Part 13

He also provides a _Kerning-Knife_: This is a pretty strong piece of a broken Knife, about three Inches long, which he fits into a Wooden-Handle: But first he breaks off the Back of the Knife towards the Point, so as the whole edge lying in a straight line the piece broken off from the back to the edge may leave an angle at the point of about 45 Degrees, which irregular breaking (for so we must suppose it) he either _Grinds_ or _Rubs_ off on a _Grind-stone_. Then he takes a piece of a Broom-stick for his Handle, and splits one end of it about two Inches long towards the other end, and the split part he either Cuts or Rasps away about a _Brevier_ deep round about that end of the Handle. Then he puts about an Inch and an half of his broken blade into the split or slit in the Handle, and ties a four or five doubled Paper a little below the Rasped part of the Handle round about it, to either a _Pica_ or _Long-Primmer_ thick of the slit end of the Handle. This _Paper_ is so ordered that all its sides round about shall stand equally distant from all the Rasped part of the Handle: For then setting the other end of the Handle in Clay, or otherwise fastening it upright, when _Mettal_ is poured in between the Rasped part of the Handle and the Paper about it, that _Mettal_ will make a strong _Ferril_ to the _Handle_ of the _Knife_. The irregularities that may happen in _Casting_ this _Ferril_ may be Rasped away to make it more handy and Handsome.

Now to return again where I left off. Holding the Handle of the _Kerning-stick_ in his left hand, He lays the side of the _Letter_ to be _Kern’d_ upwards with the _Face_ of the _Letter_ towards the end of the _Kerning-stick_: the side of the _Letter_ against the side _Sholder_ of the _Kerning-stick_, and the _Foot_ of the _Letter_ against the bottom _Sholder_ of the _Kerning-stick_, and laying the end of the Ball of his left-Hand Thumb hard upon the _Shanck_ of the _Letter_ to keep its _Side_ and _Foot_ steddy against the _Sholders_ of the _Kerning-stick_, he with the _Kerning-Knife_ in his right-Hand cuts off about one quarter of the _Mettal_ between the _Beard_ of the _Shanck_ and the _Face_ of the _Letter_. Then turning his _Knife_ so as the back of it may lean towards him, he scrapes towards him with the edge of the _Knife_ about half the length of that upper-side, _viz._ about so much as his Thumb does not cover: Then he turns the _Face_ of the _Letter_ against the lower _Sholder_ of the _Kerning-stick_, and scraping fromwards him with a stroak or two of his _Knife_ smoothens that end of the _Letter_ also.

If the other side of the _Letter_ be not to be _Kern’d_ it was before _Rub’d_ on the _Stone_, as was shewed in the last ¶: But if it be to be _Kern’d_, then he makes a little hole in his _Kerning-stick_, close to the lower _Sholder_ of it and full deep enough to receive all that part of the _Face_ of the _Letter_ that hangs over the _Shanck_, that the _Shanck_ of the _Letter_ may lie flat and solid on the bottom of the _Kerning-stick_, and that so the _Shanck_ of the _Letter_ bow not when the weight of the hand presses the edge of the _Kerning-Knife_ hard upon it. Into this hole he puts (as before said) so much of the _Face_ of the _Letter_ as hangs over the side of the _Shanck_, and so scrapes the lower end of the _Letter_ and _Kerns_ the upper end, as he did the former side of the _Letter_.

¶. 6. _Of_ Setting up, _or_ Composing Letters.

I described in §. 5. ¶. 2. the _Lining-stick_, But now we are come to _Setting up_, or _Composing_ of _Letters_. The _Founder_ must provide many _Composing-Sticks_; five or six dozen at the least. These _Composing-sticks_ are indeed but long _Lining-sticks_, about seven or eight and twenty Inches long _Handle_ and all: Whereof the _Handle_ is about three Inches and an half long: But as the _Lining-stick_ I described was made of _Brass_: So these _Composing-sticks_ are made of _Beech-Wood_.

