forty centuries of ink-第4节

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recording　details　about　the　hands　and　ears　of

slaughtered　enemies；　the　numbers　of　captives；　the

baskets　of　wheat；　the　numerous　animals；　the　tribute；

the　treaties　and　the　public　records。　These　ancient

scribes　employed　a　cylindrical　box　for　ink；　with　writing

tablets；　which　were　square　sections　of　wood　with

lateral　grooves　to　hold　the　small　reeds　for　writing。



During　the　time　Joseph　was　Viceroy　of　Egypt

under　Sethosis　I；　the　first　of　the　Pharaohs；　B。　C。　1717；

he　employed　a　small　army　of　clerks　and　storekeepers

throughout　Egypt　in　his　extensive　grain　operations。

The　scribes　whose　duties　pertained　to　making　records

respecting　this　business；　used　both　red　and　black　inks；

contained　in　different　receptacles　in　a　desk；　which；

when　not　in　use；　was　placed　in　a　box　or　trunk；　with

leather　handles　at　the　sides；　and　in　this　way　was

carried　from　place　to　place。　As　the　scribe　had　two

colors　of　ink；　he　needed　two　pens　（reeds）　and　we　see

him　on　the　monuments　of　Thebes；　busy　with　one　pen

at　work；　and　the　other　placed　in　that　most　ancient

pen…rack；　behind　the　ear。　Such；　says　Mr。　Knight；　is

presented　in　a　painting　at　Beni　Hassan。



The　Historical　Society　of　New　York　possesses　a

small　bundle　of　these　pens；　with　the　stains　of　the　ink

yet　upon　them；　besides　a　bronze　knife　used　for　making

such　pens　（reeds）；　and　which　are　alleged　to　belong　to

a　period　not　far　removed　from　Joseph's　time。

The　other　history　of　ink；　long　preceding　the　departure

of　Israel　from　Egypt；　and　with　few　exceptions

until　after　the　middle　ages；　can　only　be　considered；　as

it　is　intimately　bound　up　in　the　chronology　and　story

of　handwriting　and　writing　materials。　Even　then　it

must　not　be　supposed　that　the　history　of　ink　is　authentic

and　continuous　from　the　moment　handwriting　was

applied　to　the　recording　of　events；　for　the　earliest

records　are　lost　to　us　in　almost　every　instance。　We

are　therefore　dependent　upon　later　writers；　who　made

their　records　in　the　inks　of　their　own　time；　and　who

could　refer　to　those　preceding　them　only　by　the　aid

of　legends　and　traditions。



There　is　no　independent　data　indicating　any　variation

whatever　in　the　methods　of　the　admixture　of

black　or　colored　inks；　which　differentiates　them　from

those　used　in　the　earliest　times　of　the　ancient

Egyptians；　Hebrews　or　Chinese。　On　the　contrary　if　we

exclude　〃Indian〃　and　one　of　the　red　inks；　for　a　period

of　fourteen　hundred　years　we　find　their　number　diminishing

until　the　first　centuries　of　the　Christian　era。

Exaggerated　tradition　has　described　inks　as　well　as

other　things　and　imagination　is　not　lacking。　Some　of

these　legends；　in　later　years　put　in　writing；　compel　us

to　depend　on　translations　of　obscure　and　obsolete

tongues；　while　the　majority　of　them　are　mingled　with

the　errors　and　superstitious　of　the　time　in　which　they

were　transcribed。



The　value　of　such　accounts　depends　upon　a　variety

of　circumstances　and　we　must　proceed　with　the　utmost

caution　and　discrimination　in　examining　and　weighing

the　authenticity　of　these　sources　of　information。



If　we　reason　that　the　art　of　handwriting　did　not

become　known　to　all　the　ancient　nations　at　once；　but

was　gradually　imparted　by　one　to　another；　it　follows

that　records　supposed　to　be　contemporaneous；　were

made　in　some　countries　at　a　much　earlier　period　than

in　others。　It　must　also　be　observed　that　the　Asiatic

nations　and　the　Egyptians　practiced　the　art　of　writing

many　centuries　before　it　was　introduced　into　Europe。

Hence　we　are　able　to　estimate　with　some　degree　of

certainty　that　ink…written　accounts　of　some　Asiatic

nations　were　made　while　Europe　was　in　this　respect

buried　in　utter　darkness。



An　interesting　story　which　bears　on　this　statement

is　told　by　Kennett；　in　his　〃Antiquities　of　Rome；〃

London；　1743；　as　to　the　discovery　of　ancient　MSS。；

five　hundred　and　twenty　years　before　the　Christian

era；　of　what　even　then　must　have　been　remarkable：



〃A　strange　old　woman　came　once　to　Tarquinius

Superbus　with　nine　books；　which；　she　said；　were

the　oracles　of　the　Sybils；　and　proffered　to　sell　them。

But　the　king　making　some　scruple　about　the　price；

she　went　away　and　burnt　three　of　them；　and　returning

with　the　six；　asked　the　same　sum　as　before。

Tarquin　only　laughed　at　the　humour；　upon　which

the　old　woman　left　him　once　more；　and　after　she

had　burnt　three　others；　came　again　with　them　that

were　left；　but　still　kept　to　her　old　terms。　The　king

