按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
about marriages and divorces。
〃With the decline of power in the Roman empire
came the decline of literature throughout the
world。 In the sixth century the business of bookmaking
had fallen into hopeless decay。 The books
that had been written were seldom read； and the
number of readers diminished with every succeeding
generation。 Ignorance pervaded in all ranks of
society。 The Emperor Justin I； who reigned between
the years 518 and 527； could not write； and
was obliged to sign state papers with the form of
stencil plate that had been recommended by Quintilian。
Respect for literature was dead。 In the
year； 476； Zeno； the Isaurian； burned 120；000 volumes
in the city of Constantinople。 During the
year 640； Amrou； the Saracen； fed the baths of
Alexandria for six months with the 500；000 books
that had been accumulating for centuries in its
famous library of the Serapion。 Yet books were
so scarce in Rome at the close of the seventh century
that Pope Martin requested one of his bishops
to supply them； if possible； from Germany。 The
ignorance of ecclesiastics in high station was
alarming。 During this century； and for centuries
afterward； there were many bishops and archbishops
of the church who could not sign their names。 It
was asserted at a council of the church held in the
year 992； that scarcely a single person was to be
found in Rome itself who knew the first elements of
letters。 Hallam says； 'To sum up the account of
ignorance in a word； it was rare for a layman of
any rank to know bow to sign his name。' He repeats
the statements that Charlemagne could not
write； and Frederic Barbarossa could not read。
John； king of Bohemia； and Philip； the Hardy； king
of France； were ignorant of both accomplishments。
The graces of literature were tolerated only in the
ranks of the clergy； the layman who preferred letters
to arms was regarded as a man of mean spirit。
When the Crusaders took Constantinople； in 1204；
they exposed to public ridicule the pens and inkstands
that they found in the conquered city as the
ignoble arms of a contemptible race of students。
〃During this period of intellectual darkness；
which lasted from the fifth until the fifteenth century；
a period sometimes described； and not improperly；
as the dark ages； there was no need for
any improvement in the old method of making
books。 The world was not then ready for typography。
The invention waited for readers more than
it did for types； the multitude of book buyers
upon which its success depended had to be created。
Books were needed as well as readers。 The treatises
of the old Roman sophists and rhetoricians； the
dialectics of Aristotle and the schoolmen； and the
commentaries on ecclesiastical law of the fathers of
the church； were the works which engrossed the
attention of men of letters for many centuries before
the invention of typography。 Useful as these books
may have been to the small class of readers for
whose benefit they were written； they were of no
use to a people who needed the elements of knowledge。〃
In the more ancient times； however； when MSS。 books
（rolls） were not quite so plentiful there was seemingly
no difficulty in obtaining large sums for them。
Aristotle； died B。 C。 322； paid for a few books of
Leusippus； the philosopher； three Attick talents； which
is about 3；000。 Ptolemy Philadelphus is said to have
given the Athenians fifteen talents； an exemption from
tribute and a large supply of provisions for the MSS。
of aeschylus； Sophocles and Euripides written by
themselves。
Arbuthnot； discussing this subject； remarks that Cicero's
head； 〃which should justly come into the account
of Eloquence brought twenty…five Myriads of
Drachms； which is the equivalent of 40；000。 Also；
〃the prices of the magical books mentioned to be
burnt in the Acts of the Apostles is five。 Myriads of
Pieces of Silver or Drachms。〃
Picolimini relates that the equivalent of eighty
golden crowns was demanded for a small part of the
works of Plutarch。
If we are to believe any of the accounts； the environment
of the art of handwriting and handwriting
materials at the beginning of the fifth century had
contracted within a small compass； due principally to
the general ignorance of the times。
As practiced it was pretty much under the control
of the different religious denominations and the information
