Image of a page with proofreading marksThis page is a specimen of Lithographic Printing. The impression from the Type being first taken on Paper, in Lithographic Ink, the Corrections then added with the Pen, and the whole transferred to the Stone from which the Page is printed.
Image of corrected page. Text reads: In all the more celebrated nations of the ancient world, we find established those twin elements of belief, by which religion harmonizes and directs the social relations of life, viz. a faith in a future state, and in the providence of Superior Powers, who, surveying as Judges the affairs of earth, punish the wicked, and reward the good. It has been plausibly conjectured, that the fables of Elysium, the slow Cocytus, and the gloomy Hades, were either invented or allegorized from the names of Egyptian places. Diodorus assures us that by the vast catacombs of Egypt, the dismal mansions of the dead—were the temple and stream, both called Cocytus, the _foul_ canal of Acheron, and the Elysian plains; and according to the same equivocal authority, the body of the dead was wafted across the waters by a pilot, termed Charon in the Egyptian tongue. But previous to the embarkation, appointed judges on the MARGIN of the ACHERON listened to whatever accusations were preferred by the living against the deceased; and if convinced of his mis-deeds, deprived him of the rights of Sepulture.—_Athens, by Sir Lytton Bulwer_, vol. i. p. 52.
No. 1, is used to correct awrong letter, drawing a line down through it, and placing the right letter before a corresponding stroke in the margin;a wrong wordis corrected by drawing a line across it, as in No. 2, and writing the proper word in the margin.
Where any thing has been omitted, or is wished to be inserted, a Caret is marked at the place where it is to come in, and the word or words written in the margin, putting underneath an answering Caret.
Where a space is wanting between two words or lettersthat are intended to be separated, a parallel line must be drawn where the separation ought to be, and the mark No. 4 placed opposite in the margin. Alsowhere words or letters should join, but are separated, the circumflex No. 5, must be placed under the separation, and the same mark be made in the margin.
When letters or words are set double, and are required to be taken out, a line is drawn through the superfluous word or letter, andthe mark No. 6, which is the letterd, an abbreviation ofdele(expunge or erase) must be placed in the margin.
A turned letter, or one placed the wrong way upward, is noticed by making a dash under it, and placing the mark No. 7, in the margin.
Where a black markis seen in any part of the line, which is occasioned by a space standing up, it is noticed by making a dash under it, and placing the mark, No. 8, in the margin.
Where two words are transposed, the word placed wrong, should be encircled, and the mark 9, (tr.an abridgement of transpose,) be placed in the margin; but where several words are to be transposed, that which is intended to come first should have the figure 1 placed over it, that second 2, and so on, the mark (tr.) being also placed opposite in the margin.
Where a new paragraph is required, a crotchet should be made at the place where the new paragraph should begin, and a similarmark (No. 10.) be placed in the margin. Where a new paragraph should not have been made, a line should be drawn from the last word of the previous paragraph, and in the margin should be written,No break.
Where several lines or words are to be introduced, they should be written at the bottom of the page, and at the place where they are to come in, a Caret should be made, from which a line should be drawn to the first word of the passage to be inserted.
If a word, or words, are required to be in Capitals, Small Capitals or Italic, such word or words should be underlined—for Capitals with three lines; for Small Capitals, with two; for Italic, with one; writing opposite in the margin,Caps.,Small Caps., orItal.
If they should be required to be altered back, a line should be drawn under the Italic, and the wordRoman, and under the Capitals or Small Capitals, and the wordsLower-case, written in the margin.
Where words have been erroneously struck out, or are otherwise wished to remain, dotsshould be placed under them, and the wordStet(let it stand or remain) written in the margin.
Where the Punctuation requires to be altered, the Semicolon, Colon, or Period, should be marked and encircled in the margin, a line being drawn at the word at which either is to be placed, as in No. 15.—16 describes the manner in which the hyphen and ellipsis line are marked; and 17, that in which the Apostrophe, Inverted Comma, the Star, and other References, and Superior Letters, and Figures, are marked for insertion. Notes, if added, should have the wordNote, with a Star, and a corresponding Star at the word to which they are referred.
Where letters or lines are altered, they are noticed by drawing lines before and after them, as in No. 18.
A little practice will soon render the use of these Marks familiar.
