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forty centuries of ink-第50章

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been previously scraped to be afterwards submitted to

intense heat which so hardened them; that a graver

would cut lines with the same facility; as could be

accomplished on soft metal like lead。 These bamboo

tablets were joined together by means of cords made

of bark and when folded formed a 〃book。〃 Different

nations adopted other modes in their preparation

of surfaces to engrave on。 Many original

specimens have come down to us which present definite

evidence of the variety of materials and methods

employed in their manufacture。



Hilprecht; 〃Explorations in Bible Lands;〃 1903;

mentions many discoveries of such specimens。 He

says that more than four thousand clay tablets were

discovered during the excavations of 1889 and 1900。



These relics call attention only to a very few

discoveries of this character。 There were other explorers

who preceded Hilprecht in this direction; and

who with him have thus secured tangible evidence

which fully confirms all that has been said about the

employment of the most ancient of writing instruments;

the 〃stylus。〃



The diamond is also to be classified under the head

of 〃scratching implements〃 and many historical

incidents are recorded of its use。 One of the most

interesting relates to Sir Walter Raleigh and Queen

Elizabeth and to be found in Scott's 〃Kenilworth。〃

Sir Walter; using his diamond ring; wrote on a pane

of glass in her summer…house at Greenwich:



          〃Fain would I climb; but that I fear to fall。〃



The maiden Queen adding the words:



          〃If thy mind fail thee; do not climb at all。〃



Biblical mention of the diamond; employed as a pen;

is found in Jeremiah xvii。 1。



          〃The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron;

          and with the point of a diamond。〃



It has not always been possible to decipher and interpret

the character values of the most ancient hieroglyphics

or picture writings inscribed on bricks; stone

and metal slabs; and the Egyptian monuments。 The

means to do so were furnished as the result of a very

fortunate accident or 〃find。〃



A French artillery officer in 1799 while excavating

the foundations for a fortification near the Rosetta

mouth of the Nile; found a curious black tablet of

stone。 On it were engraved three inscriptions; each

of different characters and dialects。



The first of the three inscriptions was in hieroglyphic;

then unreadable; the second in demotic or

shorter script; also unknown; and the third in a living

language pertaining to the time of Ptolemy Epiphanes;

who reigned about 200 B。 C。



This relic of antiquity is called the Rosetta stone。



Jean Francois Champollion; who with Dr。 Thomas

Young studied the intricacies of these writings; first

established the fact that the three inscriptions on this

stone were translations of each other。 Dr。 Young's

investigations caused him to study the language included

in the second inscription; and made his deductions;

it is said; 〃by dint of thousands of scientific

guesses; all but a few of which were eliminated by

tests which he invented and applied; he at last discovered

and put together the set of fundamental principles

that govern the ancient writings。〃



Champollion; however; began at the bottom and

having successfully translated the LIVING language;

established a 〃key〃 or alphabet。 Hence it became

possible; although requiring some years; to solve the

mystery of writings of 4000 or more years old。



Champollion pursued his discoveries so thoroughly

in this direction as to be able to complete in 1829 an

Egyptian vocabulary and grammar。



The Rosetta stone after remaining in the possession

of the French for many years was captured by the

English on the defeat of the French forces in Egypt

and is now in the British museum。



As writing with liquid colors on papyrus or analogous

materials which could be used in the form of rolls;

gradually came into vogue; the calamus or reed pen;

pencil brush (hair pencil); or the juncas; a pen formed

from a kind of cane; were more or less employed。



The 〃calamus〃 followed the 〃brush;〃 just as



phonographic writing which denotes arbitrary sounds

or the language of symbols; came after the picture or

ideographic writing。



The places where the calamus grew and the modes

of preparing them are variously discussed by different

ancient and modern writers。 Some claim that the

best reeds for pen purposes formerly grew near

Memphis on the Nile; near Cnidus of Caria; in Asia

Minor; and in Armenia。 Those grown in Italy were

estimated to have been of but poor quality。 Chardin

calls attention to a kind to be found; 〃in a large fen

or tract of soggy land supplied with water by the

river Helle; a place in Arabia formed by the united

arms of the Euphrates and Tigris。 They are cut in

March; tied in bundles; laid six months in a manure

heap; where they assume a beautiful color; mottled

yellow and black。〃 Tournefort saw them growing in

the neighborhood of Teflis in Georgia。 Miller describes

the cane as 〃growing no higher than a man;

