Special

Subjects

may be repeated and reversed if desired (see fig.
200).

3C

С. repeated.
and reversed.

П)еѵісе used by Charles the. Cjreat:

KAK0LV5 •

xs.*

_ / /\ \ _ IN plannuur this
СОчЭ>£>£) Sort of Cypher?,

The letters may be written on a,
piece oj-" paper, which is folded,
that the Letta? reverse Symmetneal-
Ly^tyhile the uih is still wet.

Fig. 200.

Monograms and cyphers may be very decora-
tively employed as ornaments, and may be used to
mark a man’s goods, or as a signature on his work:
something easily recognised—either very legible or
characteristic—is therefore desirable. The two
modes may be combined, and there is no limit to

326

the effective devices and ornaments which may be
composed of letters. Simple and straightforward
devices, however, are generally preferable to very
ornate or intricate designs.

Chronograms.—A chronogram consists of a word
or words in which the numerical letters indicate a
date. The following is from a very fine memorial
inscription at Rye (see fig. 207) :—

loannes Threete MíDI 0 L ata a tails fLore obllt.

It expresses the date I + L+ M+ D+ I+ L+ I
+ L + I + I (or I + 50 + 1000 + 500 + I + 50 + I
+ 50 + I + I) = 1655. As every letter having a
numerical value (i.e. C, D, I, (J), L, M, (U), V,
(W), (X) may be counted, a proper chronogram is
not easily composed.

The letter-craftsman will discover many ways of
“playing” with letters, and of expressing—or con¬
cealing—names and numbers in other words, and
he may take every liberty he chooses in his private
pleasure, provided it does not clash with public
convenience.

TITLE PAGES

If large capitals be used, the Name of the Book,
the Author, & c., above ; the Name of the Publisher,
the Date, &c., below,1 may together fill the page.
Ordinary capitals (as used in the text) leave a space
in the centre (see Title Page of this book): often
pleasantly filled by a small woodcut—a symbolical
device, monogram, or printer’s mark.

Generally, the fewer and simpler the types, the

Special

Subjects

1 Other particulars may be put in the colophon (p. 108).

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