this hollowed interior are covered with wax, stream are evident on the margin and corners which has turned black from age. The plan of the tablets; and had it not been for their of the third middle tablet is similar, with the complete inhumation, these delicate memoriexception that it is hollowed on both sides, als of past time, these characters graven on and covered with wax on each. Of the this frail material, wax, probably had never tablets in question, the fir tablets are in the reached us. How many secrets yet untold best preservation. The wax in both trip- does earth keep closed up in her breast! tychs is not thickly spread, or rather is worn How many memorials of a by-gone time may away by time. At first on the beechen it she yet unfold! But let us proceed to the appears thin, and here and there loosened as writing itself. On the first glance over the the stylus* of the writer, doubtless iron, beechen tablets in the first wax, a person will penetrated with its sharp point heavier and easily recognize some Greek characters: deeper into the wood under the wax, and in these are succeeded by a longer series of some places the faint traces of writing occa- letters, which exhibit unusual forms. The sion no small difficulty to the decipherer. fir triptych, which is entirely filled with letIn the fir tablets, if after our fashion turned ters, syllables, words, all connected into an from the left, the upper wax of the middle obvious series, and sealed with sevenfold seal table is divided into two unequal parts by a of secrecy, could not be explained by the groove, which seems to have been designed best skilled in marbles, papyri, &c., at Pest, for the reception of styli, since it is deep Prague, Paris, &c., where Jankowich carried

and large enough for that purpose.

them, nor before he came to Munich had any person either understood the shape of the letters, which some affirmed to be Mæsogothic,

For the same object the other triptych shows on the margin of the middle tablet a grooved channel curved downwards, which nor disclosed their sense. They did not appears to have been used to hold the stylus, however escape the penetration of Herr with which the ancients were not only Massman, who, from the instant he saw them, accustomed to deepen their characters and formed the hope of achieving this "difficile alter them, but also when inverted to opus." From the brief stay, however, which

efface them. This channel in the

margin or front of the tablets is of this shape, by which structure care seems to have been taken that the

the possessor of the tablets made at Munich, he could not give so much consideration to the Greek inscriptions as he desired. Three or four hours formed the entire portion of

stylus should not escape from its sheath. In time he could devote to them before they addition to this, each of the three tablets is quitted his hands. But on these hereafter.

bored or pierced through to the surface of the opposite margin, so that from the hinder portion it might be held together in a book or tightened for the preservation of the writing, with a triple flaxen thread or metal tie. Thus much on the form.

For the present we shall proceed to the fir tablets, which our author pronounces to be Latin. At first the tablets appeared to him a confused mass; gradually the words developed themselves; first, Scriptum.. factum .. positus id quod; next Julium

..

Va

The discovery of the tablets took place in lerius; and after one day's labour, the whole the following manner: the beechen triptych protocol, in just, pure, and perfect Latin, was was found in 1807, in the Toroczkoiensian apparent to him. "We have then," says mines, which are distant from Abrudbanya, our author, "an instrument before us, perfect a village of Transsylvania, three or four in its commencement, dated, with the name miles: the fir in Abrudbanya, in the excava- of the emperor and the consul under whom tion of a gold mine not worked for some time it was executed, clearly made out. A docuprevious by reason of the large quantity of ment of Roman law, of the best form, of

sulphurous water with which it had filled. This was in 1790; and the condition of this latter gives internal evidence of the truth of tuis statement. Traces of the sulphurous

• The stylus (σύλος, γραφείων, γράφιον) used for the likewise of bone, ivory, and silver. Suetonius describes Cæsar as wounding Casca with an iron stylus. Cæs, cap. 82. The stylus for the brazen tablets is called γλύβιον, γλυφεῖον, cælum, celtes, scalprum. + " Stylum vertere." Cf. Hor. Sat. I. 18, X. 72; Ovid, IX. 520, &c.

classic value, dug up in Dacia." What may be said to increase the value of the discovery is, that the writing is double; the same words re-copied. It is in four tablets. Our author discovered the sense by reading it in the Hebrew fashion, from right to left. The order of words begins in the third tablet or fourth wax, and ends in the third wax, in one tenour, with no breaks, so that the ancient tabellarius seems to have opened his tablets at the last wax. Contrary to our practice, the second inscription does not begin on the first wax, but on the second table, and terminates on the first. Why two copies of the same sense the Roman emperors had fixed in the various occur in one and the same triptych, does not provinces and cities of their empire, as well appear; but it is assuredly fortunate for us, as in Rome, that parties might consult them since the lacunæ of one may be restored from and hand over to them their petitions, and inthe other. This circumstance has also ena- scribe for them donations, transactions, wills. bled our author to examine the form of the The significance of the word Statio remains letters more closely, and to draw some useful next to be determined. We first have this hints from the proper names, which contain used as a haven; 2dly, as a cattle receptacle; sometimes uncial or capital letters, at others 3dly, fixed points at the courses or games;

specimens of the more current or cursive hand or common writing. The inscription, as deciphered by our author, is as follows:

"$22.* Descriptum et recognitum factum ex libello qui propositus erat Alb. majori ad stationem Resculi. in quo scriptum erat id, quod i(nfra) s(criptum) est.

