documents were accorded a startling antiquity.[1]The paleographist, perusing,[2] observe, however, that the
| WRITINGS IN | KNOWS THEY ARE | OF THE | |
| 1 | Hieroglyphics | Egyptian | IX. to XXI. dynasties: the best about 3000 B.C. |
| 2 | Cuneiform | Assyrian or Persian | 200 to 230 B.C. |
| 3 | Sanskrit | Ancient Indian | To about 300 B.C. |
| 4 | Uncials | Hebrew, Latin, Grecian | 1 to 800 A.D. |
| 5 | Cursive | The same, or Saxon | From 900 A.D. |
earliest uncial of precise date is found in the record of sale by Didymus and his wife to Miccalus of a date in the first century, now specified 3rd June, 88 A.D. (British Museum MSS., Case A, No. 6), the A.R. (7th) of Domition being given.
125. In regard to printing, it is important to bear in mind that in 593 A.D. the Chinese Emperor Wan-ti ordered a collection of the syllabic texts with the view to their being officially printed; but there was no great use of printing in China until the tenth century of the Christian era.
126. Printing in Europe was, however, much later; and the following table shows the Western progress of the art:—
At Mentz (Mayence) a printing press was set up in 1454
At„ Mentz (Mayence)Rome a printing press„ was set„ up in 1467
At„ Mentz (Mayence)Paris a printing press„ was set„ up in 1470
- ↑ A writing was once foisted upon the public as being of the tenth century. Externally it seemed to be valid, but the little pronoun ‘its’ occurred on the text, and modern paleography rightly held the document to be spurious, for this pronoun is a post—Restoration one.
- ↑ This list, compiled by myself, does not pretend to be exhaustive.
