EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
683
17611. A» M^try into the Origin of Printing in Europe, price Is. publisbed by Mr. Gibson.
1752. Am Ettay on the Original, Ute, and Excellency of the noble Art and Myttety of Printing. liondon : printed for T. Legg, at the Parrot and Crown, in Green Arbour-court, in the Little Old Bailey. Price four-pence.
This is a small tract of sixteen pages demy I2mo, and, therefore, little can be expected of the History of Printing. A high encomium is paid to William Caslonand Son, letter-founders, and to Stephen Baylis, of St. Anne's lane, near Aldersgate, printing ink maker. Of the use and excellency of the art, it is stated, that " 'Tis by the art of Printing Uiat we come to know the lives and actions of the renowned worthies of the first ages of the world ; whereby those things which were transacted five thousand years ago are as familiar to us as if they had been done but yesterday. 'Tis Printing that does immor- talize the memory of ancient heroes, and trans- mits their actions to the end of time." The following poem is inserted at the end, which is there stated to have been written many years before, and then out of print. In preserving it, we think no apology will be required, (for as it is stated in the tract j) "being well assured it will be very acceptable to all lovers of the noble art and mystery of printing."
A CONTEMPLATION
Oi> U» Mfiterji i/ Mam's Regeneration, In allutUm to the
jHs^ttets of ^rintfns.
Great blest Matter Printer, come Into thy composing room : Wipe awar our fonl oflknces. Make, O make our souls and senses. Tbe upper and the lower cases j And thy large alphabet of graces The letter, which being ever fit, O haste thoa to distribute it : For there is (I make amount; No fmperfeclion in the fount. If any letter's fsce be foul, O wash it ere it tooch the son] ; Contrition be t^e inish, the Ige Tears born a penitential eye.
Thy graces 84 iislriiutei, lliink not thy work half finished : On still, O Lord, no time defer. Be truly a Cohpositok ; Take thy composing stick In hand. Thy holy word, the firmest band i For snra that work can never miss. That's tnlj justified in this.
The end of grace's distribntion. Is not a mere dissolution ) Bat that from each part being cited. They may be again united. Let righteousness and peace then meet, Mercy and truth each other greet i Let these letters make a word. Let these words a line alTord, Then of lines a page compose, Which being brought unto a dose, Be thou the direction. Lord ; Let lore be the fast-binding cord.
Set, O Lord, O set apace, That we may grow from grace to grace ; 1111 towards the ehaee we nearer draw The two strong tables of thy law j Of which the two firm croues be. The love of man, next after Thee. The head sticks are thy majesty, Tbe/oa( sticks Christ's humility ; ' The supplication of the saints, Tb« tide sticks, when our faith e'er {tints .
Let the quoins be thy sa>« elecUon, Which admits of no reaction ; With which our souls being Join'd about. Not the least grace can then drop out. Thy mercies and allurements all. Thy shooHngstiek and mallet call.
But when all this is done we see. Who shall the corrector be ? O Lord, what thou set'st can't be ill. It needs then no corrector's sidll.
Now, though these graces are all set. Our hearts are but white paper yet ; And by Adam's first transgression, nt only for the worst impression. Thy hcdy SfMt the pressman make, From whom we may perfection take -, And let him no time defer. To print us on thy cliaracter.
Let the ink be black as Jet. What thongh > it is comdy yet ; As curtains of King Solomon, Or Kedar's tents to look upon.
Be victory the presi's A<ai(, That o'er oppression it may tread : Let divine contemplation be The skrews, to raise us up to Thee : The press's two cheeks (unsubdued) Strong constancy and fortitude : Our slavish flesh let be the tUI, Whereon to lay what trash you will : The nut and spindle, gentleness. To move the work with easiness : The platten is affliction. Which makes good work, being hard set on. The bar, the spirit's instrument, To sanctify our pimiahment: llie blanket a resemblance hath Of mercy in the midst of vrrath : The/ri»*e«, thy preventing grace. Keeps us from many sallied race. Christ JxsDa is the level stone, 'That our hearts most be wrought upon. The e^n wherein it doth lie. Is rest to all eternity. The cramp irons that it moves on stUl, Are the good motions of the will : The rounce, the spirit's inspiration. Working a holy agitation. The girths, the gift of continence. The tether of th' unbridled sense : The winter, whereon all doth lie. Is patience in adversity : The foot step, humbleness of mind. That in itseu no worth can find.
If there be such a chance as this, That any letter batter'd Is, Being come onto thy view. Take it out, put in anew i Or if Satan, that foul fiend. Mar, with a pivtence to mend, And being at thy goodness v«ct. Makes blasphemy of thy pure text. Find it out, O Lord, and then. Print our hearts new o'er ag^
O Lord, unto this work make baste, 'TIS a work that long will last ; And when this white paper's done. Work a reiteration.
1752, Oct 11. Died, Thomas Stackhouse, A. M. a learned and pious, but necessitous divine . He was sometime minister of the English church at Amsterdam, and afterwards successively curate of Richmond, Ealing, and Finchley ; in all which places he was much respected. He was prehaps the most laborious writer of his time, and his principal work, the History of the Bible, origi- nated in the following singular manner : In the jwt 1732 was published a pamphlet, entitled The Bookbinder, Bookprinter, and Bookseller confuted ; the author' t vindication of himself from the calumnies in a paper industriously dispersed by one Edlin. Together with some observations on the History of the Bible, as it is at present published by the said Edlin. By the Rev. Mt.
VjOOQ IC
