forty centuries of ink-第6章

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only　as　a　work　resulting　from　the　pride　and　vanity

of　those　monarchs；　who　had　amassed　such　a　number

of　books；　not　for　their　own　use；　but　merely　for

pomp　and　ostentation。　This　reflection；　however；

seems　to　discover　very　little　sagacity；　for　is　it　not

evident　beyond　contradiction；　that　none　but　kings

are　capable　of　founding　these　magnificent　libraries；

which　become　a　necessary　treasure　to　the　learned；

and　do　infinite　honour　to　those　states　in　which　they

are　established？



〃The　library　of　Serapion；　did　not　sustain　any

damage；　and　it　was　undoubtedly　there　that　Cleopatra

deposited　those　two　hundred　thousand　volumes

from　that　of　Pergamus；　which　was　presented

to　her　by　Antony。　This　addition；　with　other　enlargements

that　were　made　from　time　to　time；　rendered

the　new　library　of　Alexandria　more　numerous

and　considerable　than　the　first；　and　though　it

was　ransacked　more　than　once；　during　the　troubles

and　revolutions　which　happened　in　the　Roman　empire；

it　always　retrieved　its　losses；　and　recovered

its　number　of　volumes。　In　this　condition　it　subsisted

for　many　ages；　displaying　its　treasures　to　the

learned　and　curious；　till　the　seventh　century；　when

it　suffered　the　same　fate　with　its　parent；　and　was

burnt　by　the　Saracens；　when　they　took　that　city　in

the　year　of　our　Lord　642。　The　manner　by　which

this　misfortune　happened　is　too　singular　to　be　passed

over　in　silence。



〃John；　surnamed　the　Grammarian；　a　famous

follower　of　Aristotle；　happened　to　be　at　Alexandria；

when　the　city　was　taken；　and　as　he　was　much　esteemed

by　Amri　Ebnol　As；　the　general　of　the　Saracen

troops；　he　entreated　that　commander　to　bestow

upon　him　the　Alexandrian　library。　Amri　replied；

that　it　was　not　in　his　power　to　grant　such　a　request；

but　that　he　would　write　to　the　Khalif；　or　emperor

of　the　Saracens；　for　his　orders　on　that　head；　without

which　he　could　not　presume　to　dispose　of　the

library。　He　accordingly　wrote　to　Omar；　the　then

Khalif；　whose　answer　was；　that　if　those　books　contained

the　same　doctrine　with　the　Koran；　they　could

not　be　of　any　use；　because　the　Koran　was　sufficient

in　itself；　and　comprehended　all　necessary　truths；

but　if　they　contained　any　particulars　contrary　to

that　book；　they　ought　to　be　destroyed。　In　consequence

to　this　answer；　they　were　all　condemned　to

the　flames；　without　any　further　examination；　and；

for　that　purpose；　were　distributed　among　the　public

baths；　where；　for　the　space　of　six　months；　they

were　used　for　fuel　instead　of　wood。　We　may　from

hence　form　a　just　idea　of　the　prodigious　number　of

books　contained　in　that　library；　and　thus　was　this

inestimable　treasure　of　learning　destroyed！



The　Museum　of　Bruchion　was　not　burnt　with

the　library　which　was　attached　to　it。　Strabo　acquaints

us；　in　his　description　of　it；　that　it　was　a

very　large　structure　near　the　palace；　and　fronting

the　port；　and　that　it　was　surrounded　with　a　portico；

in　which　the　philosophers　walked。　He　adds；　that

the　members　of　this　society　were　governed　by　a

president；　whose　station　was　so　honourable　and　important；

that；　in　the　time　of　the　Ptolemies；　he　was

always　chosen　by　the　king　himself；　and　afterwards

by　the　Roman　emperor；　and　that　they　had　a　hall

where　the　whole　society　ate　together　at　the　expense

of　the　public；　by　whom　they　were　supported　in　a

very　plentiful　manner。〃



Among　the　other　events　contributing　to　the　deplorable

losses　which　mankind　has　sustained　in　this　respect；

a　sad　one　was　when　the　most　ancient　ink　writings　of　the

Chinese　were　ordered　to　be　destroyed　by　their　emperor

