before the beginning of the present century.  The folding and securing
of a letter before that were weighty matters and deserve some scrutiny.
In the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, it was the custom of
the various courts and the nobility to fold the sheet lengthwise several
times, so as to form a kind of band, which was then double-folded in the
other direction, and a ligature of strong floss-silk wound round the
oblong square packet in each direction, so that the silk was crossed in
the centre above and below. This was secured with a large, strong seal of
wax on both sides. Any manuscript that is being inspected should be carefully
analysed to ensure that the folds and marks of tying are appropriate to
the date at which it is supposed to have been executed. Once the manuscript
has been opened, the seal is perhaps the most striking feature, and is of
great importance in the study of ancient signed documents.
