_Breaking_ off is commonly Boys-work: It is only to _Break_ the _Break_ from the _Shanck_ of the _Letter_. All the care in it is, that he take up the _Letter_ by its Thickness, not its _Body_ (unless its Thickness be equal to its Body) with the fore-Finger and Thumb of his right Hand as close to the _Break_ as he can, lest if when the _Break_ be between the fore-Finger and Thumb of his left hand, the force of _Breaking_ off the _Break_ should bow the _Shanck_ of the _Letter_. ¶. 4. _Of_ Rubbing _of_ Letters. _Rubbing_ of _Letters_ is also most commonly Boys-work: But when they do it, they provide _Finger-stalls_ for the two fore-Fingers of the right-Hand: For else the Skin of their Fingers would quickly rub off with the sharp greet of the Stone. These _Finger-stalls_ are made of old _Ball-Leather_ or _Pelts_ that _Printers_ have done with: Then having an heap of one sort of _Letters_ lying upon the Stone before them, with the left hand they pick up the _Letter_ to be _Rub’d_, and lay it down in the _Rubbing_ place with one of its sides upwards they clap the Balls of the fore-Finger and middle-Finger upon the fore and hinder-ends of the _Letter_, and _Rubbing_ the _Letter_ pretty lightly backwards about eight or nine Inches, they bring it forwards again with an hard pressing _Rub_ upon the _Stone_; where the fore-Finger and Thumb of the left hand is ready to receive it, and quickly turn the opposite side of the _Letter_, to take such a _Rub_ as the other side had. But in _Rubbing_ they are very careful that they press the Balls of their Fingers equally hard on the _Head_ and _Foot_ of the _Letter_. For if the _Head_ and _Foot_ be not equally prest on the _Stone_, either the _Head_ or _Foot_ will _drive-out_ when the _Letters_ come to be _Composed_ in the _Stick_; So that without _Rubbing_ over again they cannot be _Drest_. ¶. 5. _Of_ Kerning _of_ Letters.