forty centuries of ink-第16章

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during　those　centuries　do　ink　creations　possess；　in　so

marked　a　degree；　the　variety　of　color　qualities　that

are　seen　on　those　of　the　city　of　Florence。　Indeed　it

may　be　truly　said　that　during　those　periods　more　ink

written　MSS。　were　produced　in　that　place　than　all　the

rest　of　Europe。　These　productions　of　MSS。　were　not

confined　to　simple　ink　writings。　The　heads　of　religious

orders　and　rulers　of　the　country　liked　to　have

artists　near　them　to　illuminate　their　missals　and　sacred

books；　besides　the　decorating　of　walls　in　their　churches

and　palaces。



Through　this　art　of　illuminating　and　the　painting　of

miniatures　in　MSS。　books；　〃oil〃　painting　took　root　and

the　day　for　mere　symbols　and　hieroglyphics　was　over。



In　that　city　of　scholars　and　wealth　it　was　a　fashion

and　later　the　custom　to　acquire　Greek；　Latin　and

Oriental　MSS。　and　copy　them　for　circulation　and　sale。

The　prices　offered　were　sufficient　to　stimulate　the

search　and　zeal　for　them。　We　learn　that　in　the　year

1400　〃on　the　square　of　the　Duoma　a　spacciatore

was　established　whose　business　was　to　sell　manuscripts

often　full　of　mistakes　and　blunders。〃　Nicholas　V；

before　he　became　Pope；　was　nicknamed　〃Tommaso　the

Copyist。〃　He　is　said　to　have　presented　to　the　Vatican

library　as　a　gift　five　thousand　volumes　of　his　own

creation。



The　information　of　these　increasing　demands　for　ancient

documents　of　any　kind　spread　over　Europe　and

portions　of　Asia；　bringing　into　Florence　a　great

quantity　of　them；　as　well　as　many　scholars　and　copyists。

Shiploads　of　the　works　of　the　Byzantine　historians

arrived　from　the　Golden　Horn；　and　the　city

became　a　vast　manufactory　for　duplicating　or　forging

ancient　MSS。　Parchment　and　vellum　were　too　costly

to　employ　very　much；　so　most　of　them　were　of　paper。

Vespaciano；　one　of　the　many　engaged　in　this　business

and　who　lived　in　1464；　found　it　necessary　in　order　to

reduce　the　cost　of　production；　to　become　a　paper　merchant。

In　writing　to　a　friend　he　says：



〃I　engaged　forty…five　copyists　and　in　twenty…

two　months　had　completed　two　hundred　volumes；

which　included　some　Greek　and　Latin　as　well　as

many　Oriental　writings。〃



The　reading　and　judging　of　manuscripts　are　now

known　as　the　science　of　diplomatics。　To　determine

their　antiquity　or　genuineness　requires　the　nicest　distinctions

and　care；　irrespective　of　alleged　dates　（whether

exhibited　by　Roman　numbers　or　the　Arabic　one　which

we　continue　to　employ；　and　which　first　made　their

appearance　near　the　commencement　of　the　twelfth

century）。　The　inks　as　already　mentioned　and　used

on　them；　as　we　shall　see；　serve　fully　as　much　in　estimating

authenticity　or　genuineness　as　does　combined

together；the　style　of　the　writing；　the　miniatures；

vignettes　and　arabesques　（if　any）；　the　colors；　covers；

materials；　ornamentation　and　the　character　of　their

contents。



With　the　re…establishment　of　learning　in　the　fifteenth

century　and　the　creation　of　alleged　stable　governments；

who　may　perhaps　have　realized　the　necessity

for　an　ink　of　enduring　good　commercial　and　record

qualities；　so…called　〃gall〃　inks　were　chosen　as　best

possessing　them；　and　were　made　and　employed　with

varying　results　even　more　than　the　ancient　〃Indian〃

inks。



Mediaeval　practices　in　relation　to　ink　and　other

writing　materials　as　well　as　the　monastic　libraries　of

which　England；　France；　Germany　and　Italy　possessed

many　during　the　thirteenth；　fourteenth；　and　more

particularly　the　fifteenth　centuries；　were　governed　by

established　rules。



The　libraries　of　such　institutions　were　placed　by　the

abbot　under　the　sole　charge　of　the　〃armarian；〃　an

officer　who　was　made　responsible　for　the　preservation

of　the　volumes　under　his　care；　be　was　expected　frequently

