Chapter VII: Part 7

Then he goes as near the Light as he can with the _Letters_ in his _Dressing-stick_, and examins what _Letters Come not well_ either in the _Face_ or _Shanck_: So that then holding the _Dressing-stick_ in his left hand, and tilting the _Bottom-Ledge_ a little downward, that the _Feet_ of the _Letter_ may rest against the _Bottom-Ledge_, and laying the Ball of his Thumb upon any certain Number of _Letters_ between his _Body_ and the _Letter_ to be _Cast out_, He with the _Foot_ of a _Space_ or some thin _Letter_, lifts up the _Letter_ to be _Cast out_, and lets it fall upon the _Dressing-Bench_: and thus he does to all the _Letters_ in that _Stick_ that are to be _Thrown out_.

Then taking again the _Dressing-Stick_ in his left hand at or near the handle of it, he takes the _Dressing-Hook_ at the _Knot_, between the fore-Finger and Thumb of his right-Hand, and laying the _Hook_ over the edge of the _Quadrat_ at the farther end of the _Dressing-stick_, near the _bottom-Ledge_ of it, he slips his right-hand to the _Handle_ of the _Dressing-stick_, and his left hand towards the middle of the _Dressing-stick_, so as the end of the Ball of his Thumb may draw by the farther end of the _Knot_ on the _Dressing-Hook_ the whole _Dressing-Hook_, and the _Hook_ at the end of it the whole _Stick_ of _Letter_ close together towards him; While at the same time he with his Fingers clutched about the _Stick_ and _Letter_, and the Thumb-_ball_ of his hand presses the under flat of the _Hooking-stick_ close against the _Letter_ and _Dressing-stick_, that the _Letter_ in the _Stick_ may lie fast and manageable.

Then he takes the _Handle_ of the _Dressing-Knife_ in his right-Hand, and inclining the back of it towards his _Body_, that its _Basil_-edge may _Cut_ or _Scrap_ the smoother, He _Scrapes_ twice or thrice upon so much of the whole _Line_ of _Letters_ as lies between the outer-side of the _Dressing-Hook_ and the _Face_ of the _Letter_.

But if twice or thrice _Scraping_, have not taken all the _Bur_ or irregularities off so much of the _Letter_ as he _Scraped_ upon, he _Scrapes_ yet longer and oftner till the whole number of _Letters_ in the _Dressing-stick_ from end to end seems but one intire piece of _Mettal_.

Thus is that side of the fore-part (_viz._ that part towards the _Face_) of the _Shanck_ of the _Body_ finisht.

To _Scrape_ the other end of that side of the _Letter_, _viz._ that towards the _Feet_; He turns the _Handle_ of the _Stick_ from him, and removing the _Dressing-Hook_ towards the _Face_ of the _Letter_ which is already _Scraped_, he places his Thumb against the _Knot_ of the _Dressing-Hook_, and presses it hard from him, that the _Hook_ of the _Dressing-Hook_ being now towards him, may force the whole _Stick_ of _Letter_ forwards against the _Side-Ledge_ of the _Dressing-stick_; that so the whole _Line_ in the _Stick_ may lie again the faster and more manageable: Then he _Scrapes_ with the _Dressing-Knife_ as before, till the end of the _Shanck_ of the _Letter_ towards the _Feet_ be also _Drest_.

Then he lays by his _Dressing-Hook_, and keeping his _Dressing-stick_ of _Letter_ still in his left hand, he takes a second _Dressing-stick_, with its _Handle_ in his right-Hand, and lays the _Side-Ledge_ of it against the hither-side of the _Quadrat_ at the hither end of the _Dressing-stick_, and the _bottom-Ledge_ of the second _Stick_ hanging a little over the _Feet_ of the _Letter_, that they may be comprehended within the _bottom-Ledge_ of the second _Dressing-stick_; and so removing his left hand towards the middle of both _Dressing-sticks_, and clasping them close together, he turns both Hands outwards towards the left, till the _Letter_ in the first _Dressing-stick_ lie upon the second _Dressing-stick_, and then the _Face_ of the _Letter_ will lie outwards toward the right-Hand, and the _Nicks_ upwards. Then he uses the _Dressing-Hook_ and _Dressing-Knife_ to _Scrape_ this side the _Line_ of _Letter_, as he did before to the other side of the _Line_ of _Letter_: So shall both sides be _Scraped_ and _Drest_.

Having thus _Scraped_ both the sides, He takes the _Handle_ of the _Dressing-stick_ into his left hand, as before, and takes the _Male-block_ into his right-Hand, and placing the _Tongue_ of the _Block_ against the _Face_ of the _Letter_ in the _Dressing-stick_, he also places the _Knot_ of the _Block_ against the farther side of the _Quadrat_ at the farther end of the _Stick_, and so placing his right-Hand underneath the middle of the _Dressing-stick_ and _Block_, he turns his Hand outwards towards the left, as before, and transfers the _Letter_ in the _Dressing-stick_ to the _Male-Block_: Yet he so holds and manages the _Block_ that the _Shanck_ of the _Letter_ may rest at once upon the side of the _Block_ the _Knot_ is placed in, and the _Face_ of the _Letter_ upon the _Tongue_.

