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！
modest place。
The first traces of its existence are to be found at
Stein； a village not far from Nuremberg。 As far back
as the year 1726 the church registers mention marriages
between 〃black…lead pencil makers；〃 and； at a
later date references are found in the same registers
to 〃black…lead cutters〃 of both sexes。
The manufacture of black…lead pencils； however；
occupied a position on the very lowest rung of the
industrial ladder。
But is time proceeded the Bavarian government
directed their attention to this branch of industry；
and did all in their power to encourage it； and； as
early as the year 1766； a Count von Kronsfeld obtained
a concession to establish a lead pencil factory
at Jettenbach。 Later on； in the year 1816； the
Bavarian government established a royal lead pencil
manufactory at Obernzell （Hafnerzell）； and introduced
into it the French process； described above； of using
clay as a binding medium for graphite。
CHAPTER XXVIII。
ANCIENT INK BACKGROUNDS （THE ORIGIN OF PAPYRUS）。
FROM WHENCE COMES THE NAME PAPERFIRST CENTURY
COMMENT ABOUT ITKNIGHT'S COMMENTS MORE THAN
1；800 YEARS LATERPAPYRUS AN EGYPTIAN
REEDNAMES BESTOWED BY ANCIENT WRITERSTHE
SAME NAMES AS EMPLOYED IN MODERN TIMESLEAVES
OF PLANTS PRECEDED THE INVENTION OF PAPYRUS
WHEN IT WAS THAT ROLLED RECORDS CAME INTO
VOGUEVARRO'S ESTIMATION AS TO THE ORIGINAL USE
OF PAPYRUS NOT CORRECTREAL FACTS RESPECTING
THE INTRODUCTION OF PAPYRUS BEYOND THE LIMITS OF
EGYPTCHARACTER OF MATERIALS EMPLOYED BY THE
GREEKS BEFORE THAT EPOCHEMPLOYMENT OF IT
FOR LITERARY PURPOSESADOPTION OF PARCHMENT
AND VELLUMPAPYRUS MSS。 EMPLOYED IN THE FORM
OF ROLLS AND THE REASON FOR SAMEANCIENT
MANUFACTURE OF PAPYRUS IN EGYPTSOME OF THE NAMES
USED TO DESIGNATE DIFFERENT KINDSPLINY'S
DESCRIPTION OF THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPYRUS AND HIS
MISINFORMATION ABOUT ITWHERE IT FLOURISHED
BESTPAPYRUS AS KNOWN TO THE HEBREWS AND ITS
BIBLICAL MENTIONMANUFACTURE OF PAPYRUS IN
THE ANCIENT CITY OF MEMPHISCHARACTERISTICS OF
THE PAPER EMPLOYED BY THE MEXICANSMR。 HARRIS'S
DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT FRAGMENTS OF PAPYRUS
THE STORY ABOUT IT AS TOLD BY THE LONDON
ATHENaeUMDATES OF THE OLDEST KNOWN SPECIMENS
OF GREEK PAPYRIDATE OF THE FIRST DISCOVERY
OF GREEK PAPYRIUSE OF OTHER PLIABLE MATERIALS
WITH PAPYRUSHOW THEY WERE PREPARED
FOR WRITING PURPOSESDOUBTS AS TO TIME THAT
ROLLED RECORDS SUPERSEDED TABLET FORMSSUGGESTIONS
BY NOEL HUMPHREYSVIEWS ENTERTAINED
BY EARLIER WRITERS。
THE name paper is derived from papyrus； a reed
grown in Egypt； whose stalk furnished for so many
centuries the principal material for writing upon to
the people of that country and those bordering on
the Mediterranean Sea。 In the first century of the
Christian era the younger Pliny remarks：
〃All the usages of civilized life depend in a
remarkable degree upon the employment of paper。
At all events； the remembrance of past events。〃
A statement which has caused Mr。 Knight to make
the following comment：
〃This observation； undoubtedly true 1；800 years
ago； is much more remarkably so now； indeed； in
considering that paper as we now understand it
was entirely unknown to Europe in the time of
Pliny； the expression of the great dependence
upon what seems to us so fragile and inefficient a
substitute for real paper appears strange。〃
Mr。 Knight also says that the Greek name papuros；
mentioned by Theophrastus； a contemporary of Aristotle
and Alexander； was probably the Egyptian name
of the reed with a Greek termination。 It was also
called biblos by Homer and Herodotus； whence our
term bible。 The term volumen； a scroll； indicates the
early form of a book of bark； papyrus； skin； or parchment；
as the term liber （Latin； a book； or the inner
bark of a tree） does the use of the bark itself。 Hence
also our terms library and librarian。 〃Book〃 is
also derived from the Danish word bog； the bark of
the beech。
Pliny quoting Varro； who preceded him some two
centuries； asserts that before the invention of papyrus；
the large leaves of certain plants were prepared so
that they could be written upon。 Hence originates
our term 〃leaves〃 of a book which in the Latin form
folium has also given us the modern term folio。
When； however； the reed pen and the pencil brush
and their kindred substances denominated colored
liquids or inks； came into vogue； some material on