It has been before observed, that Correcting the Press, so far as the Printers are concerned, is an extremely troublesome, and tothem, the most unpleasant part of their business. It occupies much more time than could be supposed, and consequently occasions an Expense which the mere alteration of a few Words in a Page would perhaps scarcely be thought sufficient to justify. But when it is considered that every alteration disturbs the whole adjoining mass of Type, and may do so to the end of the Page, or several Pages, it will be less difficult to perceive the reason of the well ascertained fact, that Printers always greatly prefer being employed in the Setting, rather than in the Correcting department of their office.
It is not uncommon for Authors, unaware of these circumstances, to deliver their Manuscript for the Press, in a very unfinished state; and in some instances, as if they actually considered that they could not satisfactorily Correct their Work, until they saw it in Print—an error which it would probably only require them to combat to overcome: it should, however, in all such cases, be distinctly understood, that the Expenses of Correcting will, ifconsiderable, unavoidably enhance that of the Printing, and this in a ratio that would very naturally surprise those unacquainted with the subject.
All errors which are not in the Manuscript, are considered as errors of the Press; the correction of which devolves on the Printer. Indeed, no proof should be submitted to the Author, until these have been made: a careful Reader in the Printing Office will also sometimes draw the Author’s attention to some Word or Sentence, which appears to be susceptible of improvement, and which might otherwise have passed unnoticed; this is, however, not always done, unless requested.
In Correcting a Proof, for the reasons already given, as few alterations as possible should be made; when these are, however, unavoidable, it would be advisable to observe this Rule, namely—always if possible, to insert in a Line or Page, as much as is taken out, or vice versâ; this is in a great majority of instances very practicable; and the advantage of it is, that it will avoid what is technically calledOverrunning. This will, perhaps, be best explained by referring to the Corrected Proof (p. 40) in the 3rd line of which, it will be seen that the wordforis marked out, and the wordofinserted in its stead; which, it will be perceived by the opposite Revised Page, has occasioned no alteration beyond the line; but at line 17 there is an insertion marked without an omission; which would have rendered it necessary to carry as many lines as were inserted to the next Page, if the Page had been previously filled up in the usual way. This is calledOverrunning, and often requires that each subsequent Page should be altered to the end of a Chapter, or if the work is continuous, to the end of all that has at that time been set in Type.
There is also another point to be observed; which is, that where Revises are considered necessary, as few as possible should be required, each Revise requiring the repetition of the process already described in striking off a Proof, and which will not only occasion additional Expense, but will also frequentlycause considerable delay in the progress of the Work. Generally speaking, if the Corrections are clearly marked, and not very numerous, the final Revision may be safely entrusted to the care of a skilful Printer. If any error should escape the notice of the Author, or Corrector, and be Printed off, it may be corrected by Re-printing the leaf in which it occurs, which is called a Cancel. This is, however, seldom necessary, when the error is clearly typographical.
It is frequently a convenience to the Author to have two proofs of each sheet, one to be returned corrected, the other to be retained for reference.
It is not, perhaps, generally known, that Works Printed in London may be corrected by Authors residing at any distance, the Proof Sheets passing and re-passing through the Post Office at Single Postage, provided they are not cut, and that the direction is Writtenuponthe Sheet. An Envelope would occasion Double Postage. It is usual also to add the words “Proof Sheet” in the corner.
The various kinds of
have already been slightly referred to. They are of three kinds: Engravings on Steel,50-*or Copper; Lithographic Drawings, or Prints from Stone; and Engravings on Wood. The first two are Printed independently of the Work; the latter in connection with it; either incorporated with the Text, or otherwise, as may be desired. Each of these modes may be employed with advantage, where Embellishment is intended, or information beyond that which description is adapted to convey. Coloured Engravings are also frequently employed in such cases.
Next to the Printing a Work, is the
Until a very recent period, Binding was of two kinds only—that in Paper and that in Leather. The former, called Boarding, being used for Books when first Published, or when purchased for use in that state; the latter for Books when read, or intended to form a permanent part of a Library. Binding in Leather has been carried to very great perfection; and, according to the skill employed, is susceptible of the most varied and tasteful embellishment. The Titles of Books in Boards are affixed by printed Labels—those of such as are bound in Leather in Letters worked in Gold. These latter are produced by laying a leaf of Gold on the Leather, and stamping each Letter singly, a process requiring great skill and labour.
