Under the Illustration-Symptom of Bibliomania, a fund of amusing anecdote, as well as of instructive detail, presents itself. We may travel in a carriage and four—from morn 'till night—and sweep county after county, in pursuit of all that is exquisite, and rare, and precious, and unattainable in other quarters: but I doubt if our horses' heads can be turned in a direction better calculated to answer all the ends in view than in front of

RAVENSBURY LODGE, LOWER MITCHAM,

Ravensbury Lodge

the residence of the late proprietor of this work. There we once beheld such a copy of the best of all existing EncyclopÆdias—that of the late Dr. Rees—as is no where else to be found. It was upon large and fine paper—bound in fourscore volumes—with separately executed title pages, in a style of pure art—and illustrated with not fewer than ten thousand extra plates. The reader may, and will, naturally enough, judge of the wide, if not boundless, field for illustration—comprehending in fact (as the title of the work denounces) the circle of all knowledge, arts and sciences; but he can have no idea of the manner in which this fertile and illimitable field is filled up, till he gazes upon the copy in question. Here then was not only a reading, but a graphic, Library in itself. Whatever other works profusely dilate upon was here concentrated—and deeply impressed upon the mind by the charm, as well as the intelligence, of graphical ornament. You seemed to want nothing, as, upon the turning over of every leaf, the prodigality of art ennobled, while it adorned, the solidity of the text. You have kept your horses already waiting three hours—and they are neighing and snorting for food: and you must turn them into the stable for suitable provender—for the owner of this production would tell you that you had scarcely traversed through one-third of the contents of the volumes. He orders an additional fowl to be placed on the spit, and an extra flagon of Combe and Delafield's brightest ale to be forth-coming: while his orchard supplies the requisite addenda of mulberries, pears, and apples, to flank the veritable Lafitte. You drink and are merry. Then comes the Argand Lamp; and down with the Encyclopedistic volumes. The plates look brighter and more beautiful. There is no end of them—nor limits to your admiration. Be it summer or winter, there is food for sustenance, and for the gratification of the most exquisite palate. To contemplate such a performance, the thorough-bred book-votary would travel by torch-light through forty-eight hours of successive darkness!...: But the horses are again neighing—for their homes. You must rouse the slumbering post-boy: for "The bell of the church-clock strikes one."

P.S.—The late Mr. Walmsley—who employed me to print this present edition—narrowly watched all our movements, and was much gratified by the appearance of the work, so far as it had gone before his death—frequently urged me to append a short account of the progress of our art during the last thirty years—i.e. since the publication of the former edition of Bibliomania.

The subject is too diffuse for a mere note: and during the life-time of so many able printers as now exercise their calling in the metropolis, it would be invidious to particularize eminence in our profession (whereas among our immediate predecessors it is, perhaps just to say that there were only two printers of great celebrity, the late Mr. Bulmer and my late father). I shall therefore merely mention some events which have had such influence on our art as that the case is now very different to what it was thirty years ago, when the good execution of printing at once testified to the skill and industry of the printer—as he could command neither good presses, types, nor ink, &c.—paper being then almost the only matter to be had in perfection.

We have now excellent and powerful iron presses—Stanhopes, Columbians, Imperials, &c. Then the celebrated specimens of typography were produced by miserable wooden presses. We have now ink of splendid lustre, at a fourth of the cost of fabrication then—for both Mr. Bulmer and my father were perpetually trying expensive experiments—and not always succeeding: our ink is now to be depended on for standing, it works freely, and can be had at reasonable prices at the extensive factory of Messrs. Shackell and Lyons, Clerkenwell, who made the ink used for this work.

There are several eminent engineers who make the best of presses. Our letter may safely be pronounced, if not perfect, as near perfection as it will ever reach—and while the celebrated type-foundries of Messrs. Caslon, Chiswell Street, and Messrs. Figgins, West Street, are within the reach of the metropolitan printers, there can be no excuse for failing to execute good printing on the score of inferior type.

The substitution of the inking roller, instead of the cumbrous and inconvenient old balls, has much eased the labours of the pressman and facilitated the regularity of colour. The inking roller at the hand press was adopted, and offered to the printers generally, by my friend, Mr. Applegath, shortly after steam-printing was introduced by my father—about which so much has been said in periodical publications, &c., that it is needless here to enlarge on the subject—more especially as it is principally applicable to work of inferior character, newspapers, reviews, magazines, &c.; and, further, it is not a very tempting subject to the son of him who was led to devote the energies of the latter years of his active life, and the well-earned fortune which his great typographical celebrity had secured, to the adoption of a mode of printing which, how much soever it may benefit newspaper proprietors and others—certainly has done any thing but benefit his family; and has thus added another instance to the many on record of the ill success attending the patronage of inventors.

B. Bensley.

Woking, Surrey, June 18, 1842.

FINIS.

INDEXES.

CHRONOLOGICAL, BIBLIOGRAPHICAL,
AND
GENERAL.