63 



of Cicero, calls it the oration " Volvitur a prima quae proxima," (rolled 

 out the second). 



But the question is placed beyond all doubt by the fact, that amongst 

 upwards of two thousand manuscript rolls dug out of the ruins of 

 Herculaneum (overwhelmed A.D. 79), not one square volume has yet been 

 found. These recovered MSS. were contained in two different libraries, 

 and deposited in presses or wooden cases, inlaid with different sorts of 

 wood, and otherwise ornamented. The attempts of Sir Humphrey Davy, 

 and some of the Italian literati, to unroll them have (as is well known) 

 been attended with but very partial success. 



It must have been shortly after the destniction of Pompeii and Her- 

 culaneum that writings of any length were bound up according to our 

 modem fashion, and the precise period seems to be ascertained by an 

 attentive perusal and collation of the Epigrams of Martial, who flou- 

 rished towards the conclusion of the first century. Thus it will appear, 

 that after any author had carefully elaborated his work, or a sufficient 

 portion of it, upon the pugillares or waxen tablets, he generally had it 

 transcribed fairly for the perusal of his friends, or for publication, upon 

 a roll. This was the readiest and cheapest mode, and Martial refers to 

 this in several of his Epigmms : as, for example, in the 6th of the 5th 

 book, wherein he describes a presentation copy of his own work, splen- 

 didly ornamented, and intended for the Emperor Domitian. As a rally 

 however, he describes it. But from others of his Epigrams=*= it would 

 appear that standard works began at this period to be engrossed upon 

 square sheets of parchment, gathered together after the modem fashion. 

 In the following he speaks of the Metamorphoses of Ovid being written 

 upon sheets of this description : — 



" Hebc tibi, multiplici qu8B stnicta est Massa tabelli 

 Garmina Nasonis quinque decemque gerit." 



L. xiv. Ep. 192. 



This book, (Massa,) which is made of numerous or many-folded leaves, 

 (Tabellae,) contains the fifteen books of Naso. Another runs thus : — 



LIVIUS IN MEMBRANIS. 

 " Pellibus exiguis arctatur Livius ingens, 

 Quern mea non totum bibliotheca cepit." 



L. xiv. Ep. 190. 

 " The mighty Livy,+ the whole of whom my library is not capable of holding, is 

 here contained in small parchments." 



Amongst other passages which might be adduced from the writings of 

 the great epigramatist, one more only shall be quoted, viz. his second 



• L. 1. 67 ; 8. 2 ; 5. 6; 2. 6 ; 4. 91 ; 8. 61. 

 + livy'i history consisted of 140 book«, of which 35 only are come down to us. 



