forty centuries of ink- 第6部分

maintained　the　value　of　Writing；　as　capable　of　making

the　People　wiser；　increasing　the　powers　of

Memory；　to　this　the　king　dissented；　and　expressed

his　opinion　that　by　the　exercise　of　this　Art　the　multitude

would　appear　to　be　knowing　of　those　things

of　which　they　were　really　ignorant；　possessing　only

an　idea　of　Wisdom；　instead　of　Wisdom　itself。〃



Pythagoras；　B。　C。　532；　we　are　informed　by　Astle：



〃Went　into　Egypt　where　he　resided　twenty…two

years；　he　was　initiated　into　the　sacerdotal　order；

and；　from　his　spirit　of　inquiry；　he　has　been　justly

said　to　have　acquired　a　great　deal　of　Egyptian

learning；　which　he　afterwards　introduced　into　Italy。

The　Pythagorean　schools　which　he　established　in

Italy　when　writing　was　taught；　were　destroyed

when　the　Platonic　or　new　philosophy　prevailed　over

the　former。　Polybius　（lib。　ii。　p。　175）　and　Jamblichus

（in　vita　Pythag。）　mention　many　circumstances；

relative　to　these　facts；　quoted　from　authors　now

lost；　as　doth　Porphyry；　in　his　life　of　Pythagoras。〃



For　the　hundred　years　or　more　following；　however；

the　dissemination　of　learning　and　the　transcription　of

events　was　not　to　be　denied。　We　find　ink…written

volumes　（rolls）　relating　to　diverse　subjects　being　loaned

to　one　another；　correspondence　by　letter　to　and　from

distant　lands　of　frequent　occurrence；　and　the　art　of

handwriting　regularly　taught　in　the　schools　of　learning。

Its　progress　was　to　be　interrupted　by　the　wars

of　the　Persians。　Mr。　Astle　in　calling　attention　to

events　which　have　contributed　to　deprive　us　of　the

literary　treasures　of　antiquity　thus　refers　to　them：



〃A　very　fatal　blow　was　given　to　literature；　by

the　destruction　of　the　Phoenician　temples；　and　of

the　Egyptian　colleges；　when　those　kingdoms；　and

the　countries　adjacent；　were　conquered　by　the　Persians；

about　three　hundred　and　fifty　years　before

Christ。　Ochus；　the　Persian　general；　ravaged　these

countries　without　mercy；　and　forty　thousand　Sidonians

burnt　themselves　with　their　families　and　riches

in　their　own　houses。　The　conqueror　then　drove

Nectanebus　out　of　Egypt；　and　committed　the　like

ravages　in　that　country；　afterwards　he　marched

into　Judea；　where　he　took　Jericho；　and　sent　a　great

number　of　Jews　into　captivity。　The　Persians　had

a　great　dislike　to　the　religion　of　the　Phoenicians　and

the　Egyptians；　this　was　one　reason　for　destroying

their　books；　of　which　Eusebius　（De　Preparat。

Evang。）　says；　they　had　a　great　number。〃



These　losses；　apparently；　did　not　interfere　with　the

progress　of　the　art　in　more　western　countries。　Professor

Rollin　in　his　〃Ancient　History；〃　1823；　remarks：



〃Ptolemy　Soter；　King　of　Egypt　B。　C。　285；　had

been　careful　to　improve　himself　in　public　literature；

as　was　evident　by　his　compiling　the　life　of

Alexander；　which　was　greatly　esteemed　by　the　ancients；

but　is　now　entirely　lost。　In　order　to　encourage

the　cultivation　of　the　sciences；　which　he

much　admired；　he　founded　an　academy　at　Alexandria；

called　the　Museum；　where　a　society　of　learned

men　devoted　themselves　to　philosophic　studies；　and

the　improvement　of　all　other　sciences；　almost　in　the

same　manner　as　those　of　London　and　Paris。　For

this　purpose；　he　began　by　giving　them　a　library；

which　was　prodigiously　increased　by　his　successors。



〃His　son　Philadelphus　left　a　hundred　thousand

volumes　in　it　at　the　time　of　his　death；　and　the　succeeding

princes　of　that　race　enlarged　it　still　more；　till　at

last　it　consisted　of　seven　hundred　thousand　volumes。



〃This　library　was　formed　by　the　following

method：　All　the　Greek　and　other　books　that　were

brought　into　Egypt　were　seized；　and　sent　to　the

Museum；　where　they　were　transcribed　by　persons

employed　for　that　purpose。　The　copies　were　then

delivered　to　the　proprietors；　and　the　originals　were

deposited　in　the　library。



〃As　the　Museum　was　at　first　in　that　quarter　of

the　city　which　was　called　Bruchion；　and　near　the

royal　palace；　the　library　was　founded　in　the　same

place；　and　it　soon　drew　vast　numbers　thither；　but

when　it　was　so　much　augmented；　as　to　contain　four

hundred　thousand　volumes；　they　began　to　deposit

the　additional　books　in　the　Serapion。　This　last

library　was　a　supplement　to　the　former；　for　which

reason　it　received　the　appellation　of　its　Daughter；

and　in　process　of　time　had　in　it　three　hundred　thousand

volumes。



〃In　Caesar's　war　with　the　inhabitants　of　Alexandria；

a　fire；　occasioned　by　those　hostilities；　consumed

the　library　of　Bruchion；　with　its　four　hundred

thousand　volumes。　Seneca　seems　to　me　to　be

out　of　humour；　when；　speaking　of　the　conflagration；

he　bestows　his　censures　both　on　the　library　itself；

and　the　eulogium　made　on　it　by　Livy；　who　styles

it　an　illustrious　monument　of　the　opulence　of　the

Egyptian　kings；　and　of　their　judicious　attention　to

the　improvement　of　the　sciences。　Seneca；　instead

of　allowing　it　to　be　such；　would　have　it　considered

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