CHAPTER III.
Anecdote of an over-curious enquirer—Its probable application to many readers—Paper Making, when straightforward, extremely simple, but ordinarily involving considerable chemical and practical skill—Brief review of artificial aids—Anecdotes of the deleterious effects of bleaching, and of imparting colour to the “stuff”—Ultramarine, its use and abuse—Manufactured Paper, its varieties and peculiarities—Excise Regulations—Paper Duty—Conclusion.
Anecdote of an over-curious enquirer—Its probable application to many readers—Paper Making, when straightforward, extremely simple, but ordinarily involving considerable chemical and practical skill—Brief review of artificial aids—Anecdotes of the deleterious effects of bleaching, and of imparting colour to the “stuff”—Ultramarine, its use and abuse—Manufactured Paper, its varieties and peculiarities—Excise Regulations—Paper Duty—Conclusion.
Not long since I heard of a very inquisitive gentleman, as some people would term him, who wrote to a friend of mine asking him to obtain certain information respecting the manufacture ofisinglass; and although the questions put, were by no means essential to general knowledge, my friend complied with his request, and forwarded the application to the party immediately interested in its production; who, with similar promptitude undertook to furnish the answers per return of post, upon receiving from the anxious applicant a repetition of the inquiry, accompanied by his cheque for three thousand pounds.
Now, it is not at all improbable that many into whose hands this book may fall will be disposed to charge me with similar motives, as concealing secrets connected with paper making. It is, however, a reliable fact, that nothing can be more simple or straightforward than the manufacture of that, which, for want of a more comprehensive expression, I must denominategenuine paper. Chemical aid, combined with great practical skill, is absolutely indispensable, I admit, to enable one to keep pace with competition in the present day; when even the rags and tatters, cast off by the very poorest of the poor, may now be forwarded after sunrise, many miles distant, and before sunset, received back again converted into a becoming ground-work for the most enchantingbillet-doux. Still, productions of this character, when contrasted with the results of a slow and simple manipulation of finer materials, even to the unpractised eye, will be found far inferior, as regards the one grand test of superiority, viz.,durability. The slower the process of manufacture is conducted from beginning to end, from the trituration of the “stuff” in the rag engine, to the formation of the sheet, its sizing, drying, and rolling, the stronger and more durable will the paper ultimately turn out. No. 17, which is a specimen ofpaper thus carefully made, and almost as tough and durable as parchment, is capable of sustaining a weight of no less than 200 lbs., simply by means of a slip the width of a bank note. If, however, we glance at the other extreme, and take the aids frequently adopted to produce paper of apparent excellence from comparatively worthless materials, we shall find occasion to regret more than one form of artificial assistance, which is perpetually liable to objection. The effects, for instance, of excessive bleaching are still occasionally manifested, although by a better system of washing the pulp and the use of counteracting chemicals, evils which at one time resulted therefrom are now mainly checked. Within the recollection of my father, it was not at all an uncommon occurrence for a parcel of paper to become so completely perished from the circumstance of its not having been thoroughly washed after bleaching, that to draw a sheet as a sample, and to fold it up in the usual way, was found utterly impossible, without the sheets being cracked or broken at every fold. In some instances, the fibre was so completely destroyed, that an entire ream, composed of 480 sheets, might be as readily snapped asunder as a piece of rotten wood, merely by giving it a sharp blow against the back of a chair. The evils and inconvenienceswhich must have resulted from this are altogether incalculable. Mr. Hansard (“Typographia,” 1825,) thus writes, “Whole piles of quired stock, meaning books unbound, are already crumbling to dust in the warehouses of booksellers, never to come to light as books, and many a volume designed to enrich the library of its possessor and to descend as an heir-loom to posterity, now presents to the mortified owner its elegant print surrounded by a margin of tan colour, which in some instances forms, as it were, a complete frame round each page, the oil varnish in the composition of the ink seeming to preserve the interstices between the print from the same kind of discoloration. School books (he adds) printed on this species of paper, will scarcely last out their destined period, from one vacation to the next.” Another gentleman informs us, speaking of a quantity of Bibles, which were printed for the British and Foreign Bible Society, that one in his possession, printed at the University press at Oxford in 1816, (which had never been used) was then, within a year or two afterwards, literally crumbling into dust. “Almost the entire book of Genesis (says he) has mouldered away, and left not a trace behind.” Of course, paper of this description (if it deserves the name at all) would prove very bad stock inlike manner for the stationer, being for any purpose whatever as utterly useless as it was worthless, with but one exception, which in the case of a large parcel of this description, I understand, was once adopted, viz., that of shipping it in very common cases, thus securing the drawback, which, at that time, was far more worth consideration than it would be now, and eventually consigning it to the fate of innumerable other treasures within the boundless limits of the ocean.