which characters could be inscribed and preserved in
the shape of continuous rolls for record and other
uses became necessary。 The papyrus plant seems to
have met every requirement。 It is a noteworthy fact
that all information which can be derived from any
source； specifically calls attention to papyrus and
sometimes the inner barks of trees as being coexistent
with pen and ink。
Varro has been credited with many statements
which in the light of investigation and discovery are
proved to be incorrect。 One of these is in effect
that the use of papyrus was an incident pertaining to
the expeditions of Alexander the Great。 This assertion
is not only contradicted by Pliny； the historian；
who calls attention to 〃books of papyrus found in the
tomb of Numa 〃 （Numa Pompilius； the second king of
Rome； B。 C。 716…672；） but even at this late day many
monuments of ancient papyri are still extant and belonging
to periods more than a thousand years before
Alexander's time。
The real facts in respect to this matter are； that
the introduction of the use of papyrus to nations beyond
the limits of Egypt was an event that did not
take place until after the reign of the first Macedonian
sovereign of Egypt； Ptolemy Lagus （B。 C。 323） when；
in return for Greek literature； Egypt gave back her
papyrus。 Before this epoch the Greeks had been in
the habit of employing such materials as linen； wax；
bark and leaves for ordinary writing purposes； while
their public records were inscribed on stone； brass；
lead or other metals。
Papyrus as then introduced into those western
countries was the only substance for a long period
employed for literary purposes。
Parchment and vellum； which were adopted there
as writing materials about two centuries later； were
too costly to be used so long as papyrus was within
reach。
When the use of this ancient paper had become
established in the countries bordering on the Mediterranean；
all the MSS。 assumed the form of rolls； being
rolled on cylinders of wood； ivory； bronze； glass and
other substances。 Sometimes； the ends were decorated
by various ornaments。 As a rule only one side of
the material was written upon。 This was due largely
to the fact of its brittle character which would cause
it to break if rolled or bent the wrong way。
The ancient manufacture of papyrus for export
was carried on in Egypt on an extensive scale and
in the most systematic manner。 A gradual improvement
in quality was the result； some of the kinds
being given well…known Roman names which are
mentioned by contemporary writers。 The kind employed
by the Romans for ordinary use was designated
Charta。 More expensive qualities were known as
〃Augusta；〃 〃Livinia；〃 〃Hieratica；〃 etc。； the latter
being reserved for religious books。 Some kinds were
sold by weight and employed by the tradesmen for
wrapping purposes； while the bark of the plant was
manufactured into cord and rope。
The methods of the manufacture of papyrus as a
writing material Pliny undertakes to describe at
great length； and while he asserts many things from
probable knowledge and the information at hand in
his time； yet he is not always correct。 He says that
the reed stalks were cut into lengths and separated
〃by splitting the successive folds of the stalk with a
fine metal point。〃
Mr。 Knight； who investigated this matter with care；
is authority for the statement； that the papyrus stalk
as seen under the microscope shows that it does not
possess successive folds； but is a triangular stalk with
a single envelope with a pith on the inside； which
could only be divided into slices with a knife； either
in stripes of a width permitted by the sides of the prism；
or else shaved round and round； like the operation of
cork making； and producing a long spiral shaving。
In the description which Pliny gives of the various
homes of this plant in Egypt； he calls particular
attention to its abundance in marshy places where
the Nile overflows and stagnates： 〃It grows like a
great bulrush from fibrous； reedy roots； and runs up
in several triangular stalks to a considerable height。〃
They possessed large tufted heads； but only the stem
was fit for making into paper。 After the pellicles or
thin coats were removed from the stalk； they were
laid upon tables two or more over each other and
glued together with the muddy and glutinous water
of the Nile or with fine paste made of wheat flour；
after being pressed and drie