forty centuries of ink-第11章

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they　exposed　to　public　ridicule　the　pens　and　inkstands

that　they　found　in　the　conquered　city　as　the

ignoble　arms　of　a　contemptible　race　of　students。



〃During　this　period　of　intellectual　darkness；

which　lasted　from　the　fifth　until　the　fifteenth　century；

a　period　sometimes　described；　and　not　improperly；

as　the　dark　ages；　there　was　no　need　for

any　improvement　in　the　old　method　of　making

books。　The　world　was　not　then　ready　for　typography。

The　invention　waited　for　readers　more　than

it　did　for　types；　the　multitude　of　book　buyers

upon　which　its　success　depended　had　to　be　created。

Books　were　needed　as　well　as　readers。　The　treatises

of　the　old　Roman　sophists　and　rhetoricians；　the

dialectics　of　Aristotle　and　the　schoolmen；　and　the

commentaries　on　ecclesiastical　law　of　the　fathers　of

the　church；　were　the　works　which　engrossed　the

attention　of　men　of　letters　for　many　centuries　before

the　invention　of　typography。　Useful　as　these　books

may　have　been　to　the　small　class　of　readers　for

whose　benefit　they　were　written；　they　were　of　no

use　to　a　people　who　needed　the　elements　of　knowledge。〃



In　the　more　ancient　times；　however；　when　MSS。　books

（rolls）　were　not　quite　so　plentiful　there　was　seemingly

no　difficulty　in　obtaining　large　sums　for　them。



Aristotle；　died　B。　C。　322；　paid　for　a　few　books　of

Leusippus；　the　philosopher；　three　Attick　talents；　which

is　about　3；000。　Ptolemy　Philadelphus　is　said　to　have

given　the　Athenians　fifteen　talents；　an　exemption　from

tribute　and　a　large　supply　of　provisions　for　the　MSS。

of　aeschylus；　Sophocles　and　Euripides　written　by

themselves。



Arbuthnot；　discussing　this　subject；　remarks　that　Cicero's

head；　〃which　should　justly　come　into　the　account

of　Eloquence　brought　twenty…five　Myriads　of

Drachms；　which　is　the　equivalent　of　40；000。　Also；

〃the　prices　of　the　magical　books　mentioned　to　be

burnt　in　the　Acts　of　the　Apostles　is　five。　Myriads　of

Pieces　of　Silver　or　Drachms。〃



Picolimini　relates　that　the　equivalent　of　eighty

golden　crowns　was　demanded　for　a　small　part　of　the

works　of　Plutarch。



If　we　are　to　believe　any　of　the　accounts；　the　environment

of　the　art　of　handwriting　and　handwriting

materials　at　the　beginning　of　the　fifth　century　had

contracted　within　a　small　compass；　due　principally　to

the　general　ignorance　of　the　times。



As　practiced　it　was　pretty　much　under　the　control

of　the　different　religious　denominations　and　the　information

obtainable　about　inks　from　these　sources

is　but　fragmentary。　What　has　come　down　to　us　of

this　particular　era　is　mostly　found　on　the　old　written

Hebrew　relics；　showing　that　they　at　least　had　made

no　innovations　in　respect　to　the　use　of　their　ritualistic

deyo。



The　invention　of　the　quill　pen　in　the　sixth　century

permitted　a　degree　of　latitude　in　writing　never　before

known；　the　inks　were　made　thinner　and　necessarily

were　less　durable　in　character。　Greater　attention　was

given　to　the　study　and　practice　of　medicine　and

alchemy　which　were　limited　to　the　walls　of　the

cloister　and　secret　places。　The　monk　physicians　endeavored

by　oral　instructions　and　later　by　written

ones　to　communicate　their　ink…making　methods　not

only　of　the　black　and　colored；　but　of　secret　or　sympathetic

inks；　to　their　younger　brethren；　that　they　might

thus　be　perpetuated。　All　the　traditional　and　practical

knowledge　they　possessed　was　condensed　into　manuscript

forms；　additions　from　other　hands　which　included

numerous　chemical　receipts　for　dyeing　caused

them　to　multiply；　so　that　as　occasion　required　from

time　to　time；　they　were　bound　up　together　booklike

and　then　circulated　among　favored　secular　individuals；

under　the　name　of　〃Secreta。〃



The　more　remote　of　such　treatises　which　have　come

down　to　us　seem　to　indicate　the　trend　of　the　researches

