forty centuries of ink-第14章

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your　ink　be　not　black　enough；　take　a　fragment　of

the　thickness　of　a　finger　and　putting　it　into　the

fire；　allow　it　to　glow；　and　throw　it　directly　into　the

ink。〃



After　reciting　many　receipts　which　pertain　to　other

arts；　this　good　old　monk　concludes：



〃When　you　shall　have　re…read　this　often；　and

have　committed　it　to　your　tenacious　memory；　you

shall　thus　recompense　me　for　this　care　of　instruction；

that；　as　often　as　you　shall　successfully　have

made　use　of　my　work；　you　pray　for　me　for　the　pity

of　omnipotent　God；　who　knows　that　I　have　written

these　things　which　are　here　arranged；　neither

through　love　of　human　approbation；　nor　through

desire　of　temporal　reward；　nor　have　I　stolen　anything

precious　or　rare　through　envious　jealousy；　nor

have　I　kept　back　anything　reserved　for　myself

alone；　but；　in　augmentation　of　the　honour　and

glory　of　His　name；　I　have　consulted　the　progress

and　hastened　to　aid　the　necessities　of　many　men。〃



The　〃thorn〃　trees　which　Theophilus　mentions　are

asserted　by　some　writers　（with　whom　I　do　not

agree）　to　be　those　commonly　known　as　the　〃Norway

spruce；〃　a　species　of　pine　of　lofty　proportions　sometimes

rising　to　the　height　of　150　feet　with　a　trunk

from　four　to　five　feet　in　diameter。　It　lives　to　a　great

age　believed　to　exceed　in　many　instances　450　years。

The　leaves　（needles；　thorns）　are　short　but　stand　thickly

upon　the　branches　and　are　of　a　dusky　green　color

shining　on　the　upper　surface；　the　fruit　is　nearly

cylindrical　in　form　and　of　a　purple　color　covered　with

scales　ragged　at　the　edges。　It　is　a　native　of　Europe

and　Northern　Asia。　It　furnishes　the　material　known

as　Burgundy　pitch　which　is　obtained　by　removing　the

juice　which　is　secreted　in　the　bark　of　the　tree；　it　is

purified　by　a　melting　process　and　straining　either

through　a　cloth　or　a　layer　of　straw。　It　gives　forth　a

peculiar　odor　not　unpleasant；　resembling　turpentine。

The　Burgundy　pitch　or　rosin　is　soluble　in　hot　alcohol

（spirits　of　wine）。



An　ink　prepared　after　the　method　laid　down　by　this

monk；　assuming　that　he　referred　to　the　spruce…pine；

while　troublesome　to　write　with；　would　be　almost　as

lasting　as　〃Indian〃　ink　and　would　be　most　difficult

to　erase　from　parchment　into　which　it　would　be　absorbed

due　to　its　alcoholic　qualities。



〃The　ink；〃　remarks　Montfaucon；　〃which　we　see　in

the　most　ancient　Greek　manuscripts；　has　evidently

lost　much　of　its　pristine　blackness；　yet　neither　has　it

become　altogether　yellow　or　faint；　but　is　rather　tawny

or　deep　red；　and　often　not　far　from　a　vermillion。〃

While　there　are　some　monuments　of　this　kind　of　ink

in　fair　condition　of　the　fourth　and　succeeding　centuries；

they　aggregate　but　a　very　small　proportion　of

the　vast　number　of　principally　Indian　ink　specimens

which　remain　to　us　of　those　epochs。　As　exemplars；

however；　of　a　forgotten　class　of　inks　belonging　to　a　still

more　remote　antiquity；　careful　research　adduces　certain

proof　of　their　existence　more　than　nine　hundred

years　before　the　Christian　era　commenced。



Reference　has　earlier　been　made　to　the　ancient

Myrobolam　ink；　which　was　characteristically　the　same

in　color　phenomena　as　those　which　Montfaucon　mentions。

These　〃tawny〃　colored　inks　I　estimate　were

products　obtained　from　the　〃thorn〃　trees　spoken　of

