• “Cusoria majuscula 42 (desunt AT et Þ)
  • Matrices majusculæ 44.
  • Cusoria minuscula 37 (desunt e et ⁊)
  • Matrices minusculæ 39.”

It does not appear that these types were ever made use of at Oxford. The punches and matrices remain in the University press to this day.292

Between the Broadside sheet following the specimen of 1706, and 1768, no specimen of the Oxford foundry occurs. There exists, however, in the works issuing from the Press during that period ample testimony to its activity. The proposal to print Dr. Mawer’s Supplement to Walton’s Polyglot, with its types, is evidence of the continued reputation of its “learned” founts; while such an admirable specimen of typography as Blackstone’s Charter of the Forest, printed in 1759,293 affords proof that Oxford was not behindhand in that famous {160} revival of printing which received such impetus from the taste and genius of Baskerville.

The Delegates of the Press had, indeed, so high an opinion of the talents of this famous artist, that they employed him in 1758 to cut a fount of Great Primer Greek type for a Greek Testament shortly to be issued.294 The performance was pronounced unsuccessful, but the Greek types duly appeared, together with numerous other acquisitions, including a Long Primer Syriac purchased from Caslon, in the Specimen of 1768–70.295

Of this specimen Rowe Mores (who informs us that it was printed at the request of foreigners) falls foul as inaccurate. “The materials from which this account (i.e., his summary of the contents of the Foundry) is drawn,” he says, “are not so accurate as might have been expected from an Archi-typographus and the Curators of the Sheldonian. In excuse may be alleged that neither the Archi-typographus nor the Curators are Letter-founders; certainly that the matter has not been treated with that precision which in so learned a body should seem to be requisite. For one instance among others, which might be produced, take the Double Pica, Brevier and Nonpareil Hebrew, the only Hebrew types the University then had. They are two-line English, English and Long Primer. And this mistake has run through all the editions of the Oxford specimen, and in the last of 1770, the leanest and the worst of all, appears most glaringly. For this Brevier is placed immediately under Caslon’s Long Primer, a diversity sufficient one would think to show the blunder without the aid of a magnifier. The Nonpareil as it is called is omitted in this last specimen, and so are many other sets of matrices which have been given to the University, touching which enquiry should be made out of respect (at least) to the memory of the donors.”296 {161}

Another specimen appeared in 1786, in which more of the old founts are discarded in favour of more modern letters, among which are noticeable several Roman founts cast on a large body, to obviate the necessity of “leading”; including an English, cast for Mr. Richardson’s Dictionary. Almost all the “learned” founts presented by Fell and Junius are here shown, as well as a considerable number of borders and ornamental initials.

In 1794 a still fuller specimen appeared, which included a Great Primer Greek, cut by Caslon, and several new titling letters. To this specimen is appended a detailed inventory, both of the punches and matrices at that time in the possession of the University, and of the quantity of type of various kinds in stock, with the utensils for printing.

The following is a summary of the foreign and “learned” punches and matrices included in this catalogue:—

PUNCHES.
MATRICES.

Of the printing utensils, the following items will give an idea of the extent of the press at that date:— {162}

CASES (FILLED WITH TYPE).

Of the presses, one is described as “mahogany, set up in the year 1793,” and another as “on the new constitution which works with a lever, set up in 1793.”

We have now brought our account of letter-founding at Oxford to the close of the last century. Its later history is of comparatively slight interest. The foundry still remains a part of the Press, and the reputation of the University for its oriental and learned founts has been maintained by numerous additions to its punches and matrices. Of such matters, however, in the absence of periodical general specimens, it is impossible to give particulars. The list of matrices given by Hansard in 1825 is entirely misleading, as he merely summarises the list taken by Mores from the Specimen of 1768–70.

We may, however, observe that at the present moment, under able management, the foundry is in active operation, and that the University Press possesses probably the largest collection of “Polyglot” matrices of any foundry in the kingdom.

The famous gifts of Fell and Junius are now relegated to the relics of this venerable yet still flourishing foundry, where, in company with Baskerville’s Greek, Walpergen’s music and Miss Elstob’s Anglo-Saxon, they rest from their labours, and remain to this day the most interesting monuments our country possesses of the art and mystery of its early letter-founders.

Appended is a list of the various specimens issued by the Oxford press from 1693 to 1794.—