Seven kinds of type were used, the use of which can be seen on p. 238.
Facsimiles of all of them are given in plates II-V.
These obviously divide the books into three groups. In the first group
of three (“1468”–1479/80) only type no. 1 is used. In the second group
of four (1480–82, Theodoric Rood) only types 2–3 are found. In the last
group consisting of eight (1483–1486/7, T. Rood and Thomas Hunte) only
types 4–7 are used, except that the peculiar black initial type (no. 3)
is occasionally still used.
The press was of course a wooden hand-screw one, which was at first
employed to print one page at a time (Jerome), but after the first book
two pages and perhaps later four were struck off together. The earliest
printing press of which we have an engraving is as late as 1499/500 (see
an article in ©Bibliographica©, 1894, no. 2), but there was great
conservatism in detail, and from the early engravings and such
researches as those which Blades, De Vinne, Talbot Reed, and others have
made, we know many of the details of working in the earliest days.
_Type_ 1. “1468”—1479/80.
Character:—Cologne black.
Body:—English, nearly (10 lines = 1–15/16 in. In modern English 10 lines
= 1⅞ in.).
Used in the Jerome, Aretinus and Aegidius, with no other.
The “upper case” (to use a modern expression) consisted of at least 16
divisions, G, J, K, L, T, U, W, X, Y, Z not being used, and P seldom in
the Jerome, H being there used for both H and P. This misuse is not
found in the other two books. On the other hand there are two forms of
C, E, N, and Q, both probably mixed in the same division. Q is in the
Jerome almost always [reversed Q] (a peculiarity found in some
ornamental MSS., from the convenience of extending the tail into the
margin), in the Aretinus and Aegidius always Q: the letter is however
identical in all three books, but being on a square body it is in the
Jerome turned one quarter round.
* * * * *
The “lower case” consisted of at least 121 divisions. Of the simple
unmodified letters k and z are wanting, and except in the Jerome j (but
ij is found in all, colligated). There are two forms of p, r, and three
of s, the two p’s and r’s being used indiscriminately, but the two s’s
(final) and the ſ (initial and medial) having their proper use. Of
colligated or modified letters there are at least eighty-three, and of
other symbols eleven (for -et, &, con-, -us [two], id est, full stop,
colon, ?). Of these 121 about 95 are common to all three. The signs of
progress are as follows:—
In the Jerome, contrasted with the other two, Q is except in two places
[reversed Q], H is generally used as P, and I have not elsewhere noticed
ḃ, or j used by itself. On the other hand in the two others, and not in
the Jerome, are found an extra short t in which the perpendicular stroke
hardly appears at all above the horizontal line, and eleven new forms,
including fe, ff, and pp in colligation. The Q and P are rightly used,
always.
So too in the Jerome and Aretinus compared with the Aegidius we find
that q is printed too high up, being in fact an inverted b, or, more
accurately, an inverted broken h occasionally used for b. In the Jerome
this is almost always the case, in the Aretinus as often as not, in the
Aegidius hardly ever. It may be accidental that B and H and three minor
modified letters are not found in the short Aegidius, that w (in wlt =
vult) is only found in the Jerome, [·|·] (= id est) only in the
Aretinus: but the occurrence of ؟ (= ?) and of printing in red ink
_only_ in the Aegidius, is not insignificant.
The relative order of the three may therefore be assumed to be as above
indicated.
_Origin of the type._
It may be taken as certain that as Caxton’s type is based on Bruges
models, so the first Oxford type is ultimately derived from Cologne.
Ulric Zel began printing there at least as early as 1466, and the
general resemblance to his letters is clear. The likeness is still
nearer when we follow Zel’s influence on Arnold ther Hoernen (Cologne,
from 1470), Richard Paffroet of Cologne (Deventer, from 1477), and
especially a little-known Cologne printer named Gerard ten Raem de
Bercka, whose only dated book is of 1478. John of Westphalia (Alost and
Louvain, from 1473) and Jacobus de Breda, a successor of Paffroet at
Deventer, also supply similarities. In the case of Gerard we actually
find, besides a close general similarity, the same misuse of H as P.
Unfortunately no works printed by him, except the dated ©Modus
Confitendi© and an undated ©Aesopus©, are at present known, so that it
must not be assumed that 1478 is his earliest or only date.
It is at present also unsafe to assume that Theodoricus Rood of Cologne
who printed at Oxford in 1481–85 was the first Oxford printer, or ever
used type no. 1.
_Type_ 2 (1480?-1482).
Character:—Narrow Dutch Black.
Body:—English, nearly (10 lines = just less than 2 in.).
Used in the Cicero (1480?: by itself), Latin Grammar (1481?: by itself),
Ales (1481: chiefly, but with no. 3), and Latteburius (1482: chiefly,
but with no. 3).
The “upper case” consisted of 22 letters (J, K, U, W omitted).
* * * * *
The “lower case” consisted of at least 131 divisions. Of the simple
letters j only occurs in colligation with i (as ij), and there are two
forms of r, s (s, ſ) and y. There are about 93 colligated or modified
letters.
