Page:China- Its State and Prospects.djvu/126

 assortment of these; which they might distribute and recompose, as the subject required; but have preferred cutting the characters for each separate work, page by page. This stereotyping of their books has caused the stereotyping of their ideas; and kept them in the same eternal round of uniform notions, without variety or improvement. While the discovery of printing, therefore, has enabled them to multiply copies of their ancient books, it has discouraged the compilation of new works, and tied them down to an imitation of antiquity, without assisting them to burst the fetters which custom has laid upon them.

Still the use of wooden blocks has not been without its advantages: among which we may enumerate speed and cheapness. The first part of the process is, to get the page written out in the square or printed form of the character. This having been examined and corrected, is transferred to the wood in the following manner. The block, after having been smoothly planed, is spread over with a glutinous paste; when the paper is applied and frequently rubbed, till it becomes dry. The paper is then removed, as much of it as can be got away, and the writing is found adhering to the board, in an inverted form. The whole is now covered with oil, to make the letters appear more vivid and striking; and the engraver proceeds to his business. The first operation is, to cut straight down by the sides of the letters, from top to bottom, removing the vacant spaces between the lines, with the exception of the stops. The workman then engraves all the strokes which run horizontally; then, the oblique; and, afterwards, the perpendicular ones, throughout the whole line; which saves the trouble of turning the block