Chapter XIV
. and pp. 350–353_)
_Alphabets._—For practical purposes the best letters are the _Roman Capitals_, _Roman Small-Letters_, _and Italics_. These are susceptible of very decorative treatment without loss of legibility. And there are many varieties of the pure Roman Capital (see figs. 203–207), besides the “Gothicised” Roman and the simple “Gothic” Capitals, which are all essentially readable.
_Different Sizes of Capitals_ in inscriptions in wood, stone, metal, &c., are generally kept approximately equal in “weight” (see p. 328). ‹Note.›—A downward decrease in height of the letters is common in early inscriptions (p. 410).
_Incising_ is generally the most simple, and therefore the most natural, method for making an ordinary inscription. The letters should be large rather than small, and be deeply cut. Note, however, an _incised_ stamp or die produces an impression in _relief_ on clay, &c. This may be seen in the lettering on Roman pottery.
_Raised Letters._—From the earliest times letters in relief (or _litteræ prominentes_) have been used for special purposes. They are generally rather more legible than the incised letters, and the difference between “thicks” and “thins” tends to disappear. [p378]
[Illustration: ‹Fig. 203.›—Hübner’s _Exempla_, No. 187 (1/4 scale of inscription), “_Rustic Capitals_” (see p. 297) _between_ ‹A.D.› 14–37.]
[Illustration: ‹Fig. 204.›—Hübner’s _Exempla_, No. 384 (one-fifth scale of inscription). 1st or 2nd Century, ‹A.D.›]
[Illustraton: ‹Fig. 205.›—Hübner’s _Exempla_, No. 1084 (one-fourth scale of inscription). 2nd Century, ‹A.D.›]
[Illlustration: ‹Fig. 206.›—(_Two portions_) From a Rubbing of a Florentine marble dated ‹MCCCCLXVII.›, slightly reduced (scale twelve-thirteenths). Note the interlinear spaces are 1-3/4 inch.]
[Illustration: ‹Fig. 207.›—From a Rubbing of a Slate at Rye, dated 1655 (see p. 363). Exact size.]
[Illustration: ‹Fig. 208.›—From a Rubbing of a Stone at Oxford (by A. E. R. Gill, 1905). Reduced, two-thirds scale.]
[p384]
It is quite possible to make a beautiful and characteristic alphabet of equal-stroke letters, on the lines of the so-called “Block Letter” but properly proportioned and finished (such letters may be _Raised_, or _Incised_ or _Painted:_ see _incised form_, p. 391).
Raised letters, if exposed to wear or damage, may be protected by being on a sunk panel or having a raised frame or ornament. The background also may be left in raised strips flush with the letters, between the lines of the inscription.
_Punctuation._—In early inscriptions the words were separated by points; in the more ancient they are square shaped @, @, @, in the more elaborate, triangular @, @, @, sometimes with curved-in sides @ (Plate I.). These developed later into the ivy leaf @ @, or “_hederæ distinguentes_.” Such points may be used occasionally in modern work with fine effect, but should seldom be used between every word, unless the words are _necessarily_ so close that distinguishing marks are required.
_Phrasing and Arrangement._—An inscription may be arranged in sentences or phrases, and occasionally, by the use of larger letters, greater prominence is given to a word or phrase (see figs. 197, 204, 211). This method is particularly adapted to the nature of a _set inscription_ (p. 264), and may help both its readableness and its appearance, but it must be borne in mind that to lay stress on any one statement or word may pervert its meaning or attract too much attention to it.
Any confusion of sense, or accidental word (p. 259) or phrase, _appearing in the setting-out_ is [p385] avoided, if possible, by a slight rearrangement of the part, or, if necessary, of the whole inscription. Great care is taken that the spelling is accurate: a pocket dictionary should be carried.
Reading is further facilitated by avoiding, where possible, the dividing of words at the ends of lines. It may be observed that in the more ancient inscriptions words were generally kept _entire_.
_Exercises in letter form and arrangement_, more profitable than mere paper “designing,” might be devised by the craftsman. Inscriptions might be cut—on a small scale—in gesso or chalk, or inscriptions might be variously spaced and arranged on a properly coloured surface—such as a drawing-board covered with light or dark cloth—in letters cut out of sheet-lead or card.
BIBLIOGRAPHY, &C.
The few books and pamphlets given below are generally, of recent date, practical, and inexpensive. The prices quoted are, I believe, those at which the books are generally sold (not necessarily their published prices). They are all illustrated, except Nos. *9, 10, 11, and 19.
_WRITING, &c._ (See also Nos. 8, 12, 14, 19, 28, 29, and 31.)