Unfortunately it is very difficult to institute a close comparison of
the use of letters, so as to establish a proper order of the books, in
consequence of the fragmentary state of the Milo and the Latin Grammar.
The Milo can be clearly separated from the rest: the type is _spaced_,
so that 10 lines = between 2–9/16 and 2¾ in., and ( ), ؟ (= ?), | (=
comma) are found in it alone. In fact, but for the closest resemblance
of actual type, the Milo would have to be regarded as printed elsewhere:
and it cannot yet be said to be quite certainly printed at Oxford. The
Ales and Latteburius are hardly to be distinguished in the use of type,
but I have observed w only in the Latteburius and Grammar.
The origin of the type is probably to be looked for near Cologne, from
whence came Theodoricus Rood, the avowed printer of the Ales, and where
a Theodoricus, who may probably be identified with Rood, printed in
1485–6 in a type smaller than, but similar to, the present one. The
narrow stilted look of the letters and the semicircular sweep in front
of the A are noticeable features. Henry Bradshaw detected a similarity
between this type and that of Arnold ther Hoernen at Cologne.
_Type_ 3 (1481–1485).
Character:—Heading and initial Black, a large special type.
Body:—2-line English, nearly (10 lines = 4 in. -, 10 lines of 2-line
English = 3¾ in. +).
Used only in the Ales (1481) and Latteburius (1482) (for the beginnings
of chapters), in the Lyndewoode (1483?: head lines) and the Phalaris
(1485: one line).
The type is too sparsely used to enable us to describe the extent of the
fount: but F, G, J, j, K, k, v, W, w, X, Y, Z, z are not found: I and g
have two forms each; s, ſ are found; V is only used for the number five;
and nine modified or conjoined letters occur. The peculiarity of the
letters is a slipped or detached upper corner in B, L, N, which is found
in 1506 in Quentell’s printing at Cologne, and may be compared with a
smaller form used by Jean Veldener at Culenburg in 1484.
_Type_ 4 (1483?-1485?).
Character:—Small Dutch Black.
Body:—Pica, nearly (10 lines = 1–11/16 + in., 10 lines in Pica = 1–11/16
– in.).
This is the small type of the Anwykyll and Lyndewoode (both 1483?), the
ordinary type of the Hampole, Logic, and Augustine (all 1483?), and the
small type of the Lyndewoode (1483?), and is used in the Textus
Alexandri (1485?). It is in many details similar to type 2, but may be
readily distinguished by the o being broad and round in type 4, instead
of narrow and oval as in type 2. There are two forms of S in type 4, and
only one in type 2. The capitals are identical with those of type 6.
The fount consisted of 25 capitals (J, V, W wanting, but two forms of D,
S), 27 small letters (z wanting, but r, s double) and at least 95
modified or conjoined letters, in all not less than 147 types. Seven of
the last class appear to be peculiar to the Logic, which may therefore
be the latest of the group.
_Type_ 5 (1483–1486/7).
Character:—Small Caxtonian Black.
Body:—Great Primer, nearly (10 lines = 2–5/16 in., 10 lines of Great
Primer = 2⅜ in.).
This is the larger type of the Anwykyll, the largest but one (ordinary
large) of the Lyndewoode, the largest of the Augustine (all 1483?), the
ordinary one of the Phalaris (1485), is used in the Textus Alexandri
(1485?), and is the small type of the Festial (1486). The capitals are
identical with those of type 7.
There are 19 capitals (J, K, V, W, X, Y, Z wanting) and 28 small letters
(j, z wanting, but d, g, r, s double), and at least 44 modified or
conjoined letters, five of which seem to be peculiar to the Festial, as
is also the use of k. In all there were not less than 91 types.
_Type_ 6 (1483?).
Character:—Large Dutch Black, a Church type going with no. 4.
Body:—Pica, nearly (as no. 4).
This is the larger type of the Hampole, the larger type (two half lines
only) of the Logic, the larger type imbedded in the small type of the
Lyndewoode, the intermediate type (one line) in the Augustine, and
occurs in the Anwykyll (all 1483?). The capitals are identical with
those of type 4.
There are 22 capitals (J, K, V, W, Z wanting, but S double), 24 small
letters (j, k, w, z wanting, but r, s double), and at least 16 modified
or conjoined letters, in all not less than 62 types. Eight of the
modified letters appear to be peculiar to the Hampole.
_Type_ 7 (1485?–1486/7).
Character:—Large Caxtonian Black, a Church type going with no. 5.
Body:—Great Primer, nearly (as no. 5).
This is used in the Textus Alexandri (1485?) and is the large type of
the Festial (1486/7). The capitals are identical with those of type 5.
To judge from the Festial, there are 18 capitals (J, K, R, V, W, X, Y, Z
not being used), 24 small letters (k, w, y, z not found, but r, s
double), and at least 9 modified letters, 51 in all.