forty centuries of ink-第45章

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in　quality　was　the　result；　some　of　the　kinds

being　given　well…known　Roman　names　which　are

mentioned　by　contemporary　writers。　The　kind　employed

by　the　Romans　for　ordinary　use　was　designated

Charta。　More　expensive　qualities　were　known　as

〃Augusta；〃　〃Livinia；〃　〃Hieratica；〃　etc。；　the　latter

being　reserved　for　religious　books。　Some　kinds　were

sold　by　weight　and　employed　by　the　tradesmen　for

wrapping　purposes；　while　the　bark　of　the　plant　was

manufactured　into　cord　and　rope。



The　methods　of　the　manufacture　of　papyrus　as　a

writing　material　Pliny　undertakes　to　describe　at

great　length；　and　while　he　asserts　many　things　from

probable　knowledge　and　the　information　at　hand　in

his　time；　yet　he　is　not　always　correct。　He　says　that

the　reed　stalks　were　cut　into　lengths　and　separated

〃by　splitting　the　successive　folds　of　the　stalk　with　a

fine　metal　point。〃



Mr。　Knight；　who　investigated　this　matter　with　care；

is　authority　for　the　statement；　that　the　papyrus　stalk

as　seen　under　the　microscope　shows　that　it　does　not

possess　successive　folds；　but　is　a　triangular　stalk　with

a　single　envelope　with　a　pith　on　the　inside；　which

could　only　be　divided　into　slices　with　a　knife；　either

in　stripes　of　a　width　permitted　by　the　sides　of　the　prism；

or　else　shaved　round　and　round；　like　the　operation　of

cork　making；　and　producing　a　long　spiral　shaving。



In　the　description　which　Pliny　gives　of　the　various

homes　of　this　plant　in　Egypt；　he　calls　particular

attention　to　its　abundance　in　marshy　places　where

the　Nile　overflows　and　stagnates：　〃It　grows　like　a

great　bulrush　from　fibrous；　reedy　roots；　and　runs　up

in　several　triangular　stalks　to　a　considerable　height。〃

They　possessed　large　tufted　heads；　but　only　the　stem

was　fit　for　making　into　paper。　After　the　pellicles　or

thin　coats　were　removed　from　the　stalk；　they　were

laid　upon　tables　two　or　more　over　each　other　and

glued　together　with　the　muddy　and　glutinous　water

of　the　Nile　or　with　fine　paste　made　of　wheat　flour；

after　being　pressed　and　dried　they　were　made　smooth

with　a　ruler　and　then　rubbed　over　with　a　glass　hemisphere。

The　size　of　the　paper　seldom　exceeded　two

feet。



Papyrus　was　also　known　to　the　Hebrews。



The　Prophet　Isaiah　（B。　C。　752）　refers　to　this　plant

when　he　says：



〃The　paper　reeds　by　the　brooks；　and　everything

sown　by　the　brooks；　shall　wither；　be　driven　away

and　be　no　more。〃



Which　prediction　seems　to　have　been　long　ago　fulfilled

as　the　plant　is　now　exceedingly　rare。



The　manufacture　of　Egyptian　paper　from　papyrus

it　is　said　was　quite　an　industry　in　the　ancient　city　of

Memphis　more　than　six　hundred　years　before　the

Christian　era。



The　Mexicans　employed　for　writing　a　paper　which

somewhat　resembled　the　Egyptian　papyrus。　It　was

prepared　from　the　aloe；　called　by　the　natives　Maguey

which　grows　wild　over　the　tablelands　of　Mexico。　It

could　be　easily　colored　and　seemed　to　bind　to　ink

very　closely。　It　could　be　rolled　up　in　scrolls　just　like

the　more　ancient　rolls　of　papyrus。



The　following　account　of　an　interesting　discovery

of　a　fragment　of　one　of　the　〃Orations　of　Hyperides；〃

by　Mr。　Harris；　the　well…known　Oriental　scholar；　is

derived　from　the　London　Athenaeum：



〃In　the　winter　of　1847　Mr。　Harris　was　sitting

in　his　boat；　under　the　shade　of　the　well…known

sycamore；　on　the　western　bank　of　the　Nile；　at

Thebes；　ready　to　start　for　Nubia；　when　an　Arab

brought　him　a　fragment　of　a　papyrus　roll；　which

he　ventured　to　open　sufficiently　to　ascertain　that　it

was　written　in　the　Greek　language；　and　which　he

bought　before　proceeding　further　on　his　journey。

Upon　his　return　to　Alexandria；　where　circumstances

were　more　favorable　to　the　difficult　operation　of

unrolling　a　fragile　papyrus；　he　discovered　that　be

possessed　a　fragment　of　the　oration　of　Hyperides

against　Demosthenes；　in　the　matter　of　Harpalus；

and　also　a　very　small　fragment　of　another　oration；

the　whole　written　in　extremely　legible　characters；

and　of　a　form　or　fashion　which　those　learned　in