4thly, a gossiping place in the market or at a well for female servants; 5thly, a watching post for the soldier; 6thly, also to indicate those spots in which the publicans were situated, and from whence they got together the revenues; lastly, it is used for the home or office of the Tabellio and lawyer (juris

"Artemidorus Apollonii (filius), magister peritus). These, the Tabelliones especially, Collegii Jovis Cerneni, et Valerius Niconis (f.) seem to have held at Rome certain stations, et Offas Menofili, quaestores Collegii ejusdem- at which they were constantly present, to posito hoc libello publice testantur

ex Collegio s(upra) s(cripto), ubi erant hom(ines) LIIII, ex eis non plus rema(n)sisse [ad] Alb. quam quod homines) X(II?);

furnish information. Gellius has this passage, which we extract at length. "Cum ex angulis secretisque librorum ac magistrorum in medium hominum et in lucem fori prodissem, quæsitum esse memini in plerisque Romæ stationibus jus publice docentium aut respondentium, an quæstor populi Romani ad præ

Julium Julii (f.) quoque commagistrum suum ex die magisterii sui non accessisse ad Alburnum, neque in Collegio; seque eis qui praesentes fuerunt, rationem reddidisse; et si quid eorum (h)abuerat, reddidisset sive funeribus; torem in jus venire posset." -N. A. xiii. 13. et cautionem suam, in qua eis caverat, rece- Inscriptions furnish constantly "Statio marpisset; modoque autem neque funeraticiis sufficerent neque loculum (h)aberet, neque quisquam tam magno tempore diebus, quibus legi continetur, convenire voluerint aut conferre funeraticia sive munera;

seque idcirco per hunc libellum publice testantur, ut si quis defunctus fuerit, ne putet se Collegium (h)abere aut ab eis aliquem peti tionem funeris (h)abiturum.

Propositus Alb(.) majori. V. (ante) Idus Febr(uarias).

Imp. L AVR VER III et QVADRATO CS.

Actum Alb(.) majori."

Such being the inscription, our author proceeds to offer a few observations on the exor

dium and subscription of this libellus; next, on the era of its composition; thirdly, on the writing; lastly, on the subject-matter, which conduces eminently, in his opinion, to the elucidation of many points of geography, history, and mythology.

morum," "Statio hæreditarium," ""Statio vetustissima fabrûm navalium Pis." The Liber Marini has these words: "Ego Theodosius a. n. Tabell. urb. Rom. habens stationem in porticu(m) de Subora reg. quart. scriptor hujus chartulæ." These coincidences clearly establish the genuine character of the deeply interesting document before us, by showing the keeping of the terms of the exordium with classic usages, to which, in its turn, it will throw light. The following inscription adds to this argument; for three magistrates of a certain college, (it states), which appear to have contained fifty-four members, testify that there remained only ten or twelve out of that number, and that no one was wil

ling to meet or to confer, "funeraticia" or " munera" at the legal periods. In addition to this, the com-magister is also reported as absent from Alburnum. The period of the

The Libellus in question was evidently designed, as appears from the inscription, to in- writing is determined in the words "Propodicate matters at the station or office of one situs Alb. quinto die ante Idus Februarias," Resculus, who was evidently a Tabellarius, together with "Act(um) Alb(.) majori Imor rather Tabellio. These public scribest p(eratore) L AVR VER III et Quadrato

* The above inscription is given in our own Roman character for the use of those scholars who may wish to obtain the sense independent of the labour of getting up the cursive hand.

