forty centuries of ink-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



（Hebrew）　scholars；　relative　to　the　character　of

the　ink　to　be　employed　in　the　preparation　of　ritualistic

writings。　Nice　distinctions　were　drawn　as　to　the

real　meaning　of　the　word　deyo　as　understood　by　the

Jews　of　the　western　part　of　the　world；　and　the　Arabic

word　alchiber；　as　then　understood　nearer　Palestine

and　the　other　eastern　countries。



The　French　Jews　were　using　〃tusche〃　（typical　of

the　〃Indian〃　ink）；　while　the　Germans　were　employing

〃pomegranate〃　and　〃gall〃　inks。　Representatives

from　interested　religious　Jewish　centers　came

together　and　resolved　to　submit　their　differences　for

final　adjustment　to　Maimonides；　born　in　Spain；　A。　D。

1130　；　and　died　A。　D。　1204the　then　greatest　living

Hebrew　theologian　and　authority　on　biblical　and

rabbinical　laws。　Discarding　all　side　issues；　their　differences

were　seemingly　incorporated　into　three　questions

and　thus　propounded　to　him：



1。　Is　the　Talmudic　deyo　identical　with　alchiber？



2。　Of　what　ingredient　should　the　Talmudic　deyo

consist；　if　it　is　not　the　same　as　alchiber？



3。　Is　alchiber　to　be　understood　as　relating　to　the

gall…apple　and　chalkanthum　（blue　vitriol）？



To　the　first　and　third　questions　Maimonides　declared

that　deyo　and　alchiber　were　not　identical；

and　for　the　reasons　that　the　Talmud　declares　deyo　to

be　a　writing　material　which　does　not　remain　on　the

surface　on　which　it　is　placed　and　to　be　easily　effaced。

On　the　other　hand　alchiber　contains　gum　and　other

things　which　causes　it　to　adhere　to　the　writing　surface。



To　the　second　question　he　affirmed　that　the　Talmud

distinguishes　a　double　kind　of　deyo；　one　containing

little　or　no　gum　and　being　a　fluid；　and　the　other　referring

to　〃pulverized　coal　of　the　vine；　soot　from

burning　olive　oil；　tar；　rosin　and　honey；　pressed　into

plates　to　be　dissolved　in　water　when　wanted　for　use。〃

Furthermore；　while　the　Talmud　excludes　the　use　of

certain　inks　of　which　iron　vitriol　was　one；　it　does　not

exclude　atramentum；　（chalkanthum；　copper　vitriol）；

because　the　Talmud　never　speaks　of　it。　He　insisted

that　the　Talmud　requires　a　dry　ink　（deyo）。



As　one　of　the　last　entries　made　in　the　Talmud　（a

great　collection　of　legal　decisions　by　the　ancient

Rabbis；　Hebrew　traditions；　etc。；　and　believed　to　have

been　commenced　in　the　second　century　of　the　Christian

era）　is　claimed　to　belong　to　the　sixth　century；

mentions　gall…apples　and　iron　（copper）　vitriol；　it　must

have　referred　to　〃gall〃　ink。　Further　investigation

discloses　the　fact　that　such　galls　were　of　Chinese　origin

and　as　we　know　they　do　not　contain　the　necessary

ferment　which　the　aleppo　and　other　galls　possess　for

inducing　a　transformation　of　the　tannin　into　gallic

acid；　no　complete　union　could　therefore　obtain。

Hence　the　value　of　this　composition　was　limited　until

the　time　when　yeast　and　other　materials　were　introduced

to　overcome　its　deficiencies。



Hotz…Osterwald　of　Zurich；　antiquarian　and　scholar；

has　asserted　that　with　the　exception　of　the　carbon

inks　employed　on　papyrus；　the　writing　pigments　of

antiquity　and　the　Middle　Ages　have　scarcely　been

investigated。　The　dark　to　light…brown　pigment；

hitherto　a　problem；　universally　used　on　parchment；

he　contends　upon　historical；　chemical　and　microscopic

evidence　is　identical　with　oeno…cyanin　and　was　prepared

for　the　most　part　from　yeast；　and　was　first

employed　as　a　pigment。　Contrary　to　the　general　opinion

it　contains　no　iron；　except　frequently　accidental

traces；　and　after　its　appearance　in　Greece　in　the　third

century；　it　formed　almost　exclusively　the　ink　of　the

