forty centuries of ink-第66节

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vinegar　impregnated　with　saturn。



〃Take　an　ounce　of　quick…lime；　and　half　an　ounce　of

orpin；　powder　and　mix　them；　put　your　mixture　into

a　matrass；　and　pour　upon　it　five　or　six　ounces　of　water；

that　the　water　may　be　three　fingers　breadth　above

the　powder；　stop　your　matrass　with　cork；　wax；　and　a

bladder；　set　it　in　digestion　in　a　mild　sand　heat　ten　or

twelve　hours；　shaking　the　matrass　from　time　to　time；

then　let　it　settle；　the　liquid　becomes　clear　like　common

water。



〃Burn　cork；　and　quench　it　in　aqua　vitae；　then　dissolve

it　in　a　sufficient　quantity　of　water；　wherein　you

shall　have　melted　a　little　gumm　arabick；　in　order　to

make　an　ink　as　black　as　common　ink。　You　must

separate　the　cork　that　can't　dissolve；　and　if　the　ink　be

not　black　enough；　add　more　cork　as　before。



〃Get　the　impregnation　of　saturn　made　with　vinegar；

distilled　as　I　have　shewn　before；　or　else　dissolve

so　much　salt　of　saturn　as　a　quantity　of　water

is　able　to　receive：　write　on　paper　with　a　new

pen　dipt　in　this　liquor；　take　notice　of　the　place

where　you　writ；　and　let　it　dry；　nothing　at　all　will

appear。



〃Write　upon　the　invisible　writing　with　the　ink

made　of　burnt　cork；　and　let　it　dry；　that　which　you

have　writ　will　appear　as　if　it　had　been　done　with　common

ink。



〃Dip　a　little　cotton　in　the　first　liquor　made　of　lime

and　orpin；　but　the　liquor　must　be　first　settled　and

clear；　rub　the　place　you　writ　upon　with　this　cotton

and　that　which　appeared　will　presently　disappear；　and

that　which　was　not　seen　will　appear。



ANOTHER　EXPERIMENT。



Take　a　book　four　fingers　breadth　in　bigness；　or

bigger　if　you　will：　write　on　the　first　leaf　with　your

impregnation　of　saturn；　or　else　put　a　paper　that　you

have　writ　upon　between　the　leaves；　turn　to　t'　other

side　of　the　Book；　and　having　observed　as　near　as　may

be　the　opposite　place　to　your　writing；　rub　the　last　leaf

of　the　book　with　cotton　dipt　in　liquor　made　of　quick…

lime　and　orpin；　nay　and　leave　the　cotton　on　the　place

clap　a　folded　paper　presently　upon　it；　and　shutting

the　book　quickly；　strike　upon　it　with　your　hand　four

or　five　good　strokes；　then　turn　the　book；　and　clap　it

into　a　press　for　half　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　take　it　out

