BOTANY

The following is a list of the Technical Terms most commonly employed in Botany:—

Abnormal, contrary to general rules.

Accumbent, lying against anything, in distinction to lying upon; as the cotyledons of some cruciferous plants.

Acerose, stiff and slender and sharp-pointed, as the leaves of a pine-tree.

Achenium, a small, hard, one-seeded fruit, resembling a seed.

Aciculate, needle-shaped.

Acinaciform, scymitar-shaped.

Acinus, a bunch of succulent berries, as of grapes.

Acrogen, a plant which grows at its end only, without increasing in diameter, as ferns, and all flowerless plants.

Aculeate, covered with prickles.

Aculeus, a prickle.

Acuminate, tapering to the point, but flat.

Adnate, growing to any thing by the whole length.

Adventitious, appearing accidentally.

Æstivation, the arrangement of the parts of the flower before they expand.

Alabastrus, a flower-bud.

Albumen, a substance interposed in some seeds between the embryo and the seed coats.

Alburnum, the young wood; sap-wood.

Amentum, a catkin; the male inflorescence of the hazel, &c.

Amplexicaul, clasping a stem.

Anastomosing, the growing together of two parts which meet from different directions.

-androus, a Greek termination expressive of the male sex.

Anfractuous, doubled abruptly in several different directions.

Angiocarpous, having seeds enclosed in a pericarp.

Annotinous, a year old.

Anther, the case containing pollen.

Apetalous, having no petals.

Apiculate, abruptly pointed.

Apocarpous, where the carpels are distinct from each other.

Apophysis, the enlarged base of the theca of some mosses.

Apothecium, the shield, or mass of reproductive matter of a lichen.

Appendiculate, having some kind of appendages.

Arachnoid, resembling a spider’s web.

Areolate, divided into little spaces.

Aril, a peculiar wrapper of some seeds, as the mace of the nutmeg.

Arista, the beard or awn of grasses.

Asci, the cases in which the spores of lichens are enclosed.

Ascidium, a hollow leaf looking like a water vessel; as the pitcher of Nepenthes.

Attenuated, gradually tapering to a point without becoming flat.

Auriculate, having two lobes (like ears) at the base.

Awn, see Arista.

Axil, the acute angle formed by the junction of the leaf, &c. to its axis.

Axillary, growing in an axil.

Axis, the root and stem either taken together or separately.

Baccate, fruit covered with soft flesh.

Barbate, covered with long hairs resembling a beard.

Beard, a tuft of long hairs.

Biconjugate, in two pairs, placed side by side.

Bidentate, having two teeth.

Bifarious, arranged in two rows.

Bifid, divided into two shallow lobes.

Bifoliate, having two leaflets.

Bifurcate, twice forked.

Bijugous, in two pairs, placed end to end.

Binate, growing in pairs.

Bipartite, divided into two deep lobes.

Bipinnate, twice pinnate.

Biserrate, twice serrate.

Brachiate, when branches stand nearly at right angles to the stem from which they proceed.

Bract, the leaf or leaflet from the axil of which a flower grows.

Bulb, a scaly, underground bud.

Bulbotuber, a short, roundish, underground stem resembling a bulb.

Caducous, falling off sooner or later.

Cæsious, of a bluish grey colour.

Cæspitose, growing in tufts.

Calcar, a spur or horn; as in the Nasturtium.

Calcarate, having a spur or horn.

Calyculate, having a whorl of bracts on the outside of a calyx, or of an involucre.

Calyptra, the hood of a moss.

Calyx, the external envelope of a flower.

Cambium, a viscid secretion formed in the spring between the bark and wood of Exogens.

Campanulate, bell-shaped.

Canaliculate, channelled.

Cancellate, a leaf which has veins without connecting parenchyma.

Capitate, growing in a head.

Capitulum, a collection of flowers in a head.

Capsule, any dry many-seeded fruit.

Carinate, having a kind of keel.

Carnose, fleshy.

Carpel, one of the parts of a compound pistil; a single leaf rolled up into one of the integers of a pistil.

Carunculate, a seed having fungous excrescences growing near its hilum.

Caryopsis, a dry one-seeded fruit resembling a seed, but with no distinction between the seed coat and pericarp.

Caudate, prolonged into a sort of tail.

Cauline, of or belonging to the stem.

Cernuous, drooping.

Chalaza, a spot on a seed indicating the place where the nucleus is united to the seminal integuments.

Ciliated, fringed with hairs like an eyelash.

Cinereous, ash-coloured.

Circinate, rolled inwards from the point to the base.

Circumscissile, dividing into two parts by a spontaneous transverse separation.

Cirrhous, terminating in a tendril.

Clavate, club-shaped.

Claw, the stalk of a petal.

Clypeate, resembling a round buckler.

Cochleate, resembling the bowl of a spoon.

Collum, the point where the stem and root are combined.

Columella, a central part of the fruit of a moss, round which the spores are deposited.

Column, the combination of stamens and style in Orchideous and other plants.

Comose, having hairs at one or both ends, if speaking of seeds; being terminated by coloured empty bracts, if applied to inflorescences.

Conduplicate, doubled together.

Confluent, growing together so that the line of junction is lost to the sight.

Conjugate, growing in pairs.

Connate, growing together so that the line of junction remains perceptible.

Connective, the fleshy part that combines the two lobes of an anther.

Connivent, converging, as the anther of a potato blossom.

Conoidal, approaching a conical form.

Continuous, proceeding from something else without apparent interruption.

Contorted, twisted in such a way that all the parts have a similar direction, as the segments of the flower of an Oleander.

Convolute, rolled together.

Corculum, the rudimentary axis which connects the cotyledons of the embryo.

Cordate, heart-shaped.

Coriaceous, of a leathery texture.

Cormus, a solid, roundish, underground stem, as in Crocus.

Corneous, of a horny texture.

Corniculate, shaped like a slender horn.

Corolla, the second of the two envelopes that surround the stamens and pistil.

Corona, a combination of fertile and barren stamens into a disk, as in Stapelia.

Corymbose, when the branches surrounding a common axis are shortest at the top and longest at the bottom, so as to form a level-topped whole.

Costa, the midrib of a leaf.

Cotyledons, the leaves of the embryo.

Crateriform, shaped like a goblet.

Crenelled or Crenated, having rounded notches at the edges.

Crested, having some unusual and striking appendage arising from the middle.

Cruciate, when four parts are so arranged as to resemble the arms of a Maltese cross.

Cucullate, hooded, rolled inwards so as to conceal any thing lying within.

Culm, the straw of grasses.

Cuneate, wedge-shaped.

Cupule, the cup of the acorn, the husk of the filbert, chestnut, &c.; a peculiar combination of bracts.

Cuspidate, abruptly rounded off with a projecting point in the middle.

Cuticle, the external skin.

Cyathiform, cup-shaped, more contracted at the orifice than crateriform.

Cymbiform, having the form of a boat.

Cyme, an inflorescence having a corymbose form, but consisting of repeatedly-branched divisions.

Cymose, resembling a cyme in appearance.

Decandrous, having ten stamens.

Deciduous, falling off.

Declinate, curved downwards.

Decumbent, lying prostrate, but rising again.

Decurrent, produced downwards, as the base of a leaf down the stem.

Decussate, crossing at right angles.

Dehiscence, the act of opening of anther or fruit.

Deltoid, having the form of a triangle or Greek Δ.

Dendroidal, resembling a small tree.

Dentate, with sharp-pointed notches and intermediate curves instead of re-entering angles.

Depauperated, imperfectly developed; looking as if ill-formed from want of sufficient nutriment.

Depressed, flattened from point to base.

Diadelphous, having the stamens in two parcels.

Diandrous, having two stamens.

Dichotomous, repeatedly divided into two branches.

Dicotyledonous, having two cotyledons.

Didymous, growing in pairs, or twins; only applied to solids and not to flat surfaces.

Didynamous, having two pairs of stamens of unequal length.

Digitate, fingered, diverging from a common centre, as the fingers from the palm.

Dimidiate, half-formed, or halved, or split into two halves.

Diœcious, having stamens on one plant and pistils on another.

Dipterous, having two wings.

Discoidal, with the central part of a flat body differently coloured or marked from the margin.

Disk, a fleshy circle interposed between the stamens and pistils.

Dissepiments, the vertical partitions of a compound fruit.

Distichous, arranged in two rows.

Divaricating, diverging at an obtuse angle.

Dodecandrous, having 12 stamens.

Dolabriform, hatchet-shaped.

Drupe, such a fruit as the peach, consisting of a stem surrounded by flesh or fibrous matter.

Ducts, spiral vessels that will not unroll.

Dumose, having a compact bushy form.

Duramen, the heart-wood of timber.

Echinate, covered with hard sharp points.

Elaters, little spirally-twisted hygrometrical threads that disperse the spores of Jungermannias.

Elementary organs, the minute parts of which the texture of plants is composed.

Emarginate, having a notch at the point.

Embryo, the rudimentary plant before germination commences.

Endocarp, the hard lining of some pericarps.

Endogen, a plant which increases in diameter by addition to its centre, as a palm-tree.

Enneandrous, having 9 stamens.

Ensiform, having the form of a straight and narrow sword blade.

Epicarp, the external layer of the pericarp.

Epidermis, the skin of a plant, in the language of some writers; the cortical integument according to others.

Epigynous, growing upon the top of the ovary, or seeming to do so.

Equitant, when leaves are so arranged that the base of each is enclosed within the opposite base of that which is next below it; as in Iris.

Estivation, see Æstivation.

Exogen, a plant which increases in diameter by the addition of new wood to the outside of the old wood; as an oak-tree.

Farinaceous, mealy.

Fasciated, banded.

Fasciculated, collected in clusters.

Fastigiate, when the branches of any plant are pressed close to the main stem, as in the Lombardy poplar.

Filament, the stalk of the anther.

Filiform, slender and round like a thread.

Fistular, tubular but closed at each end; as the leaf of an onion.

Flabelliform, fan-shaped.

Flagelliform, resembling the thong of a whip.

Flexuose, wavy.

Floccose, covered with little irregular patches of woolliness.

Floret, a little flower.

Floscule, ditto.

Foliaceous, having the colour and texture of a common green leaf.

Foliation, the arrangement of young leaves within the leaf-bud.

Follicle, a simple fruit opening by its ventral suture only.

Foramen, the passage through the integuments of an ovule by which impregnating matter is introduced into the nucleus.

Fovilla, the fertilizing principle of pollen.

Frond, the leaf of a fern or of a palm.

Fruit, the full-grown ripened pistil.