respecting　what　must　have　been　in　those　times

unsatisfactory　inks。　Scattered　through　them　appear　a

variety　of　formulas　which　specify　pyrites　（a　combination

of　sulphur　and　metal）；　metals；　stones　and　other

minerals；　soot；　（blue）　vitriol；　calxes　（lime　or　chalk）；

dye…woods；　berries；　plants；　and　animal　colors；　some　of

which　if　made　into　ink　could　only　have　been　used

with　disastrous　results；　when　permanency　is　considered。



The　black　ink　formulas　of　the　eighth　century　are

but　few；　and　show　marked　improvement　in　respect　to

the　constituents　they　call　for；　indicating　that　many

of　those　of　earlier　times　had　been　tried　and　found

wanting。　One　in　particular　is　worthy　of　notice　as　it

names　（blue）　vitriol；　yeast；　the　lees　（dregs）　of　wine

and　the　rind　of　the　pomegranate　apple；　which　if

commingled　together　would　give　results　not　altogether

unlike　the　characteristic　phenomena　of　〃gall〃　ink。

Confirmation　of　the　employment　of　such　an　ink　on　a

document　of　the　reign　of　Charlemigne　in　the　beginning

of　the　ninth　century　on　yellow…brown　Esparto

（a　Spanish　rush）　paper；　is　still　preserved。　Specimens

of　〃pomegranate〃　ink；　to　which　lampblack　and

other　pigments　had　been　added　of　varying　degrees　of

blackness；　on　MSS。；　but　lessening　in　number　as　late　as

the　fourteenth　century；　are　still　extant　in　the　British

Museum　and　other　public　libraries。







CHAPTER　VI。



INK　OF　THE　WEST。



REMARKS　OF　ARCH…DEACON　CARLISLEWHEN　READING

AND　WRITING　CEASED　TO　BE　MYSTERIESORIGIN

OF　THE　WORDS　CLERK　AND　SIGNSCARCITY　OF　MANUSCRIPTS

FOUNDING　OF　IRISH　SCHOOLS　OF　LEARNING

IN　THE　SEVENTH　CENTURYMONKS　NOT　PERMITTED

TO　USE　ARTIFICIAL　LIGHT　IN　PREPARING

MSS。OBSERVATIONS　OF　MADAN　ABOUT　THE　HISTORY

OF　WRITING　DURING　THE　DARK　AGESINK…

WRITTEN　MSS。　TREASURES。



THE　ancient　history　of　the　art　of　writing　in　more

northern　sections　of　the　Western　world；　William

Nicolson；　Arch…Deacon　of　Carlisle；　author　of　〃The

English　Historical　Library；〃　London；　1696；　tells　very

quaintly：



〃The　Danes　register'd　their　more　considerable

transactions　upon　Rocks；　or　on　parts　of　them；

hewen　into　various　Shapes　and　Figures。　On　these

they　engrav'd　such　Inscriptions　as　were　proper　for

their　Heathen　Alters；　Triumphal　Arches；　Sepulchral

Monuments　and　Genealogical　Histories　of

their　Ancestors。　Their　writings　of　less　concern

（as　Letters；　Almanacks；　&c。）　were　engraven　upon

Wood：　And　because　Beech　was　most　plentiful　in

Demnark；　（tho　Firr　and　Oak　be　so　in　Norway　and

Sweden）　and　most　commonly　employ'd　in　these

Services；　form　the　word　Bog　（which　in　their　Language

is　the　Name　of　that　sort　of　Wood）　they　and

all　other　Northern　Nations　have　the　Name　of　Book。

The　poorer　sort　used　Bark；　and　the　Horns　of　Rain…

Deer　and　Elks　were　often　finely　polish'd　and　shaped

into　Books　of　several　Leaves。　Many　of　these　old

Calendars　are　likewise　upon　Bones　of　Beasts　and

Fishes：　But　the　Inscriptions　on　Tapestry；　Bells；

Parchment　and　Paper；　are　of　later　use。



〃Some　other　Monuments　may　be　known　to　be　of

a　Danish　Extraction；　tho　they　carry　nothing　of　a

Runic　Inscription。　Few　of　their　Temples　were

cover'd；　and　the　largest　observ'd　by　Wormius　（at

Kialernes　in　Island）　was　120　foot　in　length；　and　60

in　breadth。



〃The　next　Monument　of　Age　is　their　Edda

Islandorum；　the　meaning　of　which　Appellation　they

that　publish　the　Book　hardly　pretend　to　understand。

As　far　as　I　can　give　the　Reader　any　satisfaction；

he　is　to。　know　that　Island　was　first　inhabited　（in

the　year　874）　by　a　Colony　of　Norwegians；　who

brought　hither　the　Traditions　of　their　Forefathers；

in　certain　metrical　Composures；　which　（as　is　usual

with　Men　transplanted　into　a　Foreign　Land）　were

here　more　zealously　and　carefully　preserv'd　and

kept　in　memory　than　by　the　Men　of　Norway　themselves。

About　240　years　after　this　（A。　D。　1114）

their　History　began　to　be　written　by　one　Saemund；

surnam'd　Frode　or　the　wise；　who　（in　nine　years'