by　the　monk　Theophilus。　The　thorn　trees　were　of

two　species。　The　pomegranate；　anciently　called　the

〃Punic　apple；〃　because　it　was　largely　employed　by

the　Carthagenians　for　the　purposes　of　dyeing　and

tanning；　and　the　acacia；　known　in　Egyptian　times

as　the　lotus。　The　former　was　held　in　such　high　esteem

that　the　Arabians　and　Egyptians　made　it　an　emblem

to　designate　one　of　their　dieties　and　termed　it

raman。



The　products　of　these　thorn；　trees　were　collectively

used　together　as　ink；　most　of　the　tannin　being　obtained

from　the　pomegranate；　and　the　gum　from　the　acacia。







CHAPTER　VIII。



MEDIAEVAL　INK。



INK　SECRETAS　OF　THE　TWELFTH　CENTURY　COMPARED　WITH

EARLIER　ONESAPPEARANCE　OF　TANNO…GALLATE　OF

IRON　INK　IN　THE　TWELFTH　CENTURYITS　INTRODUCTION

LOCATES　THE　EPOCH　WHEN　THE　MODERN　INK　OF

TO…DAY　FIRST　CAME　INTO　VOGUEITS　APPROVAL　AND

ADOPTION　BY　THE　FATHERS　OF　THE　CHURCHTHE

INVENTION　NOT　ITALIAN　BUT　ASIATICITS　ARRIVAL

FROM　ASIA　FROM　THE　WEST　AND　NOT　THE　EASTAPPEARANCE

ABOUT　THE　SAME　TIME　OF　LINEN　OR　MODERN

PAPERSETTLEMENT　OF　OLD　CONTROVERSIES　ABOUT

ANCIENT　SO…CALLED　COTTON　PAPER…DE　VINNE'S　COMMENT

ABOUT　PAPER　AND　PAPER…MAKINGCURIOUS

CONTRACT　OF　THE　FOURTEENTH　CENTURY。



THE　〃Secretas〃　of　the　twelfth　century；　in　so　far　as

they　relate　to　methods　of　making　ink；　indicate　many

departures　from　those　contained　in　the　more　ancient

ones。　Frequent　mention　is　made　of　sour　galls；　aleppo

galls；　green　and　blue　vitriol；　the　lees　of　wine；　black

amber；　sugar；　fish…glue　and　a　host　of　unimportant　materials

as　being　employed　in　the　admixture　of　black

inks。　Combinations　of　some　of　these　materials　are

expressed　in　formulas；　the　most　important　one　of

which　details　with　great　particularity　the　commingling

together　of　an　infusion　of　nut…galls；　green　vitriol　（sulphate

of　iron）　and　fish…glue　（isinglass）；　the　two　first

（tanno…gallate　of　iron）　when　used　alone；　forms　the　sole

base　of　all　unadulterated　〃gall〃　inks。



Dates　are　appended　to　some　of　these　ink　and　other

formulas。　The　〃tanno…gallate　of　iron〃　one　has；　however；

no　date。　But　as　it　appears　closely　following

a　date　of　A。　D。　1126；　it　must　have　been　written　about

that　time。



Documents；　public　and　private；　bearing　dates　nearly

contemporary　with　that　era；　written　in　ink　of　like

type；　are　still　extant；　confirming　in　a　remarkable

degree　the　〃Secreta〃　formula；　and　establishing　the

fact　that　the　first　half　of　the　twelfth　century　marks

the　epoch　in　which　the　〃gall〃　or　modern　ink　of　today

came　into　vogue。



Its　adoption　by　the　priests　stamped　it　with　the

seal　of　the　Church　and　the　arrival　from　the　West

about　the　same　period　of　flax　or　linen　paper　with　the

added　fact　that　these　assimilated　so　well　together；

later　placed　them　both　on　the　popular　basis　which

has　continued　to　the　present　time。



While　the　Secreta　which　contains　the　〃gall〃　ink

formula　is　of　Italian　origin；　the　invention　of　this　ink

belongs　solely　to　an　Asiatic　country；　from　whence　in

gradual　stages　by　way　of　Arabia；　Spain　and　France；

it　finally　reached　Rome。　Thence；　through　the　Church；

information　about　it　was　conveyed　to　wherever　civilization

existed。



We　are　not　confined　in　our　investigations　of　ancient

MSS。　to　any　particular　locality　or　date；　as　the　twelfth；

thirteenth；　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries　are　prolific