When the Boy _Sets_ up _Letters_ (for it is commonly Boys-Work) The _Caster Casts_ about an hundred _Quadrats_ of the same _Body_ about half an Inch broad at least, let the _Body_ be what it will, and of the length of the whole _Carriage_, only by placing a flat _Brass_ or _Iron Plate_ upon the _Stool_ of the _Mold_ close against the _Carriage_ and _Body_, to stop the _Mettal_ from running farther.

The Boy (I say) takes the _Composing-stick_ by the _Handle_ in his left hand, clasping it about with his four Fingers, and puts the _Quadrat_ first into the _Composing-stick_, and lays the Ball of his Thumb upon it, and with the fore-Finger and Thumb of his right-Hand, assisted by his middle-finger to turn the _Letter_ to a proper position, with its _Nick_ upwards towards the bottom side of the _Composing-stick_; while it is coming to the _Stick_, he at the same time lifts up the Thumb of his left hand, and with it receives and holds the _Letter_ against the fore-side of the _Quadrat_, and after it, all the _Letters_ of the same sort, if the _Stick_ will hold them, If not he _Sets_ them in so many _Sticks_ as will hold them: Observing to _Set_ all the _Nicks_ of them upwards, as aforesaid. And as he _Set_ a _Quadrat_ at the beginning of the _Composing-stick_, so he fills not his _Stick_ so full, but that he may _Set_ another such _Quadrat_ at the end of it.

¶. 7. _Some Rules and Circumstances to be observed in_ Setting _up_ Letters.

1. If they _Drive_ a little out at _Head_ or _Foot_, so little as not to require new _Rubbing_ again, then he holds his Thumb harder against the _Head_ or _Foot_, so as to draw the _Driving_ end inward: For else when they come to _Scraping_, and _Dressing_ the _Hook_ of the _Dressing-Hook_ drawing Square, will endanger the middle or some other part of _Letters_ in the _Stick_ to _Spring_ out: And when they come into the _Dressing-block_, the _Knots_ of the _Blocks_ drawing also square subject them to the same inconvenience. And if they _Drive_ out at the _Head_, the _Feet_ will more or less stand off one another: So that when the _Tooth_ of the _Plow_ comes to _Dress_ the _Feet_, it will more or less job against every _Letter_, and be apt to make a bowing at the _Feet_, or at least make a _Bur_ on their sides at the _Feet_.

2. When _Short-Letters_ are begun to be _Set_ up in a _Stick_, the whole _Stick_ must be fill’d with _Short-Letters_: Because when they are _Dressing_, the _Short-Letters_ must be _Bearded_ on both sides the _Body_: And should _Short-Letters_ or _Ascending_ or _Descending_ or _Long_ stand together, the _Short_ cannot be _Bearded_ because the _Stems_ of the _Ascending_ or _Descending_ or _Long-Letters_ reach upon the _Body_ to the _Beard_: So that the _Short-Letters_ cannot be _Bearded_, unless the _Stems_ of the other _Letters_ should be scraped off.

3. When _Long-Letters_ are begun to be _Set_ up in the _Stick_, none but such must fill it, for the reason aforesaid.

4. If any _Letters Kern’d_ on one side be to be _Set_ up, and the _Stems_ of the same _Letters_ reach not to the opposite _Beard_ as s or f, in _Setting_ up these or such like _Letters_, every next _Letter_ is turned with its _Nick_ downwards, that the _Kern_ of each _Letter_ may lie over the _Beard_ of its next. But then they must be all _Set_ up again with a _Short-Letter_ between each, that they may be _Bearded_.

As every _Stick-full_ is set up, he sets them by upon the _Racks_, ready for the _Dresser_ to _Dress_, as shall be shewed in the next §.