Chee…Whange…Tee；　in　the　third　century　before

Christ；　with　the　avowed　purpose　that　everything

should　begin　anew　as　from　his　reign。　The　small　portion

of　them　which　escaped　destruction　were　recovered

and　preserved　by　his　successors。







CHAPTER　III。



CLASSICAL　INK　AND　ITS　EXODUS。



THE　MATERIALS　AND　METHODS　EMPLOYED　IN　PREPARING

THE　INK　MSS。　OF　ANTIQUITYTHE　INTRODUCTION

OF　PARCHMENT　AS　A　SUBSTITUTE　FOR

PAPYRUSMODE　OF　WRITING　ON　PARCHMENTHOW

SEPARATE　PIECES　WERE　FIRST　JOINED　INTO　BOOK

FORMEVIDENCE　OF　THE　CHARACTER　OF　WRITING

UTENSILS　TO　BE　FOUND　IN　ANCIENT　PICTURESSOME

FORMULAS　BY　THE　YOUNGER　PLINY　AND　HIS　CONTEMPORARY

DIOSCORIDESHOW　THE　GREEKS　AND

ROMANS　KEPT　THEIR　PAPYRI　FROM　BREAKINGWHEN

BLACK　INK　BEGAN　TO　FALL　INTO　DISUSE　AND　ITS

CAUSETHE　ADOPTION　OF　THE　STYLUS　AND　ITS　ACCOMPANYING

SHEETS　OF　LEAD；　IVORY；　METAL　AND

WOOD　COATED　WITH　WAXTHE　EFFORTS　MADE　TO

RESUME　THE　USE　OF　SOME　INK　WHICH　WOULD　BIND

TO　PARCHMENTWHY　THERE　ARE　NO　ORIGINAL　MSS。

EXTANT　BELONGING　TO　THE　TIME　OF　CHRISTTHE

INVENTION　OF　THE　VITRIOLIC　INKSHUMPHREY'S

BLUNDER　IN　LOCATING　DATES　OF　EARLY　GREEK

MSS。THE　DESTRUCTION　OF　THE　CITIES　OF　HERCULANEUM

AND　POMPEIIAWAKENING　OF　INTEREST

AGAIN　ABOUT　THE　EMPLOYMENT　OF　INKSREDISCOVERIES

OF　SOME　OF　THE　MORE　REMOTE　ANCIENT

RECIPESTHE　WRITERS　IN　GOLD　AND　SILVERRECORDED

INSTANCES　OF　ILLUMINATED　MSS。PASSAGE

FROM　THE　BOOK　OF　JOB　WRITTEN　BY　ST。

JEROMEDENIAL　OF　THE　EMPLOYMENT　OF　TANNO…

GALLATE　OF　IRON　INK　IN　THE　FOURTH　CENTURY

DESTRUCTION　OF　THE　INSPIRED　WRITINGS　BY　ORDER

OF　THE　ROMAN　SENATETHE　ECLIPSE　OF　CLASSICAL

LITERATURE　AND　DISMEMBERMENT　OF　THE

ROMAN　EMPIREPOEM　ON　THE　THOUSAND　YEARS

KNOWN　AS　THE　DARK　AGES　WHICH　FOLLOWED。



THEOPHRASTUS　says　that　the　papyrus　books　of　the　ancients

were　no　other　than　rolls　prepared　in　the　following

manner：　Two　leaves　of　the　rush　were　plastered　together；

usually　with　the　mud　of　the　Nile；　in　such　a

fashion　that　the　fibres　of　one　leaf　should　cross　the　fibres

of　the　other　at　right　angles；　the　ends　of　each　being

then　cut　off；　a　square　leaf　was　obtained；　equally　capable

of　resisting　fracture　when　pulled　or　taken　hold　of

in　any　direction。　In　this　form　the　papyri　were　exported

in　great　quantities。　In　order　to　form　these

single　leaves　into　the　〃scapi；〃　or　rolls　of　the　ancients；

about　twenty　were　glued　together　end　to　end。　The

writing　was　then　executed　in　parallel　columns　a　few

inches　wide；　running　transversely　to　the　length　of　the

scroll。　To　each　end　of　the　scrolls　were　attached　round

staves　similar　to　those　we　use　for　maps。　To　these

staves；　strings；　known　as　〃umbilici；〃　were　attached；

to　the　ends　of　which　bullae　or　weights　were　fixed。

The　books　when　rolled　up；　were　bound　up　with　these

umbilici；　and　were　generally　kept　in　cylindrical　boxes

or　capsae；　a　term　from　which　the　Mediaeval　〃capsula；〃

or　book…cover　was　derived。　〃The　mode　in　which　the

students　held　the　rolls　in　order　to　read　from　them　is

well　shown　in　a　painting　in　the　house　of　a　surgeon　at

Pompeii。　One　of　the　staves；　with　the　papyrus　rolled

round　it；　was　held　in　each　hand；　at　a　distance　apart

equal　to　the　width　of　one　or　more　of　the　transverse

columns　of　writing。　As　soon　as　the　eye　was　carried

down　to　the　bottom　of　a　column；　one　hand　rolled　up

and　the　other　unrolled　sufficient　of　the　papyrus　to

bring　a　fresh　column　opposite　to　the　reader's　eye；　and

so　on　until　the　whole　was　wound　round　one　of　the

staves；　when；　of　course；　the　student　had　arrived　at　the

end　of　his　book。〃



Eumenes；　king　of　Pergamus；　being　unable　to　procure

the　Egyptian　papyrus；　through　the　jealousy　of

one　of　the　Ptolemies；　who　occupied　himself　in　forming

a　rival　library　to　the　one　which　subsequently