† Tabularius, Tabellarius, one who attended to public documents and preserved the archives. Ta

bellio. This officer had mainly functions relative to wills, or matters covenanted for in public docu

C(on)s(ule)." From these words we further draw the important conclusion that the involuntary worship due to the glory of the past republic was yet kept up, since we have here the emperor wielding the functions of the consul, and another consul named as his colleague. Justinian enjoined by edict, A. D. 537, that whatever matters were written by the Tabelliones for public purposes should be in the following form: "Imperante Divo | Aug., L. Aurelius Commodus, L. Ælius VeAugusto, Imperii anno (hoc vel illo)," and rus, L. Ælius Aurelius Verus, Aurelius Verus that the consuls of the year should be added Commodus, and L. Ælius Imp. Similar and the indiction. The style used on these changes appear in the style of his brother tablets and their commencement, prove them Marcus, though Marcus Aurelius Verus not to be of this low era. The indiction was appears his predominant appellation. Lu

the plan of Constantine. Numbering by a period of fifteen years, and marking the first indiction at 3 в. с., he proceeded to count his series. The last consul whose name was used (simply as a time mark) was Fl. Basilius, jun., after whose consulate in A. D. 541, counting down twenty-five years to A. D. 566, from this consulate we find that the Emperor Heraclius then abrogated the custom. The naming of the consul therefore gives to our tablets a superior antiquity to this period. The name Quadratus repeatedly occurs on consular inscriptions. Thus in A. D. 93, we have A. Julius Quadratus; the same a second time consul in 105, and again in 142; L.

cius appears to have followed this style of his brother, and whether alone or conjointly, is written Lucius Aurelius Verus.

This well-known style confirms, therefore, the integrity of our Libellus, which may even be traced up clearly to the year previous to the war with the Marcomanni. In the following year, L. Aurelius Verus, setting out on that war with Aurelius, died, A. D. 169, in the 42d year of his age, and in the 11th of his reign. So narrow an escape have our tablets made from utter destruction, that they were only written two years before his death. Nothing in wax equals their antiquity. Of tablets in this material we possess some, but or, according to Muratori and Gruter, (Um- relate to the progress of Philip the Fair in midius)-Quadratus, the son, probably, of the Flanders, and are preserved in the ducal above; and Ummidius Quadratus, probably museum at Florence. Others, connected the son of the last named Titus, and probably with the same journey, are extant in the Asinius Quadratus, the historian of the Par- monastery of St. Germain, which our readthian war, was a relative. And the above-ers may see in Montfaucon. Various others named T. Numidius Quadratus, of the year of still lower antiquity, are extant; none of our Lord 147, was the colleague in the passing the fifteenth century. In the early consulate of the Emperor L. Aurelius Verus, centuries St. Willibald is reputed to have then a third time consul, under whose third composed the life of St. Boniface on waxen consulate the Dacian war was ended. This tablets, which was afterwards transferred to fixes the wonderful antiquity of these waxen parchment; and Charlemagne, as Eginhard relics at the second century. They there- informs us, kept tablets constantly under his fore far exceed in antiquity any existing MS. bed-head, which passage we beg leave to in Greek, Latin, or Hebrew; and the conclu- point out to M. Jobard, as an additional proof sions that may be established from them, that this monarch could write, as we asserted however apparently uninteresting their offi- in F. Q. R. No. 53. His modern biographer, cial contents, are of course of the highest mo- Mr. James, perfectly accords with our view ment. The third consulate of Verus, and also, we perceive. Out of the whole series the first of Quadratus, his colleague, is also of years, from the fifteenth century to the shown in the Supplem. Donat. Murat. The second, no tablets but those before us exist. Greek Fasti Consul. exhibit Κοδράτον and They therefore furnish a most important consimply name the Emperor Λουκιον. The tinuation of the cursive form of Roman chafull name of this emperor is Lucius Cejonius racters. It is somewhat singular, unquesÆlius Aurelius Conmodus Verus Antoninus. tionably, that neither Herculaneum nor PomHis colleague in empire is named Marcus peii should as yet have developed tabular Ælius Antoninus Aurelius Verus, the well inscriptions, but the fact is so. It was left known philosopher commonly called Marcus to Transsylvania to develope what the ancient Aurelius. The greater part of the names cities of the Roman rule had failed to proabove written arose from the following cir- duce. The enthusiasm of our author may of cumstances. In A. D. 130 he added the name course be excused as the fortunate discoverer of Ælius to his previous Lucius Cejonius of the method of deciphering these ancient Commodus, from his adoption as sanctioned documents. We give his own description. by Adrian; Verus and Antoninus were added, from his adoption by Antoninus. Over the course of his life Verus appears to have repeatedly altered his style, as Lucius Aurelius Verus, the name on our tablets, L. Ælius Aurelius Commodus, L. Ælius Aurelius

Statius Quadratus in 167; Titus Numidius- of no higher antiquity than A. D. 1301. These

"Reddunt montium latebræ antiquorum hominum quasi manes resurgentes, reddunt luci libellos vetustate venerabiles vereque aureos, proque carbonibus, quos fortasse ille qui invenit e fodina quærebat parvulum lucrum se facturum sperans, inscius cruit thesaurum auro potiorem."

