forty centuries of ink-第75章

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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；　can　be　removed　with　water。

This　is　true　of　the　most　lasting　of　inks；the　old

〃Indian。〃



In　ancient　Latin　MSS。　the　words　fuco；　fucosus

and　fucus　are　found　to　be　frequently　employed。　It

is　interesting　to　note　the　variations　in　their　meaning：



FUCO。To　color；　paint　or　dye　a　red　color。



FUCOSUS。Colored；　counterfeit；　spurious；　painted；　etc。



FUCUS。Rock　lichen　（orchil）　red　dye。　Red　or

purple　color。　The　（reddish）　juice　with　which　bees

stop　up　the　entrance　to　their　hives。　Bee　glue。



FUCUS。A　drone。



In　Japan　the　word　〃ink〃　possesses　more　than

one　meaning　Four　hundred　Inksone　degree　of

sixty　miles。〃　（See　Geographical　Grammar；　of　1737；　page　3。）



　〃Say　what　you　will　Sir；　but　I　know　what　I　know；

　That　you　beat　me　at　the　Mart；　I　have　your　hand　to　show；

　If　the　skin　were　Parchment；　and　the　blows　you　gave　were　Ink；

　Your　own　Hand…writing　would　tell　you　what　I　think。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Comedy　of　Errors；　iii；　1。



The　first　book　ever　printed　in　Europe；　to　wit；　a

copy　of　〃Tully's　Offices；〃　is　carefully　preserved　in　Holland。



White's　Latin…English　Dictionary；　1872；　distinguishes

the　words　Atramentum　and　Sutorium　in　their　interpretations。



ATRAMENTUM。The　thing　serving　for　making

black。　A　black　liquid　of　any　kind。　A　writing　ink。

Shoemaker's　black。　Blue　vitriol。



SUTORIUM。Belonging　to　a　shoemaker。



Before　the　employment　of　blotting　paper　a　pounce…

box　which　contained　either　powdered　gum　sandarach

and　ground　cuttle…fish　bones；　or　powdered　charcoal；　sand

and　like　materials　was　used　by　shaking　it　like　a　pepper…

box　on　freshly　written　manuscripts。



Blotting　paper　as　first　employed　consisted　of　very

thin　sheets　and　of　a　dark　pink　color；　which　fashion

changed　to　blue　in　later　years。



Good　blotting　paper　of　the　present　time　removes

fully　two　thirds　of　fresh　ink　when　used　on　HARD

finished　paper。



Blotting　paper　should　not　be　used　upon　records。

Its　use　removes　the　body　of　the　ink；　leaving　discoloration；

but　nothing　for　penetration。　In　inks　intended

for　copying；　the　employment　of　blotting　paper　is

especially　bad。



　〃Thou　hast　most　traitorously　corrupted　the　youth　of

the　realm　in　erecting　a　Grammar　School；　and

whereas；　before；　our　forefathers　had　no　other

books　but　the　score　and　the　tally；　thou　hast

caused　printing　to　be　used；　and　contrary　to　the

King；　his　crown　and　dignity；　thou　hast　built　a

paper　mill。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2　King　Henry　VI；　iv；　5。



Mr。　Knight　relates　a　conversation　between　Dr。　Gale

and　a　gentlemen　from　the　West　relative　to　the　introduction

of　some　material　into　ink　to　prevent　moulding。

Dr。　Gale　had　astonished　his　friend　by　stating

〃will　prevent　the　deposition　of　the　ova　of　infusoria

animalcutae；〃　when　it　was　suggested　that　he　add

〃and　the　sporadic　growths　of　thallogenic　cryptograms

and　be　fatal　to　the　fungi。〃



The　University　of　Pennsylvania　claims　to　possess

the　oldest　piece　of　writing　in　the　world　and　which　is

on　a　fragment　of　a　vase　found　at　Nippur。　It　is　an

inscription　in　picture　writing　supposed　to　have　been

made　4；500　years　before　Christ。



Wafers　were　not　introduced　until　the　close　of　the

sixteenth　century。



The　Persians　in　ancient　times；　some　800　years

B。　C。；　were　in　the　habit　of　celebrating　certain　festivals

and　it　is　related　that　in　the　month　of　December　one

of　their　ceremonies　was　that　of　driving　the　Dives

（spirits）　out　of　their　houses。



For　this　purpose　the　Magi　wrote　certain　words

with　saffron　on　skins；　papyrus　or　wood　and　then

smoked　it　over　a　fire。　The　spell　thus　prepared　was

glued　or　nailed　to　the　inside　of　the　door；　which　was

painted　red。　The　priest　then　took　sand；　which　he

spread　with　a　long　knife；　whilst　he　muttered　certain

prayers　and　then　throwing　it　on　the　floor　the　enchantment

was　complete；　and　the　Dives　were　supposed

immediately　to　vanish；　or　at　least　to　be　deprived　of

all　malignant　influence。



Aristotle's　work　on　the　Constitution　of　Athens；

B。　C。　340；　or　probably　the　copy　made　by　Tyrannio；

was　discovered　transcribed　underneath　farm　accounts

of　land　in　the　district　of　Hermopolis　in　Egypt　in　the

reign　of　Vespasian；　A。　D。　9　to　79。



In　MSS。　written　before　the　invention　of　printing

and　indeed　for　many　years　after；　the　title　page　if　any；

will　be　found　on　the　last　page　with　the　date。



　〃Let　lawyers　bawl　and　strain　their　throats；

　　　　　'Tis　I　that　must　the　lands　convey；

　And　strip　their　clients　to　their　coats；

　　　　　Nay；　give　their　very　souls　away！〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DEAN　SWIFT；　〃On　ink。〃



〃It　is　certain　that　in　their　treaties　with　the

European　Greeks　of　Constantinople　the　Arabs

always　stipulated　for　the　delivery　of　a　fixed　number

of　manuscripts。　Their　enthusiasm　for　Aristotle　is

equally　notorious；　but　it　would　be　unjust　to　imagine

that；　in　adopting　the　Aristotelian　method；　together

with　the　astrology　and　alchemy　of　Persia；

and　of　the　Jews　of　Mesopotamia　and　Arabia；　they

were　wholly　devoid　of　originality。〃



The　〃Arabic〃　numerals　which　we　now　employ　are

probably　of　Indian　origin；　having　been　brought　by

Arab　traders　from　the　East　and　introduced　by　them

into　Spain　in　the　middle　ages；　whereas　they　spread

over　Europe　coming　in　use　in　England　perhaps　about

the　eleventh　century。　But　whether　India　invented

them　or　borrowed　from　Greek　or　other　traders　from

the　West　is　unknown。



The　ancient　writing　implement　known　as　the　stylus

was　made　of　every　conceivable　material；　sometimes

with　the　precious　metals；　but　usually　of　iron；　and　on

occasion　might　be　turned　into　formidable　weapons。

It　was　with　his　stylus　that　Caesar　stabbed　Casca　in　the

arm；　when　attacked　in　the　senate　by　his　murderers；

and　Caligula　employed　some　person　to　put　to　death　a

senator　with　a　like　instrument。



In　the　reign　of　Claudius　women　and　boys　were

searched　to　ascertain　whether　there　were　any　styluses

in　their　pen　cases。　Stabbin