Recently a new mode has been introduced, called Cloth Binding. This is done by covering the Book with Cloth; and, by means of astrong pressure, Stamping it with some Ornamental Device Engraved for the purpose, and which is called Embossing. There is in this new method also another improvement—that of Lettering the back in Gold at one operation, which is thus effected:—instead of the mode employed in Leather Binding, of impressing each Letter singly on the Gold, the whole of the Lettering is cut on a solid piece of brass, and in this form impressed on the back at once. This is not only a great saving in time and labour, but admits also of much tasteful ornament in emblematical and other fanciful devices, which produce a very pleasing effect at a comparatively trifling cost.
This latter process, now very generally adopted, and of which the Binding of this little Work, presents a Specimen, is applicable to almost all works of Science, History, Biography, Travels, &c., and not only gives to them a very superior appearance when first Published, but also, from their close imitation of Leather Binding, renders them fit to be placed at oncein the Library. This mode of Binding does not, however, possess much durability, as it differs only in the exterior from the former Boarding—still, until a Book is Bound in Leather, it certainly forms a very agreeable substitute.
Cloth Binding, general as its use has become, has not, however, been adopted for Novels, which are still usually published in Boards. For Annuals, and other Embellished Works, as well as many of those of a smaller size, this mode has been justly and generally preferred.
Publishing, though the last step in order, is undoubtedly one of the first in importance to most Works issuing from the Press. There may perhaps be some few exceptions, but, generally, their success must in a great degree be influenced by the mode and means adopted for their Publication. Not that it can be supposed that all Works can alikesucceed; but that many fail in obtaining that degree of attention which they might otherwise have received owing to some circumstances attending the means adopted in the final step of Publication.
London is undoubtedly the great emporium for Literary Works, as for almost every other species of Production. Even Printers in the country are so well aware of this, that they rarely fail to obtain the co-operation of a London Publisher in bringing out any Works in which they may venture to engage; though Works thus Published labour under the disadvantage naturally arising from their not being entirely under the management of the London Publisher.
There are other reasons which render London54-*the peculiar, and it might be said almost the exclusive channel for Publication. In it all the branches of the Periodical Pressare conducted; Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly, the various avenues to the public, not only in this vast city, but in every part of the empire, and of the world, are here open, and consequently all the vehicles for Announcements, Advertisements, and Criticisms, are here only accessible. Add to this that from London every species of literary production is constantly despatched to every part of the empire and of the world, and it will then be seen how small a probability there can be that any work not Published in London can obtain even the most moderate share of general attention.
London Publishers are of two classes: those who reside at the West End of the Town, and who confine their attention to Publishing only; and those who reside in the City, and who are also engaged in Wholesale Bookselling. Wholesale Booksellers generally devote their especial attention to the supply of the Retail Trade both in Town and Country. Some make no further arrangements for Publishing thansimply to supply, when applied for, such Works as their Country Correspondents, who are Printers, may have transmitted to them for that purpose; while others are Publishers to a considerable extent of what are called Standard Works—Works on Education, Science, &c., and such as are in regular and constant demand. To these, therefore, the attention of the City Booksellers is very generally directed; while that of the Publishers at the West End of the Town is almost entirely devoted to what may be called the Literature of the Day—Works of Amusement and light reading, Travels, Memoirs, Novels, Tales, Poems, and other productions of a similar character.
This distinction of the two Classes of Publishers arises therefore, in the first place, from the nature of their avocations, and in the second from their peculiar Locality; the one having their Establishments in the centre of resort, for those who are engaged in Trade and Business; the other in that of Fashion andAmusement; so that there is not only a convenience but propriety in the arrangement that custom has established, that works of what may be called Current Literature should be Published at the West End of the Town, while those more immediately connected with the Business of Life should appear in the City.
It is generally understood that the name of an Established Publisher operates not only as a Recommendation to those Works to which it is Prefixed, but also tends to make them known through Extensive Connexions already formed. It also tends to associate them with other Popular Works issuing from the same Establishment.
