forty centuries of ink-第48章

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parchment　in　past　ages；　it　is　stated　in　the　〃Penny

Cyclopaedia〃　that　parchment　from　the　seventh　to　the

tenth　century　was　〃white　and　good；　and　at　the

earliest　of　these　periods　it　appears　to　have　nearly

superseded　papyrus；　which　was　brittle　and　more

perishable。　A　very　few　books　of　the　seventh　century

have　leaves　of　parchment　and　papyrus　mixed；　that

the　former　costly　material　might　strengthen　and　support

the　friable　paper。　About　the　eleventh　century

it　grew　worse；　and　a　dirty　colored　parchment　is

evidence　of　a　want　of　antiquity。　This　may　possibly

arise　from　the　circumstances　that　writers　of　this　time

prepared　their　own　parchment；　and　they　were　probably

not　so　skilled　as　manufacturers。　A　curious

passage　from　a　sermon　of　Hildebert；　Archbishop　of

Tours；　who　was　born　in　1054；　is　a　voucher　for　this

fact。　The　sermon　is　on　the　〃Book　of　Life；〃　which

he　recommends　his　hearers　to　obtain：



'Do　you　know　what　a　writer　does？　He　first

cleanses　his　parchment　from　the　grease；　and　takes

off　the　principal　part　of　the　dirt；　then　he　entirely

rubs　off　the　hair　and　fibres　with　pumice　stone；　if

he　did　not　do　so；　the　letters　written　upon　it　would

not　be　good；　nor　would　they　last　long。　He　then

rules　lines　that　the　writing　may　be　straight。　All

these　things　you　ought　to　do；　if　you　wish　to　possess

the　book　which　I　have　been　displaying　to　you。'



