%   bigfirstletter:  set the first letter of a paragraph so in
%                    larger type and indent next few lines
%                    accordingly
%  EXAMPLE:
%  
%  \hsize 3.5in
%  \font\rf cmr12
%  \font\largefont cmr10 scaled \magstep5
%  \rf
%  \bigfirstletter{\largefont I}N THE 
%  beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  Now the earth
%  was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and
%  the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
%  
%  \bye
\def\bigfirstletter#1#2{{\noindent
    \setbox0\hbox{#1}\setbox1\hbox{#2}\setbox2\hbox{(}%
    \count0=\ht0\advance\count0 by\dp0\count1\baselineskip
    \advance\count0 by-\ht1\advance\count0by\ht2
    \dimen1=.5ex\advance\count0by\dimen1\divide\count0 by\count1
    \advance\count0 by1\dimen0\wd0
    \advance\dimen0 by.25em\dimen1=\ht0\advance\dimen1 by-\ht1
    \global\hangindent\dimen0\global\hangafter-\count0
    \hskip-\dimen0\setbox0\hbox to\dimen0{\raise-\dimen1\box0\hss}%
    \dp0=0in\ht0=0in\box0}#2}

