The SCRIPT, by which is meant the conventional copy-book writing hand, as distinguished from the Italic on the one hand and the law hand on the other, is another form of the Bâtarde, and is supposed to have originated with Pierre Moreau of Paris, whose widow in 1648 published a very curious _Virgil_, the first volume of which is printed in this character, in four or five sizes. The Dutch founders copied it, and the curious founts in Grover’s foundry were probably most of them of Dutch origin.[110] About 1760 Cottrell and Jackson both cut improved founts of this character. The Script, which the French have called LETTRE COULÉE and LETTRE DE FINANCE, and the Germans GESCHREVEN SCHRIFT, has undergone a good many changes, especially during the present century. M. Didot in 1815 introduced a series of ligatures, or connectors, which had the effect of making the letters in each word join continuously; and at the same time cast his letters on an inclined body, so as to fit closely together, and be self-supporting. His system, however, involved a large number of combination-letters and ligatures, which rendered it generally impracticable; and it was eventually replaced by a square-bodied Script, contrived to unite all the advantages, and obviate all the disadvantages, of his ingenious system. {57} [Illustration] CHAPTER II. TYPE FACES (CONTINUED). THE LEARNED, FOREIGN, AND PECULIAR CHARACTERS. GREEK. Greek type first occurs in the _Cicero de Officiis_, printed at Mentz in 1465, at the press of Fust and Schoeffer. The fount used is exceedingly rude and imperfect, many of the letters being ordinary Latin.[111] In the same year Sweynheim and Pannartz at Subiaco used a good Greek letter for some of the quotations occurring in _Lactantius_; but the supply being short, the larger quotations were left blank, to be filled in by hand. The first book wholly printed in Greek was the _Grammar of Lascaris_, by Paravisinus, in Milan, in 1476, in types stated to be cut and cast by Demetrius of Crete. The fount (about a Great Primer in body) is a curious one, and contains breathings, accents and a few abbreviations. The headings to the chapters are wholly in capitals, which are very bold.[112] It is to the glory of Milan that not only was the first Greek book printed within its walls, but also the first Greek classic and the first portion of the Greek Scriptures. The former was the _Æsop_, printed, it is supposed, in 1480, but without printer’s name. The resemblance, however, {58} between the fount of this work and that of the _Lactantius_ is so close that there seems much reason for crediting Paravisinus with the performance. The Greek of the _Psalter_ of 1481 is very different, the lower-case being larger, and remarkably bold and compact in appearance. The capitals generally resemble the _Lactantius_ fount.