MATERIALS TO WRITE UPON BEFORE INVENTION OF PRINTING. 655 



These slips ((fuXiipi/, philyra') were laid together side by side 

 upon an inclined table, whose surface was })lentifully nioister.etl, so 

 that the slips adhered to eacli other. Accordino; to Pliny, they were 

 dampened with Nile water, which alone could dilute the viscous 

 li(|uid of the crushed cells, necessary to cause the lamella^ to adhere to 

 each other." 



The layer formed by these slips was termed " scheda.'"' On top of 

 the scheda a new layer of slips was placed, crossing those of the 

 lower one; thus a sheet, or plagula, was jn-oduced whose diameter 

 in each direction was equal to the length of a philyra. When it was 

 sufficiently desiccated, the plagula 

 was squeezed in a press, which con- 

 tracted every part of it ; then it was 

 exposed to the sun to dry. 



A number of plagula*, from 10 to 

 '20, according to the period, were 

 joined together, then they were 

 rolled, and a quire, or scapus, was 

 formed of it. 



The quality of the j^'ipyi'n^ <^b- 

 taiiied varied according to the Avidth 

 of the hrst cuts or philyrte. The 

 best (juality was called hieratic, 

 later Augustine. Subse<(uently there 

 was the Livian, the amphitheatric, 

 the Fannian, of a most remarkable 

 (luality, the Saitic, the Tanitic, 

 then the enq)oretic or conunercial 

 ])a})er. 



The pa])er obtained in Egypt was 

 unlit to receive writing. Jt \\as subjected to further processes, 

 beating and polishing. Avhich inq)arted all the attributes re(]uired. 

 In Komc certain slaves were charged with that work. 



PAPER. PROPKKLY SO CALLED. 



Fig. 28. Fragment of Troano paper 

 manuscript. {De Bourbourg'.s Manu- 

 script Troano. Paris, 1869.) 



The discovery of i)aper assured to the " book " an indefinite vital- 

 ity and expansion. The material par excellence had. in fact, been 

 found, indestructible material, which allows the book to be more 

 pliable, less heavy, to pass down the ages as Avell, if not better, than, 

 papyrus and pai-chment. 



It is to Tsai Loun, minister of agriculture in China, one hundred 



o The mere viscosity of the crushed cells sliould have sulticed to make the 

 contiguons slips adhere to each other ; and. if water was necessary, was it 

 indispensable to have the water of the Nile? 



