V 
i mm 
BOO 
and open well, and afterwards pressed. 
While in the press they they are sewed upon 
bands, which are pieces of cord or pack- 
thread ; six bands to a folio book ; five to a 
quarto, octavo, &c. which is done by draw- 
ing a thread through the middle of each 
sheet, and giving it a turn round each band, 
beginning with the first, and proceeding to 
the last. After this the books are glued, 
and the bands opened and scraped, for the 
better fixing the paste-boards ; the back is 
turned with a hammer, and the book fixed 
in a press between two boards, in order to 
make a groove for fixing the pasteboards - r 
these being applied, holes are made for 
fixing them to the book, which is pressed a 
third time. Then the book is at last put to 
the cutting-press, betwixt two boards, the 
one lying even with the press, for the knife 
to run upon, the other above it, for the knife 
to run against : after which the paste boards 
are squared. 
The next operation is the sprinkling the 
leaves of the book, which is done by dip- 
ping a brush into vermilion and sap-green, 
holding the brash in one hand, and spread- 
ing the hair with the other ; by which mo- 
tion the edges of the leaves are sprinkled in 
a regular manner, without any spots being 
bigger than the others. 
Then remains the covers, which are ei- 
ther of calf-skin, or of sheep-skin; these 
being moistened in water, are cut out to 
the size of the book, then smeared over 
with paste made of wheat flour, and after- 
wards stretched over the paste-board, on 
the outside; and doubled over the edges 
withinside ; after having first taken off the 
four angles, and indented and platted the 
cover at the head-band: which done, the 
book is covered, and bound firmly between 
two bands, and then set to dry. Afterwards 
it is washed over with a little paste and 
water, and then sprinkled fine with a brush, 
unless it should be marbled ; when the spots 
are to be made larger, by mixing the ink 
with vitriol. After this the book is glazed 
twice, with the white of an egg beaten, 
and at last polished with a polishing-iron 
passed hot over the glazed cover. 
BOOKSELLER, one who trades in 
books, whether he prints them himself, or 
gives them to be printed by others. 
Booksellers are in many places ranked 
among the members of universities, and en- 
titled to the privilege of students, as at Tu- 
bingen, Sajtsburg, and Paris, where they 
have always been distinguished from the 
BOR 
vulgar and mechanical traders, and exempt' 
ed from divers taxes and impositions laid 
upon other companies. 
The traffic of books was anciently very 
inconsiderable, in so much, that the book- 
merchants both of England, France, and 
Spain, and other countries, were distinguish- 
ed by the appellation of stationers, as hav- 
ing no shops, but only stalls and stands in 
the streets. During this state, the civil 
magistrates took little notice of the book- 
sellers, leaviug the government of them to 
the universities, to whom they were sup- 
posed more immediate retainers ; who ac- 
cordingly gave them laws and regulations, 
fixed prices on their books, examined their 
correctness, and punished them at discre- 
tion. 
But when, by the invention of printing, 
books and booksellers began to multiply, it 
became a matter of more consequence, and 
the sovereigns took the direction of them 
into their own hands ; giving them new sta- 
tutes, appointing officers to fix prices, and 
grant licences, privileges, &c. Authors fre- 
quently complain of the arts of booksellers. 
Lord Shaftsbury gives us the process of a 
literary controversy blown up by the book- 
sellers. The publication of books depend 
much on the taste and disposition of book- 
sellers. Among the German writers, we 
find perpetual complaints of the difficulty 
of procuring booksellers : many are forced 
to travel to the book fairs at Frankfort or 
Leipsic, to find booksellers to undertake 
the impression of their works. 
BOOM, in the sea language, a long 
piece of timber with which the clue of the 
studding-sail is spread out ; and sometimes 
the boom is used to spread or boom out the 
clue of the mainsail. 
Boom denotes also a cable stretched 
athwart the mouth of a river or harbour ; 
with yards, topmasts, battling or spars of 
wood lashed to it, to prevent an enemy’s 
coming in. 
BOOPIS, in botany, bull’s eye, a genus 
of the Syngenesia Segregata class and or- 
der. Calyx one-leaved, many-parted, many- 
flowered ; florets tubular ; receptacle chaffy ; 
seeds each involved in its proper calycle, 
and crowned with its permanent teeth. 
Two species. 
BORAGO, in botany, a genus of the 
Pentandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Aspenefolise. Essential 
character; corolla rotated; throat closed 
with rays. There are five species. B. of- 
•— 