The _Racks_ are described in _Plate 21._ at A. They are made of Square _Deal Battens_ about seven Inches and an half long, as at _a b a b a b_, and are at the ends _b b b_ let into two upright _Stiles_, standing about sixteen Inches and an half assunder, and the fore-ends of the _Racks_ mounting a little, that when _Sticks_ of _Letters_ is _Set_ by on any two parallel _Racks_, there may be no danger that the _Letters_ in them shall slide off forward; but their _Feet_ rest against the _Bottom-Ledges_ of the _Composing-sticks_. They set by as many of these _Sticks_ with _Letter_ in them, as will stand upon one another between every two _Rails_, and then set another pile of _Sticks_ with _Letter_ in them before the first, till the length of the _Rail_ be also filled with _Sticks_ of _Letter_ before one another. They set all the _Sticks_ of _Letters_ with their ends even to one another with the _Faces_ of the _Letter_ forwards.

This _Frame of Racks_ is always placed near the _Dressing-Bench_, that it may stand convenient to the _Letter-Dressers_ Hand.

§. 20. ¶. 1. _Of_ Dressing _of_ Letters.

There be several Tools and Machines used to the _Dressing_ of _Letters_: And unless I should describe them to you first, you might perhaps in my following discourse not well understand me: Wherefore I shall begin with them: They are as follows.

1. The _Dressing-Sticks_. 2. The _Bench_, _Blocks_ and its Appurtenances. 3. The _Dressing-Hook_. 4. The _Dressing-Knife_. 5. The _Plow_. 6. The _Mallet_.

Of each of these in order.

¶. 2. _Of the_ Dressing-Sticks.

I need give no other Description of the _Dressing-sticks_, than I did in the last §. and ¶. of the _Composing-Sticks_: Only they are made of hard Wood, and of greater Substance, as well because hard Wood will work smoother than soft Wood, as because greater Substance is less Subject to warp or shake than smaller Substance is. And also because hard Wood is less Subject to be penetrated by the sharpness of the _Bur_ of the _Mettal_ on the _Letters_ than the soft.

¶. 3. _Of the_ Block-Grove, _and its_ Appurtenances.

The _Block-Grove_ is described in _Plate 21. a b_. The _Groove_ in which the _Blocks_ are laid, two Inches deep, and seven Inches and an half wide at one end, and seven Inches wide at the other end: One of the _Cheeks_ as _c_ is three Inches and an half broad at one end, and three Inches broad at the other end, and the other _Cheek_ three Inches broad the whole Length: The Length of these _Cheeks_ are two and twenty Inches.

The _Wedge_ _e f_ is seven and twenty Inches and an half long, two Inches broad at one end, and three Inches and an half broad at the other end; And two Inches deep.

_g g g g_ The _Bench_ on which the _Dressing-Blocks_ are placed, are about sixteen Inches broad, and two Foot ten Inches high from the Floor. The _Bench_ hath its farther Side, and both ends, railed about with slit Deal about two Inches high, that the _Hook_, the _Knife_, and _Plow_, &c. fall not off when the Workman is at Work.

The _Blocks_ are described in _Plate 21_ at a b: They are made of hard Wood. These _Blocks_ are six and twenty Inches long, and each two Inches square. They are _Male_ and _Female_, a the _Male_, b the _Female_: Through the whole Length of the _Male-Block_ runs a _Tongue_ as at _a b_, and a _Groove_ as at _c d_, for the _Tongue_ of the _Plow_ to run in; This _Tongue_ is about half an Inch thick, and stands out square from the upper and under-sides of the _Block_. About three Inches within the ends of the _Block_ is placed a _Knot_ as at _c c_: These _Knots_ are small square pieces of _Box-wood_, the one above, and the other below the _Tongue_.

