forty centuries of ink-第7章

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of　ivory；　wood；　metal　and　wax　came　into　popular

vogue　and　so　continued　for　many　centuries；　even　after

the　employment　of　ink　for　writing　purposes　had　been

resumed。



Ovid；　in　his　story　of　Caunus　and　Byblis；　illustrates

the　use　of　the　tables　（tablets）；　and　he　lived　at　the　time

of　the　birth　of　Christ；　thus　translated：



　〃Then　fits　her　trembling　hands　to　Write：

　One　holds　the　Wax；　the　Style　the　other　guides；

　Begins；　doubts；　writes；　and　at　the　Table　chides；

　Notes；　razes；　changes　oft；　dislikes；　approves；

　Throws　all　aside；　resumes　what　she　removes。

　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*

　〃The　Wax　thus　filled　with　her　successless　wit；

　She　Verses　in　the　utmost　margin　writ。〃



He　also　makes　reference　to　inks；　in　the　passage

taken　from　his　first　elegy；　〃Ad　Librum：〃



　〃Nec　te　purpureo　velent　vaccinia　succo；

　Non　est　conveniens　luctibus　ille　color。

　Nec　titulus　minio；　nec　cedro　charta　notetur。

　Candida　nec　nigra　cornua　fronte　geras。〃



which　Davids　translates　as　follows：



〃TO　HIS　BOOK。



　〃Nor　shall　huckleberries　stain　（literally　veil）　thee　with　purple

　　　　　　　　　　juice：

　That　color　is　not　becoming　to　lamentations。

　Nor　shall　title　（or　head…letter）　be　marked　with　vermillion；　or

　　　　　　　　　　paper　with　cedar；

　Thou　shalt　carry　neither　white　nor　black　horns　on　thy　forehead

　　　　　　　　　　（or　front；　or　frontispiece）。〃



The　traditions　handed　down　as　of　this　era　relating

to　the　efforts　to　find　some　substitute　for　〃Indian〃

ink　which　would　not　only　〃bind〃　to　parchment　and

vellum　but　also　would　be　satisfactory　to　the　priests；

are　more　or　less　confirmed　by　the　younger　Pliny；　and

makes　it　safe　to　assume　that　several　were　invented

and　employed　in　writing；　though　possessing　but　little

lasting　qualities。　Their　use　and　natural　disappearance

is　perhaps　the　real　cause　of　the　fact　that　there　are　no

original　MSS。　extant　dating　as　of　or　belonging　to　the

time　immediately　preceding　or　following　the　birth　of

Christ；　or　indeed　until　long　after　his　death。



There　is　some　authority　though　for　the　statement

that　at　this　time　two　vitriolic　substances　were　used　in

the　preparation　of　black　ink；a　slime　or　sediment

（Salsugo）　and　a　yellow　vitriolic　earth　（Misy）。　This

last…named　mineral；　is　unquestionably　the　same　natural

chemical　mentioned　by　writers；　which　about　the　end

of　the　first　century　was　designated　〃kalkanthum〃　or

〃chalkanthum〃　and　possessed　not　only　the　appearance

of；　but　the　virtues　of　what　we　know　as　blue

copperas　or　sulphate　of　copper。　It　continued　in　use

as　long　as　men　were　unacquainted　with　the　art　of

lixiviating　salt；　or；　in　other　words；　as　long　as　they　had

no　vitriol　manufactories。　Commingled　with　lampblack；

bitumen　or　like　black　substances　in　gummy

water；　it　was　acceptable　to　the　priests　for　ritualistic

writings　and　was　in　general　vogue　for　several　centuries

thereafter　under　the　name　of　（blue）　〃vitriolic〃

ink；　notwithstanding　the　fact　that　there　could　not　be

any　lasting　chemical　union　between　such　materials。



It　was　the　so…called　〃vitriolic〃　ink；　which　is　said

to　have　〃corroded　the　delicate　leaves　of　the　papyrus

and　to　have　eaten　through　both　parchment　and

vellum。〃



These　deductions；　however；　do　not　agree　with　some

of　the　historians　and　scholars　like　Noel　Humphreys；

author　of　the　〃Origin　and　Progress　of　the　Art　of

Writing；〃　London；　1855；　a　recognized　authority　on　the

subject　of　ancient　MSS。；　who　but　repeats　in　part　the

text　of　earlier　writers；　when　he　says；　p。　101：



〃Examples　of　early　Greek　MSS。　of　the　last　century

previous　to　the　Christian　era　are　not　confined

