in other inquiries were here altogether wanting, so | and, therefore, after having admired the beauty of that every step towards the discovery, and in its this new phenomenon, I laid the specimens by for progress to perfection, is, it may be truly said, the a time, to see whether they would preserve the result of the unassisted labors of Mr. Talbot, to whom alone be the whole honor.

Although the experiment was not according to the observation of Sir H. Davy, the fact of the iodide of silver being insensible to light was of immediate utility for the iodide of silver being found to be insensible to light, and the chloride being easily convertible into the iodide by immersion into iodide of potassium, it followed that a picture made with chloride could be fixed by dipping it into a bath of the alkaline iodide.

same appearance, or would undergo any further alteration." This experiment, as our readers will see, was a curious anticipation of the first part of the Daguerreotype process about six months before Daguerre announced it.

Preparation of the Paper.-Take a sheet of the best writing paper, having a smooth surface, and a close and even texture.

In September, 1840, Mr. Talbot discovered the process first called Calotype (but the name has since been changed by some of his friends into Talhotype.*) By this process the action of light on paper was rendered many hundred times more rapid, allowing portraits to be taken from the life, "This process of fixation" (extracted from the which could not previously be accomplished. The "Pencil of Nature"-Mr. Talbot's work already method of obtaining the Calotype pictures, commumentioned) 66 was a simple one, and it was some-nicated by Mr. Talbot to the Royal Society, shortly times very successful. The disadvantages to which after the discovery is as follows:it was liable did not manifest themselves until a 66 later period, and arose from a new and unexpected cause, namely, that when a picture is so treated, although it is permanently secured against the darkening effect of the solar rays, yet it is exposed to a contrary or whitening effect from them; so that after the lapse of some days, the dark parts of the picture begin to fade, and gradually the whole picture becomes obliterated, and is reduced to the appearance of a uniform pale yellow sheet of paper. A good many pictures, no doubt, escape this fate; but, as they all seem liable to it, the fixing process by iodine must be considered as not sufficiently certain to be retained in use as a photographic process, except when employed with several careful precautions, which it would be too long to speak of in this place.

"The water-mark, if any, should be cut off, lest it should injure the appearance of the picture. Dissolve 100 grains of crystallized nitrate of silver in six ounces of distilled water. Wash the paper with this solution with a soft brush, on one side, and put a mark on that side whereby to know it again. Dry the paper cautiously at a distant fire, or else let it dry spontaneously in a dark room. When dry, or nearly so, dip it into a solution of iodide of potassium containing 500 grains of that salt dissolved in one pint of water, and let it stay two or three minutes in this solution. Then dip it into a vessel of water, dry it lightly with blotting paper, and finish drying it at a fire, which will not injure it even if held pretty near; or else it may be left to dry spontaneously.

During the summer of 1835, Mr. Talbot renewed his attempts to execute pictures of buildings with the camera obscura; and having communica- "All this is best done in the evening by candleted to the paper a greater degree of sensibility by light. The paper so far prepared I call iodized pameans of repeated alternate washes of salt and sil-per, because it has a uniform pale yellow coating ver, and using it in a moist state, the time for ob- of iodide of silver. It is scarcely sensitive to light, taining a representation with the camera obscura but, nevertheless, it ought to be kept in a portfolio on a bright day was reduced to ten minutes. But or a drawer, until wanted for use. It may be kept these were small, and, although others of larger for any length of time without spoiling or undersize were obtainable, a much greater amount of going any change, if protected from the light. patience was necessary for their production; and, This is the first part of the preparation of Calotype moreover, they were less perfect than the smaller paper, and may be performed at any time. The ones, as it was difficult to keep the instrument remaining part is best deferred until shortly before steady for any great length of time pointing at the the paper is wanted for use. same object; and, the paper being employed in a moist state, the action was not sufficiently uniform.

At the close of 1838, Mr. Talbot discovered a fact of a new kind, of which he thus speaks :"Having spread a piece of silver leaf on a pane of glass, and thrown a particle of iodine upon it, I observed that colored rings formed themselves around the central particle, especially if the glass was slightly warmed. The colored rings I had no difficulty in attributing to the formation of infinitely thin layers or strata of iodide of silver; but a most unexpected phenomenon occurred when the silver plate was brought into the light, by placing it near a window; for then the colored rings shortly began to change their colors, and assumed other and quite unusual tints, such as are never seen in the colors of thin plates. For instance, the part of the silver plate which at first shone with a pale yellow color was changed to a dark olive green when brought into the daylight. This change was not very rapid-it was much less rapid than the changes of some of the sensitive papers which I had been in the habit of employing;

"When that time is arrived, take a sheet of the iodized paper, and wash it with a liquid prepared in the following manner :

"Dissolve 100 grains of crystallized nitrate of silver in two ounces of distilled water; add to this solution one sixth of its volume of strong acetic acid. Let this mixture be called A.

