,

The art of engraving is divided into various branches or classes: as engraving on stones for seals, signets, called gem sculpture ; die sinking for coins, medals, &c., called medallurgy; on copperplates after various manners, as line engraving, etching or engraving with aqua fortis, mezzotinto engraving or scraping, aquatinta engraving, stipple dot or chalk engraving, engraving on wood, engraving on steel, on stone, called lithography, etching on glass, and some other minor branches of the arts.

The art of engraving is of great antiquity, and was originally only rude delineations expressed by simple outlines, such as are described by Herodotus, as traced upon the shields of the Carians. The importance and utility of this art is acknowledged by every person of taste and knowledge; and its dignity as an art is undoubted. It multiplies the works of other artists and preserves them to posterity; it records the talents of eminent artists by an art which requires equal talent, and scarcely less genius. Bezaleel and Aholiab are mentioned in the book of Genesis as "filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work with the graver." The hieroglyphics of the Egyptians are also a species of engraving, of which there are many fine specimens in the British Museum. Among the Etruscan antiquities in the same collection are two specimens of the art of engraving at a very remote period; a representation of which forms the frontispiece to one of the volumes of STRUTT'S Dictionary of Engravers. The art of engraving in this country, like the practice in every other country, commenced and increased with civilization and knowledge. Under Alfred the Great the art met with great encouragement, and remains of it as practised in his days are still in existence. There is still preserved in the Museum at Oxford a valuable jewel of this period representing St. Cuthbert, the back of which is ornamented with foliage very skilfully engraved.

The most ancient as well as the most legitimate and beautiful mode of practising the art is that which is called line engraving or engraving proper; and is the art of cutting lines upon a copper-plate, by means of a steel instrument called a graver or burin, without the use of aqua fortis. This was the first way of producing copper-plate prints that was practised, and is still much used in historical subjects, portraits, and in finishing landscape.

Of Mezzotinto Engraving or Scraping.-This art, which is of modern date, is recommended by the ease with which it is executed, especially by those who understand drawing. Mezzotinto prints are those which have no strokes of the graver, but whose lights and shades are blended together, and appear like drawing in India ink. They are different from aquatinta, but as both resemble Indian ink, the difference is more easily perceived than described. Mezzotinto is applied to portraits and historical objects, and aquatinta is chiefly used for landscape and architecture.

The invention of mezzotinto engraving is generally attributed to Prince Rubert; but in the Life of Sir Christopher Wren it is given to that eminent architect. "The mode of impressing pictures by light and shade on copper, commonly known by the name of engraving in mezzotinto, owes its improvement if not its origin to Wren." The