forty centuries of ink- 第7部分

INSTANCES　OF　ILLUMINATED　MSS。PASSAGE

FROM　THE　BOOK　OF　JOB　WRITTEN　BY　ST。

JEROMEDENIAL　OF　THE　EMPLOYMENT　OF　TANNO…

GALLATE　OF　IRON　INK　IN　THE　FOURTH　CENTURY

DESTRUCTION　OF　THE　INSPIRED　WRITINGS　BY　ORDER

OF　THE　ROMAN　SENATETHE　ECLIPSE　OF　CLASSICAL

LITERATURE　AND　DISMEMBERMENT　OF　THE

ROMAN　EMPIREPOEM　ON　THE　THOUSAND　YEARS

KNOWN　AS　THE　DARK　AGES　WHICH　FOLLOWED。



THEOPHRASTUS　says　that　the　papyrus　books　of　the　ancients

were　no　other　than　rolls　prepared　in　the　following

manner：　Two　leaves　of　the　rush　were　plastered　together；

usually　with　the　mud　of　the　Nile；　in　such　a

fashion　that　the　fibres　of　one　leaf　should　cross　the　fibres

of　the　other　at　right　angles；　the　ends　of　each　being

then　cut　off；　a　square　leaf　was　obtained；　equally　capable

of　resisting　fracture　when　pulled　or　taken　hold　of

in　any　direction。　In　this　form　the　papyri　were　exported

in　great　quantities。　In　order　to　form　these

single　leaves　into　the　〃scapi；〃　or　rolls　of　the　ancients；

about　twenty　were　glued　together　end　to　end。　The

writing　was　then　executed　in　parallel　columns　a　few

inches　wide；　running　transversely　to　the　length　of　the

scroll。　To　each　end　of　the　scrolls　were　attached　round

staves　similar　to　those　we　use　for　maps。　To　these

staves；　strings；　known　as　〃umbilici；〃　were　attached；

to　the　ends　of　which　bullae　or　weights　were　fixed。

The　books　when　rolled　up；　were　bound　up　with　these

umbilici；　and　were　generally　kept　in　cylindrical　boxes

or　capsae；　a　term　from　which　the　Mediaeval　〃capsula；〃

or　book…cover　was　derived。　〃The　mode　in　which　the

students　held　the　rolls　in　order　to　read　from　them　is

well　shown　in　a　painting　in　the　house　of　a　surgeon　at

Pompeii。　One　of　the　staves；　with　the　papyrus　rolled

round　it；　was　held　in　each　hand；　at　a　distance　apart

equal　to　the　width　of　one　or　more　of　the　transverse

columns　of　writing。　As　soon　as　the　eye　was　carried

down　to　the　bottom　of　a　column；　one　hand　rolled　up

and　the　other　unrolled　sufficient　of　the　papyrus　to

bring　a　fresh　column　opposite　to　the　reader's　eye；　and

so　on　until　the　whole　was　wound　round　one　of　the

staves；　when；　of　course；　the　student　had　arrived　at　the

end　of　his　book。〃



Eumenes；　king　of　Pergamus；　being　unable　to　procure

the　Egyptian　papyrus；　through　the　jealousy　of

one　of　the　Ptolemies；　who　occupied　himself　in　forming

a　rival　library　to　the　one　which　subsequently

became　so　celebrated　at　Pergamus；　introduced　the

use　of　Parchment　properly　〃dressed〃　for　taking

ink　and　pigments　and　hence　the　derivation　of　the

word　〃pergamena〃　as　applied　to　parchment　or　vellum；

the　former　substance　being　the　prepared　skin

of　sheep；　and　the　latter　of　calves。



The　sheets　of　parchment　were　joined　end　to　end；　as

the　sheets　of　papyrus　had　been；　and　when　written

upon；　on　one　side　only；　and　in　narrow　columns　across

the　breadth　of　the　scroll；　were　rolled　up　around　staves

and　bound　with　strings；　to　which　seals　of　wax　were

occasionally　attached；　in　place　of　the　more　common

leaden　bullae。



The　custom　of　dividing　wax；　ivory；　wood　and　metal

MSS。　into　pages　and　in　this　way　into　book　form　is　said

by　Suetonius　to　have　been　introduced　by　Julius　Caesar；

whose　letters　to　the　Senate　were　so　made　up；　and

after　whose　time　the　practice　became　usual　for　all

documents　either　addressed　to；　or　issuing　from　that

body；　or　to　or　from　the　Emperors。　As　that　form　subsequently

crept　into　general　use；　the　books　were　known

as　〃codices；〃　and　hence　the　ordinary　term　as　applied

to　manuscript　volumes。



All　classes　of　〃books；〃　the　reeds　for　writing　in

them；　the　inkstands；　and　the　〃capsae〃　or　〃scrinia；〃

the　boxes　in　which　the　〃scapi〃　or　rolls　were　kept；

are　minutely　portrayed　in　ancient　wall…paintings　and

ivory　diptychs　（double　tablets）；　and　which　may　belong

to　a　period　near　the　beginning　of　the　Christian　era。



Pliny　and　Dioscorides　have　given　the　formulas　for

the　writing　inks　used　by　the　Greek　and　Roman　scribes

immediately　before　and　during　their　time。　Pliny　declares

that　the　ink　of　the　bookmakers　was　made　of

soot；　charcoal　and　gum；　although　he　does　not　state

what　fluid　was　employed　to　commingle　them。　He　does；

however；　mention　to　an　occasional　use　of　some　acid

（vinegar）　to　give　the　ink　a　binding　property　on　the

papyrus。



Dioscorides；　however；　specifies　the　proportions　of

this　〃soot〃　ink。　Another　formula　alluded　to　by　the

same　author　calls　for　a　half　ounce　each　of　copperas

（blue）　and　ox…glue；　with　half　pound　of　smoke　black

made　from　burned　resin。　He　adds；　〃is　a　good　application

in　cases　of　gangrene　and　is　useful　in　scalds；　if　a

little　thickened　and　employed　as　a　salve。〃　De　Vinne

speaks　of　this　as　a　〃crude〃　receipt　which　will　enable

one　to　form　a　correct　opinion　of　the　quality　of

scientific　knowledge　then　applied　to　medicine　and　the

mechanical　arts；　also　that　these　mixtures　which　are

more　like　shoe　blacking　than　writing　fluid　were　used

with　immaterial　modifications　by　the　scribes　of　the

dark　ages。



The　old　Greeks　and　Romans　had　no　substitute　for

the　papyrus；　which　was　so　brittle　that　it　could　not　be

folded　or　creased。　It　could　not　be　bound　up　in　books；

nor　could　it　be　rolled　up　unsupported。　It　was　secure

only　when　it　had　been　wound　around　a　wooden　or

metal　roller。



After　the　wholesale　destruction　of　the　libraries　of

ink…written　MSS。；　the　black　inks　began　to　fall　into　disuse；

their　value　in　respect　to　quality　gradually　deteriorated；

caused　by　the　displacement　of　gummy

vehicles；　and　a　consequent　absence　of　any　chance　of

union　between　the　parchment　or　papyrus　and　the　dry

black　particles；　which　could　be　〃blown〃　or　washed

off。　To　employ　any　other　kind　of　ink　except　one　of

natural　origin　like　the　juice　of　berries　which　soon

disappeared；　was　forbidden　by　prevailing　religious

customs。　Such　conditions　naturally　merged　into

others；　in　the　shape　of　〃ink〃　substitutes　for　writing；

the　stylus；　with　its　accompanying　sheets　or　tablets

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　wit