of　the　Nile　or　with　fine　paste　made　of　wheat　flour；
  after　being　pressed　and　dried　they　were　made　smooth
  with　a　ruler　and　then　rubbed　over　with　a　glass　hemisphere。
  The　size　of　the　paper　seldom　exceeded　two
  feet。
  Papyrus　was　also　known　to　the　Hebrews。
  The　Prophet　Isaiah　（B。　C。　752）　refers　to　this　plant
  when　he　says：
  〃The　paper　reeds　by　the　brooks；　and　everything
  sown　by　the　brooks；　shall　wither；　be　driven　away
  and　be　no　more。〃
  Which　prediction　seems　to　have　been　long　ago　fulfilled
  as　the　plant　is　now　exceedingly　rare。
  The　manufacture　of　Egyptian　paper　from　papyrus
  it　is　said　was　quite　an　industry　in　the　ancient　city　of
  Memphis　more　than　six　hundred　years　before　the
  Christian　era。
  The　Mexicans　employed　for　writing　a　paper　which
  somewhat　resembled　the　Egyptian　papyrus。　It　was
  prepared　from　the　aloe；　called　by　the　natives　Maguey
  which　grows　wild　over　the　tablelands　of　Mexico。　It
  could　be　easily　colored　and　seemed　to　bind　to　ink
  very　closely。　It　could　be　rolled　up　in　scrolls　just　like
  the　more　ancient　rolls　of　papyrus。
  The　following　account　of　an　interesting　discovery
  of　a　fragment　of　one　of　the　〃Orations　of　Hyperides；〃
  by　Mr。　Harris；　the　well…known　Oriental　scholar；　is
  derived　from　the　London　Athenaeum：
  〃In　the　winter　of　1847　Mr。　Harris　was　sitting
  in　his　boat；　under　the　shade　of　the　well…known
  sycamore；　on　the　western　bank　of　the　Nile；　at
  Thebes；　ready　to　start　for　Nubia；　when　an　Arab
  brought　him　a　fragment　of　a　papyrus　roll；　which
  he　ventured　to　open　sufficiently　to　ascertain　that　it
  was　written　in　the　Greek　language；　and　which　he
  bought　before　proceeding　further　on　his　journey。
  Upon　his　return　to　Alexandria；　where　circumstances
  were　more　favorable　to　the　difficult　operation　of
  unrolling　a　fragile　papyrus；　he　discovered　that　be
  possessed　a　fragment　of　the　oration　of　Hyperides
  against　Demosthenes；　in　the　matter　of　Harpalus；
  and　also　a　very　small　fragment　of　another　oration；
  the　whole　written　in　extremely　legible　characters；
  and　of　a　form　or　fashion　which　those　learned　in
  Greek　MSS。　consider　to　be　of　the　time　of　the
  Ptolemies。　With　these　interesting　fragments　of　orations
  of　an　orator　so　celebrated　is　Hyperides；　of　whose
  works　nothing；　is　extant　but　a　few　quotations　in
  other　Greek　writers；　he　embarked　for　England。
  Upon　his　arrival　there　he　submitted　the　precious
  relics　to　the　inspection　of　the　Council　and　members
  of　the　Royal　Society　of　Literature；　who　were　unanimous
  in　their　judgment　as　to　the　importance　and
  genuineness　of　the　MSS。；　and　Mr。　Harris　immediately
  set　to　work；　and　with　his　own　hand　made　a
  lithographic　facsimile　of　each　piece。　Of　this　performance
  a　few　copies　were　printed　and　distributed
  among　the　savants　of　Europe；and　Mr。　Harris　returned
  to　Alexandria；　whence　he　has　made　more
  than　one　journey　to　Thebes　in　the　hope　of　discovering
  some　other　portion　of　the　volume；　of　which
  he　already　had　a　part。　In　the　same　year　（1847）
