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CHAPTER II.

Writing-Printing.

SECTION I.

Authors who have written on the materials used for writing.

BREITKOPF.-Versuch den ursprung der spiel Karten, die ein fuhrung des leinen papers, et den anfang der Holtzschneide Kunst in Europe, &c. i. e. An Essay on the origin of Playing Cards, Linen Paper, and the rise of carving on Wood in Europe, by John Gotlieb Immanuel Breitkopf. Vol. I. 4to, 1784, Leipsic. With seven plates,

Mr. Breitkopf was an eminent printer, type-founder, and bookseller of Leipsic, to whom the typographic art is indebted for some valuable improvements. In the volume just mentioned he treats only on the origin of playing cards and of linen paper. The latter part of the work which treats on the invention of engraving on wood was finished before his death, but has not yet been published.

GUILANDINI (MELCH.) Papyrus, seu Commentarius in tria C. Plinii Majoris de papyro capita, recensente et summariis atque indicc augente Henrico Salmuth. Amberg, 1613, 8vo.

The first edition of this work was printed at Venice in 1572, 4to. Scaliger published some Animadversiones in Guilandini Commentarium in the Lyons edition of Pliny, 1582, folio. KIRCHMAYERI (SEBASTIANI) Dissertatio de Papyro Veterum. Vittebergæ, 1666, 4to.

This work, Peignot remarks, is a tasteless and immethodical extract from Guilandinus.

KOOPS.-Historical account of the Substances which have been used to describe events and to convey ideas, from the earliest date to the invention of paper. By Mathias Koops. 8vo. London, 1801.

Mr. Koops was patentee of a process for refabricating paper, as well as for making it of straw: since the remarks contained in the first chapter of this work were written, the author has met with a copy of Mr. Koops's book, printed on straw paper. It is in the library of the London Institution. A second edition is now in our possession: it was printed in 1801 on paper re-made from old printed and written paper; and the Appendix to the same edition is stated to be printed on paper made from wood alone, the produce of this coun try, without any intermixture of rags, or any other vegetable substance."

MEERMANNI (GERARDI) Admonitio de chartæ nosratis, seu lineæ, origine. Rotterdam, 1762, 8vo. et doctorum virorum ad eum Epistolæ, atque observationes de chartæ vulgaris seu lineæ origine, edidit ac præfatione instruxit Jac. van Vaassen. Hage Comitum, 1767, 8vo.

SCHAEFFER (J. CHRIST.) Neue Versuch und Muster, etc. i. e. New invention and specimens for making paper from every kind of stuff and the bark of trees. 4to. 3 parts, Regensburg, 1765-71, with coloured plates. With this most curious German work I am acquainted only from the notice given of it by MM. Brunet (tom. ii. p. 453.) and Delandine. (Manuscrits de la Bibliothèque du Lyon, tom. i. p. 47.) From the latter I learn that M. Schaeffer has given various processes for making paper without rags, together with specimens of various vegetable papers. Among these

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are samples made from the cotton flowers of the poplar tree, wasps' nests, wood-shavings, moss, beech, willow, aspen tree, mulberry tree, clematis, and pine tree; from hemp and hopstalks, the barks of the vine, the leaves of aloes and the lily of the valley; from orach, mugwort, the typha or reed-mace, barley straw, cabbage stalks, the stems of thistles, burdock, confervas, maize, and broom, and from Bavarian turf.A few particulars relative to Dr. Schaeffer's processes are communicated in the third volume of Dr. Willich's " Domestic Encyclopædia," p. 334-337.

UNGER (Jos. GOD.) Dissertatio de Papyro frutice, ad Esaiæ xix. 7. Lipsiæ, 1737, 4to.

WEHRS.-Von Papier, &c. i. e. On Paper, and Substances which, before its invention, served for the purposes of writing. By G. F. Wehrs. Part I. Hanover, 1788, 8vo.

"Mr. Wehr thinks it certain that paper was made of linen in

1308. This is a curious work, and contains much interesting information relative to an article now become so important in society." (Analyt. Rev. vol. ii. p. 99.)