There are three modes of Publishing—that in which a Work is Published entirely for, and at the expense of the Author, who thus retains the Property of the Work; that in which the Publisher takes all or part of the risk, and divides the profit; and that in which the Publisher purchases the Copyright, and thus secures to himself the entire proceeds. The First of these is the basis on which many First Productions are Published; the Second, where a certain demand can be calculated upon; and the Third, where an Author has become so popular as to ensure an extensive circulation.
The first step that should be taken by an Author intending to produce a Work should be to take the opinion of an experienced Publisher, by doing which not only much unnecessary trouble may be spared, but frequently much unavailable labour and even expense. It is not at all uncommon for Authors, in the course of their reading, to become so impressed with some favourite subject as to conclude that it must prove of the same interest to others, and under this impression proceed to bestow considerable labour upon it. Had they, however, taken the course here recommended, they would probably have learned either that there was already some very similar Work, or that the production proposed would not, from somecause known perhaps only to the Publisher, be at all likely to meet with the success anticipated. These are circumstances of constant occurrence, which the Publishers of this little Work have had frequent opportunities of knowing.
Generally speaking, Publishers are the most competent advisers on all subjects connected with their peculiar avocations, having constantly before them the best means of judging, and being naturally interested in the success of the Works in which they engage. Authors cannot therefore adopt a more judicious course than to commit the entire management of their Productions to their care.
Many Authors, after having written their Works, consign them to oblivion, from Publishers declining, often in consequence of their own peculiar engagements, to undertake their Publication. This may be avoided by the Plan now adopted ofPublishing for Authors, and which is more particularly referred to in a subsequent page.
Advertising, as an essential part of Publication, should never be lost sight of; but it is a measure which should be judiciously regulated and cautiously pursued, or a large amount of expense may be incurred to very little purpose.
Another point to be attended to, is the placing in the proper channels Copies for Review. This is a very advisable measure, as without it many of the Works issuing from the Press would not be likely to meet the eye of those engaged in the announcement of New Works.
Where Authors may desire to Print only a limited number of Copies for the use of their friends, this may easily be accomplished without the least personal inconvenience, through the intervention of the Publishers.
Should further information on any of the foregoing subjects be desired, the Publishers will have great pleasure in affording it on application personally, or by letter.
2-*Shallow frames of wood, divided into as many compartments as there are Letters, Capital, Small Capital, and ordinary (calledLower-Case), together with Italic, and the different Stops, Marks, and other Points employed for reference, quotations, &c.2-†Technically called Copy.2-‡A blank piece of Type metal, or one without a Letter, of which there are various kinds; used also to separate the lines from each other, according as the pages may be; whetherfull, having the lines close together, orlight, with a greater distance between them.3-*This is done by placing the several pages at proper distances on a large stone, fixed on a strongly constructed table; each Page being surrounded by blocks of wood prepared for the purpose, and when firmly wedged together in an iron frame are ready for the press, and are then called aForme.4-*Driven back the wedges by which the Type is compressed and held firmly together within the iron frame, in order to allow of his separating any part of the Pages which may be necessary.5-*It is desirable to observe this, as it has sometimes been supposed that the Proof-sheets of an entire work may be furnished at once. This it will be seen could not be, in a work of any extent; as the quantity of Type required for each sheet renders it necessary that the type should be liberated as speedily as convenient, in order to facilitate the progress and completion of the Printing.5-†Taken asunder, and every Letter, Space, Point,&c. restored to its allotted compartment in the Type Case.5-‡The cost of Setting the Type is regulated by the Thousand, which will explain why a full page or a smaller type is more expensive than a light or a larger.6-*From the labour required in setting the Type, it will be easily conceived that Printing must necessarily be a rather slow process: it is so generally, three or four sheets per week being usually considered tolerably good speed, allowing for the unavoidable impediments occasioned by the transmitting and correcting of Proofs, &c. On urgent occasions, however, much greater progress may be made, which is accomplished by dividing the Manuscript among a greater number of hands. The publishers of this little work have had a volume printed in the astonishingly short space of three days. It was a work by Sir Lytton Bulwer, and the effort was rendered necessary in consequence of the arrangements made for the Foreign Editions. Nearly one hundred workmen were employed in effecting it.7-*The Roller is a modern improvement. Formerly, the Inking process was performed with two large Balls, filled with wool, and covered with a sort of parchment. The Roller is a great improvement, diffusing the Ink more equally and producing a much greater uniformity of colour (as it is called) in the Printing.10-*The Newspaper Press affords a remarkable instance of the surprising effect of combined and persevering effort. Few persons, perhaps, among those who are accustomed to receive the Daily Papers, are aware of the vast amount of cost and labour constantly employed in their production. To take for an instance the Times Newspaper. To accumulate the various articles of intelligence which are there collected, persons are constantly and assiduously employed in all directions, both at home and abroad. For the Foreign department, gentlemen, men of education and address, especially fitted for their office, resident in the various foreign capitals, and who regularly transmit (when necessary, by express) the earliest accounts of important occurrences, so effectually indeed as sometimes even to precede the government couriers; so that during the late war, events of the highest importance were first promulgated through the columns of this paper.