Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/693

 B O O K - K E E P I N G. 583 down; which is a daily talk, to be performed as they that didinguifheth the two books is the dyle ; that of the occur; and fhould be done difHnftly, that is, every one being natural, and that of the other artificial. -In thing (hould be clearly and exactly expre/l'ed. the Journal, perfons and things are charged Debtors to If no fubfidiary books are kept, the Wade-book other perfons or things as Creditors; and in this it agrees fliould contain a record of all the merchant’s tranfaftions with the Ledger, where the fame dyje is ufed, but difand dealings in a way of trade; and that not only of fers from it as to form and order: So that it agrees with fuch as are properly and purely mercantile, but of every the Wade-book in thofe very things wherein it differs occurrence that affefts his dock, fo as to impair or in- from the Ledger; and on the other hand, it agrees with creafe it; fuch as, private expences, fervants fees, houfe- the latter in that very point wherein it differs from the rents, money gained or lod on wagers; legacies, and'the former. like. By fuch occurrences as thefe, a 'met-chant as ef- But an example of the Wade-book turned into the feftualiy becomes fo much poorer or richer, as by the Journal form, will give a clearer idea than can be conrefult of any branch of his trade. And the ends pro- veyed by words. pofed in book-keeping can never be gained, if ftich things pafs unrecorded. WASTE-BOOK. II. Of the Journal. The Journal is the book wherein the tranfaclions recorded in the Wade-book are prepared to be carried to the Ledger, by having their proper debtors and creditors afcertained and pointed out. One great defign of the Journal is, to prevent errors in the Ledger ; a thing of the word confequence in book-keeping ; which yet, without the help of this book, would be almod inevitable For, fuppofe a perfon fhould attempt to form the Debtors and Creditors from the Wade-book in his mind, and at the fame time pod them to the Ledger, he fhall find his thoughts fo much embarraffed and over-charged, by attending at once to fo many different things as occur here, that, were he an accomptant of very- great experience, he could not well mifs of falling into frequent blunders. This makes it necefiary todidvidethe talk, and do at twice what canJOURNAL. not be performed at once, without fuch hazard of mif-July idtakes; that is, fird to write out the Debtors and Creditors in a feparate book by themfelves, and afterward Bhck Cloth Dx xo Cajh 28V. transfer them to the Ledger. The work by this means Paid for 40 yards, at 140. — — being divided into parts, becomes more fimple, and cbnfequently more eafy, and fo may be performed with great/. /. V. er certainty of its being right. Again, after the Ledger Shalloon Dr to Sundries 434 is filled up, the Journal fafcilitates the work required in 'To Cajh, in part for ioo7 yards, at io Whereas, to revife and corredt the Ledger immediately at 2 months 3 from the Wade-book, would be a matter of no lefs dif—4th — ficulty than to form it without the help of a' Journal. Ladly, The Journal is defigned as a fair record of a Sundries Drs to Port IVine 110 /. /. r. , merchant’s bufinefs: For neither of the other two books Cajh, in part, for 4 pipes, at 7 55 00 can ferve this purpofe ; not the Ledger, by reafon both -27/. tor. 3 of the order that obtains in it, and alfo on account of its Will. Pope, for the red on 7 demand 3 brevi y, being little more than a large Index. Nor can the Wade-book anfwer this defign ; for being written up in the time of bufinefs, and commonly too by different hands, it can neither be fair and-uniform., nor very .ac-curate. Bqfore proceeding to give rules for writing in theThe Journal is a kind of middle book betwixt the 0- Journal, it will be necefiary to take notioe, that every, ther two ; it looks back to the one, and forward to the cafe or example of the Wade-book, when entered in the other. With the Wade-book it agrees in form,, being Journal, is called a Journalpojl or entry : Thus the exruled after the fame manner. The order alfo and fuc- amples above make up three didinfl pods. Again, a pod ceffion of things is the fame in. both. The thing then is either fimple or complex. A fymple poft is that which has-..