"Make a saturated solution of crystallized gallic acid in cold distilled water. The quantity dissolved is very small. Call this solution B.

"When a sheet of paper is wanted for use, mix together the liquids A and B in equal volumes, but only mix a small quantity of them at a time, because the mixture does not keep long without spoiling. I shall call this mixture the gallo-nitrate of silver.

"Then take a sheet of iodized paper and wash it over with this gallo nitrate of silver, with a soft brush, taking care to wash it on the side which has

*Specimens of the Talbotype may be procured in great variety of Messrs. Gambart and Co., Berners street, and Messrs. Ackermann and Co., Strand, London; and may be ordered of any respectable printseller in town or coun try.

been previously marked. This operation should | They may be made visible by the process already be performed by candle-light. Let the paper rest related, namely, by washing them with the gallohalf a minute, and then dip it into water. Then nitrate of silver, and then warming the paper. dry it lightly with blotting-paper, and finally dry it When the paper is quite blank, as is generally the cautiously at a fire, holding it a considerable dis- case, it is a highly curious and beautiful phenometance therefrom. When dry, the paper is fit for non to see the spontaneous commencement of the use. I have named the paper thus prepared Calo- picture, first tracing out the stronger outlines, and type paper, on account of its great utility in ob- then gradually filling up all the numerous and comtaining the pictures of objects with the camera ob- plicated details. The artist should watch the picscura. If this paper be kept in a press, it will ture as it develops itself, and when in his judg often retain its qualities in perfection for three ment it has attained the greatest degree of strength months or more, being ready for use at any mo- and clearness, he should stop further progress by ment; but this is not uniformly the case, and I washing it with the fixing liquid. therefore recommend that it should be used in a few hours after it has been prepared. If it is used immediately, the last drying may be dispensed with, and the paper may be used moist. Instead of employing a solution of crystallized gallic acid for the liquid B, the tincture of galls diluted with water may be used, but I do not think the results are altogether so satisfactory.

"Use of the paper.-The Calotype paper is sensitive to light in an extraordinary degree, which transcends a hundred times or more that of any kind of photographic paper hitherto described. This may be made manifest by the following experiment:-Take a piece of this paper, and, having covered half of it, expose the other half to daylight for the space of one second in dark cloudy weather in winter. This brief moment suffices to produce a strong impression upon the paper. But the impression is latent and invisible, and its existence would not be suspected by any one who was not forewarned of it by previous experiments. "The method of causing the impression to become visible is extremely simple. It consists in washing the paper once more with the gallo-nitrate of silver, prepared in the way before described, and then warming it gently before the fire. In a few seconds the part of the paper upon which the light has acted begins to darken, and finally grows entirely black, while the other part of the paper retains its whiteness. Even a weaker impression than this may be brought out by repeating the wash of gallo-nitrate of silver, and again warming the paper. On the other hand, a stronger impression does not require the warming of the paper, for a wash of the gallo-nitrate suffices to make it visible, without heat, in the course of a minute or

two.

"A very remarkable proof of the sensitiveness of the Calotype paper is afforded by the fact that it will take an impression from simple moonlight, not concentrated by a lens. If a leaf is laid upon a sheet of the paper, an image of it may be obtained in this way in from a quarter to half an hour.

