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ALPHABETS OLD & NEW
I"KX r l'.UUK> OF ()K\ \\ii:\ I \l dt^icv
BY
L i:\VIS V. DAY.
AUTHOR OF "EVF.RY-PAY ART,' "NA-
TURE IN ORNAMENT," AM) OTHER
TEXT-BOOKS OF ORNAMENTAL DESir.N.
LONDON:
B. I. 1?ATSI'0RU. (^4 HIGH IIOLBORN
1898
^3^
LO NDON :
LEWIS F. DAY.
Aiigjist, 1S9S.
NOTE.
15. —
visicoTHic MS. Moresque intluence perceptible. Note long
and short letters. loth century.
X Descriptive List of ILin st rations.
31. —
ENGLISH, IRISH, OR ANGLO-SAXON From illuminated MSS.
Curves inclined to take a spiral direction. Considerable
freedom of penmanship. Various forms of the same letter.
Note long tails and unequal length of letters. 6th century.
32. FROM A CODEX in Latin— Written between ruled marginal
lines. Considerable variety in the form of the same letter.
Note the square C and G, and the deep waist of the B and
R, which compare with alphabet I. 7th or 8th century.
Descnptii't- Ltsf of Illustrations. xi
36. —
ANGLO-sAXo.N Vaiious .MSS. Forms sometimes rigidly
stjuare, sometimes fantastically flowing. Strokes developing
occasionally into spirals, or into interlacing, which ends
jHjrhaps in a grotesque head. Sth and 9th centuries.
brass. I395-I397-
71. —
ITALIAN MINUSCULE From the original ^Yriting Book by
Vespasiano. These letters are exceedingly well shaped
Observe the second variety of the letter r. i6lh century.
72. —
ITALIAN GOTHIC MINUSCULE From the original Writing
Book by Palatine, Straight-lined, with elaborately flourish-
ing extremities. It suggests the engraver. 1566.
75. —
ITALIAN GOTHIC CAPITALS From the original Writing Book
by G. F. Cresci. Api)arently to some extent influenced by
the Roman character. 1570.
95. ENGLISH —
COURT HAND From Andrew Wright's "Court
JIand Restored," a book designed to assist the student in .
99. —
ENGLISH Roman lower case, and italic upper and lower case,
by W. Caslon. Printed type, "old face." i8th century.
100. MODERN ROMAN, MAJUSCULE AND MINUSCULE, of French
type, elegantly shaped and spurred. Drawn by J.
Viny-
comb.
loi. MODERN ROMAN CAPITALS of French type, elongated. This
one instance enough to illustrate the way in which
is
'
it is a too convenient way of adapting an inscription to
107. MOUKRN ROMAN i AI'ITAI.S, not <|uitC of the U-ml .Imi. I.r
work. L. F. D.
AMPERZANDS.
148. AMPERZANDS from various MSS., dating from the 7th to the
15th centuries.
M??-
151. VARIOUS I5TII-CENTURY DATKf— Flemish and Gcrmjn.
1491 is carved in wood and ^roandctl out. 14J9 U cat in
»tonc, 14 >9 in bm»s.
I
S3. l>ATKS FROM 15JO-1515—Chiefly cut in hra»N ik.
175. MODERN.
176. MODERN— (Compare with 113, 144.) L. F. D.
H-&flKliAMUMllO
onffpTYy<j)Xxt'iv
I. (-.RKEK MS. OTH CENTfRV.
^ C9 CUTT1BXI3.0
xpcepoeic
Gpoo^
2. COPTIC MS. 5TH TO lOTH CENTURY.
<^lic.f iMxc:c^t-^-^
1 '
HTC--C|)ijli^ri- ^1
c:coci*x*-^r"C*t^iMivi
uicj^^i
3. COPriC MS. 1 2 in CENTURV.
mi
|pGfffGK\ll\!H
l\iemniJnifA
4. COPTIC MS. I4TH CENTURY.
.7/7 /// thi Alphalhf 7
( Ion page 3.