  another　English　gentleman；　Mr。　Joseph　Arden；　of
  London；　bought　at　Thebes　a　papyrus；　which　he
  likewise　brought　to　England。　Induced　by　the　success
  of　Mr。　Harris；　Mr。　Arden　submitted　his　roll
  to　the　skilful　and　experienced　hands　of　Mr。
  Hogarth；　and　upon　the　completion　of　the　operation
  of　unrolling；　the　MSS。　was　discovered　to　be　the
  terminating　portion　of　the　very　same　volume　of
  which　Mr。　Harris　had　bought　a　fragment　of　the
  former　part　in　the　very　same　year；　and　probably　of
  the　very　same　Arabs。　No　doubt　now　existed　that
  the　volume；　when　entire；　consisted　of　a　collection
  of；　or　a　selection　from；　the　orations　of　the　celebrated
  Athenian　orator；　Hyperides。
  〃The　portion　of　the　volume　which　has　fallen　into
  the　possession　of　Mr。　Arden　contains　'fifteen　continuous
  columns　of　the　〃Oration　for　Lycophron；〃
  to　which　work　three　of　Mr。　Harris's　fragments　appertained；
  and　likewise　the　〃Oration　for　Euxenippus；〃
  which　is　quite　complete　and　in　beautiful
  preservation。　Whether；　as　Mr。　Babington　observes
  in　his　preface　to　the　work；　any　more　scraps　of
  the　〃Oration　for　Lycophron〃　or　of　the　〃Oration
  against　Demosthenes〃　remain　to　be　discovered；
  either　in　Thebes　or　elsewhere；　may　be　doubtful；
  but　is　certainly　worth　the　inquiry　of　learned　travellers。'
  The　condition；　however；　of　the　fragments
  obtained　by　Mr。　Harris　but　too　significantly　indicate
  the　hopelessness　of　success。　The　scroll　had
  evidently　been　more　frequently　rolled　and　unrolled
  in　that　particular　part；　namely；　the　speech　of　Hyperides
  in　a　matter　of　such　peculiar　interest　as
  that　involving　the　honor　of　the　most　celebrated
  orator　of　antiquity；　it　had　been　more　read　and
  had　been　more　thumbed　by　ancient　fingers　than　any
  other　speech　in　the　whole　volume；　and　hence　the
  terrible　gap　between　Mr。　Harris's　and　Mr。　Arden's
  portions　Those　who　are　acquainted　with　the
  brittle；　friable　nature　of　a　roll　of　papyrus　in　the　dry
  climate　of　Thebes；　after　being　buried　two　thousand
  years　or　more　and　then　coming　first　into　the　hands
  of　a　ruthless　Arab；　who；　perhaps；　had　rudely
  snatched　it　out　of　the　sarcophagus　of　the　mummied
  scribe；　will　well　understand　how　dilapidations　occur。
  It　frequently　happens　that　a　single　roll；　or　possibly
  an　entire　box；　of　such　fragile　treasures　is
  found　in　the　tomb　of　some　ancient　philologist　or
  man　of　learning；　and　that　the　possession　is　immediately
  disputed　by　the　company　of　Arabs　who　may
  have　embarked　on　the　venture。　To　settle　the　dispute；
  when　there　is　not　a　scroll　for　each　member
  of　the　company；　an　equitable　division　is　made　by
  dividing　the　papyrus　and　distributing　the　portions。
  Thus；　in　this　volume　of　Hyperides；　it　seems　that
  it　has　fallen　into　two　pieces　at　the　place　where　it
  had　most　usually　been　opened；　and　where；　alas！　it
  would　have　been　most　desirable　to　have　kept　it
  whole；　and　that　the　smaller　fragments　have　been
  lost　amid　the　dust　and　rubbish　of　the　excavation；
  while　the　two　extremities　have　been　made　distinct