"The Fixing Process.-To fix the picture, it should be first washed with water, then lightly dried with blotting-paper, and then washed with a solution of bromide of potassium, containing 100 grains of that salt dissolved in eight or ten ounces of water. After a minute or two it should be again dipped in water, and then finally dried. The picture is in this manner very strongly fixed, and with this great advantage, that it remains transparent, and that, therefore, there is no difficulty in obtaining a copy from it. The Calotype picture is a negative one, in which the lights of nature are represented by shades; but the copies are positive, having the lights conformable to nature. They also represent the objects in their natural position with respect to right and left. The copies may be made upon Calotype paper in a very short time, the invisible impressions being brought out in the way already described. But I prefer to make copies upon photographic paper prepared in the way which I originally described in a memoir read to the Royal Society in February, 1839, and which is made by washing the best writing-paper, first, with a weak solution of common salt, and, next, with a solution of nitrate of silver. Although it takes a much longer time to obtain copy upon this paper, yet, when obtained, the tints appear more harmonious and pleasing to the eye; it requires in general from three minutes to thirty minutes of sunshine, according to circumstances to obtain a good copy on this sort of photographic paper. The copy should be washed and dried, and the fixing process (which may be deferred to a subsequent day) is the same as that already mentioned. The copies are made by placing the picture upon the photographic paper, with a board below and a sheet of glass above, and pressing the papers into close contact by means of screws or otherwise.

"After a calotype picture has furnished several copies, it sometimes grows faint, and no more good copies then can be made from it. But these pictures possess the beautiful and extraordinary "This paper, being possesssed of so high a de- property of being susceptible of revival. In order gree of sensitiveness, is therefore well suited to re- to revive them and restore their original appearceive images in the camera obscura. If the aper-ance, it is only necessary to wash them again by ture of the object-lens is one inch, and the focal length fifteen inches, I find that one minute is amply sufficient in summer to impress a strong image upon the paper, of any building upon which the sun is shining. When the aperture amounts to one third of the focal length, and the object is very white, as a plaster bust, &c., it appears to me that one second is sufficient to obtain a pretty good image of it.

"The images thus received upon the Calotype paper are for the most part invisible impressions.

Subsequent experiments, during the summer of 1841, showed that ten seconds was the proper time under the circumstances above mentioned.

candlelight with gallo-nitrate of silver, and warm them; this causes all the shades of the picture to darken greatly, while the white parts remain unaffected. The shaded parts of the paper thus acquire an opacity which gives a renewed spirit and life to the copies, of which a second series may now be taken, extending often to a very considerable number. In reviving the picture it sometimes happens that various details make their appearance which had not before been seen, having been latent all the time, yet, nevertheless, not destroyed by their long exposure to sunshine.

"I will terminate these observations by stating a few experiments calculated to render the mode of action of the sensitive paper more familiar.

"1. Wash a piece of iodized paper with the result; while yet, by the constancy of his exgallo-nitrate; expose it to daylight for a second or ertions, the invention is increasing in excellence; two, and then withdraw it. The paper will soon as it is now in his power to execute much more begin to darken spontaneously, and will grow beautiful things than have hitherto been atquite black. tempted.

"2. The same as before, but let the paper be warmed. The blackening will be more rapid in consequence of the warmth.

3. Put a large drop of the gallo-nitrate on one part of the paper, and moisten another part of it more sparingly, then leave it exposed to a very faint daylight; it will be found that the lesser quantity produces the greater effect in darkening the paper; and, in general, it will be seen that the most rapid darkening takes place at the moment when the paper becomes nearly dry; also, if only a portion of the paper is moistened, it will be observed that the edges or boundaries of the moistened part are more acted on by the light than any other part of the surface.

66

In the sixth number of the "Pencil of Nature," a plate is published to show another important application of the photographic art. This is a repetition of a sketch of "Hagar in the Desert," by Francesco Mola, which has been taken from a facsimile executed at Munich: hence we are furnished with indubitable proof that by this means can original sketches of the old masters be illimitably multiplied, with a nicety of execution surpassing any imitative effort of the human hand.

As we have already stated, had M. Daguerre never effected any discovery, we should still have had that of Mr. Talbot. Of each of these inventions the comparative available utilities must not be forgotten to the former, for his ingenious and 4. If the paper, after being moistened with the persevering experiments, all honor is due; and gallo-nitrate, is washed with water and dried, a also to the claims of the latter not an iota less of slight exposure to daylight no longer suffices to pro- distinction is to be awarded. In reducing the two duce so much discoloration; indeed, it often pro-inventions to a consideration of their real utilities, duces none at all. But by subsequently washing the preference must be given to the Talbotype. it again with the gallo-nitrate, and warming it, the same degree of discoloration is developed as in the other case (experiments 1 and 2.) The dry paper appears, therefore, to be equal or superior, in sensitiveness to the moist; only with this difference, that it receives a virtual instead of an actual impression from the light, which it requires a subsequent process to develop."

