Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 4, 1802).djvu/392

358]  than could be reasonably expected from a little warbler which scarcely weighs three drams.  WRESTLING, is a wanton combat, or engagement between two unarmed persons, who exert all their strength and dexterity to throw each other on the ground.

Wrestling was in great repute among the ancients; but, with the modern nations, it is seldom practised. Indeed, it is almost forgotten in Britain, excepting in a few of the less civilized counties, where it forms a favourite game at wakes. This exercise, however, like that of cudgel-playing, ought to be abolished; on account of the accidents thus wilfully occasioned; for every nerve is strained by the candidates for rural fame, who thus frequently lay the foundation of some severe chronical complaint, or meet with dislocations, fractures, and other casualties, which often terminate in lingering illness, or premature death.  WRITING, is the art of conveying our ideas to others, by means of certain characters.

As the history of this noble invention is lost in the remote periods of antiquity, it would be foreign to our plan, to enter into a detail of the opinions and hypotheses that have been formed by antiquarians, with a view to account for its origin.—Hence we shall notice the patent which was granted in February, 1780, to Mr., for a new method of Copying Writings. He directs a piece of thin, unsized paper, of the same dimensions as that which contains the original writing, to be moistened with water; or, which is preferable, with the following liquor: Take 2 lbs. of distilled vinegar, and let 1 oz. of the sedative salt of borax be dissolved in it: next, 4 oz. of oyster-shells, calcined to whiteness, are to be put into the vinegar: the mixture must be repeatedly shaken, during 24 hours; when it is suffered to stand till it deposit its sediment. The clear liquor should now he filtred through blotting-paper into a glass vessel; 2 oz. of bruised Aleppo-galls be added; and the mixture kept in a warm place for 24 hours, being frequently shaken: at the end of that period, it must be filtred a second time, and afterwards diluted with one quart of pure water. Now it should again be suffered to stand for 24 hours; and, if any sediment be deposited, it ought to be strained a third time.—When the paper has been moistened with this liquor, it should be placed between two thick unsized pieces of the same material, in order to absorb the superfluous humidity; and, thus prepared, it must be applied to the writing which is to be copied; a piece of clean writing-paper being placed over both. The whole is now directed to be submitted to the action of a rolling-press; in consequence of which, the written characters will appear on both sides of such moistened paper.—The patentee employs a peculiar press, of his own invention; which, however, cannot be satisfactorily described, without the aid of delineation: hence, the inquisitive reader will consult the first volume of the "Repertory of Arts," &c.; where this specification is illustrated by an engraving.

Beside the simple method of restoring illegible writing, already stated under the article, we shall mention two other expedients, either of which may be used, accordingly as the characters are more