Bfifntific Booleti yj^ 



JCCOUNTS OF BOOKSl 



E. 



<LEMENS d'une Typographic, &:c. Elements of a Typography, which reduces that at 

 prefent in ufe to one third ; and a writing which gains near three fourths upon the common- 

 (iFrench) writing: both applicable to all languages, prefcrving all the grammatical princi- 

 ples, and the riches of thofe which are printed in the Roman charafter, and written by the 

 letters ufed in France ; eftablifhed on fimple principles eafy to be comprehended ; demon- 

 flrated by clear and precife rules, of which the perfe£l: theory may be learned in Icfs- 

 than a day, and of which the exercife will enable a Ikilful hand to follow the fpeech of an 

 orator. Paris, printed for the Author, A. Front, No. 249, Rue de la Harpe; and fold by. 

 F s and Defenne. One volume oflavo, about 200 pages, with 47 plates of examples, 

 price 18 franks. Copies on vellum paper, 36 franks : and there are a few copies in large 

 vellum paper, quarto, price 73 franks, in which the examples, words, and detached fign$,r 

 are made with the pen. 



The learned A. M. Millin, author of the Magafin Encyclopedique *, gives a long, 

 account of this work, and fpeaks highly in its favour, but, as he juftly remarks, a work of 

 this kind may be read and ftudied, but cannot be abridged. This is fo far the cafe in his 

 account, as well as the extra£ts he gives from the report made to the National Infiitute of 

 France,, that I muft confefs that though my curiofity is excited by the Importance of thefub-- 

 jeft, and the general charafler of this performance, yet I am far from being fatisfied with the 

 obfcure notion, conveyed, of the means by which the defirable purpofes mentioned in the title 

 are faid to have been accomplifhed. The Reporter to the Inftitutey whofe name is not men- 

 tioned, informs us, that " the confonants and the vowel'are fo identilied in the proceffes of 

 diis invention,, that two, three, four, and even five charafters form only one,, without any 

 oonfufion in their values.. Whence it conftantly happens that a fingle figure, which de- 

 mands nomore time for its defcriptionthan a fingle letter of common writing, and occupies - 

 no more fpace, but frequently lefs, is employed to reprefents- two chara6ters, often three^ , 

 and fometimes fou'r and five :" to which Cit. Millin adds, that this condenfation proceeds- 

 even as far as eight. 



Citizen Front makes ufe of 1 1 8 charafters : 25 to reprefent the capitak of the alpha- 

 bet; 25 for the fmalter letters ; 32 for the compound' vowels, &c.* 



The written charaders do not eflentially diiFer from thofe ufed for printing.- The chief 

 iifference confifts in the ligatures,-or method* of joining in the former. ' . 



As the condenfation is ftated to be as three to one, the fatigue of the eye muft be cn^ 

 «ne third part as much as with the ordinary charaflcrs. 



But the moft remarkable peculiarities of. the new theory, of this author is (fays C. - 



• Vol. III. 2D0. 



^, This &c. is itv.C. MUIin's acceunt, othcarwire lihoukl have m«ntioned the difppral of the reft. 



MjUIn.)., 