When his _Stick_ of _Letters_ is thus transfer’d to the _Male-Block_, He claps the middle of the _Male-Block_ into his left hand, tilting the _Feet_ of the _Letter_ a little upwards, that the _Face_ may rest upon the _Tongue_, and then takes about the middle of the _Female-Block_ in his right-Hand, and lays it so upon the _Male-Block_, that the _Tongue_ of the _Male-Block_ may fall into the _Tongue_ of the _Female-Block_, and that the _Knot_ at the hither end of the _Female-Block_ may stand against the hither-side of the _Quadrat_ at the hither end of the _Line_ of _Letters_: So that when the _Knot_ of the _Male-Block_ is lightly drawn towards the _Knot_ of the _Female-Block_, or the _Knot_ of the _Female-Block_ lightly thrust towards the _Knot_ of the _Male-Block_, both _Knots_ shall squeeze the _Letter_ close between them.

Then he grasps both _Blocks_ with the _Letter_ between them in both his Hands, and lays them in the _Block-Groove_, with the _Feet_ of the _Letter_ upwards, and the hither-side of the hither _Block_ against the hither _Cheek_ of the _Block-Groove_. And putting the _Wedge_ into the vacant space between the _Blocks_ and the further _Cheek_ of the _Block-Groove_, he lightly with his right-Hand thrusts up the _Wedge_ to force the _Blocks_ close together, and pinch the _Letter_ close between the _Blocks_.

Then with the _Balls_ of the Fingers of both his Hands, he Patts gently upon the _Feet_ of the _Letter_, to press all their _Faces_ down upon the _Tongue_; which having done, he takes the _Mallet_ in his right-Hand, and with it knocks gently upon the head of the _Wedge_ to pinch the _Letter_ yet closer to the insides of the _Blocks_. Then he Knocks lightly and successively upon the _Knot-ends_ of both the _Blocks_, to force the _Letters_ yet closer together. And then again knocks now pretty hard upon the head of the _Wedge_, and also pretty hard upon the _Knot-ends_ of the _Blocks_, to _Lock_ the _Letter_ tight and close up.

Then he places the _Tongue_ of the _Plow_ in the upper _Groove_ of the _Block_; And having the _Tooth_ of the _Iron_ fitted in the _Plow_, so as to fall just upon the middle of the _Feet_ of the _Letter_, he grasps the _Plow_ in his right-Hand, placing his Wrist-Ball against the _Britch_ of it, and guiding the fore-end with his left hand, slides the _Plow_ gently along the whole length of the _Blocks_; so as the _Tooth_ of the _Iron_ bears upon the _Feet_ of the _Letter_: And if it be a small _Letter_ he _Plows_ upon, the _Tooth_ of the _Iron_ will have cut a _Groove_ deep enough through the length of the whole _Block_ of _Letters_: But if the _Body_ of the _Letter_ be great, he reiterates his _Traverses_ two three or four times according to the Bigness of the _Body_ of the _Letter_, till he have made a _Groove_ about a _Space_ deep in the _Feet_ of the _Shancks_ of the whole _Blocks_ of _Letter_, and have cut off all the irregularities of the _Break_.

Then with a small piece of _Buff_ or some other soft _Leather_, he rubs a little upon the _Feet_ of the _Letter_ to smoothen them.

Then he unlocks the _Blocks_ of _Letter_, by knocking with the _Mallet_ upon the small end of the _Wedge_, and first takes the _Wedge_ from between the _Blocks_ and _Cheeks_, and lays it upon the farther _Cheek_, and afterwards takes the _Blocks_ with _Letter_ in it near both ends of the _Blocks_ between the Fingers and Thumbs of both his Hands, and turns the hithermost _Block_ upon the hithermost _Cheek_, and with his Fingers and Thumbs again lifts off the upper _Block_, leaving the _Letter_ on the undermost _Block_ with its _Face_ against the _Tongue_.

Then taking the _Block_ with _Letter_ in it in his left hand, he places the _Knot-end_ from him, and takes the _Handle_ of the _Dressing-stick_ in his right-Hand, and lays the _Side-Ledge_ of it against the hither side of the _Quadrat_ at the hither end, and the _Bottom-ledge_ against the _Feet_ of the _Letter_, he grasps the _Handle_ of the _Dressing-stick Block_ and all in his left hand, and lays his right-Hand Thumb along the under-side of the _Dressing-stick_ about the middle, and with the Fingers of the same Hand grasps the _Block_, and turning his Hands, _Block_, and _Dressing-stick_ to the right, transfers the _Letter_ in the _Block_ upon the _Dressing-stick_.

