manner. A sparing use of Italics is, however, strongly recommended to authors and typographers; for it is obvious, that, as there are in composition innumerable shades and degrees of emphasis, a prodigal introduction of words of a sloping character would tend rather to confound the sense and perplex the reader, than to elucidate the meaning, or to assist in discriminating the relative importance which should be attached to different sentiments.

In all works, however, which treat of matters relating to science, art, or language, where it is necessary to adduce words and phrases in illustration of certain principles, or to employ them in technical senses, the use of Italic characters is indispensable. In the present treatise, it will be seen that they are freely and unavoidably used.

III.

TERMS RELATING TO BOOKS.

CAPTIONS and SUBHEADS are words or expressions that stand above chapters, sections, and paragraphs, for the purpose of indicating their contents. SIDEHEADS are of a similar nature, but put in the first line of the paragraph or paragraphs to which they refer. RUNNING TITLES or, as they are sometimes called, are such words or phrases as are placed at the top of the page. All these are printed usually in capital or small-capital letters; sometimes, especially in magazines, in Italics.

headlines

SIGNATURES are the letters of the alphabet, used by English printers in the foot-margin of certain pages, as a guide to direct the bookbinder in arranging and folding the sheets. The letter B is put at the bottom of the first sheet or half-sheet which comes immediately after the titlepage, preface, and contents; C, at that of the second; and so on throughout the alphabet, with the exception of J, V, and W. If the number of pages require more signatures than the alphabet will indicate, the letters are doubled or trebled, or a numeral is prefixed to them; as, A A, B в; 2 A, 2 B; 3 A, &c. Figures, or numeral characters (1, 1*; 2, 2*; &c.), being more convenient than letters, are used for the same purpose by American printers. But in catalogues, and other publications in which figures often occur, capitals or small capitals are, for distinction's sake, preferable.

Folio

NAMES OF VARIOUS SIZES OF Books. denotes a sheet of paper folded into two leaves, making four pages; quarto, or, as abbreviated, 4to or 4°, is a sheet divided into four leaves, or eight pages; octavo, 8vo or 8°, a sheet into eight leaves, or sixteen pages; duodecimo, 12mo or 12°, a sheet into twelve leaves, or twenty-four pages. So, also, sixteens, 16mo or 16°; eighteens, 18mo or 18°; twenty-fours, 24mo or 24°; thirty-twos, 32mo or 32°; forty-eights, 48mo or 48°; sixty-fours, 64mo or 64°, are the several designations of sheets when folded into sixteen, eighteen, twentyfour, thirty-two, forty-eight, and sixty-four leaves; making each twice the number of pages.

IV. — ABBREVIATIONS AND REPRESENTATIVE

LETTERS.

The following is perhaps the largest list of miscellaneous abbreviations that has yet been published; but its chief value consists in affording to writers and printers an opportunity of selecting those modes of abbreviating words which seem best fitted for the purposes they may have in view. To further this object, the compiler has presented the various forms in which any given word or phrase has been employed, where more than one has been in use; appending a dagger (†) to such as appear unsuitable, either in consequence of their being already employed for other words, because they are less intelligible than they should be, or have but slight authority for their adoption. But the mark is not intended to imply, that these should never be preferred; for cases will arise, where, from the connection or the narrowness of the printed line, it may be desirable to use them. To those abbreviations, however, which are regarded as unfit to appear under any circumstances, but which are used by some writers, he has put a double dagger (‡).

It need scarcely be said, that only a few of the abbreviations here exhibited should appear in ordinary composition. But they are very serviceable in catalogues, directories, tabular lists of articles, and family registers; and in works on grammar, lexicography,

as,

arithmetic, geography, &c.; where certain terms often occur, and their full spelling would impede the course of a reader, or swell the size of a book. There are also some words and phrases which, wherever they may occur, whether in works relating to science and art or to general literature, are commonly written as abbreviations. These are either mostly a few Latin words, which, without being Anglicized, are found useful in supplying the place of circumlocutions in the language; as, &c., instead of " and other persons" or "things" or they are titles prefixed to proper names; "Mr. Richardson, Dr. Finlay, Capt. Jameson," &c.: or are terms made use of in reference to passages in books; as, "See pp. 500, seq.; and comp. sect. 6." When referring, in notes, or at the beginning or end of extracts, to works that are well known, it is usual to abbreviate the longer words in their titles; as, "Gibbon's Hist. of the Dec. and Fall of the Rom. Emp., vol. ii. p. 288." In the list will be found abbreviations of only some American and British periodicals ;: for it would be a vain attempt to give more than a few specimens of the abbreviations adopted in the names of such publications, and altogether impossible to exhibit those used in the names of books in general. Indeed, such abbreviations are quite too much in vogue; and it is recommended, that, in all cases where the common reader is supposed to be unacquainted. with the works to which reference is made, the titles be printed in full, or at least such portions as will clearly indicate what the writer intends. In treatises, however, addressed merely to the learned professions, it may be sufficient generally to indicate authorities by

the first letter or letters in each word. Copious lists of those relating to botany, law, and organic remains, will be found in Savage's "Dictionary of the Art of Printing," pp. 59-81, 430-37, and 548.

When the names of the books of Scripture are specified with chapter and verse, they should, except those of but one syllable, be given in their abbreviated forms; as, "Gen. xlix. 26. Matt. vii. 28." When spoken of without reference to any particular passage, the names should be spelled out; as, "The Gospel of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament."

The more common baptismal names, if put in lists where the saving of room is an object, should be printed with such portions as will lead to a true knowledge of them. They may all, indeed, be severally abbreviated with only the initial letter, when the persons whom they represent are so well known that no mistake can readily take place, or when it is deemed of little importance whether they be known or not. But in books in which elegance of composition, intelligibility of sense, or uniformity of printing, is desirable, the names of persons, at least those by which they are commonly designated, ought to appear in full. Names of ladies should, if possible, be so given.

Titles of eminent men, when put immediately after their names, are almost universally abbreviated; as, "Walter Kinderhook, D.D." But, when the titles are predicated of persons, they are better written in full; as, "The Rev. Joshua Rankin is a Doctor of Divinity; and Matthew Finlayson, Bachelor of Arts."

To preclude mistakes, the names of cities, towns, and other places, should not, if avoidable, be abbreviated.