Greek　MSS。　consider　to　be　of　the　time　of　the

Ptolemies。　With　these　interesting　fragments　of　orations

of　an　orator　so　celebrated　is　Hyperides；　of　whose

works　nothing；　is　extant　but　a　few　quotations　in

other　Greek　writers；　he　embarked　for　England。

Upon　his　arrival　there　he　submitted　the　precious

relics　to　the　inspection　of　the　Council　and　members

of　the　Royal　Society　of　Literature；　who　were　unanimous

in　their　judgment　as　to　the　importance　and

genuineness　of　the　MSS。；　and　Mr。　Harris　immediately

set　to　work；　and　with　his　own　hand　made　a

lithographic　facsimile　of　each　piece。　Of　this　performance

a　few　copies　were　printed　and　distributed

among　the　savants　of　Europe；and　Mr。　Harris　returned

to　Alexandria；　whence　he　has　made　more

than　one　journey　to　Thebes　in　the　hope　of　discovering

some　other　portion　of　the　volume；　of　which

he　already　had　a　part。　In　the　same　year　（1847）

another　English　gentleman；　Mr。　Joseph　Arden；　of

London；　bought　at　Thebes　a　papyrus；　which　he

likewise　brought　to　England。　Induced　by　the　success

of　Mr。　Harris；　Mr。　Arden　submitted　his　roll

to　the　skilful　and　experienced　hands　of　Mr。

Hogarth；　and　upon　the　completion　of　the　operation

of　unrolling；　the　MSS。　was　discovered　to　be　the

terminating　portion　of　the　very　same　volume　of

which　Mr。　Harris　had　bought　a　fragment　of　the

former　part　in　the　very　same　year；　and　probably　of

the　very　same　Arabs。　No　doubt　now　existed　that

the　volume；　when　entire；　consisted　of　a　collection

of；　or　a　selection　from；　the　orations　of　the　celebrated

Athenian　orator；　Hyperides。



〃The　portion　of　the　volume　which　has　fallen　into

the　possession　of　Mr。　Arden　contains　'fifteen　continuous

columns　of　the　〃Oration　for　Lycophron；〃

to　which　work　three　of　Mr。　Harris's　fragments　appertained；

and　likewise　the　〃Oration　for　Euxenippus；〃

which　is　quite　complete　and　in　beautiful

preservation。　Whether；　as　Mr。　Babington　observes

in　his　preface　to　the　work；　any　more　scraps　of

the　〃Oration　for　Lycophron〃　or　of　the　〃Oration

against　Demosthenes〃　remain　to　be　discovered；

either　in　Thebes　or　elsewhere；　may　be　doubtful；

but　is　certainly　worth　the　inquiry　of　learned　travellers。'

The　condition；　however；　of　the　fragments

obtained　by　Mr。　Harris　but　too　significantly　indicate

the　hopelessness　of　success。　The　scroll　had

evidently　been　more　frequently　rolled　and　unrolled

in　that　particular　part；　namely；　the　speech　of　Hyperides

in　a　matter　of　such　peculiar　interest　as

that　involving　the　honor　of　the　most　celebrated

orator　of　antiquity；　it　had　been　more　read　and

had　been　more　thumbed　by　ancient　fingers　than　any

other　speech　in　the　whole　volume；　and　hence　the

terrible　gap　between　Mr。　Harris's　and　Mr。　Arden's

portions　Those　who　are　acquainted　with　the

brittle；　friable　nature　of　a　roll　of　papyrus　in　the　dry

climate　of　Thebes；　after　being　buried　two　thousand

years　or　more　and　then　coming　first　into　the　hands

of　a　ruthless　Arab；　who；　perhaps；　had　rudely

snatched　it　out　of　the　sarcophagus　of　the　mummied

scribe；　will　well　understand　how　dilapidations　occur。

It　frequently　happens　that　a　single　roll；　or　possibly

an　entire　box；　of　such　fragile　treasures　is

found　in　the　tomb　of　some　ancient　philologist　or

man　of　learning；　and　that　the　possession　is　immediately

disputed　by　the　company　of　Arabs　who　may

have　embarked　on　the　venture。　To　settle　the　dispute；

when　there　is　not　a　scroll　for　each　member

of　the　company；　an　equitable　division　is　made　by

dividing　the　papyrus　and　distributing　the　portions。

Thus；　in　this　volume　of　Hyperides；　it　seems　that

it　has　fallen　into　two　pieces　at　the　place　where　it

had　most　usually　been　opened；　and　where；　alas！　it

would　have　been　most　desirable　to　have　kept　it

whole；　and　that　the　smaller　fragments　have　been

lost　amid　the　dust　and　rubbish　of　the　excavation；

while　the　two　extremities　have　been　made　distinct

properties；　which　have　been　sold；　as　we　have　seen；

to　separate　collectors。　So；　at　all　events；　such

matters　are　managed　at　Thebes。



〃Mr。　Harris　mentions　fragments　of　the　'Iliad；'