Fugacious, lasting but a short time.

Fungoid, resembling a fungus; that is, irregular in form and fleshy in texture.

Funiculus, the stalk by which some seeds are attached to the placenta.

Fusiform, spindle-shaped, thickest in the middle, and tapering to each end.

Galbulus, a small cone whose scales are all consolidated into a fleshy ball, as in Juniper.

Galea, the upper lip of a labiate flower.

Geniculate, knee-jointed, when a stem bends suddenly in its middle.

Gibbous, prominent, projecting.

Glabrous, having no hairs.

Gladiate, the same as ensiform, but broader and shorter.

Gland, 1. the fruit of the oak, the hazel, &c.; 2. an elevation of the cuticle which usually secretes either acrid or resinous matter.

Glandular, covered with glands of the second kind.

Glaucous, covered with bloom like a plum.

Glochidate, covered with hairs which are rigid and hooked at their point.

Glume, one of the bracts of grasses.

Gymnospermous, having seeds which ripen without being enclosed in a pericarp.

Gynobase, an elevated part of the growing point of a flower-bud, rising between the carpels and throwing them into an oblique position.

Gyrate, see Circinate. Also, surrounded by an elastic ring, as the theca of ferns.

Hastate, having the form of a halbert-head; that is, with a lance-shaped centre crossed at the base by two lobes of a similar form standing at right angles with the centre.

Helmet, the hooded upper lip of some flowers.

Heptandrous, having 7 stamens.

Hexandrous, having 6 stamens.

Hilum, the scar left upon a seed when it is separated from the placenta.

Hirsute, covered with harsh long hairs.

Hymenium, the gills of a mushroom; that part in Fungi where the spores are placed.

Hypocrateriform, salver-shaped; having a cylindrical tube and a flat border spreading away from it.

Hypogynous, arising from immediately below the pistil.

Icosandrous, having 20 or more perigynous stamens.

Imbricated, overlapping, as tiles overlie each other on the roof of a house.

Incumbent, lying upon any thing.

Indehiscent, not opening when ripe.

Induplicate, doubled inwards.

Indusium, the membrane that overlies the sori of ferns.

Inferior, is said of a calyx when it does not adhere to the ovary; is said of an ovary when it does adhere to the calyx.

Inflorescence, the collection of flowers upon a plant.

Infundibuliform, shaped like a funnel.

Innate, growing upon any thing by one end.

Innovations, the young shoots of mosses.

Intercellular, that which lies between the cells or elementary bladders of plants.

Internode, the space between two nodes.

Interrupted, when variations in continuity, size, or development alternately occur in parts which are sometimes uniform; as when pinnated leaves have the alternate leaflets much the smallest, and when dense spikes are here and there broken by the extension of internodes.

Involucre, a collection of bracts placed in a whorl on the outside a calyx or flower-head.

Involute, rolled inwards.

Labellum, one segment of a corolla, which is lower than the others, and often pendulous.

Labiate, divided into an upper and a lower lip, as the corolla of dead nettle.

Lacunose, having numerous large deep depressions or excavations on its surface.

Lamina, the blade of a leaf.

Lanceolate, shaped like a lance-head; that is, oval, tapering to both extremities.

Lateral, originating from the side of any thing.

Latex, the vital fluid of vegetation.

Lax, not compact or dense.

Leaflet, a division of a compound leaf.

Legume, a kind of fruit like the pod of a pea.

Lenticular, small, depressed, and doubly convex.

Lepidote, covered with a sort of scurfiness.

Leprous, the same.

Liber, the newly-formed inner bark of Exogens.

Ligula, a membranous expansion from the top of the petiole in grasses.

Limb, the blade or expanded part of a petal.

Linea, very narrow, with the two sides nearly parallel.

Lip, see Labellum.

Loculicidal, when the carpels of a compound fruit dehisce in such a way that the cells are broken through at their back.

Locusta, the spikelet, or collection of florets of a grass.

Lomentum, a legume which is interrupted between the seeds, so as to separate into numerous transverse portions.

Lunate, formed like a crescent.

Manicate, when hairs are interwoven into a mass that can be easily separated from the surface.

Marginal, of or belonging to the edge of any thing.

Medullary, of or belonging to the pith.

Micropyle, a small passage through the seed, called the foramen when speaking of the ovule. See Foramen.

Mitriform, conical, hollow, open at the base, and either entire there or irregularly cut.

Monadelphous, with the stamens united into one parcel.

Monandrous, with one stamen only.

Moniliform, shaped like a necklace.

Monopetalous, with several petals united into one body by their edges.

Mucronate, tipped by a hard point.

Multifid, divided into many shallow lobes.

Multipartite, divided into many deep lobes.

Muricated, covered with short, broad, sharp-pointed tubercles.

Muriform, resembling the bricks in the wall of a house.

Navicular, shaped like a very small boat.

Nectary, any organ that secretes honey.

Nerves, the stronger veins of a leaf.

Node, the part of a stem from which a normal leaf-bud arises.

Normal, according to general rules.

Nucleus, the central part of an ovule, or a seed.

Nucule, a small hard seed-like pericarp.

Oblique, larger on one side than on the other.

Ochrea, two stipules united round the stem into a kind of sheath.

Octandrous, having eight stamens.

Operculum, the lid of the theca of a moss.

Ovary, the hollow part of a pistil containing the ovules.

Ovate, having the figure of an egg.

Ovule, a rudimentary seed.

Palate, the lower surface of the throat of a labiate corolla.

Palea, either the inner bracts of the inflorescence of a grass, or the bracts upon the receptacle of the flower-head of a Composita.

Paleaceous, covered with paleæ.

Palmate, the same as digitate, only the divisions more shallow and broader.

Panduriform, oblong, narrowing towards the base, and contracted below the middle.

Panicle, a compound raceme; a loose kind of inflorescence.

Papilionaceous, a flower consisting of standard, wings, and keel, like that of a pea.

Pappus, the calyx of a Composita, as of dandelion.

Parenchyma, the pulp that connects the veins of leaves.

Parietal, growing from the lining of any thing.

Pectinate, divided into long, close, narrow teeth like a comb.

Pedate, palmate, with the lateral segments lengthened and lobed.

Pedicel, one of a great many peduncles.

Peduncle, a flower-stalk.

Peltate, attached within the margin.

Pentandrous, having five stamens.

Perfoliate, surrounding a stem by the base, which grows together where the margins touch.

Perianth, a collection of floral envelopes, among which the calyx cannot be distinguished from the corolla, though both are present.

Pericarp, the shell of a fruit of any kind.

Perichætium, the leaves at the base of the stalk of the fruit of a moss.

Perigone, same as Perianth.

Perigynous, growing from the sides of a calyx.

Perisperm, same as Albumen.

Peristome, a curious set of processes surrounding the orifice of the theca of a moss.

Peronate, laid thickly over with a woolly substance ending in a sort of meal.

Personate, labiate, with the palate of the lower lip pressing against the upper lip.

Petal, one of the parts of a corolla.

Petaloid, resembling a petal in colour and texture.

Petiole, the stalk of a leaf.

Petiolar, of or belonging to the petiole.

Phyllodium, a petiole transformed into a flat leaf-like body.

Pileus, the cap of a mushroom.

Pilose, covered with short fine hairs.

Pinnate, divided into a number of pairs of leaflets; bipinnate, each leaflet is also pinnate; tripinnate, each secondary leaflet pinnated also.

Pinnatifid, divided in a pinnated manner nearly down to the midrib.

Pistil, the combination of ovary, style, and stigma.

Pith, the central column of cellular tissue in an Exogen.

Placenta, the part of the ovary to which the ovules are attached.

Plane, quite flat.

Plumule, the rudiment of a stem in the embryo.

Pollen, the powder contained in an anther.

Pollen-tubes, the membranous tubes emitted by pollen after they fall on the stigma.

Polyadelphous, when the stamens are combined into more than two parcels.

Polyandrous, when there are more than 20 hypogynous stamens.

Polypetalous, when the petals are all distinct.

Pome, a fruit like that of the apple, pear, &c.

Præfloration, same as Æstivation.

Prickle, same as Aculeus.

Primine, the external integument of the ovule.

Pseudobulb, the solid above-ground tuber of some Orchideæ.

Pubescent, covered with very fine soft down.

Pulverulent, covered with a powdery appearance.

Putamen, same as Endocarp.

Pyriform, shaped like a pear.

Quartine, the innermost integument but one of the ovule.

Quinate, combined in fives.

Quintine, the innermost integument of the ovule.

Raceme, an inflorescence like that of the currant.

Rachis, the axis of inflorescence.

Radical, arising from the root.

Radicle, the rudimentary root in the embryo.

Ramenta, soft, ragged, chaff-like hairs growing upon the petiole of ferns.

Raphe, the line of communication between the hilum and chalaza.

Raphides, acicular or other crystals scattered among vegetable tissue.

Reniform, kidney-shaped.

Resupinate, inverted, so that the part which is naturally lowermost becomes uppermost.

Reticulated, traversed by veins having the appearance of network.

Retuse, blunt, and turned inwards more than obtuse.

Rhizoma, a creeping stem like that of Iris.

Ringent, same as Personate.

Root-stock, same as Rhizoma.

Rostrate, furnished with a sort of beak.

Rosulate, having the leaves arranged in little rose-like clusters.

Ruminated, pierced by numerous perforations full of chaffy matter like a nutmeg.

Runner, the prostrate stem of such plants as the strawberry.

Sagittate, resembling the head of an ancient arrow.

Samara, a kind of one-seeded indehiscent pericarp, with a wing at one end.

Sapwood, the newly-formed wood, which has not been hardened by the deposit of secreted matter.

Sarcocarp, the intermediate fleshy layer between the epicarp and endocarp.

Scale, an abortive leaf.

Scape, the flowering-stem of a plant.

Scarious, dry, thin, and shrivelled.

Scrobiculate, irregularly pitted.

Scutellum, the fructifying space upon the thallus of a lichen.

Secund, arranged or turned to one side.

Secundine, the second integument of the ovule.

Sepals, the leaves of the calyx.

Septa, same as Dissepiment.

Septicidal, when the dissepiments of a fruit are divided into two plates at the period of dehiscence.

Septifragal, when the dissepiments of a fruit are broken through their middle by the separation of the back of the carpels from the centre.

Sericeous, silky.

Serrate, toothed like the edge of a saw.

Sessile, seated close upon any thing, without a stalk.

Setose, covered with setæ or bristles.

Shield, the fructification of lichens.

Sigmoid, bent like the letter S.

