name given to copiers of old Antiquarii books. After the decline of learning among 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 librarians, or common scriptores, of great part of their business, so that they 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 jugsations 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 him who wrote the first skin, began where his fellow was to leave off.