Blackletter is _always_ Gothic, because it is constructed upon Gothic
lines. On the other hand, a Roman Blackletter would be an obvious
impossibility. The very essential and fundamental quality of a Roman letter
lies in the squareness or circularity of its skeleton form.

For clearness and convenience, then, the following discrimination between
the terms Gothic and Blackletter will be adopted in this treatise: When a
letter is Gothic but not a Blackletter it will be called "Round Gothic";
when it is primarily a Blackletter it will be termed "Blackletter," the
latter name being restricted to such compressed, narrow or angular forms as
the small letters shown in 144, 147 and 148. The name "Round Gothic" will
be applied only to the earlier forms, such as those shown in 141 and 142.
Such a distinction has not, I believe, hitherto been attempted; but the
confusion which otherwise results makes the discrimination seem advisable.

The three pages of examples, figures 141, 142 and 143, exhibit the
characteristic forms and standard variations of the Round Gothic. In lieu
of any detailed analysis of these letter shapes, it may perhaps be
sufficient to say that they were wholly and exactly determined by the
position of the quill, which was held rigidly upright, after the fashion
[132] already described in speaking of Roman lettering; and that the
letters were always formed with a round swinging motion of hand and arm, as
their forms and accented lines clearly evidence; for the medieval scribes
used the Round Gothic as an easy and legible handwritten form, and linked
many of the letters.

[Illustration: 142. ITALIAN ROUND GOTHIC SMALL LETTERS. 16th CENTURY]

[Illustration: 143. SPANISH ROUND GOTHIC LETTERS. FRANCISCO LUCAS, 1577]

[Illustration: 144. GERMAN BLACKLETTER CONSTRUCTION. ALBRECHT DUeRER]

Figures 158, 170, 172 and 173 show some capitals adapted for use with these
Round Gothic letters; but the beginner should be extremely wary of
attempting to use any Gothic capitals alone to form words, as their
outlines are not suited for inter-juxtaposition. Occasionally they may thus
be used, and used effectively, as is shown, for instance, in the beautiful
page of lettering by Mr. Edwin A. Abbey, 153; but so successful a solution
is rare, and implies an intimate knowledge of the historic examples and use
of Gothic lettering.

The late Gothic or Blackletter is condensed and narrowed in the extreme. No
circles are employed in t