A codex (Latin caudex for "trunk of a tree" or block of wood, book; plural codices) is a book made up of a number of sheets of paper, vellum, or similar, with hand-written content, usually stacked and bound by fixing one edge and with covers thicker than the sheets, but sometimes continuous and folded concertina-style. The alternative to paged codex format for a long document is the continuous scroll. Examples of folded codices are the Maya codices. Sometimes the term is used for a book-style format, including modern printed books but excluding folded books.

Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement of the scroll, the dominant form of book in the ancient world, has been termed the most important advance in the history of the book prior to the invention of printing. The spread of the codex is often associated with the rise of Christianity, which adopted the format for the Bible early on. First described by the 1st-century AD Roman poet Martial, who praised its convenient use, the codex achieved numerical parity with the scroll around AD 300, and had completely replaced it throughout the now Christianised Greco-Roman world by the 6th century.

The Honourable William Middleton Noel (2 May 1789-20 January 1859), was a British politician.

Noel was the third son of Sir Gerard Noel, 2nd Baronet, and Diana, Baroness Barham, daughter of Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham. Charles Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough, was his elder brother.

Noel succeeded his father as Member of Parliament for Rutland in 1838, a seat he held until 1840. He served a year as High Sheriff of Rutland for 1850.

Noel married Anne, daughter of Joseph Yates, in 1817. They had no children. She died in October 1851. Noel survived her by eight years and died in January 1859, aged 69.