travel　through　Italy；　Germany　and　England）　had

amass'd　together　a　mighty　Collection　of　Historical

Treatises。　With　these　he　return'd　full　fraught　into

Island；　where　he　also　drew　up　an　account　of

the　affairs　of　his　own　Country。　Many　of　his

Works　are　now　said　to　be　lost：　But　there　is　still　an

Edda；　consisting　of　several　Odes　（whence　I　suspect

its　Name　is　derived）　written　by　many　several　hands；

and　at　different　times；　which　bears　his　Name。

The　Book　is　a　Collection　of　Mythological　Fables；

relating　to　the　ancient　State　and　Behaviour　of　the

Great　Woden　and　his　followers；　in　terms　poetical

and　adapted　to　the　Service　of　those　that　were　employ'd

in　the　composure　of　their　old　Rhymes　and　Sonnets。



〃There　is　likewise　extant　a　couple　of　Norwegian

Histories　of　good　Authentic　Credit；　which　explains

a　great　many　particulars　relating　to　the　Exploits　of

the　Danish　Kings　in　Great　Britain；　which　our　own

Historians　have　either　wholly　omitted　or　very

darkly　recorded。　The　former　of　these　was　written

soon　after　the　year　1130；　by　one　Theodoric　a　Monk；

who　acknowledges　his　whole　Fabrick　to　be　built

upon　Tradition；　and　that　the　old　Northern　History

is　no　where　now　to　be　had　save　only　ab　Islendingorum

antiquis　Carminibus。



〃　'Tis　a　very　discouraging　Censure　which　Sir

William　Temple　passes　upon　all　the　Accounts　given

us　of　the　Affairs　of　this　Island；　before　the　Romans

came　and　Invaded　it。　The　Tales　（says　he）　we　have

of　what　pass'd　before　Caesar's　Time；　of　Brute　and

his　Trojans；　of　many　Adventures　and　Successions；

are　cover'd　with　the　Rust　of　Time；　or　Involv'd　in

the　Vanity　of　Fables　or　pretended　Traditions；

which　seem　to　all　Men　obscure　or　uncertain；　but　to

be　forged　at　pleasure　by　the　Wit　or　Folly　of　their

first　Authors；　and　not　to　be　regarded。　And　again；

I　know　few　ancient　Authors　upon　this　Subject　（of

the　British　History）　worth　the　pains　of　perusal；　and

of　Dividing　or　Refining　so　little　Gold　out　of　so　much

course　Oar；　or　from　so　much　Dross。　But　some

other　Inferiour　People　may　think　this　worth　their

pains；　since　all　Men　are　not　born　to　be　Ambassadors：

And；　accordingly；　we　are　told　of　a　very　Eminent

Antiquary　who　has　thought　fit　to　give　his

Labours　in　this　kind　the　Title　of　Aurum；　ex　Stercore。

There's　a　deal　of　Servile　Drudgery　requir'd

to　the　Discovery　of　these　riches；　and　such　as　every

Body　will　not　stoop　to：　for　few　Statesmen　and

Courtiers　（as　one　is　lately　said　to　have　observ'd　in

his　own　Case）　care　for　travelling　in　Ireland；　or

Wales；　purely　to　learn　the　Language。



〃A　diligent　Enquirer　into　our　old　British　Antiquities

would　rather　observe　（with　Industrious　Leland）

that　the　poor　Britains；　being　harass'd　by

those　Roman　Conquerours　with　continual　Wars；

could　neither　have　leisure　nor　thought　for　the

penning　of　a　Regular　History：　and　that　afterwards

their　Back…Friends；　the　Saxons；　were　（for　a　good

while）　an　Illiterate　Generation；　and　minded　nothing

but　Killing　and　taking　Possession。　So　that

'tis　a　wonder　that　even　so　much　remains　of　the

Story　of　those　Times　as　the　sorry　Fragments　of

Gildas；　who　appears　to　have　written　in　such　a

Consternation；　that　what　he　has　left　us　looks　more