There can be little doubt that the contents | waxen pages: "Mihi isthoc nomini Dum of the tablets before us were transferred to scribo, explevi totas ceras quatuor." And to brass, and kept as durable memoranda. The what purposes were these waxen tablets " Tabulæ honestæ justæque missionis" to the applied? To friendly correspondence, as a Emeriti contain similar forms to those with diary, and for various other purposes. In the which these commence. To these "Tabulæ drawing of wills the waxen tablets were missionum" our author has furnished an im- greatly used, as requiring from their softness mense body of reference, p. 22. The initial no preparation. The page is numbered by form of our tablets-"Descriptum et recog- the wax, as the "first two waxes," or else nitum"-occurs in nearly all. The use of the "last wax."-Suet. Cæs. 83; Nero, 17. these terms may be gathered from the follow- And in wills similarly a person was called ing form, yet extant on the Smyrnæan mar-heir from the first, second, and so on. Double ble of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, in reply copies of these wills appear to have been conto Sextilius Acutianus, who had supplicated stantly made. Thus Cæsar informs us with that the sentence of Adrian in his favour respect to Ptolemy, king of Egypt: "Tabulas should be committed to the public archives: testamenti unas per legatos Romam allatas "Imp. Cæsar T. Ælius Adrianus Antoninus esse, ut in ærario ponerentur alteras, eodem Augustus Sextilio Acutiano sententiam Divi exemplo, relictas atque obsignatas Alexanpatris mei si quid pro sententia dixit, de- driæ prolatas esse." -Bell. Civil. 3, 108. In scribere tibi permitto." And the Tabellarius similar manner we learn from Suetonius that added "Rescripsi recogn(ovi)." The in- the will of Augustus was partly in his own scription concludes in these words: "Act. handwriting, partly in that of his liberti.VI. Idus April. Romæ Cæsar. Antonino II. Aug. 101. Ulpian informs us, that, as a et Præsente II. Cos. The form of the tablets legal instrument, the material of the tablets "honestæ missionis" was similar to those was not of any consequence, whether wood, before us. They were composed of two paper, parchment, or skin. In fact, under the sheets of brass. Each of these had on the term liber was included (and we beg leave to margin certain perforations, where a thread suggest to the learned editors of the only Dicpassed through the pierced brass, so that they tionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities in could be opened or closed like a book. Our our language worthy the name, now publishtablets have similar. The edict of Nero led ing by Messrs. Taylor and Walton, an addito this fashion, who decreed that they should tion to their article thus headed), on the be bored through and held together by flax authority of Ulpian, who informs us under passed through the orifices. Whether the this term were classed not only all volumes tablets of Jankowich had iron or brass fasten- of paper or parchment, but also of the tilia ings is now matter of doubt, as they fell away or linden, or of any other skin different from from the holes in which they were fastened parchment.-Fr. 52, D. xxxi. De legatis from rust. The recurrence of the inscription in III. Letters of manumission were writon the tablets does not appear easy to ex- ten on the bark of the tilia. A letter also of plain. But in the "Tabulæ honestæ mis- Pertinax, of the date of A. D. 193, is extant, sionis" two similar inscriptions occur; with copied from the tilia or marble, in these this difference, however, that the interior in- words. "Sententiam quam tulit L. Novius scription is written in the uncial character, Rufus Leg. Aug. Pr. C. V. C. inter compagaand occupies each page, the exterior in small- nos Rivilarenses et Vol. Faventinam descriper characters, being contained on a single tam et propositam pr. Non. Novemb. inluster page. This is the case in all the diptych vir J. S. Rufus Leg. CCCX. decretum ex tablets. The word "subscripta," in reference tilia recitavit." -Gruter, p. 209. We have to the names of those parties who received not yet enumerated the various materials for the "honesta missio," must not be taken ancient writing. Montfaucon gives us a rigorously as referring to a subscription at the specimen of a libellus with leaden leaves.end of the tablets.

