forty centuries of ink-第8章

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many　of　the　colored　inks；　and　indeed　most　of　the

black　ones　which　were　undoubtedly　employed；　is　the

principal　reason　why　so　few　specimens　of　them　remain

to　us。　Those　which　have　proved　themselves　so　lasting

in　character　as　to　be　still　extant；　bear　evidence

of　extreme　care　in　the　preparation　of　both　the　inks

and　the　materials　on　which　the　writings　appear。　Perhaps

one　of　the　finest　illustrations　of　this　practice　is

to　be　found　in　a　book　of　the　Four　Gospels　of　Italian

origin；　discovered　in　the　tenth　century　（a　work　of　the

fourth　century）　and　deposited　in　the　Harlein　Library。

This　book　is　written　in　〃Indian〃　ink　and　possesses

magnificently　embellished　and　illuminated　letters　at

the　beginning　of　each　Gospel；　which　are　on　vellum

stained　in　different　colors。



St。　Jerome　calls　attention　to　this　class　of　books　in

a　well…known　passage　of　his　preface　to　the　Book　of

Job；　also　written　in　the　fourth　century；　where　he　explains

as　translated：



〃Let　those　who　will　have　old　books　written　in

gold　and　silver　on　purple　parchment；　or；　as　they

are　commonly　called；　in　uncial…letters；rather　ponderous

loads　than　books；so　long　as　they　permit

me　and　mine　to　have　copies；　and　rather　correct　than

beautiful　books。〃



It　has　been　said　that　the　Tanno…gallate　of　Iron　Inks

（iron　salts；　nut…galls　and　gum）　were　first　used　in　the

fourth　century。　There　is　positively　no　credible　authority

for　such　a　statement；　nor　is　there　a　single

monument　in　the　shape　of　a　documentary　specimen

of　ink　writing　of　that　one　or　an　earlier　century　made

with　such　an　ink　in　any　public　or　private　library　and

as　far　as　known　in　existence。



About　A。　D。　390　the　inspired　writings　（often　termed

pagan）　of　the　classical　countries；　or　at　least　the　copies

or　extracts　of　them；　upon　a　special　search　made　by　order

of　the　Roman　Senate；　including　those　already　mentioned

as　of　the　time　of　Tarquin　（some　nine　hundred

years　earlier）；　were　gathered　up　in　Greece；　Italy　and

other　parts　and　destroyed；　because；　as　we　are　informed；

this　Roman　Senate　had　embraced　the　Christian

faith　and　furthermore　〃such　vanities　began　to　grow

out　of　fashion；　till　at　last　Stilicho　burnt　them　all

under　Honorius　（a　son　of　Theodosius　the　Great）；　for

which　he　is　so　severely　censured　by　the　noble　poet

Rutilius；　in　his　ingenious　itinerary。〃



　Not　only　Roman　Arms　the　Wretch　betrayed

　To　barbarous　Foes；　before　that　cursed　Deed；

　He　burnt　the　Writings　of　the　sacred　Maid；

　We　hate　Althaea　for　the　fatal　Brand；

　When　Nisius　fell；　the　weeping　Birds　complained：

　More　cruel　he　than　the　revengeful　Fair；

　More　cruel　heth　at　Nisius'　Murderer。

　Whose　impious　Hands　into　the　Flames　have　thrown

　The　Heavenly　Pledges　of　the　Roman　Crown；

　Unrav'lling　all　the　Doom　that　careful　Fate　had　spun。〃



The　destruction　of　Rome　by　Alaric；　King　of　the

Western　Goths；　A。　D。　410；　and　the　subsequent

dismemberment　of　the　entire　Roman　Empire　by　the

barbarians　of　the　North　who　followed　in　his　wake；

announced　that　ancient　history　had　come　to　an　end。



It　may　be　truly　said　as　well　that　the　ending　of　the

ancient　history　of　the　black　and　colored　writing　inks

which　began　in　the　obscurity　of　tradition　between

2000　and　1800　B。　C。；　a　period　of　some　2200　years；

was　also　contemporaneous　with　these　events。



The　eclipse　of　ink…written　literature　for　at　least

500　of　the　1000　years　which　followed；　and　known　as

the　Middle　or　〃Dark〃　Ages；　except　in　the　Church

alone；　who　seem　to　have　kept　up　the　production　of

manuscript　books　principally　for　ecclesiastical　and

medical　purposes　was　complete。　Hence；　any　information

