cases in the seventeenth century, which
may be presumed to be the same in form
as those used in Shakespeare's day.
Various alterations have been made in
the arrangement of the cases, with the
object of placing the letters more
conveniently. The present form is shown
on pp. 110, 111.

Mr. Blades proceeds: ``The chief cause
of a `foul' case was the same in Shakspere's
time as now; and no one interested
in the subject should omit visiting
a printing office, where he could personally
inspect the operation. Suppose a
compositor at work `distributing'; the upper
and lower cases, one above the other,
slant at a considerable angle towards him,
and as the types fall quickly from his
fingers they form conical heaps in their
respective boxes, spreading out in a
manner very similar to the sand in the
lower half of an hour-glass. Now, if the
compositor allows his case to become too
full, the topmost letters in each box will
certainly slide down into the box below,
and occasionally, though rarely, into one
of the side boxes. When such letters
escape notice, they necessarily cause