A Theory of and with these simple elements he builds up a pleasant
Illumination “design,” which he tools, usually in gold-leaf, upon
the cover.

The scribe can vary the forms which his pen
produces, and the colours which he gives them,
with a freedom that the set form and the method
of using the binder’s tools do not allow. But the
skilled penman will find that his pen (or, at any
rate, his penmanship) largely determines the forms of
his freest flourishes and strokes, and that the semi-
formal nature of such ornament demands a certain
simplicity and repetition of form and colour, which
do not unduly tax his skill as a craftsman.

Suppose, for example, that the scribe wishes to
illuminate the border of a page of writing. He may
choose a limited number of simple, pen-made forms
for the elements of his design; say, a circle, a “leaf,”
and a “tendril,” and a few curved flourishes and

strokes (fig. 121), and with these cover the allotted
space evenly and agreeably.

164

The ornament
being treated as
though it were a
sort of floral growth,
requires a starting
point or “root.”
The initial letter is
the natural origin of
the border ornament,
the stalk of which
generally springs from
the side or from one
of the extremities of
the letter. The main
stem and branches are
first made with a
very free pen, forming
a skeleton pattern (fig.
122).

Note.—The numbers in
the diagram indicate the
order in which the strokes
were made. The main stem
(hi) sweeps over and oc¬
cupies most of the ground ;
the secondary stem (222)
occupies the remainder ;
the main branches (333,
&c.) make the occupation
secure.

■n A Theory of
í Illumination

J

Fig. 122.

165