Writing & Illuminating, & Lettering

Note 87 — Chapter XV · THE ROMAN ALPHABET & ITS DERIVATIVES The Roman Alphabet — Proportions of Letters: Widths — Upper & Lower Parts—Essential or Structural Forms — Characterisation of Forms — Built-Up Forms — Simple-Written Capitals — Uncials — Capitals & Small-Letters — Early, Round, Upright, Formal Hands — Slanted-Pen Small-Letters — Roman Small-Letters — Italics — Semi-Formal Hands — Of Formal Writing Generally — Decorative Contrasts — Ornamental Letters.

Reading edition

In English so many ascending and descending letters are used, that it might be the best and most natural treatment of these to make them a marked feature of the writing (see also “Fine Writing,” pp. 261–63). Note, in this connection, that our a b c has been developed as a Latin alphabet, and that the evenness of Latin MS. is largely due to the infrequence of tailed letters.

Return to CHAPTER XV THE ROMAN ALPHABET & ITS DERIVATIVES The Roman Alphabet — Proportions of Letters: Widths — Upper & Lower Parts—Essential or Structural Forms — Characterisation of Forms — Built-Up Forms — Simple-Written Capitals — Uncials — Capitals & Small-Letters — Early, Round, Upright, Formal Hands — Slanted-Pen Small-Letters — Roman Small-Letters — Italics — Semi-Formal Hands — Of Formal Writing Generally — Decorative Contrasts — Ornamental Letters.