^ [ “4 ] 
pyrus, the worft preferved, by way of trial, ft is found 
to be the work of a Greek writer, and is a fmall phi- 
olophictra<a{m Plutarch’s manner) onmulic- blame 
-ngitasperntcious to fociety, and produftive of fS^ 
^ IS wanting, but it is to be 
iT name may be found at the 
nh n ■ r / I however to be the work of a ftoic 
rhe papyrus is written acrofs in fo many columns 
every one of about twenty lines, and every line is 
limn^is^^ -H '°r®' ®‘=‘"'^«n columi/and co- 
lumn IS a void fpace of more than an inch. There 
are now unrolled about * thirty columns ; which Ts 
aboutahalf of the whole; this roll being onfof 
the fmalleft : the kiters are diainguifoabk enough 
Father Antonio after he has loofened a piece tak« 
It off where there are no letters; and places’ it be 
ween two cryftals for the better obfervation ; and 
then, having an admirable talent in imitating cha- 
radlers, he copies it with all the lacun®, which le 
very numerous in this fcorched papy™;; and giv t 
this copy to the Canon Mazzocchi, who tries to fup 
ply the lofs and explain it. The letters are capifal 
ones, and almoft without any abbreviation. The 
worft IS, the work takes up fo much time that a 
fmall quantity of writing requires live or fix days to 
unroll fo that a whole^ear is already cSed 
« out half this roll. The lacunae, for the moft part 
of one or two words, that may be fupplied by 
Original— Tr^fiia. 
the 
