Chapter III: Preface (3)

The _Compositer_ having _Stript_ the _Form_, whips _Cords_ as tight as he can about every _Page_, not to _Tye_ them up for good and all, but aswell to keep up the _Letter_ on the sides of the _Pages_ that it fall not down, while it stands by for some dayes on the _Letter-board_ to _Dry_, as to keep the _Letter_ tight together that he may the better with his Hands take an whole _Page_ at once off the _Letter-board_.

When it is _Dry_, if the _Pages_ are not too broad for his Grasp, he places his Body against a side of the _Pages_, and the Balls of his two Thumbs against the side of a _Page_, one indifferently between the middle and _Head_ of the _Page_, and the other between the middle and _Foot_ of the _Page_, and with the three Fore-fingers of each Hand placed on the other side of the _Page_, grasps the _Page_ between them and his Thumbs; and to keep his Hands the steddier, stretches the insides of his Little-fingers one against the _Head_ the other against the _Foot_ of the _Page_: And having the _Page_ thus Steddy between his Hands close prest on all the sides of the _Page_, he with a quick motion nimbly rears one side of the _Page_ upright, and receives the weight of it either on the Balls of his Thumbs or on the Balls of his Fingers, as best likes him; and so carries it to his _Galley_ and _Tyes_ it firmly up; as was shewed ¶ 6. of this Section.

As he took and _Tyed_ up this one _Page_, so he takes and Tyes up all the _Pages_. But if a _Page_ be too big for his Grasp, he underlays the _Slice_ of a _Galley_ till it lye within a Scaboard so high as the edge of the _Letter-board_, and getting some one to hold the _Slice_ steddy against the edge of the _Letter-board_ he slides the _Page_, with the _Head_ or _Foot_ forwards upon the _Slice_, and so carries the _Page_ to the _Galley_ and _Tyes_ it up, as aforesaid.

He sends the Boy to the Warehouse-keeper for so much Paper as he finds he shall want; and if the _Pages_ are small, he layes a single Sheet down on the _Correcting-Stone_ or on a _Letter-board_, and sets a _Page_ down on that Sheet of Paper, so as the farther Side of the _Page_ may stand towards one end of the Sheet; and so far on the Sheet, as that the end of it may lap over the _Face_ of the _Letter_, and about half way down the _Shank_ of the _Letter_, on the hither side the _Page_: And smoothing the Paper tight over the _Face_ of the _Letter_, and half way down the _Shank_ on the hither Side, and quite down the _Shank_ at the _Head_ and _Foot_ of the _Page_, he folds the loose Paper that hangs over the ends of the _Page_, from each corner of the _Page_, to end in an Angle in the middle of the loose Paper, and then folds the other end of the Sheet of Paper tight over the Paper that covers the _Face_ of the _Letter_; and also folds the loose Paper at the ends of the _Page_ down into Angles, as he did the former loose ends: Then rearing his _Page_ over the further side, lays the _Face_ downwards, still smoothing the Paper tight, and folding in the un-folded corners, to meet in the same Angles with the former folded Angles in the middle of the loose Paper: And thus so long as he has Paper to spare he turns his _Page_, wrapping it at least twice, or if he can thrice about in Paper, folding and doubling down the Loose Paper into Angles as before: And at last turns up those Angles or Lappets either over the _Face_ or Bottom of the _Letter_, and turns the _Page_ upon those folded Lappets, that its weight may press and keep them close under the _Page_.

If the Pages are large, so as one _Sheet_ will not compass them twice or thrice about, to be strong enough to bear the _Letter_, which generally sinks downwards into the middle of a _Page_, he lays two, or sometimes three Sheets under the _Page_: And as he wrapt up the first Lay of Sheets, adds more to lengthen them out, that they may wrap at least three or four times about the great _Page_.

Having thus _Paper’d up_ the _Pages_, and folded the Lappets under them, he writes upon the upper side what _Letter_ it is, _viz._ _Long-Primer Roman_, _Long-Primer Italick_, _Pica Roman_, _Pica Italick_, _Pica English_, _English Roman_, _Italick_, _&c._ and sets them by for the _Master-Printer_ to dispose of.

§. 23. _Of the_ Correcter, _and his Office_.

