Writing & Illuminating, & Lettering

PLATE II.—Alphabet from Trajan Inscription. (Circa 114 A.D.) Scale approx. 16th linear. (See note above.)

THE “TRAJAN” ALPHABET.— Very fine letters for inscriptions in stone: possibly painted before incision (see p. 292); see also remarks on Roman Capitals, pp. 268–296, and note:—

SERIFS.—Small and carefully curved.

THIN PARTS about half the width of the thick stems (pp. 375, 285).

H, (J), K, (U), W, Y, Z are not present in the inscription. A rough diagram (fig. 219) is given below showing approximately suitable forms for these (Re junction of U in stone; see p. 400, & fig. 215). [p412]

PLATE III.—Written Roman Capitals, Fourth or Fifth Century. (Virgil’s “Æneid”).

(From a facsimile in the Palæographical Society’s Publications, 1st Series, Vol. II., Pl. 208, of a MS. in the library of S. Gall, Switzerland. See also “Greek and Latin Palæography,” p. 185.)

LETTERS.—Simple-written (slanted-pen) Roman “Square Capitals.”

WORDS in early MSS. were not separated (p. 112).

LINES ruled with a hard point (p. 343). The letters appear to have been written between every alternate pair (p. 299), but slightly over the line.

A very handsome writing which might still be used for special MSS. (see pp. 304, 300, 299).

PLATE IV.—Uncial Writing, probably Italian Sixth or Seventh Century. (Latin Gospels). Brit. Museum, Harl. MS. 1775.

(Shown in Brit. Mus. Department of MSS., Case G, No. 11.)

THE VOLUME contains 468 leaves (7 inches by 434 inches).

MARGINS, Approx.: Inner 58 inch, Head 78 inch, Side 98 inch, Foot 88 inch. (They may have been cut down by the binder.)

WRITING.—A fine round Uncial MS. (pp. 38, 302), arranged in long and short lines.

Note.—On many of the letters there are fine hair-line curved tails and flourishes, which are scarcely visible in the photograph. (These tails were also used in the earlier Uncial shown in fig. 5—see also Addenda, p. 23.)

SECTIONS.—Marked by built-up letters of an Uncial type, and numbered, mR cxxiiii to mR cxxvi (with references to “Harmonies”). The passage is S. Mark xi. 21–25. [p413]

PLATE V.—Uncial Writing, probably Continental Seventh Century. (Gospel of S. John). Ex libris Stonyhurst College. (See also enlargement, fig. 169.)

(From a facsimile in the Palæographical Society’s Publications, 1st Series, Vol. II., Pl. 17.)

THE VOLUME contains 90 leaves, approx. 538 inches by 358 inches. The Inner margin is approximately 12 inch wide.

WRITING.—A very beautiful pointed (slanted-pen) Uncial. The “pointed” character of the letters, which yet retain their typical roundness, give this writing a peculiar charm. Note the top of the P has a marked angle, and the M and H, and even the O, have this slightly or strongly.

RULING.—Single lines, rather wide (p. 305).

ARRANGEMENT.—Certain of the lines are indented one letter (p. 264).

LARGE LETTERS.—On verso Col marking a “Chapter” is built-up in red, on recto the three large letters (marking sections) are simply written with the text pen (p. 299). (The passage is S. John xi. 46–56.)

PLATE VI.—Half-Uncial (Irish), Seventh Century. “Book of Kells” (Latin Gospels). Ex libris Trinity College, Dublin.

(From a facsimile—part of Pl. XLVII.—in “Celtic Ornaments from the Book of Kells,” by the Rev. Dr. T. K. Abbott.)

THE LEAVES—which are cut down and much damaged—measure 13 inches by 10 inches.

WRITING.—A beautiful and highly finished (approx. straight pen) Half-Uncial (pp. 40, 304), tending to ornamental and fanciful forms whenever opportunity offered. (Note the treatment of inde.)

ARRANGEMENT.—Long and short lines: wide spacing. [p414]

THE LETTERS combine extreme gracefulness with an unusual appearance of strength. This is mainly due to the ends of all the strokes being finished; the thick strokes have large, triangular heads (p. 327) on the left, and bases broadened by an additional stroke below on the right (thus ). And the horizontal thin strokes are either finished with a triangular terminal (p. 246), or run on into the next letter—joining the letters together.

The extreme roundness of the letters is contributed to by their being written between DOUBLE LINES (pp. 304, 88), the upper line of which tends to flatten the tops.

