The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-05

From the FOurteenth
The Thomas F. Richardson collection of
illuminated manuscripts now on exhi-
biiion In the southwest gallery of the Lii
brary of Congress affords splendid illus
trations of beautiful art of the Middle
Ages The collection embraces choral
leaves formerly used in churches and
monasteries aud mostly of the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries. capital letters, each
one of which is an elaborate work of art:
miniatures of great delicacy Of execution,
engraved on copper and colored by hand.
and forming the earliest specimens of
copper plate engraving: pages from old
bibles and missals. etc. The specimens
date from the twelfth to the fifteenth CEN
turtles. and therefore illustrate the best
periods of the art of illuminating manu-
scripts.
The pictures and script the former still
glowing in all their wonderful richness
and delicacy of tint. are upon vellum,
which, in connection with the lost art of
giving the colors permanency, accounts
for the marvellous state of preservation of
even the oldest specimens.
Ii is known that all the monasteries of
the Middle Ages contained writing rooms
or scriptoriums as they We're called, in
which the monks wrote from dictation,
the copy being revised by a competent
person. and then placed in the hands of
an imitator, or painter in vermilion. who
decorated it and added the fanciful capital
letters. The earliest writing was entirely
in majusculae. or capital letters, follow
ing each other continuously without any
punctuation or spaces between the words.
\ smaller running character. called
ninscule, began To appear occasionally
during the fourth and fifth centuries. but
was not in frequent use until the close
Of the eighth century. The vellum. or
prepared skin Of the calf. WAS also whittier
and finer in the earlier ages. and the fin
est vellum yet discovered belongs to
period previous to the end of the eighth
century.
In the eleventh century parchment be
came very scarce, and it was usual for
the monks to erase the manuscript copies
of the profane authors in order TO use the
material for the sacred writings. This re
writing has been termed the palimpsest,
and art has lately been able. in some
cases, to remove the upper writing and
recover the manuscript which lay be-
meath.
In the twelfth century. to which the
earliest specimens in the Richardson col
lection belong. and especially in England,
the letters became longer and the lines
heavier. and toward the close of the
century the angular character, generally
known as the modern Gothic began to
take the place of the clear and beautiful
Roman, which it entirely superseded in
the thirteenth century.
Although the handwriting of the dif-
ferent centuries can be distinguished
with considerable exactness, the peculiar
ff
ferent periods and in various countries are
considered a more reliable means Of de-
Gliding upon the date of manuscripts. The
earliest style of ornament was the intro
ductiOn Of vermiilion. peculiarly bril-
liant and permanent red, called in Latin
Minimum. and used 10 mark the titles
or commandments of manuscripts. This
red was afterward used TO distinguish
the most important words. and such por-
tions We're customarily known the
rubricqted or red letters, from whence
the modern expression red letter to
denote special occasion, as well as rlhric
used to signify the order of the litany.
both In the Catholic and English
churches
Those scribes skilled in the use Of the
minimum and called miniatOrs, intro
duced delicate and minute ornamental
ton suited to small sheets Of velium and
from these pictures and Illustrations Is
derived the modern word miniature
C0lored vellum was also used at an early
date. that of the purple and rose tints
being much more brilliant in the first
Christian centuries ana losing brilliance
and purity of tone in the eighth and ninth
centuries. Purple manuscripts We're I'M
known in England until the close of the
seventh century. Writing in FURNISHED
gold and silver also usual in the
fourth and several subsequent centuries
the most ancient example known being
the Codex Argenteus Of Uphilas, written
In gold on purple velum at the close of
the fourth century. The early Christian
fathers and particularly those who were
employed in preaching the gospel among
the heather, decorated their manuscripts
of the Scriptures with the utmost SPLEEN
dor. and lavished gold silver. 3 I'D even
jewels upon them a means of convey
ing to the heathens the esteem in which
the sacred works were held.
Ii is to be regretted that there is not in
the Richardson collection any specimen
OF the beautiful and unique style of
manuscript decoration which existed in
Ireland at a very remote period. In this
STYLE intricate interlacings of narrow