forty centuries of ink-第17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！



That　they　endeavored　to　perpetuate　for　the　benefit　of

succeeding　generations　in　book　and　other　forms；　this

kind　of　information；　which　they　distributed　throughout

the　world　we　know　to　be　true。　Most　of　these

sources　of　ink　information；　however；　gradually　disappeared

as　constituting　a　series　of　sad　events　in　the　unhappy

war　which　followed　their　preparation。



The　Reformation　began　in　Germany　in　the　first

quarter　of　the　sixteenth　century；　and　with　it　the

eighty　years　of　continual　religious　warfare　which

followed。　During　this　period　the　priceless　MSS。　books

of　information；　historical；　literary　and　otherwise；　contained

in　the　monastic　libraries　outside　of　Italy　were

burnt。



We　are　told：



〃In　England　cupidity　and　intolerance　destroyed

recklessly。　Thus；　after　the　dissolution　of　monastic

establishments；　persons　were　appointed　to　search

out　all　missals；　books　of　legends；　and　such　'superstitious

books'　and　to　destroy　or　sell　them　for

waste　paper；　reserving　only　their　bindings；　when；

as　was　frequently　the　case；　they　were　ornamented

with　massive　gold　and　silver；　curiously　chased；　and

often　further　enriched　with　precious　stones；　and　so

industriously　had　these　men　done　their　work；　destroying

all　books　in　which　they　considered　popish

tendencies　to　be　shown　by　illumination；　the　use　of

red　letters；　or　of　the　Cross；　or　even　by　theto　them

mysterious　diagrams　of　mathematical　problems

that　when；　some　years　later；　Leland　was　appointed

to　examine　the　monastic　libraries；　with　a　view　to

the　preservation　of　what　was　valuable　in　them；　he

found　that　those　who　had　preceded　him　had　left

little　to　reward　his　search。〃



Bale；　himself　an　advocate　for　the　dissolution　of

monasteries；　says：



〃Never　had　we　bene　offended　for　the　losse　of

our　lybraryes　beyng　so　many　in　nombre　and　in　so

desolute　places　for　the　moste　parte；　yf　the　chief

monuments　and　moste　notable　workes　of　our　excellent

wryters　had　bene　reserved；　yf　there　had　bene

in　every　shyre　of　Englande　but　one　solemyne　lybrary

for　the　preservacyon　of　those　noble　workes；　and

preferrments　of　good　learnyuges　in　our　posteryte　it

had　bene　yet　somewhat。　But　to　destroye　all　without

consyderacyon　is　and　wyll　be　unto　Englande　for

ever　a　most　horryble　infamy　amonge　the　grave

senyours　of　other　natyons。　A　grete　nombre　of

them　wych　purchased　of　those　superstycyose　mansyons

reserved　of　those　lybrarye　bokes；　some　to

serve　theyr　jaks；　some　to　scoure　theyr　candelstyckes；

and　some　to　rubb　theyr　bootes　。　some　they　solde　to

the　grossers　and　sope　sellers；　and　some　they　sent

over　see　to　the　bokebynders；　not　in　small　nombre；

but　at　tymes　whole　shippesful。　I　knowa　merchant

man；　whyche　shall　at　thys　tyme　be　namelesse；　that

boughte　the　content…；　of　two　noble　lybraryes　for　xl

shyllyngs　pryce；　a　shame　it　is　to　be　spoken。　Thys

stuffe　hathe　he　occupyed　in　the　stide　of　greve　paper

for　the　space　of　more　than　these　ten　years；　and　yet

hathe　store　ynough　for　as　many　years　to　come。　A

prodyguous　example　is　thys；　and　to　be　abhorred　of

all　men　who　love　theyr　n　atyon　as　they　shoulde　do。〃



Passing　to　later　epochs；　A。　D。　1602；　the　following

quaint　receipt　proves　interesting　as　showing　that　the

〃gall〃　inks　were　well　known　at　that　time：



　〃To　make　common　Ink；　of　Wine　take　a　quart；

　　　　　Two　ounces　of　Gumme；　let　that　be　a　part；

　　　　　Five　ounces　of　Galls；　of　Cop'res　take　three；

　　　　　Long　standing　doth　make　it　the　better　to　be；

　　　　　If　Wine　ye　do　want；　raine　water　is　best；

　　　　　And　then　as　much　stuffe　as　above　at　the　least；

　　　　　If　the　Ink　be　too　thick；　put　Vinegar　in；