to　examine　them；　lest　damp　or　insects　should

injure　them；　he　was　to　cover　them　with　wooden

covers　to　preserve　them　and　carefully　to　mend　and

restore　any　damage　which　time　or　accident　might

cause；　he　was　to　make　a　note　of　any　book　borrowed

from　the　library；　with　the　name　of　the　borrower；

but　this　last　rule　applied　only　to　the　less　valuable

portion　of　it；　as　the　〃great　and　precious　books〃

could　only　be　lent　by　the　permission　of　the　abbot

himself。　It　was　also　the　duty　of　the　armarian

to　have　all　the　books　in　his　charge　marked　with　their

correct　titles；　and　to　keep　a　perfect　list　of　the　whole。

Some　of　these　catalogues　are　still　in　existence　and　are

curious　and　interesting　in　their　exemplification　of　the

kinds　of　ink　employed　and　as　indicative　of　the　state

of　literature　in　the　Middle　Ages；　besides　presenting

the　names　of　many　authors　whose　works　have　never

reached　us。　It　was　also　the　duty　of　the　armarian；

under　the　orders　of　his　superior；　to　provide　the　transcribers

of　manuscripts　with　the　writings　which　they

were　to　copy；　as　well　as　all　the　materials　necessary

for　their　labors；　to　make　bargains　as　to　payment；　and

to　superintend　the　work　during　their　progress。



These　transcribers；　Mr。　Maitland　in　his　〃Dark

Ages〃　tells　us；　were　monks　and　their　clerks；　some　of

whom　were　so　skilled　that　they　could　perform　all　the

different　branches。　They　were　exhorted　by　the　rules

of　their　order　to　learn　writing；　and　to　persevere　in

the　work　of　copying　manuscripts　as　being　one　most

acceptable　to　God；　those　who　could　not　write　were

recommended　to　bind　books。　This　was　in　line　with

the　behest　of　the　famous　monk　Alciun　who　lived　in

the　eighth　century　and　who　entreated　all　to　employ

themselves　in　copying　books；　saying：



〃It　is　a　most　meritorious　work；　more　useful　to

the　health　than　working　in　the　fields；　which　profits

only　a　man's　body；　while　the　labour　of　a　copyist

profits　his　soul。〃



When　black　ink　was　used　in　liturgical　writings；　the

title　page　and　heads　of　chapters　were　written　in

red　ink；　whence　comes　the　term　rubric。　Green；

purple；　blue　and　yellow　inks　were　sometimes　used

for　words；　but　chiefly　for　ornamenting　capital

letters。



A　large　room　was　in　most　monasteries　set　apart　for

such　labors　and　here　the　general　transcribers　pursued

their　avocations；　in　addition；　small　rooms　or　cells；

known　also　as　scriptoria；　occupied　by　such　monks　as

were　considered；　from　their　piety　and　learning；　to　be

entitled　to　the　indulgence；　and　used　by　them　for　their

private　devotions；　as　well　as　for　the　purpose　of　transcribing

works　for　the　use　of　the　church　or　library。

The　scriptoria　were　frequently　enriched　by　donations

and　bequests　from　those　who　knew　the　value　of　the

works　carried　on　in　them；　and　large　estates　were　often

devoted　to　their　support。



　　　　　〃Meanwhile　along　the　cloister's　painted　side；

　　　　　　　　　　The　monkseach　bending　low　upon　his　book

　　　　　With　head　on　hand　reclinedtheir　studies　plied；

　　　　　　　　　　Forbid　to　parley；　or　in　front　to　look；



　　　　　Lengthways　their　regulated　seats　they　took：

　　　　　　　　　　The　strutting　prior　gazed　with　pompous　mien；

　　　　　And　wakeful　tongue；　prepared　with　prompt　rebuke；

　　　　　　　　　　If　monk　asleep　in　sheltering　hood　was　seen；

　　　　　He　wary　often　peeped　beneath　that　russet　screen。



　　　　　〃Hard　by；　against　the　window's　adverse　light；

　　　　　　　　　　Where　desks　were　wont　in　length　of　row　to　stand；

　　　　　The　gowned　artificers　inclined　to　write；

　　　　　　　　　　The　pen　of　silver　glistened　in　the　hand

　　　　　Some　of　their　fingers　rhyming　Latin　scanned；

　　　　　　　　　　Some　textile　gold　from　halls　unwinding　drew；

　　　　　And　on　strained　velvet　stately　portraits　planned；

　　　　　　　　　　Here　arms；　there　faces　shown　in　embryo　view；

　　　　　At　last　to　glittering　life　the　total　figures　grew。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FOSBROOKE。



