forty centuries of ink-第3节

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！



kernel　of　a　cherry　and　of　a　dark　red…brown　color；　but

when　dead；　shrivels　up　to　the　size　of　a　grain　of　wheat

and　is　covered　with　a　bluish　mold。　It　has　an　agreeable

aromatic　smell　which　it　imparts　to　that　with　which

it　comes　into　contact。　It　was　first　found　in　general

use　in　Europe　in　the　tenth　century。　About　1550；

cochineal；　introduced　there　from　Mexico；　was　found

to　be　far　richer　in　coloring　matter　and　therefore　gradually

superseded　the　older　dyestuff。



Indigo　was　used　in　India　and　Egypt　long　before　the

Christian　era；　and　it　is　asserted　that　blue　ribbons

（strips）　found　on　Egyptian　mummies　4500　years　old

had　been　dyed　with　indigo。　It　was　introduced　into

Europe　only　in　the　sixteenth　century。



The　use　of　madder　as　a　red　dyestuff　dates　from　very

early　times。　Pliny　mentions　it　as　being　employed　by

the　Hindoos；　Persians　and　Egyptians。　In　the　middle

ages　the　names　sandis；　warantia；　granza；　garancia；

were　applied　to　madder；　the　latter　（garance）　being

still　retained　in　France。　The　color　yielding　substance

resides　almost　entirely　in　the　roots。



Chilzon　was　the　name　given　by　the　ancient　Hebrews

to　a　blue　dye　procured　from　a　species　of　shell…fish。



Herodotus；　B。　C。　443；　asserts　that　on　the　shores　of

the　Caspian　Sea　lived　a　people　who　painted　the　forms

of　animals　on　their　garments　with　vegetable　dyes：



〃They　have　trees　whose　leaves　possess　a　peculiar

property；　they　reduce　them　to　powder；　and　then

strip　them　in　water；　this　forms　a　dye　or　coloring

matter　with　which　they　paint　on　their　garments　the

figures　of　animals。　The　impression　is　such　that　it

cannot　be　washed　out；　it　appears；　indeed；　to　be

woven　into　the　cloth；　and　wears　as　long　as　the　garment

itself。〃



We　are　informed　by　another　ancient　writer　that　the

pagan　nations　were　accustomed　to　array　the　images

of　their　gods　in　robes　of　purple。　When　the　prophet

Ezekiel　took　up　a　lamentation　for　Tyre；　he　spoke　of

the　〃blue　and　purple　from　the　isles　of　Elishah〃　in

which　the　people　were　clothed。　This　reference　is　said

to　doubtless　refer　to　the　islands　of　the　Aegian　Sea；

from　whence　many　claim　；　the　Tyrians　obtained　the

shell…fish；the　murex　and　papura；　which　produced　the

dark…blue　and　bright…scarlet　coloring　materials；　the

employment　of　which　contributed　so　much　to　the　fame

of　ancient　Tyre。



Pliny　the　younger　confirms　this　statement：





〃The　Tyrian…purple　was　the　juice　of　the　Purpurea；

a　shell…fish；　the　veins　of　its　neck　and　jaws

secreting　this　royal　color；　but　so　little　was　obtained

that　it　was　very　rare　and　cost　one　thousand

Denarii　（about　150。00）　per　pound。〃



A　more　modern　writer　in　discussing　a　crimson　or

ruby　color　says：



〃By　a　mistaken　sense　the　Latin　word　purpurus；

has　been　called　purple；　by　all　the　English　and

French　writers。〃



Arbuthnot；　London；　1727；　in　his　book　〃Ancient

Coins；　Weights　and　Measures；〃　as　the　result　of　his

examinations　of　the　most　ancient　records　estimates：



〃The　Purple　was　very　dear；　there　were　two

sorts　of　Fishes　whereof　it　was　made；　the　Pelagii；

（which　were　those　that　were　caught　in　the　deep）

and　the　Buccini。　The　Pelagium　per　Pound　was

worth　50　Nummi；　（8　s。　10　3/4　d。）；　and　the　Buceinunt

double　that；　viz。　17　s。　8　3/4　d。　（Harduin

reads　a　hundred　Pounds　at　that　price。）　The　Tyrian

double　Dye　per　Pound　could　scarce　be　bought

for　L35　9　s。；　1　3/4　d。〃



The　very　ancient　writers　state　that　the　most　esteemed

of　the　Tyrian　purples　were　those　which　compared

in　color　with　〃coagulated　bullocks'　blood。〃

This　estimation　seems　to　go　back　to　the　time　of　the

Phoenicians；　who　were　excessively　fond　of　the　redder

shades　of　purple　which　they　obtained　also　from　several

varieties　of　shell…fish　and　comprehended　under　two

species；　one　（Buccinum）　found　in　cliffs；　and　the　other

（Pelagia）　which　was　captured　at　sea。　The　first　was

found　on　the　coasts　of　the　Mediterranean　and　Atlantic。

The　Atlantic　shells　afforded　the　darkest　color；　while

those　of　the　Phoenician　coast　itself　yielded　scarlet

shades　of　wonderful　intensity。



Respecting　the　cost　and　durability　of　the　Tyrian

purple；　it　is　related　that　Alexander　the　Great　found　in

the　treasury　of　the　Persian　monarch　5；000　quintals　of

Hermione　purple　of　great　beauty；　and　180　years　old；

and　that　it　was　worth　125　of　our　money　per　pound

weight。　The　price　of　dyeing　a　pound　of　wool　in　the

time　of　Augustus　is　given　by　Pliny；　and　that　price　is

