PAPYRI OF HERCULANEUM. 33 



MRS. F. 



The papyrus is laid upon cotton, supported by a piece of 

 pasteboard, which lies upon two setnicircular pieces of metal. 

 The workman begins by glueing small pieces of goldbeater's 

 skin upon the back of the papyrus until the whole of the ex- 

 terior of the roll is covered. He then attaches three threads 

 to the end of the goldbeater's skin, and suspending them to 

 the top of the frame, proceeds, with the point of a needle, to 

 detach from the roll two or three lines of the end of the pa- 

 pyrus, which has been made of a tolerable consistency by the 

 addition of the goldbeater's skin. As soon as these lines are 

 unrolled, the same operation of applying the goldbeater's skin 

 is repeated, until, by the greatest patience and diligence, the 

 whole MS. is gradually unrolled. Here is a little sketch of 

 the machine (which is placed in a kind of frame), which will 

 perhaps better enable you to understand the- process. (Fig 1 .) 



HENRIETTA. 



But then, aunt, they can only read one side of the page. 



MRS, F. 



Fortunately, the Manuscripts are generally only written 

 upon one side of the papyrus, otherwise the operation would 

 be impossible. There is, however, one papyrus which is 

 written on both sides. It would appear to be an original 

 MS.; and the author having filled the end of his volume before 

 he had arrived at the conclusion of his subject, has written 

 three pages on the other side of the papyrus. I also saw, in 

 the Ambrosian library at Milan, a Josephus in papyrus, which 

 is said to be of the fourth century, and is also written upon 

 both sides of the paper. 



ESTHER. 



How did the ancients arrange their books; because it must 

 have been very difficult to distinguish one from another, 

 among so many rolls? 



MRS. F. 



Those found in the kind of press or bookcase which I have 