If to speak of the various artificial aids which the manufacturer has recourse to in the present day be necessary, it surely cannot but be equally advisable, to point out their main cause; and if blame exist at all, or fault be found, it cannot, I apprehend, be rested with greater safety than with those who, stipulating their own terms, must of necessity be supplied in their own way. The paper maker requires to be remunerated; and with competition to grapple with and contend against, not only all the improvements which mechanical science is capable of supplying, must be adopted by him, but even in many cases, however much to be regretted, he is tempted to an intermixture of noxious and heterogeneous materials, in order that the minimum price may be attained.
Some specimens of paper will be found to containas much as one-fourth their weight of gypsum; and in fact, even worse material, as a means of adulteration, is as eagerly sought after by the manufacturer of paper, as the public generally, to the sacrifice of quality, seek the cheapest article which it is possible to procure. I need but refer, as an instance, to the packing papers of the present day, of which one sheet properly made (25), contrasted with one of the same weight of the sort usually selected, will be found to possess three times the amount of strength, although not 10 per cent. higher in price.
With a finer class of papers common materials are as readily employed, through the assistance of some colouring matter, which tends to conceal the imperfection. Indeed, it would be difficult to name an instance of apparent deception more forcible than that which is accomplished by the use of ultramarine. Until very recently the fine bluish tinge given to many writing papers was derived from the admixture of that expensive mineral blue, the oxide of cobalt, generally termedsmalts, and which has still the advantage over the ultramarine of imparting a colour which will endure for a much longer period. One pound of ultramarine, however, going further than four of smalts at the same price, the former necessarily meets with moreextended application, and where the using is rightly understood, and the materials employed instead of being fine rags, comparative rubbish, excessively bleached; its application proves remarkably serviceable in concealing for a time all other irregularities, and even far surpassing in appearance the best papers of the kind.
At first the introduction of ultramarine led to some difficulty in sizing the paper, for so long as smalts continued to be used, any amount of alum might be employed, and it was actually added to the size to preserve it from putrefaction. But since artificial ultramarine is bleached by alum, it became of course necessary to add this salt to the size in very small proportions, and as a natural consequence, the gelatine was no longer protected from the action of the air, which led to incipient decomposition, and in such cases the putrefaction once commenced, proceeded even after the size was dried on the paper, and gave to it a most offensive smell, which rendered the paper unsaleable. This difficulty, however, has now been overcome, and providing the size be quite free from taint when applied to the paper, and quickly dried, putrefaction will not subsequently occur; but if decay has once commenced, it cannot be arrested by drying only.
