ing the sheets of their books remained the same among
the Greeks during a long course of time. The sheets were folded three or
four together, and separately stitched: these parcels were then
connected nearly in the same mode as is at present practised. Books were
covered with linen, silk, or leather.

The page was sometimes undivided; sometimes it contained two, and in a
few instances of very ancient MSS., three columns. A peculiarity which
attracts the eye in many Greek manuscripts, consists in the occurrence
of capitals on the margin, some way in advance of the line to which they
belong; and this capital sometimes happens to be the middle letter of a
word. For when a sentence finishes in the middle of a line, the initial
of the next is not distinguished, that honour being conferred upon the
incipient letter of the next line; thus--

THEGREEKSENTERING
THEREGIONOFTHEMA
CRONESFORMEDANAL
LIANCEWITHTHEM.AS
T HEPLEDGEOFTHEIR
FAITHTHEBARBARIANS
GAVEASPEAR.

The Greeks, especially in the earliest times, divided their compositions
into verses, or such short portions of sentences as we mark by a comma,
each verse occupying a line; and the number of these verses is often set
down at the beginning or end of a book. The numbers of the verses were
sometimes placed in the margin.

Much intricacy and difficulty attends the subject of ancient
punctuation; nor could any satisfactory account of the rules and
exceptions that have been gathered from existing MSS. be given, which
should subserve the intention of this work. Generally speaking, though
with frequent exceptions, the most ancient books have no separation of
words, or punctuation of any kind; others have a separation of words,
but no punctuation; in some, every word is separated from the following
one by a point. In manuscripts of later date are found a regular
punctuation, and marks of accentuation. These circumstances enter into
the estimate when the antiquity of a book is under inquiry; but the
rules to be observed in considering them cannot be otherwise than
recondite and intricate.

Few ancient books are altogether destitute of decorations; and many are
splendidly adorned with pictorial ornaments. These consist either of
flowery initials, grotesque cyphers, portraits, or even historical
compositions. Sometimes diagrams, explanatory of the subjects mentioned
by the author, are placed on the margin. Books written for the use of