Medieval Scripts
The term "script" is used to refer to the handwriting in medieval manuscripts. Examples of three major types are shown below. Within these types, there are a large number of variations. These variations are caused by the script's ductus (the speed and care with which the letters were formed) and the number of space-saving devices, such as abbreviations, employed. The way the pen was cut and the type and quality of other writing materials also affected the appearance of the script.

A set script would be produced slowly and carefully, as in the first two examples shown here. A cursive script, as with our modern cursive writing, has more letters joined together and more loops, as the pen is lifted from the paper less. Finally, there are current scripts, not illustrated here, that are rapidly written and informal -- and almost impossible to read by those without special training.

Carolingian Minuscule
A lower-case script developed in the scriptoria of the Carolingian dynasty, of which Charlemagne is the most famous representative, in the later eighth century. The letter forms in this script are easier for us to read than the two examples that follow.
Free Library of Philadelphia Lewis text leaf collection, Lewis T4:101. A fragment from a Missal, Italian, 11th or 12th century. (Not part of the Leaves of Gold) exhibition.

Gothic
The round forms of the Carolingian minuscule gradually gave way to the more pointed forms of the Gothic script, also known as textura. It is a tight, dense script that has the advantage of allowing the scribe to fit more on the page than the minuscule it succeeded -- very important given the expense of parchment and vellum.

This type of script is rarely used for everyday printing today, but it can still be found in some documents such as diplomas and certificates, or in the masthead of well-known newspapers such as The New York Times.
Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philip S. Collins Collection, 1945-65-4, fol. 74. Book of Hours for Rome Use (Collins Hours). Belgium, possibly Bruges, c. 1445-1450. Pictured in the Leaves of Gold catalog.

Bâtarde
This script is a hybrid of the formal style with a cursive script, and was widely used in the manuscripts of the later middle ages. If you compare it with the Gothic script in the last example, you will see many similarities in the letter forms, but you will also see that it is more flowing and less angular. This example is from the Book of the Castle of Work and is written in French. The previous two examples are in Latin.
Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Department, Widener 1, fol. 61v. France, Paris or possibly Rouen, c. 1430-1440.

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The Parchmenter | The Stationer or Bookseller I | The Apothecary | The Scribe | Scripts | The Artist/Illuminator | The Stationer or Bookseller II | Bibliography