The pen not being quite “straight” (see footnote, p. 304), together with a tendency to pull the left hand curves, gives a characteristic shape to the letters

THE ILLUMINATION throughout the book is most elaborate and beautiful. Each division has an entire Initial page occupied with the first few letters. The COLOURS were “paled green, red, violet, and yellow, intense black, and white, but no gold”: see description of Celtic MSS., p. 40, Bradley’s “Illuminated Letters and Borders,” and also the Palæographical Society’s 1st Series, Vol. II., Pl. 55–58, 88, 89.

This notable book may be taken as an example of the marvellous possibilities of pen-work and complex colour-work (see p. 216).

In considering the value of the writing as a model, it may be noted that its highly finished nature demands practised skill on the part of the copyist, and that though modern Irish writing (for which it would be an excellent model) still employs these letters would be apt to look peculiar in English. The Kells MS. however, might be used, and a very beautiful ornamental hand (p. 304) might be founded on this writing. [p415]

PLATE VII.—Half-Uncial (English), circa 700 A.D. “Durham Book” (Latin Gospels). Brit. Mus., Cotton MSS. Nero D. IV.

THE VOLUME contains 258 leaves (1312 inches by 978 inches).

THE WRITING is an English—or rather Anglo-Irish—Half-Uncial, written at Lindisfarne (Holy I.) under Irish influence (p. 40). ARRANGEMENT—two columns of 24 lines—long and short—to the page (note how eis is got into the fifth line): wide spacing.

The writing bears a strong resemblance to that of the “Book of Kells,” but is generally much plainer; it is also less graceful, being heavier and wider in proportion. The “Book of Kells” O is a circle, while the “Durham Book” O is considerably wider than its height, and all the other letters are correspondingly wide. The RULING in both books consists of double lines, ruled with a hard point on both sides of each leaf.

THE ILLUMINATION also resembles that of the “Book of Kells” (see opposite), but a small amount of gold is employed in it. (See also Palæographical Society’s 1st Series, Vol. II., Pl. 3–6, 22.)

Note.—The “Gloss,” or interlinear translation, is in the Northumbrian dialect, and was put in in the tenth century, more than 200 years after the book was written.

A hand founded to some extent on the “Durham Book” hand is given in Chap. IV. as an easy copy: see figs. 49, 50.

PLATE VIII.—English Tenth-century Writing. (Psalter). Brit. Mus., Harl. MS. 2904. (See enlargement, fig. 172). (Shown B. M. Grenville Lib. Case 2, No. 9.)

THE VOLUME contains 214 leaves (1314 inches by 10 inches), 18 lines to the page; probably written at Winchester in late tenth century. (Pl. reduced scale 89ths.)

WRITING.—An extremely good, formal, “slanted-pen” writing, having great freedom (note the very slight [p416] slope forward) and simplicity. This type of letter may be regarded as a link between the Half-Uncial and the Roman Small-Letter (see p. 310).

THE RULING: single lines (see footnote, p. 305).

THE LETTERS show very strongly the effects of the “slanted pen” (see pp. 43, 305). Note the heavy shoulders and feet in , &c., and the thick horizontals in , The curved tops or arches are flattish and strong: the thick strokes end in points and are hooked below, thin strokes scarcely appear except as the finishing strokes of , while end in small heavy hooks. Note generally the tendency to internal angles and external roundness (examples, ).

Note particularly the junctions and accidental crossings of the strokes (seen best in the enlargement, fig. 172) as bearing on the mode of construction of the letters (see p. 84).

Note the fine shape of the amperzand (: 3rd line).

THE ILLUMINATION (see Characteristics of Winchester Illumination, or “Opus Anglicum,” pp. 82, 83, Bradley: “Illuminated Letters and Borders”). All the CAPITALS beginning the verses are in raised, burnished gold, in the margin. The titles are in red in fancy “Rustic Capitals” (p. 297). The Line-Fillings consist of groups of red dots, in threes ().

This extremely legible MS. would form an almost perfect model for a modern formal hand ( being substituted for long , and the straight for the curved (see fig. 183): the removal of the flourish would also help readableness). And though it is somewhat large and heavy for ordinary use, it is good for practising, and might be developed into a form resembling any of the more difficult later forms (Plates IX., X., XX.).

PLATE IX.—English Writing, dated 1018. Two portions of a Charter of CNUT. Brit. Museum. (See also enlargement, fig. 173.) [Pl. reduced scale 1112ths.]

(Shown in Brit. Mus., Department of MSS., Case V., No. 3.)

THE WRITING resembles that in Plate VIII. [p417] (see above), but is more slender and rounder—the pen being a little less slanted, and the arches more curved, and showing more of the thin stroke. The ascenders and descenders are longer, the heads are more marked, and there is a general elegance and distinction, due perhaps to the MS. being a charter. Charter-hands are generally more showy and less legible than Book-hands, but in this hand there is great legibility, and a very few changes (similar to those suggested above) would make it quite suitable for modern use. Its relation to the Roman Small-Letter is obvious.

