C8 



to this cause. The first author who makes mention of pens, such as 

 are now used, is Isidore, Bishop of Seville, at the commencement of the 

 seventh century. After the time of this writer, pens continued to be 

 used for making the finer strokes, or finishing MSS. with peculiar 

 neatness. 



III. The Decorations Bestowed upon Manuscripts. 



We come now to treat of the Decorations of Manuscripts. It has 

 been already mentioned that capital letters at the beginning of chapters 

 were highly ornamented. One of these letters will frequently appear 

 occupying the greater part of a page, and most tastefully finished off 

 with gold and party-coloured ornaments. The Jirst printed books, were 

 made to imitate MSS. as closely as possible, and in them we find the 

 capitals decorated in a similar manner. The printer, following the 

 practice of the scribe, left large blank spaces, merely inserting a very 

 minute letter as a guide to the illuminator or rubricator, who was to 

 execute the more elaborate work with the hand ; and this might be done 

 according to the taste or fancy of the purchaser. Many printed works, 

 and some manuscripts, have come down to our times without these 

 blanks having been filled up at all. 



In many MSS. the borders of the pages are richly painted in the 

 Arabesque or Morisco style — blue, red, green and gold — with figures of 

 architectural designs, flowers, birds, and grotesque shapes, encompassing 

 the entire page, and extending from the beginning to the end of the 

 volume. 



But our chief admiration is excited by the miniature paintings which 

 are found in many antient MSS., and which, being of a more compre- 

 hensive description, are generally denominated illuminations. Many of 

 the most splendid of these have been executed at the command of 

 sovereigns or other patrons, whose portraits often are given, with their 

 families seated round them. Frequently the prince appears on a 

 throne, while the author or the scribe, (as the case may be), kneeling, 

 presents his volume. Sometimes the patron is listening to a person 

 who reads it to him. In the splendid and well-known Bedford Missal, 

 a Monk is represented kneeling, and offering to John, Duke of Bedford, 

 then Regent of France under Henry VI. of England, the very elaborate 

 work just completed. Several manuscripts exist, in which the like 

 presentation is made to the reigning Pontiff, or to the Emperor, 

 especially where, as in the case of Charlemagne, much encouragement 

 was extended to the cultivation of letters. 



In a great number of manuscripts the skill of the artist has been 

 applied to the elucidation of the subject discussed by the author. In 