At　this　time　parchment　was　a　very　costly　material。

We　find　it　mentioned　that　Gui；　Count　of　Nevers；

having　sent　a　valuable　present　of　plate　to　the　Chartreux

of　Paris；　the　unostentatious　monks　returned　it

with　a　request　that　he　would　send　them　parchment

instead。〃







CHAPTER　XXX。



MODERN　INK　BACKGROUNDS　（TRUE　PAPER）。



WHEN　IT　WAS　THAT　TRUE　PAPER　WAS　INVENTEDCITATIONS

FROM　MUNSELL　ABOUT　CHINESE　AND　OTHER

ANCIENT　PAPERA　SHORT　CHRONOLOGY　FROM　THE

SAME　AUTHORLINEN　PAPER　IN　USE　IN　THE　TWELFTH

CENTURYBOMBYCINE　PAPERDEVELOPMENTS　OF

THE　MICROSCOPEMETHODS　EMPLOYED　IN　ASCERTAINING

ORIGIN　OF　LINEN　PAPER　BY　MEERMANSOME

OBSERVATIONS　RELATIVE　TO　THE　EVOLUTION　OF　PAPER

RAPID　IMPROVEMENT　IN　QUALITY　AFTER　INVENTION

OF　PRINTINGCURIOUS　CUSTOMS　IN　THE　USE　OF　THE

WATER　MARKNO　DISTINCTIONS　IN　QUALITY　OF　PAPER

USED　FOR　MSS。　OR　OTHER　BOOKSANECDOTES　AND

OBSERVATIONS　ABOUT　THE　WATER　MARKITS　VALUE

IN　DETECTING　FRAUDSINTERESTING　ANECDOTE　OF

ITS　USE　IN　FABRICATING　A　FRAUDFULLER'S　CHARACTERIZATION

OF　THE　PAPERS　OF　DIFFERENT　COUNTRIESWHEN

THE　FIRST　PAPER　MILL　WAS　ESTABLISHED

IN　EUROPE　FOR　THE　MANUFACTURE　OF　LINEN

PAPERDATE　OF　THE　ESTABLISHMENT　OF　THE　FIRST

PAPER　MILL　IN　AMERICAWHO　FIRST　SUGGESTED

WOOD　AS　A　MATERIAL　FOR　MAKING　PAPERSOME

NAMES　OF　AUTHORS　ON　THE　SUBJECT　OF　PAPERSTORY

OF　RAG　PAPER　INSTRUCTIVE　AS　WELL　AS　INTERESTING。



WHEN　it　was　that　the　great　change　occurred　and

true　paper　made　of　fibrous　matter　or　rags　reduced　to

a　pulp　in　water　was　invented　has　been　a　subject　of

considerable　thought　and　investigation。　Munsell；　in

his　〃Chronology　of　Paper　and　Paper…Making；〃　credits

it　to　the　Chinese；　and　estimates　its　date　to　be

included　in　the　first　century　of　the　Christian　era。　He

observes：



〃The　Chinese　paper　is　commonly　supposed　to

be　made　of　silk；　but　this　is　a　mistake。　Silk　by

itself　cannot　be　reduced　to　a　pulp　suitable　for　making

paper。　Refuse　silk　is　said　to　be　occasionally

used　with　other　ingredients；　but　the　greater　part

of　the　Chinese　paper　is　made　from　the　inner　bark

of　the　bamboo　and　mulberry　tree；　called　by　them

the　paper　tree；　hempen　rags；　etc。　The　latter　are

prepared　for　paper　by　being　cut　and　well　washed

in　tanks。　They　are　then　bleached　and　dried；　in

twelve　days　they　are　converted　into　a　pulp；　which

is　then　made　into　balls　of　about　four　pounds

weight。　These　are　afterwards　saturated　with

water；　and　made　into　paper　on　a　frame　of　fine

reeds；　and　are　dried　by　being　pressed　under　large

stones。　A　second　drying　operation　is　performed

by　plastering　the　sheets　on　the　walls　of　a　room。

The　sheets　are　then　coated　with　gum　size；　and

polished　with　stones。　They　also　make　paper　from

cotton　and　linen　rags；　and　a　coarse　yellow　sort

from　rice　straw；　which　is　used　for　wrapping。　They

are　enabled　to　make　sheets　of　a　large　size；　the

mould　on　which　the　pulp　is　made　into　paper　being

sometimes　ten　or　twelve　feet　long　and　very　wide；

and　managed　by　means　of　Pulleys。



〃The　Japanese　prepare　paper　from　the　mulberry

as　follows：　in　the　month　of　December　the　twigs

are　cut　into　lengths　not　exceeding　thirty　inches　and

put　together　in　bundles。　These　fagots　are　then

placed　upright　in　a　large　vessel　containing　alkaline

ley；　and　boiled　till　the　bark　shrinks　so　as　to　allow

about　a　half　an　inch　of　the　wood　to　appear　free　at

the　top。　After　they　are　thus　boiled　they　are　exposed

to　a　cool　atmosphere；　and　laid　away　for

future　use。　When　a　sufficient　quantity　has　been

thus　collected；　it　is　soaked　in　water　three　or　four

days；　when　a　blackish　skin　which　covered　it　is

scraped　off。　At　the　same　time　also　the　stronger

bark　which　is　of　a　full　year's　growth　is　separated

from　the　thinner；　which　covered　the　younger

branches；　and　which　yields　the　best　and　whitest

paper。　After　it　has　been　sufficiently　cleansed　out

and　separated；　it　must　be　boiled　in　clear　ley；　and

if　stirred　frequently　it　soon　becomes　of　a　suitable

nature。



〃It　is　then　washed；　a　process　requiring　much

attention　and　great　skill　and　judgment；　for　if　it

be　not　washed　long　enough；　although　strong　and

of　good　body；　will　be　coarse　and　of　little　value；　if

washed　too　long　it　will　afford　a　white　paper；　but

will　be　spongy　and　unfit　for　writing　upon。　Having

been　washed　until　it　becomes　a　soft　and　woolly

pulp；　it　is　spread　upon　a　table　and　beat　fine　with　a

mallet。　It　is　then　put　into　a　tub　with　an　infusion

of　rice　and　breni　root；　when　the　whole　is　stirred

until　the　ingredients　are　thoroughly　mixed　in　a

mass　of　proper　consistence。　The　moulds　on　which

sheets　are　formed　are　made　of　reeds　cut　into　narrow

strips　instead　of　wire；　and　the　process　of　dipping

is　like　that　of　other　countries。　After　being

allowed　to　remain　a　short　time　in　heaps　under　a

slight　pressure；　the　sheets　are　exposed　to　the　sun；