Then grasping the _Dressing-stick_ by the _Handle_ with his left hand, he with his right-Hand takes the _Dressing-Hook_ by the _Knot_, and lays the inside of the _Hook_ of it against the farther side of the _Quadrat_ at the farther end of the _Stick_, and drawing the _Hook_ and _Letter_ in the _Dressing-stick_ with his left Thumb by the _Knot_ close up toward him, he resting the _Stick_ upon the _Dressing-bench_ that he may _Scrape_ the harder upon the _Beard_ with the Edge of the _Dressing-Knife_, _Scrapes_ off the _Beard_ as near the _Face_ as he dares for fear of spoiling it, and about a Thick _Space_ deep at least into the _Shanck_.

If the Bottom and Top are both to be _Bearded_, He transfers the _Letter_ into another _Dressing-stick_, as hath been shewed, and _Beards_ it also as before.

¶. 2. _Some Rules and Circumstances to be observed in_ Dressing _of_ Letters.

1. The _Letter-Dresser_ ought to be furnisht with three or four sorts of _Dressing-sticks_, which differ nothing from one another save in the Height of their _Ledges_. The _Ledges_ of one pair no higher than a _Scaboard_. This pair of _Sticks_ may serve to _Dress_, _Pearl_, _Nomparel_, and _Brevier_. Another pair whose _Ledges_ may be a _Nomparel_ high. And this pair of _Dressing-sticks_ will serve to _Dress_ _Brevier_, _Long-Primmer_, and _Pica_: Another pair whose _Ledges_ may be a _Long-Primmer_ high: And these _Dressing-sticks_ may serve to _Dress_ _Pica_, _English_, _Great-Primmer_, and _Double-Pica_. And if you will another pair of _DresDressing-sticks_, whose _Ledges_ may be an _English_ High: And these _Dressing-sticks_ may serve to _Dress_ all big Bodyed _Letters_, even to the Greatest.

2. As he ought to be furnisht with several sorts of _Dressing-sticks_ as aforesaid: So ought he also to be furnisht with several _Blocks_, whose _Knots_ are to correspond with the Sizes of the _Ledges_ of the _Dressing-sticks_, for the _Dressing_ of several _Bodies_ as aforesaid.

3. He ought to be furnisht with three or four _Dressing-Hooks_, whose _Hooks_ ought to be of the several Depths aforesaid, to fit and suit with the several _Bodyed-Letters_.

4. He must have two _Dressing-Knives_, one to lie before the _Blocks_ to _Scrape_ and _Beard_ the _Letter_ in the _Sticks_, and the other behind the _Dressing-blocks_ to use when occasion serves to _Scrape_ off a small _Bur_, the _Tooth_ of the _Plow_ may have left upon the _Feet_ of the _Letter_. And though one _Dressing-Knife_ may serve to both these uses: Yet when Work-men are in a Train of Work they begrutch the very turning the Body about, or stepping one step forward or backward; accounting that it puts them out of their Train, and hinders their riddance of Work.

5. For every _Body_ of _Letter_ he is to have a particular _Plow_, and the _Tooth_ of the _Iron_ of each _Plow_ is to be made exactly to a set bigness, the measure of which bigness is to be taken from the size of the _Break_ that is to be _Plowed_ away. For Example, If it be a _Pearl Body_ to be _Plowed_, the breadth of the _Tooth_ ought not to be above a thin _Scaboard_: Because the _Break_ of that _Body_ cannot be bigger, for Reasons I have given before; But the _Tooth_ must be full broad enough, and rather broader than the _Break_, lest any of the irregularity of the _Break_ should be left upon the _Foot_ of the _Letter_. And so for every _Body_ he fits the _Tooth_ of the _Iron_, full broad enough and a little broader than the size of the _Break_. This is one reason why for every particular _Body_ he ought to have a particular _Plow_. Another reason is.

The _Tooth_ of this _Plow_ must be exactly set to a punctual distance from the _Tongue_ of the _Plow_: For if they should often shift _Irons_ to the several _Stocks_ of the _Plow_, they would create themselves by shifting more trouble than the price of a _Stock_ would compensate.

A _Fount_ of _Letter_ being new _Cast_ and _Drest_, the Boy _Papers_ up each sort in a _Cartridge_ by it self, and puts about an hundred Pounds weight, _viz._ a Porters Burthen into a _Basket_ to be sent to the _Master-Printers_.

The _Steel-Punches_ being now _Cut_, the _Molds_ made, the _Matrices Sunk_, the _Letters Cast_, and _Drest_, the application of these _Letters_ falls now to the task of the _Compositer_; whose _Trade_ shall be (God willing) the Subject of the next _Exercises_.

_FINIS._

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES.

1. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.

2. Silently corrected typographical errors.

3. Page 70. “§. 19.” changed to “¶. 19.”.

4. The paragraph symbol “¶” has been standardised as “¶.”.

5. The section symbol “§” has been standardised as “§.”.