Collingwood, who now joined us, recalled our attention to his own subjects. "The invention of stereotyping is so far good, that it will enable us, with the same plates, to strike off about one hundred thousand copies of a book —but this is the extent. After this number, the book becomes very shabby and indistinct. But standing types, composed in the usual way, and not forming one plate, are vastly more efficacious. With these we can print more than a million copies of a book with scarcely any perceptible deterioration. Not only can we rid ourselves, when we please, of a defective letter, but the manufacture of individual letters is far more successful than of stereotype plates. The article produced is very much. stronger." Dr. Macbride observed that the weakness of a stereotype plate is owing to some infusion of antimony in the course of its formation.

Collingwood now showed us the hydraulic pressesused in compressing the sheets after they are printed. The pressure is that of water, rising in a tube from below; and although the machine is not large, yet with a very small quantity of manual labor, it exerts a force equal to that of the weight of two hundred and fifty tuns of water! How admirable-how unquestionably useful is such an application of natural philosophy! And what a shame, my dear boy, that any of us should be ignorant of these things!

We were now led through the wetting-room, where the quires of paper are dipped and sprinkled, and the mois

ture diffused, by pressure, through the whole mass; also through the drying-room, where innumerable printed sheets are hung like linen on horizontal poles; and lastly, we visited a sort of warehouse, where stacks of unbound printed Bibles and Prayer-books are seen rising on every side, to various elevations. It is really an animating and comforting spectacle.

COLLINGWOOD. "It is a blessed work, no doubt, to diffuse an infinite number of Bibles and Testaments; but we are not to forget, that the books we circulate are a savor of death unto death to some, as well as a savor of life unto life to others."

MACBRIDE.

"I think not, Sir. The apostle applied these expressions to the Gospel as it is preached, and not as it is read to the spoken, and not the written word. It often happens that people hear the Gospel in spite of themselves, and if they reject it, it becomes to them a savor of death unto death. The reading of the Bible is more a matter of choice, and in my opinion there are few persons who do read it with any degree of diligence and attention, who do not find in it the savor of life unto life."

We were pleased with the justness and acuteness of this remark, and we note it down, as a good testimony (amongst a thousand others) to the unrivalled excellence, the weight, and efficacy of the book of God.

Our time of leisure was now fully spent-we took a cordial leave of our benevolent and agreeable friends,

and returned to our inn. As the clock struck twelve, our carriage came round to the door, and we soon found ourselves on the road to Melksham.

Of our diligence in general, or of the use which we make of our journies, we freely confess that we have nothing to boast. But I wish thee to observe, that on the present occasion, a very little vigilance and activity enabled us to see much that was worth seeing, and to hear much that was worth hearing, in a SHORT SPACE OF TIME. So fare thee well,

And believe me to be

Thy affectionate father,

J. J. G.

LETTER TO J. H. AND A. G. FROM J. J, G,

MELKSHAM, 7TH MONTH, 13TH, 1833,

MY DEAR J, H, AND A,

ALTHOUGH I may probably deliver this little book to you in person, I find it convenient to address its contents to you in the form of a letter; and it may, if you please, serve as a supplement to my epistle to J. H., written at Elm Grove two years ago, The longer we live, the more we know, or ought to know, of the goodness of God; and the more the treasury of our heart and understanding may become stored with the good things of the kingdom of our Redeemer. It is the privilege of Christians (oh! that it may always be yours) to serve a Prince of tender compassion, and unrivalled liberality-one who never fails to render His yoke easy, and even delightsome to His obedient children. And what shall we say of the wondrous alchemy with which Christianity converts all she touches into gold? Bright are the beams with which the religion of Jesus is sometimes known to gild the darkest glooms of the valley of tears. Behold, darkness

10

145