)
r.
now, for H.
The letter J did not exist either in the Greek or
in the ancient Roman alphabet. It is equivalent
to II. Place one I over the other and you get a
using U.
12 (oiiu\^a) stood for OO, and in the minus-
cule form, «•• looked like it, thus s/towinj^ its deriva-
tion ; but in the cm! itwas used for \J\J, or W.
It appears that in some Greek dialects it is used
for OU. It is quite certain that in the 9th
century (sec omega was xvritti'n precisely
p. 3)
like a \V. When you come to think of it, the
sounds are \ery nearly alike. Take any word
beginning with W, change the double L' into
double O, and then try and pronounce it say, —
for example, not wiiv, but ooII^ Is it not much .
abcdeFchiIm
6. ROMAN MS. 4TH CENTURY.
NOpqRSTUlUXZ
7. MS. 7TH CENTURY.
,/// //; the Alplhihd. i I
Nopc)Rtncivy
s. KOMAN rvrlAis. StII (KMtkv,
A5CDrfc3KlLA\
NOP0.^5TVY
9. RO.MAN "RUSTIC WRITIMi. Sfll CENTURY,
12 Ai't in tJie Alphabet.
abcdiFghUm
nopqrstvv lO. ROMAN iMS. CAPITALS. 6tH CENTURY.
amcdefiLm
O^PRSTV II. Mj. .AilTAL.-.. OTll .KNlUKi.
to that of the |>rintinf:^ press has perhaps most to
learn.
A squarer form of capital employed by the
Romans in manuscripts of the 5th and two follow-
"
in^j centuries, is known by the name of " rustic ;
ABCDEFGHIK
LNOPR>yTYX 12. BYZANTINE CAPITALS. 7TH CENTURY.
H
MDK HEBTOFSE ;M
/ trefatioksIhqb
eXPR'WTVRkvMlk
15. VISIGOTHIC MS. lOTH CENTURY.
There the I, the 11, and the L rise hi^h above the
heads of their fellows, whilst, on the other hand,
the V-shaped U in the word OPVSCVLVM is
hlLttfmniklHOS
oi?qRXS8Taux l". .\--.'.L'
20 Ai^t in the Alphabet.
ACDeeEILMlMflOPa
aRSTUV
19. FLORENTINE, INCISED AND INLAID. I2iH CENTURY.
.lif ni I he Alphalut. 21
AVODDGHL rr
IMNIIOPK.sr
more or less suddenly ; the tails of sundry letters
break insubordinate from the ranks ; and the ex-
tremities are often foliated or otherwise orna-
mented (39, 40-42). Markedly characteristic of
('lOthic of the 13th and 14th centuries are also
the "closed" letters, of which examples occur in
.Alphabets 45, 46, 47, 48, etc.
What arc called Lombardic capitals were used,
not only as initials, but for inscriptions throughout.
In fact, it was not until the 15th century that
22 Art in the Alphabet.
ABCDCFQhltLM
NOPQRSTVXZ 22. CAPIT.MS. 15TH CF.NTURY.
a6ct)cfgfti
ftmno^qr:
f$(upn)jrp^
23. GERMAN GOTHIC MINUSCULE.
abttitftrlu
iilmuopqt
24. r.IRMAN GOTHIC MINfSCCI.K.
a(irDrf0l)i
—
stock of the alphabet looked over it with a view
.-/r/ /;/ thr Alfilialut. :;
his stroke with a dig and then drags out the tool,
it results in a wedge-shaped scratch. That seems
to be the way the cuneiform character came about;
but the lettering upon the early l^abylonian
"bricks," as they are called, is so precisely defined
that it must have been done with a sharp graver-
28 Art in the Alphabet.
persuasion.
From the cuneiform character to simple Greek
(28) or Roman (30) capitals, as square as well
could be, is not far ; and the clear-cut inscriptions
on monuments are still typically chisel
classic
work. Very early Greek inscriptions are, however,
not much more than scratched in the granite or
whatever it may be. The small Greek character
on the famed Rosetta stone is mere scratching.