which　he　had　purchased　of　some　of　the　Arab　disturbers

of　the　dead　in　the　sacred　cemeteries　of

Middle　Egypt；　most　probably　Saccara。〃



The　oldest　known　specimens　of　the　Greek　papyri

and　which　were　found　in　Egypt；　have　a　range　of　one

thousand　years；　that　is；　from　the　third　century　B。　C。

to　the　seventh　century　A。　D。



The　first　discovery　of　Greek　papyri　was　made　at

Herculaneum　in　1752。　Papyrus；　however；　in　the

most　ancient；　periods　was　not　the　only　pliable　material

used　to　write　on　which　could　be　rolled　on　cylinders。

Linen　or　cloth；　which　had　been　first　treated

with　substances　which　filled　the　interstices　and

characteristic　of　our　oil…cloth；　the　inner　bark　of　certain

trees；　or　in　fact　any　material　which　would　receive　ink

and　roll　around　a　cylinder　was　in　vogue。　This　form

of　manuscript　was　later　termed　by　the　Romans　rolles；

to　roll　round；　or　more　commonly　volvere；　to　roll　over。



It　is　not　certain；　however；　that　this　character　of

manuscript　immediately　superseded　the　tablet　form

of　records　inscribed　on　wood　or　metal。　Noel　Humphreys

is　one　of　several　to　suggest：



〃The　reference　to　the　'pen　of　a　ready　writer；'

mentioned　in　the　Psalms　of　David　（B。　C。　1086…

1016）　could　scarcely　be　the　sharp　point；　or　stilus；

by　means　of　which　characters　were　engraved　upon

wood　or　metal；　but　rather　the　calamus　or　juncas；

used　for　writing　with　a　dark　fluid　upon　bark　or

linen。　The　word　volume　indeed　occurs　in　Psalms

xxxix。；　and　these　volumina　or　volumes　must　have

been　either　rolls　of　leaves；　or　bark；　or　Egyptian

papyrus。〃



Some　writers　like　Casley；　Purcelli；　Haygen；　Calmet；

and　others；　who　also　more　or　less　discuss　this　subject；

do　not　view　it　entirely　the　same。







CHAPTER　XXIX。



ANCIENT　INK　BACKGROUNDS　（PARCHMENT　AND　VELLUM）。



THE　PERGAMUS　LIBRARY　COMPOSED　PRINCIPALLY　OF

PARCHMENT　VOLUMESCAUSES　WHICH　CONTRIBUTED

TO　THE　SUBSTITUTION　OF　PARCHMENT　FOR　PAPYRUS

ANECDOTE　ABOUT　EUMENES　AND　PTOLEMY　PHILADELPHUS

INVENTION　OF　METHOD　WHICH　MADE　SKINS

AVAILABLE　FOR　FLUID　INK　WRITINGINTRODUCTION

OF　DRESSED　SKINS　THE　FIRST　STEP　TOWARDS　THE

MODERN　FORM　OF　BOOKSWHEN　PARCHMENT　AND

VELLUM　SUPERSEDED　OTHER　SUBSTANCES　AS　A　GENERAL

MATERIAL　FOR　WRITING　UPONMANUFACTURE

OF　BARK　PAPER　PREVIOUS　TO　THE　INTRODUCTION　OF

THE　LINEN　PAPER　OF　THE　EASTSOME　OBSERVATIONS

ABOUT　CHINESE　PAPERALLUSIONS　OF　CLASSICAL

WRITERS　TO　INSCRIPTIONS　ON　SKINS　AND　DISCOVERY

OF　SPECIMENSEMPLOYMENT　OF　PARCHMENT　BY　THE

HEBREWSOLD　SCRIPTURAL　MSS。　DISCOVERED　ON

PARCHMENTNAMES　OF　THE　MOST　VALUABLE　NEW

TESTAMENT　CODICESSTORY　OF　THE　DISCOVERY　OF

THE　SINAITIC　CODEX　AS　TOLD　BY　MADANASSERTION

OF　SIMONIDES　THAT　HE　FORGED　ITPAMLIMPSESTS

THE　LINK　BETWEEN　CLASSICAL　TIMES　AND　THE　MIDDLE

AGESOBSERVATIONS　ABOUT　THEM　AND　SOME　DISCOVERIES

OF　THE　MORE　FAMOUS　ONESUSE　OF　PAPYRUS；

PARCHMENT　AND　V