obtainable about inks from these sources
is but fragmentary。 What has come down to us of
this particular era is mostly found on the old written
Hebrew relics； showing that they at least had made
no innovations in respect to the use of their ritualistic
deyo。
The invention of the quill pen in the sixth century
permitted a degree of latitude in writing never before
known； the inks were made thinner and necessarily
were less durable in character。 Greater attention was
given to the study and practice of medicine and
alchemy which were limited to the walls of the
cloister and secret places。 The monk physicians endeavored
by oral instructions and later by written
ones to communicate their ink…making methods not
only of the black and colored； but of secret or sympathetic
inks； to their younger brethren； that they might
thus be perpetuated。 All the traditional and practical
knowledge they possessed was condensed into manuscript
forms； additions from other hands which included
numerous chemical receipts for dyeing caused
them to multiply； so that as occasion required from
time to time； they were bound up together booklike
and then circulated among favored secular individuals；
under the name of 〃Secreta。〃
The more remote of such treatises which have come
down to us seem to indicate the trend of the researches
respecting what must have been in those times
unsatisfactory inks。 Scattered through them appear a
variety of formulas which specify pyrites （a combination
of sulphur and metal）； metals； stones and other
minerals； soot； （blue） vitriol； calxes （lime or chalk）；
dye…woods； berries； plants； and animal colors； some of
which if made into ink could only have been used
with disastrous results； when permanency is considered。
The black ink formulas of the eighth century are
but few； and show marked improvement in respect to
the constituents they call for； indicating that many
of those of earlier times had been tried and found
wanting。 One in particular is worthy of notice as it
names （blue） vitriol； yeast； the lees （dregs） of wine
and the rind of the pomegranate apple； which if
commingled together would give results not altogether
unlike the characteristic phenomena of 〃gall〃 ink。
Confirmation of the employment of such an ink on a
document of the reign of Charlemigne in the beginning
of the ninth century on yellow…brown Esparto
（a Spanish rush） paper； is still preserved。 Specimens
of 〃pomegranate〃 ink； to which lampblack and
other pigments had been added of varying degrees of
blackness； on MSS。； but lessening in number as late as
the fourteenth century； are still extant in the British
Museum and other public libraries。
CHAPTER VI。
INK OF THE WEST。
REMARKS OF ARCH…DEACON CARLISLEWHEN READING
AND WRITING CEASED TO BE MYSTERIESORIGIN
OF THE WORDS CLERK AND SIGNSCARCITY OF MANUSCRIPTS
FOUNDING OF IRISH SCHOOLS OF LEARNING
IN THE SEVENTH CENTURYMONKS NOT PERMITTED
TO USE ARTIFICIAL LIGHT IN PREPARING
MSS。OBSERVATIONS OF MADAN ABOUT THE HISTORY
OF WRITING DURING THE DARK AGESINK…
WRITTEN MSS。 TREASURES。
THE ancient history of the art of writing in more
northern sections of the Western world； William
Nicolson； Arch…Deacon of Carlisle； author of 〃The
English Historical Library；〃 London； 1696； tells very
quaintly：
〃The Danes register'd their more considerable
transactions upon Rocks； or on parts of them；
hewen into various Shapes and Figures。 On these
they engrav'd such Inscriptions as were proper for
their Heathen Alters； Triumphal Arches； Sepulchral
Monuments and Genealogical Histories of
their Ancestors。 Their writings of less concern
（as Letters； Almanacks； &c。） were engraven upon
Wood： And because Beech was most plentiful in
Demnark； （tho Firr and Oak be so in Norway and
Sweden） and most commonly employ'd in these
Services； form the word Bog （which in their Language
is the Name of that sort of Wood） they and
all other Northern Nations have the Name of Book。
The poorer sort used Bark； and the Horns of Rain…
Deer and Elks were often finely polish'd and shaped
into Books of several Leaves。 Many of these old
Calendars are likewise upon Bones of Beasts and
Fishes： But the Inscriptions on Tapestry； Bells；
Parchment and Paper； are of later use。
〃Some other Monuments may be known to be of
a Danish Extraction； tho they carry nothing of a
Runic Inscription。 Few of their Temples were
cover'd； and the largest observ'd by Wormius （at