Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-05-01
NEWS IN OLDEN DAYS.
CUSTOMS IN VOGUE BEFORE THE ERA
OF NEWSPAPERS.

Rome Long Before the Christian
Era-The Paper That Was Publish
ed by Queen Elizabeth.
The germ of newspapers is found in
ancient Rome The government some
two centuries previous to the Christian
era is known to have promulgated its
edicts by means of written papers affix-
ed to pillars Nor was there much diff
ference between the style of these acta
diurnia, as they We're termed, and that
which now prevails further than that
the former were more brief and simple
and deficient in Introductory phrases
and the editorial tive" They generally
gave the news or occurrence in simply
Indicative sentences without introduc
ton or comment of any kind.
Most of these acta which have been
preserved are found to mention but one
or two events. They are headed with
the date in Roman fashion and the
name of the then consul and para
graphs such as the following formed
the staple; lit Numbered, and an oak
was struck with lightning on that part
of Mount Palatine called Summa Vevia,
early in the afternoon. "Murena. the
consul, sacrificed early in the morning
in the Temple of Castor and Pollux.
and afterward assembled the senate in
Pompey's senate house. &c. Caesar set
out for his government in farther
Spain, having long been detained by
his creditors.
1t is hardly possible for us now. with
all the lights of science around and the
shoals of newspapers with which we
are supplied, to form proper notion of
the darkness which, for want OF these,
involved the masses of the people for
many centuries after the fall of the Ro-
man empire. We are told that the cru
saders were so ignorant of geography
that at every town they approached i'll
central Europe they inquired if it was
Jerusalem When they at length reached
their destination, their exploits would
have remained unknown for years to
their relatives and friends at home had
not at times some few struggling pill
grims found their way back to the
west Even bad news in those days
could not. contrary to the proverb,
travel fast. Every little community
must then have lived much within it.
self
1t was not until the sixteenth century
that anything at all approaching even
to the scanty Roman acta diurnia can
be found to have revived in the modern
world The war which the Venetian re-
public waged against the Turks gave
rise in 1868 to the custom of communl-
eating the military and commercial in
formation in Venice by written sheets,
notizic scritee, to be read in particu-
lar place to those DESTROYS of hearing
the news. who paid for this privilege
with a coin no longer in use called gaz-
zetta. a name which came in time to
be applied to the news sheet itself both
in Italy and France and subsequently
in England, when this mode Of impart-
ing news came into use.
The Venetian government eventually
gave these announcements in regular
manner once month, but they were
too Jealous to allow them to be printed.
Only few written copies were trans
mitted to such as subscribed and paid
for them Thirty volumes of these valu-
able manuscript newspapers exist in
the Magla Bechian library at Florence.
About the same time advertising wants
commenced. the father of MOntalgne,
the celebrated essayist, being credited
+bo fn, ma limo the
wants of individuals known to the pub
lie in France These were received at
offices established for the purpose and
were first posted on the walls of public
places, receiving the names of affiches.
In time this led to systematic and
periodic publication in sheets. These
were termed affiches in consequence CT
their contents being originally fixed up
as placards, though the word itself is
French for advertisement
1t is to England as represented by
Queen Elizabeth that the honor OF COM
mencing printed sheets of public intel
ligence is to be ascribed. When the
Spanish armada threatened an invasion
of this country, that sage queen, re-
marking the disadvantage of the vague
and alarming minors which circulated
everywhere, resolved to inform her peo-
pie truly of the impending dangers.
She began to publish from time to time
a sheet bearing the following title
1.-THE English Mercuire, published by
authorize, for the contradiction of false
reports - Of this publication three cop
les are preserved in the British museum,
the earliest, No so, bearing date July
90. 1888 The first article, dated from
Whitehall, contains advices from Sir
Francis Walsingham that the armada
was seen in the channel making for the
entrance, with favorable gale, An &C
count is then given Of her majesty's
fleet. which consisted of so sail, divided
into four squadrons, commanded by
the lord high admiral. in the Ark Royal
Sir Francis Drake and Admirals Haw-
kins and Frobisher Under the head
London, there is an account Of an
interview which the mayor and cor
poration had on the previous day with
her majesty, for the purpose OF assuring
her of the resolution to stand by her
with their lives and fortunes to the last
Under the same head appears the fol-
lowing paragraph yesterday the
Scotch ambassador had a private audi
ence of her majestic, and delivered let
ter containing the most cordial assur-
ances of adhering to her majestie's in
terests. and to those of the Protestant
religion, and the younge king, James
With. said to her majestic minister at
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