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forty centuries of ink-第64章

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and which; indeed; made their invention

possible。



The gall…nut contains gallic and gallo…tannic acid;

and which acids; in conjunction with an iron salt;

forms the sole base of the best ink。 This nut is

produced by the punctures made on the young buds of

branches of certain species of oak trees by the female

wasp。 This same busy little insect was also the

first professional paper maker。 She it was who taught

us not only the way to change dry wood into a suitable

pulp; the kind of size to be used; how to waterproof

and give the paper strength; but many more

marvelous details appertaining to the manufacture

of paper which in their ramifications have proved

of inestimable benefit and service to the human

race。

 *   *    *    *    *    *    *



The Greek word 〃Phoenicia〃 means literally 〃the

land of the purple dye;〃 and to the Phoenicians is

attributed the invention of the art of writing。



TO THE PHOENICIAN。



 〃Creator of celestial arts;

     Thy painted word speaks to the eye;

 To simple lines thy skill imparts

     The glowing spirit's ecstasy。〃



The oldest piece of literary composition known in

the oldest book (roll) in existence is to be found in

the celebrated papyrus Prisse; now in the Louvre at

Paris。 It consists of eighteen pieces in Egyptian

hieratic writing; ascribed to about the year B。 C。

2500。



While the papyrus plant has almost vanished from

Egypt; it still grows in Nubia and Abyssinia。 It is

related by the Arab traveler; Ibn…Haukal; that in the

tenth century; in the neighborhood of Palermo in

Sicily; the papyrus plant grew with luxuriance in the

Papirito; a stream to which it gave its name。



Du Cange; 1376; cites the following lines from a

French metrical romance; written about that time; to

show that waxen tablets continued to be occasionally

used till a late period:



 〃Some with antiquated style

     In waxen tablets promptly write;

 Others with finer pen; the while

     Form letters lovelier to the sight。〃



The laws of Greece were promulgated by means of

MSS。 on linen; as they were also in Rome; and in addition

to linen; cloth and silk were occasionally used。

Skins of various kinds of fish; and even the 〃intestines

of serpents〃 were employed as writing materials。

Zonaras states that the fire which took place

at Constantinople in the reign of Emperor Basiliscus

consumed; among other valuable remains of antiquity;

a copy of the Iliad and Odyssey; and some other ancient

poems; written in letters of gold upon material formed

of the intestines of a serpent。 We are also informed

by Purcelli that monuments of much more modern

dates; the charter of Hugo and Lothaire; A。 D。 933

(kings of Italy); preserved in the archives of Milan;

are written upon fish skins。



Constantine authorized his soldiers dying on the

field of battle to write their last will and testament with

the point of their sword on its sheath or on a shield。



B。 C。 270。 The Jewish elders; by order of the

high priest; carried a copy of the law to Ptolemy Philadelphus;

written in letters of gold upon skins; the

pieces of which were so artfully put together that the

joinings did not appear。



No monuments of Hebrew writing exist which are

not posterior even to the Christian era; with the exception

of those on the coins of the Maccabees; which

are in the ancient or what is termed the Samaritan

forms of the Hebrew letters。 This coinage took place

about B。 C。 144。



The most ancient specimen of Hebrew ink writing

extant is alleged to have been written A。 D。 489。

It is a parchment roll which was found in a Kariat

synagogue in the Crimea。 Another; brought from

Danganstan; if the superscription be genuine; has a

date corresponding with A。 D。 580。 The date of still

another of the celebrated Hebrew scriptural codices;

about which there is no dispute; is the Hilel codex

written at the end of the sixth century。 Its name is

said to be derived from the fact that it was written at

Hila; a town built near the ruins of the ancient Babel;