Silicle, a short two-valved pod, such as is found in garden cress.

Silique, the same but longer, as in the cabbage.

Sinuate, turning in and out in an irregular manner.

Sori, the fructification of ferns.

Spadiceous, resembling a spadix, or bearing that kind of inflorescence.

Spadix, the inflorescence of an arum; an axis closely covered with sessile flowers, and enclosed in a spathe.

Spathaceous, enclosed within a spathe, or bearing that kind of bract.

Spathe, a large coloured bract which encloses a spadix.

Spatulate, shaped like a druggist’s spatula; that is, long, narrow, and broadest at the point.

Spike, an inflorescence in which the flowers are sessile upon their axis.

Spikelet, one of a great many small spikes collected in a mass, as in grasses.

Spine, a stiff, sharp-pointed, leafless branch.

Spongiole, or Spongelet, the tender, growing tip of the root.

Spore, or Sporule, the reproductive body of flowerless plants, analogous to the seed of flowering plants.

Squarrose, composed of parts which diverge at right angles, and are irregular in size and direction.

Stamen, the fertilizing organ of a flower, consisting of filament and anther.

Standard, the upper single petal of a papilionaceous flower.

Stellate, arranged in the form of a star.

Stigma, the upper end of the style, on which the pollen falls.

Stipe, the stalk that bears the head of a mushroom; also the stalk of the leaf of a fern; also the stalk of any thing, except of a leaf or a flower.

Stipulate, furnished with stipules; exstipulate, having no stipules.

Stipule, the scale at the base of some leaf-stalks.

Stomate, a minute hole in a leaf, through which respiration is supposed to be carried on; a breathing pore.

Strigose, covered with stiff unequal hairs.

Strophiolate, having little fungous excrescences surrounding the hilum.

Stupose, having a tuft of hairs in the middle or at the end.

Style, the stalk of the stigma.

Subulate, awl-shaped.

Syncarpous, having the carpels consolidated.

Terete, taper.

Ternate, united in threes.

Testa, the skin of the seed.

Tetradynamous, having six stamens in four parcels; two of which consist of two stamens, and two of one each.

Tetrandrous, having four stamens.

Thallus, the leafy part of a lichen; the union of stem and leaf in those and some other tribes of imperfect plants.

Theca, the case which contains the sporules of flowerless plants.

Tomentose, covered with short close down.

Toothed, the same as Dentate.

Torulose, alternately contracted and distended.

Torus, the growing point of a flower, on which the carpels are placed.

Triandrous, having three stamens.

Trifarious, arranged in three rows.

Trifid, divided into three lobes.

Trifoliolate, having three leaflets.

Tripartite, divided into three deep divisions.

Tripinnate, when each leaflet of a pinnated leaf is pinnate; and the leaflets of the latter are pinnate also.

Triternate, when each leaflet of a ternate leaf is ternate, and the leaflets of the latter are ternate also.

Truncate, abruptly cut off.

Tube, the part of a flower where the bases of the sepals, petals, or stamens are united.

Tuber, a deformed, fleshy kind of underground stem.

Turbinate, shaped like a spinning top.

Umbel, an inflorescence whose branches all radiate from one common point.

Umbilicate, having a depression in the middle.

Umbonate, having a boss or elevated point in the middle.

Undulated, wavy.

Unguiculate, furnished with a claw, or short stalk.

Urceolate, shaped like a pitcher.

Utricle, a small bladder.

Vagina, the sheath formed by the convolution of a flat petiole round a stem.

Valve, one of the parts into which any dehiscent body divides.

Vascular, containing vessels; that is, spiral vessels or ducts.

Ventricose, inflated.

Vernation, the manner in which the young leaves are arranged in their leaf-bud.

Verrucose, covered with warts.

Versatile, swinging lightly upon a sort of pivot.

Verticellate, arranged in a whorl.

Vexillum, same as Standard.

Villous, covered with long, soft, shaggy hair.

Virgate, having long, slender rodlike shoots.

Vitellus, a fleshy bag, interposed between the embryo and albumen in some seeds.

Vittate, striped, as distinguished from fasciate or banded.

Whorl, an arrangement of more leaves than two around a common centre upon the same plane.

Public domain (Project Gutenberg, pre-1930 text)


BOTCH

A piece of bad workmanship; or where improper materials are used and do not answer well.


BOTCH

A bungling, incompetent workman.

The American Printer: A Manual of Typography


BOTTLE ARSED

An epithet applied to letter, when, either through a fault in casting, or dressing, it is wider at the bottom of the shank than it is at the top.

This is an old term, and as such I have inserted it; but, owing to the superior skill, or the greater care, of the present letter founders, such a thing now never occurs.


Bottled

Type wider at the bottom than at the top.


BOTTOM LINE

The last line in the page, except that in which the signature, or the catch word or direction word, is inserted.


BOTTOM NOTES

The notes at the bottom or foot of a page. They are usually composed in a type two sizes smaller than that used for the body of the work: thus, if the work be printed with a Pica type, the notes will be composed in Long Primer; if with English, the notes will be Small Pica. They are also termed <i>Foot Notes</i>.


BOURGEOIS

The name of a type, a size larger than Brevier, and smaller than Long Primer. It is not enumerated in Moxon’s list of the sizes of types. See Types.


BOW THE LETTER

When compositors pick a bad letter out of a form in correcting, it is usual to rub the face of it on the stone and to bend the shank, if it be not a thick letter; this is done to prevent such letters being distributed and used again; in Moxon’s time it was styled bowing a letter. After the form is locked-up and the stone cleared, these bowed (or bent) letters are thrown into the shoe.


BOWL

A small wooden bowl, which it is usual to have in composing rooms, in which to carry water to different parts for the purpose of wetting matter.


BOWL OF THE BALL STOCK

The hollow part of the ball stock, in the crown of which the handle is inserted; it is filled with wool, and the pelt, or canvass, is nailed to it. An old one is generally used for a paste bowl in the press-room.


BOWYER

Extract from the Will of Mr. William Bowyer, Printer, who died on the 18th of November, 1777, when he had nearly completed his 78th year.

“And now I hope I may be allowed to leave somewhat for the benefit of printing. To this end, I give to the master and keepers, or wardens and commonalty, of the mistery or art of a Stationer of the city of London, such a sum of money as will purchase Two Thousand Pounds, three per cent. Reduced Bank Annuities, upon trust, to pay the dividends and yearly produce thereof, to be divided for ever equally amongst three printers, compositors or pressmen, to be elected from time to time by the master, wardens, and assistants, of the said company, and who at the time of such election shall be sixty-three years old or upwards, for their respective lives, to be paid half yearly; hoping that such as shall be most deserving will be preferred. And whereas I have herein before given to my son the sum of Three Thousand Pounds four per cent. Consolidated Annuities, in case he marries with the consent of my executors: now, I do hereby give and bequeath the dividends and interest of that sum, till such marriage takes place, to the said Company of Stationers, to be divided equally between six other printers, compositors or pressmen, as aforesaid, in manner as aforesaid; and, if my said son shall die unmarried, or married without such consent as aforesaid, then I give and bequeath the said capital sum of Three Thousand Pounds to the said Company of Stationers, the dividends and yearly produce thereof to be divided for ever equally amongst six other such old printers, compositors or pressmen, for their respective lives, to be qualified, chosen, and paid, in manner as aforesaid.—It has long been to me matter of concern, that such numbers are put apprentices, as compositors, without any share of school-learning, who ought to have the greatest: in hopes of remedying this, I give and bequeath to the said Company of Stationers such a sum of money as will purchase One Thousand Pounds three per cent. Reduced Bank Annuities, for the use of one journeyman compositor, such as shall hereafter be described, with this special trust, that the master, wardens, and assistants, shall pay the dividends and produce thereof half-yearly to such compositor: the said master, wardens, and assistants, of the said company, shall nominate for this purpose a compositor who is a man of good life and conversation, who shall usually frequent some place of public worship every Sunday, unless prevented by sickness, and shall not have worked on a newspaper or magazine for four years at least before such nomination, nor shall ever afterwards whilst he holds this annuity, which may be for life if he continues a journeyman: he shall be able to read and construe Latin, and at least to read Greek fluently with accents; of which he shall bring a testimonial from the rector of St. Martin’s, Ludgate, for the time being: I could wish that he shall have been brought up piously and virtuously, if it be possible, at Merchant Taylor’s, or some other public school, from seven years of age till he is full seventeen, and then to serve seven years faithfully as a compositor, and work seven years more as a journeyman, as I would not have this annuity bestowed on any one under thirty-one years of age: if, after he is chosen, he should behave ill, let him be turned out, and another be chosen in his stead. And whereas it may be many years before a compositor may be found that shall exactly answer the above description, and it may at some time happen that such a one cannot be found; I would have the dividends in the meantime applied to such person as the master, wardens, and assistants, shall think approaches nearest to what I have described. And whereas the above trusts will occasion some trouble; I give to the said Company, in case they think proper to accept the trusts, two hundred and fifty pounds.”—Extracted from Anecdotes, Literary and Biographical, of Mr. Bowyer, by J. N. [John Nichols?] in Gent. Mag. Dec. 1778, p. 570.

6,000l. stock was immediately transferred by the executors of Mr. Bowyer, and now stands in the name of the Company; the yearly dividend is 180l.—Hansard’s Typographia, p. 280. Note.


BOX

The divisions of a case, in which the letters lie, are termed Boxes; as the a box, the e box, the i box, &c.

Box. The female screw in the head of a press, in which the spindle works. It is made of brass, and is usually cast on the screw of the spindle, round on the outside with a projecting part of about half an inch on the whole length of each opposite side, to keep it firm in the head, and prevent it turning round. It is fitted tightly into the head, and kept in its place by two bolts, driven into the under side, with return heads which project over the bottom of the box. It is also called the Nut of the Spindle.


box

The compartments of a case in which the types are placed.


BOXWOOD

The best boxwood used in engraving is of a good yellow colour, of a fine close grain, that has been of a slow growth, clear of knots and any imperfections, such as cracks or flaws; the finest lines may be engraved on this wood, as it is both hard and tough, and, with care in printing, the number of impressions that may be taken from an engraving on it would appear incredible. Papillon, in his History of Engraving on Wood, gives a specimen, from which, he states, there had been upwards of three hundred and seventy thousand impressions previously printed; and if the block had been carefully cleaned, and well printed, it would still have produced respectable impressions. Boxwood of a dull bad yellow colour, and of an open coarse grain, is not fit for engraving on, neither is wood that is of a blackish colour at the heart; for, in these cases, it has begun to decay, is brittle and tender, and if engraved on, the lines would not stand, but would fail in printing. Our principal supply of boxwood comes from the Levant, and is called Turkey box.


