e 12th century it commonly followed the text
immediately. Certain classes of documents, such as decrees of
councils, notarial deeds, &c., began with the date. The usual formula
was _data, datum, actum, factum, scriptum_. In the Carolingian period
a distinction grew up between _datum_ and _actum_, the former applying
to the time, the latter to the place, of date. In the papal chancery
from an early period down to the 12th century the use of a double date
prevailed, the first following the text and being inserted by the
scribe when the deed was written (_scriptum_), the second being added
at the foot of the deed on its execution (_actum_), by the chancellor
or other high functionary. From the Roman custom of dating by the
consular year arose the medieval practice of dating by the regnal year
of emperor, king or pope. Special dates were sometimes employed, such
as the year of some great historical event, battle, siege, pestilence,
&c. 11. The APPRECIATION. The _feliciter_ of the Romans became the
medieval _feliciter in Domino_, or _In Dei nomine feliciter_, or the
more simple _Deo gratias_ or the still more simple _Amen_, for the
auspicious closing of a deed. In Merovingian and Carolingian diplomas
it follows the date; in other cases it closes the text. In the greater
papal bulls it appears in the form of a triple _Amen_. _Benevalete_
was also employed as the appreciation in early deeds; but in
Merovingian diplomas and in papal bulls this valedictory salutation
becomes a mark of authentication, as will be noticed below. 12. The
AUTHENTICATION was a solemn proceeding which was discharged by more
than one act. The most important was the subscription or subscriptions
of the person or persons from whom the deed emanated. The laws of the
late Roman empire required the subscriptions and the impressions of
the signet seals of the parties and of the witnesses to the deed. The
subscription (_subscriptio_) comprised the name, signature and
description of the person signing. The impression of the signet (not
the signature) was the _signum_, sometimes _signaculum_, rarely
_sigillum_. The practice of subscribing with the autograph signature
obtained in the early middle ages, as appears from early documents
such as those of Ravenna. But from the 7th century it began to
decline, and by the 12th century it had practically ceased. In Roman
deeds an illiterate person affixe