Fresh Batch #113: Norman, French, German, Modern Gothic, Papal Bulls, and Running-hand

Origin and Progress of Writing Part 6

The following is a continued examination of Thomas Astle’s the Origin and Progress of Writing, as well as an archive of important accounts of our history.

Of Norman Writing

Astle wrote (Ib. p. 139), “The writing introduced into England by that Prince (William I), is usually called Norman, and is composed of letters nearly Lombardic, which were generally used in grants, charters, public instruments, and law proceedings, with very little variation, from the Norman conquest, till the reign of King Edward III. This kind of writing was generally practiced by the Irish when they wrote Latin, as appears from their MSS. and records, and in Scotland during the same period of time, as the numerous specimens published in Anderson’s Diplomata Scotiæ abundantly testify.”

The following is Norman writing. The first specimen is from a book of inquisitions, made in the county of Lincoln (preserved in the Cottonian Library, Claud. c. 5; Dylan’s note: unsure if it survived the fires.) They must have been taken before the year 1104 AD because Stephen Earl of Brittany, whose name appears in the plate, died in that year. Suffice to say, is there any among you who would look at these letters and claim they weren’t Roman?

Astle continued (Ib. pp. 142-3), “About the reign of King Richard II. variations took place in writing records and law proceedings; the specimens of the charters from the reign of King Richard II. to that of King Henry VIII. as given in the twenty-fifth plate, are composed partly of characters called Set Chancery and Common Chancery, and of some of the letters called Court-hand; which three different species of writing are partly from the Norman, and partly from the Gothic. The Chancery letters so called, were used for all Records which passed the great seal, and for other proceedings in Chancery; and the Court-hand letters were used in the courts of King’s Bench and Common Pleas for fines, recoveries, placita, adjudicata, &c.”

Hen. 6 was taken from an original letter of that King, which was the running hand of that time.

Again (Ib. p. 143), “Although the writing called the Law English, is a species of Modern Gothic, we shall mention it in this place, because the instruments written by the English lawyers, in the English language, from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century, are in characters very different from those used by our Ecclesiastics and Monks, which last is descended from the Saxon, as will presently appear under the head of modern Gothic writing.”

This is an anecdotal observation, but I wonder if it corresponds to when Pope Nicholas V created the first Testamentary Trust, through a deed and will, which created a Deceased Estate. This is the Papal Bull Romanus Pontifex. It conveys the right of use of the land as Real Property, from Unam Sanctam, to the control of the Pontiff (Pope) and his successors “For a perpetual remembrance.” Thus, all land, according to this black magick writ, is claimed as “crown land.” This is represented by the first Cestui Que Vie Trust, which deprives humans of all beneficial entitlements and rights on land. The writing style of the monks and lawyers could be a sign of the merging of the new control/commercial system. Only a few centuries later, common law was subverted in America, where we no longer have lawyers but BAR licensed attorneys instead. This is subject matter from Spirit Whirled II, so refer to that because it’s not my intention to digress.

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