References are marks and signs employed to direct the attention of the
reader to notes in the margin or at the bottom of a page.
The characters technically known by printers as references are the
following, which are used in the order here given:—
Asterisk *
Dagger †
Double Dagger ‡
Section §
Parallel ∥
Paragraph ¶
In Roman church-books, the Asterisk divides each verse of a psalm into
two parts, and marks the place where the responses begin: this in the
Book of Common Prayer is denoted by a colon placed between the two parts
of each verse. Asterisks also denote an omission, or an hiatus in the
original copy; the number of asterisks being multiplied according to the
extent of the omission.
The Dagger, originally termed the Obelisk, or Long Cross, is frequently
used in Roman Catholic church-books, prayers of exorcism, at the
benediction of bread, water, and fruit, and upon other occasions, where
the priest is to make the sign of the cross; but the square cross (✠) is
the proper symbol for the purpose. The square cross is used, besides,
in the pope’s briefs, and in mandates of archbishops and bishops,
immediately before the signature of their names. It is not placed among
references.
Besides its use as a reference mark, the Paragraph is now employed
chiefly in Bibles, to show the parts into which a chapter is divided. In
Common Prayer Books, paragraphs are put before the lines that direct the
order of the service, and which are called the Rubrics because they were
formerly printed in red.
The neatest references, when many are required in books, are either
superior letters or superior figures,—thus, ¹, ², ³, or thus, ᵃ, ᵇ, ᶜ.
Superior letters are used chiefly in Bibles and other books which have
more than one sort of notes, and therefore require different references.
When thus used, the letter ʲ should be omitted, as, from its similarity
to the ⁱ, the reader might at times be led into error.