BRACE

A character cast in metal thus marked ⏞. The compositor is to have these cast of several breadths, viz. to several number of lines of a designed body (most commonly of Pica body) that they may hook in or brace so many lines as his copy may show him.—M.

It is used in poetry at the end of a triplet, or three lines which have the same rhyme.

Braces are also used to connect a number of words with one common term, and are introduced to prevent a repetition in writing or printing.—Murray.

Braces are cast to different bodies as high as English; and braces on Long Primer are now cast from three to eight ems in length, which look much neater than the old fashion of middles and corners, filled up with metal rules.

The founders in casting long Braces always make the swell in the face of them proportionably thick to their length, so that in using them with small letter they look heavy and clumsy; I would recommend that long Braces should be cast to a small body, not larger than Brevier, and the faces of all the lengths uniform, so that when there happens to be a range of them of different lengths in a page they might harmonize, and not make such an incongruous appearance as they now do. When Braces are wanted longer than those already cast, I would not use middles and corners, but make them of Brass Rule in one continued piece, which has a better appearance than when they are joined, and which may be made with a file in a neat manner by any clever compositor.

Bracket. See Crotchet.

Bramah’s Press. See Hydrostatic Press.


Brace

is a Character *Cast* in *Mettle* thus marked The *Compositer* is to have these *Cast* of several Breadths, viz. to several numbers of *Lines* of a designed *Body* (most commonly of *Pica Body*) that they may hook in or Brace so many *Lines* as his *Copy* may shew him; as at *Charge* is a Brace of four *Lines*. See also § 24. ¶ 1.


BRANCHING-OUT

Opening or extending the matter in title-pages, heads of pages, or other parts, and also in jobs, with quadrats, leads, reglet, or other proper materials.


BRASS RULES

Pieces of brass of different thicknesses made letter high, to print with.—M. They are made in lengths of fourteen inches, but of late years lengths half as long again have been made; one of the edges is bevilled so as to print a fine line, and when a thicker line is required the bottom edge is placed uppermost, which is the full thickness of the brass; by this means lines of different thicknesses are obtained, and also double lines, a thick one and a fine one when required. They are used for column lines in table work; to separate matter that requires to be distinct; and to be placed round pages.

I have found in practice that the best way of forming a good joining at the corners with brass rule, is to cut the rules a little longer than the precise length wanted, and to let one piece project a little at each corner; to push the other piece close up, and, when the form is locked up, then to file the projecting parts away, which makes the corners equal, as shown below.

Wherever two rules join, the end of that which abuts on the other should be cut with a little bevil, so that the upper side should project a little to form a junction with the face of the other; this also prevents the rule binding at bottom.

An ingenious compositor will make many things out of brass rules, such as neat long braces, instead of using middles, corners, and metal rules, which rarely join well, swell rules of different varieties, and many fancy rules, as occasion may require.

In cases where diagrams are required, and there is no engraver within reach, they may be formed by a clever workman, with brass rule. There have been of late years many ingenious and elaborate performances with this article in imitation of architectural drawings of buildings, with pillars, &c.; and I believe no one has displayed more ingenuity and skill in the production of such works than Mr. Ebenezer Parkes, of Fetter Lane.

Two rectangles side by side

William Savage, A Dictionary of the Art of Printing, 1841


BRAYER

A round wooden rubber with an upright handle, almost of the fashion of a ball stock, but solid and flat at the bottom, and not above three inches in diameter. It is used on the ink block, to bray or rub out ink with so as to spread it out in such a manner that a small quantity may be taken up when the ball is pressed upon the block, tolerably diffused upon the surface, and not in a mass, which causes the ink to be more expeditiously distributed, with less risk of making monks and friars.

BREAD, SALE OF, Ireland.

1 & 2 Vict. c. 28. “An Act to repeal the several Acts now in force relating to Bread to be sold in Ireland, and to provide other Regulations for the making and Sale of Bread, and for preventing the Adulteration of Meal, Flour, and Bread, in that Part of the United Kingdom called Ireland.”

s. 7. “And be it enacted, That no Baker or other Person who shall make Bread for Sale in Ireland, nor any Journeyman or other Servant of any such Baker or other Person, shall, at any Time or Times, in the making of Bread for sale in Ireland, use any Mixture or Ingredient whatever in the making of such Bread other than and except as herein-before mentioned, on any Account or under any Colour or Pretence whatsoever in the making of such Bread, upon pain that every such Person, whether Master or Journeyman, Servant or other Person, who shall offend in the Premises, and shall be convicted of any such Offence by the Oath, or in case of a Quaker by Affirmation, of One or more credible Witness or Witnesses, or by his, her, or their own Confession, shall for every such Offence forfeit and pay any Sum not exceeding Five Pounds nor less than Fifty Shillings, or in default thereof shall, by Warrant under the Hands and Seals of the Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices before whom such Offender shall be convicted, be apprehended and committed to the House of Correction, or some Prison of the City, County, Borough, or Place where the Offence shall have been committed, or the Offender or Offenders apprehended, there to remain for any Time not exceeding Three Calendar Months, with or without hard Labour, from the Time of such Commitment, unless the Penalty shall be sooner paid, as any such Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices shall think fit to order; and it shall be lawful for the Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices before whom any such Offender or Offenders shall be convicted to cause the Offender’s Name, Place of Abode, and Offence to be published in some Newspaper or Newspapers which shall be printed or published in or near the City, County, Borough, or Place where the Offence shall have been committed; and the Proprietor and Proprietors, Printer and Printers, and every other Person or Persons concerned therein, are hereby authorized to print and publish the same when he, she, or they is or are required so to do by or by the Order of such Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices; and he, she, or they is and are hereby indemnified from any Prosecution or Prosecutions for printing and publishing the same or causing the same to be printed and published in such Newspaper or Newspapers by or from any Person or Persons whomsoever, any Law, Statute, or Usage to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding; and the Costs and Charges of such printing and publishing shall be paid out of such last-mentioned Penalty or Forfeiture, in case any shall be so forfeited, paid, or recovered.”

s. 11. “And be it enacted, That every Miller, Mealman, Flour Factor, or Baker in Ireland, in whose House, Mill, Shop, Stall, Bakehouse, Bolting-house, Pastry Warehouse, Outhouse, Ground or Possession any Ingredient or Mixture shall be found which shall, after due Examination, be adjudged by any Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices of the Peace to have been deposited there for the Purpose of being used in adulterating Meal, Flour, Dough, or Bread, shall, upon being convicted of any such Offence, either by his, her, or their Confession, or by the Oath, or in case of a Quaker by Affirmation, of One or more credible Witness or Witnesses, forfeit and pay on every such Conviction any Sum not exceeding Ten Pounds nor less than Forty Shillings for the First Offence, Five Pounds for the Second Offence, and Ten Pounds for every subsequent Offence, or in default of Payment thereof shall, by Warrant under the Hand and Seal or Hands and Seals of the Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices before whom such Offender shall be convicted, be apprehended and committed to the House of Correction or some Prison of the City, County, or Place where the Offence shall have been committed, or the Offender or Offenders shall be, there to remain for any Time not exceeding Three Calendar Months, with or without hard Labour, from the Time of such Commitment, (unless the Penalty be sooner paid,) as any such Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices shall think fit and order; and it shall be lawful for the Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices before whom any such Offender shall be convicted to cause the Offender’s Name, Place of Abode, and Offence to be published in some Newspaper or Newspapers which shall be printed or published in or near the City, County, Borough, or Place where the Offence shall have been committed; and the Proprietor or Proprietors, Printer or Printers, and every other Person and Persons concerned therein, are hereby authorized to print and publish the same when he, she, or they is or are required so to do by or by the Order of such Magistrate or Magistrates, Justice or Justices; and he, she, or they is and are hereby indemnified from any Prosecution or Prosecutions for printing and publishing the same or causing the same to be printed and published in such Newspaper or Newspapers by or from any Person or Persons whomsoever, any Law, Statute, or Usage to the contrary notwithstanding; and the Costs and Charges of such printing and publishing shall be paid out of such last-mentioned Penalty or Forfeiture, if any such shall be so forfeited and paid or recovered.”

A tool to spread ink


brayer

A wooden or glass rubber, flat at the bottom, used to bray or spread out ink on the ink-block.


BREAK

A piece of a line.—M. The last line of a paragraph.

Breve. See Accented Letters.


break

a piece of a *Line*. Also the *Mettle* that is contiguous to the *Shank* of a *New Cast Letter*: This *Break* is formed in the *Mouth-piece* of the *Letter-mould*, and is called a *Break*, because it is always broke from the *Shank* of a *Letter*.


BREVIER

The name of a type, a size smaller than Bourgeois, and larger than Minion. In Moxon’s time 112 Brevier bodies measured a foot. See Types.


BRING-UP

To bring-up a form of types is to place overlays over those parts on which the pressure is deficient in order to increase it and to equalize it over the whole surface of the form.

With wood-cuts, in which an equal pressure over the whole surface is not wanted, it is to place underlays on the bottom of the block, under those parts which require to come stronger than the rest, these are the dark parts and the foreground, and to cut away the tympan sheet over the light parts and the distances when requisite, and to overlay those parts which require to be firm, with smooth thin paper. I have always found India paper the best, but the minute hard particles and all the extraneous substances, should be taken out by scraping it carefully with a knife, so as to render it quite smooth and even, otherwise the engraving will be injured.

In order to produce the finest impression possible, it is necessary that it should be the impression of the surface of the types and the engraving, and the surface only; therefore it is requisite to have very little blanket in the tympans, and that of the finest kerseymere or woollen cloth, or paper alone, so that it shall not be pressed in between the lines, which, when the pressman neglects this precaution, produces rough coarse lines; of course the overlays should be as few as possible and of very thin paper. See Fine Presswork, Making Ready, Overlay, Underlay.


BROAD

The technical name of a piece of furniture equal in width to a broad quotation.


Broad-side

a Form of one full *Page*, Printed on one side of a whole Sheet of Paper.


Broad-side

A form of one page, printed on one side of a whole sheet of paper.


BROADSIDE

A form of one full page, printed on one side of a whole sheet of paper, whatever size the paper may be of: thus, we have demy broadsides—royal broadsides—double crown broadsides, &c.


Broke up

When plates are turned over and folded at a short distance from the back-edge, before they are placed so as to enable them to turn easily in the volume, they are said to be broke up. The same process is sometimes applied to the entire volume.


