royal　palace；　the　library　was　founded　in　the　same
  place；　and　it　soon　drew　vast　numbers　thither；　but
  when　it　was　so　much　augmented；　as　to　contain　four
  hundred　thousand　volumes；　they　began　to　deposit
  the　additional　books　in　the　Serapion。　This　last
  library　was　a　supplement　to　the　former；　for　which
  reason　it　received　the　appellation　of　its　Daughter；
  and　in　process　of　time　had　in　it　three　hundred　thousand
  volumes。
  〃In　Caesar's　war　with　the　inhabitants　of　Alexandria；
  a　fire；　occasioned　by　those　hostilities；　consumed
  the　library　of　Bruchion；　with　its　four　hundred
  thousand　volumes。　Seneca　seems　to　me　to　be
  out　of　humour；　when；　speaking　of　the　conflagration；
  he　bestows　his　censures　both　on　the　library　itself；
  and　the　eulogium　made　on　it　by　Livy；　who　styles
  it　an　illustrious　monument　of　the　opulence　of　the
  Egyptian　kings；　and　of　their　judicious　attention　to
  the　improvement　of　the　sciences。　Seneca；　instead
  of　allowing　it　to　be　such；　would　have　it　considered
  only　as　a　work　resulting　from　the　pride　and　vanity
  of　those　monarchs；　who　had　amassed　such　a　number
  of　books；　not　for　their　own　use；　but　merely　for
  pomp　and　ostentation。　This　reflection；　however；
  seems　to　discover　very　little　sagacity；　for　is　it　not
  evident　beyond　contradiction；　that　none　but　kings
  are　capable　of　founding　these　magnificent　libraries；
  which　become　a　necessary　treasure　to　the　learned；
  and　do　infinite　honour　to　those　states　in　which　they
  are　established？
  〃The　library　of　Serapion；　did　not　sustain　any
  damage；　and　it　was　undoubtedly　there　that　Cleopatra
  deposited　those　two　hundred　thousand　volumes
  from　that　of　Pergamus；　which　was　presented
  to　her　by　Antony。　This　addition；　with　other　enlargements
  that　were　made　from　time　to　time；　rendered
  the　new　library　of　Alexandria　more　numerous
  and　considerable　than　the　first；　and　though　it
  was　ransacked　more　than　once；　during　the　troubles
  and　revolutions　which　happened　in　the　Roman　empire；
  it　always　retrieved　its　losses；　and　recovered
  its　number　of　volumes。　In　this　condition　it　subsisted
  for　many　ages；　displaying　its　treasures　to　the
  learned　and　curious；　till　the　seventh　century；　when
  it　suffered　the　same　fate　with　its　parent；　and　was
  burnt　by　the　Saracens；　when　they　took　that　city　in
  the　year　of　our　Lord　642。　The　manner　by　which
  this　misfortune　happened　is　too　singular　to　be　passed
  over　in　silence。
  〃John；　surnamed　the　Grammarian；　a　famous
  follower　of　Aristotle；　happened　to　be　at　Alexandria；
  when　the　city　was　taken；　and　as　he　was　much　esteemed
  by　Amri　Ebnol　As；　the　general　of　the　Saracen
  troops；　he　entreated　that　commander　to　bestow
  upon　him　the　Alexandrian　library。　Amri　replied；
  that　it　was　not　in　his　power　to　grant　such　a　request；
  but　that　he　would　write　to　the　Khalif；　or　emperor
  of　the　Saracens；　for　his　orders　on　that　head；　without
  which　he　could　not　presume　to　dispose　of　the
  library。　He　accordingly　wrote　to　Omar；　the　then
  Khalif；　whose　answer　was；　that　if　those　books　contained