ancient　manuscripts；　until　displaced　by　the　gallate

inks；　said　to　have　been　introduced　by　the

Arabians。　These　accidental　traces　of　iron　were　due

to　the　employment　of　iron　vessels　in　the　making　of

the　ink。



My　own　observations　in　this　direction　confirm　and

establish　the　fact　that　it　was　the　custom　in　the　early

centuries　of　the　Christian　era　to　utilize　yeast　or　an

analogous　compound　as　part　of　the　composition　of　ink；

to　which　was　added　sepia；　or　the　rind　of　the　pomegranate

apple　previously　dissolved　by　heat　in　alkaline

solutions。



This　analogous　compound　was　probably　the　material

procured　from　wine　lees　（dregs）；　deposited　after　fermentation

has　commenced；　and　which　after　considerable

application　of　heat　yields　not　only　most　of　the

tannin　contained　in　the　stones　and　fruit　stalks；　but　a

viscid　compound　characteristic　of　gelatine　and　of　a

red…purple　color　which　in　course　of　time　changes　to

brown。



Bloxam　says　that　the　coloring　matter　of　grapes　and

of　red　wine　appears　to　be　〃cyanin。〃



One　of　the　methods　of　treating　wine　lees；　as　translated

in　the　eighteenth　century　from　an　old　Italian

secreta；　is　sufficiently　curious　to　partly　quote：



〃Dry　the　Lees　（dregs）　of　wine　with　a　gentle　fire

and　fill　with　them　two　third　of　a　large　earthen　Retort；

place　this　retort　in　a　reverberatory　furnace；　and

fitting　it　to　a　large　receiver；　give　a　small　fire　to　it　to

heat　the　Retort　by　degrees；　and　drive　forth　an　insipid

phlegm；　when　vapours　begin　to　rise；　you　must

take　out　the　phlegm　and　luting　carefully　the　junctures

of　your　vessels；　quicken　the　fire　little　by　little

until　you　find　the　receiver　filled　with　white　clouds；

continue　it　in　this　condition；　and　you　perceive　the

receiver　to　cool；　raise　the　fire　to　the　utmost　extremity；

and　continue　it　so；　until　there　arise　no　more

vapours。　When　the　vessels　are　cold　unlute　the　receiver；

and　shaking　it　to　make　the　Volatile　salt；

which　sticks　to　it；　fall　to　the　bottom；　pour　it　all

into　a　bolt…head；　fit　it　to　a　Head　with　a　small　receiver；

lute　well　the　junctures　and　placing　it　in

sand；　give　a　little　fire　under　it；　and　the　volatile　salt

will　rise　and　stick　to　the　head；　and　the　top　of　the

Bolt…head；　take　off　your　head　and　set　on　another

in　its　place；　gather　your　salt　and　stop　it　tip　quickly；

for　it　easily　dissolves　into　a　liquor；　continue　the

fire；　and　take　care　to　gather　the　Salt　according　as

you　see　it　appear；　but　when　there　rises　no　more

salt；　a　liquor　will　distill；　of　which　you　must　draw

about　three　ounces；　and　put　out　the　fire；〃　&c。



The　〃lees　of　wine；〃　in　connection　with　the　ancient

methods　of　ink…making　is　also　referred　to　by　the

younger　Pliny　in　his　twenty…fifth　book；　which　the

Edinburgh　Review　has　carefully　translated　and

printed：



〃INK　（or　literally）　BLACKING。Ink　also　may　be

set　down　among　the　artificial　（or　compound）

drugs；　although　it　is　a　mineral　derived　from　two

sources。　For；　it　is　sometimes　developed　in　the

form　of　a　saline　efflorescence；or　is　a　real　mineral

of　sulphureous　colorchosen　for　this　purpose。

There　have　been　painters　who　dug　up　from　graves

colored　coals　（CARBON）。　But　all　these　are　useless

and　new…fangled　notions。　For　it　is　made　from

soot　in　various　forms；　as　（for　instance）　of　burnt

rosin　or　pitch。　For　this　purpose；　they　have　built

manufactories　not　emitting　that　smoke。　The　ink

of　the　very　best　quality　is　made　from　the　smoke　of

torches。　An　inferior　article　is　made　from　the　soot

of　furnaces　and　bath…house　chimneys。　There　are

some　（manufacturers）　also；　who　employ　the　dried

lees　of　wine；　and　they　do　say　that　if　the　lees　so

employed　were　from　good　wine；　the　quality　of　the

ink　is　thereby　much　improved。　Polygnotus　and