The practice of blueing the paper pulp had its origin in a singularly accidental circumstance, which not merely as an historical fact, but as forming an amusing anecdote, is perhaps worth mentioning. It occurred about the year 1790, at a paper mill belonging to Mr. Buttenshaw, whose wife, on the occasion in question, was superintending the washing of some fine linen, when accidentally she dropped her bag of powdered blue into the midst of some pulp in a forward state of preparation, and so great was the fear she entertained of the mischief she had done, seeing the blue rapidly amalgamated with the pulp, that all allusion to it was studiously avoided; until, on Mr. Buttenshaw’s inquiring in great astonishment what it was that had imparted the peculiar colour to the pulp, his wife, perceiving that no very great damage had been done, took courage and at once disclosed the secret, for which she was afterwards rewarded in a remarkable manner by her husband, who being naturally pleased with an advance of so much as four shillings per bundle, upon submitting theimprovedmake to the London market, immediately purchased a costly scarlet cloak, (somewhat more congenial to taste in those days, it is presumed, than it would be now,) which he carefully conveyed home, and presented with much satisfaction to the sharer of his joy.
Although the practice of blueing paper is not, perhaps, so customary now as was the case a few years back, the extent to which it is still carried may be a matter of considerable astonishment. On its first introduction, when, as regards colour, the best paper was anything but pleasing, so striking a novelty would no doubt be hailed as a great improvement, and as such received into general use, but when we contrast afirst classpaper now (8), without any colouring matter whatever, and without any superfluous marks upon its surface, with the miserable blue tints one so frequently sees, it becomes a source of surprise, that the superior delicacy of the former is not more generally appreciated.
The only objection which can be urged against the use of a colourless paper is, its comparative transparency when glazed in the ordinary way: but this is by no means essential. A finished surface imparted by calendering, when contrasted with one more highly glazed, will be found wholly superior for a writing paper, and unobjectionable as regards opaqueness.
In paper making, there has seldom, perhaps, arisen a greater difficulty than in furnishing a supply suited to the purposes of photography. Unquestionably, great care is requisite in the selection of the materials, their preparation, andsubsequent manufacture. But the difficulty is owing more to the want of positive information on the part of the photographer, than to failure in the exertions of the Paper Maker. I have recently been informed by a gentleman who has devoted much time and attention to this particular class of paper, that after forwarding specimens to many score members of that profession, and inviting observations and suggestions thereon, not one in ten favoured him with any reply, and of those who did, although many first-rate names might be mentioned, the conclusions to which they severally came were totally adverse.
It is not my intention to wander further into the field of paper and paper making than to mark the boundary which has been set up by Act of Parliament, in the form of Excise Regulations, with a few general observations upon the varieties and peculiarities of manufactured paper, as a becoming and at the present time somewhat important termination to our subject.
Manufactured paper, independently of the miscellaneous kinds, such as blotting, filtering, and the like, which are rendered absorbent by the free use ofwoollenrags, may be divided into three distinct classes,viz., writing, printing, and wrapping. The former again intofive, cream wove(8), yellow wove (17), blue wove (7), cream laid (16), and blue laid (5). The printing intotwo, laid and wove, and the latter intofour, blue (22), purple (24), brown (25), and whited brown (23), as it is commonly termed. Each of these sorts ought again to be classified, until it would appear as if not merely all the wants, wishes, and fancies of mankind had been fully studied and provided for, but that even the utmost bounds of variety in like manner had been included, in order to test the comprehensiveness of human caprice.
