164 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION.' 



ilhes, and different methods of writing of every 

 age. F -r tlicie ratters, therefore, we mu ft re- 

 fer our r-aders to thole authors , and (hall here 

 only aad, that, 



VT. All the diplomas are wrote in Latin, 

 and confequently the letters and characters have 

 a refcmblance to each other , but there are 

 certain ftrokes of the pen, which diftinguifh not 

 only the ages, but alto the different nations : 

 as the writings of the Lombards, French, Saxon, 

 &c. The letters in the diplomas are alfo ufually 

 longer, and not Ib ftrong as thole of manu- 

 fcripts. There has been alfo introduced a kind 

 of court hand, of a very difproportionate length, 

 and the letters of which are called Exiles litter** 

 crifpa acprotraftiorcs. The firft line ot the dip- 

 loma, the fignature of the fovereign, that of the 

 chancellor, notary, &c. are ufually wrote in this 

 character. 



VII. The fignature of a diploma confifts 

 either of the fign of the crofs, or of a monogram 

 or cypher, compofed of the letters of the names 

 ot thofe who lubfcribed it. The initial letters 

 of the name, and fometimcs alfo the titles, were 

 placed about this crofs. By degrees, the cuf- 

 tom changed, and they invented other marks j 

 as for example, the fign of Charlemagne was 

 thus : 