Notes.—The (black) were probably built-up with the writing pen.

The forms of a, e, g, (h), r, may be noted as differing considerably from the tenth-century hand.

The combined ra (in the 4th line) is curious; and the r in Anglorum—this r (which represents the Bow and Tail of R) commonly follows the round letters b, o, p, in “Gothic” writing: there is another curious form in the linked in cartula (last line).

The word CNUT and several other names are in ornamental “Rustic” Capitals (see p. 297).

The two lines of English from another part of the charter have very long stems and ornamental serifs, giving a very decorative effect (see footnote, p. 326).

PLATE X.—Italian (first half of) Twelfth-century Writing. (Homilies and Lessons). Brit. Mus., Harl. MS. 7183. (See also enlargement, fig. 174.)

(Shown in Brit. Mus., Department of MSS., Case C [lower part], No. 101.)

THE VOLUME.—Homilies and Lessons for Sundays and Festivals from Advent to Easter Eve—contains 317 leaves (approximately 2112 inches by 15 inches); two columns, each of 50 lines, to the page. The MARGINS are, approximately, Inner 114 inch, Head [p418] 114 inch, Side 314 inches, Foot 414 inches (between columns 118 inch: see Plate). The portion of a page, shown in Plate X., consists of the last eleven lines, second column, of folio 78.

WRITING.—This has all the qualities of good writing (p. 239) in a marked degree, and I consider it, taken all round, the most perfect and satisfactory penmanship which I have seen.

Its simplicity and distinctiveness are very marked, so also are its character and freedom. There is an almost entire absence of artificial finish—the terminals are natural hooks, beaks and “feet” made with a fine sleight of hand (p. 311)—and its very great beauty of form is the natural outcome of good traditions and eminently satisfactory craftsmanship.

Notes.—The letters are very wide, and the inside shapes differ considerably from those of the tenth-century MS. (above)—with which, however, there is a considerable affinity (see p. 416).

The f is longer than the ſ, the g has a very fine form with a closed loop, the r is sharpened, the t straight.

Small (Uncial) CAPITALS um follow the Versal; the serifs on the S and E are made with dexterous movements of the nib (p. 246), and resemble those on the Versal C. V and U are both used for the consonant (V).

There are very few VERSALS in this book: the C shown is in red (which has been smudged).

The large “ILLUMINATED INITIALS” in the book are in yellow, blue, and red, and appear to me to be comparatively poor, at least, to fall short of the perfection of the MS.

Of this writing, Sir Edward Maunde Thompson (“Greek and Latin Palæography,” pp. 271–2) says:—

PLATE XI.—English (late) Twelfth-century Writing, with flourished Capitals. (Breviary). Brit. Mus., Royal MS. 2. A. x.

(Shown in Brit. Mus., Department of MSS., Case D, No. 111.)

THE VOLUME—sometimes called the St. Albans or Albanus Psalter—contains 200 leaves (678 inches by [p420] 478 inches); twenty-seven lines to the page, some pages have two columns. MARGINS, approximately, Inner 58 inch, Head under 12 inch (see Plate), Side 114 inch (part occupied by Versals), Foot 118 inch.

THE WRITING is fairly legible, but approaches Black Letter (p. 331) too nearly to be of use to us for ordinary purposes. Note the ornamental Semi-Rustic Capitals in text. Note the RULING of the two head lines and of the foot line is carried into the margin.

THE VERSALS.—The main interest lies in the varied forms of the Versals, which are most beautifully made in red and green alternately. There is one elaborate gold initial in the book, and several Versals in blue and white (hollow: see p. 208).

The five ’s—and the D in the text—on this page (folio 85b) by no means exhaust the varieties of D alone, and there are very many varieties of the forms of the other letters. On some pages each line begins with a small Versal, while the more important Initials are much larger, varying in size and ornament.

THE CONSTRUCTION of the Versals is unusually slender, curved, and gradated. A rather fine pen seems to have been used (p. 292), and though the letters are upright, the natural tendency to slant the pen can be detected in the thickening of the thin parts—above, on the right, and below, on the left—giving the suspicion of a tilt to the O.

The O-part of each was made first, and the tail added. This is very obvious in the D in the text, where a stem was added to O to make D.

Note the dots inside the Versals, one above and one below. Originally these may have been intended to effect—or hide—the junction of the thin strokes, by a twirl of the pen at the end of the first stroke and the beginning of the second, thus . Their use is very common in Versal forms (see fig. 189), and besides being decorative in the ordinary sense, they may be said to [p421] strengthen the thin parts (much as the weakest part of the loop in an old key was thickened for strength).