BROKEN LETTER

By broken letter is not meant the breaking of the shanks of any of the letters, but the breaking of the orderly succession in which the letters stood in a line, page, or form, &c. and mingling the letters together, these mingled letters being called pie.—M. Instead of Broken Letter it is now styled Broken Matter.


BROKEN MATTER

The deranging the order of types after they are composed, so as to make it pie. Moxon styles it Broken Letter, which see.


BROKEN MATTER

Pages of type disrupted and somewhat intermingled.


BROKEN NECK

A ball is said to be broken-necked, when the wool in the bowl of the ball stock separates from the body of wool in the ball; so that when the ball is held in a horizontal position by the handle it hangs down in a flabby manner.


BROKEN OVER

When plates are turned over or folded a short distance from the back edge, before they are placed in the volume, so as to facilitate their being turned easily or laid flat, they are said to be broken over. When a leaf has been turned down the paper is broken.

The Art of Bookbinding: A Practical Treatise


Broken up

When plates are folded over a short distance from the back edge before they are placed in the book, that they may be turned easily, they are said to be broken up. The same process is sometimes applied to an entire book.


buckram

Properly a coarse linen cloth, stiffened with glue or gum. Most buckram, so-called, is made of cotton. See also Linen-finish buckram and Art canvas.


buffing

The name given to the thin sheet of cowhide taken off in the operation of buffing or splitting. It is usually of very inferior quality.


BULK

A platform fixed to the end of a frame on which to put a letter board with letter; there is another sort sometimes adopted, called a Loose Bulk, which is a small table made of deal, for the same purpose, but moveable to any part where it is most convenient to use it.

BULLET.

When a workman, at case or press, either for neglect, want of punctuality, or for gross misconduct, is discharged instanter, and the usual notice of “a fortnight” is not given, it is said, He has got the Bullet.

A loose bulk table


BUNDLE

A bundle of paper consists of two reams. See Paper, Ream.

Bur. See Rag.


Bur

Rough edge of a type which the founder neglected to take off in dressing.


burnish

The effect produced by the application of the burnisher to the edges.


burnish

The gloss produced by the application of the burnisher to the edges after coloring, marbling or gilding.

Bib-li-op-e-gis-tic: Pertaining to the Art of Binding Books


burnish

The gloss produced by the application of the burnisher to the edges.


Burnished

The effect produced by the application of a burnisher to edges.


burnisher

Are pieces of agate or bloodstone affixed to handles.


burnisher

Pieces of agate or bloodstone affixed to convenient handles.


burnisher

Pieces of agate or bloodstone affixed to handles. With them a gloss is produced on the edges of a book.


BUTTON OF THE TYMPAN

An iron button with a female screw, screwed on a square shanked bolt, that goes through the bottom frame of the outer tympan, in wooden presses, and turns on the upper side of the inner tympan, to assist in keeping it tight in its place.

In very fine work also, when the paper is stout and heavy and large sheets, and it is not customary to fly the frisket, but to turn it down upon the paper before the tympan is turned down upon the form, a button is placed upon the lower frame of the outer tympan, which clasps the extreme end of the frisket, and confines the sheet of paper in its place on the tympan, and prevents it slipping down.


Cabinet

A receptacle for cases, chases leads, &c.


calf lined

When the inside of a limp cover is lined with calfskin, this taking the place of that half of the end paper which is usually on the inside of the cover. This calf lining is thin and soft and is usually glued to the leather cover only at the latter’s outer edges, thus leaving the cover pliable.


Calf or calfskin

Leather made of calves’ skins. It has a smooth and uniform surface. It was formerly much used in binding, and is very beautiful; but that made in recent years lasts only a short time, soon growing hard and brittle and even falling into dust. Even when new the surface is easily broken and torn.


CANCEL

At the conclusion of a work, if there be any leaves cancelled, it is useful to place a mark in the white line of the odd page of the reprinted leaf, to prevent a mistake on the part of the bookbinder; a *, †, ‡, ‖, or §, either upright or laid flat. This is too frequently neglected, and when the warehouseman omits tearing or cutting the cancelled leaf, the wrong one occasionally is bound in the book. To save press work and paper, cancel leaves are always imposed with the fragments, if possible.

Before the book is gathered, the warehouseman should either tear the cancelled leaf or run his knife up it, so as to prevent it being overlooked by the bookbinder; running the knife up it is the most expeditious method, and, to prevent mistakes, he ought to do this himself, and not to entrust it to boys, as cutting a wrong leaf would cause another leaf to be reprinted, and he might be held responsible for the expense, and also incur censure on account of delay.


cancel

Leaves containing errors which are to be cut out and replaced with corrected pages.


cancel

Leaves containing errors which are to be cut out and replaced by corrected pages (*see* ASTERISK).


cancel

leaves containing errors, which have to be discarded and replaced by corrected sheets. Such leaves are marked by the printer with a star.


Cancelled figures

Figures cast with a line across the face.


CANON

The name of a type, a size larger than Trafalgar, and the largest with a specific name. The body is four Picas, the next size being four line Pica, and so upwards, reckoning by lines of Pica. See Types.


CAP

The top part of a wooden press; it has two mortises at each end to receive the tenons at the upper end of each cheek, by which it keeps the cheeks at a proper distance at the top; and the head is suspended from it by two iron bolts, with screws and nuts at the upper end, by which the pull also is regulated.


CAP

The envelope of paper used to protect the edges while the volume is being covered and finished.


CAPITALS

The following directions respecting the use of capital letters, are extracted from Lindley Murray’s English Grammar.

‘It was formerly the custom to begin every noun with a capital: but as this practice was troublesome, and gave the writing or printing a crowded and confused appearance, it has been discontinued. It is, however, very proper to begin with a capital,

‘1. The first word of every book, chapter, letter, note, or any other piece of writing.

‘2. The first word after a period; and, if the two sentences are totally independent, after a note of interrogation or exclamation.

‘But if a number of interrogative or exclamatory sentences are thrown into one general group, or if the construction of the latter sentences depends on the former, all of them, except the first, may begin with a small letter: as, “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning? and fools hate knowledge?” “Alas! how different! yet how like the same!”

‘3. The appellations of the Deity: as, “God, Jehovah, the Almighty, the Supreme Being, the Lord, Providence, the Messiah, the Holy Spirit.”

‘4. Proper names of persons, places, streets, mountains, rivers, ships: as, “George, York, the Strand, the Alps, the Thames, the Seahorse.”

‘5. Adjectives derived from the proper names of places: as, “Grecian, Roman, English, French, and Italian.”

‘6. The first word of a quotation, introduced after a colon, or when it is in a direct form: as, “Always remember this ancient maxim: ‘Know thyself.’” “Our great Lawgiver says, ‘Take up thy cross daily, and follow me.’” But when a quotation is brought in obliquely after a comma, a capital is unnecessary: as, “Solomon observes, ‘that pride goes before destruction.’”

‘The first word of an example may also very properly begin with a capital: as, “Temptation proves our virtue.”

‘7. Every substantive and principal word in the titles of books: as, “Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language;” “Thomson’s Seasons;” “Rollin’s Ancient History.”

‘8. The first word of every line in poetry.

‘9. The pronoun I, and the interjection O, are written in capitals: as, “I write:” “Hear, O earth!”

‘Other words, besides the preceding, may begin with capitals, when they are remarkably emphatical, or the principal subject of the composition.’


CAPPING A MAN

Wrapping one of the blankets with which the pelt balls are capped about a man’s head, and tying it round his neck. This most filthy and disgusting punishment is very rarely inflicted in a press room; yet I have read an account of a trial at the Old Bailey for an assault, in which this act was the ground of offence.


CAPPING BALLS

Wrapping up pelt balls in blankets soaked in urine at night, and when they are not in use, to keep them soft. They are generally left on the floor of the sink.


Caps

The leather covering of the headband. Applies also to the paper envelopes used to protect the edges while the volume is being covered and finished.


Caps

Paper coverings used to protect the edges while the book is being covered and finished. Also the leather coverings of headbands. See Head cap.


CARD

When several bodies of letter are set in a page, compositors to justify that page to an exact length, put a card to some white line, or other break, and lengthen out the page the thickness of a card. Pressmen also use a card for an underlay.—M. Cards are rarely used now for these purposes; in making up pages, leads and scaleboards are used, and, where great nicety is required, a careful compositor will cut slips of smooth even paper, and use them where a lead or a scaleboard would be too much. At press, underlays are not used for types; and where an engraving on wood is much too low, the pressman will underlay it with thick wrapper paper. In fact, cards are an article that neither composing rooms nor press rooms are supplied with.


CARD WOOL

The act of carding wool to stuff the balls with, to take out the knots, dirt, &c., for the purpose of making the balls softer, more elastic, and to have a more even surface than would be the case if the wool were not carded. This operation is repeated every time a pair of balls is knocked up. Formerly it was teazed, and not carded.


CARDS

About a quire of paper, which pressmen use to pull down the spring or rising of a form, which it is many times subject to by hard locking up.—M.

The term is also applied to pieces of scaleboard, old felted hat, or pasteboard, for they are all called cards, cut to the size of the mortises in the cheeks of a wooden press, and laid in them, under the tenons of the winter, and above those of the head, to cause a spring in both these parts, for the purpose of softening the pull. I would never place any cards under the winter, for the reasons assigned under that article. See Winter.


CARET

A caret, marked thus <sup>,</sup> is placed where some word happens to be left out in writing, and which is inserted over the line. This mark is also called a circumflex, when placed over some vowel of a word, to denote a long syllable: as, “Euphrâtes.”—Murray.


CARET

A character [^] used in proofreading to denote the place where omitted words should be inserted.


Carriage

is a part of the *Press*. For which See § 10. ¶ 9. It is also a part of the *Letter-Mold*: For which See § 15. ¶ 3.


CARRIAGE,

is that part of the press that runs in under the platen, including the plank, coffin, &c. I am aware that many printers call the long wooden ribs and frame the carriage; but I am also satisfied that they misname that part of the press: for who ever heard of running in the long ribs? yet to run in the carriage is a common expression; and the name implies that the article moves or travels. This word bore the signification which I assign to it in the seventeenth century, for Moxon uses it in this sense. See Run in the Carriage.


case

The receptacle for type, divided into numerous compartments.


case binding

The ordinary cloth binding of commerce. Books in these bindings are folded and sewn, rounded and backed by machinery. A machine also makes the cases, covering the two pieces of cardboard which form the sides with cloth as needed. These cases are separately printed before being put on the books. The book is then glued and put into its case by machinery.


