Note 31 — JOHN BASKERVILLE

Baskerville’s work was greatly admired on the Continent, especially in France. He was paid several very handsome compliments in Pierre Didot’s “Épître sur les Progrès de l’Imprimerie,” published in Paris in 1784; and in the notes to the poem attention is given to his method of printing and to his glossy paper,—“qui fatigue la vue.” To make such paper, says Didot rather loftily, “is not a secret, and if it ever becomes one, will not be worth finding out.” This opinion did not, however, prevent the Didots from attempting to imitate it.