BOO 



BOO 



portioned to the fizes of the pivots ; and thefe links are of 

 the fame metal as the hinge ; each of them being nearly equal 

 in length to the width of two bars. The hnlis are then 

 rivetted on the pivots, each pivot receiving two of them, and 

 thus holding the hinge together, on the principle of a link- 

 chain or hinge. There are further two holes or more of dif- 

 ferent fizes, as required in each bar of tlie hinge or chain, 

 by means of whicli each feSion of thebookisftrongly fallen - 

 ed to the fame ; which hinge, fo faftened, operates with the 

 back of the book, when bound, in fuch manner as to occa- 

 fion the feveral feftions to open fo as to bring them on a 

 parallel with each other, and confequently admit the mled 

 lines being written into, without any inconvenience, clofe to 

 the back. 



Manner of gilding looh on the edges. The book, being 

 put tight into the prefs, between t%vo boards, is fcraped with 

 a knife called z.fcraper ; and after that with another called a 

 fmoother, in order to take out all fci-atches. Being thus made 

 fmooth, they fcrape a little yellow ochre upon the book, 

 wet it with a little fize-water, and rub it off with fome clean 

 fhavings. The gilding fize is made with the white of an 

 egg, mixed with water, and beat well together. The leaves 

 being wetted with the fize-water, with a brudi, the gold is 

 then laid upon it, and afterwards dried before the fire. 

 When dried, it is bumiflied off with a dog's tooth fet in a 

 handle. See Gilding on pnper, &c. Blacking the 

 leaves is done with fine antimony, the leaves being wet, and 

 the antimony rubbed upon them until quite dry, when it is 

 bumifhed hke the gold. 



The head-band is now added, which is an ornament of 

 thread or filk, of two or three colours, placed at each ex- 

 treme of the book, acrofs the leaves, and woven or twitted, 

 fometimes about a fingle, and fometimes a double piece of 

 rolled paper, or, what is more lafting, of glued paper-thread. 



For the covers ; the ikins ufed undergo feveral prepara- 

 tions, which we fhall explain in calf, as being the leather 

 moft ufed ; and as being that to which all the reft with a 

 little variation may be referred. The calf-ll<in, being moif- 

 tened in water, is cut to the f ze of the book, and the thick- 

 nefs of the edges pared off on a marble ftone kept for that 

 purpofe. The cover is next fmeared over with parte, made 

 of wheat-flour; then ftretched over the pafte-board on the 

 out-fide, and doubled over the edges withinfide. They then 

 cord the booh, or bind it firmly between two boards, to make 

 the cover Hick the ilronger to the paile-boards and the back; 

 on the exaft performance of which depends a great part of 

 the truth and neatnefs of the book. The back is then 

 warmed at the fire to foften the glue, and the leather of the 

 back is rubbed down, with a folding-ftick or bodkin, to fet 

 and fix it clofe to the back of the book. It is now fet to 

 Arj, and when dry, uncorded : the book is then wafhed 

 over with a httle pafte and water, the edges and fquares 

 blacked with ink, and then fprinkled fine with a bruffi, by 

 ftriking it againft the hand, or a ftick ; or with larger fpots 



mixed with vitriol, which is called marbHiig, Two blank 

 leaves, on each iide, arc then to be pafted down to the cover, 

 and, when dry, the leaves are burmjhed in the prefs, and the 

 cover rolled on the edges. 



The cover is now glazed twice with the white of an egg ; 

 it is then filleted plain, or with gold ; and at laft polifhed 

 with a polilhing iron, puffed liot over the glazed colour. 

 If the book be required to be lettered, they pafte a piece of 

 red Morocco on the back, between the firft and fecond band 

 to receive the title in gold letters ; and fometimes a fecond 

 between the next bands underneath, to receive the number 

 of the volume. 



The plain binding, properly fo called, is now complete ; 

 the gilding on the back and cover, as it makes a part of the 

 booh-binder's bufinefs among us (though, with the French, 

 &c. it is a diftinft profeffion), we ihall here fubjoin. 



Manner of gilding booh on the back and covers. In ordi- 

 nary binding, they gild little elfe but the backs, and the 

 outward edges of the cover. On the backs are gilt the title 

 of the book, &c. with flowers, rofes, knots, ftars, &c. be- 

 tween the bands : on the covers are fometimes added com- 

 partments, arms, &c. All thefe ornaments are made with 

 each its feveral gilding tool, engraved in relievo ; either on 

 the points of puncheons, as thofe of letters, rofes, ftars, &c. 

 or around httle cylinders of brafs, as the lines, embroideries, 

 &c. The puncheons make their impreffion, by being preffed 

 flat down ; and the cylinders by being rolled along by a 

 handle, to which they are fitted on an iron ftay, or axis. 



To apply the gold, they glaze thofe parts of the leather, 

 whereon the tools are to be applied, three or four times with 

 a liquor made of the whites of eggs diluted with water by 

 means of a fponge ; and, when nearly dry, they flightly oil 

 them, and then lay on pieces of leaf-gold, and on thefe ap- 

 ply the tools, with a careful even preffure of the hand, or roll 

 the cyhnders, both the one and the other, reafonably hot. 

 If the figures be large, and require a great relievo, as arms, 

 &c. they are beat or preffed down. The gilding thus finifhed, 

 they rub off the fuperfluous gold, and polifh the whole ; the 

 glofs of which is greatly affifted by a final preffing between 

 horns peculiar for the purpofe. 



Our book-binders, for gilding on rough leather, makeufe 

 of renn dried and powdered, inftead of whites of eggs ; and 

 the gold leaf, firft cut to a proper fize, is laid on a hot fome- 

 what oiled ftamp, and preffed down : and thus the refin melts 

 only in thofe parts where the hot ftamp is applied, and the 

 gold fixes on it, whilft the other parts of the leather remain 

 rough as at firft. Dr. Lewis's Com. Phil. Tech. p. 615. 

 See Gilding. 



Ahaf. Fritfch, chancellor of the univerCty of Jena, has a 

 differtation exprefs concerning book-binders, De Bipliopegis; 

 wherein he treats of the laws prefcribed by thefe artificers, 

 and the tax or price fettled by the raagiftrale for biuding 

 books, of evr. y fort in (heep-fkin, vellum, &c. 



END OF VOL. IV. 



Vol. IV. 



5H 



Strihan and Prefton, 

 New-Stieet Sijuare. 