by　which　they　are　properly　dried。



〃The　Arabians　in　the　seventh　century　appear

to　have　either　discovered　or　to　have　learned　from

the　Chinese　or　Hindoos；　quite　likely　from　the　latter；

the　art　of　making　paper　from　cotton；　for　it　is

known　that　a　manufactory　of　such　paper　was　established

at　Samarcand　about　the　year　706　A。　D；　The

Arabians　seem　to　have　carried　the　art　to　Spain；

and　to　have　there　made　paper　from　linen　and　hemp

as　well　as　from　cotton。



〃The　art　of　manufacturing　paper　from　cotton

is　supposed　to　have　found　its　way　into　Europe　in

the　eleventh　century。　The　first　paper　of　that　kind

was　made　of　raw　cotton；　but　its　manufacture　was

by　the　Arabians　extended　to　old　worn…out　cotton；

and　even　to　the　smallest　pieces　it　is　said。　But　as

there　are　cotton　plants　of　various　kinds；　it　was　natural

that　they　should　produce　papers　of　different

qualities；　and　it　was　impossible　to　unite　their

woolly　particles　so　firmly　as　to　form　a　strong　substantial

paper；　for　want　of　sufficient　skill　and

proper　machinery；　using　as　they　did　mortars　and

rude　horse…mills。　The　Greeks；　it　is　said；　made

use　of　cotton　paper　before　the　Latins。　It　came

into　Germany　through　Venice　and　was　called　Greek

parchment。



〃The　Moors；　who　were　the　paper…makers　of

Spain；　having　been　expelled　by　the　Spaniards；

the　latter；　acquainted　with　water　mills；　improved

the　manufacture　so　as　to　produce　a　paper　from

cotton　nearly　equal　to　that　made　of　linen　rags。〃



A　chronology　of　paper　relating　to　the　earliest　specimens

of　them　can　also　be　found　in　Munsell's　work　on

that　subject；　several　are　here　cited：



〃A。　D。　704。　The　Arabians　are　supposed　to

have　acquired　the　knowledge　of　making　paper　of

cotton；　by　their　conquests　in　Tartary。



〃A。　D。　706。　Casiri；　a　Spanish　author；　attributes

the　invention　of　cotton　paper　to　Joseph　Amru；　in

this　year；　at　Mecca；　but　it　is　well　known　that　the

Chinese　and　Persians　were　acquainted　with　its

manufacture　before　this　period。



〃A。　D。　900。　The　bulls　of　the　popes　in　the　eighth　and　ninth

centuries　were　written　upon　cotton　paper。



〃A。　D。　900。　Montfaucon；　who　on　account　of

his　diligence　and　the　extent　of　his　researches　is

great　authority；　wrote　a　dissertation　to　prove　that

charta　bombycine；　cotton　paper；　was　discovered　in

the　empire　of　the　east　toward　the　end　of　the　ninth

or　beginning　of　the　tenth　century。



〃A。　D。　1007。　The　plenarium；　or　inventory；　of

the　treasure　of　the　church　of　Sandersheim；　is　written

upon　paper　of　cotton；　bearing　this　date。



〃A。　D。　1049。　The　oldest　manuscript　in　England

written　upon　cotton　paper；　is　in　the　Bodleian　collection

of　the　British　Museum；　having　this　date。



〃A。　D。　1050。　The　most　ancient　manuscript　on

cotton　paper；　that　has　been　discovered　in　the

Royal　Library　at　Paris　having　a　date；　bears　record

of　this　year。



〃A。　D。　1085。　The　Christian　successors　of　Moorish

paper…makers　at　Toledo　in　Spain；　worked　the

paper…mills　to　better　advantage　than　their　predecessors。

Instead　of　manufacturing　paper　of　raw

cotton；　which　is　easily　recognized　by　its　yellowness

and　brittleness；　they　made　it　of　rags；　in　moulds

through　which　the　water　ran　off；　for　this　reason　it

was　called　parchment　cloth。



〃A。　D。　1100。　The　Aphorisms　of　Hippocrates；　in

Arabia；　the　manuscript　of　which　bears　this　date；

has　been　pronounced　the　oldest　specimen　of　linen

paper　that　has　come　to　light。



〃A。　D。　1100。　Arabic　manuscripts　were　at　this

time　written　on　satin　paper；　and　embellished　with

a　quantity　of　ornamental　work；　painted　in　such

gay　and　resplendent　colors　that　the　reader　might

behold　his　face　reflected　as　if　from　a　mirror。



〃A。　D。　1100。　There　was　a　diploma　of　Roger；

king　of　Sicily；　dated　1145；　in　which　be　says　that

he　had　renewed　on　parchment　a　charter　that　had

been　written　on　cotton　paper　in　1100。



〃A。　D。　1102。　The　king　of　Sicily　appears　to

have　accorded　a　diploma　to　an　ancient　family　of

paper…makers　who　had　established　a　manufactory

in　that　island；　where　cotton　was　indigenous；　and

this　has　been　thought　to　point　to　the　origin　of　cotton

paper；　quite　erroneously。



〃A。　D。　1120。　Peter　the　Venerable；　abbot　of

Clum；　who　flourished　about　this　time；　declared

that　paper　from　linen　rags　was　in　use　in　his　day。



〃A。　D。　1150。　Edrisi；　who　wrote　at　this　time；

tells　us　that　the　paper　made　at　Xativa；　an　ancient

city　of　Valencia；　was　excellent；　and　was　exported

to　countries　east　and　west。



〃A。　D。　1151。　An　Arabian　author　certifies　that

very　fine　white　cotton　paper　was　manufactured　in

Spain；　and　Cacim　aben　Hegi　assures　us　that　the　best

was　made　at　Xativa。　The　Spaniards　being　acquainted

with　water…mills；　improved　upon　the　Moorish

method　of　grinding　the　raw　cotton　and　rags；　and

by　stam