Micon；　celebrated　painters　at　Athens；　made　their

black　paint　from　burnt　grape…vines；　they　gave　it

the　name　of　TRYGYNON。　APELLES；　we　are　told；

made　HIS　from　burnt　ivory；　and　called　it　elephantina

'ivory…black。'　Indigo　has　been　recently　imported；

a　substance　whose　composition　I　have　not

yet　investigated。　The　dyers　make　theirs　from　the

dark　crust　that　gradually　accumulates　on　brass…kettles。

Ink　is　made　also　from　torches　（pine…knots）；

and　from　charcoal　pounded　fine　in　mortars。　'The

cuttlefish'　has　a　remarkable　qualify　in　this　respect；

but　the　coloring…matter　which　it　produces　is　not

used　in　the　manufacture　of　ink。　All　ink　is　improved

by　exposure　to　the　sun's　rays。　Book…writers'

ink　has　gum　mixed　with　it；weavers'　ink　is

made　up　with　glue。　Ink　whose　materials　have　been

liquified　by　the　agency　of　an　acid　is　erased　with

great　difficulty。〃



There　are　but　few　exceptions　respecting　the　general

sameness　of　ink　receipts　of　the　succeeding　centuries；

one　of　which　is　the　〃Pomegranate；〃　credited

to　the　seventh　century　but　really　belonging　to　an　earlier

period：



〃Of　the　dried　Pommegranite　（apple）　rind　take

an　ounce；　boil　it　in　a　pint　of　water　until　3/4　be

gone；　add　1/2　pint　of　small　beer　wort　and　once

more　boil　it　away　so　that　only　a　1/4　pint　remain。

After　you　shall　have　strained　it；　boiling　hot　through

a　linnen　cloth　and　it　comes　cold；　being　then　of　a

glutinous　consistence；　drop　in　a　'bit'　of　Sal　Alkali

and　add　as　much　warm　water　as　will　bring　it　to　a

due　fluidity　and　a　gold　brown　color　for　writing　with

a　pen。〃



Following　this　formula　and　without　any　modifications；

I　obtained　an　excellent　ink　of　durable　quality；

but　of　poor　color；　from　a　standpoint　of　blackness。



A　less　ancient　〃Secreta；〃　signed　by　the　Italian

monk　〃Theophilus；〃　who　lived　about　the　commencement

of　the　eleventh　century；　is　most　interesting：



〃To　make　ink；　cut　for　yourself　wood　of　the

thorn…trees　in　April　or　May；　before　they　produce

flowers　or　leaves；　and　collecting　them　in　small　bundles；

allow　them　to　lie　in　the　shade　for　two；　three；

or　four　weeks；　until　they　are　somewhat　dry。　Then

have　wooden　mallets；　with　which　you　beat　these

thorns　upon　another　piece　of　hard　wood；　until　you

peel　off　the　bark　everywhere；　put　which　immediately

into　a　barrelful　of　water。　When　you　have

filled　two；　or　three；　or　four；　or　five　barrels　with

bark　and　water；　allow　them　so　to　stand　for　eight

days；　until　the　waters　imbibe　all　the　sap　of　the　bark。

Afterwards　put　this　water　into　a　very　clean　pan；　or

into　a　cauldron；　and　fire　being　placed　under　it；　boil

it；　from　time　to　time；　also；　throw　into　the　pan　some

of　this　bark；　so　that　whatever　sap　may　remain　in　it

may　be　boiled　out。　When　you　have　cooked　it　a

little；　throw　it　out；　and　again　put　in　more；　which

done；　boil　down　the　remaining　water　unto　a　third

part；　and　then　pouring　it　out　of　this　pan；　put　it

into　one　smaller；　and　cook　it　until　it　grows　black

and　begins　to　thicken；　add　one　third　part　of　pure

wine；　and　putting　it　into　two　or　three　new　pots；

cook　it　until　you　see　a　sort　of　skin　show　itself　on

the　surface；　then　taking　these　pots　from　the　fire；

place　them　in　the　sun　until　the　black　ink　purifies　itself

from　the　red　dregs。　Afterwards　take　small

bags　of　parchment　carefully　sewn；　and　bladders；

and　pouring　in　the　pure　ink；　suspend　them　in　the

sun　until　all　is　quite　dry；　And　when　dry；　take　from

it　as　much　as　you　wish；　and　temper　it　with　wine

over　the　fire；　and；　adding　a　little　vitriol；　write。

But；　if　it　should　happen　through　negligence　that

your　ink　be　not　black　enough；　take　a　fragment　of

the　thickness　of　a　finger　and　putting