some maintain; however; that it was named after the

man who wrote it。



One of the earliest specimens of Greek (wax) writing

is an inscription on a small wooden tablet now in

the British museum。 It refers to a money transaction

of the thirty…first year of Ptolemy Philadelphus; B。 C。

254。



In England the custom of using wooden tallies; inscribed

as well as notched in the public accounts; lasted

down to the nineteenth century。



Gold writing was a practice which died out in the

thirteenth century。



The first discovery of Greek papyri in Egypt took

place in the year 1778。 It is of the (late of A。 D。

191 and outside of Egypt and Herculaneum is the only

place in which the Greek papyri has ever been found。



Square capital ink writing in Latin of ancient date

is found on a few leaves of an MS。 of Virgil; which is

attributed to the close of the fourth century; and the

first rustic MS。 to which an approximate date can be

given; belongs to the close of the fifth century。



The most ancient uncial ink writing extant; belongs

to the fourth century; whilst the earliest mixed uncial

and miniscule writing pertains to the sixth century。



The oldest extant Irish MS。 in the round Irish

hand is ascribed to the latter part of the seventh century;

while the earliest specimen of English writing

of any kind extant dates about the beginning of the

eighth century。



The gold pen won by Peter Bales in his trial of

skill with Johnson; during the reign of Queen Elizabeth;

if really made for use; is probably the first

modern example of such pens。 Bales was employed

by Sir Francis Walsingham; and afterwards kept a

writing school at the upper end of the Old Bailey。

In 1595; when nearly fifty years old; he had a trial of

skill with one Daniel Johnson; by which he was the

winner of a golden pen; of a value of L20; which; in

the pride of his victory; he set up as his sign。 Upon

this occasion John Davis made the following epigram

in his 〃Scourge of Folly:〃



 〃The Hand and Golden Pen; Clophonion

 Sets on his sign; to shew; O proud; poor soul;

 Both where he wonnes; and how the same he won;

 From writers fair; though he writ ever foul;

 But by that Hand; that Pen so borne has been;

 From place to Place; that for the last half Yeare;

 It scarce a sen'night at a place is seen。

 That Hand so plies the Pen; though ne'er the neare;

 For when Men seek it; elsewhere it is sent;

 Or there shut up as for the Plague or Rent;

 Without which stay; it never still could stand;

 Because the Pen is for a Running Hand。〃



The sign of the 〃Hand and Pen〃 was also used by

the Fleet street marriage…mongers; to denote 〃marriages

performed without imposition。〃



Robert More; a famous writing master; in 1696

lived in Castle street; near St。 Paul's churchyard;

London; at the sign of the 〃Golden Pen。〃



The ink horn in Queen Elizabeth's time was in popular

use as a receptacle for holding writing ink; and

Petticoat lane in London was the great manufacturing

center for them。 Bishops Gate in the same vicinity

was known as the 〃home of the scribblers。〃



Beginning with 1560 and for many years thereafter

the sign of the Five Ink Horns was appropriately

displayed by Haddon on the house in which he dwelt。



Away back in the time of King Edward III (1313…

1377); royalty was employing the pen; both quill and

gold; as badges。 This is indicated in the accompanying

interesting list to be found in the Harlein library:



〃King Edward the iii。 gave a lyon in his proper

coulor; armed; azure; langue d'or。 The oustrich

fether gold; the pen gold; and a faucon in his

proper coulor and the Sonne Rising。



〃The Prince of Wales the ostrich fether pen and all arg。



〃Henry; sonne of the Erl of Derby; first Duk

of Lancaster; gave the red rose uncrowned; and

his ancestors gave the Fox tayle in his prop。 coulor

and the ostrich fether ar。 the pen ermyn。



〃The Ostrych fether silver; the pen gobone

sylver and azur; is the Duk of Somerset's bage。



〃The ostrych fether silver and pen gold ys the

kinges。



〃The ostrych fether pen and all sylver ys the

Prynces。



〃The ostrych fether sylver; pen ermyn is the

Duke of Lancesters。



〃The ostrych fether sylver and pen gobone is

the Duke of Somersets。〃

 〃What's great Goliath's spear; the sevenfold shield;

 Scanderbeg's sword; to one who cannot wield

 Such weapons? Or; what means a well cut quill;

 In th' untaught hand of him that's void of skill?〃

                                   COCKER; A。 D。 1650。



The oldest ink (Russian) documents that exist in

Russia are two treaties with the Greek emperors; made

by Oleg; A。 D。 912; and Igor; A。 D。 943。 Christianity;

introduced into Russia at the beginning of the eleventh

century by Vladimir the Great; brought with it many

words of Gr
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