Page:Historic printing types, a lecture read before the Grolier club of New York, January 25, 1885, with additions and new illustrations; by De Vinne, Theodore Low, 1828-1914; Grolier Club.djvu/89

 XI Revival of Old Style. NE evil that followed the rapid changes in the styles of type made during the first half of this century was the employment, often unavoidable, Faults of of two or more of these styles in the same book, after isof 6 Many of the new styles had been cut for a particular book, and had been cast to one size only ; few were made in a full series of graduated sizes. A text in bold face sometimes had extracts in round light face and notes in angular con- densed face styles painfully unlike, and to the eye of the educated reader as offensive as a page of manuscript in three different styles of handwriting. 1 Another and a greater evil was the tendency of punch-cutters to develop features of delicacy and prettiness rather than those which gave I weak. i ' ' Upon comparing the books of the time of the celebrated William Caslon with those of the present day, it will be seen that a complete change in the shape and styles of types has taken place. His founts rarely occur in modern use, but they have too fre- quently been superseded by others which can claim no excellence over them. In fact, the book-printing of the present day is disgraced by a mixt- ure of fat, lean, and heterogeneous types, which to the eye of taste is truly disgusting; and it may perhaps be said with truth that a much greater im- provement has taken place in the printing of hand-bills than of books." Hansard, Typographic/,, p. 355.