To give a simple definition of the mode adopted for distinguishing the various kinds, I must include, with the class denominatedwritingpapers, those which are used for drawing, which being sized in like manner, and with the exception of one or two larger kinds, of precisely the same dimensions as those passing by the same name, which are used strictly for writing purposes, (the only distinction, in fact, being, that the drawings are cream wove, while the writings are laid,) there would of course be no necessity for separating them. Indeed, since many of the sizes used for printing are exactly the same as those which would be named as writing papers, for the sake of abridgment I will reduce my distinctions of difference to but two heads, fine and coarse; under the latter,including the ordinary brown papers, the whited brown, or small hand quality, and the blues and purples, used by grocers. The smallest size of the fine quality, as sent from the mill, measures 12½ by 15 inches, and is termed Pot; next to that Foolscap, 17 by 13½; then Post, 18¾ by 15¼; Copy, 20 by 16; Large Post, 20¾ by 16½; Medium Post, 18 by 23; Sheet-and-third Foolscap, 23 by 13¼; Sheet-and-half Foolscap, 24½ by 13¼; Double Foolscap, 27 by 17; Double Pot, 30 by 25; Double Post, 30½ by 19; Double Crown, 20 by 30; Demy, 20 by 15½; ditto Printing, 22½ by 17¾; Medium, 22 by 17½; ditto Printing, 23 by 18½; Royal, 24 by 19; ditto Printing, 25 by 20; Super Royal, 27 by 19; ditto Printing, 21 by 27; Imperial, 30 by 22; Elephant, 28 by 23; Atlas, 34 by 26; Columbier, 34½ by 23½; Double Elephant, 26¾ by 40; and Antiquarian, 53 by 31. The different sizes of letter and note paper ordinarily used are prepared from those kinds by the stationer, whose business consists chiefly in smoothing the edges of the paper, and afterwards packing it up in some tasteful form, which serves to attract attention.
Under the characteristic names of coarse papers may be mentioned Kent Cap, 21 by 18; Bag Cap, 19½ by 24; Havon Cap, 21 by 26; Imperial Cap, 22 by 29; Double 2-lb., 17 by 24;Double 4-lb., 21 by 30; Double 6-lb., 19 by 28; Casing of various dimensions, also Cartridges, with other descriptive names, besides Middle Hand, 22 by 16; Lumber Hand, 19½ by 29; Royal Hand, 20 by 25; Double Small Hand, 19 by 29; and of the purples, such significations as Copy Loaf, 16¾ by 21¾, 38-lb.; Powder Loaf, 18 by 26, 58-lb.; Double Loaf, 16½ by 23, 48-lb.; Single Loaf, 21½ by 27, 78-lb.; Lump, 23 by 33, 100-lb.; Hambro’, 16½ by 23, 48-lb.; Titler, 29 by 35, 120-lb.; Prussian or Double Lump, 32 by 42, 200-lb.; and so forth, with glazed boards, of various sizes, used chiefly by printers, for pressing, which are manufactured in a peculiar manner by hand, the boards being severally composed of various sheets made in the ordinary way, but turned off the mould one sheet upon another, until the required substance be attained; a felt is then placed upon the mass and another board formed. By this means, the sheets, when pressed, adhere more effectually to each other, and the boards consequently become much more durable than would be the case if they were produced by pasting. Indeed, if any great amount of heat be applied to pasteboards, they will split, and be rendered utterly useless. The glazing in this case is accomplished by friction.
To complete the category of coarse papers, Iought to mention, as coming within the range of the Excise, Milled Boards, employed in bookbinding, of not less than one hundred and fifty descriptions, that is, as regards sizes and substances. Still, however, an incomplete idea is conveyed of the extraordinary number of sizes and descriptions into which paper is at present divided. For instance, I have said with reference to writing qualities, that there arefivekinds, cream wove, yellow wove, blue wove, cream laid, and blue laid, and again, that of each of those kinds there are numerous sizes; but in addition there are, as a matter of course, various thicknesses and makes of each size and kind. In fact, no house in London, carrying on the wholesale stationery trade, is without a thousand different sorts; many keep stock of twice that number.