The date of the announcement of Daguerre's discovery, (January, 1839,) being five years after the commencement of the labors of Mr. Talbot, makes it sufficiently clear that, had Daguerre's researches been unsuccessful, the discovery of this other branch of photography had still been secured to the world by those of Mr. Talbot-since the inventions are altogether independent of each other. | The announcements in both cases, as we have already stated, were simultaneous, and it was conjectured by the public, before the processes were known, that the means employed were the same; but, when the processes were described, their difference was at once acknowledged. The Daguerreotype is now so well known to the public that it is not necessary, in reference to it, to do more than state a broad difference between it and the Talbotype for the execution of portraits and pictures by the former process, plates of polished silver are used; while, in the latter, paper is employed, as may be seen in the example which accompanies this notice. The Talbotype is less extensively known than the Daguerreotype, although meriting, at least, an equal publicity for it may be considered superior to the latter in respect of the material upon which the picture is cast, and fully equal to it in power of detail. Every means has been employed in propagating a knowledge of the Daguerreotype, and its merits have done the

rest.

On the other hand, the Talbotype has been hitherto only circulated in private societies, and is, consequently, less generally known. We presume, however, that the circulation of the very large number of examples with which Mr. Talbot has supplied us, will have the effect of making many thousands acquainted with it who had previously only heard of it as one of the wonders of the age.

It is now nearly thirteen years since Mr. Talbot commenced his labors, which he has, up to this period, prosecuted with so fortunate and happy a

The invention of Daguerre was matured at its announcement: we hear from time to time of improvements, but, on examination, these have never added one truly useful feature to the first development. On the other hand, the Talbotype, since it was first made known, has, through the unremitting labors and research of its inventor, been wonderfully improved: we have just spoken of a most valuable capability—that of increasing ancient and valuable drawings upon the material whereon they were originally made, and so fitting them for the portfolio. The Daguerreotype is most faithful in repeating prints, &c.; but what can be done with metal plates? The powers of the Talbotype are admirably adapted to book illustration, and in this respect they have yet to be shown; in short, the microscopic precision with which texture and form are rendered by this means is not to be attained by any attempts at imitation by any manipulative process, however elaborate.

Hence, as to the real utility of the two inventions, there is no question. Mr. Talbot is still assiduously laboring for the further perfection of the invention, the advancement of which will be suffi ciently seen in other works, shortly to appear, which are much superior to anything that has yet been produced.

The Life of MARTIN LUTHER, gathered from his own Writings. By M. MICHELET, Author of the "History of France," "The People," &c., &c. Translated by G. H. SMITH, F. G. S.

THE peculiar value of this work consists in the fact that it is "neither the life of Luther turned into an historical romance, nor a history of the establishment of Lutheranism, but a biography consisting of a series of transcripts from Luther's own revelations." With the exception of the events of the earlier years of his life, when Luther could not have been the penman, the transcriber has seldom occasion to hold the pen himself. His task has been limited to selecting, arranging and fixing the chronology of detached passages. Throughout the whole work, Luther is his own spokesman -Luther's life is told by Luther himself. We need not add that by an author so accomplished as M. Michelet, this task is admirably executed.Protestant Churchman.

From Godey's Lady's Book.

passed for a hero on account of achievements or

CHARACTER AND OPINIONS OF THE LATE REV. happy accidents of far less importance. But a

SYDNEY SMITH.

BY WILLIAM KIRKLAND.

part of his self-glorification on this topic makes us smile, and we hardly know whether the witty canon can be in earnest or is merely playing off a joke that may take in at least the uninitiated. He WHEN a great man is inearthed, there usually says, "To bear patiently the reproach and poverty springs up such a crop of memoirs, eulogies, de- which it caused, and to look back and see that I famations, and what not, that it would seem as if have nothing to retract and no intemperance and the mortal seed had been committed to the ground violence to reproach myself with, is a course of only to reappear, even in this world, in a more life which I must think to be extremely fortunate." etherealized or intellectual form. When a con- We would gladly have been informed of the duraspicuous man dies, there is a somewhat kindred tion of this martyrdom. We have a hint of oattendency to supply the blank he leaves in the pub-meal commons at the outset, to be sure, but we lic eye by notices and discussions of his claims to think before long the "reproach" of being the public attention. associate of Brougham, Jeffrey and Macaulay, and Sydney Smith certainly was not a great man, but the "poverty" of two guineas a page or fifty his pungent and ready wit made us ever sensible pounds an article, must have been "boiled peas" of his presence, and of late his hard hits at Ameri- in comparison with any real sacrifice. Peter can repudiation drew our attention to him pecu- Plymley's Letters, too-a pretty good sized book liarly. We had learned almost to regard him as and not particularly clerical-twenty thousand copthe exponent of English feeling on this sore sub-ies sold!-good picking for somebody, and we ject. When he died, those Pennsylvanians whom do not believe the reverend gentleman one likely he had praised as behaving with great decorum and to let it all fall into other hands; at least his Pennrefraining from any attempt to pick English pock-sylvania groans never seemed to us quite disinets at the queen's coronation dinner, must have terested virtuous indignation. A few years after felt somewhat relieved. He threw stones with the "poverty" complained of, and subsequent also great dexterity where the object was vulnerable, and those who suffered from his blows suffered in silence, forgetting, through the boldness of their assailant, that his house was of glass if they chose to retaliate.

