forty centuries of ink-第64部分

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and　which；　indeed；　made　their　invention

possible。



The　gall…nut　contains　gallic　and　gallo…tannic　acid；

and　which　acids；　in　conjunction　with　an　iron　salt；

forms　the　sole　base　of　the　best　ink。　This　nut　is

produced　by　the　punctures　made　on　the　young　buds　of

branches　of　certain　species　of　oak　trees　by　the　female

wasp。　This　same　busy　little　insect　was　also　the

first　professional　paper　maker。　She　it　was　who　taught

us　not　only　the　way　to　change　dry　wood　into　a　suitable

pulp；　the　kind　of　size　to　be　used；　how　to　waterproof

and　give　the　paper　strength；　but　many　more

marvelous　details　appertaining　to　the　manufacture

of　paper　which　in　their　ramifications　have　proved

of　inestimable　benefit　and　service　to　the　human

race。

　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



The　Greek　word　〃Phoenicia〃　means　literally　〃the

land　of　the　purple　dye；〃　and　to　the　Phoenicians　is

attributed　the　invention　of　the　art　of　writing。



TO　THE　PHOENICIAN。



　〃Creator　of　celestial　arts；

　　　　　Thy　painted　word　speaks　to　the　eye；

　To　simple　lines　thy　skill　imparts

　　　　　The　glowing　spirit's　ecstasy。〃



The　oldest　piece　of　literary　composition　known　in

the　oldest　book　（roll）　in　existence　is　to　be　found　in

the　celebrated　papyrus　Prisse；　now　in　the　Louvre　at

Paris。　It　consists　of　eighteen　pieces　in　Egyptian

hieratic　writing；　ascribed　to　about　the　year　B。　C。

2500。



While　the　papyrus　plant　has　almost　vanished　from

Egypt；　it　still　grows　in　Nubia　and　Abyssinia。　It　is

related　by　the　Arab　traveler；　Ibn…Haukal；　that　in　the

tenth　century；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Palermo　in

Sicily；　the　papyrus　plant　grew　with　luxuriance　in　the

Papirito；　a　stream　to　which　it　gave　its　name。



Du　Cange；　1376；　cites　the　following　lines　from　a

French　metrical　romance；　written　about　that　time；　to

show　that　waxen　tablets　continued　to　be　occasionally

used　till　a　late　period：



　〃Some　with　antiquated　style

　　　　　In　waxen　tablets　promptly　write；

　Others　with　finer　pen；　the　while

　　　　　Form　letters　lovelier　to　the　sight。〃



The　laws　of　Greece　were　promulgated　by　means　of

MSS。　on　linen；　as　they　were　also　in　Rome；　and　in　addition

to　linen；　cloth　and　silk　were　occasionally　used。

Skins　of　various　kinds　of　fish；　and　even　the　〃intestines

of　serpents〃　were　employed　as　writing　materials。

Zonaras　states　that　the　fire　which　took　place

at　Constantinople　in　the　reign　of　Emperor　Basiliscus

consumed；　among　other　valuable　remains　of　antiquity；

a　copy　of　the　Iliad　and　Odyssey；　and　some　other　ancient

poems；　written　in　letters　of　gold　upon　material　formed

of　the　intestines　of　a　serpent。　We　are　also　informed

by　Purcelli　that　monuments　of　much　more　modern

dates；　the　charter　of　Hugo　and　Lothaire；　A。　D。　933

（kings　of　Italy）；　preserved　in　the　archives　of　Milan；

are　written　upon　fish　skins。



Constantine　authorized　his　soldiers　dying　on　the

field　of　battle　to　write　their　last　will　and　testament　with

the　point　of　their　sword　on　its　sheath　or　on　a　shield。



B。　C。　270。　The　Jewish　elders；　by　order　of　the

high　priest；　carried　a　copy　of　the　law　to　Ptolemy　Philadelphus；

written　in　letters　of　gold　upon　skins；　the

pieces　of　which　were　so　artfully　put　together　that　the

joinings　did　not　appear。



No　monuments　of　Hebrew　writing　exist　which　are

not　posterior　even　to　the　Christian　era；　with　the　exception

of　those　on　the　coins　of　the　Maccabees；　which

are　in　the　ancient　or　what　is　termed　the　Samaritan

forms　of　the　Hebrew　letters。　This　coinage　took　place

about　B。　C。　144。



The　most　ancient　specimen　of　Hebrew　ink　writing

extant　is　alleged　to　have　been　written　A。　D。　489。

It　is　a　parchment　roll　which　was　found　in　a　Kariat

synagogue　in　the　Crimea。　Another；　brought　from

Danganstan；　if　the　superscription　be　genuine；　has　a

date　corresponding　with　A。　D。　580。　The　date　of　still

another　of　the　celebrated　Hebrew　scriptural　codices；

about　which　there　is　no　dispute；　is　the　Hilel　codex

written　at　the　end　of　the　sixth　century。　Its　name　is

said　to　be　derived　from　the　fact　that　it　was　written　at

Hila；　a　town　built　near　the　ruins　of　the　ancient　Babel；

some　maintain；　however；　that　it　was　named　after　the

man　who　wrote　it。



One　of　the　earliest　specimens　of　Greek　（wax）　writing

is　an　inscription　on　a　small　wooden　tablet　now　in

the　British　museum。　It　refers　to　a　money　transaction

of　the　thirty…first　year　of　Ptolemy　Philadelphus；　B。　C。

254。



In　England　the　custom　of　using　wooden　tallies；　inscribed