So much having of late been said with reference to a repeal of what are termed “Taxes on Knowledge,” occasioning thereby many very erroneous opinions, it may be useful to offer some remarks upon Excise Regulations in connection with the duty on paper. And, in adverting to those regulations, we shall have an opportunity for observing the gradual increase which has taken place in the consumption, which in some measure tends to illustrate national advancementin the arts and sciences, and the general extension of literary pursuits. The Excise duty on paper was first imposed in the reign of Queen Anne. The statute, bearing date 1711, recites as a reason for the grant—which no doubt corresponds with that ofourChancellor of the Exchequer for its continuance—“the necessity of raising large supplies of money to carry on the present war, until your Majesty shall be enabled to establish a good and lasting peace.” The duties at that time were charged on the ream, at rates varying according to the kind of paper, which was for this purpose divided into numerous denominations or classes, thus—“That there shall be raised, levyed, collected, and paid to and for the use of her Majesty, her heires and successors, for and upon all paper of what kind soever——which shall at any time or times within, or during the terme of 32 years, to be reckoned from the foure and twentieth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and twelve, be made in Great Britaine, the severall and respective duties hereinafter menc̄oned, that is to say, for and upon all paper usually called or knowne by the name of demy fine, which shall be soe made in Great Britaine, the sume of one shilling and sixpence for every reame, and after that rate for a greater or lesser quantity.” And in like mannerit goes on, fixing the amount per ream to be paid for second demy, fine and second crown, fine and second foolscap, fine and second pott, brown, large cap, small ordinary brown, whited brown, pasteboards, and lastly, “For and upon all other paper, white or browne, or of any other colour or kind whatsoever, which shall be made in Great Britaine as aforesaid, (not being particularly charged in this Act,) a duty after the rate of twelve pounds for every one hundred pounds of the true and reall value of the same, and after that rate for any greater or lesser quantities, which said duties for and upon the said severall sorts of paper and other the commodities last menc̄oned to be made in Great Britaine, shall be paid by the makers thereof respectively.” But this method of drawing distinctions between different qualities and sizes of paper, being found to lead to frequent disputes with the Excise, and great inequality in the charge on the manufactured article at different mills, alterations were gradually made, till at length it was enacted in the 43rd year of the reign of George III., “that all paper and pasteboards should be considered first class, and subject to 3d. per lb. duty, unless made wholly out of old tarred rope and cordage, without extracting therefrom the pitch or tar, or any part thereof,” and the Act furthersays, “and without any mixture of other materials therewith;” and “that for every pound weight avoirdupois of paper made in Great Britain, of the second class or denomination, that is to say, all brown paper made of old ropes or cordage only, as aforesaid, a duty of 1½d. per lb.” The professed object of the last mentioned Act being a simplification of the mode of charging the duties, the numerous distinct classes into which paper had been divided being here reduced to two. But again, evasion of the law was soon discovered to be practicable. Either by a partial purification of the tarred rope, selecting also that which was most whitened by use and exposure, and then charging the paper so made (which was nearly equal to first class in marketable value) with the second class duty; or as tarred rope increased in price, and some sorts of first class material very considerably declined, the great temptation of an extensive evasion of the law necessarily followed, by the use of first class material in second class paper.
Whether the duty on paper as now imposed, or the Excise regulations under which that duty is collected, be the more objectionable, is perhaps difficult to say. Of course, the paper-maker is subjected to considerable annoyance, and the publisher compelled to submit to an outlay whichhe deems unjust, and would very happily dispense with; but the public are not really affected by it to the extent it is customary to suppose. The duty at present levied upon paper of all kinds isfourteen guineasper ton, or a little more than three halfpence per lb. When, therefore, we hear men pronouncing it “a most obnoxious tax,” and one “directly opposed to the advancement of literature,” I freely confess that, for my own part, I hesitate very much to reiterate their sentiments.
Some, however, prefer an intermediate course, and propose apartialabolition of the duty. Mr. Charles Dickens has favoured us with a suggestion to this effect: he says, “In England, wherecolouredpaper is so little used, the Chancellor of the Exchequer might as well, as not, take off the duty altogether from coloured paper. It would cost the revenue a mere trifle, while it would be a vast boon to the public.” But what induces this assertion? If coloured paper is so little used, the trifling reduction could not be considered avast boon. And one would like to know how or where it would be possible to draw a line of distinction between such papers as are coloured and those which are not. I happen to be in a position to assert that there is no class of paper whatever, which is not tinted more or less by different manufacturers. To suggest then a partial repeal of theduty upon such grounds, is, I apprehend, useless. If it had been confessed that the reduction would be a boon to the publisher, I should promptly have assented, simply because I am equally well aware that printing paper may be slightly tinted, with considerable advantage both as regards setting off the type, and the general appearance of a work; consequently if such really were to the public a boon, to the publisher it would be very considerably increased.
