Before we go any further, it may be necessary to understand the
distinct classes of typefaces, and in order to do that we should know
that the earliest printers did not invent any form of letter. They
adopted as their model the common writing hand of their country. The first
Italian printers made their types in close imitation of the characters
used in the Italian manuscripts of the day, that is, of the roman characters.
Thus we obtain the variety of type faces used today.  We shall encounter
the body or text types used for plain paragraph matter such as that of books
or newspapers, and fancy types used for displayed matter. Body faces
may be subdivided again into several classes.  There is the modern face
roman, of which there is a great number of varieties, but all bear a
certain likeness; there is the old style, or Caslon roman, otherwise called
the Caslon Elzevir; that splendid series of fonts of this
