The questions really touched by irregularities such as these concern the date and country where the MS.
was produced; not by any means the honesty or animus of the copyist.

The man fell into the method which was natural to him, or which he found prevailing around him; and that was all.

'Itacisms' therefore, as they are called, of whatever kind,--by which is meant the interchange of such vowels and diphthongs as [Greek: i-ei, ai-e, e-i, e-oi-u, o-o, e-ei],--need excite no uneasiness.

It is true that these variations may occasionally result in very considerable inconvenience: for it will sometimes happen that a different reading is the consequence.

But the copyist may have done his work in perfect good faith for all that.