　　　　　For　water　doth　make　the　colour　more　dimme。〃



Shakespeare　in　his　Twelfth　Night　III；　2；　has　also

referred　to　them　in　the　following　amusing　strain：



〃Go　write　it　in　a　martial　hand；　be　curst　and　brief；

it　is　no　matter　how　witty；　so　it　be　eloquent；　and

full　of　invention；　taunt　him　with　the　license　of

ink；　if　thou　thou'st　him　thrice；　it　shall　nor　be

amiss；　and　as　many　lies　as　will　lie　on　a　sheet　of

paper；　although　the　sheet　were　big　enough　for

the　bed　of　Ware　in　England；　set　'em　down；　go；

about　it。　Let　there　be　gall　enough　in　thy　ink；

though　thou　write　with　a　goose　pen；　no　matter：

about　it。〃



The　general　black　ink　conditions　for　a　period　of　at

least　three　hundred　years；　if　we　exclude　the　sixteenth

century；　had　been　but　repetitions　of　each　other。

They　so　remained　until　the　year　1626；　when　the

French　government　concluded　an　arrangement　with　a

chemist　by　the　name　of　Guyot；　for　the　manufacture

of　a　〃gall〃　ink　WITHOUT　added　color　and　which　thereby

guaranteed　and　insured　more　sameness　in　respect　to

desirable　ink　qualities。　That　government　with　a　few

modifications　relative　to　the　proportions　of　ingredients

continued　its　employment；　which　was　followed　by　the

contemporaneous　writers。　Other　governments　later

partially　adopted　the　French　formulas　while　some　of

them　gave　the　matter　no　attention；　although　their

records　and　those　of　the　cities　or　towns　not　only　of

Europe　but　early　America；　the　United　States　and

Canada　are　found　in　most　instances　to　have　been　written

with　an　ink　of　this　character。



Where　prior　to　1850；　inks　containing　a　different

base　（with　the　single　exception　of　indigo）　were　used；

they　have　either　disappeared　or　nearly　so　and　it　is　not

an　infrequent　occurrence　among　those　who　are　accustomed

to　examine　old　records　to　find　that　signatures

or　dates　to　valuable　instruments；　pages　of　writings　and

indeed　sometimes　the　writings　in　an　entire　book　are

more　or　less　obliterated。



The　black　inks　of　a　large　portion　of　the　seventeenth

century；　on　documents　of　every　kind；　are　found　to　be

nearly　perfect　as　to　color　conditions；　which　is　evidence

of　the　extreme　care　used　in　their　preparation　and　the

exclusion　of　〃added〃　color　in　ink　manufacture。





CHAPTER　XI。



ANCIENT　INK　TREATISES。



INK　TREATISES　OF　THE　FIFTEENTH；　SIXTEENTH　AND

SEVENTEENTH　CENTURIESJOHN　BAPTISTA　PORTA

AUTHOR　OF　THE　FIRSTSECRET　INKS…NERI；　CANEPARIUS；

BOREL；　MERRET；　KUNCKEL　AND　OTHER　AUTHORS

WHO　REFER　TO　INK　MANUFACTUREPROGRESS　OF　THE

ART　OF　HANDWRITING　ILLUSTRATED　IN　THE　NAMES　OF

OVER　A　HUNDRED　CALLIGRAPHERS　CHRONOLOGICALLY

ARRANGED。



THE　literature　of　the　fifteenth；　sixteenth　and　seventeenth

centuries　on　the　subject　of　black　and　colored

ink　formulas；　secret　inks；　etc。；　is　both　diversified　and

of　considerable　importance。　The　following　authors

and　citations　are　deemed　the　most　noteworthy：



John　Baptista　Porta；　of　Naples；　born　A。　D。　1445

and　died　A。　D。　1515；　is　best　known　as　the　inventor

of　the　〃camera　obscuro；〃　was　also　the　author　of　many

MSS。　books　compiled；　he　says；



〃As　the　results　of　discussions　of　long　years　held

at　my　own　house　which　is　known　as　de　Secreti；

and　into　which　none　can　enter　unless　he　claim　to　be

an　inventor　of　new　discoveries。〃



Two　of　these　treatises　which　were　extant　in　the

first　half　of　the　seventeenth　century；　dated　respectively

1481　and　1483；　dwell　at　great　length　on　SECRET

inks　and　specifically　mention　as　translated　into　the

English　of　the　time　〃sowre　galls　in　white　wine；〃　and

〃vitriol；〃　repeating　Italian　formulas　pertaining　to

the　〃Secreta〃　of　the　twelfth　century。



About　secret　ink　he　tells　us：



〃There　are　many　and　almost　infinite　ways　to