—For the daily occurrences of the metropolis and its environs, others, devoted to this particular office. For the political circles, the Courts of Law, Police Offices, Accidents, Offences, &c., others;—and for the two Houses of Parliament, expert and expeditious short-hand writers; all of whom are continually engaged in transmitting their various reports to the office with the most persevering activity, to be there arranged, condensed, and fitted to their respective columns, by the sub-editors and those employed in what is called making up the Paper; while the Editor’s attention is more especially engaged in watching the progress of events, and in furnishing on the moment those remarks which are to be found in what is called the Leading Article. Thus the whole is in one day communicated, arranged, and printed; and by the same evening’s post transmitted to the most distant parts of the Empire; a result which may well strike those who enter into the contemplation of the vast expenditure of effort and capital which are constantly employed for the purpose, with astonishment.In the completion of their Steam Printing Press alone, the Proprietors are said to have expended upwards of sixty thousand pounds. The daily sale of the paper is understood to be about ten thousand copies; and these, by means of the Steam Press, are printed off in the almost incredibly short space of about two hours and a half.12-*Something like this is the plan originally invented and still practised in China. The work intended to be printed is transcribed by a careful Writer upon thin transparent Paper. The Engraver glues this with its face downwards upon a smooth tablet of Pear or Apple tree, or some other hard wood; and then with Gravers and other instruments, he cuts the wood away in all those parts upon which he finds nothing traced, thus leaving the transcribed characters Embossed and ready for Printing. In this manner he prepares as many Blocks as there are written Pages. In printing they do not as in Europe use a Press; the delicate nature of their Paper would not admit of it; when once, however, their Blocks are engraved, the Paper is cut, and the Ink is ready, one man, says Du Halde, with his brush, can without fatigue print ten thousand sheets in a day. The Block is Inked with one Brush, and with another the Paper is rubbed down upon it so as to take the Impression. In this way the Printer can travel with his Ink and his Blocks, and from place to place take off as many copies as he may find occasion for. According to Chinese chronology, this art was discovered in China about fifty years before the Christian era. It seems to be especially adapted to their language, in which are employed such a vast variety of characters.14-*“Before the invention of this divine art, mankind were absorbed in the grossest ignorance, and oppressed under the most abject despotism of tyranny. The clergy, who before this era held the key of all the learning in Europe, were themselves ignorant, proud, presumptuous, arrogant, and artful; their devices were soon detected through the invention of typography. Many of them, as it may naturally be imagined, were very averse to the progress of this invention, as well as thebrief-men, or writers, who lived by their manuscripts for the laity. They went so far as to attribute this blessed invention to the devil, and some of them warned their hearers from using such diabolical books.”—Lemoine.22-*Mr. Lodge’s Peerage is perhaps the only instance in which a whole work, of that magnitude, has been kept standing in Type. This has been done for two reasons; first, because of the greatexpense of setting the Type afresh for each Edition; and secondly, that by being thus kept standing, it may be rendered constantly and uniformly correct, a point of the greatest importance in a work containing so large a mass of family history, the value of which so much depends on the accuracy of names and dates.26-*The Rev. Dr. Macknight, who translated anew the Apostolic Epistles, is said to have copied over with his own hand that laborious and valuable work five times, previously to his committing it to the Press.27-*The Publishers of this little work have frequently had Works committed to their care for Publication, on which the charge for Correcting has almost equalled that of the Setting of the Type, occasioned in a great degree by a want of attention to the points above referred to.50-*Engraving on Steel is a modern and highly important improvement. Previously, elaborate Engravings on Copper would lose their delicate tints after Printing a few hundred copies, but from Steel many thousand impressions may be taken without the slightest perceptible difference between the first and the last. To this is chiefly attributable the present very moderate price of beautifully Embellished Works, the use of Steel instead of Copper rendering it no longer necessary to Re-Engrave the Plates.54-*This is of course not to be understood as applying to Edinburgh and Dublin, both of which have their respective local circles, though for their English circulation they depend chiefly on London.
