266 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION; 



IX. With regard to mannfcripts that were 

 wrote before 'the invention of printing, it is 

 necefiary, i. to know their nature, their efTential 

 qualities and matter ; 2. to be able to read 

 them freely, and without error ; 3. to judge of 

 their antiquity by thofc characters which we have 

 juft mentioned with regard to the diplomas; 

 and 4. to render them of ufe in the fciences. 

 As there are fcarce any of the ancient codes now 

 remaining, (fee feet. IV.) wrote on the Egyptian 

 paper, or on wood, ivory, &c. we have only to 

 confider thofe that are written on parchment or 

 vellum (membraneos) and fuch as are wrote on 

 our paper (chartaceos). The former of thefe 

 are in moft efteem. With regard to the charac- 

 ter, thefe codes are written either in fquare and 

 capital letters, or in half fquare, or round and 

 fmall letters. Thole of the firft kind are the 

 moft ancient. There are no intervals between 

 the words, no letters different from the others at- 

 the beginning of any word, no points, nor any 

 other diftinction. The codes, which are wrote 

 in letters that are half fquare, refemble thofe we 

 have in Gothic characters, as well for the age, 

 as the form of the letters. Such as are wrote 

 in round letters are not fo ancient as the former, 

 and do not go higher than the ninth or tenth 

 century. Thefe have fpaces between the words, 

 and fome punctuation. They are likewife not 

 fo well wrote as the preceding, and are fre- 

 quently disfigured with comments. The codes 

 are divided, according to the country, into Lom- 

 bard, 



