The following from the “European Magazine” (December, 1785, page 463) is a fair sample. A correspondent, whose name is not disclosed, but who signs himself _Viator_, makes the following statement, to which Mr. Chambers gives place in his “Biographical Illustrations of Worcestershire:” “I was acquainted with Baskerville, the printer, but cannot wholly agree with the extracts concerning him, from Hutton’s History of Birmingham. It is true he was very ingenious in mechanics, but it is also well known he was extremely illiterate, and his jokes and sarcasms on the Bible, with which his conversation abounded, shewed the most contemptible ignorance of eastern history and manners, and indeed of every thing. His quarto edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost, with all its splendour, is a deep disgrace to the English press. He could not spell himself, and knew not who could. A Warwickshire country schoolmaster, of some parish charity school, we presume, was employed by him to correct this splendid edition, and that dunce has spelt many words in it according to the vulgar Warwickshire pronunciation. For example, many of the western vulgar clap an _h_ to every word beginning with an open vowel, or even the _w_, as _hood_ for _wood_, my _harm_ for my _arm_, _heggs_ for _eggs_, &c., &c., and again as viciously dropping the _h_ in verbs, as _ave_ for _have_, _as_ for _has_, &c., &c. Many instances of this horrid ignorance we find in the ingenious Baskerville’s splendid Milton, where _as_ is often put for the verb _has_, and _has_ for the conjunction _as_, with several others of this worse than _cockney_ family. Nor can I by any means agree with Mr. Hutton that ‘it is to the lasting discredit of the British nation that no purchaser could be found for his types.’--What was the merit of his printing?--His paper was of a finer gloss, and his ink of a brighter black than ordinary; his type was thicker than usual in the thick strokes, and finer in the fine, and was sharpened at the angles in a novel manner; all these combined gave his editions a brilliant rich look, when his pages were turned lightly over; but when you sit down to read them, the eye is almost immediately fatigued with the gloss of the paper and ink, and the sharp angles of the type; and it is universally known that Baskerville’s printing is _not_ read; that the better sort of the London printing is infinitely preferable for USE, and even for real sterling elegance. The Universities and London booksellers therefore are not to be blamed for declining the purchase of Baskerville’s types, which we are told were bought by a Society at Paris, where tawdry silk and tinsel is preferred to the finest English broad cloth, or even Genoa velvet.”[9] [Illustration] [Illustration]