forty centuries of ink-第59节

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scraped　off。　At　the　same　time　also　the　stronger

bark　which　is　of　a　full　year's　growth　is　separated

from　the　thinner；　which　covered　the　younger

branches；　and　which　yields　the　best　and　whitest

paper。　After　it　has　been　sufficiently　cleansed　out

and　separated；　it　must　be　boiled　in　clear　ley；　and

if　stirred　frequently　it　soon　becomes　of　a　suitable

nature。



〃It　is　then　washed；　a　process　requiring　much

attention　and　great　skill　and　judgment；　for　if　it

be　not　washed　long　enough；　although　strong　and

of　good　body；　will　be　coarse　and　of　little　value；　if

washed　too　long　it　will　afford　a　white　paper；　but

will　be　spongy　and　unfit　for　writing　upon。　Having

been　washed　until　it　becomes　a　soft　and　woolly

pulp；　it　is　spread　upon　a　table　and　beat　fine　with　a

mallet。　It　is　then　put　into　a　tub　with　an　infusion

of　rice　and　breni　root；　when　the　whole　is　stirred

until　the　ingredients　are　thoroughly　mixed　in　a

mass　of　proper　consistence。　The　moulds　on　which

sheets　are　formed　are　made　of　reeds　cut　into　narrow

strips　instead　of　wire；　and　the　process　of　dipping

is　like　that　of　other　countries。　After　being

allowed　to　remain　a　short　time　in　heaps　under　a

slight　pressure；　the　sheets　are　exposed　to　the　sun；

by　which　they　are　properly　dried。



〃The　Arabians　in　the　seventh　century　appear

to　have　either　discovered　or　to　have　learned　from

the　Chinese　or　Hindoos；　quite　likely　from　the　latter；

the　art　of　making　paper　from　cotton；　for　it　is

known　that　a　manufactory　of　such　paper　was　established

at　Samarcand　about　the　year　706　A。　D；　The

Arabians　seem　to　have　carried　the　art　to　Spain；

and　to　have　there　made　paper　from　linen　and　hemp

as　well　as　from　cotton。



〃The　art　of　manufacturing　paper　from　cotton

is　supposed　to　have　found　its　way　into　Europe　in

the　eleventh　century。　The　first　paper　of　that　kind

was　made　of　raw　cotton；　but　its　manufacture　was

by　the　Arabians　extended　to　old　worn…out　cotton；

and　even　to　the　smallest　pieces　it　is　said。　But　as

there　are　cotton　plants　of　various　kinds；　it　was　natural

that　they　should　produce　papers　of　different

qualities；　and　it　was　impossible　to　unite　their

woolly　particles　so　firmly　as　to　form　a　strong　substantial

paper；　for　want　of　sufficient　skill　and

proper　machinery；　using　as　they　did　mortars　and

rude　horse…mills。　The　Greeks；　it　is　said；　made

use　of　cotton　paper　before　the　Latins。　It　came

into　Germany　through　Venice　and　was　called　Greek

parchment。



〃The　Moors；　who　were　the　paper…makers　of

Spain；　having　been　expelled　by　the　Spaniards；

the　latter；　acquainted　with　water　mills；　improved

the　manufacture　so　as　to　produce　a　paper　from

cotton　nearly　equal　to　that　made　of　linen　rags。〃



A　chronology　of　paper　relating　to　the　earliest　specimens

of　them　can　also　be　found　in　Munsell's　work　on

that　subject；　several　are　here　cited：



〃A。　D。　704。　The　Arabians　are　supposed　to

have　acquired　the　knowledge　of　making　paper　of

cotton；　by　their　conquests　in　Tartary。



〃A。　D。　706。　Casiri；　a　Spanish　author；　attributes

the　invention　of　cotton　paper　to　Joseph　Amru；　in

this　year；　at　Mecca；　but　it　is　well　known　that　the

Chinese　and　Persians　were　acquainted　with　its

manufacture　before　this　period。



〃A。　D。　900。　The　bulls　of　the　popes　in　the　eighth　and　ninth

centuries　were　written　upon　cotton　paper。



〃A。　D。　900。　Montfaucon；　who　on　account　of

his　diligence　and　the　extent　of　his　researches　is

great　authority；　wrote　a　dissertation　to　prove　that

charta　bombycine；　cotton　paper；　was　discovered　in

the　empire　of　the　east　toward　the　end　of　the　ninth

or　beginning　of　the　tenth　century。



〃A。　D。　1007。　The　plenarium；　or　inventory；　of

the　treasure　of　the　church　of　Sandersheim；　is　written

upon　paper　of　cotton；　bearing　this　date。



〃A。　D。　1049。　The　oldest　manuscript　in　England

written　upon　cotton　paper；　is　in　the　Bodleian　collection

of　the　British　Museum；　having　this　date。



〃A。　D。　1050。　The　most　ancient　manuscript　on

cotton　paper；　that　has　been　discovered　in　the

Royal　Library　at　Paris　having　a　date；　bears　record

of　this　year。



〃A。　D。　1085。　The　Christian　successors　of　Moorish

paper…makers　at　Toledo　in　Spain；　worked　the

paper…mills　to　better　advantage　than　their　predecessors。

Instead　of　manufacturing　paper　of　raw

cotton；　which　is　easily　recognized　by　its　yellowness

and　brittleness；　they　made　it　of　rags；　in　moulds

through　which　the　water　ran　off；　for　this　reason　it

