Figs. [179], [180], and [181] are taken from a sixteenth-century Italian MS.[80] written in a semi-formal cursive hand in dark brown and red-brown inks (probably originally nearer black and red), on 150 leaves of fine paper.
The proportions of the Book,[81] together with the good writing, have a very agreeable effect, and are interesting as being used by a writer over 300 years ago. The extra width of the side margins may have been allowed for annotations—some notes were written in by the scribe himself.
- Page = 1118 inches high, 8 inches wide.
- Margins
- Inner
(78
inch +
38
inch allowed for Small Capitals)
= 114 inch (approximate). - Top = 138 inch (constant).
- Side = 234 inch (approximate).
- Foot = 3 inch (approximate).
- Inner
(78
inch +
38
inch allowed for Small Capitals)
- Writing-Line Space nearly 516 inch high: length (varies), average 4 inches.
- Text Column nearly 634 inches high, consisting of 22 lines of MS.
Character of the Writing.—The good shapes of the letters, their great uniformity, and their easy yet formal arrangement, mark this MS. as the work of a skilful penman. But, while pen character of a sort is very evident, the writing approaches the stylographic (apparently a rather narrow blunt nib was used), and the absence of definite thicks and thins distinguishes it from all the formal hands hitherto discussed: it may conveniently be termed Semi-formal.