Writing done with a stylus on tablets of wax was
naturally blunt. Penwork at first was also much
blunter than modern writing owing partly, no —
doubt, to the use of the reed pen, partly to the
texture of papyrus, and partly to the consistency of
the ink. The strokes of early lettering in Egyptian,
Greek, and Latin manuscripts alike, are rather thick,
and rounded at the angles, not sharply turned.
It was a reed pen with which the Arabs wrote,
.-/r/ /// ///(• Alphahct. 29
AdBCDEFgCHI
KLMNOPPQQR
5J'TU.VWXy2JO. KKUM INSCRll'TIONS CU r IN STONK. AliOLT I70O.
letter (27) is, on the face of it, the product of the pen.
We find, then, that the implement employed,
stylus, reed-pen, brush, or whatever it may have
been, goes far to account for the character of
ancient lettering. So soon as the writer ceased
to be satisfied with mere scratching or blunt
indentation, and took to the use of the chisel, he
felt the need of a square cross-cut to end the
stroke of his letter. If that was broad, there was
no occasion for the cut to go beyond the width of
the stroke itself. If it was narrow, the easier
thing to do was to anticipate the danger of over-
shooting the mark, and frankly extend the end
cut. This method of finishing" off the broad line
.-//-/ /// tin- Alphabt't. 31
ah c d c f lib
I k / m n op ij
r fs 1 11/ yz
27. ROMAN IIAt.lCS.
much better let the pen have its way and its way
;
" serif runs all through the alphabet (80, 100, etc.).
the secret of —
it life ; and that is the evidence and
sign of life — motion. The <|uestion is : Arc we
alive }
A^ FA
EZHO
V
1 s
^
^-^
n
\\
'. I u
^i^^TT-^ T]
^OR [7 f>-v\
7
VUU MJ
B3RRRJ
QViXX
)K or KKLLS. StH l.ENTUR\
36. ANGLO-SAXON MSS.
A&CDTB
OPaP/T
UYWIYX
StH and 9TH CENTLRItS.
37- IRISH MS. 9TH CENTURY.
ABCDG
LMNOP
VWXYX
38. Ms. lOTII CENTURY.
39- FRENCH MS. I2TH CENTURY.
AABBC
] ] KLL
PPQi\.R
5Tc^UV
WX X \]Z
40. GERMAN MS. I2TH CEIfTORY.
KM
ra'
!r:3....
& o
[^
i=n.LJ
CTi=3Ti"*n /> n
S^.
41, LE PUY. WOOD. ABOUT I2TH CENTURY.
KCQO
e; K 6 ja
jB axrtr
MXF
»2. MS-. urn CF.NTIRV
43- MS. 1420.
44- ITMIAN. J. VINYCOMB. 14X11 CrNTt RY,
45- INCISED GOTHIC CAPITALS. ABOUT 1350.
flBa»«BMI
lB(ri)€F#It
mLMtOP
^msmm
47. NORDIIAUSEN. KROM A BRASS. IJ97.
ENGLISH MS.
< )\,\SNSSS\\
^
*OUT 1400.
mmrnxx
mm\
smum
49. PRATO. INCISED AND FILLED WITH CEMENT. I4IO.
o7
r
-^ y/^/V-
f^>y
£^
\ X
'j
',:':r.K'3i',,.
jftY
^_
50.
