BLACK LETTER.

[Illustration: ~This letter, which was used in the infancy of Printing,

descended from the Gothic characters: it is called Gothic by some, and

Old English by others; but printers term it Black Letter, on account of

its heavy appearance.~]

In Germany, the letters in common use are founded on the Gothic

character; but even there scientific works are printed in the German

language with Roman letters.

The Dutch adhere to the black letter in books of devotion and religious

treatises; while they make use of the Roman in their curious and learned

works.