forty centuries of ink-第56章

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Baber；　A。　H。　856；　and　was　buried　in　the　suburbs

of　his　native　city；　Sebzwar；　in　a　mausoleum　erected

by　his　ancestors。



〃Mir　Ali；　who　transcribed　this　book；　was　the

most　excellent　penman　of　his　time。　He　was　born

in　the　reign　of　Sultan　Hussein　Mirza　Bahudur；　the

son　of　Mansur；　and　great　grandson　of　Omar　Sheikh；

the　second　son　of　Tamerlane。　He　was　a　learned

man　and　good　poet；　and　took　the　Takhulas　（poetical

title）　most　appropriate　to　his　greatest　accomplishments；

of　Al　Cateb；　or　'the　Scribe。'　He　was　the

pupil　of　Sultan　Ali；　but　far　exceeded　his　master　in

calligraphy。　An　entire　book　written　by　him　is

justly　esteemed　a　great　treasure　in　the　East。



〃On　the　back　of　the　first　page　of　this　most

beautiful　manuscript　are　the　autographs　of　the

Emperors　of　Hindustan；　Jehangir　（the　son　of　the

great　Acber）　and　his　son　Shah　Jehan；　there　is

also　the　seal　of　Aurangzeb；　the　son　of　Shah　Jehun。

Jehangir　dates　the　acquiring　possession　of　this

treasure　A。　H。　1025；　and　Shah　Jehun；　A。　H。　1037。



〃A　collection　of　mythological　drawings　（brought

from　a　fort　in　Bhutan；　where　they　were　taken　as

plunder）　exceedingly　well　coloured；　and　richly

illumined。　Some　of　the　deities　resemble　those　of

the　Tartars；　delineated　by　the　traveller　Pallas；

others　again　are　pure　Hindu　and　many　Chinese；

but　the　most　frequent　are　the　representations　of

Baudh；　exactly　as　depicted　in　the　paintings　and

temples　at　Ceylon。　The　religion　of　Bhutan　and

Neipal　seems　to　be　like　the　local　situation　of　those

countries；　the　link　of　connection　between　that　of

the　Hindus；　with　its　different　schisms；　and　that　of

the　Chinese　with　the　Tartar　superstructure。



〃With　this　book　of　drawings　are　several　rolls

of　Bhutan　Scripture；　very　well　stamped　by　stereotype

blocks　of　wood。　Some　of　the　blocks　accompanied

the　drawings；　they　are　sharply　and　neatly

cut　in　a　kind　of　Sanscrit　character；　and　are　objects

of　great　curiosity；　as；　by　the　accounts　of　the　natives；

this　mode　of　printing　has　been　in　use　for　time　immemorial。〃



〃There　are　besides　in　Sir　Gore　Ouseley's　collection

1；100　most　beautiful　books　of　Persian　and

Indian　paintings；　portraits　of　the　Emperors　of

Hindustan　from　Sultan　Baber　down　to　Bahudur

Shah；　finely　colored　drawings　of　natural　history；

and　curious　designs　of　fancy；　with　specimens　of

fine　penmanship　in　the　different　kinds　of　Arabic

and　Persian　characters。　Several　Sanscrit　manuscripts；

highly　ornamented　and　richly　illumined；

some　of　them　written　in　letters　of　gold　and　silver

on　a　black　ground。　Many　of　them　illustrated　with

the　neatest　miniature　paintings　of　the　Hindu　gods

and　saints。　Two　Korans；　the　letters　entirely　of

gold；　with　the　vowel　points　in　black。　The　two

versions　of　Pilpais　or　Bedpai's　fables；　by　Hussein

Vaiz　and　Abulfazl；　illustrated　with　upwards　of　700

highly　finished　miniatures；　the　best　historical

works　in　the　Persian　language；　finely　written；　and

in　high　preservation。〃



The　high　regard　with　which　the　writers　of　MSS。　in

ancient　Persia　were　viewed　may　be　learned　among

other　things　from　the　following　anecdote：



One　of　the　most　eminent　among　them　was　in　his

walks　solicited　by　a　beggar　for　alms。　〃Money；〃　he

replied；　〃I　have　none；〃　but　taking　his　pen　and　ink

from　his　girdle；　which　are　the　insignia　of　the　profession

（without　which　they　never　went　abroad）；　he　took

a　piece　of　paper；　and　wrote　some　word　or　other　upon

it。　The　poor　man　received　it　with　gratitude；　and　sold

it　to　the　first　wealthy　person　he　met　for　a　golden

mohur；　in　value　about　2。50。



〃Is　not　this　a　lamentable　thing；　that　of　the　skin　of

an　innocent　lamb　should　be　made　Parchment？

that　Parchment　being　scribbled　o'er　should

undo　a　man？〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2　King　Henry　VI；　iv；　2。



The　Boston　News　Letter；　1769；　announces：



〃The　belleart　will　go　through　Boston　before　the

end　of　next　month；　to　collect　rags　for　the　paper

mill　at　Milton；　when　all　people　that　will　encourage

the　paper　manufactory　may　dispose　of　them。〃



　〃Rags　are　as　beauties；　which　concealed　lie；

　But　when　in　paper　how　it　charms　the　eye；

　Pray　save　your　rags；　new　beauties　it　discover；

　For　paper　truly　every　one's　a　lover：



　By　the　pen　and　press　such　knowledge　is　displayed；

　As　wouldn't　exist；　if　paper　was　not　made。

　Wisdom　of　things；　mysterious；　divine；

　Illustriously　doth　on　paper　shine。〃



Gen。　Walter　Martin；　proprietor　of　the　township　of

Martinsburg；　Lewis　county；　N。　Y。；　erected　a　paper…mill；

which　was　run　by　John　Clark　&　Co。　This　was

in　1807。　They　gave　notice　that　rags　would　be　received

at　the　principal　stores　in　Upper　Canada　and

the　Black　river　country；　which　（like　many　of　the

advertisements　of　the　early　papermakers；　both　in

England　and　America）；　was　accompanied　by　a　poetic

address　to　the　ladies；　one　stanza　of　which　ran　thus：



　Sweet　ladies　pray　be　not　offended；

　Nor　mind　the　jests　of　sneering　wags；

　No　harm；　believe　us；　is　intended；

　When　humbly　we　request　your　rags。〃



The　employment　of　complementary　color　screens

has　made　it　possible　to　photograph　colors　which　formerly

indicated　no　contrast　with　white　back　grounds

in　the　negative　and　later　in　the　finished　picture。



This　discovery　has　destroyed　the　value　of　〃safety〃

papers；　based　on　complete　tints　or　possessing　colored

lines　or　words。



〃IN　MANUSCRIPT。



　〃The　rain　storm　wields　a　noisy　pen

　　　　　Adown　the　pane；

　Wet　splashes　leaving；　blots　of　strange　white　ink；

　　　　　Blunders　of　rain。



　〃And　yet　no　poems　of　ecstatic　men；

　　　　　Olympic　faced；

　Could　be　as　wonderful　as　these；　I　think；

　　　　　In　cipher　traced。〃





ISABELLE　HOWE　FISKE。











End