a name given to copiers of old books. After the decline of learning amongst the Romans, and when many religious houses were erected, learning was chiefly in the hands of the clergy; the greatest number of whom were regulars, and lived in monasteries. In these houses were many industrious men, who were continually employed in making new copies of old books, either for the use of the monastery or for their own emolument. These writing monks were distinguished by the name of Antiquarii. They deprived the poor librarii, or common scriptriores, of great part of their business, so that these found it difficult to gain a subsistence for themselves and families. This put them upon finding out more expeditious methods of transcribing books. They formed the letters smaller, and made use of more juggling and abbreviations than had been usual. They proceeded in this manner till the letters became exceedingly small; the abbreviations were very numerous, and extremely difficult to be read. This in some measure accounts for the great variety of hands in the species of writing called Modern Gothic. When a number of copies were to be made of the same work, it was usual to employ several persons at the same time in writing it; each person, except... ANTICUARY, a person who studies and searches after monuments and remains of antiquity; as old medals, books, statues, sculptures, and inscriptions; and, in general, all curious pieces that may afford any light into antiquity.

In the chief cities of Greece and Italy, there were persons of distinction called antiquaries, whose business it was to show strangers the antiquities of the place, to explain the ancient inscriptions, and to give them all the assistance they could in this way of learning.—Pausanias calls these antiquaries ἐπιγραφεῖς. The Sicilians call them μυστικοί.

There was an ancient college of antiquaries erected in Ireland by Ollamh Fodhla, 700 years before Christ, for composing a history of that country: And to this, say the Irish historians, it is owing that the history and antiquities of that kingdom may be traced back beyond those of most other nations.

There is a society of antiquaries in London, and another in Edinburgh, incorporated by the king's charter. See Society.

Antiquary is also used by ancient writers for the keeper of the antiquarium or cabinet of antiquities. This officer is otherwise called archivista, or antiquary of a king, a prince, a state, or the like.

Henry VIII. gave John Leland the title of his antiquary; a title which, says the author of his life, nobody ever enjoyed besides himself. But the restriction, we suppose, was only intended to be understood in respect of the kings of England. M. Schott, we find, had the title of antiquary to the king of Prussia; P. Pedruzzi, that of antiquary of the Duke of Parma; M. Galland resided some time in Turkey under the title of antiquary of the king of France.—The university of Oxford have still their antiquary under the denomination of custos archivorum.—The kings of Sweden have been at great expenses in order to illustrate the antiquity of their country, having established an academy of antiquaries with this single view.—The office of the ancient Irish antiquaries was to preserve the genealogies of the kings of Ireland, to correct the regal tables of succession, and deliver down the pedigree of every collateral branch of the royal family.