^n
WRSTMINSTER ABBBT. STX>NF.. ABOCT I4OO.
a Bat)
X
m
0^UV
51. GERMAN MSS. 15TH CENTURY,
52. .t.KMAS M^^. I.J,
BAMBERG. FROM
00:0 Q |rp**
C^^^^^TSJ^^^
(o^_^g^^__G) (a^^^^G)
<9 ^ G) G..^^(£)n.,^^'
(D & Q)
itkiiff
nnma
YS t «
67. ALBRECHT DURER. i6tH CENTURY.
68 ITALIAN. VICtNTINO. i6tH CENTCKV.
69. ITALIAN. AFTER VESPASIANO.
^~I\
o:
^' (^
iff a
'iC\ V
^«^
c:^^
70. ITALIAN. LUDOVICO
\ II.BNTINO. i6TH century.
abcdt)
efgbik
Imnop
qrjfs
71. ITALIAN. VESPASIANO. i6tH CENTURY,
73. ITALfAN. PALATINO. 1566.
j73- ITALIAN. LUDOVICO
VICENTINO. i6TH CENTURY.
74- ITALIAN.
G. K. t PF>< 1. 1370.
asao
GK0I1
nopQ
U5"X 5
75. ITALIAN. G. F. CRESCI. 157O.
Vi. I I AI IAN. '•. t ' R».>' I I -,,"0
Hoao
eeoE
innffi
QOQQ
oeoa
77. SPANISH. JUAN YCIAR. i6tH CENTURY.
78. FRINTF.r) Hi oK>. IND OF |6tH CKNTIRT.
79- GERMAN. DANIEL
'T^VAnr
Hot^Fk. 1549.
ABC
GHI
NOP
TVW
80. ITALIAN. SERLIO.
DEF
KLM
QRS
XYZ
•6rn CENTIKV
8l. BINGEN. STONE. 1576, 1598, 1618.
8i, ITALICS. I7TH Cl.VTVIlY.
r^^r/^r^^R^pr'
wf/irn^i
.
&". aDcde,
'i7/</mnopors?'uw
xi/^^ Jt0mi66s.
83. ENGLISH. WESTMINSTER ABBEY STONE. 1665.
ABCDEFG
KLMNM
STVWX^^Z
dDcdefcrhukliun
ooorstvh^xvz.
AniK )Dorry 69^
84. ENGLISH. CMItTENHAM. INCISED. I697
8s. GERMAN. PAINTED. I727.
86. GERMAN. TE.SWORK. J. H. TICMROTH. 17JS-4S
87. BAMBERG, BRASS. 1613.
abcdc
kunn
srwvx
88. OSNABRUCK. STOJIt. 1742-56.
bccd
f gh m ij I
mmiiop
pqrrfs^
stuvx
89. WiJRZBURr,. SLATE. 1617.
QbCDe
CFQ9hI
J Lin nop
arrstf
Y'^: ^^T'
t M ^5 J V "N •>-
k) III (
•) II \i!<t> \^ \^
_ [
^"^ ,vN 111 O o
F^^^fii®!''
bliiiiti 1
1 I '\' u
z.
RESTORED." 1615.
I
ITgS J Icbcsj Zajyn I | ^i^ I
S7 Hooni IVA?ml
4
•
4^4 N
• - • • • •
^ 4
• •
« • • • •
VV ?-. *
EFGHIJKL
TUFJVXrZ
ahcdefgbijkhii n
opqrstiivwxyz
99. CASLON TYPK.
ABCDEF
GHIJK
STUVW
XYZ&&-
abcdefghij
kimnopqr
stuvwxyz
100. "FRENCH." J. VINYCOMB.
lOI. £U>KCATEO.
A BC
FG W
D
\y
a b c d e fg h I
jklmnopqr
stuv wxyz
102. "SKELETON." J. VINYCOMB.
ABCDE
FQHIK
LMNOP
QRSTU
VWXYZ
lOJ. l_F.D.
ABCDEF
OPO
RSTUV
WXYZ&
abcdefgliij
klmnopqr
stiivivxy 2
^
104. "old style" italics. J. VINYCOMB.
105- IIAUCi. L.».U.
ABCDtrO
HIlKLnMN
STVWXYZ
abcdef^hijklmn
opqrstuvwxyz..
1234567890.
I06. J. W. WEEKES.
ABODE
FGHIK
LMNOP
QRS T U
V
107. i..r.i).
