The following extracts from letters in the possession of Mr. S. Timmins, to whose industrious researches the student of typography is indebted for much new light on the history of Baskerville’s career, and to whose courtesy we are indebted for the present opportunity of placing them before our readers, will {270} best describe the marvellous industry and enthusiasm which carried our printer to the successful issue of his great enterprise. The letters form part of a correspondence between Baskerville and his friend R. Dodsley, the publisher, respecting the preparations for his earliest printing venture:― _Baskerville to R. Dodsley._ 2nd October 1752. “To remove in some measure your impatience, I have sent you an impression of fourteen punches of the Two-lines Great Primer, which have been begun and finished in nine days only, and contain all the letters Roman necessary in the Titles and Half-titles. I cannot forbear saying they please me, as I can make nothing more correct, nor shall you see anything of mine much less so. You’ll observe they strike the eye much more sensibly than the smaller characters, tho’ equally perfect, till the press shows them to more advantage. The press is creeping slowly towards perfection. I flatter myself with being able to print nearly as good a colour and smooth a stroke as the enclosed. I should esteem it a favour if you’d send me the Initial Letters of all the Cantos lest they should not be included in the said fourteen, and three or four pages of any part of the Poem from whence to form a Bill for the casting a suitable number of each letter. The R wants a few slight touches, and the Y half an hour’s correction. This day we have resolutely set about thirteen of the same siz’d Italic Capitals, which will not be at all inferior to the Roman, and I doubt not to complete them in a fortnight. You need, therefore, be in no pain about our being ready by the time appointed. Our best respects to Mrs. Dodsley and our friend, Mr. Beckett.” _Baskerville to R. Dodsley._ 19th October 1752. “As I proposed in my last, I have sent you impressions from a candle of twenty Two-lines Great Primer Italick, which were begun and finished in ten days only. We are now about the figures, which are in good forwardness, and changing a few of those letters we concluded finished. My next care will be to strike the punches into copper and justify them with all the care and skill I am master of. You may depend on my being ready by your time (Christmas), but if more time could be allowed, I should make use of it all in correcting and justifying. So much depends on appearing perfect on first starting . . .” _Baskerville to R. Dodsley._ 16th January 1754.