forty centuries of ink-第3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！



those　of　the　Phoenician　coast　itself　yielded　scarlet

shades　of　wonderful　intensity。



Respecting　the　cost　and　durability　of　the　Tyrian

purple；　it　is　related　that　Alexander　the　Great　found　in

the　treasury　of　the　Persian　monarch　5；000　quintals　of

Hermione　purple　of　great　beauty；　and　180　years　old；

and　that　it　was　worth　125　of　our　money　per　pound

weight。　The　price　of　dyeing　a　pound　of　wool　in　the

time　of　Augustus　is　given　by　Pliny；　and　that　price　is

equal　to　about　160　of　our　money。　It　is　probable

that　his　remarks　refer　to　some　particular　tint　or　quality

of　color　easily　distinguished；　although　not　at　all　clearly

defined　by　Pliny。　He　also　mentions　a　sort　of　purple；

or　hyacinth；　which　was　worth；　in　the　time　of　Julius

Caesar；　100　denarii　（about　15　of　our　money）　per

pound。



The　best　authorities　of　the　present　day；　however；

are　of　opinion　that　the　celebrated　Tyrian…purple　was

extracted　from　a　mollusk　known　as　the　Janthina　prolongata；

a　shell　abundant　in　the　Mediterranean　and

very　common　near　Narbonne；　where　the　Tyrian　purple

dye…works　were　in　operation　at　least　six　hundred

years　before　Christ。



The　price　current　of　some　of　the　inks　and　colors　of

antiquity；　as　quoted　by　Arbuthnot；　are　cited　herewith：



Armenian　purple　30　hs。=4　s。　10　1/3　d。



India　purple　from　one　Denarius；　or　7　3/4　d。　to　30

Denarii；　19　s。　4　1　2　d。



Pelagium；　the　juice　of　one　sort　fishes　that　dyed

purple；　50　hs。=8　s。　0　7/8　d。



Buccinum　the　juice　of　the　other　fish　that　dyed

purple；　100　hs。=16　s。　1　3/4　d。



Cinnabar　50　hs。=8　s。　0　7/8　d。



Tarentine　red　purple；　price　not　mentioned。



Melinum；　a　sort　of　colour　that　came　from　Melos；

one　Nummus；=1　15/16　d。



Paretonium；　a　sort　of　colour　that　came　from　aegypt；

very　lasting；　6　Denarii；=3　s。　10　1/2　d。



Myrobalanus；　2　Denarii；=1　s。　3　1/2　d。



The　last…named　substance　is　the　fruit　of　the　Termi…

nalia；　a　product　of　China　and　the　East　Indies；　best

known　as　Myrabolams　and　must　have　been　utilized

solely　for　the　tannin　they　contain；　which　Loewe

estimates　to　be　identical　with　ellago…tannic　acid；　later

discovered　in　the　divi…divi；　a　fruit　grown　in　South

America；　and　bablah　which　is　also　a　fruit　of　a　species

of　Acacia；　well　known　also　for　its　gum。



No　monuments　are　extant　of　the　ancient　Myrabolam　ink。



Antimony　and　galls　were　used　by　the　Egyptian

ladies　to　tint　their　eyes　and　lashes　and　（who　knows）

to　write　with。



Many　of　the　dyes　employed　as　ink　were　those　occurring

naturally　as　animal　and　vegetable　products；　or

which　could　be　produced　therefrom　by　comparatively

simple　means；　otherwise　we　would　not　be　confronted

with　the　fact　that　no　specimens　of　ink　writing　of

natural　origin　remain　to　us。



The　very　few　specimens　of　ink　writing　which　have

outlasted　decay　and　disintegration　through　so　many

ages；　are　found　to　be　closely　allied　to　materials　like

bitumen；　lampblack　obtained　from　the　smoke　of　oil…

torches　or　resins；　or　gold；　silver；　cinnabar　and

minium。



Josephus　asserts　that　the　books　of　the　ancient　Hebrews

were　written　in　gold　and　silver。



〃Sicca　dewat〃　（A　silver　ink　standeth）；　as　the　ancient

Arabic　proverb　runs。



Rosselini　asserts：



〃the　monumental　hireoglyphics　of　the　Egyptians

were　almost　invariably　painted　with　the　liveliest

tints；　and　when　similar　hireoglyphics　were　executed

on　a　reduced　scale；　and　in　a　more　cursive

form　upon　papyri　or　scrolls　made　from　the　leaves

of　the　papyrus　the　pages　were　written　with　both

black　and　colored　inks。〃



The　early　mode　of　ink　writing　in　biblical　times

mentioned　in　Numbers　v。　23；　where　It　is　said　〃the

