After his retirement from type-founding, he devoted himself actively to the {328} scheme for lighting London with coal-gas. For some of his appliances in connection with this business—the sliding water-joints for pendants and chandeliers amongst others—he received the medal of the Society of Arts (his only reward, for he did not patent his invention). In 1832 he went to reside at Henley, and ten years later was afflicted with total blindness, an operation for cataract having proved unsuccessful. In this state he continued for twenty-seven years, “tired,” as he said, “of having been so long in the dark,” but serene in temper, and his mind illuminated with Christian hope. He taught himself to read the embossed printing for the blind, and was able to write by the aid of a simple apparatus constructed for that purpose. He lived, in spite of his affliction, to a cheerful old age, and died in 1869, aged 88. He left no son. To estimate the complete revolution which had taken place in the productions of this foundry during the interval between 1807 and 1819, it is only necessary to glance through the first specimen book of the new proprietors, issued in the latter year, which may be taken to represent the state of the foundry pretty nearly as it was at the time of its transfer to Sheffield. There is not a single fount in the one book which reappears in the other. The modern fat-face Romans and Egyptians[678] take the place of Jackson’s elegant old-style letters. The Orientals have completely disappeared, and the general appearance of the book reflects as much as any specimen of the period the prevalent taste of a so-called improved art. It was, apparently, highly esteemed in its day. “Mr. Caslon,” says Hansard, writing only six years after the event, “transferred to the Sheffield founders such a specimen of type and flowers as will ever cause us printers to regret the loss of such a competitor for fame in this difficult business.” Messrs. Blake, Garnett & Co., a firm formed for the special purpose of acquiring the type business, issued their first specimen, above referred to, very shortly after the transfer of the business to its new quarters. Their prefatory note is interesting, not only as recording the transaction, but as intimating that the Oriental and Foreign founts, which had formed so conspicuous a feature of the previous specimens of the foundry, had also found their way to Sheffield:― “Blake, Garnett and Co. beg leave respectfully to inform the trade that they have purchased the whole of Mr. Caslon’s Foundery, which, in addition to the Specimens here offered to their inspection, contains founts of Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, Saxon, German, etc. from Brevier to Double Pica, chiefly modern, also every kind of Accented letters, . . . . . . and a variety of other Sorts, of which Specimens are not yet printed.” {329}