Page:Historic printing types, a lecture read before the Grolier club of New York, January 25, 1885, with additions and new illustrations; by De Vinne, Theodore Low, 1828-1914; Grolier Club.djvu/70

66 HISTORIC PRINTING TYPES. edition of the Bible, as printed by Bensley an edition Macklin's J Bible. in eight volumes of large folio, probably the most expan- sive edition of the book ever published. The printing was excellent; the style of letter "the most perfect symmetry P. 359. to which the art had at that time arrived." 1 One of the peculiarities of this book is the exclusion of Italic from the text. Words that should be in Italic were indicated by placing dots under the vowels, with intent to avoid the frequent and offensive contrast of oblique Italic with upright Roman. Jackson died before the Bible was complete. His appren- tice, Vincent Figgins, was intrusted with the cutting and Figgins began as a master founding of an exact imitation of this type, which he did creditably. Figgins soon became a popular founder; his styles of types were preferred by the University of Oxford, and by many London publishers. William Martin, brother of Robert Martin, of Birming- ham, who had served apprenticeship with Baskerville, was another London founder who favored round light-faced types. Buhner, of the Shakespeare Press, preferred his cut founder in 1792. Martin was a founder from 1790 to 1817. 1 Jackson had not been taught punch- cutting by Caslon, for that branch of the business was kept by him pro- foundly secret. All Jackson knew was gained by secret observation and ex- periment. When he showed to his master his first punch, which had been cut at home after work-hours, instead of receiving praise he was rewarded with a blow, and a threat to be sent to jail if he ever made another attempt at meddling with work out of his prov- ince. This is but one of many evi- dences of the narrow jealousies of the old type-founders. The elder Caslon and his grandson, the third Caslon, were afterward obliged to acknowl- edge the merit of Jackson.