1. The Story of the Alphabet: Edward Clodd, 1900. 9d.
2. Greek and Latin Palæography: Edward Maunde Thompson. 3s. 9d. (The extracts in these pp. 36, 41, 416, &c., are from the 2nd edition, 1894.)
3. The Journal of the Society of Arts, No. 2726, Feb. 17, 1905; Papers on [p386] _Calligraphy and Illumination_: Edward Johnston and Graily Hewitt. 6d.
4. Fac-similés de Manuscrits Grecs, Latins et Français du V^e au XIV^e Siècle exposés dans la Galerie Mazarine: Bibliothèque Nationale Département des Manuscrits. 5s.
5. “A Guide to the Manuscripts” in the British Museum, 1906 (30 plates). 6d.
6. Bible Illustrations: _Oxford University Press_, 1896. About 2s.
_ILLUMINATION, &c._ (See also Nos. 3, 4, 5, 12, 14, 29, and 31.)
7. Illuminated Letters and Borders: John W. Bradley, 1901 (19 plates). (Price at South Kensington Museum) 1s. 8d.
8. English Illuminated Manuscripts: Sir E. M. Thompson, 1895. (_Now out of print._)
*9. The Journal of the Society of Arts, No. 2368, April 8, 1898; a Paper on _English Art in Illuminated Manuscripts_: Sir E. M. Thompson. 6d.
*10. The Book of the Art of Cennino Cennini (a contemporary practical treatise on 14th-century Italian painting): Translated by Christiana J. Herringham, 1899. 6s.
*11. Some Hints on Pattern Designing: (lecture, 1881), William Morris, 1899. 2s. 6d.
(11_a_. “Books for the Bairns.—No. 50,” contains 55 reproductions of _Bewick’s Birds_. 1d.)
_BOOKS—MANUSCRIPT & PRINTING._ (See also Nos. 2 to 9, and 29 and 31.)
12. Books in Manuscript: Falconer Madan, 1893. 6s. (_Frontispiece drawn from this by permission._)
13. The Story of Books: Gertrude Burford Rawlings, 1901. 9d. [p387]
14. The Old Service-Books of the English Church: Christopher Wordsworth and Henry Littlehales, 1904. 7s. 6d.
15. Early Illustrated Books: Alfred W. Pollard, 1893. 6s.
16. Facsimiles [in colour] from Early Printed Books in the British Museum, 1897. 7s. 6d.
17. A Guide to the Exhibition in the King’s Library (illustrating the History of Printing, Music Printing, and Bookbinding): British Museum, 1901 (36 illustrations). 6d.
18. “Arts and Crafts Essays by Members of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society”—_Printing_: William Morris and Emery Walker—(1st pub. 1893), 1899. 2s. 6d.
*19. “Ecce Mundus,” containing _The Book Beautiful_: T. J. Cobden-Sanderson, 1902. 2s. 6d.
20. Printing (a technological handbook): Charles Thomas Jacobi, 1898. 3s. 9d.
21. Bookbinding and the Care of Books (_The Artistic Crafts Series of Technical Handbooks_), 1901: Douglas Cockerell. 5s.
22. A Note on Bookbinding: Douglas Cockerell, 1904. 1d.
_HERALDRY, SYMBOLISM, &c._ (See also Nos. 1, 12, 15, 29, and 31.)
23. The Journal of the Society of Arts, No. 2309, Feb. 19, 1897; A Paper on The Artistic Treatment of Heraldry: by W. H. St. John Hope. 6d.
24. English Heraldry: Charles Boutell, 1867. 6th ed. 1899, about 3s. 9d.
25. The Stall Plates of the Knights of the Garter, 1348–1485: W. H. St. John Hope (90 coloured plates, Imp. 8vo). About £3. [p388]
26. Didron’s Christian Iconography (or the History of Christian Art in the Middle Ages): 2 vols. 3s. 9d. (each).
_LETTERING, &c._ (See also Nos. 1 to 8, and 12 to 20.)
27. Lettering in Ornament: Lewis F. Day, 1902. 5s.
28. Alphabets: Edward F. Strange (1st ed. 1895). 4th ed., 3s. 9d.
29. _The Palæographical Society’s Publications_ (out of print), containing hundreds of facsimiles (chiefly of MSS.), are of great interest. They may of course be seen in the British Museum Library. _The New Palæographical Society_ publishes a selection of facsimiles annually.
