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PREFACE.

It has been remarked that " a preface is the history of a book ;'" it may there- fore be expedient to lay before the reader an ingenuous account of the origin and design of the present publication.

In April, 1828, that portion of the work which now forms the introduction, was delivered as one of two lectures,* before the Warwick and Leamington Literary and Scientific Institution ; and the very flattering commendations then bestowed, induced me to pursue the subject further, as a means both of self- instruction and amusement for my leisure hours. From that time to the present, scarcely any other object has engrossed more of my attention than that of obtain- ing every information relative to Peiktkes and Feinting. Not aware of the labours that others had performed, and without ^n assistant, I had many obstacles to contend with ; and soon became well convinced, that the design I had formed was above the bibliographical acquirements of a journeyman printer.*}* Stimulated, however, to proceed, I continued my researches with increased ardour ; and though conscious of not having made the work what it might have been under more ftvourable circumstances, yet I trust some merit may be thought due for the attempt ; and shall feel gratified if placed in the field of literature only as a pioneer, to induce some abler hand to improve the work, and make i<^^ more worthy of the literary world, and the profession of which it treats.

Those who are conversant with the history of printing, cannot be unac- qiuunted with the learning, virtue, honourable exertions, and ardent and daring

• IJICTURX I.— On the Origin and ProgreM of Lwgnaf^, with the mode and materials employed by the

AncientB in propagating Knowledge before the Invention of Printing.

LxcTvaz II.— The Origin and carljr History of Printing, ¥rtth its progress in the Fifteenth and Slzteeotfa Oentoriea j its Inflnence upon the Manners and Customs of the People, as wcU Civil as Religious.

1 1 received the rudiments of my education at a day school in my native town, Manchester, and was after- wards removed to the free grammar school, under the rev. Thomas Gaskell. Early attached to a love of reading, I have remained all my life an ardent inquirer after knowledge. From the month of March, 1810, (being then litue more tlian fifteen years of age,) to November 2S, 1815, my dayn were passed in the 33rd regiment of foot, ffom which I obtained my discharge, in consequence of wounds received at the battle of Waterloo. During those years I bad few faculties of self-improvement. Having been apprenticed to an engraver and copper-plate printer, I lemmed the latter, on returning from the army ; but from a distaste, and other causes, which need not be here stated, in the year 1821, 1 adoped the profession of a letter-press printer, under indenture, with Messrs. Dicey and Smjthson, proprietors of the Northampton Mercury i and feel gratifled that an opportunity has occurred of publicly recording my gratitude to Mr. Robert Smithson, printer and editor of the Mercury, for his uniform kindness during my abode at Northampton ; and to whose advice 1 am solely indebted for a very material cbange, both in my cteenmstances and conduct. Adopting the pmfes,«iion of a printer, vrith the view of affoidinp me that literary infonnatiOD which I so ardently desired, I endeavoured to become acquainted with its history. From this desire arose tlw Lecture; at Warwick ; the Song$ of the Preu, at Nottingham ; and Anally, the Vielmtarji of Printert md Prinhmg, with the Printenf Manual, at Manchester.

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