New-York tribune., 1871-10-06

| endOwmPntS and singular force ana Originality VI
character. It affords an impressive record OF the
remarkable qualities which won for him So large
share of admiration in his life and Of tender SYM
pathy i'll Ills death.
ANrPfC W EYCvCf oPFDIA OF PRINTING Edited by
Up. 81. h.aderha Mcnamm mhS~a'I
The first English book on printing was writ
ten hundred years ago. under the crOus title
Of 'Mcclanck Exercises; or, the Doctrine Of Handy
works" In this book Joseph MoxOn set forth every
known mechanical process connected with Typography
from the cutting the punch that made the type to the
gathering OF the printed sheets for the binder and freely
illustrated 1t with engravings 1t was so exact and
thorough that it has since been accepted as an a
thOrity the trade Yet all the information that NOxOn
conld give concerning the arts Of typefounding and
printing be found in four hundred pages of the
large plea type Of squat pot quarto. Brief as this may
seem, II exhausted the subject. MoXOn's book may
rGhtfuy be considered faithful exposition m print
ing ii known and practced In lG33 For tyl0gra
ply two centuries after It's invention from mercantile
point OF view was but trivial business.
The EncyclOpedia before processes TO be an ex
position printing II IL pracccd In 1871 1t needs
but cursory examination Of the two books to show the
progress has been made in two hundred years The
modern book contains than five hundred pages OF
imperial octave closely printed in double columns II is
profusely illustrated with engravngs in the text appar
euy of all the printing known to the trade The
most printers There also many engravings Of ma
the cutting and folding of papers, for the cast
ing and setting of type, plans of cases and Illustrations
OF many small tools and machines Not five per cent OF
this machinery was known to Moxon. AT least nine
tcnths been invented in this century and more
| than half Of 10 within twenty-five years. We note also
descriptions of forms OF printing like nthOgraphy aud
phOO-thoraphy well as OF auxiliary processes like
clectrOtyping cOpperfacng, and zincography all OF
which were unknown in the last century
Most OF our American books on Typography have beer
compiled from British books. Smiths Printers Gram
mar" Hansards Topographic, and Savacc's Diction
airy Of Printing been freely copied. To the matter
.hat has been adopted and used there is objection
But there Las been ground for objection to the omission
of almost everything relating TO American Typography
country has invented and perfected the typecast-
ing machncthat has produced more succt s>ful new
STYLES and kinds of printing presses than all others
cOmbined-Surrv deserves to have its achievements
corded In its books But this is first American
hook has attempted this needed work. For the
first time American Typography Is hOnOred in its own
cOuury-honOrcd it should be- by praise but by
recital Of dates and facts. II satisfaction to see that
men like George Bruce and william Bradford receive
rather than lies Bes and that the sketch
Ehu White quite full that OF Wynkyn de Worde
abstract of American patents concerning printing
| covers thirty pages Neither this new and valuable
feature that Of biography s extendedas could de
SIRE but enough has been given to vndcate the claims
| to an honorable position.
Some Of papers describing special branches OF print
ing OF great merit that LithOgraphy, its brcvty
considered, is the cearest have met with this
subject Paper and Papermakng material appar-
emily contains all the new discoveries and processes,
and Of peculiar interest The articles Engraving
Wood Wood Type could have been expanded to ad
vantage. Wood types not purely American in in
venton but the mechanism by which they mad IA
American and the machne-made American wood types
are preferred in part of the world In the thsoret
ica departments Of Typography there Is much mat
ter Of interest TO authors and to journalists who not
printers We specially note casting off copy, leads pro
portions OF type, and proportions OF type to space By
the formulas here given, any intelligent acquainted
with the rudments Of printing eau compute the space
that will be occupied by his manuscript any size OF
type Of all treatises on Typography this is both the
| most concise and the most comprehensive
The book contains facsmiles of medieval Typography
from books by Caxton aud Gutenberg that Of the Maza
rim Bible is especially good) and Of Coverdae's Bible
Illustrations like these, combined with biographical
sketches OF notable Of the trade, are sufficient to
give young printer or journalist fair knowledge of
subjects that too often imperfectly understood II
is misfortune that the preparation OF elementary
book Of this class should have been 80 long neglected
We hope in future ~ be spared the modification OF read
ing q controversy between amateur Journalists as tn
| whether Elzevir was type book, a man.
1T gratifying TO learn that an expensive book like
finds editor and contributors, publisher and an ap-
| preciatng public. Not an young men Of literary
tastes write poems plays, and novels Even journeymen
printers. for whom this book written and among
whom will find its largest sale buy books as well as
read and study them There Is evidently demand for
instruction In the theory well the practice Of
mechanics How much general literature has gained by
it's careful record and custody of every specula
tion-how much the arts, both practical and
imaginative, have lost by the unwiIinVness Of their
best masters to record their processes and their re-
| sults-msy never be clearly stated. Whist would
4 nos even Q stflct literary student give 8 have q
treatise on mssonry and stonecuttng by the practical
builder Of the PyrAmidsi-to hsvea workmans manual
on the making Of textile fabrcs the building Of houses
the construction OF furniture Or the Of coors In dec