pertaining　to　those　epochs　about　ink；　writing

materials　and　ink　writings；　must　be　sought　for　in　the

undestroyed　records　and　the　ink　writings　themselves

left　by　the　fathers　of　the　Church。　All　else　is　tainted

and　of　doubtful　authority。



　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



　〃When　waned　the　star　of　Greece　was　there　no　cry；

　To　rouse　her　people　from　their　lethargy？

　Was　there　no　sentry　on　the　Parthenon

　No　watch…fire　on　the　field　of　Marathon；

　When　science　left　the　Athenian　city's　gate；

　To　seek　protection　from　a　nameless　fate？

　The　sluggish　sentry　sleptno　cry　was　heard

　No　hands　the　glimm'ring　watch…fire's　embers　stirr'd。

　Fair　science　unmolested　left　the　land；

　That　she　had　nurtured　with　maternal　hand；

　And　wandered　forth　some　genial　spot　to　find；

　Where　she　might　rear　her　altar　to　the　mind。

　〃Long　thro'　the　darken'd　ages　of　a　world；

　Back　to　primeval　chaos　rudely　hurled；

　She　journey'd　on　amid　the　gath'ring　gloom；

　A　spectre　form　emerging　from　the　tomb。

　Earth　had　no　resting　placeno　worshipper

　No　dove　returned　with　olive　branch　to　her：

　Her　lamp　burned　dimly；　yet　its　flick'ring　light；

　Guided　the　wanderer　thro'　the　lengthen'd　night。

　Oft　in　her　weary　search；　she　paused　the　while；

　To　catch　one　gleam　of　hopeone　favour'd　smile；

　But　the　dim　mists　of　ignorance　still　threw；

　Their　blighting　influence　o'er　the　famish'd　few；

　Who　deigned　to　look　upon　that　lustrous　eye；

　Which　pierced　the　ages　of　futurity。



　〃For　ten　long　centuries　she　groped　her　way；

　Through　gloom；　and　darkness；　ruin　and　decay；

　Yet　came　at　last　the　morning's　rosy　light；

　A　thousand　echoes　hail'd　the　glorious　sight

　Joy　thrill'd　the　universeone　iningled　cry

　Of　exultation；　pealed　along　the　sky！

　Science　came　forth　in　richer　robes　arrayed

　She　trod　a　pathway　ne'er　before　essayed；

　Up　the　steep　mount　of　fame　she　fleetly　pressed；

　And　hung　her　trophies　on　its　gilded　crest。〃







CHAPTER　IV。



CLASSICAL　INK　AND　ITS　EXODUS　（CONTINUED）。



DESTRUCTION　OF　THE　PERGAMUS　LIBRARY　OF　ALEXANDRIA

SOME　OBSERVATIONS　BY　SIR　THOMAS　ASTLE

COMPARISON　OF　HIS　STATEMENTS　WITH　THOSE　OF

PROFESSOR　ANTHON　RELATIVE　TO　FRAGMENTS　OF

ANTIQUITY　WHICH　REMAINAUTHENTICITY　OF

THEM　NOT　DISTURBED　IF　THEY　ARE　OF　PROPER　AGE

TAYLOR'S　VIEWS　ON　THIS　SUBJECT。



THE　storming　of　Alexandria　and　the　destruction　of

the　Pergamus　library；　composed　largely　of　ink…written

volumes；　by　the　Saracens；　A。　D。　642；　has　already　been

reverted　to。　Astle　observes：



〃Thus　perished　by　fanatical　madness；　the　inestimable

Alexandrian　library；　which　is　said　to　have

contained　at　that　time　upwards　of　five　hundred

thousand　volumes；　and　from　this　period；　barbarity

and　ignorance　prevailed　for　several　centuries。　In

Italy　and　all　over　the　west　of　Europe　learning　was

in　a　measure　extinguished；　except　some　small　remains

which　were　preserved　in　Constantinople。



〃Theodosious；　the　younger；　was　very　assiduous

in　augmenting　this　library；　by　whom；　in　the　latter

end　of　the　fourth　century；　it　was　enlarged　to　one

hundred　thousand　volumes；　above　one…half　of

which　were　burnt　in　the　fifth　century　by　the　Emperor

Leo　the　First；　so　famous　for　his　hatred　to

images。



〃The　inhabitants　of　Constantinople　had　not　lost

their　taste　for　literature　in　the　beginning　of　the

thirteenth　century；　when　this　city　was　sacked　by

the　Crusaders；　in　the　year　1205；　the　depredations

then　committed　are　related　in　Mr。　Harris's　posthumous

works；　vol。　ii；　p。　301；　from　Nicetas　the

Choniate；　who　was　present　at　the　sacking　of　this

place。　His　account　of　the　statues；　bustos；　bronzes；

manuscripts；　and　other　exquisite　remains

