forty centuries of ink-第57部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



volume　to　Cairo　to　transcribe？　Yes；　if　the　Prior's

leave　was　obtained；　but；　unluckily　the　Prior　had

already　started　to　Cairo　on　his　way　to　Constantinople。

By　the　activity　of　Tischendorf　he　was

caught　up　at　Cairo；　gave　the　requisite　permission；

and　a　Bedonin　was　sent　to　the　convent；　and　returned

with　the　book　in　nine　days。　On　the　24th

of　February；　Tischendorf　began　to　transcribe　it；

and　when　it　was　done；　conceived　the　happy　idea　of

asking　for　the　volume　as　a　gift　to　the　Emperor　of

Russia。　Probably　this　was　the　only　possible　plea

which　would　have　gained　the　main　object　in　view；

and　even　as　it　was　there　was　great　delay；　but　at

last；　on　the　28th　of　September；　the　gift　was　formally

made；　and　the　MSS。　soon　after　deposited　in

St。　Petersburg；　where　it　now　lies。　The　date　of

this　MSS。　is　supposed　to　be　not　later　than　A。　D。

400；　and　has　been　the　subject　of　minute　inquiry　in

consequence　of　the　curious　statement　of　Simonides

in　1862；　that　he　had　himself　written　it　on　Mount

Athos　in　1839…40。〃



Constantine　Simonides　was　a　Greek　who　was　born

in　1824　and　is　believed　to　have　been　the　most　versatile

forger　of　the　nineteenth　century。　From　1843

until　1856　he　was　in　evidence　all　over　Europe　offering

for　sale　fraudulent　MSS。　purporting　to　be　of

ancient　origin。



In　1861　Madan　says：



〃He　boldly　asserted　that　he　himself　had　written

the　whole　of　the　Codex　Sinaiticus　which　Tischendorf

had　bought　in　1856　from　the　monastery　of　St。

Catherine　on　Mount　Sinai。　The　statement　was；　of

course；　received　with　the　utmost　incredulity；　but

Simionides　asserted；　not　only　that　he　had　written　it；

but　that；　in　view　of　the　probable　skepticism　of　the

scholars；　he　had　placed　certain　private　signs　on

particular　leaves　of　the　codex。　When　pressed　to

specify　these　marks　he　gave　a　list　of　the　leaves　on

which　were　to　be　found　his　initials　or　other　monogram。

The　test　was　a　fair　one；　and　the　MSS。；

which　was　at　St。　Petersburg；　was　carefully　inspected。

Every　leaf　designated　by　Simonides　was

found　to　be　imperfect　at　the　part　where　the　mark

was　to　have　been　found。　Deliberate　mutilation　by

an　enemy；　said　his　friends。　But　many　thought　that

the　wily　Greek　had　acquired　through　private　friends

a　note　of　some　imperfect　leaves　in　the　MSS。；　and

had　made　unscrupulous　use　of　the　information。〃



A　curious　kind　of　document；　which　links　the　classical

times　with　the　middle　ages；　in　respect　to　the　we

of　parchment；　is　afforded　by　the　〃palimpsests；〃　or

manuscripts　from　which　old　writing　had　been　erased

in　order　to　make　way　for　new。　A　well…prepared　leaf

of　parchment　was　so　costly　an　article　in　the　middle

ages；　that　the　transcribers　who　were　employed　by　the

monastic　establishments　in　writing　often　availed　themselves

of　some　old　manuscript；　from　which　they　scraped

off　the　writing；　such　a　doubly…used　piece　of　parchment

was　called　a　〃palimpsest。〃　This　practice　seems

to　have　been　followed　long　before；　but　not　to　so　great

an　extent　as　about　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；

at　which　time　there　were　persons　regularly

employed　as　〃parchment…restorers。〃　The　transcribers

had　a　regular　kind　of　knife；　with　which　they　scratched

out　the　old　writing；　and　they　rubbed　the　surface

with　powdered　pumice　stone；　to　prepare　it　for　receiving

the　new　ink。　So　common　was　this　practice　that

when　one　of　the　emperors　of　Germany　established

the　office　of　imperial　notary；　it　was　one　of　the　articles

or　conditions　attached　to　the　holding　of　the　office　that

the　notary　should　not　use　〃scraped　vellum〃　in　drawing

deeds。　Sometimes　the　original　writing；　by　a

careful　treatment　of　the　parchment；　has　been　so　far

restored　as　to　be　visible；　and　it　is　found　to　be　parallel；

diagonal；　and　sometimes　at　right　angles　to　the　writing

afterwards　introduced。　In　many　cases　the　ancient

writing　restored　beneath　is　found　to　be　infinitely

more　valuable　than　the　monkish　legends　written　afterwards。



Cicero's　De　Republica　was　discovered　by　Angelo

Mai　in　the　Vatican　library　written　under　a　commentary

of　St。　Augustine　on　the　Psalms；　and　the　Institutions

of　Gains；　in　the　library　of　the　chapter　of　Verona；

were　deciphered　in　like　manner　under　the　works　of

St。　Jerome。



Papyrus；　parchment；　and　vellum　were　sometimes

used　together　in　the　MSS。　books。　Thompson；　author

of　〃Greek　and　Latin　Palaeography；〃　observes：



〃Examples；　made　up　in　book　form；　sometimes

with　a　few　vellum　leaves　incorporated　to　give　stability；