CASE IS FULL

A case full of letters, wanting no sorts.—M.


Case is full

viz. a *Case* full of *Letter*, wanting no Sorts.


CASE IS LOW

When a case grows empty, compositors say, The Case is Low.—M.


CASE RACK

A frame made of strong deal boards, with ledges nailed on the inside of the sides, in which to slide cases that are not in use, to keep them safe. They are usually made to contain fourteen pairs of cases; they are two feet nine inches wide in the clear, and seven feet high.

Where full cases of letter are kept for the purpose of expediting any new work that requires great despatch, some houses have a bar of iron from top to bottom, and lock the cases up to preserve the letter.


CASE RUNS OVER

When a compositor distributes so much letter into a case as to fill the boxes till the letters mingle with those in the adjoining boxes, he says, his <i>Case runs over</i>, or it overflows. This frequently causes additional errors in the proof, and of course is not an advisable practice.


CASE STANDS STILL

When the compositor is not at work at his case, it is said, The Case stands still.—M. Obsolete.


CASE,

in which the letters are laid to compose with.—M.

Cases are always spoken of as pairs; viz. upper case and lower case; when placed upon a frame to compose out of, the front of the upper case rests against the back of the lower case, lying in different inclinations, the back of the upper case being raised to bring the top boxes nearer the hand.

They are generally made of beech; the outer rim and the middle bar stout, to give strength, and to nail the bottoms to, which are lined with paper, to prevent letters falling through cracks, or joints that might open; this lining used to be cartridge paper, which strengthened the bottom, but the joiner now lines them with cheap and thin demy paper; the bottom is made of thin fir deal. The dimensions are—two feet eight inches and a half, sometimes two feet nine inches long; one foot two inches and a half wide, and one inch and a quarter deep; the front being about half an inch broader than the depth, which forms a ledge for galleys to rest against, and also serves as a guard to stop letters, &c. falling over.

It is interesting to trace the changes that take place in any art; hence I have given the arrangement of the letters in cases at different periods, commencing with the first English writer, Moxon, who published his work in the year 1683; then Smith, who published in 1755; the cases before the long ſ was discarded, in my own time; the arrangement now generally used; and a variation, subdividing the boxes in the upper case, and changing the arrangement, both in that and the lower case, to afford room for a greater number of sorts, and to make the access to them more convenient; I have also added the late Earl Stanhope’s plan.

In Moxon’s cases it will be perceived there are no ç, ſb, ſk, Œ, ‡, ‖, ¶, [, (, |, nor any small capitals.

Smith, in his Printer’s Grammar, gives “Schemes for Three Pair of Cases, shewing the Difference in the Disposition of their Sorts.” I have given his No. I. and No. III.; No. II. is the same as the one before the long ſ was discarded, with the exception of the q being in the comma box, and the comma in the q box.

This arrangement of the letters before the long ſ was discarded, continued down to our own time, except the transposition of the q and the comma; and the “schemes” Smith gives as No. I. and No. III. became obsolete.

When the long ſ was discarded, and we confined ourselves to one shape of the same letter, the ligature ct was also disused; we thus lost the ct, ſb, ſh, ſi, ſk, ſl, ſſ, ſſi, ſſl, and ſt, which gave ten additional boxes for other sorts; these have afforded convenience for metal rules and braces, which before were wanted, and also for the £ and [#] that are now frequently sent with a fount, particularly the £.

The discarding of the long ſ originated with the late John Bell, who printed and published an edition of Shakspeare, the British Theatre, and the Poets: the change was not generally adopted for some years, and many retained one ſ when two came together, as ‘Eſsay;’ but the s prevailed, and no other is now used.

In the present arrangement, the figures are brought lower down to be nearer the hand, and the vowels with the diæresis moved higher up; for the same reason the acute accented vowels have changed places with those of the grave accent.

Mr. Johnson, in his Typographia, has given a variation in the arrangement that he has adopted. I do not see any improvement in the lower case to induce master printers to change the general mode, which would only tend to create confusion and put the boxes into pie. A subdivision of the boxes in the upper case, would be useful in two or three pairs in large founts, that had superiors and fractions cast to them; but as few founts have them, these subdivisions would not only be useless, but inconvenient, if applied to all the cases, as they would not leave sufficient room for metal rules, braces, &c., neither do they afford convenience for all the fractions that are cast in a piece; besides, vowels with the long and short accents are so rarely used in the general routine of business, that it is not necessary to cramp the boxes to make provision for them; and there is always room in the back boxes of the Italic cases in which to put sorts that are seldom wanted; to this we may add the additional expense of making these cases, which in an extensive business would be considerable.

Among the various arrangements of the types in cases at different periods and by different persons, I am gratified at being enabled to give that of the late Earl Stanhope, from a stereotype plate of his Lordship’s casting; this plan of the cases, the logotypes, the alteration of the letter f, and the shape of the boxes, were never adopted in the trade.

MOXON’S CASES. 1683.

SMITH’S CASES. No. I. 1755.

SMITH’S CASES. No. III. 1755.

CASES BEFORE THE LONG ſ WAS DISCARDED.

PRESENT ARRANGEMENT OF THE TYPES.

STANHOPE COMPOSING CASES.

PECULIARITIES AND ADVANTAGES OF THESE CASES.

First. The nine logotypes now in use are omitted. They are proposed to be printed with separate types, thus: ff, fi, fl, ffi, ffl, &c. instead of ﬀ, ﬁ, ﬂ, ﬃ, ﬄ, &c. And the Italic thus: ff, fi, fl, &c. instead of ﬀ, ﬁ, ﬂ, &c. In 20 pages of Enfield’s Speaker, (namely, from page 71 to 90, both inclusive,) those logotypes occur only 95 times, viz.

present logotypes.

Secondly. Eight new logotypes are introduced. Their regular and frequent occurrence expedite the process of composition in a very considerable degree; for, in those same 20 pages, the new logotypes would save to the compositor no less than 3073 lifts, viz.

stanhope logotypes.

Thirdly. The introduction of the new logotypes, and the great imperfection of the various existing arrangements of composing cases, have caused the above new and very superior arrangement to be adopted.

Fourthly. The front side of each box of the lower case is made sloping, instead of upright: which shape is convenient both to the view and to the hand of the compositor, and it enables him to lift the types with the same rapidity and ease when the boxes are nearly empty as when they are full. The types are much better preserved from wear, by means of this shape. It also allows the lower case to be made deeper than usual; so that, two of them contain as much as three lower cases on the old construction. At the bottom of each box of the upper case, the internal front arras is filled up.

The saving of time is of immense importance, especially in all cases where dispatch is particularly required. The new cases are, by experience, found to save full one day out of six to the compositor.

Fifteen boxes on the left-hand side of the upper case are represented empty. They are intended for the sorts which are sometimes used for particular works; such as, accented letters, mathematical marks, &c.

As the asterisk, or star, [*] is very liable to be filled with ink at press, it is intentionally excluded from among the reference-marks.

Stereotyped and Printed by EARL STANHOPE, Chevening House, Kent.

Layout of Upper and Lower cases

Layout of Upper and Lower cases

Layout of Upper and Lower cases

Layout of Upper and Lower cases

Layout of Upper and Lower cases

Layout of Upper and Lower cases


Case-Work

Work in which the boards are covered and stamped. The volume is then glued upon the back and stuck into them.


Case-Work

When the cover is made independent of the book, the book being afterwards fastened into it. Refers principally to cloth and bible work.


CASSIE PAPER

The two outside quires of a ream. They are also called Cassie Quires, because they serve for cases to the ream.—M. See Outside Quires.


CASSIE PAPER

Formerly, the two outside quires of a ream, consisting of defective sheets.


Cast

is to *Cast Letter*. See § 19. ¶ 1.


CAST OFF COPY

Counting or Casting off Copy (for both phrases are indifferently used) is to examine and find how much either of printed copy will come in into any intended number of sheets of a different body or measure from the copy; or how much written copy will make an intended number of sheets of any assigned body and measure.—M. It is also used to ascertain how many sheets of a given sized page and letter any quantity of prepared copy will make.

This is generally done by composing a line or two of the copy, if it be manuscript, selected from the part that appears about the average mode of writing, and ascertaining how many lines of the printed or manuscript copy will make even lines in the proposed size; thus, if 10 lines of copy make 7 lines, or 7 lines of copy make 10 lines, the quantity is easily calculated. Allowance must of course be made for chapter heads, short pages, and any whites that may occur.


Casting off

Estimating how many pages a certain quantity of copy will make in type.


CASTING UP

Calculating the number of thousands of letters in a sheet of any work, or in a job, in order to fix the price for composing it.

To facilitate the ascertainment of the number of thousands of letters in a sheet of bookwork, and also of jobs, I have given a set of tables, which I believe includes, generally speaking, the sizes of the pages that usually occur in practice. These tables will be found useful to those compositors who are not expert at figures, while those who are so may save time by referring to them, and they may also serve as a check to their own casting up. The figures at the top designate the number of lines the page is long; and the figures in the column specify the number of thousands of letters in a sheet, according to the size named in the head. To ascertain the number of thousands of letters, the established rule is, to take the number of lines the page is long, including the head line and the direction line, and the number of en quadrats in the width of the page, the en quadrat being estimated as the average thickness of the letters, and on multiplying the one by the other the product will give the number of letters in a page; and this product multiplied by the number of pages in a sheet, gives the number of letters in a sheet; where there is a fraction of a thousand, and that fraction amounts to 500 or upwards, it is reckoned and charged as 1,000; when it is less than 500 it is dropped, and not included in the calculation. There are some exceptions to this general rule of taking the dimensions when the type exceeds a certain size, for which see Scale of Prices.

TABLE OF THE NUMBER OF THOUSANDS IN A SHEET.

Cast Leads. See Space Lines.

First page of six tables


CATCH LINE

The same as Direction Line. See Catch Word.


CATCH OF THE BAR

is a piece of wood two inches thick, four inches broad, and ten inches long, with a groove in the lower part of it by which it is screwed to the front of the off cheek, and may be heightened or lowered at pleasure; the top of it is a little bevilled or sloped off, that the bar may by its spring fly up the bevil till it stick.—M.

This catch is in my opinion superior to the one now used, which is a piece of wood nailed to the far side of the off cheek, with an opening in it, through which a sloping piece projects beyond the front of the cheek, for the bar to slide up. The old one appears much easier to justify, by means of the screw, without having any nails to draw.

