and deciphering ih^ Herculaneum Menmcnpls. 2.'>3 



in forming their opinion thereon. Tiie exterior of the Hercu- 

 laneum rolls general. y presenting an nnevcn surface, composed 

 of ditferent strata, or layers, tlie first object, with a view of ob- 

 taining entire and consecutive columns of the nianu'^cript, inu^t 

 be to remove, in succession, these irregularities all around the roll ; 

 an operation which, considering the delicate nature and fragile 

 (|Uality of the papvrus, should be carried on with the greatest 

 care and nicetv. With respect to Dr. Siclder't; method, il did 

 not appear to Sir William A'Court calculated to accomplish this 

 primary object; since his mode of indiscriminately coverhig the. 

 whole surface of the roll with the liquid preparation (by which 

 the lining is attached to tlie papyrus) must, in the operation of. 

 taking off, necessarily produce a number of broken and inter- 

 rupted lavers, belonging to diti'ercnt sLrala^ leaving a surface 

 equally, at least, if not more, uneven than before. By this 

 means it must follow, that, however the characters in the manu- 

 script niav be preserved, a part of the roll so taken oft ct)uld not 

 be expected to exhibit more than detached letters, or words, of. 

 as many columns as there are layers so separated. 



The principal object in an undertaking of this nature beijig, 

 after an even surface has been gained, to separate entire columns 

 on single lavers, in regular succession, the Committee, in the 

 course of the experiments which have been made under their 

 superintendence, have constantly directed their attention to the 

 success of Dr. Sicklcr's system of operation in this respect. Pre- 

 viously, however, to a declaration of their opinion thereon, they 

 consider it neces.sary, in justice to Dr. Sickler, to state that, af- 

 ter the result of his operations upon the four first rolls had been 

 laid before them, and an attentive perusal of his observations 

 thereon, they did not entertain any sanguine expectation^ that 

 lie would be enabled to produce any thing like a scries of columns 

 of the contents of any one of them; and that they were willing 

 to attribute the total failure of his endeavours, in this particular, 

 to the injured state of the rolls, and to the probable deslruetiou 

 of the characters, from the eifect of damp or otherv.'ise, as stated 

 in Dr. iS'ckler's several memoirs ; an opinion expressed by Sir 

 William Drummond, as well as by Sir William yV'Court, upon an 

 examination of some of the rolls in the course of operation : but 

 while they are ready to admit Dr. Sickler's observations, as to 

 tlie deteriorated state of most of the seven rolls which were 

 placed in his hands in the progress of his experiments, they ne- 

 vertheless conceive, that the result of his labours affonis them 

 sufficient grounds for stating the following objections to his me- 

 thod of unrolling the Ilerciilaueuin manuscripts : 



l«t. The machine made use of by Dr. Sicklcr does not, in the 

 opinion of the Committee, appear to be calculated to remove aiiv 



of 