However, in order that we may not be supposed to lean to the present regulations, I shall refer to one or two clauses of the Act which I have no doubt will suffice to show, that while in itself it is very far from perfect in its operation, as protecting the interests of those concerned, it is equally unsatisfactory, and in some respects unjust.
I shall observe, that with regard to the Tax itself, I simply question whether it would be possible to impose one less injurious to the well-being of society, and against which, as of necessity, fewer persons could have cause to murmur, than the existing duty on paper. The sections of the Act to which I content myself with calling attention, arethree, affecting the convenience and interest of the manufacturer, andonewhich offers a ready opportunity for an act of seeming dishonesty.
Every step of the manufacture of paper must be conducted under the surveillance of the Excise, and the provisions as to entries, folding, weighing, sorting, labelling, removing, and so on, are not only exceedingly numerous and vexatious, but enforced under heavy penalties. For instance, every paper maker is required by sections 20 & 21, to provide suitable scales and weights for the use of the Excise, and also to assist the officer in what we might conceive to be the execution of his peculiar duty, under the penalties, in the former case of £100., and in the latter, £50. for every refusal or neglect. To many manufacturers the cost of this extra labour alone becomes an important consideration.
Again, in the instance of procuring the Excise labels, which have to be pasted on each ream, section 9 requires that every one signed for by the workman on delivery, must be produced or accounted for, under a penalty of £10. each, which is equal to the duty upon no less than 1600 lbs. weight of paper; an idea necessarily inconsistent with that of its being packed in one parcel; and therefore, since for every time we divide such quantity, an additional label is required, a very forcible argument against so excessive a penalty may readily be deduced.
The labels employed are of three colours,—red,blue, and green; denoting in which part of the kingdom the paper was made. Red being used for England; blue, for Scotland; and green for Ireland.
The 27th section of the Act, relating to the real and nominal weight of each ream or parcel, is that to which I have referred as being liable to deceptive or dishonest purposes. It runs thus—“And be it enacted—That if any ream, &c., be found to weigh under or over the weight marked, in the proportion of 5 per centum, if the weight marked on such ream exceed twenty pounds, or 10 per centum if such weight be twenty pounds or less, the same shall be forfeited.”
Of course there is no necessity for a proviso lest the maker should give a preference to an increase of weight upon that marked, but since some cylinder dried papers are apt afterwards to increase in weight, the addition is requisite to prevent unjust seizure. However, in all probability, at the suggestion of the paper maker, when aiding the Excise, in consequence of a great quantity to be charged, it has become customary to average the weight of a draft, instead of putting each ream separately into the scale. Thus the practicability of rendering this clause highly objectionable will be at once apparent, and deserves to be pointed out for the purpose of warning against the temptation.
The quantity of paper manufactured in this country at the commencement of the eighteenth century, when the duty was first imposed, appears to have been far from sufficient to meet the necessities of the time. Even in 1721, it is supposed that there were but about 300,000 reams of paper annually produced in Great Britain, which were equal merely to two-thirds of the consumption. But in 1784, the value of the paper manufactured in England alone is stated to have amounted to £800,000.; and that, by reason of the increase in price, as also of its use, in less than twenty years, it nearly doubled that amount.
I have extracted, from a Parliamentary report, various returns relating to the Excise duties levied upon paper, which, since an article of the kind is necessarily subjected to great alteration in value, according to the scarcity or abundance of raw materials, are, of course, better calculated to show a steady increase in the demand, than any mere references to statements of supposed value, from time to time.