and　open　it；　you'll　find　the　place　appear　black；　where

you　had　writ　with　the　invisible　ink。　The　same　thing

might　be　done　through　a　wall；　if　you　could　provide

something　to　lay　on　both　sides；　that　might　hinder　the

evaporation　of　the　spirits。



REMARKS。



〃These　operations　are　indeed　of　no　use；　but　because

they　are　somewhat　surprizing；　I　hope　the　curious　will

not　take　it　ill；　that　I　make　this　small　digression。



〃It　is　a　hard　matter　to　explicate　well　the　effects　I

have　now　related；　nevertheless　I　shall　endeavour　to

illustrate　them　a　little；　without　having　recourse　to

sympathy　and　antipathy；　which　are　general　terms；　and

do　not　explicate　nothing　at　all；　but　before　I　begin；　we

must　remark　several　things。



〃The　first　is；　that　it　is　an　essential　point　to　quench

the　coal　of　cork　in　aqua　vitae；　that　the　visible　ink　may

become　black　with　it。



〃Secondly；　that　the　blackness　of　this　ink　does

proceed　from　the　fuliginosity　or　sooty　part　of　the　coal

of　the　cork　which　is　exceeding　porous　and　light；　and

that　this　fuliginosity　is　nothing　but　an　oil　very　much

rarefied。



〃Thirdly；　that　the　impregnation　of　saturn；　which

makes　the　invisible　ink；　is　only　a　lead　dissolved；　and

held　up　imperceptibly　in　an　acid　liquor；　as　I　have　said；

when　I　spoke　of　this　metal。



〃Fourthly；　that　the　first　of　these　liquors　in　a　mixture

of　the　alkali　and　igneous　parts　of　quick…lime　with

the　sulphureous　substance　of　arsenick；　for　the　orpin

is　a　sort　of　arsenick；　as　I　said　before。



〃All　this　being　granted；　as　no　body　can　reasonably

think　otherwise；　I　now　affirm；　that　the　reason　why　the

visible　ink　does　disappear；　when　the　defacing　liquor　is

rubbed　upon　it；　is　that　this　liquor　consisting　of　an

alkali　salt；　and　parts　that　are　oily　and　penetrating；

this　mixture　does　make　a　kind　of　soap；　which　is　able

to　dissolve　any　fuliginous　substance；　such　as　burnt

cork；　especially　when　it　has　been　already　rarefied　and

disposed　for　dissolution　by　aqua　vitae；　after　the　same

manner　as　common　soap；　which　is　compounded　of　oil；

and　an　alkali　salt；　is　able　to　take　away　any　spots　made

by　grease。



〃But　it　may　be　demanded；　why　after　the　dissolution

the　blackness　does　disappear。



〃I　answer；　that　the　fuliginous　parts　have　been　so

divided；　and　locked　up　in　the　sulphureous　alkali　of

the　liquor；　that　they　are　become　invisible；　and　we　see

every　day　that　very　exact　solutions　do　render　the　thing

dissolved　imperceptible；　and　without　colour。



〃The　little　alkali　salt　which　is　in　the　burnt　cork

may　also　the　better　serve　to　joyn　with　the　alkali　of

the　quick…lime；　and　to　help　the　dissolution。



〃As　for　the　invisible　ink；　it　is　easy　to　apprehend

how　that　appears　black；　when　the　same　liquor；　which

serves　to　deface　the　other；　is　used　upon　it。　For　whereas

the　impregnation　of　saturn　is　only　a　lead　suspended　by

the　edges；　of　the　acid　liquor；　this　lead　must　needs　revive；

and　resume　its　black　colour；　when　that　which　held　it

rarefied　is　entirely　destroyed；　so　the　alkali　of　quick…

lime　being　filled　with　the　sulphurs　of　arsenick　becomes

very　proper　to　break　and　destroy　the　acids；　and　to

agglutinate　together　the　particles　of　lead。



It　happens　that　the　visible　ink　does　disappear　by

reason　that　the　parts　which　did　render　it　black　have

been　dissolved；　and　the　invisible　ink　does　also　appear

because　the　dissolved　parts　have　been　revived。



〃Quick…lime　and；　orpiment　being　mixed　and　digested

together　in　water；　do　yield　a　smell　much　like

that　which　happens　when　common　sulphur　is　boiled　in

a　lixivium；　of　tartar。　This　here　is　the　stronger；　because

the　sulphur　of　arsenick　is　loaded　with　certain　salts

that　make　a　stronger　impression　on　the　smell。　Quick…

lime　is　an　alkali　that　operates　in　this　much　like　the

salt　of　tartar　in　the　other　operation；　you　must　not

leave　the　matrass　open；　because　the　force　of　this

water　doth　consist　in　a　volatile。



〃The　lime　retains　the　more　fixt　part　of　the　arsenick

and　the　sulphurs　that　come　forth　are　so　much　the

more　subtile；　as　they　are　separated　from　what　did　fix

them　before；　and　this　appears　to　be　so；　because　the

sulphurs　must　of　necessity　pass　through　all　the　book　to

make　a　writing　of　a　clear　and　invisible　liquor　appear

black　and　visible：　and　to　facilitate　this　penetration　the

book　is　strook；　and　then　turned　about；　because　the　spirit

or　volatile　sulphurs　do　always　tend　upwards；　you　must

likewise　clap　it　into　a　press；　that　these　sulphurs　may

not　be　dispersed　in　the　air。　I　have　found；　if　that　these

circumstances　are　not　observed；　the　business　fails。

Furthermore　that　which　persuades　me　that　the　sulphurs

do　pass　through　the　book；　and　not　take　a　circuit

to　slip　in　by　the　sides；　as　many　do　imagine；　is

that　after　the　book　is　taken　out　of　the　press；　all　the

inside　is　found　to　be　scented　with　the　smell　of　this

liquor。



〃There　is　one　thing　more　to　be　observed；　which　is；

that　the　infusion　of　quick…lime　and　orpin　be　newly

made；　because　otherwise　it　will　not　have　force　enough

to　penetrate。　The　three　liquors　should　be　made　in

different　places　too；　for　if　they　should　approach　near

one　another；　they　would　be　spoiled。



〃This　last　effect　does　likewise　proceed　from　the　defacing

liquor；　for　because　upon　the　digestion　of　quick…

lime　and　orpin；　it　is　a　thing　impossible　for　some　of　the

particles　will　exalt；　stop　the　vessel　as　close　as　you

will；　the　air　impregnated　with　these　little　bodies　does

mix　with；　and　alter　the　inks；　insomuch　that　the　visible

ink　does　thereby　become　the　less　black；　and　the　invisible

ink　does　also　acquire　a　little　blackness。〃



Priceless　MSS。　in　immense　number　written　in

periods　between　the　third　and　thirteenth　centuries

have　been　destroyed　by　modern　scholars　in　experimentations

based　on　the　false　theory　that　the　faded

inks　on　them；　whether　above　or　below　other　inks

（palimpsests）；　contained　iron。



Sulphocyanide　of　potassium　is　highly　esteemed　as　a

reagent　for　the　restoration　of　writing；　if　iron　is　present。

Theoretically；　it　is　one　of　the　best　for　such　a　purpose

if　employed　with　acetic　acid。　It　causes；　however；　such

a　decided　contraction　of　parchment　as　to　be　utterly

useless；　but　for　paper　MSS。　is　excellent。　The　metallic

sulphides　generally　pronounced　harmless；　causes

the　writing　to　soften　and　become　illegible　in　a　short

time。　On　the　other　hand；　yellow　prussiate　of　potash；

with　acetic　acid　in　successive　operations　is　of　great

service　in　treating　the　most　perplexing　palimpsests。



Ink　which　badly　corrodes　a　steel　pen　need　not

necessarily　be　condemned；　it　may　contain　just　the　qualities

which　make　it　bind　to　the　paper　and　render　it

more　durable。



Some　inks　which　are　fairly　permanent　against　time

if　not　tampered　with；　ca