priest　shall　write　the　curses　in　a　book；　and　blot　them

out　with　the　bitter　water；〃　was　with　a　kind　of　ink

prepared　for　the　purpose；　without　any　salts　of　iron　or

other　material　which　could　make　a　permanent　dye；

these　maledictions　were　then　washed　into　the　water；

which　the　woman　was　obliged　to　drink；　so　that　she

drank　the　very　words　of　the　execration。　The　ink

still　used　in　the　East　is　almost　all　of　this　kind；　a　wet

sponge　will　obliterate　the　finest　of　their　writings。



In　the　book　of　Jeremiah；　chap。　xxxvi。　verse　18；　it

says：　〃Then　Baruch　answered；　He　pronounced　all

these　words　unto　me　with　his　mouth；　and　I　wrote

THEM　with　ink　in　the　book；〃　and　in　Ezek。　ix。　2；　3；　11；

〃Ink　horn〃　is　referred　to。



Six　hundred　years　later　in　the　New　Testament　is

another　mention　of　ink　〃having　many　things　to　write

unto　you。　I　would　not　write　with　paper　and　Ink；〃

&c。；　second　epistle。　of　John；　12；　and　again　in　his

third　epistle；　13；　〃I　had　many　things　to　write；　but

I　will　not　with　pen　and　Ink　write　unto　thee。〃



The　illustrative　history　of　the　ancient　Egyptians

does　not　point　to　a　time　before　the　reed　was　used　as　a

pen。　The　various　sculptures；　carvings；　pottery　and

paintings；　exhibit　the　scribes　at　work　in　their　avocations；

recording　details　about　the　hands　and　ears　of

slaughtered　enemies；　the　numbers　of　captives；　the

baskets　of　wheat；　the　numerous　animals；　the　tribute；

the　treaties　and　the　public　records。　These　ancient

scribes　employed　a　cylindrical　box　for　ink；　with　writing

tablets；　which　were　square　sections　of　wood　with

lateral　grooves　to　hold　the　small　reeds　for　writing。



During　the　time　Joseph　was　Viceroy　of　Egypt

under　Sethosis　I；　the　first　of　the　Pharaohs；　B。　C。　1717；

he　employed　a　small　army　of　clerks　and　storekeepers

throughout　Egypt　in　his　extensive　grain　operations。

The　scribes　whose　duties　pertained　to　making　records

respecting　this　business；　used　both　red　and　black　inks；

contained　in　different　receptacles　in　a　desk；　which；

when　not　in　use；　was　placed　in　a　box　or　trunk；　with

leather　handles　at　the　sides；　and　in　this　way　was

carried　from　place　to　place。　As　the　scribe　had　two

colors　of　ink；　he　needed　two　pens　（reeds）　and　we　see

him　on　the　monuments　of　Thebes；　busy　with　one　pen

at　work；　and　the　other　placed　in　that　most　ancient

pen…rack；　behind　the　ear。　Such；　says　Mr。　Knight；　is

presented　in　a　painting　at　Beni　Hassan。



The　Historical　Society　of　New　York　possesses　a

small　bundle　of　these　pens；　with　the　stains　of　the　ink

yet　upon　them；　besides　a　bronze　knife　used　for　making

such　pens　（reeds）；　and　which　are　alleged　to　belong　to

a　period　not　far　removed　from　Joseph's　time。

The　other　history　of　ink；　long　preceding　the　departure

of　Israel　from　Egypt；　and　with　few　exceptions

until　after　the　middle　ages；　can　only　be　considered；　as

it　is　intimately　bound　up　in　the　chronology　and　story

of　handwriting　and　writing　materials。　Even　then　it

must　not　be　supposed　that　the　history　of　ink　is　authentic

and　continuous　from　the　moment　handwriting　was

applied　to　the　recording　of　events；　for　the　earliest

records　are　lost　to　us　in　almost　every　instance。　We

are　therefore　dependent　upon　later　writers；　who　made

their　records　in　the　inks　of　their　own　time；　and　who

could　refer　to　those　preceding　them　only　by　the　aid

of　legends　and　traditions。



There　is　no　independent　data　indicating　any　variation

whatever　in　the　methods　of　the　admixture　of

black　or　colored　inks；　which　differentiates　them　from

those　used　in　the　earliest　times　of　the　ancient

Egyptians；　Hebrews　or　Chinese。　On　the　contrary　if　we

exclude　〃Indian〃　and　one　of　the　red　inks；　for　a　period

