William, the inventor of the art of stereotyping, was born at Edinburgh about the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1725 he first put in practice the art which he had discovered; and some years later he entered into a partnership with a London capitalist, with a view to employing it on a great scale. The partnership, however, turned out very ill; and Ged, broken-hearted at his want of success, died at London in 1749. The only books which he produced on the plan of stereotyping were two prayer-books for the university of Cambridge, and an edition of Salust.