forty centuries of ink-第9节

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the　strange　phenomenon。　After　this；　we　hear　no

more　of　these　cities；　but　the　portion　of　the　inhabitants

who　escaped　built　or　occupied　suburbs　at　Nola　in

Campania　and　at　Naples。　In　the　latter　city；　the　Regio

Herculanensium；　or　Quarter　of　the　Herculaneans；　an

inscription　marked　on　several　lapidary　monuments；

indicates　the　part　devoted　to　the　population　driven

from　the　doomed　city。



The　ancient　inkstand　found　at　Herculaneum；　said

to　contain　a　substance　resembling　a　thick　oil　or　paint

characteristic　of　a　material　which　it　is　alleged；　〃some

of　the　manuscripts　have　been　written　in　a　sort　of

relievo；　visible　in　the　letters　when　a　'leaf'　is　held　to

the　light　in　a　horizontal　direction；〃　it　is　not　impossible；

indeed　it　is　quite　probable；　belonged　to　an　era　centuries

later　than　the　period　to　which　it　has　been　assigned。



〃No　perfect　papyri；　but　only　fragments；　have　been

found　at　Pompeii。　At　Herculaneum；　up　to　the　year

1825；　1；756　had　been　obtained；　besides　many　others

destroyed　by　the　workmen；　who　imagined　them　to　be

mere　sticks　of　charcoal。　Most　of　them　were　found

in　a　suburban　villa；　in　a　room　of　small　dimensions；

ranged　in　presses　round　the　sides　of　the　room；　in　the

center　of　which　stood　a　sort　of　rectangular　bookcase。



〃Sir　Humphry　Davy；　after　investigating　their

chemical　nature；　arrived　at　the　conclusion　that　they

had　not　been　carbonized　by　heat；　but　changed　by　the

long　action　of　air　and　moisture；　and　he　visited　Naples

in　hopes　of　rendering　the　resources　of　chemistry

available　towards　deciphering　these　long…lost　literary

treasures。　His　expectations；　however；　were　not　fully

crowned　with　success；　although　the　partial　efficacy　of

his　methods　was　established；　and　he　relinquished　the

pursuit　at　the　end　of　six　months；　partly　from　disappointment；

partly　from　a　belief　that　vexatious　obstacles

were　thrown　in　his　way　by　the　jealousy　of　the

persons　to　whom　the　task　of　unrolling　had　been　intrusted。

About　five　hundred　volumes　have　been　well

and　neatly　unrolled。　It　is　rather　remarkable　that；　as

far　as　can　be　learned；　no　manuscript　of　any　known

standard　work　has　been　found；　nor；　indeed；　any　production

of　any　of　the　great　luminaries　of　the　ancient

world。　The　most　celebrated　person　of　whom　any

work　has　been　found　is　Epicurus；　whose　treatise；　De

Natura；　has　been　successfully　unrolled。　This　and　a

few　other　treatises　have　been　published。　The　library

in　which　this　was　found　appears　to　have　been　rich　in

treatises　on　the　Epicurean　philosophy。　The　only

Latin　work　which　it　contained　was　a　poem；　attributed

to　Rabirius；　on　the　war　of　Caesar　and　Antony。〃



Beginning　with　A。　D。　200；　the　employment　of　inks

became　more　and　more　constant　and　popular。　Rediscoveries

of　ancient　formulas　belonging　to　a　more

remote　antiquity　multiplied　in　number。　Silver　ink

was　again　quite　common　in　most　countries。　Red　ink

made　of　vermilion　（a　composition　of　mercury；　sulphur

and　potash）　and　cinnabar　（native　mercuric　sulphide）

were　employed　in　the　writing　of　the　titles　as　was　blue

ink　made　of　indigo；　cobalt　or　oxide　of　copper。　Tyrian

purple　was　used　for　coloring　the　parchment　or　vellum。

The　〃Indian〃　inks　made　by　the　Chinese　were　imported

and　used　in　preference　to　those　of　similar

character　manufactured　at　home。　The　stylus　and

waxed　tablets　though　still　used；　in　a　measure　gave　way

to　the　reawakened　interest　in　ink　and　ink　writings。



A　greater　facility　in　writing；　due　to　the　gradual

reduction　in　size　of　the　uncial　（inch）　letters　was

thereby　attained。



There　were　〃writers　in　gold〃　and　〃writers　in

silver〃　who　travelled　from　the　East　into　Greece　and

who　bad　found　their　way　before　the　third　century

into　the　very　heart　of　Rome。　Their　business　was　to

embellish　the　manuscript　writings　of　those　times。　It

was　considered　en　regale　for　authors　to　〃illuminate〃

their　MSS。　and　those　who　failed　to　do　so　suffered　in

popularity。



These　authors　frequently　allude　to　their　use　of　red；

black　and　secret　inks。



Martial　in　his　first　epistle　points　out　the　bookseller's

shop　opposite　the　Julian　Forum　where　his　works　may

be　obtained　〃smoothed　with　pumice　stone　and　decorated

with　purple。〃　Seneca　mentions　books　ornamented

〃cum　imaginabus。〃　Varro　is　related　by　the

younger　Pliny　to　have　illustrated　his　works　by　pictures

of　more　than　seven　hundred　illustrious　persons。

Martial　dwells　on　the　edition　of　Virgil；　with　his

portrait　as　a　frontispiece。



