The
Develop¬
ment of
Writing

kit

1

ill. -

5 ill $

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Fig. 8.—British Museum: Harl. MS. 2790
Caroline Ъ/IS. first half of 9th century.
(See also fig. 171 & p. 269.)

The influence of the Caroline hands (see fig. 8)
presently spread throughout Europe. The letters in
our modern copy-books may be regarded as their
direct, though degenerate, descendants.

SLJNTED-PEN or TILTED WRITING.
—The forms of the letters in early writing indicate
an easily held pen—slanted away from the right
shoulder. The slanted pen naturally produced oblique
thick strokes and thin strokes, and the thick curves
were “ tilted ” (see fig. 9).

In the highly finished hands—used from the sixth
to the eighth centuries—such as the later Uncials
and the Roman, Irish, and English Half-Uncials,
the pen was manipulated or cut so that the thin
strokes were approximately horizontal, and the thick
strokes vertical (fig. 1 o). The earlier and easier prac¬
tice came into fashion again in the eighth and ninth
centuries, and the round Irish and English hands
became “ pointed ” as a result of slanting the pen.

The alteration in widths and directions of pen
strokes, due to the use of the “ slanted pen,” had these
effects on the half-uncial forms (see fig. 11) :—

1. The thin strokes taking an oblique (upward)
direction (a) (giving a sharp angle with the ver¬
ticals (d, a)) led to angularity and narrower forms
(a1), and a marked contrast between thick and thin
strokes—due to the abrupt change from one to the
other (a2).

2. The thick strokes becoming oblique (b) caused a
thickening of the curves below on the left (b1),
and above on the right (b2), which gave heavy
shoulders and feet.

3. The horizontal strokes becoming thicker (c) gave
stronger and less elegant forms.

9

The
Develop¬
ment of
Writing