The _Female- Block_ is such another _Block_ as the _Male-Block_, only, instead of a _Tongue_ running through the length of it a _Groove_ is made to receive the _Tongue_ of the _Male-Block_, and the _Knots_ in this _Block_ are made at the contrary ends, that when the _Face_ of a _Stick_ of _Letter_ is placed on the _Tongue_ the _Knot_ in the _Male-Block_ stops the _Stick_ of _Letter_ from sliding forwards, while the other _Knot_ in the _Female-Block_ at the other end, by the knocking of a _Mallet_ on the end of the _Block_ forces the _Letter_ between the _Blocks_ forwards, and so the whole _Stick_ of _Letters_ between these two _Knots_ are screwzed together, and by the _Wedge_ _e f_ in _Plate 21_ (also with the force of a _Mallet_) _Wedges_ the two _Blocks_ and the _Stick_ of _Letter_ in them also tight, and close between the sides of the two _Blocks_; that afterwards the _Plow_ may more certainly do its Office upon the _Foot_ of the _Letter_; as shall be shewed hereafter.1

¶. 3. _Of the_ Dressing-Hook.

The _Dressing-Hook_ is described in _Plate 21_ at c. This is a long square _Rod_ of _Iron_, about two Foot long and a _Great-Primmer_ square: Its end _a_ is about a _two-Lin’d-English_ thick, and hath a small _Return_ piece of _Iron_ made square to the under-side of the _Rod_, that when the whole _Dressing-Hook_ is laid along a _Stick_ of _Letter_, this _Return piece_ or _Hook_ may, when the _Rod_ is drawn with the _Ball_ of the Thumb, by the _Knot_ on the upper-side of it at c, draw all the _Letter_ in the _Stick_ tight and close up together, that the _Stick_ of _Letter_ may be _Scraped_, as shall be shewed.

¶. 4. _Of the_ Dressing-Knife.

The _Dressing-Knife_ is delineated at d in _Plate 21_. It is only a short piece of a _Knife_ broken off about two Inches from the _Sholder_: But its Edge is _Basil’d_ away from the back to the point pretty suddenly to make it the stronger: The _Sprig_ or _Pin_ of the _Handle_ is commonly let into an Hole drilled into a piece of the Tip of an Harts-horn, as in the Figure and is fastned in with _Rosen_, as other _Knives_ are into their _Handles_.

¶. 5. _Of the_ Plow.

The _Plow_ is delineated in _Plate 21_ at e: It is almost a common _Plain_ (which I have already described in _Vol._ 1. _Numb._ 4. _Plate 4_. and §. 2 to 9.) only with this distinction, that through the length of the _Sole_ runs such a _Tongue_, as does through the _Male-Block_ to slide tight and yet easily through the _Groove_ made on the top of the _Male-block_: Its _Blade_ makes an _Angle_ of 60 Degrees with the _Sole_ of it.

§. 21. ¶. 1. _Of_ Dressing _of_ Letters.

The _Letter-Dresser_ hath (as I told you before) his _Letter Set_ up in _Composing-sticks_, with their _Nicks_ upwards, and those _Sticks_ set upon the _Racks_: Therefore he takes one _Stick_ off the _Racks_, and placing the _Handle_ of the _Composing-stick_ in his left hand, he takes the contrary end of the _Dressing-stick_ in his right-hand, and laying the Back of the _Dressing-stick_ even upon or rather a little hanging over the Back of the _Composing-stick_, that the _Feet_ of the _Letter_ may fall within the _Bottom-Ledge_ of the _Dressing-stick_; He at the same time fits the _Side-Ledge_ of the _Dressing-stick_ against the farther end of the _Line_ of _Letters_ in the _Composing-stick_: And holding then both _Sticks_ together, his left hand at the _Handle_-end of the _Composing-stick_, and his right-Hand within about two Handfuls of the _Handle_-end of the _Dressing-stick_, He turns his Hands, _Sticks_ and all, outward from his left hand, till the _Composing-stick_ lies flat upon the _Dressing-stick_, and consequently the _Letters_ in the _Composing-stick_ is turned and laid upon the _Dressing-stick_.

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_.