to　Egyptian　sources；　the　buried　city　of　Herculaneum；

in　Italy；　partially　destroyed　about　seventy…

nine　years　before　the　Christian　era；　and　injured　by

subsequeut　eruptions；　till　totally　destroyed　by　the

most　violent　eruption　of　Vesuvius　on　record；　that

of　the　year　471　A。　D。　having　yielded　several

specimens。〃



The　MSS。　examples　mentioned　in　the　citation；　must

of　necessity　refer　to　specimens　of　writing　made　with

〃vitriolic〃　and　even　more　ancient　inks。　They　are　to

be　considered　in　conjunction　with　the　historical　fact

that　these　cities　were　buried　for　more　than　sixteen

hundred　years；　counting　from　the　first　eruption；　before

they　were　brought　to　light　（Herculaneum　was　discovered

A。　D。　1713　and　Pompeii；　forty　years　later）；

also　that　they　must　have　been　subjected　to　intense

heat　and　a　long　period　of　decay　which　could　only　operate

to　rob　them　of　all　traces　of　natural　ink　phenomena。

Furthermore；　the　information　Mr。　Humphreys

seeks　to　convey；　dates　contemporaneously　with　the　first

eruption　of　Vesuvius；　which　occurred　seventy…nine

years　AFTER　the　Christian　era　and　not　seventy…nine

years　BEFORE　it。



This　stupendous　blunder　involves　a　period　of　one

hundred　and　fifty…eight　years；　if　it　is　rectified；　the

〃early　Greek　MSS。〃　are　shown　to　emanate　from　the

second　half　of　the　first　century　following　the　birth　of

Christ　and　confirming　to　some　extent　the　deductions

hereinbefore　made；　although　the　probabilities　are　that

they　belong　to　later　periods；　included　in　the　third　and

fourth　centuries。



It　is　affirmed　that　the　eruption　of　Mt。　Vesuvius

A。　D。　79；　did　not　entirely　destroy　the　cities　of　Herculaneum

and　Pompeii；　and　that　they　emerged　from　their

ruins　in　the　reign　of　the　Emperor　Titus。　They　are

also　mentioned　as　inhabited　cities　in　the　chart　of

Peutinger；　which　is　of　the　date　of　Constantine。



The　next　eruption；　A。　D。　471；　was　probably　the　most

frightful　on　record　if　we　exclude　the　volcanic　eruption

of　Mt。　Pelee；　which　occurred　in　Martinique；　West

Indies；　in　1902；　destroying　thirty　thousand　human

beings　in　fifteen　minutes　and　devastating　nearly　the

entire　island。　From　Marcellinus　we　learn　that　the

ashes　of　the　Vesuvius　volcano　were　vomited　over　a

great　portion　of　Europe；　reaching　to　Constantinople；

where　a　festival　was　instituted　in　commemoration　of

the　strange　phenomenon。　After　this；　we　hear　no

more　of　these　cities；　but　the　portion　of　the　inhabitants

who　escaped　built　or　occupied　suburbs　at　Nola　in

Campania　and　at　Naples。　In　the　latter　city；　the　Regio

Herculanensium；　or　Quarter　of　the　Herculaneans；　an

inscription　marked　on　several　lapidary　monuments；

indicates　the　part　devoted　to　the　population　driven

from　the　doomed　city。



The　ancient　inkstand　found　at　Herculaneum；　said

to　contain　a　substance　resembling　a　thick　oil　or　paint

characteristic　of　a　material　which　it　is　alleged；　〃some

of　the　manuscripts　have　been　written　in　a　sort　of

relievo；　visible　in　the　letters　when　a　'leaf'　is　held　to

the　light　in　a　horizontal　direction；〃　it　is　not　impossible；

indeed　it　is　quite　probable；　belonged　to　an　era　centuries

later　than　the　period　to　which　it　has　been　assigned。



〃No　perfect　papyri；　but　only　fragments；　have　been

found　at　Pompeii。　At　Herculaneum；　up　to　the　year

1825；　1；756　had　been　obtained；　besides　many　others

destroyed　by　the　workmen；　who　imagined　them　to　be

mere　sticks　of　charcoal。　Most　of　them　were　found

in　a　suburban　villa；　in　a　room　of　small　dimensions；

ranged　in　presses　round　the　sides　of　the　room；　in　the

center　of　which　stood　a　sort　of　rectangular　bookcase。



〃Sir　Humphry　Davy；　after　investigating　their

chemical　nature；　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　they

