Good pulled off his pleasant sheets of “commonplace”
Lettering— printing.

Some The scribe should choose the best and simplest

Methods of forms and arrangements, and master them before
Construction going further ; he should have a few definite types “at
Sc Arrange- his finger tips,” and, for everyday use, a matter-of-
ment course way of putting them down on paper.

Ambiguity is one of the greatest faults in a craft.
It comes often from vague ambitions. One may be
inspired by good ambitions, but the immediate con¬
cern of the craftsman is to know what he is capable
of doing at the present, and to do it.

Let the meaning of your work be obvious unless
it is designed purely for your own amusement. A
good craftsman seeks out the commonplace and tries
to master it, knowing that “originality” comes of
necessity, and not of searching.

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—Decora¬
tive Contracts—Ornamental Letters.

i“ The Roman Alphabet

Alphabet

Sc its The Roman Alphabet is the foundation of all our
Derivatives alphabets (see Chapter I). And since the full
232

development of their monumental forms about 2000
years ago, the Roman Capitals have held the su¬
preme place among letters for readableness and
beauty. They are the best forms for the grandest
and most important inscriptions, and, in regard to
lettering generally, a very good rule to follow is:
When in doubt, use Roman Capitals.

The penman may with advantage devote some
study to a fine monumental type of Roman Capital
(such as that of the Trajan Column Inscription:
Plates I and II), and endeavour to embody its
virtues in a built-up pen form for use in MSS. (p. 258).

PROPORTIONS OF LETTERS: WIDTHS
The marked distinction between the “Square”
and the “Round” forms, and the varying widths
of the letters—as seen in the early inscriptions,1
are characteristic of the Roman Alphabet. We may
broadly distinguish Wide and Narrow letters thus—

“Round.”

WIDE

OQCGD
M w
H(U)ANVT (Z)

1

‘ Square.'

NARROW

В E F R S Y (X)

IJ

К L P

1 Such inscriptions contrast favourably with that nineteenth-
century style in which it was customary to make every letter
occupy the same space and look as much like its neighbour as
possible.

2ЗЗ

The Roman
Alphabet
& its
Derivatives