..... displaylimit("document.limitForm.limit", "", 70); 
             </script>

<textarea name="limit" cols="5" class="sms" align="top"></textarea> 
             <br> 
             <script type="text/javascript"> 
   var ns6=document.getElementById&&!document.all 

   function restrictinput(maxlength, e, placeholder) 
      { 
      if (window.event && event.srcElement.value.length >= maxlength) 
         return false; 
      else if (e.target && e.target == eval(placeholder) && e.target.value.length >= maxlength) 
         { 
         var pressedkey = /[a-zA-Z0-9\.\,\/]/; 
         if (pressedkey.test(String.fromCharCode(e.which))) 
            e.stopPropagation(); 
         } 
      } 

   function countlimit(maxlength, e, placeholder) 
      { 
      var theform = eval(placeholder); 
      var lengthleft = maxlength-theform.value.length; 
      var placeholderobj = document.all ? document.all[placeholder] : document.getElementById(placeholder); 
      if (window.event || e.target&&e.target == eval(placeholder)) 
         { 
         if (lengthleft < 0) 
             theform.value = theform.value.substring(0, maxlength); 
         placeholderobj.innerHTML = lengthleft 
         } 
      } 

   function displaylimit(thename, theid, thelimit) 
      { 
      var theform = theid != "" ? document.getElementById(theid) : thename; 
      var limit_text = 'Осталось <span id="' + theform.toString() + '">' + thelimit + '</span> символов';   
      if (document.all || ns6) 
         document.write(limit_text) 
      if (document.all) 
         { 
         eval(theform).onkeypress = function(){ return restrictinput(thelimit, event, theform)} 
         eval(theform).onkeyup = function(){ countlimit(thelimit, event, theform)} 
         } 
      else if (ns6) 
         { 
         document.body.addEventListener('keypress', function(event) { restrictinput(thelimit, event, theform) }, true); 
         document.body.addEventListener('keyup', function(event) { countlimit(thelimit, event, theform) }, true); 
         } 
      } 

   displaylimit("document.limitForm.limit", "", 70); 
             </script>