AJVCIENT ESTIMATION OF EISH. 63 



ever were not so badly off for a substitute as might be 

 supposed. Papyrus paper was by no means to be de- 

 spised;* and after Fannius had taken the business in 

 hand, the trade flourished, and old stationery turned 

 over a new leaf. This Sieur succeeded, after many trials, 

 ia bringing the paper art to such perfection, that his 

 name will stand endorsed upon it to the latest pos- 

 terity. The following is a list of his stock in trade; — 

 The Royal Charta Augusta, named after Augustus by 

 his courtiers, and of course a first-rate article j the Li- 

 vian, called after the empress, scarcely inferior ia qua- 

 lity; the Saitic letter-paper, so called from an ancient 

 city, the Bath of Egypt, which was less fine than these; 

 the Amphitheatric, or advertising play-bill sheet, of a 

 much coarser texture, from the outer bark; the Tanio- 

 tica, or packing paper, made expressly for this purpose, 

 and sold by weight; the Emporetic, or shop-paper, not 

 so coarse as the last, serving for wrapping up groceries, 

 fruits, etc.; all these, together with the maker's own 

 kind, the Fannian, might be had at his warehouses. 

 However various in quality, none of these ancient pa- 

 pers differed much in size, being all small — the very 

 largest, taken from the heart of the cane, seldom ex- 

 ceeding thirteen fingers in breadth; the Hieratic, which 

 comes next, being only eleven, the Fannian ten, the 

 Amphitheatric nine, and the shop-paper not above six. 

 And now, which of these was used for the Apician pa- 

 pillotes ? Can we doubt which ? The best, to be sure ; 

 that ' fine, compact, white, and smooth' kind, so com- 

 placently dwelt upon by Pliny; such as a poor poet might 

 wistfully eye in vain; while large stores of it were con- 



* It was iadeed the best of all papers for cooking. ' Its po- 

 rous nature,' says Dr. Lister, ' must have been admirably adapted 

 for soaking itself ia grease, thereby preserving the fish from 

 burning, and yet allowing some of the fat to escape.' 



