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ANCIENT BOOKS AND WRITING MATERIALS.

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The ancient Britons used to cut their alphabet with a knife upon a stick, which, thus inscribed, was called Coelbren y Beirdd, "the billet of signs of the bards," or the Bardic alphabet. And not only were the alphabets such, but compositions and memorials were registered in the same manner. These sticks were commonly

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squared, but sometimes were three-sided, and, consequently, a single stick would contain either three or four lines. The squares were used for general subjects, and for stanzas of four lines in poetry; the trilateral ones being adapted to triads, and for a peculiar kind of ancient metre called Triban, or triplet, and EnglynMilwyr, or the warrior's verse. Several sticks with writing upon them were united together in a kind of frame, as represented in the above engraving. This was called Peithynen, or Elucidator, and was so constructed that each stick might be turned for the facility of reading, the end of each running out alternately on both sides. A continuation, or different application of the same practice, is offered by the Runic clog (a corruption of log) almanacs, the use of which has been preserved to a comparatively recent period, being described by Dr. Plot, in his "History of Staffordshire" (1686), as still in common use in that county; some, of large size, being usually hung up at one side of the mantletree of the chimney, while others were smaller and carried in the pocket. Our engraving is copied from a representation of one of the family clogs, given in his work. Properly, the almanac was a single four-sided stick, inscribed on each side; but, for the convenience of representation, it is shown "in plano, each angle of the square stick, with the moiety of each of the flat sides, being expressed apart." The edges have notches, answering to the days of the year; the Sundays being distinguished by a larger notch. Connected with these, on one of the flat sides, are crosses, the form and size of which are varied, for the sake of distinction or to mark the rank which the saint of that day was supposed to occupy: the dots are considered to denote the number of paternosters, aves, &c., appropriate to the day. The opposite side of the notched edge is occupied by arbitrary or significant signs to denote the

greater festivals, or other commemorative occasions as a star for the Epiphany, a branch for May-day, a sword for St. John, keys for St. Peter, and so forth. They were, in short, calendars containing similar indications to those prefixed to the books of Common Prayer. Dr. Clarke met with several of such Runic stavecalendars in Sweden, rather as curious antiquities than as things in actual use; although the inhabitants were well acquainted with them, and were often able to explain the meaning of the characters upon them, and the purpose for which these instruments were used. "They were all of wood, about three feet and a half long, shaped like the straight swords represented in churches upon the brazen sepulchral plates of our Saxon ancestors. The blades were on each side engraved with Runic characters and signs like hieroglyphics extended their whole length. . . . We saw one more of elaborate workmanship, where the Runic characters had been very elegantly engraved upon a stick, like a physician's cane; but this last seemed to be of a more modern date. In every instance it was evident, from some of the marks upon them, that the first owners had been Christians: the different lines and characters denoting the fasts and festivals, golden numbers, dominical letter, epact, &c. But the custom of thus preserving written records upon rods or sticks is of the highest antiquity. There is an allusion to the custom in Ezek. xxxvii. 16-20, where mention is made of something very similar to the Runic staff." The difference between these and the one represented in our cut, seems to be no more than in the variation of arbitrary signs and characters to denote the same objects.

"GOING UP TO JERUSALEM."-Jerusalem itself is on high ground, the roads to it ascending a good deal from every direction. Hence, the phrase, going up to Jerusalem, was applicable to journeys from all parts of the country. The gray walls and the low stone houses, surmounted by domes of the same material, give to the whole a sombre appearance at first; but after a few days, the traveller visiting the deeply interesting localities in the neighborhood, "begins to grasp them together, in their interesting relations to each other, and to the Holy City, and at length feels with much satisfaction that he is indeed in Jerusalem-treading again the same soil which was trodden ages ago, by prophets and apostles, and by the LORD of glory himself, when veiled in humanity."

"DOWN TO JERICHO."-The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is a constant descent, so that one may well be said to " go down" to Jericho. The modern village consists of thirty or forty huts of the most miserable description. The plain of the Jordan in which it stands, stretches many miles to the north, from the Dead sea its southern boundary, and is "well watered everywhere."

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