of　antiquity；　which　then　perished；　cannot　be　read

by　any　lover　of　arts　and　learning　without　emotion。



〃The　ravages　committed　by　the　Turks　who

plundered　Constantinople；　in　the　year　1453；　are

related　by　Philelphus；　who　was　a　man　of　learning；

and　was　tutor　to　aeneas　Sylvius　（afterwards　pope；

under　the　name　of　Pius　the　Second）　and　was　an

eye…witness　to　what　passed　at　that　time。　This

tutor　says；　that　the　persons　of　quality；　especially

the　women；　still　preserved　the　Greek　language

uncorrupted。　He　observes；　that　though　the　city

had　been　taken　before；　it　never　suffered　so　much

as　at　that　time；　and　adds；　that；　till　that　period；

the　remembrance　of　ancient　wisdom　remained　at

Constantinople；　and　that　no　one　among　the　Latins

was　deemed　sufficiently　learned；　who　had　riot

studied　for　some　time　at　that　place；　he　expressed

his　fear　that　all　the　works　of　the　ancients　would

be　destroyed。



〃Still；　however；　there　are　the　remains　of　three

libraries　at　Constantinople：　the　first　is　called　that

of　Constantine　the　Great；　the　second　is　for　all

ranks　of　people　without　distinction；　the　third　is　in

the　palace；　and　is　called　the　Ottoman　library；　but

a　fire　consumed　a　great　part　of　the　palace；　and

almost　the　whole　library；　when　as　is　supposed；

Livy　and　a　great　many　valuable　works　of　the　ancients

perished。　Father　Possevius　has　given　an

account　of　the　libraries　at　Constantinople；　and　in

other　parts　of　the　Turkish　dominions；　in　his　excellent

work　entitled；　Apparatus　Sacer。　（He　calls

attention　to　no　less　than　six　thousand　authors。）



Many　other　losses　of　the　writings　of　the　ancients

have　been　attributed　to　the　zeal　of　the　Christians；

who　at　different　periods　made　great　havock

amongst　the　Heathen　authors。　Not　a　single　copy

of　the　work　of　Celsus　is　now　to　be　found；　and

what　we　know　of　that　work　is　from　Origen；　his

opponent。　The　venerable　fathers；　who　employed

themselves　in　erasing　the　best　works　of　the　most

eminent　Greek　or　Latin　authors；　in　order　to　transcribe

the　lives　of　saints　or　legendary　tales　upon　the

obliterated　vellum；　possible　mistook　these　lamentable

depredations　for　works　of　piety。　The　ancient

fragment　of　the　91st　book　of　Livy；　discovered　by

Mr。　Bruns；　in　the　Vatican；　in　1772；　was　much　defaced

by　the　pious　labours　of　some　well…intentioned

divine。　The　Monks　made　war　on　books　as　the

Goths　had　done　before　them。　Great　numbers　of

manuscripts　have　also　been　destroyed　in　this　kingdom

（Great　Britain）　by　its　invaders；　the　Pagan

Danes；　and　the　Normans；　by　the　civil　commotions

raised　by　the　barons；　by　the　bloody　contests　between

the　houses　of　York　and　Lancaster；　and　especially

by　the　general　plunder　and　devastations　of　monasteries

and　religious　houses　in　the　reign　of　Henry

the　Eighth；　by　the　ravages　committed　in　the　civil

war　in　the　time　of　Charles　the　First；　and　by　the

fire　that　happened　in　the　Cottonian　library；　October

23；　1731。〃



Mr。　Astle's　comments　on　the　volumes　or　remnants

of　volumes　which　remain　to　us；　becomes　most　interesting

in　the　lights　thrown　on　them　by　Professor

Anthon　in　his　〃Classical　Dictionary；〃　1841；　which　are

quoted　in　part　following　those　of　Mr。　Astle。



Mr。　Astle　remarks：



〃The　history　of　Phoenicia　by　Sanconiatho；　who

was　a　contemporary　with　Solomon；　would　have

been　entirely　lost　to　us；　had　it　not　been　for　the

valuable　fragments　preserved　by　Eusebius。〃



Says　Prof。　Anthon：



〃Sanchoniathon；　a　Phoenician　author；　who　if　the

fragments　of　his　works　that　have　reached　us　be

genuine；　and　if　such　a　person　ever　existed；　must

be　regarded　as　the　most　ancient　writer　of　whom　we

have　any　knowledge　after　Moses。　As　to　the　period

when　be