^
Li
lO r7
Li eJ a
Li u L:
r^ n T7
<2
^ (^ ^^
109. J. W, WEEKRS.
ABCD
EFGHI
JKLM
NOPQR
STUV
WXYZ^
no. OTTO HUPP, "alphabete and ornamente."
ABCDEF
CHIJKL
MMNOPQ
RRSSTU
VWXYYZ m
abcdefgh i j k I n
o p q rstu vwxLjyz^.
III. "SANS SKSIP." J. W. WBKKKS.
mcDL
rGHij
opaK
112. L.F.D.
II?. ur.D.
/1BCDEP
QHIJKIt
(OnOPQ
RSTOV.
114. MODERN liLOCK CAPITALS. W. J. PEARCE.
ii;. uuimc 'AiirAL-. \^. ;, ir. vk t.
J^
%^ Mi
1 1 6. OTTO HUPP.
ALi-IIAHETi; AMJ uRNAMENTE.
i
^ I
HUMSP^ mi
117. OTTO HUPP. "ALPHABETE AND ORNAMENTE."
abc^e
118. ur.D.
mm
119.
DOTS
WJZ
UF.D.
mzv.
niJKL
ETG
uvw.
HHOFQR^T
34-567Z90 .
PATTKN WIt-SON.
KLTTIN
S.T?JV
OPQR
imji
L.F.D.
^0S
^ 1^
^/^w
A#r. JJS--
'V
(T
;^<^
^e<>^^^
i^aV
124- FROM DESIGN
CN^
I \^
i\ KRANZ >Ti;CK.
wcv
jfcln^nopq
i 4
M
f f
w
'7m. m
yim^
\J yz
/\ r^'
(Ts
v^:»
/.-7^ / \y ;
%Kiwn)Tiopo^^
,LiO ii liii
%
134. PENWORK.
c\k:C(le if
oKiilvlnmoa
qr5(/]^\]\iil
abode j^cjl-j I
i
kl JT) r| op c| rjt'u >/
A M.TER CRANE
5
HBC
6 raj
nop
139. PENWORK.
D6F
xy:z:
WVLfKR > RANL.
y.^-
"> r
^
^WMT
T T \
iiiM
&iXiX<^
r^
lfi,AA
JS4T
Jfyl K^
U>7
I r+s \fH
/ /
^.
'^
I5S? ^
-^
•^>
Vy^" -^V.
./
153. CHIEFLY BRAS5IS. I5i0-I54>.
154 BRASSES.
G>890
67S90
6r$90
I520-I59S.
UHS
155. BRONZE. ABOUT 155O.
12^345
156. BRONZE, ABOUT 1 560.
IZ345
676^0
157- liRL'SUWORK. I()IH-(FNTI-RY fAIKNrE.
JZ34S
160. GILT, ON BLACK, BRUSH-WORK. I548?
yzM5
,~)
r^c
l6l. INCISED IN WOOD. GERMAN. 1588.
i 234-5
164. ABOUT 1700.
165. CUT IN STONE. 1^34
> o-
il 1
k^ [RTTlrrii \.r\y
JA
J7z6+8
o
^A/L °
qJ 6 \^^
I'X>. IM !! F N I : K ,
170. WOOD INLAY. 1664.
J7J6-Z94: k7i9
3723 '
172^ 571S
'S 3783
171. BRASSES, ETC. 1716-I783.
^
^3 4
z V o
172. IIRASS WIRK IMl.AV ON WOOD. 1740.
GA3
173. RNC.RAVKl) OM STK.Kl., »»R
<^7A,
INLAIH IN WIRK OH WOOD.
i573-«747
(f"^'^^ /^^
mr" Q
174- UF.D.
175- MODERN.
176. L.F.D.
m5
177- IF-D.
i2345(27
$^ioi%X2
178. ALOIS >iLLU>.a.
• 1 vj kJ i_ v^ I ^<j^ I J Ji^y
NK
3600
D38
1898
C.l
ROBA
.