the method of preparing leather with oil, tallow, &c.

The chief business is to soften and supple cow and calf-skins, which make the upper-leathers and quarters of shoes, covering of saddles, coaches, and other things which must keep out water. 1. These skins, after coming from the tanner's yard*, having many *See Tan fleshly fibres on them, the currier soaks them some time in common water. 2. He takes them out and stretches them on a very even wooden horse; then with a paring-knife, he scrapes off all the superfluous flesh, and puts them in to soak again. 3. He puts them wet on a hurdle, and tramples them with his heels, till they begin to grow soft and pliant. 4. He soaks thereon train-oil, which by its unctuous quality is the best liquor for this purpose. 5. He spreads them on large tables, and fastens them at the ends. There, with the help of an instrument called a *pummet*, which is a thick piece of wood, the under-side of which is full of furrows crossing each other; he folds, squares, and moves them forwards and backwards several times, under the teeth of this instrument, which breaks their too great stiffness. This is what is properly called curving. The order and number of these operations is varied by different curriers, but the material part is always the same.

6. After the skins are curried, there may be occasion to colour them. The colours are black, white, red, yellow, green, &c.; the other colours are given by the skinners, who differ from curriers in this, that they apply their colours on the flesh-side; the curriers on the hair-side. In order to whiten skins, they are rubbed with lumps of chalk, or white lead, and afterwards with pumice-stone.

7. When a skin is to be made black, after having oiled and dried it, he passes over it a puff dipped in water impregnated with iron; and after his first wetting, he gives it another in a water prepared with foot, vinegar, and gum-arabic. These different dyes gradually turn the skin black, and the operations are repeated till it be of a shining black. The grain and wrinkles which contribute to the suppleness of calves and cows' leather, are made by the reiterated folds given to the skin in every direction, and by the care taken to scrape off all hard parts on the colour-side.

**CURSING** and **SWARING**, an offence against God and religion, and a sin of all others the most extravagant and unaccountable, as having no benefit or advantage attending it. By the last statute against this crime, 19 Geo. II., which repeals all former ones, every labourer, sailor, or soldier, profanely cursing or swearing, shall forfeit 1s.; every other person under the rank of a gentleman, 2s.; and every gentleman or person of superior rank, 5s. to the poor of the parish; and, on a second conviction, double; and, for every subsequent offence, treble the sum first forfeited, with all charges of conviction; and, in default of payment, shall be sent to the house of correction for 10 days. Any justice of the peace may convict upon his own hearing, or the testimony of one witness; and any constable, or peace-officer, upon his own hearing, may secure any offender and carry him before a justice, and there convict him. If the justice omits his duty, he forfeits 5l. and the constable 40s. And the act is to be read in all parish-churches and public chapels, the Sunday after every quarter-day, on pain of 5l. to be levied by warrant from any justice. Besides this punishment for taking God's name in vain in common discourse, it is enacted, by stat. 3 Jac. I. c. 21., that if in any stage-play, interlude, or show, the name of the holy Trinity, or any of the persons therein, be jeeringly or profanely used, the offender shall forfeit 10l.; one moiety to the king, and the other to the informer.