Page:The Polygraphic Apparatus.djvu/28

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proportion to the development of its interior and of the neigltbouring countries to the East and to the North — and the department of polygraphy, or the thirty different branches of art carried on in our institution, will appear — without any kind of competition m h*ke an immeasurable country the fields of which have to he sown yet, but the ground of which is so fertile, that the seed begins to blossom in by far greater number and with mueh more luxurious- hess than in the ground already gained. Having tarried rather long at the department Lithography, we xmte priat- shah be short now respecting ariastatic printing, or the reno- ing, ehemi- grnphy. vation of old prints, manuscripts, drawings; for there are not many persons in possession of those precious objeets, and the few proprietors being naturely parties who exclusively oecupy them- selves with the study of that particular department, our remarks are not of interest to the public at large. However pleasing the thought in itself may he, that by the newly invented means for renovating, every print or manuscript of which only one copy is extant may be multiplied -- and thus objects may at least be preserved in their genuine form, because they can be deposed in greater number and at different places, and because many persons can make use of them at the same time -- yet there is something in this progress that is alarming. Unwil- lingly the hoary librarian or keeper of archives perceives, that the sole copy of a print or manuseript in his possession might now he exchanged for a forged one, and thus mistaken. Unwillingly the artist perceives, that the product of his industry -- his original -- is now subjeet to be imitated by one who has not the capacity of ereating an original in the manner in which he does, but who is now enabled, by much simpler means, to eopy his original. Unwil- lingly public authorities perceive, that doeuments or other import- ant papers are copied, as by this means not only abuse but even greater dangers might be caused. But all this is in vain! Imitation is a daughter of the eternal law; nothing is spared by it; and like the artist or scholar derives the creation of his