monks would be incomplete without reference to their
writing, illuminating, and book-economy, the relics of which
are so finely rare.

The old Irish runes gave place slowly to the Roman
alphabet, which came into use, as we have already observed,
after St. Patrick's mission. This new writing was in two
forms--round and pointed--but both were derived from the
Roman half-uncial style. The clear and beautifully-shaped
Irish round hand is closely akin to the half-uncial character
of fifth and sixth century Latin writings found on the
Continent. The Book of Kells, written probably at the end
of the seventh century, is the finest example of the
ornamental Irish round hand. St. Chad's Gospels, now at
Lichfield, written about the same time, is a manuscript of
like character, but not so good. A later manuscript, the
Gospels of MacRegol, which dates from the beginning of
the ninth century, shows marked deterioration in the writing.

The Irish pointed style, used for quicker writing, is but
a modified, pointed variety of the round hand, the letters
being laterally compressed. This hand appears in some
pages of the Book of Kells, but the best example is in the
Book of Armagh.[1]


[1] See Thompson, 236, where Irish calligraphy is fully dealt
with; Camb. Lit., i, 13.