General byte-codes reference

Hi, I'm interested in learning a bit more about byte codes in
general. ie: If one were to write an interpreted language, what sort
of byte codes to use? Nothing specific, but a gist of some general
rules and recommendations. ie:


1) Is it best to follow machine-code like rules, even if the
        byte-codes may not be running directly on the processor?


2) What is needed for optimum code?
        eg Does it necessarily follow that less bytes = fast bytes ?


3) Does it even matter? (as long as you don't go completely mad)


Have any papers been written on this subject?
[There's lots of folklore, dunno of any papers. All else being equal,
the fewer trips you make through your interpreter loop, the faster your
program will run so you want to minimize operations, not necessarily
bytes. Bytecode interpreters are more like CISC than RISC machines.
-John]

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