In very fine press work, where uniformity of pressure is to be preserved, I would always cheek the bar, or bring it home, every pull, and rest a short time upon it. In large forms, however, this is too much exertion for a man to continue; and to obviate this objection I had a catch made for some wooden presses, which, dropping over the bar, held it close to the cheek, and enabled the pressman to rest upon his pull sufficiently long without the continued strain to his arm. It was screwed to the near cheek, and disengaged from the press bar, by pulling a piece of string attached to its other end through the small hole.

A tool to catch the press bar

Another version of the catch tool


CATCH WORD

The first word of the following page set at the right hand end of the line of quadrats at the foot of each page; in which line is also placed the signature in those pages where it is requisite. It is likewise called the Direction Word. Catch words are now seldom used, except in reprints, to preserve uniformity in the different editions of the same work.


Catch-Word

A word met with in early-printed books at the bottom of the page, which word is the first on the following page. Now used to denote the first and last word in an encyclopædia or other book of reference.


Catch-Word

A word used and seen in early printed books at the bottom of the page, which word is the first on the following page. To denote the first and last word in an encyclopædia or other book of reference.


Catch-Word

a word printed at the foot of one page indicating the first word of the page following, as a guide in collating.


catchword

A word placed under the last line on each page of some old-time books, the word being the same as the first word on the next page; a direction word.


CATECHISMS

For the allowance of the duty on paper used in the printing of the Larger or Shorter Catechism of the Church of Scotland, see Paper.


CATER CORNER

Paper, the sides of which are not at right angles with each other, is termed cater cornered. It is disadvantageous for book work, as it cannot be folded even, nor the outside margin made equal; of course the size of the book must be reduced in the binding to make the fore edge and foot of it smooth.

Cater, Theophilus. See Donations.


Cattie

Imperfect or smutty look of a printed sheet caused by an oily or unclean roller.


center tools

Tools cut for ornamentation of center of panels and sides of book covers.


Centre-Tools

Are single, upright, or independent tools used for the middle of the panels by the finisher.


Centre-Tools

Independent tools cut for the ornamentation of the centre of panels and sides.


CERIPH

The fine lines, and the cross strokes at the tops and bottoms of letters, are termed by the letter founders ceriphs.


CERIPH

The lines or cross-strokes at the ends of the stem of a letter.


CERTIFICATE

By the act of the 39th Geo. 3. cap. 79., intituled “An Act for the more effectual Suppression of Societies established for Seditious and Treasonable Purposes; and for better preventing Treasonable and Seditious Practices,” it is enacted—

a. 23. “And whereas many Societies, established of late Years for treasonable and seditious Purposes, and especially the said Societies of United Englishmen, United Scotsmen, United Irishmen, and United Britons, and the said Society called The London Corresponding Society, and other Corresponding Societies, have at various Times caused to be published, in great Quantities, divers printed Papers of an irreligious, treasonable, and seditious Nature, tending to revile our holy Religion, and to bring the Profession and Worship thereof into Contempt among the Ignorant, and also to excite Hatred and Contempt of his Majesty’s Royal Person, Government, and Laws, and of the happy Constitution of these Realms, as by Law established, and utterly to eradicate all Principles of Religion and Morality; and such Societies have dispersed such printed Papers among the lower Classes of the Community, either gratis, or at very low Prices, and with an Activity and Profusion beyond all former Example: And whereas all Persons printing or publishing any Papers or Writings are by Law answerable for the Contents thereof, but such Responsibility hath of late been in a great Degree eluded by the secret Printing and Publication of such seditious, immoral, and irreligious Papers or Writings as aforesaid, and it is therefore highly important to the Publick Peace that it should in future be known by whom any such Papers shall be printed; be it enacted, That, from and after the Expiration of forty Days from the Day of passing this Act, every Person having any Printing Press, or Types for Printing, shall cause a Notice thereof, signed in the Presence of, and attested by one Witness, to be delivered to the Clerk of the Peace acting for the County, Stewartry, Riding, Division, City, Borough, Town, or Place, where the same shall be intended to be used, or his Deputy, according to the Form prescribed in the Schedule hereunto annexed; and such Clerk of the Peace, or Deputy respectively, shall, and he is hereby authorized and required to grant a Certificate in the Form prescribed in the Schedule hereunto annexed, for which such Clerk of the Peace, or Deputy, shall receive the Fee of one Shilling, and no more, and such Clerk of the Peace, or his Deputy, shall file such Notice, and transmit an attested Copy thereof to one of his Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State; and every Person who, not having delivered such Notice, and obtained such Certificate as aforesaid, shall, from and after the Expiration of forty Days next after the passing of this Act, keep or use any Printing Press or Types for Printing, or having delivered such Notice, and obtained such Certificate as aforesaid, shall use any Printing Press or Types for Printing in any other Place than the Place expressed in such Notice, shall forfeit and lose the Sum of twenty Pounds.

s. 24. “Provided also, That nothing herein contained shall extend to his Majesty’s Printers for England and Scotland, or to the Publick Presses belonging to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge respectively.”

s. 33. “And be it further enacted, That if any Justice of the Peace, acting for any County, Stewartry, Riding, Division, City, Borough, Town, or Place, shall, from Information upon Oath, have reason to suspect that any Printing Press or Types for Printing is or are used, or kept for Use without Notice given and Certificate obtained as required by this Act, or in any Place not included in such Notice and Certificate, it shall be lawful for such Justice, by Warrant under his Hand and Seal, to direct, authorize, and empower any Constable, Petty Constable, Borsholder, Headborough, or other Peace Officer, in the Day Time, with such Person or Persons as shall be called to his Assistance, to enter into any such House, Room, and Place, and search for any Press or Types for Printing; and it shall be lawful for every such Peace Officer, with such Assistance as aforesaid, to enter into such House, Room, or Place, in the Day Time accordingly, and to seize, take, and carry away, every Printing Press found therein, together with all the Types and other Articles thereto belonging, and used in Printing, and all printed Papers found in such House, Room, or Place.”

FORMS.

“IV. FORM of Notice to the Clerk of the Peace, that any Person keeps any Printing Press or Types for Printing.

“To the Clerk of the Peace for ______ [here insert the County, Stewartry, Riding, Division, City, Borough, Town, or Place,] or his Deputy.

“I A. B. of ______ do hereby declare, That I have a Printing Press and Types for Printing, which I propose to use for Printing, within ______ [as the Case may require], and which I require to be entered for that Purpose, in pursuance of an Act, passed in the thirty-ninth Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Third, [set forth the Title of the Act.]

“Witness my Hand, this ______ Day of ______ .”  Signed in the Presence } of _________________}

“V. FORM of Certificate that Notice has been given of a Printing Press, or Types for Printing.

“I ______ Clerk [or Deputy Clerk] of the Peace for ______ do hereby certify, That A. B. of ______ hath delivered to me a Notice in Writing, appearing to be signed by him, and attested by C. D. as a Witness to his signing the same, that he the said A. B. hath a Printing Press and Types for Printing, which he proposes to use for Printing, within ______ and which he has required to be entered pursuant to an Act, passed in the thirty-ninth Year of His Majesty’s Reign, [set forth the Title of the Act.]

“Witness my Hand, this ______ Day of ______ .”


CHALDEE

The Chaldee letters, vowel points, and accents, correspond in every respect with those of the Hebrew in figure and power.—Bythner’s Lyre of David, translated by the Rev. Thomas Dee, A.B. Dublin, 1836. 8<i>vo.</i>


CHAPEL

Every printing office is called a chapel. The term is supposed to have had its origin from the first introduction of printing into England by Caxton, who executed his works in a chapel adjoining Westminster Abbey. Moxon however gives a different account, for which see Ancient Customs.

A chapel, in the technical sense of the word, is when the workmen agree to certain rules for the good order of the printing office.

All the compositors in a composing room, and all the pressmen in a press room, who are journeymen, form the chapel in each department, (for they seldom unite,) in which one of the number is elected, during pleasure, as president, or The Father, as he is styled. In their assembled body they enjoin regulations, and enforce their due observance; they also take cognizance of any disputes, and any grievance that may be complained of, that arise within the chapel, when called upon for that purpose; and there is no appeal from their decision.

The chapel is in general sanctioned by the master printer, on account of some of the rules tending to the preservation of his property;—such as the infliction of a fine on any one connected with the house leaving the premises without putting out his candle or leaving it in charge, or for throwing types, quadrats, or furniture, at another; and for the regular despatch of business, so far as regards the forwarding of work in general—but in addition the workmen make particular regulations for themselves, with regard to their own mode of working in companionship, &c. The chapel will also, if appealed to, enforce these bye laws, if I may so term them.

The fine for leaving a candle burning, is, I believe, never remitted; it is generally sixpence for a workman, double for the overseer, and half a crown for the master of the house.

The person who first sees the candle extinguishes it and delivers the candlestick to the Father, who keeps it till the fine is either paid, or promised to be paid; for Monday is the regular pay day in a printing office.

There are frequently a number of devices resorted to to induce a workman to go out after the candles are lighted, for the sake of the fine—the open air being the boundary—such as saying, a person is below who wants to speak to Mr. ——; this is usually avoided by the party giving his candle in charge; that is, saying to some one, Mr. ——, take charge of my candle. This person then becomes responsible for the charge as well as for his own candle, and has to pay for both should he leave the house without putting them out, or giving them in charge to some other person.

I have previously said that the office of Father is during pleasure, although I am aware that Mr. Hansard, in his Typographia, has stated it to be otherwise; but I have known instances of the Father being deposed, after having held the office for many years, and a successor appointed and deposed within a fortnight, merely for the sake of the initiatory fine, which is usually a gallon of porter. These instances have occurred when a flush of business caused an additional number of men to be employed in a printing office; some of whom being of a thoughtless disposition, and thinking they could outvote the sedate and the sober part of the workmen, call a chapel for the most trivial purposes, which thus becomes a hinderance to business, as it takes the whole of the men from their work.

But this evil produces its own remedy, when it is carried to too great an extent. Workmen get tired of being called from their employment, and losing time continually, on trifling objects in which they feel no interest: and they check the evil by fining those who call the chapel, when it is evident that liquor is the motive for calling it.

