The workmen employed in this art are of two kinds; compositors who range and dispose the letters into words, lines, pages, &c. and pressmen, who take off the impression. THE COMPOSITOR distributes it, each kind of type by itself, among the divisions of two wooden frames, an upper and lower, called cases: each of which is divided into little cells or boxes. Each case is placed a little aslope, that the compositor may the more easily reach the upper boxes. Before the compositor proceeds to compose, he puts a rule or thin slip of brass plate cut to the length of the line, and of the same height as the letter, in the composingstick, against the ledge for the letter to bear against. Then having the copy lying before him, and his stick in his left hand, his thumb being over the slider, with the right takes up the letters, spaces, &c. one by one, and places them against the rule, while he supports them with his left thumb by pressing them to the end of the slider, the other hand being constantly employed in setting in other letters. After one line is finished, he moves the brass rule from behind the former, and places it before it, and thus composes another line against it in the same manner; going on thus till his stick is full, when he empties all the lines contained in it into the gally. He then fills and empties his composing-stick as before, till a complete page be formed; when he ties it up with a cord, and setting it by, proceeds to the next, till the number of pages to be contained in a sheet or half a sheet, is completed; which done, he carries them to the imposing-stone, there to be ranged in order, and fastened together in a frame called a chase; and this is termed imposing. To dress the chase, or range and fix the pages in it, a set of furniture is used, consisting of slips of wood of different dimensions, and about half an inch high. All the pages being placed at their proper VOL. II. C distances, distances, and the chase and furniture placed about them, they are all untied and fastened together by driving small pieces of wood called quoins, cut in the wedge form, up be tween the slanting side of the foot and side-sticks and the chase, by means of a piece of hard wood and a mallet; and all being thus bound together, so that none of the letters will fall out, it is ready for the pressmen. In this condi tion the work is called a form; and as there are two of these forms required for every sheet, in what is called sheet work, it is necessary the distances between the pages in each form should be placed with such exactness, that the impression of the pages in one form shall fall exactly on the back of the pages of the other, which is called register. As it is impossible but that there must be some mistakes in the work, either through the oversight of the compositor, or by the casual transposition of letters in the cases; a sheet is printed off, which is called a proof, and given to THE CORRECTOR; who reading it over, and rectifying it by the copy, marking the alterations in the margin, it is delivered back to the compositor to be corrected. The compositor then unlocking the form upon the imposing-stone, by loosening the quoins or wedges which bound the letters together, rectifies the mistakes by picking out the wrong types with a slender sharp pointed steel bodkin, and putting others into their places. After this another proof is made, sent to the author, and corrected as before; and last there is another proof called a revise, to see whether all the mistakes marked in the last proof are corrected. THE PRESSMEN'S BUSINESS is to work off the forms thus prepared and corrected; in doing which four things are required, paper, ink, balls, and a press. Το prepare the paper for use, it is to be first wetted by dipping several sheets together in water; these are afterwards laid in a heap over each other; and to make them take the water equally, they are all pressed close down with a weight at the top. The balls, by which the ink is applied on the forms, are a kind of wooden funnels, with handles, the cavities of which are filled with wool er hair, as is also a piece of alum leather, or pelt, nailed over the cavity, and made extremely soft. One of these the pressman takes in each hand; and applying one of them to the ink-block, danbs and works them together, to distribute the ink equally; and then blackens the form which is placed on the press, by beating with the balls upon the face of the letter. In preparing it for working, the parchment which covers the outer tympan is wetted till it is very soft, in order to render the impression more equable; the blankets are then put in, and secured from slipping by the inner tympan; then while one man beats the letter with the balls, covered with ink taken from the ink-block, another places a sheet of paper on the tympan sheet; turns down the frisket upon it, to keep the paper clean and prevent its slipping; then bringing the tympans upon the form, and turning the rounce, he brings the form with the stone, &c. under the platten; pulls with the bar, by which means the platten presses the blankets and paper close upon the letter, whereby half the form is printed; then easing the bar, he draws the form still forward; gives a second pull; and letting go the bar turns back the form, raises the tympans and frisket, takes out the printed sheet, and lays on a fresh one; and this is repeated till he has taken off the impression upon the full number of sheets laid out. One side of the sheet being thus printed, the form for the other is laid upon the press, and worked off in the same manner. The usual time of binding apprentices to either Case or i per Press is seven years-and in Edinburgh the former are allowed:-3s. per week for the two first years-3s. 6d. ditto third and fourth-4s. ditte fifth and sixth-59. week last year, besides premium, say 1s. 3d. over 8s. at Journeyman's prices.-Stout Press apprentices have 10s. of weekly wages, and premium, half over 10s. at Journeyman's prices. An industrious Journeyman Compositor, in constant employ, may average from 25s. to 30s. per week, and a Pressman of the same description, from 22s. to 26s. : In some places apprentices are taught both Case and Press, which is advantageous to young men who prefer situations in the country-the terms of course differ from the others. The Hernhooter. A STRIKING INSTANCE OF HONESTY. An honest man's the noblest work of God. POPE. IN the last German war, a captain of cavalry was appointed to procure forage: he accordingly went at the head of his troop, to the place assigned them for the purpose it was a solitary valley, in which the eye perceived nothing but clusters of trees. At last the officer discovered a cottage; and knocking at the door, it was opened by an old Hernhooter, with a white beard. "Father," said the captain, "show me a field where we can procure forage." "I will, immediately," replied the old man. He then put himself at their head, and conducted them out of the valley. After riding for about a quarter of an hour, they arrived at a fine field of barley. "Stop," said the officer to his guide, "this is what we want." "Wait a little," replied the Hernhooter, "and you shall be satisfied." They They then continued their progress; and, at the distance of a quarter of a league, they found another field of the same grain. When the barley was cut, and they having mounted their horses, the officer said to his guide, "Father, you have brought us a great way unnecessarily; the first field was better than this." "True," replied the old man, “but that field does not belong to me יין What a noble instance of truly christian virtue. Rather than injure his neighbour's property, the worthy Hernhooter sacrificed his own! D. MA. On Philanthropy. PHILANTHROPY is a great and benevolent, a kind and generous disposition of soul, which, soaring above the parrow and selfish views, the basc and niggardly spirit, the dark and malevolent passions, takes pleasure in the happiness and prosperity of mankind. It takes a friendly concern in all the great and important interests of society, and rejoices to see men by laudable and meritorious conduct pursue after, and succeed in whatever is praise-wor¬ thy or useful. Uninfluenced by the meanness of jealousy or envy, it can, with a calm and benign aspect, behold others succeeding in their attempts; it can be just to their merits and acquirements; can generously applaud their honourable efforts, and heartily rejoice in their good fortune. Unagitated by malice or ill-will it can see fortune smiling on mankind around it; and with a serene and unruffled countenance behold honours and preferments, power and authority acquired by its neighbours or competitors; and though eclipsed by others' greatness, it can, even in the midst of adversity and misfortune, rejoice with them who do rejoice. It faithfully and honestly endeavours to support the char C 3 acter |