write　things　of　necessity；　that　the　Characters　shall

not　be　seen；　unless　you　dip　them　into　waters；　or

put　them　near　the　fire；　or　rub　them　with　dust；　or

smeer　them　over。

　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



〃Let　Vitriol　soak　in　Boyling　water：　when　it　is

dissolved；　strain　it　so　long　till　the　water　grow　clear：

with　that　liquor　write　upon　paper：　when　they　are

dry　they　are　not　seen。　Moreover；　grinde　burnt

straw　and　Vinegar：　and　what　you　will　write　in　the

spaces　between　the　former　lines；　describe　at　large。

Then　boyl　sowre　Galls　in　white　Wine；　wet　a　spunge

in　the　liquor：　and　when　you　have　need；　wipe　it

upon　the　paper　gently；　and　wet　the　letters　so　long

until　the　native　black　colour　disappear；　but　the

former　colour；　that　was　not　seen；　will　be　made

apparent。　Now　I　will　show　in　what　liquors　paper

must　be　soaked　to　make　letters　to　be　seen。　As　I

said；　Dissolve　Vitriol　in　water：　then　powder　Galls

finely；　and　soak　them　in　water：　let　them　stay　there

twenty…four　hours：　filtre　them　through　a　linen

cloth；　or　something　else；　that　may　make　the　water

clear；　and　make　letters　upon　the　paper　that　you

desire　to　have　concealed：　send　it　to　your　Friend

absent：　when　you　would　have　them　appear；　dip

them　in　the　first　liquor；　and　the　letters　will　presently

be　seen。

　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



If　you　write　with　the　juice　of　Citrons；　Oranges；

Onyons；　or　almost　any　sharp　things；　if　you　make

it　hot　at　the　fire；　their　acrimony　is　presently　discovered：

for　they　are　undigested　juices；　whereas　they

are　detected　by　the　heat　of　the　fire；　and　then　they

show　forth　those　colours　that　they　would　show　if

they　were　ripe。　If　you　write　with　a　sowre　Grape

that　would　be　black；　or　with　Cervices；　when　you

hold　them　to　the　fire　they　are　concocted；　and　will

give　the　same　colour　they　would　in　due　time　give

upon　the　tree；　when　they　were　ripe。　Juice　of　Cherries；

added　to　Calamus；　will　make　a　green：　to　sow…

bread　a　red：　so　divers　juices　of　Fruits　will　show

divers　colours　by　the　fire。　By　these　means　Maids

sending　and　receiving　love…letters；　escape　from

those　that　have　charge　of　them。　There　is　also　a

kind　of　Salt　called　Ammoniac：　this　powdered　and

mingled　with　water；　will　write　white　letters；　and

can　hardly　be　distinguished　from　the　paper；　but

hold　them　to　the　fire；　and　they　will　shew　black。〃



With　respect　to　the　preparation　of　black　and　colored

inks　and　also　colors：　Antonio　Neri；　an　Italian　author

and　chemist　who　lived　in　the　sixteenth　century；　in　his

treatise　seems　not　only　to　have　laid　the　foundation

for　most　of　the　receipts　called　attention　to　by　later

writers　during　the　two　hundred　years　which　followed；

but　to　have　been　the　very　first　to　specify　a　proper

〃gall〃　ink　and　its　formula；　as　the　most　worthy　of

notice。



Pietro　Caneparius；　a　physician　and　writer　of　Venice；

A。　D。　1612；　in　his　work　De　Atrametis；　gives　a　more

extensive　view　about　the　preparation　and　composition

of　inks　and　adopts　all　that　Neri　had　given；　though　he

never　quotes　his　name；　and　adds〃hitherto　published

by　no　one。〃　He　does　however　mention　many　valuable

particulars　which　were　omitted　by　Neri。　Most

of　his　receipts　are　about　gold；　silver　and　nondescript

inks；　with　directions　for　making　a　great　variety　for

secret　writing　and　defacing。　This　book　revised　and

enlarged　was　republished　in　London；　1660。



In　1653　Peter　Borel；　who　was　physician　to　Louis

XIV；　King；　of　France　published　his　〃Bibliotheca

Chemica；〃　which　contains　a　large　number　of　ink　receipts；

two　of　which　may　be　characterized　as　〃iron

and　gall〃　ones。　They　possess　value　on　account　of

the　relative　pr