I remember an instance when calling chapels had become a grievance from their frequency, in which the party was so completely checked, that he never ventured to call another. It occurred during a flush of work, when there were temporary hands employed, some of whom were partial to liquor, and eager to fine any one in order to obtain it. After deposing the Father two or three times, and calling chapels many times unnecessarily, a person left his candle burning one evening, and another passing his frame observed, Here’s a candle left; whose is it? The reply was, Mr.——’s.—If I had known that, I would have put it out. This was sufficient to bring the individual before the chapel, as it was held to be an attempt to defraud it of its due, of which the chapel is very jealous. Well, a chapel was called to take cognizance of the charge, without a doubt that they should levy a good fine for what they looked on as a great offence: but the established workmen of the house, and some of the additional men, had got tired of these repeated calls from their employment; and it being proved in the defence, that a party in the house had been for some time expressing a desire to fine this individual, who was of a warm temper, and had brought a charge against him for a thoughtless expression that was not acted on, the chapel decided that it was a conspiracy against him, acquitted him, and laid a heavy fine upon the accuser.

No person but the Father can call a chapel, which is generally held at the imposing stone: and when any one wishes to appeal to it, he notifies the same to the Father, stating the objects generally, and accompanying the notification with a penny. The Father will sometimes decline to call the chapel, where the object appears trivial; but if the notification be accompanied with the value of a gallon of porter, it is imperative on him to call it, under the penalty of being deposed.

The chapel never assembles without the fee of a gallon of porter, in addition to the fine it may impose; and this fee is always paid, even when it assembles to settle any disputed matter between workmen, when no fine is levied.

If any workman refuses to attend when a chapel is summoned, after being called on by the Father for that purpose, the first business is to proceed to judgment on him for contumacy, which is always punished by a fine;—the chapel then proceeds to the business for which it was called, and when the members cannot agree in their decision, or when the matter becomes personal, they decide by chalking. For this purpose, a large galley is placed on a frame, in that part of the room which is most private and cannot be overlooked, and a line drawn down the middle of it, and at the top over each column is written for and against, or yes and no; one of the members then makes a mark, usually on the lenient side, which saves him from ill will, as it must be known on which side he gives his decision; the second generally marks the contrary side, so that the following persons cannot discover how any have voted. The Father, when all have chalked, examines the number on each side, and declares the judgment of the chapel.

It is an invariable rule that the chapel can do no wrong; and it is a crime to find fault with its decisions, which it would certainly punish with a fine if called on for that purpose, and the case was proved. All wagers of half a gallon of porter, or more, go to the chapel, so that they are never evaded, as the liquor is sent for by the chapel, which adjudges who shall pay for it: the consequence is, that when the object is to obtain drink, and perhaps a young man from the country to act on, who is ignorant of the London customs, the cases are often of the most preposterous kind; for instance, an experienced hand has been known to assert in such a case that a mallet was a planer, and to call it by that name, and then offer a wager, in support of his assertion, to the young man, who has accepted it. The chapel decided that it was a planer, and the stranger had to pay for summoning the chapel, and also the amount of the wager, by way of initiation.

The chapel also decides all disputes that may arise in the house, as well private, if it be appealed to, as those which may arise when two or more are employed on the same piece of work, and frequently fixes the price which shall be paid for it; for in doubtful cases a workman will prefer taking the collective opinion of his fellows, to acting on his own judgment, as it may affect them all. In this case the person who is on the work must not take less than the chapel fixes, without permission; and if the employer will not pay it, he, of course, must quit his situation. If, after the chapel has fixed a price for a piece of work, a man should venture to do it for a reduced price, he becomes a “Rat.”

In a press room there is sometimes a fine for men throwing water at each other, which dirties and spoils the paper;—and in hot summer weather, when a man has been desirous of a draught of porter, an instance has been known of his falling down in a pretended fit, and when another in kindness has procured some cold water and sprinkled his face with it, the other has jumped up and accused him of throwing water at him, on which he has had to pay the fine.

If any member of the chapel should be hardy enough to oppose its decisions, there are a number of ways practised to bring him, and even the most obstinate, to submission. Every chapel is haunted by an imaginary spirit, named Ralph; and when any person refuses to obey its mandates, this spirit begins to walk, as it is termed. The first act is, in general, to hide the offender’s composing stick; if this does not answer, his galleys are secreted; then the page cords, which secure his work, are cut, and his labour rendered more than useless, because he has to distribute his pie as well as to recompose his matter; if he still remains contumacious, the whole of the types in his cases are transposed, so that he cannot proceed in his business; and if he should still set the chapel at defiance, he is smoked, all the members of the chapel surrounding his frame, each with a lighted match of brimstone, and singing a doleful ditty; after this he is sent to Coventry, and every man becomes amenable to the chapel, if he assists him, gives him any information, or speaks to him; so that he must either submit to the penalties inflicted, or leave the house. When he submits, his apparatus is restored, and the types properly arranged again in his cases.

Apprentices never belong to the chapel; neither is the master of the house, nor the overseer, ever allowed to be present when one is held.

Many master printers are decidedly against chapels, as tending to encourage drinking, and the neglect of business; where this has been the case within my knowledge, the grievance has remedied itself, for the sober and industrious prevent the evil going to an extreme; and where there are a number of men employed, the majority will be found opposed to being called from their work repeatedly to decide on fractious or quibbling questions, in which they feel no interest; and by fining a busy meddling person, they put a stop to the frequent calling of chapels, which, as I have said before, are, generally speaking, promoted by temporary workmen, who seldom stop long in a house, and on whose departure the business is carried on in the regular manner, while, if one or two continue to work in the house, they soon fall into the old customs of the permanent men; for among the established workmen of a house chapels are seldom called.

It has also been objected to them that they tend to excite an opposition to the employer on the question of wages. This may have happened; but wherever I have seen a question respecting prices brought before a chapel, I have always seen it discussed in a fair manner, and the value estimated impartially,—the scale being kept in view for any thing nearly similar;—for among a number of workmen there will always be found men of principle, who would not sanction an unreasonable demand for the temporary advantage of a few shillings a week; and these men have always great influence in the decision.

Upon the whole, when I take into account the decreased risk from fire, owing to the fine for candles—the prevention of waste of materials, by throwing them about—the appeal for wrongs done in companionships, or for neglect, or throwing impediments in the way of business, and remedying them—I am of opinion that the advantages attending chapels outweigh their disadvantages, and that the business is carried on with more regularity and promptitude with them than without them, particularly when it is taken into account that the rules and regulations laid down by the employer for the governing of his house, are adopted by the workmen and become chapel laws.

As many of the customs of chapels are passing away, I have been rather more diffuse in this article than the mere definition of the term might seem to require; but as I am not aware that any preceding writer has explained a chapel, I have been led to do so, that the knowledge of old customs might not be entirely lost. See Rules.


CHAPEL LAWS

The regulations adopted by the men in chapel assembled, for preserving good order in the office, are called chapel laws.


CHAPEL LAWS

Rules of a printing-office.


CHARGE,

{ paper with great pages. is to fill { a page with long and many lines. { a line with many letters.—M.

This term is not in general use: we are more in the custom of saying a full sheet, a full page, a full line.

Charitable Donations. See Donations.


CHASE

An iron frame to fasten types in to print with.—M.

A great revolution has taken place with respect to chases. They were formerly made thin and narrow, but are now made thicker, which gives more safety to a form in quoining; and they are made much broader, both in the rim and the crosses, which adds to their strength and durability.

It is customary to dovetail the crosses into the rim of wrought iron chases, and to have mortises for duodecimos and eighteens, so as to move the crosses according to the size of the work for which the chase is wanted. This plan is convenient in many instances, but it is in many others inconvenient and wasteful.

It is necessary to have chases in an office with the crosses loose, to a limited extent, as they could not well be dispensed with on many occasions; but I would have as few as possible; for the mortises in the rim cut the quoins to pieces, and the loose crosses are frequently used for pokers, and for tightening quoins in forms when they get slack. By these means they are bent and destroyed, and the chases to which they belong are rendered nearly useless. The loose crosses have also another disadvantage: they frequently get mislaid or lost when taken out for folios, or broadsides, and when the chase is wanted for any other size, the cross cannot be found, and the compositor, or person who has the care of the furniture, is obliged to take such a cross as he can meet with, and which he can drive into the mortises with a mallet; this cross is sometimes of a different thickness from the right one, and affects the register of the pages in working, particularly if the furniture and the chase be transposed, as too frequently occurs through carelessness.

There is less waste and destruction when the crosses are rivetted into the rim; for the chases are then always ready for use—the crosses can never be mislaid nor destroyed—and the whole implement is much more durable than when the parts are separate.

Cast iron chases are now coming greatly into use, and answer the purpose very well. The crosses are fast, the whole chase being cast in one piece, so that there must be chases for each size, viz. folios, quartos, and duodecimos; the crosses fixed for these sizes will answer every other, except broadsides. They are cast from a card chase to the largest size; and stand locking up and the usual wear, without breaking. These chases are much cheaper than those made of wrought iron.

There are some chases now made with the inside of the rim bevelled off from the cross to the angle, to answer the purpose of sidesticks and footsticks; a piece of broad, or narrow, being used at the sides and feet of the pages. This plan appears to be economical with regard to furniture.

The usual practice in cutting chases for 18mo. is to place the long cross about one third of the width from one of the sides of the chase, and two thirds from the other, for the purpose of making it fall in one of the backs; by this mode one of the quarters in the offcut has only two pages in it, so as hardly to admit of quoin room, the other has four; and the remainder of the form is also divided unequally, one side of the long cross having four pages, and the other eight pages. This method of imposing an 18mo. is inconvenient, and the large quarter is in danger of falling out. The plan appears to have been adopted merely to cause the long cross to fall in one of the backs, which is of no consequence whatever. I have always imposed eighteens in chases cut for 12mo. which I prefer; for the quarters being more equal, make the locking up more secure, and the only difference in the imposition is, that the long cross falls in a gutter, instead of a back.

Mr. T. C. Hansard took out a patent for “Improvements on, and Additions to, Printing Presses, and various Processes relative to Printing.” Among the different articles are chases, which Mr. Hansard thus describes:—“The Demi- (or half) -Chases are made so as to contain the pages imposed within a less measure of square than usual. One side of the rim is made particularly straight, and rather less in breadth than the other three sides: this narrow side forms the part to lie in the middle of the Table of the Press: by turning a pair of chases so made on contrary faces, the two narrow sides will join and form as one chase. The pages are not in these chases, as in others for all sizes above Folios, locked-up by having side sticks and quoins on all four sides, but only on one side, and at each end. The inner Forme being locked up on the right side only, and at each end, and the outer Forme on the left side only, and at each end; and the margin being made when the two demi-chases are laid together on the Imposing Stone, as if the same were one large chase of double dimensions, the pages will require no more margin in the centre of the double sheet, than a fair equal proportion for the division of margin. The chases must be made in proportion to the size of the work intended to be executed.”


CHASE

A rectangular iron frame in which pages of type are imposed.