An Extract of a Dissertation De Stylis Veterum, & Diversis Chartarum Generibus, [by the Hon. Sir John Clerk, One of the Barons of the Exchequer in Scotland, and F. R. S.] By Roger Gale, Esq; Vice-President and Treasurer R. S.

Kind may be of Use at Sea to take the Distance of the Moon's Limb from the Sun or a Star, in order to find the Ship's Longitude, when the Theory of that Planet is perfected, I leave to Trials to determine. The Society have the Satisfaction of knowing that Theory to be already brought to a good Degree of Certainty and Exactness, thro' the consummate Skill in Astronomy, and indefatigable Diligence in observing, of a very learned Member; and have great Reason to hope, that this useful and difficult Part of Astronomy will in a little time appear to be absolutely compleated by the continued Labour and Application of some of their own Body. II. An Extract of a Dissertation De Stylis Veterum, & diversis Chartarum generibus, [by the Hon. Sir John Clerk, one of the Barons of the Exchequer in Scotland, and F.R.S.] By Roger Gale, Esq; Vice-President and Treasurer R.S. THE learned and judicious Author takes occasion from some antique Brass Implements found near the Wall of Antoninus Pius, now named Graham's Dyke, in Scotland, to give us this curious Dissertation upon the Stylus, an Instrument used by the Ancients for Writing, with the Figures of some of them annex'd in a Copper Plate; two of which are represented in the Shape and Form of the Roman Fibula; but the Author is of Opinion they were designed for a different Purpose, for which he produces very cogent Reasons. He observes, that before the Use of Pens the Ancients performed their Writing with an Instrument call'd by them a Stylus or Graphium. The Matter of it was Gold, Silver, Brafs, Iron, or Bone; the Shape various, but alike in being pointed and sharp at one End, and flat and broad at the other End: The first for writing, or rather cutting their Letters, the latter for defacing or rubbing out whatever wanted Correction; for all which, as well as for every thing else asserted by him, he produces sufficient Proofs from proper Authors. He informs us, that the Styli made of Iron, were sometimes used as Daggers, and quotes two Passages out of Suetonius to prove it; one where Julius Caesar is said to have wounded Cassius in the Arm, Graphiio; the other, where he tells us it was customary with Caligula to get his Enemies murder'd, Graphiis, when they came into the Senate-House, and confirms these two Passages by a third, taken from Seneca's First Book De Clementia. He supposes the Stylus made of Bone was for the Use of Women and Children, as less dangerous than those of Metal; by a Quotation from Prudentius, it appears that Cassianus the Martyr was kill'd by his Scholars with Iron Styli. He agrees with Petavius, or his Editors, that the Implements, which gave Birth to this Dissertation, were Styli, and not Fibulae ad connectendas vestes, as Monfaucon and other Antiquaries have imagined, and thinks an Objection that the Tongues of the Styli must have been much longer than the Tongues of their supposed Fibulae, to be of little Weight; since there there must have been some of them longer, and some of them shorter, according to the different Fancies of the Writers. Military Men might sometimes write with the Point of their Daggers, and from this Practice the Words *Stylus* and *Pugio* came to be confounded; but Men of Business and private Persons cannot be supposed to have made use of Daggers for Writing. He observes also, which is no small Argument for his Side of the Question, that if Monfaucon had consulted the numerous Draughts he has published of the Habits belonging to the old Greeks and Romans, he would not have found one of these Implements, either as a Fastening or an Ornament upon them. He proceeds next to a Description of these *Styli* found in Scotland, and shews how they were accommodated to the Business he supposes them designed for; but as the Copper Plate prefix'd to his Dissertation will give us a much clearer Notion of that, I shall refer you to it, and only take notice that the fifth Figure in it is so entirely different from the others, that he himself is in some Doubt about it, and owns it might have served the Aruspices, in examining the Bowels of Animals, and have been one of those Instruments called *Exstispicia*. However, he thinks that if he should pronounce it to have been a *Stylus*, he should not be much out of the way, since the Ancients had their *Thecae Graphiariae*, which Name will agree very well with this Brass Case, and the Instrument found within it. From the *Stylus* used to form Letters comes that figurative Expression, that a Person writes such or such a sort of a *Style*, to denote his manner, as a lofty Style, or a low Style; which way of Speaking our own and other modern Nations have introduced into their Language. As to the several Sorts of Charta used for writing, he observes the most ancient were made of Barks of Trees, or Skins, or were such as are called Pugillares. The oldest were of the inner Bark of Trees called Liber in Latin, whence a Book had the Name of Liber; but very little of this Sort is now in Being, except the Egyptian Paper may be accounted one Species of it. The