now　began　to　wonder　at　her　obstinacy；　and　thinking

there　might　be　something　more　than　ordinary

in　the　business；　sent　for　the　augars　（soothsayers）

to　consult　what　was　to　be　done。　They；　when　their

divinations　were　performed；　soon　acquainted　him

what　a　piece　of　impiety　he　had　been　guilty　of；　by

refusing　a　treasure　sent　to　him　from　heaven；　and

commanded　him　to　give　whatever　she　demanded　for

the　books　that　remained。　The　woman　received　her

money；　and　delivered　the　writings；　and　only；　charging

them　by　all　means　to　keep　them　sacred；　immediately

vanished。　Two　of　the　nobility　were　presently

after　chosen　to　be　the　keepers　of　these　oracles；

which　were　laid　up　with　all　imaginable　care　in　the

Capitol；　in　a　chest　under　ground。　They　could　not

be　consulted　without　a　special　order　of　the　Senate；

which　was　never　granted；　unless　upon　the　receiving

of　some　notable　defeat；　upon　the　rising　of　any

considerable　mutiny；　or　sedition　in　the　State；　or

upon　some　other　extraordinary　occasion；　several　of

which　we　meet　with　in　Livy。〃



Some　of　the　ancient　historians　even　sought　to　be

misleading　respecting　the　events　not　only　of　their　own

times；　but　of　epochs　which　preceded　them。　Richardson；

in　his　〃Dissertation　on　Ancient　History　and　Mythology；〃

published　in　1778；　remarks：



〃The　information　received　hitherto　has　been　almost

entirely　derived　through　the　medium　of　the

Grecian　writers；　whose　elegance　of　taste；　harmony

of　language；　and　fine　arrangement　of　ideas；　have

captivated　the　imagination；　misled　the　judgment；

and　stamped　with　the　dignified　title　of　history；　the

amusing　excursions　of　fanciful　romance。　Too

proud　to　consider　surrounding　nations；　（if　the　Eyptians

may　be　excepted）　in　any　light　but　that　of

barbarians；　they　despised　their　records；　they　altered

their　language；　and　framed　too　often　their

details；　more　to　the　prejudices　of　their　fellow　citizens；

than　to　the　standard　of　truth　or　probability。

We　have　names　of　Persian　kings；　which　a　Persian

could　not　pronounce；　we　have　facts　related　they

apparently　never　knew；　and　we　have　customs

ascribed　to　them；　which　contradict　every　distinguishing

characteristic　of　an　Eastern　people。　The

story　of　Lysimachus　and　one　Greek　historian　may

indeed；　with　justice；　be　applied　to　many　others。

This　prince；　in　the　partition　of　Alexander's　empire；

became　King　of　Thrace：　he　had　been　one　of　the

most　active　of　that　conqueror's　commanders；　and

was　present　at　every　event　which　deserved　the

attention　of　history。　A　Grecian　had　written　an

account　of　the　Persian　conquest；　and　be　wished　to

read　it　before　the　king。　The　monarch　listened

with　equal　attention　and　wonder：　'All　this　is　very

fine；'　says　he；　when　the　historian　had　finished；

'but　where　was　I　when　those　things　were　performed？'　〃







CHAPTER　II。



ANTIQUITY　OF　INK。



THE　INVENTION　OF　THE　ART　OF　WRITINGTO　WHOM

IT　BELONGSITS　UTILIZATION　BY　NATIONS　AND

INDIVIDUALSWHEN　IT　IS　FIRST　MENTIONED　IN　THE

BIBLECITATIONS　FROM　THE　ENCYCLOPaeDIA　BRITANNICA

AND　SMITHS　DICTIONARY　OF　THE　BIBLESOME

REMARKS　BY　HUMPHREYS　OF　THE　ORIGIN　AND　PROGRESS

OF　HANDWRITINGCOMMENTS　BY　PLATO　AND

THE　COLLOQUY　BETWEEN　KING　THAMUS　AND　THOTH；

THE　EGYPTIAN　GOD　OF　THE　LIBERAL　ARTSFIRST

APPEARANCE　OF　INK　WRITTEN　ROLLSDESTRUCTION

OF　THE　TEMPLES　WHICH　CONTAINED　THEMCOMMENTS

OF　THE　HISTORIAN　ROLLINSDESTRUCTION

OF　THE　MOST　ANCIENT　CHINESE　INK　WRITTEN　MSS。



THERE　is　a　difference　of　opinion　as　to　what　nation

belongs　the　honor　of　the　invention　of　the　art　of

handwriting。　Sir　Isaac　Newton　observes：



〃There　is　the　utmost　uncertainty　in　the　chronology

of　ancient　kingdoms；　arising　from　the　vanity

of　each　claiming　the　greatest　antiquity；　while　those

pretensions　were　favoured　by　their　having　no　exact

account　of　time。〃



Its　antiquity　has　been　exhaustively　treated　by　many

writers；　the　best　known　are　Massey；　1763；　The　Origin

and　Progress　of　Letters；〃　Astle；　1803；　〃The　Origin

and　Progress　of　Writing；〃　Silvestre；　〃Universal

Palaeography；〃　Paris；　1839…41　；　and　Humphreys；　1855；

〃The　Origin　and　Progress　of　the　Art　of　Writing。〃

They；　with　others；　have　sought　to　record　the　origin

and　gradual　development　of　the　art　of　writing　from

the　Egyptian　Hieroglyphics　of　4000　B。　C。；　the　Chinese

Figurative；　3000　B。　C。　；　Indian　Alphabetic；　2000　or

more　B。　C。　；　the　Babylonian　or　Cuneiform；　2000

years　B。　C。；　and　the　Phoenician　in　which　they　include

the　Hebrew　or　Samaritan　Alphabet；　2000　or　more

B。　C。；　down　to　the　writings　of　the　new　or　Weste