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_.
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 “§.”.