equal　to　about　160　of　our　money。　It　is　probable

that　his　remarks　refer　to　some　particular　tint　or　quality

of　color　easily　distinguished；　although　not　at　all　clearly

defined　by　Pliny。　He　also　mentions　a　sort　of　purple；

or　hyacinth；　which　was　worth；　in　the　time　of　Julius

Caesar；　100　denarii　（about　15　of　our　money）　per

pound。



The　best　authorities　of　the　present　day；　however；

are　of　opinion　that　the　celebrated　Tyrian…purple　was

extracted　from　a　mollusk　known　as　the　Janthina　prolongata；

a　shell　abundant　in　the　Mediterranean　and

very　common　near　Narbonne；　where　the　Tyrian　purple

dye…works　were　in　operation　at　least　six　hundred

years　before　Christ。



The　price　current　of　some　of　the　inks　and　colors　of

antiquity；　as　quoted　by　Arbuthnot；　are　cited　herewith：



Armenian　purple　30　hs。=4　s。　10　1/3　d。



India　purple　from　one　Denarius；　or　7　3/4　d。　to　30

Denarii；　19　s。　4　1　2　d。



Pelagium；　the　juice　of　one　sort　fishes　that　dyed

purple；　50　hs。=8　s。　0　7/8　d。



Buccinum　the　juice　of　the　other　fish　that　dyed

purple；　100　hs。=16　s。　1　3/4　d。



Cinnabar　50　hs。=8　s。　0　7/8　d。



Tarentine　red　purple；　price　not　mentioned。



Melinum；　a　sort　of　colour　that　came　from　Melos；

one　Nummus；=1　15/16　d。



Paretonium；　a　sort　of　colour　that　came　from　aegypt；

very　lasting；　6　Denarii；=3　s。　10　1/2　d。



Myrobalanus；　2　Denarii；=1　s。　3　1/2　d。



The　last…named　substance　is　the　fruit　of　the　Termi…

nalia；　a　product　of　China　and　the　East　Indies；　best

known　as　Myrabolams　and　must　have　been　utilized

solely　for　the　tannin　they　contain；　which　Loewe

estimates　to　be　identical　with　ellago…tannic　acid；　later

discovered　in　the　divi…divi；　a　fruit　grown　in　South

America；　and　bablah　which　is　also　a　fruit　of　a　species

of　Acacia；　well　known　also　for　its　gum。



No　monuments　are　extant　of　the　ancient　Myrabolam　ink。



Antimony　and　galls　were　used　by　the　Egyptian

ladies　to　tint　their　eyes　and　lashes　and　（who　knows）

to　write　with。



Many　of　the　dyes　employed　as　ink　were　those　occurring

naturally　as　animal　and　vegetable　products；　or

which　could　be　produced　therefrom　by　comparatively

simple　means；　otherwise　we　would　not　be　confronted

with　the　fact　that　no　specimens　of　ink　writing　of

natural　origin　remain　to　us。



The　very　few　specimens　of　ink　writing　which　have

outlasted　decay　and　disintegration　through　so　many

ages；　are　found　to　be　closely　allied　to　materials　like

bitumen；　lampblack　obtained　from　the　smoke　of　oil…

torches　or　resins；　or　gold；　silver；　cinnabar　and

minium。



Josephus　asserts　that　the　books　of　the　ancient　Hebrews

were　written　in　gold　and　silver。



〃Sicca　dewat〃　（A　silver　ink　standeth）；　as　the　ancient

Arabic　proverb　runs。



Rosselini　asserts：



〃the　monumental　hireoglyphics　of　the　Egyptians

were　almost　invariably　painted　with　the　liveliest

tints；　and　when　similar　hireoglyphics　were　executed

on　a　reduced　scale；　and　in　a　more　cursive

form　upon　papyri　or　scrolls　made　from　the　leaves

of　the　papyrus　the　pages　were　written　with　both

black　and　colored　inks。〃



The　early　mode　of　ink　writing　in　biblical　times

mentioned　in　Numbers　v。　23；　where　It　is　said　〃the

priest　shall　write　the　curses　in　a　book；　and　blot　them

out　with　the　bitter　water；〃　was　with　a　kind　of　ink

prepared　for　the　purpose；　without　any　salts　of　iron　or

other　material　which　could　make　a　permanent　dye；

these　maledictions　were　then　washed　into　the　water；

which　the　woman　was　obliged　to　drink；　so　that　she

drank　the　very　words　of　the　execration。　The　ink

still　used　in　the　East　is　almost　all　of　this　kind；　a　wet

sponge　will　obliterate　the　finest　of　their　writings。



In　the　book　of　Jeremiah；　chap。　xxxvi。　verse　18；　it

says：　〃Then　Baruch　answered；　He　pronounced　all

these　words　unto　me　with　his　mouth；　and　I　wrote

THEM　with　ink　in　the　book；〃　and　in　Ezek。　ix。　2；　3；　11；

〃Ink　horn〃　is　referred　to。



Six　hundred　years　later　in　the　New　Testament　is

another　mention　of　ink　〃having　many　things　to　write

unto　you。　I　would　not　write　with　paper　and　Ink；〃

&c。；　second　epistle。　of　John；　12；　and　again　in　his

third　epistle；　13；　〃I　had　many　things　to　write；　but

I　will　not　with　pen　and　Ink　write　unto　thee。〃



The　illustrative　history　of　the　ancient　Egyptians

does　not　point　to　a　time　before　the　reed　was　used　as　a

pen。　The　various　sculptures；　carvings；　pottery　and

paintings；　exhibit　the　scribes　at　work　in　their　avocations；

recording　details　about　the　hands　and　ears　of

slaughtered　enemies；　the　numbers　of　captives；　the

baskets　of　wheat；　the　n