Another high compliment was paid to Dr. Wilson’s talents in 1775, when Dr. Harwood, in the preface to his _View of the Greek and Roman Classics_,[534] singled out, along with Baskerville’s types, the “Glasgow Greek types which have not been used since the superb edition of _Homer_ in 1757, and which are the most beautiful that modern times have produced,” as fit to form the nucleus of a Royal typography for England, dedicated to the improvement of the “noblest art which human genius ever invented.”[535] The first known specimen of the Glasgow Letter Foundry, as it was now called, was published in 1772. It is at least remarkable that no specimen of its types should have been issued during the first thirty years of its successful career. But although Rowe Mores mentions with approval a sheet by Baine, he had apparently seen none bearing the name of Wilson. The specimen of 1772, which dated from the College of Glasgow, consisted of twenty-four 8vo leaves, and showed Roman and Italic only, in sizes from 5-line to Pearl, there being several faces to most of the bodies. Certain of these, it is stated, are “conformable to the London types”; and the enterprising proprietors undertake “to cast to any body and range, on receiving a few pattern types.” In 1783, another specimen was issued in a broadside form, in four columns, and is usually to be met with in copies of Ephraim Chambers’ _Cyclopædia_, enlarged by Rees, where it is inserted to illustrate the article “Printing.” {264} It shows Roman and Italic from 6-line to Pearl, with five sizes of Black, six of Hebrew, and five of Greek, including the famous “Glasgow Homer” Double Pica.[536] The general appearance of the sheet is good, and the founts compare favourably in shape and finish with those of any other foundry of the day. A note to the specimen intimates that the founts shown form a portion only of the contents of the Foundry. A full specimen appeared in 1786, and again in 1789, the latter being a small 4to volume of 50 pages, showing very considerable advance on its predecessors.[537] A further specimen appeared in 1815, showing the modern cut letters of the Foundry. With almost a monopoly of the Scotch and Irish[538] trade, the Glasgow Foundry became in course of time a formidable rival to the London houses, whose productions it contrived to undersell even in the English market. Its success, however, raised up competitors with itself in Scotland, foremost among which was the foundry of Mr. Miller, a former manager in the Glasgow Foundry. In 1825 the proprietors of the Foundry were Messrs. Andrew and Alexander Wilson, son and grandson to the originator. Hansard summarises their foreign and learned founts at this date as follows: _Greek._― Double Pica (_Glasgow Homer_), Great Primer, English, Pica, Small Pica, Long Primer (“Elzevir”), Brevier, Nonpareil.