  properties；　which　have　been　sold；　as　we　have　seen；
  to　separate　collectors。　So；　at　all　events；　such
  matters　are　managed　at　Thebes。
  〃Mr。　Harris　mentions　fragments　of　the　'Iliad；'
  which　he　had　purchased　of　some　of　the　Arab　disturbers
  of　the　dead　in　the　sacred　cemeteries　of
  Middle　Egypt；　most　probably　Saccara。〃
  The　oldest　known　specimens　of　the　Greek　papyri
  and　which　were　found　in　Egypt；　have　a　range　of　one
  thousand　years；　that　is；　from　the　third　century　B。　C。
  to　the　seventh　century　A。　D。
  The　first　discovery　of　Greek　papyri　was　made　at
  Herculaneum　in　1752。　Papyrus；　however；　in　the
  most　ancient；　periods　was　not　the　only　pliable　material
  used　to　write　on　which　could　be　rolled　on　cylinders。
  Linen　or　cloth；　which　had　been　first　treated
  with　substances　which　filled　the　interstices　and
  characteristic　of　our　oil…cloth；　the　inner　bark　of　certain
  trees；　or　in　fact　any　material　which　would　receive　ink
  and　roll　around　a　cylinder　was　in　vogue。　This　form
  of　manuscript　was　later　termed　by　the　Romans　rolles；
  to　roll　round；　or　more　commonly　volvere；　to　roll　over。
  It　is　not　certain；　however；　that　this　character　of
  manuscript　immediately　superseded　the　tablet　form
  of　records　inscribed　on　wood　or　metal。　Noel　Humphreys
  is　one　of　several　to　suggest：
  〃The　reference　to　the　'pen　of　a　ready　writer；'
  mentioned　in　the　Psalms　of　David　（B。　C。　1086…
  1016）　could　scarcely　be　the　sharp　point；　or　stilus；
  by　means　of　which　characters　were　engraved　upon
  wood　or　metal；　but　rather　the　calamus　or　juncas；
  used　for　writing　with　a　dark　fluid　upon　bark　or
  linen。　The　word　volume　indeed　occurs　in　Psalms
  xxxix。；　and　these　volumina　or　volumes　must　have
  been　either　rolls　of　leaves；　or　bark；　or　Egyptian
  papyrus。〃
  Some　writers　like　Casley；　Purcelli；　Haygen；　Calmet；
  and　others；　who　also　more　or　less　discuss　this　subject；
  do　not　view　it　entirely　the　same。
  CHAPTER　XXIX。
  ANCIENT　INK　BACKGROUNDS　（PARCHMENT　AND　VELLUM）。
  THE　PERGAMUS　LIBRARY　COMPOSED　PRINCIPALLY　OF
  PARCHMENT　VOLUMESCAUSES　WHICH　CONTRIBUTED
  TO　THE　SUBSTITUTION　OF　PARCHMENT　FOR　PAPYRUS
  ANECDOTE　ABOUT　EUMENES　AND　PTOLEMY　PHILADELPHUS
  INVENTION　OF　METHOD　WHICH　MADE　SKINS
  AVAILABLE　FOR　FLUID　INK　WRITINGINTRODUCTION
  OF　DRESSED　SKINS　THE　FIRST　STEP　TOWARDS　THE
  MODERN　FORM　OF　BOOKSWHEN　PARCHMENT　AND
  VELLUM　SUPERSEDED　OTHER　SUBSTANCES　AS　A　GENERAL
  MATERIAL　FOR　WRITING　UPONMANUFACTURE
  OF　BARK　PAPER　PREVIOUS　TO　THE　INTRODUCTION　OF
  THE　LINEN　PAPER　OF　THE　EASTSOME　OBSERVATIONS
  ABOUT　CHINESE　PAPERALLUSIONS　OF　CLASSICAL
  WRITERS　TO　INSCRIPTIONS　ON　SKINS　AND　DISCOVERY
  OF　SPECIMENSEMPLOYMENT　OF　PARCHMENT　BY　THE
  HEBREWSOLD　SCRIPTURAL　MSS。　DISCOVERED　ON
  PARCHMENTNAMES　OF　THE　MOST　VALUABLE　NEW
  TESTAMENT　CODICESSTORY　OF　THE　DISCOVERY　OF
  THE　SINAITIC　CODEX　AS　TOLD　BY　MADANASSERTION
  OF　SIMONIDES　THAT　HE　FORGED　ITPAMLIMPSESTS
  THE　LINK　BETWEEN　CLASSICAL　TIMES　AND　THE　MIDDLE
  AGESOBSERVATIONS　ABOUT　THEM　AND　SOME　DISCOVERIES
  OF　THE　MORE　FAMOUS　ONESUSE　OF　PAPYRUS；