OF COPYING.

91

1. They are copies, by printing, from stereotypeplates.

2. These stereotype plates are copied, by theart of casting, from moulds formed of plaster ofParis.

3. Those moulds are themselves copied by cast-ing the plaster in a liquid state upon the movabletypes set up by the compositor.

[It is here that the union of the intelleetual andthe mechanical departments takes place. The mys-teries, however, of an author’s copying, form no partof our inquiry, although it may be fairly remarked,that, in numerous instances, the mental far eclipsesthe mechanical copyist.]

4. These movable types, the obedient mes-sengers of the most opposite thoughts, the mostconflicting theories, are themselves copies by cast-ing from moulds of copper called matrices.

5. The lower part of those matrices , bearing theimpressions of the letter or character intended, arecopies, by punching, from steel punches on whichthe same character exists in relief.

6. These steel punches are not themselves en-tirely exempted from the great principle of art.Many of the cavities which exist in them, such asthose in the middle of the punches for the lettersa, b, d, e, g, &c., are produced from other steelpunches in which these parts are in relief.*

* This is not a rigidly accurate account of the volume in thereader’s hand, which has not been stereotyped. The passagegiven in the text was copied by printing , from a printedaccount given by the author, respecting which the statementwas strictly accurate.