the stem three or four lines in thickness and solid

from one knot to another; excepting the central white

pith。〃 The incipient fermentation in the manure

heap dries up the pith and hardens the cane。 The

pens were about the size of the largest swan's quills。

They were cut and slit like a quill pen but with

much larger nibs。



In the far East the calamus is still used; the best

being gathered in the month of March; near Aurac;

on the Persian Gulf; and still prepared after the old

method of immersing them for about six months in

fermenting manure which coats them with a sort of

dark varnish and the darker their color the more

they are prized。



The 〃brush〃 also holds its career of usefulness;

more especially in China and Japan。



The earliest examples of reed pen writing are the

ancient rolls of papyrus which have been found

buried with the Egyptian dead。 Some of these old

relics of antiquity are claimed to have been prepared

fully twenty centuries or more before the

Christian era。



The 〃reed〃 pen for ink writing held almost undisputed

sway until the sixth century after the Christian

era; when the quill (penna) came into vogue。



Reed pens preserved in excellent condition were

found in the ruins of Herculaneum。



〃When he had finished; he dried the bamboo…pen

on his hair; and replaced it behind his ear; saying;

'Yak pose' (That is well)。 'Temou chu' (Rest in

peace); we replied; and; after politely putting out

our tongues; withdrew。〃 Abbe Hue at Lha…Ssa。







CHAPTER XXVI。



INK UTENSILS (QUILL PEN STEEL PEN)。



THE QUILL PEN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND FITTING OF

ALL WRITING INSTRUMENTSTENDENCY TO 〃WEAR〃

OUTTHE SOMETIMES AFFECTION FOR OLD PENSDR。

HOLLAND'S LINES ON THE PENSELECTION OF QUILLS

TO BE MADE INTO PENSMETHOD OF PREPARING

THEMBYRON'S ESTIMATION OF HIS QUILL PENITS

INVENTION BEFORE THE SIXTH CENTURY UNCERTAIN

EMPLOYMENT OF THE REED AND QUILL PEN

TOGETHER UNTIL THE TWELFTH CENTURYWHEN

THE STEEL PEN CAME INTO VOGUEWHO WAS ITS

INVENTORSOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT ITQUANTITY

OF MATERIAL SIXTY YEARS AGO CONSUMED IN PEN

MANUFACTUREA FEW REMARKS ABOUT GOLD; FOUNTAIN

AND STYLOGRAPHIC PENSMORE STEEL USED IN

THE MANUFACTURE OF PENS THAN IN THAT OF SWORDS

AND GUNSPOETICAL LINES ABOUT THE PEN。



THE quills belonging to the feathers of birds seem

to have been the most successful and fitting of all materials

for pens; for; though steel and other metals are

now used for this purpose to an immense extent; there

is a power of adaptation in a quill pen which has never

yet been equalled in metal。 Quills; however; like

other things; have a tendency to 〃wear out;〃 and the

trouble resulting from the necessity of frequently

mending quill pens and a desire to write with more

rapidity have been the main causes of the introduction

of steel substitutes。 A kind of affection has often

been felt by an author or official; or their admirers;

for the pen with which he has written any large or

celebrated work or signed some important document;

old worn…out pens; as well as new ones; have been preserved

as memorials in connection with such matters;

and Dr。 Holland; who translated Pliny's 〃Natural

History〃 in the sixteenth century; recorded an exploit

connected with it in the following lines:



     〃With one sole pen I wrote this book;

          Made of a gray goose…quill:

     A pen it was when it I took

          A pen I leave it still。〃



The quills employed for pens were generally those

of the goose; although the crow; the swan; and other

birds yielded feathers which were occasionally available

for this purpose。 Each wing produced about five

good quills; but the number thus yielded was so small

that the geese reared in England could not furnish

nearly enough for the demand; hence the
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