of　fourteen　hundred　years　we　find　their　number　diminishing

until　the　first　centuries　of　the　Christian　era。

Exaggerated　tradition　has　described　inks　as　well　as

other　things　and　imagination　is　not　lacking。　Some　of

these　legends；　in　later　years　put　in　writing；　compel　us

to　depend　on　translations　of　obscure　and　obsolete

tongues；　while　the　majority　of　them　are　mingled　with

the　errors　and　superstitious　of　the　time　in　which　they

were　transcribed。



The　value　of　such　accounts　depends　upon　a　variety

of　circumstances　and　we　must　proceed　with　the　utmost

caution　and　discrimination　in　examining　and　weighing

the　authenticity　of　these　sources　of　information。



If　we　reason　that　the　art　of　handwriting　did　not

become　known　to　all　the　ancient　nations　at　once；　but

was　gradually　imparted　by　one　to　another；　it　follows

that　records　supposed　to　be　contemporaneous；　were

made　in　some　countries　at　a　much　earlier　period　than

in　others。　It　must　also　be　observed　that　the　Asiatic

nations　and　the　Egyptians　practiced　the　art　of　writing

many　centuries　before　it　was　introduced　into　Europe。

Hence　we　are　able　to　estimate　with　some　degree　of

certainty　that　ink…written　accounts　of　some　Asiatic

nations　were　made　while　Europe　was　in　this　respect

buried　in　utter　darkness。



An　interesting　story　which　bears　on　this　statement

is　told　by　Kennett；　in　his　〃Antiquities　of　Rome；〃

London；　1743；　as　to　the　discovery　of　ancient　MSS。；

five　hundred　and　twenty　years　before　the　Christian

era；　of　what　even　then　must　have　been　remarkable：



〃A　strange　old　woman　came　once　to　Tarquinius

Superbus　with　nine　books；　which；　she　said；　were

the　oracles　of　the　Sybils；　and　proffered　to　sell　them。

But　the　king　making　some　scruple　about　the　price；

she　went　away　and　burnt　three　of　them；　and　returning

with　the　six；　asked　the　same　sum　as　before。

Tarquin　only　laughed　at　the　humour；　upon　which

the　old　woman　left　him　once　more；　and　after　she

had　burnt　three　others；　came　again　with　them　that

were　left；　but　still　kept　to　her　old　terms。　The　king

now　began　to　wonder　at　her　obstinacy；　and　thinking

there　might　be　something　more　than　ordinary

in　the　business；　sent　for　the　augars　（soothsayers）

to　consult　what　was　to　be　done。　They；　when　their

divinations　were　performed；　soon　acquainted　him

what　a　piece　of　impiety　he　had　been　guilty　of；　by

refusing　a　treasure　sent　to　him　from　heaven；　and

commanded　him　to　give　whatever　she　demanded　for

the　books　that　remained。　The　woman　received　her

money；　and　delivered　the　writings；　and　only；　charging

them　by　all　means　to　keep　them　sacred；　immediately

vanished。　Two　of　the　nobility　were　presently

after　chosen　to　be　the　keepers　of　these　oracles；

which　were　laid　up　with　all　imaginable　care　in　the

Capitol；　in　a　chest　under　ground。　They　could　not

be　consulted　without　a　special　order　of　the　Senate；

which　was　never　granted；　unless　upon　the　receiving

of　some　notable　defeat；　upon　the　rising　of　any

considerable　mutiny；　or　sedition　in　the　State；　or

upon　some　other　extraordinary　occasion；　several　of

which　we　meet　with　in　Livy。〃



Some　of　the　ancient　historians　even　sought　to　be

misleading　respecting　the　events　not　only　of　their　own

times；　but　of　epochs　which　preceded　them。　Richardson；

in　his　〃Dissertation　on　Ancient　History　and　Mythology；〃

published　in　1778；　remarks：



〃The　information　received　hitherto　has　been　almost

entirely　derived　through　the　medium　of　the

Grecian　writers；　whose　elegance　of　taste；　harmony

of　language；　and　fine　arrangement　of　ideas；　have

captivated　the　imagination；　misled　the　judgment；

and　stamped　with　the　dignified　title　of　history；　the

amus