Descriptive text at the start of chapters

[Parenthesis]

In a few older novels that I've read, like Gulliver's Travels, most chapters have a little text before they begin, giving a sort of summary of what's about to happen in the chapter. For example in Gulliver's Travels, part 1 chapter IV, the first lines of text before the chapter proper begins read, "Mildendo, the Metropolis of Lilliput, described, together with the Emperor's Palace. A Conversation between the Author and a Principal Secretary, concerning the Affairs of that Empire: The Author Offers to serve the Emperor in his Wars."

Now, does anyone know the name for these? Or when they went out of fashion? I have seen them in other books besides Gulliver's Travels, like in Don Quixote, or the Sandman comic books, and I'm quite curious about them.

[tudwell]

This topic's kinda old, but I'll reply anyway.

As far as I know, there's no special name for those things. They're just chapter titles. And I'm not sure when they went out of style, but probably some time before the turn of the 20th century. Every once in a while you might happen along a modern book with those sorts of chapter titles, but it's more of a throwback to the old style than any sort of revival.