to the fall of Pennsylvania stocks, we find this victim's estate sworn under the value of seventy thousand pounds. To American perceptions, at least, this is very tolerable poverty-one that would console most men like Sydney Smith for a good deal of reproach.

Old Lord Stowell once said to him—" Mr. Smith, you would have been a much richer man if you had joined us ;" and he claims not a little merit that he did not act on the old lord's hint. We know not how rich the tory clergy usually are, but we think most of them would be content to pass from the tutorship of a juvenile member of the squirarchy to an estate of £70,000.

The glory of Sydney Smith is to have set on foot the Edinburgh Review-his shame, that after having contributed to it some of the most impudent and illiberal articles, he should have said, when all was over and hot blood cold, that he saw very little to alter or repent of. He who saw other people's prejudices and littlenesses so keenly, was even thus lamentably blind to his own. He who could rebuke with such scorching causticity what be considered as pecuniary dishonesty, was capa- As to the other boast, of having no intemperance ble of dishonesty of another kind quite as disgrace- and violence to reproach himself with, we think ful to the perpetrator, and far more ruinous to the many years' enjoyment of the tithings of this sufferer. world's fat things must have dulled the good man's That there has been a vast progress in the polit-memory, or the near approach to that other state of ical condition of Great Britain within the present being when sincerity and earnestness in religious century is undeniable. That the Edinburgh Review matters will stand us in better stead than church has advocated with steadiness and ability the lead- preferment, would have brought to his mind, with ing beneficial changes, is equally true. It is im- some compunctions visitings, the many bitter things possible to assign to this or to any one cause the he had written against the Methodists. Take an precise degree of merit to which it may be entitled, instance: "We shall use the general term Methobut from the talent with which that journal has dism to designate these particular classes of fanabeen conducted from the outset, the high place it tics"-i. e., "Arminian and Calvinistic Methodists has maintained in the literary and political world, and the Evangelical clergymen of the Church of and its large circulation, we may safely award it England"-"not troubling ourselves to point on? the first place. This is only saying that Brougham, the finer shades and nicer discriminations of lunaJeffrey, Sydney Smith, Macaulay and their asso-cy, but treating them all as in one general conciates, have unitedly done more than any other set of men in effecting what may be termed the second English Revolution. Some of these men have, it is true, figured in parliament; but we doubt much whether their influence individually has been as great, even there, as in the Review-collectively we are very sure it has not. They are men of the closet and the pen, far more powerful in the silent page than in the animated debate, which calls for personal qualifications possessed by so few scholars.

spiracy against common sense and rational orthodox Christianity." The class thus disposed of, it will be remembered, includes, among a host of eminent persons, Wilberforce, Hannah More, Leigh Richmond and Lord Teignmouth. It includes those who built up the British and Foreign Bible Society, and those who put down the slave trade. Yet after thirty years' interval, the Reverend yoney Smith finds no cause to wish such things un said. And again: "Not that they preach faith without works, for if they told the people they Very properly, then, may Sydney Smith pride might rob and murder with impunity, the civil himself, as he does in the preface to his works, magistrate must be compelled to interfere"-tha on having set on foot such a journal and contri-is, fear of the civil magistrate prevents the preach buted to it for so many years. Many a man has ing of robbery and murder by the Methodiste

14

No intemperance and violence here against White- | that split the clouds asunder at intervals, blinding field and Wesley, who "did not run naked into the beholder so that black looks white for a while. the streets or pretend to the prophetical character He is not a little indebted to quaint and funny and therefore were not committed to New-words, such as anserous, armigeral, mumpsimus, gate!"