as　well　as　notched　in　the　public　accounts；　lasted

down　to　the　nineteenth　century。



Gold　writing　was　a　practice　which　died　out　in　the

thirteenth　century。



The　first　discovery　of　Greek　papyri　in　Egypt　took

place　in　the　year　1778。　It　is　of　the　（late　of　A。　D。

191　and　outside　of　Egypt　and　Herculaneum　is　the　only

place　in　which　the　Greek　papyri　has　ever　been　found。



Square　capital　ink　writing　in　Latin　of　ancient　date

is　found　on　a　few　leaves　of　an　MS。　of　Virgil；　which　is

attributed　to　the　close　of　the　fourth　century；　and　the

first　rustic　MS。　to　which　an　approximate　date　can　be

given；　belongs　to　the　close　of　the　fifth　century。



The　most　ancient　uncial　ink　writing　extant；　belongs

to　the　fourth　century；　whilst　the　earliest　mixed　uncial

and　miniscule　writing　pertains　to　the　sixth　century。



The　oldest　extant　Irish　MS。　in　the　round　Irish

hand　is　ascribed　to　the　latter　part　of　the　seventh　century；

while　the　earliest　specimen　of　English　writing

of　any　kind　extant　dates　about　the　beginning　of　the

eighth　century。



The　gold　pen　won　by　Peter　Bales　in　his　trial　of

skill　with　Johnson；　during　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth；

if　really　made　for　use；　is　probably　the　first

modern　example　of　such　pens。　Bales　was　employed

by　Sir　Francis　Walsingham；　and　afterwards　kept　a

writing　school　at　the　upper　end　of　the　Old　Bailey。

In　1595；　when　nearly　fifty　years　old；　he　had　a　trial　of

skill　with　one　Daniel　Johnson；　by　which　he　was　the

winner　of　a　golden　pen；　of　a　value　of　L20；　which；　in

the　pride　of　his　victory；　he　set　up　as　his　sign。　Upon

this　occasion　John　Davis　made　the　following　epigram

in　his　〃Scourge　of　Folly：〃



　〃The　Hand　and　Golden　Pen；　Clophonion

　Sets　on　his　sign；　to　shew；　O　proud；　poor　soul；

　Both　where　he　wonnes；　and　how　the　same　he　won；

　From　writers　fair；　though　he　writ　ever　foul；

　But　by　that　Hand；　that　Pen　so　borne　has　been；

　From　place　to　Place；　that　for　the　last　half　Yeare；

　It　scarce　a　sen'night　at　a　place　is　seen。

　That　Hand　so　plies　the　Pen；　though　ne'er　the　neare；

　For　when　Men　seek　it；　elsewhere　it　is　sent；

　Or　there　shut　up　as　for　the　Plague　or　Rent；

　Without　which　stay；　it　never　still　could　stand；

　Because　the　Pen　is　for　a　Running　Hand。〃



The　sign　of　the　〃Hand　and　Pen〃　was　also　used　by

the　Fleet　street　marriage…mongers；　to　denote　〃marriages

performed　without　imposition。〃



Robert　More；　a　famous　writing　master；　in　1696

lived　in　Castle　street；　near　St。　Paul's　churchyard；

London；　at　the　sign　of　the　〃Golden　Pen。〃



The　ink　horn　in　Queen　Elizabeth's　time　was　in　popular

use　as　a　receptacle　for　holding　writing　ink；　and

Petticoat　lane　in　London　was　the　great　manufacturing

center　for　them。　Bishops　Gate　in　the　same　vicinity

was　known　as　the　〃home　of　the　scribblers。〃



Beginning　with　1560　and　for　many　years　thereafter

the　sign　of　the　Five　Ink　Horns　was　appropriately

displayed　by　Haddon　on　the　house　in　which　he　dwelt。



Away　back　in　the　time　of　King　Edward　III　（1313…

1377）；　royalty　was　employing　the　pen；　both　quill　and

gold；　as　badges。　This　is　indicated　in　the　accompanying

interesting　list　to　be　found　in　the　Harlein　library：



〃King　Edward　the　iii。　gave　a　lyon　in　his　proper

coulor；　armed；　azure；　langue　d'or。　The　oustrich

fether　gold；　the　pen　gold；　and　a　faucon　in　his

proper　coulor　and　the　Sonne　Rising。



〃The　Prince　of　Wales　the　ostrich　fether　pen　and　all　arg。



〃Henry；　sonne　of　the　Erl　of　Derby；　first　Duk

of　Lancaster；　gave　the　red　rose　uncrowned；　and

his　ancestors　gave　the　Fox　tayle　in　his　prop。　coulor

and　the　ostrich　fether　ar。　the　pen　ermyn。



〃The　Ostrych　fether　silver；　the　pen　gobone

sylver　and　azur；　is　the　Duk　of　Somerset's　bage。



〃The　ostrych　fether　silver　and　pen　gold　ys　the

kinges。



〃The　ostrych　fether　pen　and　all　sylver　ys　the

Prynces。



〃The　ostrych　fether　sylver；　pen　ermyn　is　the

Duke　of　Lancesters。



〃The　ostrych　fether　sylver　and　pen　gobone　is

the　Duke　of　Somersets。〃

　〃What's　great　Goliath's　spear；　the　sevenfold　shield；

　Scanderbeg's　sword；　to　one　who　cannot　wield

　Such　weapons？　Or；　what　means　a　well　cut　quill；

　In　th'　untaught　hand　of　him　that's　void　of　skill？〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　COCKER；　A。　D。　1650。



The　oldest　ink　（Russian）　documents　that　exist　in

Russia　are　two　treaties　with　the　Greek　emperors；　made

by　Oleg；　A。　D。　912；　and　Igor；　A。　D。　943。　Christianity；

introduced　into　Russia　at　the　beginning　of　the　eleventh

century　by　Vladimir　the　Great；　brought　with　it　many

words　of　Gr