182 
BOO 
cutting ; which is performed by a particular machine call¬ 
ed a plough , to which is fixed a knife. After this the book 
is put into a prefs called the cutting-prefs, betwixt two 
boards, the one lying even with the prefs, for the knife to 
run upon, the other above it for the knife to cut againft. 
The book being cut, the pafieboards are fquared with a 
pair of iron (hears; and it is then ready for fprinkling, 
gilding, blacking, or marbling, the leaves. The colours 
with which it is fprinkled, are ufnally Vermillion, or fap- 
green ; which is done w ith a brufh made with hog’s brif- 
tles, holding the brufh in one hand, and moving the hair 
with the other. 
In order to gild a book on the edges, it is put tight into 
the prefs, between two boards, and is feraped with a knife 
called a feraper ; and after that with another called a 
fmoothcr, in order to take out all fcratches. Being thus 
made finooth, they ferape a little yellow ochre upon the 
edges of the book, wet it with a little fize-water, and rub 
it off with fome clean (havings. The gilding (ize is made 
with tlie white of an egg, mixed with water, and beat well 
together. The leaves being wetted With the fize-water, 
with a brufh, the gold is then laid upon it, and afterwards 
dried before the fire. When dried, it is burnidied off with 
a dog’s tooth let in a handle. Blacking the leaves is done 
with fine antimony, the leaves being wet,,and the antimony 
rubbed upon them until quite dry, When it is burnidied 
like gold. The head-band is next added, which'is an or¬ 
nament of thread or (ilk, of two or three colours, placed 
at each extreme of the back, acro.fs the leaves, and woven 
or twiffed, (ometimes about a (ingle, and (omerimesa dou¬ 
ble, piece of rolled paper, or, what is more" lading, of 
glued packthread. The (kins ufed for the covers undergo 
feveral preparations, which we dial 1 explain in chlf, as 
being the leather mod ufed, and as being that to which 
all the red: with a little variation may be referred. The 
calf-fkin, being moidened in water, is cut to the (ize of 
the book, and the thicknefs of the edges pared off. The 
cover is next fmeared over with pade, made of wheat- 
flour; then dretched over the padeboard on the outfide, 
and doubled over the edges on the infide. They then cord 
the book, or bind it firmly between two boards, to make 
the cover dick the (ironger to the padeboards and the back; 
on the exadt performance of which depends a great part of 
the neatnefs of the book. The back is then warmed at 
the fire to (often the glue, and the leather of the back is 
rubbed down, with a folding-dick or bodkin, to fet and fix 
it clofe to the back of the book. It is now fet to dry, and 
when dry, uncorded the book is then wadied over with a 
little pade and w ater, the edges and fqu ares blacked with ink. 
and then fprinkled fine with a brufh, by ftriking it either 
againft the hand or a dick ; or with larger fpots mixed with 
vitriol, vermillion, &c. which is called marbling. The 
cover is now glazed twice with the white of an egg; it is 
then filletted plain, or with gold ; and at lad polidied with 
a polifhing-iron, paded hot over the glazed colour. If the 
book be required to be lettered, they pade a piece of red 
or blue Morocco on the back, between the fird and fecond 
band, to repeive the title in. gold letters; and fometimes a 
fecond between the next bands underneath, to receive the 
number of the volume. 
To prevent (he attack of worms on books, it has been 
a cudora with binders to add a mixture of juice of worm¬ 
wood and other bitter ingredients in their pade; but this 
is really no fecitrity againd book-worms. The bed and 
and the only fecurity is from mineral fairs, which all infetfs 
■abhor. For this ptirpofe book-binders ought to mix with 
the pade employed in binding, the fait which is known 
under the name of .arcanum duplicaium, alum, and vitriol; 
w ith this precaution, books may be perfectly guarded from 
all injury and infult from this mifehievous little creature. 
M. Prediger, among other inftnifctions to German book¬ 
binders, printed at Leipfic in 1741, recommends their mak¬ 
ing pade of ftarch, indead of flour : he wifhes them to 
powder flightly the books, their covers, and the (helves, 
pn which they dand, with a mixture of powder of alum 
BOO 
ar.d fine pepper; and is alfo of opinion, that in the months 
of March, July, and September, books fhould be rubbed 
with a piece of woollen cloth deeped in powdered alum. 