Papyrus was called Βιβλος or Βιβλιον by the Greeks, and thence their Books Βιβλοι or Βιβλια. This Sort of Charta was made of a Plant that had many pellicious Tunicles, as Pliny informs us, which were separated from one another by a Needle, and then glued again together, to give them a Strength and Firmness sufficient to retain what might be wrote upon them. Alexandria was the Place most eminent for this Manufacture. There are some Fragments of this Sort still extant in Libraries, particularly the famous Manuscript of St. Mark's Gospel at Venice. The Chartae Membranaceae are made of the Skins of Animals, dressed either like our Glove-Leather, or modern Parchment. The first Sort was commonly used by the Jews for writing the Law of Moses upon it, and from the rowling up of these Skins comes the Word Volumen. But the Skins which Varro and Pliny say were first made by Eumenes King of Pergamus were in more common Use: However, Eumenes, who is related by these Authors to have made them in Opposition to Ptolomy King of Egypt, that had forbid the Exportation of the Papyrus from his Dominions, minions, does not seem to be the Inventor of the Chartæ Membranaceæ, since Herodotus, who lived long before his Time, informs us, that the Ionians and other Nations were used to write upon Goat and Sheep-Skins. Josephus also tell us, that the Jews sent their Laws written upon Skins in Letters of Gold to Ptolomy; by which it seems as if the writing upon Skins was no new thing at that Time among the Jews. The Use of the Pugillares was also very ancient, being mentioned by Homer, and among the Latins by Plautus. They were made of all Sorts of Wood, Ivory, and Skins covered over with Wax. They were likewise of several Colours, as red, yellow, green, saffron, white, and others. Being waxed over, anything was easily wrote upon them by the Point of the Stylus, and as easily rubb’d out, and alter’d by the flat Part of it. Sometimes these Pugillares were made of Gold, Silver, Brads, or Lead, and then there was a Necessity of an Iron Stylus to write or cut the Letters upon them, which explains that Passage in the 19th Chapter of Job, Quis mihi det ut exarentur in libro, Stylo ferreo & plumbi lamina, vel celte sculpantur in Silice. They consisted sometimes of two, three, five, or more Pages, and thence were called Duplices, Triplices, Quintuplices, and Multiplices; and by the Greeks, Διπτυχα, Τετραπληγα, &c. The Diptychs and Triptychs that were covered with Wax, served only for common Occurrences, the other Sorts received every thing else that was wrote upon Chartæ or Membranae, and were sometimes called called by the Greeks *Palimpsestæ*, from the rubbing out of the Letters upon them. The *Chartæ Lintæ*, and *Bombycinæ*, which were made of Linnen or Cotton, were of a much later Date; and from these we learned to make the Paper now in Use of Linnen Rags, an Invention probably of about 600 Years standing. Writing was practised upon all these *Chartæ* with a Reed, and afterwards with a Pen, except upon the *Pugillares*. These Reeds grew upon the Banks of the Nile; the Greeks also used Reeds imported from Persia for the same Purpose. *Calami argentei* are also mentioned for Writing. Their Letters were formed with Liquors of various Colours, but chiefly black, thence called *Atramentum*, and in Greek μέλανος or μελάνιον. It was sometimes made of the Blood of the Cuttle Fish, sometimes of Soot. *Apelles* composed a Black of burnt Ivory, which was called *Elephantinum*. They had Ink also from India of an approved Composition, as *Pliny* says. The Titles of their Chapters and Sections were wrote in Red, or Purple: Hence the Titles of the Roman Laws are called *Rubricæ*. Their *Purpura* was an exceeding bright Red, or Crimson, much in Vogue with the Byzantine Writers, and called Κυρδαλλαῖος, which was a Liquor made of the *Murex* boiled, and its Shell very finely powdered; or as *Pliny* relates, of the Blood of that Fish. Almost all the ancient Emperors wore this Colour, their Names were painted in it upon their Banners, and they frequently wrote with it, and wore it. This Colour was often the Distinction of a Roman Magistrate, strate, and to put on the Purple was the same thing as to assume the Government. This Colour was so admired by the Poets, that they called every thing which was very bright and fine, Purple; as Horace complements the Swan, which is never of any Colour but white, with *Purpureis ales oloribus.* We find even Snow honoured with the same Epithet, whence some have imagined that *purpureus* signify'd white. The Children of the Emperors, and such as had a Prospect of rising to the Throne, and their Guardians, sometimes wrote with Green; Gold also was employed for the like Purpose. They that desire to see more upon this Subject may have Recourse to Mabillon *De Re Diplomatica*, and Monfaucon in his *Palæographia Graeca*. --- III. Some Experiments concerning the poisonous Quality of the Simple Water distilled from the Lauro-Cerasus, or common Laurel, made upon Dogs, at Toppingo-Hall in Essex, August the 24th 1731. and others made before the Royal Society in their Repository. By Cromwell Mortimer, M.D. R.S. Secret. I Took a Peck of Laurel Leaves, and put them into an Alembick with three Gallons of Water, which