are　found　in　different　libraries　of　Europe。

They　are：　The　Homilies　of　St。　Avitus；　of　the　6th

century；　at　Paris；　Sermons　and　Epistles　of　St。　Augustine；

of　the　6th　or　7th　century；　at　Paris　and

Genoa；　works　of　Hilary；　of　the　6th　century；　at

Vienna；　fragments　of　the　Digests；　of　the　6th

century；　at　Pommersfeld；　the　Antiquities　of　Josephus；

of　the　7th　century；　at　Milan；　an　Isidore；

of　the　7th　century；　at　St。　Gall。　At　Munich；　also；

is　the　register　of　the　Church　of　Ravenna；　written

on　this　material　in　the　10th　century。〃



The　rolls　and　records　connected　with　the　early

parliamentary　and　legal　proceedings　in　England　furnish

interesting　examples　of　the　use　of　parchment　in　writing。

The　〃Records；〃　so　often　alluded　to　in　such

matters；　are　statements　or　details；　written　upon　rolls

of　parchment；　of　the　proceedings　in　those　higher

courts　of　law　which　are　distinguished　as　〃Courts　of

Record。〃　It　has　been　stated　that　〃our　stores　of　public

records　are　justly　reckoned　to　excel　in　age；　beauty；

correctness；　and　authority　whatever　the　choicest　archives

abroad　can　boast　of　the　like　sort。〃



The　records　are　generally　made　of　several　skins　or

sheets　of　parchment　or　vellum；　each　sheet　being　about

three　feet　long　and　often　nine　to　fourteen　inches　in

width。　They　are　either　all　fastened　together　at　one

end；　so　as　to　form　a　kind　of　book；　or　are　stitched　end

to　end；　so　as　to　constitute　an　extended　roll。　These

two　methods　appear　each　to　have　had　its　particular

advantages；　according　to　the　way　in　which；　and　the

time　at　which；　the　manuscript　was　filled　up。　Some

of　the　records　of　the　former　of　these　two　kinds　contain

so　many　skins　of　parchment　that　they　form　a

huge　roll　equal　in　size　to　a　large　bass　drum；　and

requiring　the　strength　of　two　men　to　lift　them。　Some

of　these　on　the　continuous　plan　are　also　said　to　be　of

immense　size；　one；　of　modern　date；　is　nine　hundred

feet　in　length　and　employs　a　man　three　hours　to　unroll

it。　The　invaluable　old　record；　known　by　the

name　of　〃Doomsday　Book；〃　is　shaped　like　a　book；

and　is　much　more　convenient　to　open　than　most　of

the　others。　Various　other　legal　documents；　to　an　immense

amount；　are　〃filed；〃　or　fastened　together　by

a　string　passing　through　them。



It　seems　a　very　strange　contradiction；　but　it　is　positively

asserted　as　a　fact；　that　the　parchment　employed

for　these　records　was　of　very　fine　quality　down　to　the

time　of　Elizabeth；　but　that　it　gradually　deteriorated

afterwards；　insomuch　that　the　latest　are　the　worst。

Some　of　these　records　and　rolls　are　written　in　Latin；

some　in　Norman　French；　and　some　in　English。



The　modes　of　depositing　and　carrying　the　ancient

records　were　curious；　and　there　seems　to　have　been　no

very　definite　arrangement　in　this　respect。　Great　numbers

were　kept　in　pouches　or　bags　made　of　leather；

canvas；　cordovan；　or　buckram；　they　were　tied　like

modern　reticules。　When　such　pouches　have　escaped

damp　they　have　preserved　the　parchment　records　for

centuries　perfectly　clean　and　uninjured。　Another　kind

of　receptacle　for　records　was　a　small　turned　box；　called

a　〃skippet；〃　and　another　was　the　〃hanaper；〃　or　hamper；

a　basket　made　of　twigs　or　wicker…work。　Chests；

coffers；　and　cases　of　various　shapes　and　sizes　formed

other　receptacles　for　the　records。　The　mode　of　finding

the　particular　document　required　was　not　by　a

system　of　paging　and　an　index；　as　in　a　modern　book；

because　the　arrangement　of　the　written　sheets　did　not

admit　of　this；　but　there　were　letters；　signs；　and　inscriptions；

or　labels　for　this　purpose；　they　constitute

an　odd　assemblage；　comprising　ships；　scales；　balances；

castles；　plants；　animals；　etc。；　in　most　instances　the

signs　or　symbols　bear　some　analogy；　or　supposed　analogy；

with　the　subject　of　the　record；　such　as　an　oak

on　a　record　relating　to　the　forest　laws；　a　head　in　a　cowl

on　one　relating　to　a　monastery；　scales　on　one　relating

to　coining；　etc。



At　a　time　when　books　were　prepared　by　hand　instead

of　by　printing；　and　when　each　copy　became

very　valuable；　books　were　treated　with　a　degree　of

respect　which　can　be　hardly　understood　at　the　present

day。　The　clergy　and　the　monks　were　almost　exclusively

the　readers　of　those　days；　and　they　held　the

other　classes　of　society　in　such　contempt；　in　all　that

regarded　literature　and　learning；　that　Bishop　de　Burg；

who　wrote　about　five　centuries　ago；　expresses　an　opinion

that　〃Laymen；　to　whom　it　matters　not　whether

they　look　at　a　book　turned　wrong　side　upwards　or

spread　be