The 'Chinese' Theory: For and Against

[Jorge_Stolfi]

As far as I understand, p and f do frequently appear on the first lines of paragraphs, but I don't think they define the first lines of paragraphs.

As I see it, they are not grammatical markers of paragraphs, but only ornate letters that (as in many other medieval manuscripts) are typically used by scribes to highlight the start of paragraphs, or other noteworthy lines or words.

I would compare them to the ornate capitals that were used in other manuscripts at the start of paragraphs or sections.  Or to the still current English custom of capitalizing every word in paper titles and newspaper headlines,

I see the ornate and "bridging" gallows in some Herbal pages as instances of the same thing: bits of fanciness added by the Scribe, by influence of the general scribal customs.

Moreover, page You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is clearly special in many ways.  The Scribe may have made more liberal use of one-leg gallows there, because of its importance.  Just as the frontispice of books is usully much more ornate than regular pages.

Or maybe some of those ps and fs are highlighting proper names. 

Or maybe some of those lines with ps and fs are indeed top-of-parag lines.  Note the -m ending on previous lines...

All the best, --jorge