Melanges d’Hid. Nat. tom. v. p. 296. 
BOOK'ER (John), a celebrated writing-mader at Had¬ 
ley in Middlefex, was appointed licenfer of mathematical 
books, under which were included all thofe that related to 
the celedial fciences. Lilly tells us, that he once thought 
him the greated adrologer in the world, and fays, that 
“he had a curious fancy in judging of thefts, and as fuc- 
cefsful in refolving love-quedions.” George Wharton 
who was formerly one of his adrological friends, had a 
a great quarrel with him, which occafioned his publifhing 
Alercurio-ccclico Majtix, or An Anticaveat to ail fuch as have 
heretofore had the Misfortune to to be deluded by that 
great and treacherous Impodor John Booker; in Anfwer 
to his frivolous Pamphlet, intituled Mercurius Ccdicus, or 
A Caveat to all the People of England ; Oxon. 1644, 4 to. 
The only work of Booker’s worth the public notice is, his 
Bloody Irifh Almanac, which contains Come memorable 
particulars relative to the war in Ireland. He died in 
April 1667. 
BOOK'FUL, adj. Full of notions gleaned from books; 
crowded with undigeded knowledge : 
1 he bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, 
With loads of learned lumber in his head, 
With his own tongue dill edifies his ears, 
And always lid’ning to himfelf appears. Pope. 
BOOK'lSH, adj. Given to books; acquainted only with 
books. It is generally ufed cbnternptuoufly.— Xantippe 
follows her namefake; being married to a bcoki/h man, who 
has no knowledge of the world. SpeBaior. 
BOOK'ISBNESS,yi Much application to books; over- 
dudioufnefs. 
BOOK-KEEPING,/ the art of recording and dating 
mercantile tranfaclions in fuch a manner as to exhibit to ' 
the merchant and trader a comprehenfive view of the exact 
date of his affairs at all times, viz. the quantity and value 
of all the goods which may have been, or dill ought to 
be, in his warehoufe, or in the hands of any other perfon 
on his account; the debts due to and by him ; the amount 
of his expenditure; and the profit and lofs 'which may 
have arifen upon the different articles in which he deals. 
The only method of book-keeping, which has hitherto 
been found capable of affording'every defirabie informa¬ 
tion, is called the Italian method, by double entry. This 
mode is now praftifed in mod compting-houfes of eftab- 
lifhed regularity ; and, though certainly requiring atten¬ 
tion, is by no means either io complex or Co laborious as 
its enemies would endeavour to make appear. It is indeed 
liable, like all the works of man, to the errors of hu¬ 
manity, but theoretically the fydem is perfect. The 
principles of this method are manifedly Reducible from 
the fcience of algebra, which, it is faid, was brought in¬ 
to Italy from Arabia. Lucas Pacr.olus, who fird Taught 
it in Venice in 1495, was ccnverfant with the discoveries 
of the Arabs on that fubjeft. Who was the'inventor 
however, is a quedion which remains undetermined ; and 
we would remark, that the Banians of India have been, 
from time immemorial, in poffeflion of book-keeping by 
double entry, and that Venice was the emporium of hi 
dian commerce at the time when frier Lucas’s treatife ap¬ 
peared. The fird work ever publifhed in England on the 
art of Book-keeping by double entry, is a folio printed at 
London, in 1569, black letter; the author James Peele. 
The dyle isobfolete ; (for indance, on the left-hand pave 
of the Leger, indead of “ A. Dr.” it is “ A. oweth” 5 
and, on the right-hand page,, or credit-dde, “ A. is due 
to have;”) yet he has fufficiently redified, that he urnier- 
dood the true principles of double-entry accounts full as 
well as fome who have written much later. Simon Stevin, 
of Bruges, next publidied a fmall treatife oh Book-keep! 
ing, in. French, at Leyden, in 1602. This Stevin had, it 
feems, among other parts of mixed mathematics, taught 
the 