2-*Shallow frames of wood, divided into as many compartments as there are Letters, Capital, Small Capital, and ordinary (calledLower-Case), together with Italic, and the different Stops, Marks, and other Points employed for reference, quotations, &c.
2-†Technically called Copy.
2-‡A blank piece of Type metal, or one without a Letter, of which there are various kinds; used also to separate the lines from each other, according as the pages may be; whetherfull, having the lines close together, orlight, with a greater distance between them.
3-*This is done by placing the several pages at proper distances on a large stone, fixed on a strongly constructed table; each Page being surrounded by blocks of wood prepared for the purpose, and when firmly wedged together in an iron frame are ready for the press, and are then called aForme.
4-*Driven back the wedges by which the Type is compressed and held firmly together within the iron frame, in order to allow of his separating any part of the Pages which may be necessary.
5-*It is desirable to observe this, as it has sometimes been supposed that the Proof-sheets of an entire work may be furnished at once. This it will be seen could not be, in a work of any extent; as the quantity of Type required for each sheet renders it necessary that the type should be liberated as speedily as convenient, in order to facilitate the progress and completion of the Printing.
5-†Taken asunder, and every Letter, Space, Point,&c. restored to its allotted compartment in the Type Case.
5-‡The cost of Setting the Type is regulated by the Thousand, which will explain why a full page or a smaller type is more expensive than a light or a larger.
6-*From the labour required in setting the Type, it will be easily conceived that Printing must necessarily be a rather slow process: it is so generally, three or four sheets per week being usually considered tolerably good speed, allowing for the unavoidable impediments occasioned by the transmitting and correcting of Proofs, &c. On urgent occasions, however, much greater progress may be made, which is accomplished by dividing the Manuscript among a greater number of hands. The publishers of this little work have had a volume printed in the astonishingly short space of three days. It was a work by Sir Lytton Bulwer, and the effort was rendered necessary in consequence of the arrangements made for the Foreign Editions. Nearly one hundred workmen were employed in effecting it.
7-*The Roller is a modern improvement. Formerly, the Inking process was performed with two large Balls, filled with wool, and covered with a sort of parchment. The Roller is a great improvement, diffusing the Ink more equally and producing a much greater uniformity of colour (as it is called) in the Printing.
10-*The Newspaper Press affords a remarkable instance of the surprising effect of combined and persevering effort. Few persons, perhaps, among those who are accustomed to receive the Daily Papers, are aware of the vast amount of cost and labour constantly employed in their production. To take for an instance the Times Newspaper. To accumulate the various articles of intelligence which are there collected, persons are constantly and assiduously employed in all directions, both at home and abroad. For the Foreign department, gentlemen, men of education and address, especially fitted for their office, resident in the various foreign capitals, and who regularly transmit (when necessary, by express) the earliest accounts of important occurrences, so effectually indeed as sometimes even to precede the government couriers; so that during the late war, events of the highest importance were first promulgated through the columns of this paper.—For the daily occurrences of the metropolis and its environs, others, devoted to this particular office. For the political circles, the Courts of Law, Police Offices, Accidents, Offences, &c., others;—and for the two Houses of Parliament, expert and expeditious short-hand writers; all of whom are continually engaged in transmitting their various reports to the office with the most persevering activity, to be there arranged, condensed, and fitted to their respective columns, by the sub-editors and those employed in what is called making up the Paper; while the Editor’s attention is more especially engaged in watching the progress of events, and in furnishing on the moment those remarks which are to be found in what is called the Leading Article. Thus the whole is in one day communicated, arranged, and printed; and by the same evening’s post transmitted to the most distant parts of the Empire; a result which may well strike those who enter into the contemplation of the vast expenditure of effort and capital which are constantly employed for the purpose, with astonishment.
In the completion of their Steam Printing Press alone, the Proprietors are said to have expended upwards of sixty thousand pounds. The daily sale of the paper is understood to be about ten thousand copies; and these, by means of the Steam Press, are printed off in the almost incredibly short space of about two hours and a half.
