The
Develop¬
ment of
Writing

typical Uncial letters are the round D, E, H, M, U
(or V), and A and Q (see p. 264).

ROMAN HALF-UNCIALS—or Semi-Uncials
—(fig. 6) were mixed Uncial and Cursive forms
adopted by the scribes for ease and quickness in
writing. Their evolution marks the formal change
from Capitals to “ Small-Letters.”

quir urn i- eflremn
d An p itie cele Гкіт
het^enciduiideH

cxtb ег-ы лс u Lifîîl
p o(ù ci J ыс м о MI

FlG. 6.—S. Augustine: probably French sixth century.

They were first used as a book-hand for the less
important books about the beginning of the sixth
century.

IRISH HALF-UNCIALS were founded on
the Roman Half-Uncials (probably brought to Ire¬
land by Roman missionaries in the sixth century).
As a beautiful writing, they attained in the seventh
century a degree of perfection since unrivalled (see
Plate VI).

They developed in the eighth and ninth centuries
into a “ pointed ” writing, which became the Irish

national hand.

ENGLISH HALF-UNCIALS (fig. 7) were
modelled on the Irish Half-Uncials in the seventh

6

century. They also developed in the eighth and
ninth centuries into a “ pointed ” writing.

Ш<Х08СОѴПЭТШ

necJöomoi
ifTRmrces адшр

паіЬлу у+оіо Ьгпсгпіррмі

]Joiitèrrnufexijn/o

Fig. 7.—“Durham Book”: Lindisfarne, about A.D. 700.

(See also Plate VII.)

CAROLINE (or CARLOV1NG1AN) WRIT¬
ING.—While English and Irish writing thus came
from Roman Half-Uncial, the Continental hands
were much influenced by the rougher Roman Cur¬
sive, and were comparatively poor till near the end
of the eighth century.

“ The period of Charlemagne is an epoch in the history
of the handwritings of Western Europe. With the revival
of learning naturally came a reform of the writing in which
the works of literature were to be made known. A decree
of the year 789 called for the revision of church books;
and this work naturally brought with it a great activity in
the writing schools of the chief monastic centres of
France. And in none was there greater activity than at
Tours, where, under the rule of Alcuin of York, who
was abbot of St. Martin’s from 796 to 804, was specially
developed the exact hand which has received the name
of the Caroline Minuscule.”1

The
Develop¬
ment of
Writing

1 “ Greek and Latin Palæography,” p. 233.

7