Serlio's scheme of proportions it will be observed that Mr. Ross
[6] has partially adapted the letter for use in stone, and has further
varied it in details, notably in serif treatment. In most modern stone-cut
letters, however, the thin strokes would be made even wider than in this
example, as in 14. Mr. Ross's adaptation shows excellently how far the
classic letters do or do not fill out the theoretical square.

Width proportions, which may be found useful in laying out lettering for
lines of a given length, are shown in 3 in a more modern style of the Roman
capital. In the classic Roman letter the cross-bar is usually in the exact
center of the letter height, but in 3 the center line has been used as the
bottom of the cross-bar in B, E, H, P, and R, and as the top of the
cross-bar in A; and in letters like K, Y and X the "waist lines," as the
meeting points of the sloping lines are sometimes called, have been
slightly raised to obtain a more pleasant effect.

The Roman alphabet, although the one most in use, is unfortunately the most
difficult to compose into words artistically, as the spacing between the
letters plays a great share in the result. The effect of even color over a
whole panel is obtained by keeping as nearly as possible the same area of
white between each letter and its neighbor; but the shape of this area will
be determined in every case by the letters which happen to be juxtaposed.
Individual letters may, however, be widened or condensed to help fill an
awkward "hole" in a line of lettering;--the lower lobe of the B may be
extended, the center bar of the E pulled out (in which case the F should be
made to correspond), the lower slant stroke of the K may be used as a swash
tail, and the R may have its tail extended or drawn closely back against
the upright line, and so on. Indeed, each and [8] every letter of the
alphabet is susceptible to such similar modifications in shape as may make
it best suit the space left for it by its neighbors. Observe, for example,
the spacing of the word MERITAE in 34, and notice how the tail of the R is
lengthened to hold off the I because the T on the other side is perforce
held away by its top. In the page of capitals, 124, by Mr. Bridwell, see
also how the different spacing of the word FRENCH in the first and second
lines is managed. In the advertisement, 123, also by Mr. Bridwell, note how
the letters are spaced close or wide in order to produce a definite effect.
Th