12-*Something like this is the plan originally invented and still practised in China. The work intended to be printed is transcribed by a careful Writer upon thin transparent Paper. The Engraver glues this with its face downwards upon a smooth tablet of Pear or Apple tree, or some other hard wood; and then with Gravers and other instruments, he cuts the wood away in all those parts upon which he finds nothing traced, thus leaving the transcribed characters Embossed and ready for Printing. In this manner he prepares as many Blocks as there are written Pages. In printing they do not as in Europe use a Press; the delicate nature of their Paper would not admit of it; when once, however, their Blocks are engraved, the Paper is cut, and the Ink is ready, one man, says Du Halde, with his brush, can without fatigue print ten thousand sheets in a day. The Block is Inked with one Brush, and with another the Paper is rubbed down upon it so as to take the Impression. In this way the Printer can travel with his Ink and his Blocks, and from place to place take off as many copies as he may find occasion for. According to Chinese chronology, this art was discovered in China about fifty years before the Christian era. It seems to be especially adapted to their language, in which are employed such a vast variety of characters.
14-*“Before the invention of this divine art, mankind were absorbed in the grossest ignorance, and oppressed under the most abject despotism of tyranny. The clergy, who before this era held the key of all the learning in Europe, were themselves ignorant, proud, presumptuous, arrogant, and artful; their devices were soon detected through the invention of typography. Many of them, as it may naturally be imagined, were very averse to the progress of this invention, as well as thebrief-men, or writers, who lived by their manuscripts for the laity. They went so far as to attribute this blessed invention to the devil, and some of them warned their hearers from using such diabolical books.”—Lemoine.
22-*Mr. Lodge’s Peerage is perhaps the only instance in which a whole work, of that magnitude, has been kept standing in Type. This has been done for two reasons; first, because of the greatexpense of setting the Type afresh for each Edition; and secondly, that by being thus kept standing, it may be rendered constantly and uniformly correct, a point of the greatest importance in a work containing so large a mass of family history, the value of which so much depends on the accuracy of names and dates.
26-*The Rev. Dr. Macknight, who translated anew the Apostolic Epistles, is said to have copied over with his own hand that laborious and valuable work five times, previously to his committing it to the Press.
27-*The Publishers of this little work have frequently had Works committed to their care for Publication, on which the charge for Correcting has almost equalled that of the Setting of the Type, occasioned in a great degree by a want of attention to the points above referred to.
50-*Engraving on Steel is a modern and highly important improvement. Previously, elaborate Engravings on Copper would lose their delicate tints after Printing a few hundred copies, but from Steel many thousand impressions may be taken without the slightest perceptible difference between the first and the last. To this is chiefly attributable the present very moderate price of beautifully Embellished Works, the use of Steel instead of Copper rendering it no longer necessary to Re-Engrave the Plates.
54-*This is of course not to be understood as applying to Edinburgh and Dublin, both of which have their respective local circles, though for their English circulation they depend chiefly on London.
Having been for many years engaged in conducting an extensive Publishing Business comprising the productions of the most Popular Writers, the Publishers of this little Work beg leave respectfully to state that they have, in consequence of repeated applications, now devoted a branch of their Establishment to conducting the
securing to them the direction and controul, as well as the entire proceeds and property of their Publications.
Estimates of the Cost of large or small Editions, including Paper, Printing, &c., will be given on application personally, or by Letter addressed to Messrs.SaundersandOtley, Publishers, Conduit Street, Hanover Square, London.
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In Two Vols. Post 8vo.THE STUDENT.A Series of Essays.
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In 8vo.LETTER TO A LATE CABINET MINISTER ON THE PRESENT CRISIS.To which is addedA Letter from Lord Brougham to the Author. Thirteenth Edition.
In 8vo.THE DUCHESSE DE LA VALLIERE.A Drama, in Five Acts.
In Two Vols. 8vo.ATHENS—ITS RISE AND FALL.With Views of the Arts, Literature, and Social Life of the Athenian People.
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In Three Vols. Post 8vo.ALICE; OR THE MYSTERIES.
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In Two vols. Post. 8vo.MEMOIRS OF FEMALE SOVEREIGNS.
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