Chapter 7

CRITICAL CLASSIFICATION OF SOURCES

Importance of classification--The first impulse wrong--The note-book system not the best--Nor the ledger-system--Nor the "system" of trusting the memory 101

The system of slips the best--Its drawbacks--Means of obviating them--The advantage of good "private librarianship" 103

Methods of work vary according to the object aimed at--The compiling of _Regesta_ or of a _Corpus_--Classification by time, place, species, and form 105

Chronological arrangement to be used when possible--Geographical arrangement best for inscriptions--When these fail, alphabetical order of "incipit"--Logical order useful for some special purposes--Not for a _Corpus_ or for _Regesta_ 107