30. Hübner’s _Exempla Scripturae Epigraphicae Latinae a Caesaris dictatoris morte ad aetatem Justiniani_ (Berlin, 1885, price 46s.) contains many fine outline drawings of ancient Roman inscriptions (see figs. 203–5). It is kept with the books of reference in the Reading Room at the British Museum.
31. Photographs of fine pieces of lettering may be obtained at the Book Stall in South Kensington Museum (see _footnote_, p. 409).
Original MSS. or Inscriptions—from which we can learn much more than from photographs or drawings—may be found in most parts of the country, and in London especially in the British Museum, South Kensington Museum (see p. 391), the Record Office (_Rolls Chapel_, see p. 11), and Westminster Abbey (MSS. in the Chapter-House).
―――――――――――――――――――― FOOTNOTES TO APPENDIX A:
[90] p. 224, J. C. Egbert’s “Introduction to the Study of Latin Inscriptions,”—1896.
[91] If there is sufficient room left on the terminal page _for a clearly marked beginning_ (such as a decorative initial), the _next_
## chapter may begin there, and so fill the page—but generally there is
no objection to leaving blank what the text has failed to fill.
[92] The line need not always be _filled_ by the writing (p. 425).
[93] It would not be necessary for the first page of a chapter to have the ordinary _dropped head_ and blank upper space if a fine initial or decorative heading were used to mark it.
[94] Some of the books _engraved_ by William Blake suggest possibilities of such _un_-conventional treatment, both of writing and “illumination” (see also p. 21).
[95] The distinction in the Prayer Book between “Amen” and “_Amen_”—used as a response—is best marked by the sign @ (for Responsum) in red, placed before the _latter_, as: @ Amen (see pp. 144, 25).
[96] Figs. 195 and 196 are from Mr. Cockerell’s “Bookbinding and the Care of Books,” in this Series.
[97] These form the fly-leaves (p. 111).
[98] _Thread_ should be unbleached. Silk of the best quality is better than thread.
[99] _Forrel_ may be used as a cheap substitute for vellum.
[100] “_Squares_” = “_the portion of the boards projecting beyond the edges of the book_.”
[101] “_Foredge_” = “(fore edge) _the front edge of the leaves_.”
[102] A good, rather dark green ribbon looks well—such as that known as “Church lace,” used for the “tyers” in some of the Kelmscott books. Very good ribbons may be obtained from a bookbinder, at 6d. to 1s. 6d. a yard.
[103] _E.g._ all ordinary written and printed matter intended to be read _at a short distance_ (see pp. 103–106).
[104] As much as two-thirds, or more, of the whole space.
[105] The addressee’s taste and convenience ought to be considered: _e.g._ to one the framed inscription might be an embarrassment, while by another it might be preferred.
[106] To be given to the person in charge of the address.
[107] The original intention of this fold, in deeds, was to provide for the attachment of the seal, and, perhaps, to prevent any addition being made. If the folded part be fairly wide, say, 3/4 to 1 inch, little or no foot margin need be allowed.
[108] _E.g._ to keep to 1/2 inch writing-line spaces (except for extra small addresses, or small books). This being approximately the right space for ordinary SIGNATURES, results in further simplification of ruling and arrangement.
[109] In the common form «&», the letters @ @ (see Plate VI.) are now barely traceable.
[110] Other particulars may be put in the colophon (p. 142).
[111] The use of “rules,” though quite legitimate, will be found misleading if it be depended on to “doctor” and “pull together” any weak arrangement of lettering.
[112] More, Sir Thomas: “_Utopia, et Mori et Erasmi Epigrammata”:_ 4to, Froben, Basle, 1518. Woodcut borders and Title pages by Holbein. (The reproduction is from the title page to the Epigrams.) ‹Note.›—The exceptionally fine type of capitals (see p. 373) here shown is used throughout the book for headings, &c.
[113] _Doubtful_, because, unless unusual care be taken, its delicate quality may be lost in the process, and also because of the type-like impress of the block on the paper.
[114] “_Ecce Mundus_ (_The Book Beautiful_),” 1902.
[115] _It was dated 1456 by a rubricator, not by the printer._—_E.W._
[116] This is recognised in the Sign-writing profession, where, I understand, an applicant for work is sometimes given a blackboard or a piece of American cloth, on which he writes out a short inscription in “sharp white.” It is not necessary to watch the writer; good, direct workmanship shows itself, and also every hesitating stroke or fault, every patch or “touching-up” or “going over,” is made evident.
[117] Brush lettering may be used very effectively on Tiles and China, &c. (see p. 339), when it is of course rendered permanent by baking.
[118] The original form of a painted inscription (not carved) is inevitably spoilt by re-painting.
[p389]
APPENDIX B
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