became　so　celebrated　at　Pergamus；　introduced　the

use　of　Parchment　properly　〃dressed〃　for　taking

ink　and　pigments　and　hence　the　derivation　of　the

word　〃pergamena〃　as　applied　to　parchment　or　vellum；

the　former　substance　being　the　prepared　skin

of　sheep；　and　the　latter　of　calves。



The　sheets　of　parchment　were　joined　end　to　end；　as

the　sheets　of　papyrus　had　been；　and　when　written

upon；　on　one　side　only；　and　in　narrow　columns　across

the　breadth　of　the　scroll；　were　rolled　up　around　staves

and　bound　with　strings；　to　which　seals　of　wax　were

occasionally　attached；　in　place　of　the　more　common

leaden　bullae。



The　custom　of　dividing　wax；　ivory；　wood　and　metal

MSS。　into　pages　and　in　this　way　into　book　form　is　said

by　Suetonius　to　have　been　introduced　by　Julius　Caesar；

whose　letters　to　the　Senate　were　so　made　up；　and

after　whose　time　the　practice　became　usual　for　all

documents　either　addressed　to；　or　issuing　from　that

body；　or　to　or　from　the　Emperors。　As　that　form　subsequently

crept　into　general　use；　the　books　were　known

as　〃codices；〃　and　hence　the　ordinary　term　as　applied

to　manuscript　volumes。



All　classes　of　〃books；〃　the　reeds　for　writing　in

them；　the　inkstands；　and　the　〃capsae〃　or　〃scrinia；〃

the　boxes　in　which　the　〃scapi〃　or　rolls　were　kept；

are　minutely　portrayed　in　ancient　wall…paintings　and

ivory　diptychs　（double　tablets）；　and　which　may　belong

to　a　period　near　the　beginning　of　the　Christian　era。



Pliny　and　Dioscorides　have　given　the　formulas　for

the　writing　inks　used　by　the　Greek　and　Roman　scribes

immediately　before　and　during　their　time。　Pliny　declares

that　the　ink　of　the　bookmakers　was　made　of

soot；　charcoal　and　gum；　although　he　does　not　state

what　fluid　was　employed　to　commingle　them。　He　does；

however；　mention　to　an　occasional　use　of　some　acid

（vinegar）　to　give　the　ink　a　binding　property　on　the

papyrus。



Dioscorides；　however；　specifies　the　proportions　of

this　〃soot〃　ink。　Another　formula　alluded　to　by　the

same　author　calls　for　a　half　ounce　each　of　copperas

（blue）　and　ox…glue；　with　half　pound　of　smoke　black

made　from　burned　resin。　He　adds；　〃is　a　good　application

in　cases　of　gangrene　and　is　useful　in　scalds；　if　a

little　thickened　and　employed　as　a　salve。〃　De　Vinne

speaks　of　this　as　a　〃crude〃　receipt　which　will　enable

one　to　form　a　correct　opinion　of　the　quality　of

scientific　knowledge　then　applied　to　medicine　and　the

mechanical　arts；　also　that　these　mixtures　which　are

more　like　shoe　blacking　than　writing　fluid　were　used

with　immaterial　modifications　by　the　scribes　of　the

dark　ages。



The　old　Greeks　and　Romans　had　no　substitute　for

the　papyrus；　which　was　so　brittle　that　it　could　not　be

folded　or　creased。　It　could　not　be　bound　up　in　books；

nor　could　it　be　rolled　up　unsupported。　It　was　secure

only　when　it　had　been　wound　around　a　wooden　or

metal　roller。



After　the　wholesale　destruction　of　the　libraries　of

ink…written　MSS。；　the　black　inks　began　to　fall　into　disuse；

their　value　in　respect　to　quality　gradually　deteriorated；

caused　by　the　displacement　of　gummy

vehicles；　and　a　consequent　absence　of　any　chance　of

union　between　the　parchment　or　papyrus　and　the　dry

black　particles；　which　could　be　〃blown〃　or　washed

off。　To　employ　any　other　kind　of　ink　except　one　of

natural　origin　like　the　juice　of　berries　which　soon

disappeared；　was　forbidden　by　prevailing　religious

customs。　Such　conditions　naturally　merged　into

others；　in　the　shape　of　〃ink〃　substitutes　for　writing；

the　stylus；　with　its　accompanying　sheets　or　tablets

of　ivory；　wood；　metal　and　wax　came　into　popular

vogue　and　so　continued　for　many　centuries；　ev