Baskett the patentee for bible-printing in Engl. having beſides obtained a leaſe of their printing-houſe from the Univ. of Oxf. and having alſo as he thought ſecured the printing-h. at Edinburgh, immediately levied upon the populace an advance of £60 ꝑ cent, on bibles and comm. pr. books, raiſing an enormous tax upon the people for reading the ſcriptures, and for learning to "pray by rote upon the book." and this is what is called religion. he impoſed upon the ſimple folk at his own price books printed on bad paper and worſe letter.— for 11d. the duty charged by government on a ream of paper be charged to the people 11s. ſo they were taxed this way and that way, yet the aſſigns of Moſes had no part of the gains.
More moderate were The Comp. of Stat. who for the additional 1d. charged upon almanacs charged to the people no more than 3d.—ſuch are the effects of charters and patents granted to leeches, and to ſuch leaches only be they granted as to Rock and others who are panders for the devil.—but why are the people ſuch fools? — comm. prayer and ſcripture they may have for their tythes. —for almanacs they may revive The clogg,—or there is a vagabond Iſraelite who ſells "Perpetual almanacs that laſts for ever."
From Mores's English Typographical Founders and Founderies (London, 1778), p. 79.
type had to give way to the cheaper method of using text type only, and of shortening the word with period or apostrophe. In account-books and epistolary writing abbreviations of w'd for would, w'h for which, ye for the, hon'ble for honorable, judgm't for judgment, and gents, for gentlemen, were common. Although tolerated in some printed books after the year 1800, they are now regarded