The　earliest　recorded　instance　of　the　richer　adornments

of　golden　lettering　on　purple　or　rose…stained

vellum　is　given　by　Julius　Capitolinus　in　his　life　of　the

Emperor　Maximinus　the　younger。　He　therein　mentions

that　the　mother　of　the　emperor　presented　to　him

on　his　return　to　his　tutor　（early　in　the　third　century）；

a　copy　of　the　works　of　Homer；　written　in　gold　upon

purple　vellum。



The　fugitive　character；　as　before　stated；　of　a　great

many　of　the　colored　inks；　and　indeed　most　of　the

black　ones　which　were　undoubtedly　employed；　is　the

principal　reason　why　so　few　specimens　of　them　remain

to　us。　Those　which　have　proved　themselves　so　lasting

in　character　as　to　be　still　extant；　bear　evidence

of　extreme　care　in　the　preparation　of　both　the　inks

and　the　materials　on　which　the　writings　appear。　Perhaps

one　of　the　finest　illustrations　of　this　practice　is

to　be　found　in　a　book　of　the　Four　Gospels　of　Italian

origin；　discovered　in　the　tenth　century　（a　work　of　the

fourth　century）　and　deposited　in　the　Harlein　Library。

This　book　is　written　in　〃Indian〃　ink　and　possesses

magnificently　embellished　and　illuminated　letters　at

the　beginning　of　each　Gospel；　which　are　on　vellum

stained　in　different　colors。



St。　Jerome　calls　attention　to　this　class　of　books　in

a　well…known　passage　of　his　preface　to　the　Book　of

Job；　also　written　in　the　fourth　century；　where　he　explains

as　translated：



〃Let　those　who　will　have　old　books　written　in

gold　and　silver　on　purple　parchment；　or；　as　they

are　commonly　called；　in　uncial…letters；rather　ponderous

loads　than　books；so　long　as　they　permit

me　and　mine　to　have　copies；　and　rather　correct　than

beautiful　books。〃



It　has　been　said　that　the　Tanno…gallate　of　Iron　Inks

（iron　salts；　nut…galls　and　gum）　were　first　used　in　the

fourth　century。　There　is　positively　no　credible　authority

for　such　a　statement；　nor　is　there　a　single

monument　in　the　shape　of　a　documentary　specimen

of　ink　writing　of　that　one　or　an　earlier　century　made

with　such　an　ink　in　any　public　or　private　library　and

as　far　as　known　in　existence。



About　A。　D。　390　the　inspired　writings　（often　termed

pagan）　of　the　classical　countries；　or　at　least　the　copies

or　extracts　of　them；　upon　a　special　search　made　by　order

of　the　Roman　Senate；　including　those　already　mentioned

as　of　the　time　of　Tarquin　（some　nine　hundred

years　earlier）；　were　gathered　up　in　Greece；　Italy　and

other　parts　and　destroyed；　because；　as　we　are　informed；

this　Roman　Senate　had　embraced　the　Christian

faith　and　furthermore　〃such　vanities　began　to　grow

out　of　fashion；　till　at　last　Stilicho　burnt　them　all

under　Honorius　（a　son　of　Theodosius　the　Great）；　for

which　he　is　so　severely　censured　by　the　noble　poet

Rutilius；　in　his　ingenious　itinerary。〃



　Not　only　Roman　Arms　the　Wretch　betrayed

　To　barbarous　Foes；　before　that　cursed　Deed；

　He　burnt　the　Writings　of　the　sacred　Maid；

　We　hate　Althaea　for　the　fatal　Brand；

　When　Nisius　fell；　the　weeping　Birds　complained：

　More　cruel　he　than　the　revengeful　Fair；

　More　cruel　heth　at　Nisius'　Murderer。

　Whose　impious　Hands　into　the　Flames　have　thrown

　The　Heavenly　Pledges　of　the　Roman　Crown；

　Unrav'lling　all　the　Doom　that　careful　Fate　had　spun。〃



The　destruction　of　Rome　by　Alaric；　King　of　the

Western　Goths；　A。　D。　410；　and　the　subsequent

dismemberment　of　the　entire　Roman　Empire　by　the

barbarians　of　the　North　who　followed　in　his　wake；

announced　that　ancient　history　had　come　to　an　end。



It　may　be　truly　said　as　well　that　the　ending　of　the

ancient　history　of　the　black　and　colored　writing　inks

which　began　in　the　obscurity　of　tradition　between

2000　and　1800　B。　C。；　a　period　of　some　2200　years；

was　also　contemporaneous　with　these　events。



The　eclipse　of　ink…written　literature　for　at　least

500　of　the　1000　years　which　followed；　and　known　as

the　Middle　or　〃Dark〃　Ages；　except　in　the　Church

alone；　who　seem　to　have　kept　up　the　production　of

manuscript　books　principally　for　ecclesiastical　and

medical　purposes　was　complete。　Hence；　any　information

pertaining　to　those　epochs　about　ink；　writing

materials　and　ink　writings；　must　be　sought　for　in　the

undestroyed　records　and　the　ink　writings　themselves

left　by　the　fathers　of　the　Church。　All　else　is　tainted

and　of　doubtful　authority。



　*　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*



　〃When　waned　the　star　of　Greece　was　there　no　cry；

　To　rouse　her　people　from　their　lethargy？

　Was　there　no　sentry　on　the　Parthenon

　No　watch…fire　on　the　field　of　Marathon；