was　called　parchment　cloth。



〃A。　D。　1100。　The　Aphorisms　of　Hippocrates；　in

Arabia；　the　manuscript　of　which　bears　this　date；

has　been　pronounced　the　oldest　specimen　of　linen

paper　that　has　come　to　light。



〃A。　D。　1100。　Arabic　manuscripts　were　at　this

time　written　on　satin　paper；　and　embellished　with

a　quantity　of　ornamental　work；　painted　in　such

gay　and　resplendent　colors　that　the　reader　might

behold　his　face　reflected　as　if　from　a　mirror。



〃A。　D。　1100。　There　was　a　diploma　of　Roger；

king　of　Sicily；　dated　1145；　in　which　be　says　that

he　had　renewed　on　parchment　a　charter　that　had

been　written　on　cotton　paper　in　1100。



〃A。　D。　1102。　The　king　of　Sicily　appears　to

have　accorded　a　diploma　to　an　ancient　family　of

paper…makers　who　had　established　a　manufactory

in　that　island；　where　cotton　was　indigenous；　and

this　has　been　thought　to　point　to　the　origin　of　cotton

paper；　quite　erroneously。



〃A。　D。　1120。　Peter　the　Venerable；　abbot　of

Clum；　who　flourished　about　this　time；　declared

that　paper　from　linen　rags　was　in　use　in　his　day。



〃A。　D。　1150。　Edrisi；　who　wrote　at　this　time；

tells　us　that　the　paper　made　at　Xativa；　an　ancient

city　of　Valencia；　was　excellent；　and　was　exported

to　countries　east　and　west。



〃A。　D。　1151。　An　Arabian　author　certifies　that

very　fine　white　cotton　paper　was　manufactured　in

Spain；　and　Cacim　aben　Hegi　assures　us　that　the　best

was　made　at　Xativa。　The　Spaniards　being　acquainted

with　water…mills；　improved　upon　the　Moorish

method　of　grinding　the　raw　cotton　and　rags；　and

by　stamping　the　latter　in　the　mill；　they　produced　a

better　pulp　than　from　raw　cotton；　by　which　various

sorts　of　paper　were　manufactured；　nearly　equal　to

those　made　from　linen　rags。



〃A。　D。　1153。　Petrus　Mauritius　（the　Abbi　de

Cluni）；　who　died　in　this　year；　has　the　following

passage　on　paper　in　his　Treatise　against　the　Jews；

'The　books　we　read　every　day　are　made　of　sheep；

goat；　or　calf　skin；　or　of　rags　（ex　rasauris　veterum

pannorum）；'　supposed　to　allude　to　modern　paper。



〃A。　D。　1178。　A　treaty　of　peace　between　the

kings　of　Aragon　and　Castile　is　the　oldest　specimen

of　linen　paper　used　in　Spain　with　a　date。　It

is　supposed　that　the　Moors；　on　their　settlement　in

Spain；　where　cotton　was　scarce；　made　paper　of

hemp　and　flax。　The　inventor　of　linen…rag　paper；

whoever　he　was；　is　entitled　to　the　gratitude　of

posterity。



〃A。　D。　1200。　Casiri　positively　affirms　that

there　are　manuscripts　in　the　Escurial　palace　near

Madrid；　upon　both　cotton　and　hemp　paper；　written

prior　to　this　time。〃



Abdollatiph；　an　Arabian　physician；　who　visited

Egypt　in　1200；　says　that　the　linen　mummy…cloths

were　habitually　used　to　make　wrapping　paper　for　the

shopkeepers。



A　document　with　the　seals　preserved　dated　A。　D。

1239　and　signed　by　Adolphus；　count　of　Schaumburg

is　written　on　linen　paper。　It　is　preserved　in　the

university　of　Rinteln；　Germany；　and　establishes　the

fact　that　linen　paper　was　already　in　use　in　Germany。



Specimens　of　flax　paper　and　still　extant　are　quite

numerous；　a　very　few　of　them　having　dates　included

in　the　eighth　and　ninth　centuries。



The　charta　Damascena；　so…called　from　the　fact　of

its　manufacture　in　the　city　of　Damascus；　was　in　use　in

the　eighth　century。　Many　Arabian　MSS。　on　such　a

paper　exist　dating　from　the　ninth　century。



The　charta　bombycina　（bombyx；　a　silk　and　cotton

paper）　was　much　employed　during　mediaeval　periods。



The　microscope；　however；　has　demonstrated　conclusively

many　things　formerly　in　doubt　and　relating

particularly　to　the　matter　of　the　character　of　fibre

used　in　paper…making。　One　of　the　most　important

is　the　now　established　fact　that　there　is　no　difference

between　the　fibres　of　the　old　cotton　and　linen　papers；

as　made　from　rags　so　named。



To　ascertain　the　precise　period　and　the　particular

nation　of　Europe；　when　and　among　whom　the　use　of

our　common　paper　fabricated　from　linen　rags　first

originated；　was　a　very　earnest　object　of　research

with　the　learned　Meerman；　author　of　a　now　exceedingly

rare　work　on　this　subject　and　published　in　1767。

His　mode　of　inquiry　was　unique。　He　proposed　a

reward　of　twenty…five　golden　ducats；　to　whoever

should　discover　what　on　due　examination　should　appear

to　be　the　most　ancient　manuscript　or　public

document　inscribed　on　paper　manufactured　from

linen　rags。　This　proposal　was　distributed　through

all　parts　of　Europe。　His　little　volume　contains　the

replies　which　Meerman　received。　The　scholars　who

remitted　the　result　o