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forty centuries of ink-第3章

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kernel of a cherry and of a dark red…brown color; but

when dead; shrivels up to the size of a grain of wheat

and is covered with a bluish mold。 It has an agreeable

aromatic smell which it imparts to that with which

it comes into contact。 It was first found in general

use in Europe in the tenth century。 About 1550;

cochineal; introduced there from Mexico; was found

to be far richer in coloring matter and therefore gradually

superseded the older dyestuff。



Indigo was used in India and Egypt long before the

Christian era; and it is asserted that blue ribbons

(strips) found on Egyptian mummies 4500 years old

had been dyed with indigo。 It was introduced into

Europe only in the sixteenth century。



The use of madder as a red dyestuff dates from very

early times。 Pliny mentions it as being employed by

the Hindoos; Persians and Egyptians。 In the middle

ages the names sandis; warantia; granza; garancia;

were applied to madder; the latter (garance) being

still retained in France。 The color yielding substance

resides almost entirely in the roots。



Chilzon was the name given by the ancient Hebrews

to a blue dye procured from a species of shell…fish。



Herodotus; B。 C。 443; asserts that on the shores of

the Caspian Sea lived a people who painted the forms

of animals on their garments with vegetable dyes:



〃They have trees whose leaves possess a peculiar

property; they reduce them to powder; and then

strip them in water; this forms a dye or coloring

matter with which they paint on their garments the

figures of animals。 The impression is such that it

cannot be washed out; it appears; indeed; to be

woven into the cloth; and wears as long as the garment

itself。〃



We are informed by another ancient writer that the

pagan nations were accustomed to array the images

of their gods in robes of purple。 When the prophet

Ezekiel took up a lamentation for Tyre; he spoke of

the 〃blue and purple from the isles of Elishah〃 in

which the people were clothed。 This reference is said

to doubtless refer to the islands of the Aegian Sea;

from whence many claim ; the Tyrians obtained the

shell…fish;the murex and papura; which produced the

dark…blue and bright…scarlet coloring materials; the

employment of which contributed so much to the fame

of ancient Tyre。



Pliny the younger confirms this statement:





〃The Tyrian…purple was the juice of the Purpurea;

a shell…fish; the veins of its neck and jaws

secreting this royal color; but so little was obtained

that it was very rare and cost one thousand

Denarii (about 150。00) per pound。〃



A more modern writer in discussing a crimson or

ruby color says:



〃By a mistaken sense the Latin word purpurus;

has been called purple; by all the English and

French writers。〃



Arbuthnot; London; 1727; in his book 〃Ancient

Coins; Weights and Measures;〃 as the result of his

examinations of the most ancient records estimates:



〃The Purple was very dear; there were two

sorts of Fishes whereof it was made; the Pelagii;

(which were those that were caught in the deep)

and the Buccini。 The Pelagium per Pound was

worth 50 Nummi; (8 s。 10 3/4 d。); and the Buceinunt

double that; viz。 17 s。 8 3/4 d。 (Harduin

reads a hundred Pounds at that price。) The Tyrian

double Dye per Pound could scarce be bought

for L35 9 s。; 1 3/4 d。〃



The very ancient writers state that the most esteemed

of the Tyrian purples were those which compared

in color with 〃coagulated bullocks' blood。〃

This estimation seems to go back to the time of the

Phoenicians; who were excessively fond of the redder

shades of purple which they obtained also from several

varieties of shell…fish and comprehended under two

species; one (Buccinum) found in cliffs; and the other

(Pelagia) which was captured at sea。 The first was

found on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Atlantic。

The Atlantic shells afforded the darkest color; while

those of the Phoenician coast itself yielded scarlet

shades of wonderful intensity。



Respecting the cost and durability of the Tyrian

purple; it is related that Alexander the Great found in

the treasury of the Persian monarch 5;000 quintals of

Hermione purple of great beauty; and 180 years old;

and that it was worth 125 of our money per pound

weight。 The price of dyeing a pound of wool in the

time of Augustus is given by Pliny; and that price is

equal to about 160 of our money。 It is probable

that his remarks refer to some particular tint or quality

of color easily distinguished; although not at all clearly

defined by Pliny。 He also mentions a sort of purple;

or hyacinth; which was worth; in the time of Julius

Caesar; 100 denarii (about 15 of our money) per

pound。



The best authorities of the present day; however;

are of opinion that the celebrated Tyrian…purple was

extracted from a mollusk known as the Janthina prolongata;

a shell abundant in the Mediterranean and

very common near Narbonne; where the Tyrian purple

dye…works were in operation at least six hundred

years before Christ。



The price current of some of the inks and colors of

antiquity; as quoted by Arbuthnot; are cited herewith:



Armenian purple 30 hs。=4 s。 10 1/3 d。



India purple from one Denarius; or 7 3/4 d。 to 30

Denarii; 19 s。 4 1 2 d。



Pelagium; the juice of one sort fishes that dyed

purple; 50 hs。=8 s。 0 7/8 d。



Buccinum the juice of the other fish that dyed

purple; 100 hs。=16 s。 1 3/4 d。



Cinnabar 50 hs。=8 s。 0 7/8 d。



Tarentine red purple; price not mentioned。



Melinum; a sort of colour that came from Melos;

one Nummus;=1 15/16 d。



Paretonium; a sort of colour that came from aegypt;

very lasting; 6 Denarii;=3 s。 10 1/2 d。



Myrobalanus; 2 Denarii;=1 s。 3 1/2 d。



The last…named substance is the fruit of the Termi…

nalia; a product of China and the East Indies; best

known as Myrabolams and must have been utilized

solely for the tannin they contain; which Loewe

estimates to be identical with ellago…tannic acid; later

discovered in the divi…divi; a fruit grown in South

America; and bablah which is also a fruit of a species

of Acacia; well known also for its gum。



No monuments are extant of the ancient Myrabolam ink。



Antimony and galls were used by the Egyptian

ladies to tint their eyes and lashes and (who knows)

to write with。



Many of the dyes employed as ink were those occurring

naturally as animal and vegetable products; or

which could be produced therefrom by comparatively

simple means; otherwise we would not be confronted

with the fact that no specimens of ink writing of

natural origin remain to us。



The very few specimens of ink writing which have

outlasted decay and disintegration through so many

ages; are found to be closely allied to materials like

bitumen; lampblack obtained from the smoke of oil…

torches or resins; or gold; silver; cinnabar and

minium。



Josephus asserts that the books of the ancient Hebrews

were written in gold and silver。



〃Sicca dewat〃 (A silver ink standeth); as the ancient

Arabic proverb runs。



Rosselini asserts:



〃the monumental hireoglyphics of the Egyptians

were almost invariably painted with the liveliest

tints; and when similar hireoglyphics were executed

on a reduced scale; and in a more cursive

form upon papyri or scrolls made from the leaves

of the papyrus the pages were written with both

black and colored inks。〃



The early mode of ink writing in biblical times

mentioned in Numbers v。 23; where It is said 〃the

priest shall write the curses in a book; and blot them

out with the bitter water;〃 was with a kind of ink

prepared for the purpose; without any salts of iron or

other material which could make a permanent dye;

these maledictions were then washed into the water;

which the woman was obliged to drink; so that she

drank the very words of the execration。 The ink

still used in the East is almost all of this kind; a wet

sponge will obliterate the finest of their writings。



In the book of Jeremiah; chap。 xxxvi。 verse 18; it

says: 〃Then Baruch answered; He pronounced all

these words unto me with his mouth; and I wrote

THEM with ink in the book;〃 and in Ezek。 ix。 2; 3; 11;

〃Ink horn〃 is referred to。



Six hundred years later in the New Testament is

another mention of ink 〃having many things to write

unto you。 I would not write with paper and Ink;〃

&c。; second epistle。 of John; 12; and again in his

third epistle; 13; 〃I had many things to write; but

I will not with pen and Ink write unto thee。〃



The illustrative history of the ancient Egyptians

does not point to a time before the reed was used as a

pen。 The various sculptures; carvings; pottery and

paintings; exhibit the scribes at work in their avocations;

recording details about the hands and ears of

slaughtered enemies; the numbers of captives; the

baskets of wheat; the n
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