The lower case consists of small letters, double letters, figures, points, spaces and quadrates. CAPITALS. Lindley Murray gives the following judicious directions in regard to the use of capital letters:— It was formerly the custom to begin every noun with a capital; but as this practice was troublesome, and gave the writing or printing a crowded and confused appearance, it has been discontinued. It is, however, very proper to begin with a capital,— 1. The first word of every book, chapter, letter, note, or any other piece of writing; and, 2. The first word after a period; and, if the two sentences are _totally independent_, after a note of interrogation or exclamation. But if a number of interrogative or exclamatory sentences are thrown into one general group, or if the construction of the latter sentences depends on the former, all of them, except the first, may begin with a small letter: as, _How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning? and fools hate knowledge?_—_Alas! how different! yet how like the same!_ 3. The appellations of the Deity: as, _God_, _Jehovah_, _the Almighty_, _the Supreme Being_, _the Lord_, _Providence_, _the Messiah_, _the Holy Spirit_. 4. Proper names of persons, places, streets, mountains, rivers, ships: as, _George_, _London_, _the Strand_, _the Alps_, _the Thames_, _the Seahorse_. 5. Adjectives derived from the proper names of places: as, _Grecian_, _Roman_, _English_, _French_, _Italian_. 6. The first word of a quotation, introduced after a colon, or when it is in a direct form: as, _Always remember this ancient maxim: “Know thyself.”_—_Our great Lawgiver says, “Take up thy cross daily, and follow me.”_ But when a quotation is brought in obliquely after a comma, a capital letter is unnecessary: as, _Solomon observes, “that pride goes before destruction.”_ The first word of an example may also very properly begin with a capital: as, _Temptation proves our virtue_. 7. Every substantive and principal word in the titles of books: as, _Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language_; _Thomson’s Seasons_; _Rollin’s Ancient History_. 8. The first word of every line in poetry. 9. The pronoun _I_ and the interjection _O_ are written in capitals: as, _I write: Hear, O earth!_ Other words, besides the preceding, may begin with capitals when they are remarkably emphatical, or the principal subject of the composition. The method of denoting capital letters in manuscript is by underscoring them with _three distinct lines_. SMALL CAPITALS. Small Capitals are in general cast to Roman founts only, and are used for the purpose of giving a stronger emphasis to a word than that conveyed by Italic. They are likewise used for running heads, heads of chapters, &c. The first word of every section or chapter is commonly put in small capitals; but when a two-line initial letter is used, the remainder of the word should be in capitals.