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In the 12th and 13th centuries, illumination reached. the height
of its perfection; after that it started to decline, and, when printing
was invented in the 15th century, the professional scribe was prac-
tically ousted, although he survived here and there, laboriously

working at legal documents, or writing beautiful books, which ate

still treasured and may be found in the museums and collections of
Europe. The first fruits of this art were dedicated to religion—an
act of devotion on the part of the scribe and illuminator of the
sacred page, which enshrined in visible form all that to him was most

holy and sublime. Besides being employed by the church, the:

scribes of these days found work in attaching themselves specially
to men of wealth or of letters, and in working for them constantly.
It was then the cult for wealthy men to have their favourite books
lettered and illuminated for them on parchment or vellum by their
own particular scribe, and they built up their libraries in this way.
The early Italian printers followed after the scribes, and modelled
their types on the round, clear letters of the 15th centure Italian
Formal Hand, and these types have superseded all others for the
printing of books.

In the middle of last century William Morris revived the beauti-
ful art of lettering and illumination, and was assisted in his
efforts by Burne-Jones. The next movement was led by Edward
Johnsténe, who has influenced most of the caligraphers of the pres-
ent day by his work, and by the splendid book which he produced.
[lumination is badly confused with book-illustration by many
modern illuminators. Its main purpose is to embellish and enrich
“the written word’, not to explain it, and in spite of many of the
commercial atrocities termed ‘‘illuminated addresses,’’ etc., produced
by modern firms, ‘Illumination’ from the hand of an artist can
bear the very highest form of artistic expression and beauty.

To-day “writing” is the common heritage of all, and a knowl-
edge of good lettering—with its artangement, spacing and balance—
is an essential part of the education of all artists, designers and

craftsmen. GRACE W. MELVIN.

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