A broadside printed this day in 1734, setting forth the Rules of the Chapel, has survived to become one of the most important sources of information upon the working conditions in the printing office of the 18th century. Some of the rules to be observed by the compositors follow:

“The Stones, Next of Drawers, &c. to be clear’d by those who last us’d them, within an Hour after Notice, on Forfeiture of 2d.

“For every Capital or other Thing pick’d out of Matter, without putting in something of like Size, the Person so doing to forfeit 1d.

The Sweeping of every one’s Place to be clear’d within two Day after Notice, on Pain of forfeiting for every Day 2d.

“Pye belonging to any Person, to be clear’d within two Day after Notice, on Pain of forfeiting for every Day 2d.

“Cases to be bout in the Frame of Rack within two Hours after done with (if Room) on Pain of forfeiting for each case 1d.

“Braces, Fac-totums, Head-pieces, Tail-pieces, Slips, two-lin’d Letters, to be put into their proper Places in two Hours after done with, on forfeiture of 1d.

“Proof or Revise to be begun to be corrected within a Quarter of an Hour after requir’d, by the Master, or by the Fellow-Workman, unless it appear to the oldest Freeman Compositor, that the Stone cannot be come at, on Forfeiture of 1d.

“He that lays up an Act or Job for his own Conveniency, to tie up the Pages and Indorsement immediately, if not done with. If done with, he that compos’d the Job, or fill’d up the Banks, to tie them up in Pieces convenient for Papering, in two Days after Notice given of their being laid up, on Forfeiture for every Day’s Neglect for every Page or Indorsement, of 2d.

“Every dorm for Distribution, or Papering up, to be wash’d in the Sink, on Pain of forfeiting for each Form 2d.

“If a Form, after laid up and wash’d by the Compositor, remains in the Sink an Hour, after Notice to take it away, the Compositor to forfeit 1d. and for every Hour after 1d.

“No Mixtures of Founts, especially Lower-Case Letters to be permitted; nor of Capitals, without the Consent of the Master, on Forfeiture, for every Mixture of Lower-Case Sorts of 6d. per Sort; and for every Mixture of Capitals, per Sort, of 2d.”