In one return, specifying the rates of duty and amount of duty received upon each denomination of paper since 1770, it appears that the total amount of duty on paper manufactured in England for the year 1784, to which I have just alluded as being estimated in value at £800,000., was £46,867. 19s. 9¼d., the duty at that time beingdivided into seven distinct classes or rates of collection; while twenty years after, when the mode of assessing the duty was reduced to but three classes, it had risen to £315,802. 4s. 8d.; in 1830, fifteen years after, to £619,824. 7s. 11d.; in 1835, for the United Kingdom, to £833,822. 12s. 4d., or, in weight, to 70,655,287 lbs., which was, again, within so short a period as fifteen years, very nearly doubled. The quantity of paper charged with Excise duty in the United Kingdom, being, in 1850, no less than 141,032,474 lbs., and last year (1854) the enormous weight of 179,896,222 lbs.
Those observations, which are partly technical, because, without technicality, the view would be incomplete,—may give some idea of the skill required in the workman, and the expenditure demanded of the capitalist, to produce so simple a thing, as a sheet of paper. The most exact care, the most ingenious invention, the nicest work of hand, and the most complicated machinery, are essential to that superiority which the British manufacture of paper has at length established.
But the capabilities of paper are still more extensive. There are probably few branches of use, taste, or ornament, to which it may not be applicable. We have it already moulded into many forms of utility, and even of elegance,under the well-known name ofpapier mache—a material which may yet be formed into works of art, painted and enamelled tables, antique candelabra, models of busts, statuettes, classic temples, and everything which can be shaped in a mould.
An earlier and more important use of Paper is in the decoration of dwellings. Formerly, the apartments of persons of opulence were hung with tapestry, generally brought from the Continental loom. But its cost, its loss of colour by time; and the rise of commercial and industrial opulence, displaced this elaborate and heavy decoration, and substituted “paper hangings.” The first specimens of those exhibited nothing but the rudeness of an art in its infancy, and were almost wholly foreign; but the capability of the invention was large, and it had the advantage of converting the humble covering of walls into copies of the pencil, on a new and extended scale. The Continental specimens of this manufacture already display representations of leading national events, memorable battles, and even portraits of eminent men, forming, for even the humbler ranks, a kind of historic galleries.
The English manufacturer excels in the proportions of his paper, (English, 12 yards long,by 21 inches wide; French, 9 yards, by 18 inches). But, the art is still difficult and costly; the blocks for a single pattern sometimes amounting to thousands. One of the principal French manufacturers is, at present, producing a design, requiring upwards of three thousand blocks, at a cost of £2000., the design alone costing £1200.
But, time and practice will lighten both the difficulty and the expense. The manufacture may yet spread through every mart in the world. In its more advanced stage, it may supply the place ofFresco, or rather be a multiplied Fresco.
The Cartoons of Raphael, the noblest work of design, are upon paper; the finest Italian pictures might be copied upon paper; and the tardy and toilsome work of the Engraver might be exchanged for the rapid, cheap, and popular design, no longer limited to the palace or the cloister, but sent, in thousands of copies, round the globe. Nor let this be called Utopian; what can be Utopian, in the country of the Railroad, the Steam-ship, and the Electric Telegraph!
The art wants only public encouragement. Let the encouragement be given, and the talent will be found. Let Government offer a premium of even a thousand pounds for the best specimen. Let the Society of Arts make it one ofthe objects of their patronage; let it be once favoured, and it will soon advance to excellence.
Nor let any one scoff at the interest, which I venture to express in the ornament even of a cottage wall. Ornament is the crown of art. Taste is thought. Elegance is the refinement of civilization. The study of beauty, grandeur, and truth, in History and in Nature, is the most practical education of man! Who shall say, that the sight of some heroic action—some noble figure of history—some sublime exercise of talent, magnanimity, or patriotism, pictured on a cottage wall,—may not be like a flash through the darkness of the peasant heart; may not suddenly awake the latent energy of the unconscious poet, the patriot, and the hero; may not give to the world aShakspeare, a Wallace, or a Wellington!