The　public　scribes　of　those　days　were　employed

mostly　by　secular　individuals；　although　subject　to　be

called　upon　at　any　moment　by　the　fathers　of　the

church。　They　worked　in　their　homes　except　when

any　valuable　work　was　to　be　copied；　then　in　that　of

their　employer；　who　boarded　and　lodged　them　during

the　time　of　their　engagement。



To　differentiate　the　character　of　the　class　of　pigments

or　materials　then　employed　in　making　colored

inks；　from　those　of　the　more　ancient　times　is　difficult；

because　we　not　only　find　many　of　like　character　but　of

larger　variety。　These　were　used　more　for　purposes　of

illuminating　and　embellishing　than　for　regular　writing。



Even　when　printing　had　been　invented　spaces　were

frequently　left；　both　in　the　block　books　and　in　the

earliest　movable　type；　for　the　illumination　by　hand；

of　initial　letters　so　as　to　deceive　purchasers　into　the

belief　that　the　printed　type　which　was　patterned

closely　after　the　forms　of　letters　employed　in　MSS。

writings　was　the　real　thing。　The　learned　soon　discovered

such　frauds　and　thereafter　these　practices

were　abandoned。







CHAPTER　X。



RENAISSANCE　INK。



INK　OF　GRAY　COLOR　BELONGING　TO　THE　SIXTEENTH　CENTURY

AND　ITS　CAUSESINFLUENCE　OF　THE　FATHERS　OF

THE　CHURCH　RESPECTING　INK　DURING　THE　DARK

AGESTHE　REFORMATION　AND　HOW　IT　AFFECTED　MEDIAEVAL

MSS。REMARKS　OF　BALE　ABOUT　THEIR　DESTRUCTION

QUAINT　INK　RECEIPT　OF　1602SELECTION

FROM　THE　TWELFTH　NIGHT　RELATING　TO　PEN　AND

INKGENERAL　CONDITIONS　WHICH　OBTAINED　UNTIL

1626THE　FRENCH　GOVERNMENT　AWARDS　AN　INK

CONTRACT　IN　THAT　YEAROTHER　GOVERNMENTS　ADOPT

THE　FRENCH　FORMULAINKS　OF　THE　SEVENTEENTH

CENTURY　ALMOST　PERFECT　IN　THEIR　COLOR　PHENOMENA

NO　ADDED　COLOR　EMPLOYED　IN　THEIR　MANUFACTURE。



THE　gray　color　of　most　of　the　inks　found　on　documents

written　in　the　sixteenth　century　is　a　noteworthy

fact。　Whence　its　cause　is　a　matter　for　considerable

speculation。　The　majority　of　these　inks

unquestionably　belong　to　the　〃gall〃　class　and　if　prepared

after　the　formulas　utilized　in　preceding　centuries

should　indicate　like　color　phenomena。　As

these　same　peculiarities　exist　on　both　paper；　vellum

and　parchment；　it　cannot　be　attributed　to　their　use。

Investigations　in　many　instances　of　the　writings　indicate

the　exercise　of　a　more　rapid　pen　movement

and　a　consequent　employment　of　inks　of　greater

fluidity　than　those　of　an　earlier　history。　Such　fluidity

could　only　be　obtained　by　a　reduction　of　the　quantity

of　gummy　vehicles　together　with　an　increase　of　ink

acidity。　The　acids　which　had　theretofore　been　more

or　less　introduced　into　inks；　except　oxalic　acid；　could

not　effect　such　results。　Consequently；　as　the　monuments

of　this　gray　ink　phenomena　are　to　be　found

belonging　to　all　the　portions　of　the　Christian　world；

with　a　uniformity　that　is　certainly　remarkable；　it　becomes

a　fair　deduction　to　assume　that　the　making　of

inks　bad　passed　into　the　hands　of　regular　manufacturers

who　adulterated　them　with　〃added〃　color。



We　can　well　believe　that　the　influences　which　the

fathers　of　the　Church　exerted　during　the　thousand

years　known　as　the　〃Dark　Ages；〃　in　respect　to　ink

and　kindred　subjects；　must　have　been　very　great。

That　they　endeavored　to　perpetuate　for　the　benefit　of

succeeding　generations　in　book　and　other　forms；　this

kind　of　inform