The Sun.
London, England, 1824-08-12 00:00:00

Litil:kaitY NOTICE.

VPOORAPHIA, or the PRINTERS' INEITRUCTOR
Iscioding an Account of the Origin tit Printing, with ilio-
geophical Notices of the Printers of England, from Cax-
TON to the close of the Sixteenth Century : n Series of An,
tient and
,Modern Alphabets, and Doomsday Characters ;
together with an Elucidation of every subject connected with
tki Art. ,In Two Volumes. By J. Jon xsow, Printer.
The ,title-page of this work by no means spe-
eifiAlthe comprehensive nature of its contents.
Pt is out lathe most valuable works, with refer-
ewe to a particular Art, that have ever been pre-
sented to the republic of letters. The Art of
Printing itself Is an art of primary importance,
and it may frriely be said that no other has so
'missend, contributed to.change the face, and to
ivaprove the substance., of society with so much
safest. To adopt the words of the diligent and
ingenious Compiler of the volumes before us, we
allay say, 41 Considering the importance of this
noble invention to society, which is one of the
greatest blessings Heaven has bestowed, it cannot
exciting a considerable degree of interest
in the rising generation to be informed when,
and by whom, this divine art was first Ails-
revered and brought into general UM"-
Dull and ungrateful for the pleasure, instruction,
and moral advantages whith-the Art of Printing
affords to the, people of all countries, and otevery
or and class, they are who do not feel a strong
interest, in it work of this description. The Corn..
,liiler has evidently discharged his duty con
amore. It would have been impossible for him
to have undertaken such a work, and to have un-
dergone so much labour and research,if he had not
beets impelled y nobler motives than a mere view
to pecnniary,profit. But lie has indeed produced
a work of very great value, and which cannot
Eta afford him a due reward, even in a pecu•
oiary consideration, for no Printer who esteems
his Art, and no man of taste; who can afford the
purchase, will be without it. The Wood Cuts,
with which it is enriched, are executed whit ad-
mirable skill. But as we have not room to enter
.into a detail of site merits of this work, we shall
at present merely give the general Contents as
stated in the Paoseccrus
First Volume commences with a complete
history of the Origin, Rise, and Progress of the Typographic
Art, wherein is clearly-sisewn the pretensions of the different
partisans who have stepped 'forward in favour of the persons and
Ouse. which have been mentioned as having given birth to this
grand and noble inventiou: in discussing which, we have intro-
duced the arguments and opinions of those gentlemen by whom
itrant Voltam. have .been written, and from which we have
drawn our conclusions, .by bringing the minter into a very small
focus, thereby confining all contention respecting it to one
'simple question, which we doubt not will for ever set this long
contested point completely at rest. This is Wowed by a list
•of the persons by whom, ,and the Owes at which, the Art was
exercised during the remainder of the century, after the disper-
sion of the Mentz Printers; these are succeeded by Biographical
Notices of the early Printers of Great Britain, and lists of their
productions down to near the close of the vixteenth.century,
copious extracts from the Colophons, Prebtets, ice. of the
• works of Caxton, 13e'Worde, art4,Pynson, Illustrated with such
Portraits and Vevicee as have hitherto been discovered lu the
early productions of the Press of this country.
Seisond Volume opens with an account of the differen
.inticlee necessary in the exercise of the Art ; also Schemes for
'lmposing, with a general outline for laying dews all irregular
rrolier.of every description; likewiee•directions to Authors fur
itto correcting of proofs; Tables of 'Signatures and Folios ;
"aomesday characters ; Creek Ligatures, &c. Ac. ; un account
five the origin and progress of the Ancient and Modern Alpha-
!bets, illustrated by engravings and other characters, and it key
to the reading of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics, sate.; descrier.
.lion, and engravings of various presses, with remarks upon
,tbevt ; Tables Ira calculating the prices of ,work, and .a com-
plete elucidation of every subject connected with this most in.
valimblo and inestimable Art. The work is enriched by copious
lodate to eaoli Volume.
The Work is dedicated to Earl Spr,NcER, Scc.
84( &c. the Paver DENT, and to the .M embers of
.the it OMIUNOHE CLIP!, w !m.o. names the Author
has inserted, and whose rank, character, *slid
Attainments fairly entitle them to so honourable
a distinction.

SSEILILTati STUN H.Cores Ns.---The workmen'
punp.loyed ill OKCHVlltillg the interior part of the
. ancient castle of Hastings, on Saturday stettmight
discovered three antigne stone coffins in a cham-
• tier or vault. One of them, seven feet long, has
been opened by the removal of is flat stone, which
served R 4 its list : it contained a perfict skeleton,
tweed' shs feet itt length, the ribs of which, at the
Oral coup &coil, presented ail elevatrtl appearance,
. but on exposure to the air they became depressed,
awl its original appearance was lost. The leg, arm,
and thigh-bones, with sortie of the vertebras, jaws,
teetli,&e.were firm anti perfect. It could not be as.
certai n ogl whether the person in question( who must
have been interred many centuries) was male or
female but it is reasonable to suppose that none
but persons of distinction would have been buried
within the walls or precincts of the Castle.—
Another coffin, about four feet long, near to
the one just described, evidently contained the
remains of a child. The third, which men-
titres about seven feet, will not be inspected
till thu arrival of the Far! of Chichester, who
ib expected shortly to revisit Hastings. The
'labourers are still actively prosecuting their re-
-sParehes,and it is believed are on the eve of gaining
mess to another apartment, which, from the up-
94'1er:ince of the gateway, is believed to have been
a 4114114.1. Hastings Castle formerly stood MI six
acres of ground, and we understand the Earl of
Chi Chester Ii about to inclose the present ruin,
and erect a lodge or cottage, in which a person
i 3 to reside for the purpose of pointing out what-
ever slay lie worthy the notice of the stranger.
A silver penis, of the reign of Mary, dated l 557,
used half ass nutiqu, spur, much corroded, have
IS° been dug nib 10 the above ruins.

,Yesterday afternoon 4 Gre occurred on the
l)fewises of Mr. STEW EM IL,
boat-builder, of Ito-
S
hpricithe-wall, occastoued by a pot of pitch boil-
i„g.peer ; but was extinguished 41 little less thou
an hour, after touch damage to the premises and
tgii I uction of several boats ou the stocks.