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Le Clerc vs Sturt
The frontispiece is an inverted copy of Le Clerc's original engraving, the mirror-image, resulting from copying directly the original on to a copper plate. However a few import modifications have been added during the copying process. The most prominent of these, being the young man in the foreground having his palm read, this central figure has been transformed by Sturt into a character of a more feminine appearance. The Magician is no longer occupied with a consultation but appears rather to be indicating with his cane the title "CYCLOPAEDIA". In Le Clerc's engraving one also observes a small boy beside the Magician, typically the boy is emphatically presenting his palm so that it too might also be consulted. Perhaps the modified Magician of the frontispiece is suggesting to the boy that he will find it more profitable to consult the Cyclopaedia.
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