Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-07-21

workers are often so very minute, that they can
he appreciated only by the aid of a powerful con-
vex lens, and il seems impossible, that the naked eye
of the most araclised artist could guide the tool or
direct and arrange The thread Of glass; in lines oi
such extreme fneness and precision. The posi-
bility Of accomplishing this receives some sup
port from the known fact, that some OF the best
modern engravers on wood use no nagnifers, but
The surface upon which they work is plume, orve-
ny nearly so, aud therefore accessible, so TO
speak, i'll every part to the eye, than the sunkeli
figure of nm intagio, or perfornilon in tablet
OF glass, and the opinion of Winckemann, that
the ancient artisans made use Of simple lenses or
some other optical instrument, is therefore not has
| lily TO he rejected.
The manufacture Of glass has been ut all times
remarkable for the simplicity of its processes,
and the lewness OF the implements required, and
the modern improvements in machinery have not
yet exercised much influence on its production.
Lenses both cOncave and convex are ground by
hand, no mechanical contriyauce having been
found to answer so perfectly.
! A recent new application of glass has excited
some interest in Europe. II consists in nerwea-
wing amenis of glass with silk in such n way as
to produce flexible aud highly brilliant and beau
lilul texture. Specimens of this fabric have been
exhibited in this country, and it is thought 10 he
capable OF such improvements as to furnish a
ry beautiful, and not exravagant article of dress
shall now give some account oil the arts con-
cerncd III the most important of manufactures
! the production Of books The earliest substan-
ces, upon which characters were written or rnth-
err traced, were probably the bark of trees thin
slabs Of wood lead, aud wax tablets, ancient spe-
cimens Of all which are yet eXant. But none of
these materials suited Tor receiving writings of
much length, and books, properly speaking, could
not exist, until it was discovered, that parchment
aud vellum would receive and retain characters
formed by colored fluids. The application of tie
| EUVutinn n Tho mn nj
was an important step, in the progress Of the arts
connected with literature. Paper Of this substance
bears resemblance to the paper cloth oithc Sand
witch Islands, and their modes of preparation are
not wholly dis.similar. The Egyptian paper was
formed OF two or mole layers OF thin slices of the
puh of the plant laid transversey TO each other,
cemented by thin glue or sizing, and dried under
II heavy pressure. 1t was exported TO Greece aud
Italy, and being more durable aud convenient, and
probably also cheaper, Than parchment, was IN
general use in Europe until the eighth century,
when cotton paper was Introduced into Spain by
the Moors, aud gradually suppIunted the paper Of
Egypt. The oldest linen paper is supposed to
have been produced in Gernany about the year
! 1900. Parchment and vellum however have been
ut all times more or less in uso, not only for wri
| ting but for printing. Books printed on vcllun
are not now often met WITH but it is not uncom .
mon in Europe TO strike off on velIum few cop
les of works Of permanent value and these are
highly priced, Tor their rarity, by bibliomaniacs.
| The scarcity aud high price of parchment in
the middle nges.not unirequently led the possess
sors OF the old manuscripts to erase the orig inal
writing for the purpose of substituting what they
esteemed of greater interest and value. Manu-
scripts thus written called paimsesis, or cor.
diceS reScripii, aud method has been lately dis
covered of restoring and deciphering the original
characters. In this way some Important lost
works have been recovered, and new discoveries
in this curious branch of research are continually
making.
The ancient form of books was the roll, a long
narrow strip of parchment or papyrus written on
Que side, and attached TO and rolled upon "A ound
Stick as is now praclised with mups. A hbraiy of
such Volumes consisting of about 100 rolls, was
found at lierculaneunl, near the middle of the
last century, and though charred, aud otherwise
injured many OF them have been unrolled and
decphered.
The present form of hooks is older by many
centuries, Than the art of printing, aud very few
ancient manuscripts exist in any other form. The
volumes were al first bound in parchment without
wood, pnsteboard or other sffenng, and this
mode OF binding is still sometimes practlsed parli-
cuary IN Spain. Ii is perhaps the best mode OF
binding yet discovered, being not only durable,
hut not liable to be attacked by worms For some
time after the invention of printing, books were
generally bound in wood, covered with parch
neni or Leather, often stamped with the arms OF
namented and strengthened with metallic bosses
corners and clasps. books were sometimes bouni
IN gold or silver, of which the famous Corder .4r-
geaieuS at U psal is a remarkable instance. This
IS volume OF parchment, conanng n translation
of part of The Scriptures into The MGsogoihc
dialect, by Uphas Il bishop OF that nation, who
lived IN the fourth century. The volume is of great
antiquity, perhaps even cotemporaneuus with the
translator. It las excited much attention among
scholars, not only on account of the language, OF
which 1t is almost the only considerable specimen
exani, but from the manner in which the con-
tents are executed. The letters are in silver, and
TO the eye appear TO have been impressed sla,li-
ped with punches, but most antquares are al
present of opinion, that they were produced by q
process having no resemblance TO printing.
If we reject The claims of the cOrter drgenteus
to be considered as printed book, we find no sat
islactorv evidence Of the existence of the art OF
printing in Europe before about the year l440,
though there are are extant a few engravings on
wood of earlier date, with titles engraved upon
the same block. The discussions Oh the subject
of the invention of printing have been conduc ed
with much research, and great acrimony, between
the partiZans of Gutenberg of NlenlZ in Germa
ny, and Roster of Harlem in Holland. | can
not enter INFO the merits of this controversy fur
ther than 10 observe, that the claims OF Kosrer an
pear TO me unsupported, aud that the Invention
must be considered as due TO Gutenberg, Ii ha,
been confidently asserted, that the first moveablt
types were OF wood, but there seems to be sat
lsiacIory ground for this opinion, and in all proba
biIily they were Of metal. One OF the most re.
markahle circumstances in the history of This arr
is, that ii should have been perfected almost a.
soon ms invented. Books printed thirty years af-
ter the invention OF the art are scarcely inferior
10 those OF the present day, in colour of lux OF
cleurness OF Impression, though The types are no
so well and cleanly cut. The most important i'm
provements IN this art are the invention OF stereo
type plates, by which whole page is cast solid
The introduction Of mixing rollers, aud various new
presses, aud other mechanical conlrvances, b,
which presswork is performed with vastly ncreas
ed rapidly. Various attempts have been made tC
conslruc, machines for setting types, the compose
Tor touching keys like those OF panoiOrte or or
gan. Some ot these nre said 10 promise import
ant Eesulis but thus far they have d4app Jnled Iht
expectations Of their projectors.
The Invention OF paper making and printing
as well rs those OF gunpowder and the mariner,