  the　same　doctrine　with　the　Koran；　they　could
  not　be　of　any　use；　because　the　Koran　was　sufficient
  in　itself；　and　comprehended　all　necessary　truths；
  but　if　they　contained　any　particulars　contrary　to
  that　book；　they　ought　to　be　destroyed。　In　consequence
  to　this　answer；　they　were　all　condemned　to
  the　flames；　without　any　further　examination；　and；
  for　that　purpose；　were　distributed　among　the　public
  baths；　where；　for　the　space　of　six　months；　they
  were　used　for　fuel　instead　of　wood。　We　may　from
  hence　form　a　just　idea　of　the　prodigious　number　of
  books　contained　in　that　library；　and　thus　was　this
  inestimable　treasure　of　learning　destroyed！
  The　Museum　of　Bruchion　was　not　burnt　with
  the　library　which　was　attached　to　it。　Strabo　acquaints
  us；　in　his　description　of　it；　that　it　was　a
  very　large　structure　near　the　palace；　and　fronting
  the　port；　and　that　it　was　surrounded　with　a　portico；
  in　which　the　philosophers　walked。　He　adds；　that
  the　members　of　this　society　were　governed　by　a
  president；　whose　station　was　so　honourable　and　important；
  that；　in　the　time　of　the　Ptolemies；　he　was
  always　chosen　by　the　king　himself；　and　afterwards
  by　the　Roman　emperor；　and　that　they　had　a　hall
  where　the　whole　society　ate　together　at　the　expense
  of　the　public；　by　whom　they　were　supported　in　a
  very　plentiful　manner。〃
  Among　the　other　events　contributing　to　the　deplorable
  losses　which　mankind　has　sustained　in　this　respect；
  a　sad　one　was　when　the　most　ancient　ink　writings　of　the
  Chinese　were　ordered　to　be　destroyed　by　their　emperor
  Chee…Whange…Tee；　in　the　third　century　before
  Christ；　with　the　avowed　purpose　that　everything
  should　begin　anew　as　from　his　reign。　The　small　portion
  of　them　which　escaped　destruction　were　recovered
  and　preserved　by　his　successors。
  CHAPTER　III。
  CLASSICAL　INK　AND　ITS　EXODUS。
  THE　MATERIALS　AND　METHODS　EMPLOYED　IN　PREPARING
  THE　INK　MSS。　OF　ANTIQUITYTHE　INTRODUCTION
  OF　PARCHMENT　AS　A　SUBSTITUTE　FOR
  PAPYRUSMODE　OF　WRITING　ON　PARCHMENTHOW
  SEPARATE　PIECES　WERE　FIRST　JOINED　INTO　BOOK
  FORMEVIDENCE　OF　THE　CHARACTER　OF　WRITING
  UTENSILS　TO　BE　FOUND　IN　ANCIENT　PICTURESSOME
  FORMULAS　BY　THE　YOUNGER　PLINY　AND　HIS　CONTEMPORARY
  DIOSCORIDESHOW　THE　GREEKS　AND
  ROMANS　KEPT　THEIR　PAPYRI　FROM　BREAKINGWHEN
  BLACK　INK　BEGAN　TO　FALL　INTO　DISUSE　AND　ITS
  CAUSETHE　ADOPTION　OF　THE　STYLUS　AND　ITS　ACCOMPANYING
  SHEETS　OF　LEAD；　IVORY；　METAL　AND
  WOOD　COATED　WITH　WAXTHE　EFFORTS　MADE　TO
  RESUME　THE　USE　OF　SOME　INK　WHICH　WOULD　BIND
  TO　PARCHMENTWHY　THERE　ARE　NO　ORIGINAL　MSS。
  EXTANT　BELONGING　TO　THE　TIME　OF　CHRISTTHE
  INVENTION　OF　THE　VITRIOLIC　INKSHUMPHREY'S
  BLUNDER　IN　LOCATING　DATES　OF　EARLY　GREEK
  MSS。THE　DESTRUCTION　OF　THE　CITIES　OF　HERCULANEUM
  AND　POMPEIIAWAKENING　OF　INTEREST
  AGAIN　ABOUT　THE　EMPLOYMENT　OF　INKSREDISCOVERIES
  OF　SOME　OF　THE　MORE　REMOTE　ANCIENT
  RECIPESTHE　WRITERS　IN　GOLD　AND　SILVERRECORDED
  INSTANCES　OF　ILLUMINATED　MSS。PASSAGE
  FROM　THE　BOOK　OF　JOB　WRITTEN　BY　ST。
