be larger than the London Docks, and would require the use of a ladder to examine even a county. The new art is applicable to engraving of every kind; and, moreover, it can very profitably reproduce types itelf in an enlarged or reduced form. This is a fact of great importance to all Bible Societies, for enormous sums are spent in producing this work in all imaginable sizes. The clearness and beauty with which a page of type can be reduced is such as will surprise Mr. Bagster or Lord Shaftesbury.
But, it will be asked, what advantage does this method present over a resetting of the page in the usual manner? Two very important ones—speed and price. Let us suppose, for instance, that we wish to make a reduction of a royal octavo University Bible to a demy octavo. The price of resetting the type alone would be 800l., and the “reading for corrections” another 300l. at the least. Now, an identical copy could be produced by the process employed by the Company for 120l.; there would be no charge for “reading,” as the copy is a facsimile. Where there are many rules, marginal notes, and different kinds of types, as in Polyglot Bibles, the advantage of reproducing by the india-rubber process would be of course proportionately greater. Any society possessing one standard Bible have thus within their reach the means of bringing out as many different-sized editions as they like, from the large type fitted for the eyes of very old men, to the diamond editions that require a microscope to read them.
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