A _Correcter_ should (besides the _English_ Tongue) be well skilled in Languages, especially in those that are used to be Printed with us, _viz._ the _Latin_, _Greek_, _Hebrew_, _Syriack_, _Caldæ_, _French_, _Spanish_, _Italian_, _High Dutch_, _Saxon_, _Low Dutch_, _Welch_, _&c._ neither ought my innumerating only these be a stint to his skill in the number of them, for many times several other Languages may happen to be Printed, of which the Author has perhaps no more skill than the bare knowledge of the Words and their Pronunciations, so that the Orthography (if the _Correcter_ have no knowledge of the Language) may not only be false to its Native Pronunciation, but the Words altered into other Words by a little wrong Spelling, and consequently the Sense made ridiculous, the purpose of it controvertible, and the meaning of the Author irretrievably lost to all that shall read it in After times.

He ought to be very knowing in Derivations and Etymologies of Words, very sagacious in _Pointing_, skilful in the _Compositers_ whole Task and Obligation, and endowed with a quick Eye to espy the smallest _Fault_.

But I shall say no more of his Qualifications; but suppose him endowed with all necessary accomplishments for that Office.

The _Compositer_ either carries him a _Proof_, or sends the Boy with it to his Appartment, which is commonly some little Closet adjoyning to the _Composing-room_; And the _Master-Printer_ appoints him some one that is well skill’d in true and quick Reading, to Read the _Copy_ to him, whom I shall call the _Reader_.

This _Reader_, as I said, Reads the _Copy_ to him, and the _Correcter_ gives attention; and at the same time carefully and vigilantly examines the _Proof_, and considers the _Pointing_, _Italicking_, _Capitalling_, or any error that may through mistake, or want of Judgement be committed by the _Compositer_.

If he finds one _Letter Set_ instead of another, as
in this Word tho for the, he dashes out the wrong
_Letter_ thus thø, and Writes the _Letter_ e/
it should be on the Right Hand _Margin_
of the _Page_, right against the same _Line_,
and makes a Dash behind it, as you may
see in the _Margin_.

If two or three, or more Words in the
same _Line_ have _Faults_ in them, as in these
Words, ; where first a/ c/ r/ o/
an o is _Set_ instead of a, e instead of c,
t instead of r, and c instead of o: These
he marks in an orderly succession towards
the Right Hand, against the same _Line_,
as you may see in the _Margin_.

But if one word be _Set_ instead of another,
as Scoff instead of Smile, here he
marks Scoff out thus , and writes Smile /
Smile, as in the _Margin_.

If a _Word_ or _Words_, or _Letter_, or _Point_
be _Left out_ he makes this mark ʌ where
it is _Left out_ for a mark of Insertion, and
Writes in the _Margin_ what must come in.

If a _Space_ be _Left out_ he makes the former
mark of Insertion where it should
come in, and makes this mark in the
Margin. /

If a whole Sentence be _Left out_, too
long to be Writ in the _Margin_, he makes
the mark of _Insertion_ where it is _Left out_,
and only Writes (Out) in the _Margin_. If (Out)
the Sentence _Left out_ be not very long,
he Writes it under the _Page_, or on the
Left Hand _Margin_ of the _Page_: But if
it be too large to be Writ in the
_Margin_, or under the _Page_, he
Writes in the _Margin_, See the Copy. (See the Copy)

If a Word or Sentence be _Set_
twice, as Him Him, he marks out
one Him thus , and makes
this mark in the _Margin_, /
for _Deleo_,to take out.

If a _Letter_ be turned thus , he /
dashes it out as you see, and makes
this mark in the _Margin_.

If Words are _Transposed_, that is,
if one Word stand in another
Words place, as, no I love Swearing,
and it should be, I love no
Swearing; he marks this _Fault_
thus, , and
makes this mark in the _Margin_. /
The like mark he makes
in _Matter_ and _Margin_ if two _Letters_
are _Transpos’d_.

If a _Space_ or an m or n _Quadrat_,
_&c._ stick up, and _Print Black_, as
between thesewords, he marks
in the _Margin_ thus. |

If a _Word_ be _Set_ in _Roman Letter_
instead of _Italick_ or _English Letter_,
he dashes the Word underneath
~thus~, and Writes _Ital._ or
_Eng._ in the _Margin_. Ital/ Eng/

In like manner, if a single _Let-_
or more _Letters_ be Set in _Roman
Letter_, and it should be _Italick_ or
_English Letter_; or if in _English_ or
_Italick_, and it should be _Roman Letter_,
he dashes the _Letter_ or _Letters_
~thus~ underneath, and writes _Ital._ Ital/ Rom/ Eng/
_Rom._ or _Eng._ in the _Margin_: Or if
_Lower-Case Letters_ be _Set_ instead of
_Capitals_, he dashes them underneath,
and Writes _Capt._ in the _Margin_. Capt./