of　〃gall〃　ink　monuments　covering　an　immense

territory。　Such　inks　when　used　unadulterated；　remain

in　an　almost　pristine　color　condition；　while　the

other　inks　to　which　some　pigment　or　color　had　been

added；　probably　to　make　them　more　agreeable　in　appearance

and　more　free…flowing；　with　a　mistaken　idea

of　improving　them；　are　much　discolored　and　in　every

instance　present　but　slight　indications　of　their　original

condition。



The　question　of　the　character　of　the　paper　employed

during　these　eras；　composed　of　different　kinds

of　fibrous　vegetable　substances；　possesses　some　importance

when　discussing　its　relationship　to　inks。　Many

authors　certify　to　the　manufacture　and　use　of　〃cotton〃

in　the　eleventh；　twelfth　and　later　centuries。

Madan；　however；　in　treating　this　subject；　makes　the

following　comments　which　are　in　line　with　my　own

observations：



〃Paper　has　for　long　been　the　common　substance

for　miscellaneous　purposes　of　ordinary　writing；　and

has　at　all　times　been　formed　exclusively　from　rags

（chiefly　of　linen）　reduced　to　pull）；　poured　out　on　a

frame　in　a　thin　watery　sheet；　and　gradually　dried

and　given　consistence　by　the　action　of　heat。　It

has　been　a　popular　belief；　found　in　every　book　till

1886　（now　entirely　disproved；　but　probably　destined

to　die　hard）；　that　the　common　yellowish　thick

paper；　with　rough　fibrous　edge；　found　especially　in

Greek　MSS。　till　the　fifteenth　century；　was　paper　of

quite　another　sort；　and　made　of　cotton　（charta

bombycna；　bombyx　being　usually　silk；　but　also

used　of　any　fine　fibre　such　as　cotton）。　The　microscope

has　at　last　conclusively　shown　that　these　two

papers　are　simply　two　different　kinds　of　ordinary

linen…rag　paper。〃



De　Vinne　speaking；　of　paper　and　paper…making　says：



〃The　gradual　development　of　paper…making　in

Europe　is　but　imperfectly　presented　through　these

fragmentary　facts。　Paper　may　have　been　made　for

many　years　before　it　found　chroniclers　who　thought

the　manufacture　worthy　of　notice。　The　Spanish

paper…mills　of　Toledo　which　were　at　work　in　the

year　1085；　and　an　ancient　family　of　paper…makers

which　was　honored　with　marked　favor　by　the　king

of　Sicily　in　the　year　1102；　are　carelessly　mentioned

by　contemporary　writers　as　if　paper…making　was　an

old　and　established　business。　It　does　not　appear

that　paper　was　a　novelty　at　a　much　earlier　period。

The　bulls　of　the　popes　of　the　eighth　and　ninth　centuries

were　written　on　cotton　card　or　cotton　paper；

but　no　writer　called　attention　to　this　card；　or　described

it　as　a　new　material。　It　has　been　supposed

that　this　paper　was　made　in　Asia；　but　it　could

have　been　made　in　Europe。　A　paper…like　fabric；

made　from　the　barks　of　trees；　was　used　for　writing

by　the　Longobards　in　the　seventh　century；　and　a

coarse　imitation　of　the　Egyptian　papyrus；　in　the

form　of　a　strong　brown　paper；　had　been　made　by

the　Romans　as　early　as　the　third　century。　The

art　of　compacting　in　a　web　the　macerated　fibres　of

plants　seems　to　have　been　known　and　practised　to

some　extent　in　Southern　Europe　long　before　the

establishment　of　Moorish　paper…mills。



〃The　Moors　brought　to　Spain　and　Sicily　not　an

entirely　new　invention；　but　an　improved　method　of

making　paper；　and　what　was　more　important；　a　culture

and　civilization　that　kept　this　method　in　constant

exercise。　It　was　chiefly　for　the　lack　of　ability

and　lack　of　disposition　to　put　paper　to　proper　use

that　the　earlier　European　knowledge　of　paper…

making　was　so　barren　of　results。　The　art　of　book…

making　as　it　was　then　practised　was　made　subservient

to　the　spirit　of　luxury　more　than　to　the　desire

for　knowledge。　Vellum　was　regarded　by　the　copyist

as　the　only　substance　fit　for　writing　on；　even

when　it　was　so　scarce　that　it　could　be　used　only　for

the　most　expensive　books。　The　card…like　cotton

paper　once　made　by　the　Saracens　was　certainly

known　in　Europe　for　many　years　before　its　utility

was　recognized。　Hallam　says　that　the　use　of　this

cotton　paper　was　by　no　means　general　or　frequent；

except　in　Spain　or　Italy；　and　perhaps　in　the　south

of　France；　until　the　end　of　the　fourteenth　century。

Nor　was　it　much　used　in　Italy　for　books。



〃Paper　came　before　its　time　and　had　to　wait　for

recognition。　It　was　sorely　needed。　The　Egyptian

manufacture　of　papyrus；　which　was　in