211 



ALPHABET. 



ALPHABET. 



212 



a single curve. Compare the forms of y (the third letter) in columns 

 16 and 21 ; of S (fourth letter) in 21, 23, and the Latin D ; of (fifth 

 letter) in 30, 33, and 34 ; of it in 30 and 32 ; of * in 30, and the 

 Roman P in 1, 2, 3, 4 ; of p in 20 and 21 ; of <r in 31, 32, and 33 ; of 

 our own K and r, both derived from the same Latin character, &c. 

 Again, in incisions the different lines which constitute a character will 

 nerally of uniform thickness, but when a split reed or quill is 

 ruipl'.yed, the strokes in one direction will be thick, in the other fine. 

 Such has clearly been the origin of the existing Hebrew forms. A 

 principle of corruption, not less powerful, is the desire of rapidity, 

 which is most readily obtained by connecting the different parts of -a 

 letter together, so that the whole may be produced by one movement 

 of the instrument, or, more strictly speaking, without raising the 

 instrument from the surface. Thus the f in 30 seems to be made by 

 four separate strokes, such is certainly the case with the Roman letter 

 in column 3 ; but that in 33 requires only two movements, and that 

 in 34 but one. In the same way may be compared the forms of TI in 

 36 and 37 ; of in 30, 33, 35 ; of T in 37 and 38 ; of T in 36 and 37, &c. 

 But there may be several ways of effecting this object ; a letter more- 

 over may be commenced at different points, and hence arise double or 

 more forms for the same letter, even at the same period : compare 

 in 37 and 38 ; in 34 with our own small running e, &c. This prin- 

 ciple of rapidity carried a step farther leads to the connection of succes- 

 sive letters. In this way are formed what are called the cursive letters, 



PLATE II. 

 Greek Alphabets. 



; 5 i 



i which run on in continuous succession. Such modes of writing were 

 I no doubt common in very early times ; and, as regards the Romans, we 

 ' are not left to mere conjecture, as the British Museum contains an 

 inscription of the kind on papyrus, which is referred to the second or 

 third century. Lastly, a fanciful love of variety shows itself in all the 

 works of man, and in none more than the arbitrary variations of letters, 

 particularly those at the beginning and end of words. These several 

 causes of change were more active, when nearly all writings were pro- 

 duced by the pens of individual writers. In modem times, the art of 

 printing has tended strongly to create a unity of form, and will be the 

 best protection against future change. 



Having spoken thus generally of the alphabets given in the four 

 plates, we will now remark upon each character in succession. 



Of the letter A, one of the oldest forms, it appears to us, is in 

 columns 10, 25, or 3. The greater part of the other forms arise 

 from the different inclinations of the cross stroke, which in 7 runs 

 from the extremity of one of the main strokes, and in 2, 4, and 11 is 

 too much inclined even to meet the opposite side. No. 2 again is a 

 mean between 4 and 1, and shows how the Hebrew form has originated. 

 There was also an old Italian form of this vowel, which may be de- 

 scribed as formed from the n in 31, with a diagonal line running from 

 the lower extremity on the right to the opposite angle ; it was in fact 

 the character in 14 or 16, with a square instead of a round or pointed 

 top. Of B it need only be remarked, that the Samaritan and Phenician 



I i J II I c 13 I it J 



"5 ! if O'E^K O " 



TT \r, 16 17 18 1ft W 7T 22 m 24 25 



PI.ATS III. 

 Greek Alphabets continued. 



28 



30 31 32 83 34 85 85 37 3? 



AllTS A.ND SCI. D1V. VUL. I. 



