a volume. Let us, however, turn to the crowning discovery, the application of the Steam Engine, which makes the printing press, in one sense, a voluntary machine, and brings by its aid the productions of the noblest genius within the reach of the myriads whose means little more than suffice for the necessaries of life. This was accomplished by the invention of the Printing Machine, by which cylindrical pressure is applied in lieu of the flat, or platten, impression obtained by the common press.

Before, however, stating the circumstances of the application of steam power to printing, we should notice an invention, without which we may almost venture to say steam-machine printing could never have been generally adopted. This is an improvement for inking the types by means of composition rollers. Printing ink consists chiefly of lamp-black and varnish, with some other constituents to increase the brilliancy of the colour, and to keep the principal substances in coherence with each other. Formerly the ink was laid upon a flat surface by a little triangular piece of iron, with a handle to it, called a slice. A small portion of it was then taken and brayed out with a sort of wooden mallet as evenly as possible. The workmen employed to put the ink upon the forme (or a quantity of types which are arranged in their several pages in certain positions on the bed of the press, where they are to give their impression to the paper) held in each hand a wooden stock, in the shape of a stone-mason's hammer, which was hollowed out on its lower surface. That hollow was stuffed with wool, until there was a convex surface formed, and over this there was stretched a piece of untanned sheepskin, so as to be perfectly tight, even, and smooth. These are technically called balls; and the great art of keeping them fit for service consisted in retaining the pelts or sheepskin in a certain state of moisture and softness, so that they would receive the ink equally all over. The pressman, having taken a small portion of this ink on one

of the balls, worked it against the other spirally, and occasionally dabbing the balls together until the ink was very evenly

spread or distributed over them both. With these he then dabbed the forme, keeping them constantly twirling round in his hands, when not absolutely touching the face of the types, until at length the whole of the letters were equally and sufficiently covered. This process required great nicety, and was moreover very labori

ous, while considerable trouble and atten

tion were necessary to keep the balls in proper working order. All was at length obviated by the discovery of Mr. Foster, who, by the intermixture of glue, treacle, tar, and isinglass, formed a composition which retained all the requisite qualities of softness, elasticity, and readiness to receive and impart the ink, and which could, moreover, be made to adhere round a wooden

apparently indispensable value in machine printing. These rollers have of late years been immensely improved by the ingenuity of the Messrs. Harrilds, of Great Distaff Lane, in the city of London, and an inspection of the apparatus, which they possess for making composition balls and rollers, will amply gratify any one who has a taste for the useful arts.

But, to return to the Printing Machine. The want of some means to meet the increasing demand for books and newspapers had long been felt, and as early as 1790, before even Lord Stanhope's press had been brought into use, Mr. W Nicholson had taken out a patent for two machines, the one

somewhat resembling in outward form the common hand presses of that time, but the other very similar to the machines now in general use. In both these machines, which he describes as being applicable to printing books, paper-hangings, calico, linen, silk, &c., he proposes to make use of cylindrical instead of surface pressure, and to derive his motive power from wind, water, steam, or animal strength. Although Mr. Nicholson published the details of his process with drawings of the requisite machines, he was not successful in getting his invention generally adopted by the trade. His numerous pursuits, combined with the sudden death of his patron Lord Camelford, in all probability prevented his bestowing that constant application so necessary to establishing a new invention. Some years afterwards, one Herr König, a German, who had been unable to obtain any support on the Continent, came over to this country with the idea of applying steam, as the moving power, to common presses, which by his plan should acquire accelerated speed, and at the same time dispense with the employment of the man who inks the types. Three enterprising printers, Messrs. Bensley, sen., R. Taylor, and G. Woodfall, liberally supplied the necessary capital to the ingenious foreigner. After spending several years in fruitless experiments to reduce his ideas to practice, König abandoned this scheme and turned his attention to cylindrical machine printing, the practicability of which, as we have before stated, Mr. Nicholson had demonstrated in 1790. Two or three years of renewed exertion passed away, and finally a small machine was produced by König, capable of working 1,000 impressions per hour, and requiring only the superintendence of two boys. This machine was set to work in April, 1811, and 3,000 copies of part of the "New Annual Register" was printed by this means. This machine proving successful, it was considered practicable so to extend its principles and capabilities as to print a newspaper. As the accomplishment

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of this object was highly desirable, the late Mr. Walters, proprietor of the Times" newspaper, was shown the machine already erected, and also made acquainted with the contemplated improvements. The result was, that an agreement was entered into with that gentleman, for the erection of two larger machines, for printing his journal, which at once brought the merits of the invention into general notice. On the 28th of November, 1814, the readers of the "Times" newspaper were informed that they were, for the first time, perusing a paper printed by the application of steam power.

These machines were necessarily of a very complicated construction, and it may suffice to say that each consisted of a number of cylinders, which so revolved as to carry the sheets of paper, through the agency of a number of tapes and wheels, placed between them and the types on the surface of the table, which constantly moved backwards and forwards, receiving in turn the ink from the inking rollers, and impressing its form on the paper subjected to its influence. Each of these machines was only capable of printing one side of the newspaper, and the sheets thus half printed by the one were perfected, as it is technically termed, by the other. The performance of these machines was in every way satisfactory, so far as they went; but they were shortly afterwards greatly improved upon, at least in the simplicity of their construction, by Messrs. Applegarth and Cowper, who were, at the time of König's invention, at the head of one of the most considerable typographical establishments in the metropolis. Their principle was much the same as that of König's, but they did away with many of the intricate parts, removing at one stroke forty superfluous wheels, and making the machine altogether more simple, available, and permanent. These gentlemen, having patented their improvements, erected a new machine for the "Times," which cost the proprietor of that newspaper £3,000.

The next improvement was the construction of a perfecting machine by König, for Messrs. Bensley, which delivered the sheet of paper printed on both sides. This double, or perfecting machine, threw off from 800 to 900 sheets per hour, worked on both sides; while the single, or non-perfecting machine, delivered in the same space of time from 1,300 to 1,400 sheets printed only on one side.

Messrs. Donkin and Bacon in 1818 obtained a patent for a most ingenious but complex machine, which claims the merit of being the first to print with the types arranged upon a horizontally revolving cylinder, instead of being placed on a fixed table as in other machines. Although the fundamental principle of this invention was found objectionable, one great point was gained, namely, the introduction of the composition inking rollers, which were first applied to this machine, and immediately superseded those covered with leather which were used by König.

After this came Mr. Napier, one of that distinguished family whose scientific abilities and attainments we have before had to notice, and which have secured to them a reputation wide as the extent of civilization. He still further simplified