I ^33 ] 



First. At the very time tliefe manufcripts were written the 

 fame letters were differently formed ; and fometimes they con- 

 fifted of right lines and were angular, and fometimes were curved. 

 To prove this we muft have recourfe to the manufcripts them- 

 felves. In the Alexandrian, I inftance in the letters B and <E>, 

 and alfo in M. In the Cottonian Gene/is, in M and O. In Fphrem, 

 in the letters E and X, Palseog. p. 214. In the Ccefarean Diof- 

 corides, in the letters H (as appears from comparing Dr. J-Voide\ 

 Specimen with that of Lambecius) and Y (as appears from com- 

 paring Lambecius'% Specimen, Palseog. p. 202, with that of Nejfe- 

 lius, Tom. I, Tab. K. L. M). In this manufcript, in the letters 

 A. B. T. 4>. X. S. Wherefore the fame letters having been formed 

 varioufly by the fame hand and at the fame time, with refpe£l 

 to the number and nature of the lines that compofe them, I am 

 led to believe that no conclufive argument can be founded on 

 this for determining the relative ages of the manufcripts. 



Secondly. Manufcripts of the middle antiquity or ninth 

 century abound with letters which are not lefs redilineal and 

 angular than thofe in manufcripts of the firft clafs. Thus the 

 letters Hand B, in the Codex Harkianus, No. 5598, Palagog. p. 514. 

 And the letter Y in manufcripts of the ninth century (Pala30g, 

 p. 232 & 234) is compofed of right lines, and thofe as few in 

 number as poffible, both which are marks of the form being 

 ancient. And in fad fu'ch form of "V. occurs on the Bajilidian 

 Gems (Palaeog. p. 180, 338). Wherefore this argument can have 

 place only in comparing manufcripts of the fame clafs together, 

 in which cafe it will produce contradidory conclufions ; and if 



carried 



