Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- Introductory Chapter: THE TYPES AND TYPE FOUNDING OF THE FIRST PRINTERS
- Chap. 1 THE ENGLISH TYPE BODIES AND FACES
- Chap. 2 THE LEARNED, FOREIGN AND PECULIAR CHARACTERS
- Chap. 3 THE PRINTER LETTER-FOUNDERS, FROM CAXTON TO DAY
- Chap. 4 LETTER FOUNDING AS AN ENGLISH MECHANICAL TRADE
- Chap. 5 THE STATE CONTROL OF ENGLISH LETTER FOUNDING
- Chap. 6 THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY FOUNDRY
- Chap. 7 THE STAR CHAMBER FOUNDERS, AND THE LONDON POLYGLOT
- Chap. 8 JOSEPH MOXON
- Chap. 9 THE LATER FOUNDERS OF THE 17TH CENTURY
- Chap. 10 THOMAS AND JOHN JAMES
- Chap. 11 WILLIAM CASLON
- Chap. 12 ALEXANDER WILSON
- Chap. 13 JOHN BASKERVILLE
- Chap. 14 THOMAS COTTRELL
- Chap. 15 JOSEPH AND EDMUND FRY
- Chap. 16 JOSEPH JACKSON
- Chap. 17 WILLIAM MARTIN
- Chap. 18 VINCENT FIGGINS
- Chap. 19 THE MINOR FOUNDERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY
- Chap. 20 WILLIAM MILLER
- Chap. 21 THE MINOR FOUNDERS FROM 1800 TO 1830
- CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF ENGLISH LETTER-FOUNDERS' SPECIMENS NOTED IN THIS WORK 1665–1830
- LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORITIES CONSULTED OR REFERRED TO
- INDEX
- Plate section
Chap. 2 - THE LEARNED, FOREIGN AND PECULIAR CHARACTERS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2011
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- Introductory Chapter: THE TYPES AND TYPE FOUNDING OF THE FIRST PRINTERS
- Chap. 1 THE ENGLISH TYPE BODIES AND FACES
- Chap. 2 THE LEARNED, FOREIGN AND PECULIAR CHARACTERS
- Chap. 3 THE PRINTER LETTER-FOUNDERS, FROM CAXTON TO DAY
- Chap. 4 LETTER FOUNDING AS AN ENGLISH MECHANICAL TRADE
- Chap. 5 THE STATE CONTROL OF ENGLISH LETTER FOUNDING
- Chap. 6 THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY FOUNDRY
- Chap. 7 THE STAR CHAMBER FOUNDERS, AND THE LONDON POLYGLOT
- Chap. 8 JOSEPH MOXON
- Chap. 9 THE LATER FOUNDERS OF THE 17TH CENTURY
- Chap. 10 THOMAS AND JOHN JAMES
- Chap. 11 WILLIAM CASLON
- Chap. 12 ALEXANDER WILSON
- Chap. 13 JOHN BASKERVILLE
- Chap. 14 THOMAS COTTRELL
- Chap. 15 JOSEPH AND EDMUND FRY
- Chap. 16 JOSEPH JACKSON
- Chap. 17 WILLIAM MARTIN
- Chap. 18 VINCENT FIGGINS
- Chap. 19 THE MINOR FOUNDERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY
- Chap. 20 WILLIAM MILLER
- Chap. 21 THE MINOR FOUNDERS FROM 1800 TO 1830
- CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF ENGLISH LETTER-FOUNDERS' SPECIMENS NOTED IN THIS WORK 1665–1830
- LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL AUTHORITIES CONSULTED OR REFERRED TO
- INDEX
- Plate section
Summary
Greek type first occurs in the Cicero de Officiis, printed at Mentz in 1465, at the press of Fust and Schoeffer. The fount used is exceedingly rude and imperfect, many of the letters being ordinary Latin. In the same year Sweynheim and Pannartz at Subiaco used a good Greek letter for some of the quotations occurring in Lactantius; but the supply being short, the larger quotations were left blank, to be filled in by hand. The first book wholly printed in Greek was the Grammar of Lascaris, by Paravisinus, in Milan, in 1476, in types stated to be cut and cast by Demetrius of Crete. The fount (about a Great Primer in body) is a curious one, and contains breathings, accents and a few abbreviations. The headings to the chapters are wholly in capitals, which are very bold. It is to the glory of Milan that not only was the first Greek book printed within its walls, but also the first Greek classic and the first portion of the Greek Scriptures. The former was the Æsop, printed, it is supposed, in 1480, but without printer's name. The resemblance, however, between the fount of this work and that of the Lactantius is so close that there seems much reason for crediting Paravisinus with the performance. The Greek of the Psalter of 1481 is very different, the lower-case being larger, and remarkably bold and compact in appearance. The capitals generally resemble the Lactantius fount.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- A History of the Old English Letter FoundriesWith Notes, Historical and Bibliographical, on the Rise and Progress of English Typography, pp. 57 - 82Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1887