had　not　been　carbonized　by　heat；　but　changed　by　the

long　action　of　air　and　moisture；　and　he　visited　Naples

in　hopes　of　rendering　the　resources　of　chemistry

available　towards　deciphering　these　long…lost　literary

treasures。　His　expectations；　however；　were　not　fully

crowned　with　success；　although　the　partial　efficacy　of

his　methods　was　established；　and　he　relinquished　the

pursuit　at　the　end　of　six　months；　partly　from　disappointment；

partly　from　a　belief　that　vexatious　obstacles

were　thrown　in　his　way　by　the　jealousy　of　the

persons　to　whom　the　task　of　unrolling　had　been　intrusted。

About　five　hundred　volumes　have　been　well

and　neatly　unrolled。　It　is　rather　remarkable　that；　as

far　as　can　be　learned；　no　manuscript　of　any　known

standard　work　has　been　found；　nor；　indeed；　any　production

of　any　of　the　great　luminaries　of　the　ancient

world。　The　most　celebrated　person　of　whom　any

work　has　been　found　is　Epicurus；　whose　treatise；　De

Natura；　has　been　successfully　unrolled。　This　and　a

few　other　treatises　have　been　published。　The　library

in　which　this　was　found　appears　to　have　been　rich　in

treatises　on　the　Epicurean　philosophy。　The　only

Latin　work　which　it　contained　was　a　poem；　attributed

to　Rabirius；　on　the　war　of　Caesar　and　Antony。〃



Beginning　with　A。　D。　200；　the　employment　of　inks

became　more　and　more　constant　and　popular。　Rediscoveries

of　ancient　formulas　belonging　to　a　more

remote　antiquity　multiplied　in　number。　Silver　ink

was　again　quite　common　in　most　countries。　Red　ink

made　of　vermilion　（a　composition　of　mercury；　sulphur

and　potash）　and　cinnabar　（native　mercuric　sulphide）

were　employed　in　the　writing　of　the　titles　as　was　blue

ink　made　of　indigo；　cobalt　or　oxide　of　copper。　Tyrian

purple　was　used　for　coloring　the　parchment　or　vellum。

The　〃Indian〃　inks　made　by　the　Chinese　were　imported

and　used　in　preference　to　those　of　similar

character　manufactured　at　home。　The　stylus　and

waxed　tablets　though　still　used；　in　a　measure　gave　way

to　the　reawakened　interest　in　ink　and　ink　writings。



A　greater　facility　in　writing；　due　to　the　gradual

reduction　in　size　of　the　uncial　（inch）　letters　was

thereby　attained。



There　were　〃writers　in　gold〃　and　〃writers　in

silver〃　who　travelled　from　the　East　into　Greece　and

who　bad　found　their　way　before　the　third　century

into　the　very　heart　of　Rome。　Their　business　was　to

embellish　the　manuscript　writings　of　those　times。　It

was　considered　en　regale　for　authors　to　〃illuminate〃

their　MSS。　and　those　who　failed　to　do　so　suffered　in

popularity。



These　authors　frequently　allude　to　their　use　of　red；

black　and　secret　inks。



Martial　in　his　first　epistle　points　out　the　bookseller's

shop　opposite　the　Julian　Forum　where　his　works　may

be　obtained　〃smoothed　with　pumice　stone　and　decorated

with　purple。〃　Seneca　mentions　books　ornamented

〃cum　imaginabus。〃　Varro　is　related　by　the

younger　Pliny　to　have　illustrated　his　works　by　pictures

of　more　than　seven　hundred　illustrious　persons。

Martial　dwells　on　the　edition　of　Virgil；　with　his

portrait　as　a　frontispiece。



The　earliest　recorded　instance　of　the　richer　adornments

of　golden　lettering　on　purple　or　rose…stained

vellum　is　given　by　Julius　Capitolinus　in　his　life　of　the

Emperor　Maximinus　the　younger。　He　therein　mentions

that　the　mother　of　the　emperor　presented　to　him

on　his　return　to　his　tutor　（early　in　the　third　century）；

a　copy　of　the　works　of　Homer；　written　in　gold　upon

purple　vellum。



The　fugitive　character；　as　before　stated；　of　a　great

many　of　the　colored　inks；　and　indeed　most　of　the

black　ones　which　were　undoubtedly　employed；　is　the

principal　reason