The independent. (Harrisonburg, La.) 1853-18??, 1858-03-31
The Press in AncieDt Rome.

Under this somewhat paradoxIcal heading,
the Aasland, one of the most prominent pc
rodicaIs Of Germany, publishes some no.
tees which throw quite an unexpected light
on several peculiar features Of Roman life
hitherto not sufficiently pointed out by the
most sagaciols writers on Roman antiquity.
The matter is interesting enough, showing
as it does that only as late as in the nine
.teeath century modern civilization has, by
the aid Of steam and electricity, distanced in
no great decree Roman civilization.
The writer in the husband starts with the
statement that in the time from Cicero UP to
Marcus Au-eliua scarcely less has been writ
ten and read than in chr days. Fer this
great extent Of knowledge he accounts by
some peculiar domestic institutions Of Rome,
rot to be met with in the later periods Of
European history.
Certainly there was no copyright in Rome
in the meaning of modern law, but copy
right existed as a matter o.. fact. Drawing
of single copy Of book would have prov
ed far more expensive to 81 individual than
lit did to he publisher carrying On his trade
on a large scale. Hence Tie multiplying Of
manuscripts was not performed by transcrib-
ing singly. bat BY simultaneously debating
ito large plumber Of co7vists. These copy
lists were si.7es, and the:r labor was so ex-
ceedinelY cheap % to sUpercode in many re-
spects tie work Of machines. In extensive
publishing establishments there was often
dictated TO, several hundred Slaves at once
This circumstance may, al some time, &C
bo yD,s t.t- IN
manuscripts OF those times, which originated
not so much in the similarity OF grammatl-
cal forms, bit Of association.
There IS oa9 olCeg poiat to be considered.
The kind o; .s.tcrs used in books were, as
regards sLorine&s and condolences, equally
proportional. 10 Common current hand, as
are the modern types TO ls,a! handwriting
Very numerous shor4 laad Authorizations
taught IN the public schools were employed,
By dint OF which copyists By profession CO.
tanned almost al incredible degree of dis
patch and celebrity. Marialis tells us that
The second book Of his eIigrams, which num-
l-rs some $50 verses, did rot cost more than
about one hour TO the copyist. Should 1t
be Supposed; that there were simultaneously
dictated 70 but 800 copyists, more than 1900
copies Of HAT book coall have been easily
obtained in one day, which proves to be
more than the printing press could afford
but century ago. True, the rapidty Of
k-manufactunng was productive of great
incorrectness, bit slave labor being so ex-
ceedirg!y cheap, it greatly lowered the p&icrs
Of literary productions. Mari;as' Nonia,
which, if literally printed, will fill two print
sheets, and il compcesselly printed, bnt one
sheet. would then cost % cents. OF this
MartiaIis previously COMPLAINS; he thinks
the bookseller could easily afford to sell the
pamphlet at half lis price, still doing a
profitable business, ard giving thereby his
work larger circulation.
FROM some remarks Of Nartialis, it NAV
be gathered with certainty ina. authors re-
cciyed their regular fees from TIE publishers
Wealthy Statesmen, ike Cicero, did not, as
in our time, come in for remuneration Of
their literary lucuibTl;!ona. Authors of fame
were constantly bored for manuscripts. The
passion for novelties was as bgoyant, as in
modern times. This caused the buk of lit
erature to Increasa az a very RAPID rate, ant.
the satlists Of tho la- were rich in corr
mentine On the mania FOR writing and read
ing, ana it is mentioned b? ,hem that the
cheese-looHgers were not the least among the
customers OF the publishers. The bookstores
and public libraries connected with reading
rooms were the ralyiug points and rendez-
yous Of the liierati. From PuJlius Veto
rinus we learn that during The second and
third century after Christ, there were in
Rome alone, twenty nine public Libraries,
many OF which, as to the number of books,
equailed the celebrated Alexandrinian libra
~, which is supposed to have contained 7oo,-
600 volumes. From this, the extent of lit
erature and want for reading, may be easily
concluded. In the writings OF the architect
Viruvius, we see it stated, that every Ro-
man possessed Of moderate means, had his
separate library room in his house, and that
a great many private libraries contained from
twenty 10 thirty thousand youmes.-Mem-
phis Eagle 4 Eng.
Scorer AND MANCHESTER PG:DzNcE-About six
ty or seventy years ago, when the manufacturing
trade WAS in its infancy scvega! Door Scotchmpn