any means the honesty or animus of the copyist. The
man fell into the method which was natural to him, or which he found
prevailing around him; and that was all. 'Itacisms' therefore, as they
are called, of whatever kind,--by which is meant the interchange of such
vowels and diphthongs as [Greek: i-ei, ai-e, e-i, e-oi-u, o-o,
e-ei],--need excite no uneasiness. It is true that these variations may
occasionally result in very considerable inconvenience: for it will
sometimes happen that a different reading is the consequence. But the
copyist may have done his work in perfect good faith for all that. It is
not he who is responsible for the perplexity he occasions me, but the
language and the imperfect customs amidst which he wrote.

2. In like
manner the reduplication of syllables, words, clauses, sentences, is
consistent with entire sincerity of purpose on the part of the copyist.
This inaccuracy is often to be deplored; inasmuch as a reduplicated
syllable often really affects the sense. But for the most part nothing
worse ensues than that the page is disfigured with errata.

3. So, on the other hand,--the occasional omission of words, whether few
or many,--especially that passing from one line to the corresponding
place in a subsequent line, which generally results from the proximity
of a similar ending,--is a purely venial offence. It is an evidence of
carelessness, but it proves nothing worse.

4. Then further,--slight inversions, especially of ordinary words; or
the adoption of some more obvious and familiar collocation of particles
in a sentence; or again, the occasional substitution of one common word
for another, as [Greek: eipe] for [Greek: elege], [Greek: phonesan] for
[Greek: kraxan], and the like;--need not provoke resentment. It is an
indication, we are willing to hope, of nothing worse than slovenliness
on the part of the writer or the group or succession of writers.

5. I will add that besides the substitution of one word for another,
cases frequently occur, where even the introduction into the text of one
or more words which cannot be thought to have stood in the original
autograph of the Evangelist, need create no offence. It is often
possible to account for their presence in a strictly legitimate way.

But it is high time to point out, that irregularities which fall under
these last heads are only tolerable within narrow limits, and always
require careful watching; for they may easily become excessive