  JEROMEDENIAL　OF　THE　EMPLOYMENT　OF　TANNO…
  GALLATE　OF　IRON　INK　IN　THE　FOURTH　CENTURY
  DESTRUCTION　OF　THE　INSPIRED　WRITINGS　BY　ORDER
  OF　THE　ROMAN　SENATETHE　ECLIPSE　OF　CLASSICAL
  LITERATURE　AND　DISMEMBERMENT　OF　THE
  ROMAN　EMPIREPOEM　ON　THE　THOUSAND　YEARS
  KNOWN　AS　THE　DARK　AGES　WHICH　FOLLOWED。
  THEOPHRASTUS　says　that　the　papyrus　books　of　the　ancients
  were　no　other　than　rolls　prepared　in　the　following
  manner：　Two　leaves　of　the　rush　were　plastered　together；
  usually　with　the　mud　of　the　Nile；　in　such　a
  fashion　that　the　fibres　of　one　leaf　should　cross　the　fibres
  of　the　other　at　right　angles；　the　ends　of　each　being
  then　cut　off；　a　square　leaf　was　obtained；　equally　capable
  of　resisting　fracture　when　pulled　or　taken　hold　of
  in　any　direction。　In　this　form　the　papyri　were　exported
  in　great　quantities。　In　order　to　form　these
  single　leaves　into　the　〃scapi；〃　or　rolls　of　the　ancients；
  about　twenty　were　glued　together　end　to　end。　The
  writing　was　then　executed　in　parallel　columns　a　few
  inches　wide；　running　transversely　to　the　length　of　the
  scroll。　To　each　end　of　the　scrolls　were　attached　round
  staves　similar　to　those　we　use　for　maps。　To　these
  staves；　strings；　known　as　〃umbilici；〃　were　attached；
  to　the　ends　of　which　bullae　or　weights　were　fixed。
  The　books　when　rolled　up；　were　bound　up　with　these
  umbilici；　and　were　generally　kept　in　cylindrical　boxes
  or　capsae；　a　term　from　which　the　Mediaeval　〃capsula；〃
  or　book…cover　was　derived。　〃The　mode　in　which　the
  students　held　the　rolls　in　order　to　read　from　them　is
  well　shown　in　a　painting　in　the　house　of　a　surgeon　at
  Pompeii。　One　of　the　staves；　with　the　papyrus　rolled
  round　it；　was　held　in　each　hand；　at　a　distance　apart
  equal　to　the　width　of　one　or　more　of　the　transverse
  columns　of　writing。　As　soon　as　the　eye　was　carried
  down　to　the　bottom　of　a　column；　one　hand　rolled　up
  and　the　other　unrolled　sufficient　of　the　papyrus　to
  bring　a　fresh　column　opposite　to　the　reader's　eye；　and
  so　on　until　the　whole　was　wound　round　one　of　the
  staves；　when；　of　course；　the　student　had　arrived　at　the
  end　of　his　book。〃
  Eumenes；　king　of　Pergamus；　being　unable　to　procure
  the　Egyptian　papyrus；　through　the　jealousy　of
  one　of　the　Ptolemies；　who　occupied　himself　in　forming
  a　rival　library　to　the　one　which　subsequently
  became　so　celebrated　at　Pergamus；　introduced　the
  use　of　Parchment　properly　〃dressed〃　for　taking
  ink　and　pigments　and　hence　the　derivation　of　the
  word　〃pergamena〃　as　applied　to　parchment　or　vellum；
  the　former　substance　being　the　prepared　skin
  of　sheep；　and　the　latter　of　calves。
  The　sheets　of　parchment　were　joined　end　to　end；　as
  the　sheets　of　papyrus　had　been；　and　when　written
  upon；　on　one　side　only；　and　in　narrow　columns　across
  the　breadth　of　the　scroll；　were　rolled　up　around　staves
  and　bound　with　strings；　to　which　seals　of　wax　were
  occasionally　attached；　in　place　of　the　more　common
  leaden　bullae。
  The　custom　of　dividing　wax；　ivory；　wood　and　metal
  MSS。　into　pag