Having Read the _Matter_ of the _Proof_ he examines again if the _Form_ be right _Impos’d_, for though he before turn’d the _Pages_ in the _Proof_ as he read them according to their orderly places, yet he will scarce trust to that alone, but again examines them on purpose, and distinctly, which he does not only by the _Direction Word_, but by examining the whole Sentence the _Direction_ comes in, both at the end of the _Page_, and the beginning of the next _Page_.

He examines that all the _Signatures_ are right, and all the _Titles_ and _Folio’s_.

If the Work be large _Forms_ and small _Letter_, he has a second, and sometimes a third _Proof_, which he Reads as the first.

After the Second or Third _Proof_ he has a _Revise_, which is also a _Proof-sheet_: He examines in this _Revise_, _Fault_ by _Fault_, if all the _Faults_ he markt in the last _Proof_ were carefully mended by the _Compositer_; if not, he marks them in the _Revise_.

Thus you see it behoves him to be very careful as well as skilful; and indeed it is his own interest to be both: For if by his neglect an _Heap_ be spoiled, he is obliged to make Reparation.

Advertisement to AUTHORS.

_Although I have in the precedent_ Exercises _shew’d the Accomplishments of a good_ Compositer, _yet will not a curious Author trust either to his Care or Abilities in_ Pointing, Italicking, Capitalling, Breaking, &c. _Therefore it behoves an Author to examine his_ Copy _very well e’re he deliver it to the_ Printer, _and to Point it, and mark it so as the_ Compositer _may know what Words to_ Set _in_ Italick, English, Capitals, &c.

_For his_ Italick _Words he draws a line under them ~thus~: For_ English _Words he draws two lines under them ~thus~; and for_ Capitals _a line of Pricks ~thus~, or else draws a line with Red Inck_.

_If his_ Copy, _or any part of it, be Written in any Foreign Language, he is strictly to spell that Foreign Language right: Because the_ Compositer, _as I said in the Preface to this_ , _takes no notice of any thing therein but the very_ Letters, Points _and_ Characters _he finds in his_ Copy.

_If an Author have not (through haste in Writing) made_ Breaks _in proper places; when he comes to peruse his_ Copy _he may find cause to make several_ Breaks _where he made none: In such a case he makes a_ Crotchet [ _thus, at the Word he would have begin his new Paragraph_.

_Thus in all particulars he takes care to deliver his_ Copy _perfect: For then he may expect to have his Book perfectly Printed. For by no means he ought to hope to mend it in the_ Proof, _the_ Compositer _not being obliged to it: And it cannot reasonably be expected he should be so good Natured to take so much pains to mend such Alterations as the second Dictates of an Author may make, unless he be very well paid for it over and above what he agreed for with the_ Master-Printer.

* * * * *

The next _Exercises_ (God willing) shall be the _Press-mans_ Trade, The Office of the _Ware-house-keeper_, The _Customs_ of the _Chapel_, And a _Dictionary_ to explain the hard Words and Phrases used in the whole Practice of _Typography_: Which will be the Conclusion of this Second Volume.

_ADVERTISEMENT._

There is now coming forth a small Book, intituled _Enneades Arithmeticæ_; the Numbring Nines, or _Pythagoras_ his Table, extended to all Whole Numbers under 10000. And the Numbring Rods of the Right Honourable _John_ Lord _Nepeer_, enlarged with 9999 Fixt Columns or Rods, of Single, Double, Triple and Quadruple Figures, and with a new sort of Double and Movable Rods, for the much more sure, plain and easie performance of Multiplication, Division, and Extraction of Roots. The whole being very useful for most Persons, of whatsoever Calling and Employment, in all Arts and Sciences: All having frequent Occasions of Accompts, Numbring, Measuring, Surveying, Gauging, Weighing, Demonstrating, _&c._ The Divine Wisdom having from the Beginning _Disposed all things in Measure, Number and Weight_, Sap. 11. 21.

Printed for _Joseph Moxon_, at the Sign of _Atlas_ in _Ludgate-street_. Where also these Numbring Rods, (commonly call’d _Napier’s_ Bones) are made and sold.

The Press-mans Trade.