The materials in use for preserving ideas before the invention of paper, are noticed incidentally by various authors who have treated on writing, as Mr. Astle (on Writing, chap. viii.) Mr. Bruce (on the Papyrus, Travels, vol. vii. p. 117-131); Father Calmet, (Dissertation sur la matière et forme des livres anciens, in his Commentary, tom. i. pp. xl-xlvi. folio edit.) Count Caylus (on the Papyrus, in Mem. de l'Acad. des Inscript. tom. xxvi. p. 267, et seq.); Montfaucon (Dissertation sur la plante appellée papyrus, sur le papier de l'Egypte, sur le papier de coton, &c. Mem. de l'Acad. des Inscr. tom. vi. p. 592, et seq., and in his Palæographia Græca); Salmasius, in his Exercitationes Pliniana; De Vaines (Dict. de Diplomatique, tom. i. art. Ecriture,) Mabillon and Maffei in their treatises on the Diplomatic Art, &c. &c. &c.

SECTION II

Works on the Origin of Language, Letters, and Writing.

$1. Origin of Language.

ADELUNG. -Mithridates, oder Allgemeine Sprachenkunde; i. e. Mithridates, or a general History of Languages; with the Lord's Prayer as a specimen, in nearly five hundred Languages and Dialects. By J. C. Adelung, Aulic Counsellor and Professor at Dresden.

8vo.

vol. I. Berlin, 1806. vol. II. (continued by Professor Vater) 1809; vol. III. Part I. 1812.

On this elaborate work the reader will find an able critique in the Quarterly Review, No. xix. p. 251-292.

- BEATTIE.-The Theory of Language, in two Parts. By James Beattie, LL.D. F.R.S. and Professor of Moral Philosophy and Logic at Aberdeen. 8vo, London, 1788. The first edition of this treatise appeared in 1783, in a 4to volume of Essays. Dr. B. considers both language and the art of writing to have been divinely communicated to mankind.

BERGIER.-Les Elémens primitifs des Langues, découverts par les comparaisons des Racines de l'Hebreu avec celles du Grec, du Latin et du Français, par N. S. Bergier. 12mo, Paris, 1764.

For an account of this learned work, see Monthly Review, (O. S.) vol. xxx. pp. 504-514. The Paris edition of 1801 is not held in equal esteem with that of 1764.

BIBLIANDRI (THEOD.) De Ratione Communi omnium linguarum et litterarum Commentarius. 4to, Tiguri,

1548.

BREREWOOD. Enquiries touching the Diversity of

Languages and Religion, through the chief parts of the world. By Edward Brerewood. 4to, London, 1614. Again in 1622. (A copy of this edition is in the library of the London Institution.) A Latin translation of this learned work was published at Frankfort in 1659, 12mo: and a French version, by M. de la Montagne, appeared at Paris in 1640, 8vo. All these editions are now rare.

COPINEAU.-Essai synthétique sur l'origine et la formation des Langues. Par M. Copineau. 8vo, Paris, 1774.

DE BROSSES.-Traité de la Formation méchanique des Langues, et des principes physiques de l'Etymologie, par Charles De Brosses. Paris, 1765, 2 tom. 12mo.

This work of the President de Brosses is highly esteemed: the reprint of it, made a few years since, is in less request than the original edition.

DENINA.-La Clef des Langues: ou observations sur l'origine, et la formation des principales langues qu'on parle et qu'on ecrit en Europe, par Carlo Denina. Berlin, 1805, 9 vols. 8vo.

DURET.-Le Thrésor de l'Histoire des Langues de cet univers, par Claude Duret. Cologne, 1613, or Yverdon, 1619, both in 4to.

These two dates belong to the same edition, the title-page only being altered. Duret professes to treat, inter alia, of the languages of animals and of angels. Notwithstanding this absurdity, his work is valuable, and has furnished Dr. Fry with several specimens for his Pantographia, noticed infra, p. 455.

GEBELIN.-Le Monde Primitif, analysé et comparé avec le monde moderne. 4to, Paris, 1778-1782. 9 vols. with plates.

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