through the press. The same course has to be performed with the remainder of the book, before it meets the approving smile, the condemnatory voice, or the silent indifference, of the mighty Public,- before it shine as a beautiful and benignant sun in the firmament of literature, or glimmer like a taper through its little night, shedding for a moment its delusive rays on the step of the benighted traveller, but soon to be extinguished and forgotten amid the effulgence of meridian day. In these suggestions we have said nothing of the processes adopted in correcting a proof taken from reprinted, magazine, or newspaper matter. But it will be easy for the printer to modify these in accord.. ance with the nature of the work, with the views of parties having over it literary control, or with the amount of time given for bringing out the publication. This much, however, may be said, in justice to authors who have no opportunity of superintending the press. that the same degree of accuracy should be ensured in the second and following editions of their books as in the first; and, in relation to journals, that, if an article, poem, or advertisement is worth the perusal of the public, it surely deserves to be exhibited in a form not altogether disgraceful to taste and letters. To enable the young author to write his corrections in the proof-sheet, so as to be readily seen and understood by the compositor, we now enter on an explanation of the marks used in pages 320-21, and to which some allusions were made in the preceding article: : In page 269, it is said that capital letters are indicated by three horizontal lines drawn beneath a word meant to be so printed; small capitals, by two lines; and Italics, by one. This is illustrated in page 320,- in the title of the piece, the printed lines numbered 1, 23, and the last line; where the abbreviated words, Caps., S. Caps., and Ital., are written in the margin, exactly opposite where the corrections are to be made in type. If a word or phrase has been erroneously put in capitals or small capitals, instead of common letters, the change is indicated by writing in the margin, as in No. 2, the abbreviation l. c. (for " lowercase letters "). To correct a wrong letter, point, or other character, a line is drawn slopingly through it; to correct a wrong word or phrase or two wrong letters, across them; and the right letter, point, word, or phrase, or the appropriate mark, is written in the margin, opposite the error. See Nos. 2, 5, 6, 9—11, 14, 16—19, 27, 29. When letters, words, points, characters, or spaces have been omitted, a caret is put where they are to be introduced; the corrections, as before, being written in the margin. See Nos, 3, 4, 7, 13, 15, 17, 24, 27. A line drawn in a sloping direction from right to left is put after all the points written in the margin; with the exception of the period, which is placed within a circle, and of the apostrophe, reference-marks, and superiors, which are inserted in a figure resembling a capital V. The lines are used to separate one mark from another with which it is unconnected, or to attract the eye to corrections, which, from their smallness, are liable to be overlooked. See Nos. 2, 9, 13, 15-17, 29. If a space is wanting between two words, a mark like that opposite Nos. 3 and 27 is put in the margin. But, if letters that should join are separated, the mark must be used, both under them and in the margin opposite, agreeably to No. 28. A little line is written under letters or other printed characters that are inverted, broken, or dirty, and also under those which are too large or too small, as in Nos. 5 and 24. To draw attention to an inverted letter, a mark resembling the figure 9, but sloped, is written in the margin, No. 5; to a bad or foul type, a small cross, like an Italic x, No. 24; and to a character of an improper size, the abbreviation w.f., denoting a wrong font, No. 25. When a word, character, or point is erased, a d, written with a line through it from the top, similar to that opposite Nos. 6, 11, 17, 22, 29, and appropriately called a dele ("strike out"), is placed in the margin. If a space sticks up between two words, a mark like a double dagger should be put opposite, as in No. 19. Should two words be transposed, note the mistake by drawing a line over the first word, and continuing it under the second; and by placing the abbreviation tr. ("transpose") in the margin, as in No. 21. If the misplaced word belongs to a different line of print, encircle the word, and draw a line from it to the place where it should be inserted. When several words are to be transposed, indicate the order by placing the figures 1, 2, 3, &c., over them, and by drawing a line under them; tr. being, as in the other modes of transposition, written in the margin. Should a character, word, or phrase be struck out that is afterwards approved of, dots are placed under it, and the Latin direction Stet ("let it stand or remain ") placed in the margin, as in No. 23. When lines of print are close that should be separate, write in the margin the term Lead or Leads, according to Nos. 13, 14; and, when lines are apart that should be close, say, Dele lead, using, however, the peculiar mark for the first of these words, in accordance with Nos. 23, 24. When several words or lines have been left out, they should be written at the side, top, or bottom of the page, as is most convenient, and a line drawn from the place where they are to be introduced, to the first word of the written phrase or passage, as exemplified in No. 24. But, if more matter is to be inserted than can be contained in the margin, the direction See Copy and the folio of the manuscript should be written within a circle, opposite the line where the omission has been made. In the left-hand margin of Nos. 8 and 9 occurs the direction, No break; and, in that of No. 12, the mark T. The former denotes that the sentences between which a line is drawn are to be put in one and the same paragraph; and the latter, that the passage preceded by the crotchet [ is to begin a new paragraph. The last mark is also used for a different purpose, as in No. 1, where the first word is to be brought to the commencement of the line, without being indented. If a line is irregularly spaced, as in No. 26,- that is, if some of the words are too close, and others too wide apart, let the direction Space better be written opposite, in the margin. When the reader of the proof-sheet is doubtful as to the spelling of any word, or the correctness of any expression, he writes on the opposite margin the abbreviation Qy. (for query), with his suggestion; as exemplified in No. 26, where the e in the first syllable of Shakspeare's name is queried, and the suggestion made, by the appropriate mark, that the letter be deled, or struck out. Crooked letters or words are noticed, as in Nos. 28-30, by means of horizontal lines [ ] drawn above and below them, and also in the margin. Corrections are usually placed in the margin to the right, as being more convenient to the hand of the proof-reader and the eye of the compositor; the left-hand margin being appropriated to directions and marks for which there is little room in the opposite margin. All the corrections or emendations should be put in the order in which they occur, as marked in Nos. 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29. |