Volume 2

Universal palaeography, or, Fac-similes of writings of all nations and periods, copied from the most celebrated and authentic manuscripts in the libraries and archives of France, Italy, Germany, and England / by M.J.B. Silvestre ; accompanied by an historical and descriptive text and introduction by Champollion-Figeac and Aimé Champollion, fils ; translated from the French and edited, with corrections and notes, by Sir Frederic Maddan ... in two volumes.

  • Joseph-Balthazar Silvestre
Date:
1849-1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Universal palaeography, or, Fac-similes of writings of all nations and periods, copied from the most celebrated and authentic manuscripts in the libraries and archives of France, Italy, Germany, and England / by M.J.B. Silvestre ; accompanied by an historical and descriptive text and introduction by Champollion-Figeac and Aimé Champollion, fils ; translated from the French and edited, with corrections and notes, by Sir Frederic Maddan ... in two volumes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    73/458 (page 431)
    The learned men who have studied this document, affirm correctly, that among all the copies of it which exist, there are not two exactly alike; a singular, but true, observation, which may also be applied to documents of every period throughout the middle ages. The custom either of multi¬ plying the originals, or of making copies executed with the same formalities and signatures, was very common; and in order to distinguish the copies from the originals, we must adopt the method recommended by the most skilful diploma¬ tists*, namely, to ascertain the existence of the seals, or, at least, the traces of their existence; these being sufficient to characterize the original and distinguish it from the copies, however numerous they may have been. By applying this principle to the Act of the Council of Florence, we shall ascertain the original amongst the eleven documents above noticed by the two seals attached to it, and the signature of the Protosyncellus Gregorius; and the four copies made in lieu of the original, by the existence or by the evident traces of these two seals, namely, of the Pope and the Emperor, independent of the signatures. The specimen before us is, consequently, one of these four copies, as it bears the two seals, as well as the original signature of the Emperor, as follows:— j- Iw lu Xco [Xpj<rrw] too ©w 7ri0’T^ fiouriXeus kcu ocvroxg droop o YlooXoaoXoyog. “ John Paleologus, believer in Jesus-Christ God, King, and Emperor of the Romans” These words are written in red ink, which was an imperial privilege, and a strict prescription of the protocol, which was sometimes imitated by the French kings of the second race. The Greek or Frank Emperors of Constantinople invariably used red ink to sign the acts issued by their authority. F 2 Nouv. Tr., tom. i., p. 173.—Ed.