Palæogr. Græc. p. 16, 180. Suetonius

Our author conjectures that the twofold (Nero, 20,) speaks of a similar libellus. Pauinscription of our tablets owes its origin to sanias, 9, 16, speaks of a copy of Hesiod on the circumstance that the magistrates, on the plates of lead, which he had seen in Helicon, removal of the seal from the tablets, could to which Böckh assigns a very high antiquity. compare the interior and exterior writing, Thin plates of brass and tin were also used and thereby prevent interpolation. But in for the liber. The laws of Solon were cut our tablets, which are triptychs, or composed on wood.

of three sheets, all the writing is contained on We shall now pass to the form of the chathe interior pages. Plautus (Curcul. 3, 40) racters on the tablets. The learned Lipsius, shows that the diptych was composed of four De Pronuntiatione Latina, and a crowd of

scholars after him, were of opinion that a this approximation M. R occurs on a coin current hand, distinct from the statuary hand, described in the Journal des Savans, 1684, if we may be allowed the expression, did in this form M. P, Q, and S, undergo very not exist among the Romans. The contrary theory, that a current hand did exist, is abun- singular mutations, which are also very redantly proved by these tablets, and that as markable on our tablets, from which we

early as the second century. Spangenberg ventured probably first on the conjecture of the possibility of a current writing simply for expedition. Pliny and Ælian both seem to treat of a minute character distinct from the larger; and there are certainly inscriptions extant, though of late date, where clear traces are observable of a variation from the capital characters into smaller and oblique forms. The MSS. of Ravenna, of the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries, confirm this. Boldetti and Buonarrotti both furnish examples, in V and L, of alterations of the uncial form, which exhibit the perpendicular line in this latter character as nearly horizontal, and the right angle formed by the perpendicular with the base as wholly altered, and an acute angle is contained by the two lines, thus L

The

extract the word quis, which is thus written 9415. An ancient fragment found at Rome, in the year 1700, and which may be referred, from the consular suffixes, to A. D. 308 or 309, contains characters of exactly similar current writing to the Libellus before us, and thereby establishes its own genuineness and that of our inscriptions. The characters are not uniquely joined as in our own, but some appear united to others, and again many stand isolated in position. The affinity to our own current hand in both is very remarkable in these letters

Prbde.

An inscription at Milan exhibits a similar conformity. Another on lead, given by Lanzi, Saggio di Lingua Etrusca, ii., tab. 16; iii., p. 656, confirms the same law, and is also remarkable from the circumstance that it must be read from G undergoes also a change, so as to approach left to right. From this we extract the word very closely to our common letter G Fis Dicata, which is thus written οτADIO also remarkably assimilated to our current An inscription on the statue of a Muse, at form F. M is still more remarkable for Florence, runs as follows, almost into our

own current hand.

Opus aicinaодленк

The A in this inscription varies considera-affinities here are very remarkable, and we bly from the more angular, such as XXX, recommend the careful observation of them

and assumes a round turn a; this character,

and the D, are evidently approximations to our current hand. The style of both these letters varies from our tablets, which represent the D, in the form of the A, described

aboved. An inscription of the time of Aurelius is next collated with the tablets; but before we proceed to the comparison we must first note, that the inscriptions delineat

ed by Leon Laborde, (Voyage de l'Arabie

to our readers for excellent praxis in the

hand. rAn inscription found in the codex of

a Harmony of the Four Gospels furnishes fresh means of collation of the character.

This MS. is curious, since it is dated five

years after the last Roman consul, Basilius, of whom we have spoken above. Our indefatigable author has not stopped here, but with the assistance of Thiersch has inspected

pateræ and potters' ware, and from these the

theory in question receives further corroboraPetrée, Paris, 1830), and our countryman, tion. Various Roman bricks confirm most Mr. Grey (Transactions of the Royal Socie

ty, London, Murray, 1832, i., p. 147), writ- amply our author's argument. These, of course, when they contain inscriptions, furten in unknown Greek and Roman character, nish the closest resemblance, since the clay are clearly of the current hand, and probably and the wax are analogous substances for the written during the time of Titus by the Roman soldiery while in Judea. The Greek stylus. This of course furnishes additional exhibits the angular form of the Latin A. proof. The inscription above alluded to in time of contains also curious a, and other affinities; and we feel happy specimens of the current hand, and from the in being enabled to point out the key to the large characters in which it is given, is easier decyphering of these inscriptions fully both collated with other inscriptions than our to our countryman and his distinguished tablets, which contain many of its forms, fellow-traveller over the same regions. We but from being given in their own small now refer to an inscription of the same pe- size, the characters are less determined. We riod nearly as our tablets, extracted from subjoin a table of the twenty-four Roman Marini (Act. Frat. Arval., i., 263.) The letters in their forms of current hand :