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forty centuries of ink-第67章

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more durable。



Some inks which are fairly permanent against time

if not tampered with; can be removed with water。

This is true of the most lasting of inks;the old

〃Indian。〃



In ancient Latin MSS。 the words fuco; fucosus

and fucus are found to be frequently employed。 It

is interesting to note the variations in their meaning:



FUCO。To color; paint or dye a red color。



FUCOSUS。Colored; counterfeit; spurious; painted; etc。



FUCUS。Rock lichen (orchil) red dye。 Red or

purple color。 The (reddish) juice with which bees

stop up the entrance to their hives。 Bee glue。



FUCUS。A drone。



In Japan the word 〃ink〃 possesses more than

one meaning Four hundred Inksone degree of

sixty miles。〃 (See Geographical Grammar; of 1737; page 3。)



 〃Say what you will Sir; but I know what I know;

 That you beat me at the Mart; I have your hand to show;

 If the skin were Parchment; and the blows you gave were Ink;

 Your own Hand…writing would tell you what I think。〃

                              Comedy of Errors; iii; 1。



The first book ever printed in Europe; to wit; a

copy of 〃Tully's Offices;〃 is carefully preserved in Holland。



White's Latin…English Dictionary; 1872; distinguishes

the words Atramentum and Sutorium in their interpretations。



ATRAMENTUM。The thing serving for making

black。 A black liquid of any kind。 A writing ink。

Shoemaker's black。 Blue vitriol。



SUTORIUM。Belonging to a shoemaker。



Before the employment of blotting paper a pounce…

box which contained either powdered gum sandarach

and ground cuttle…fish bones; or powdered charcoal; sand

and like materials was used by shaking it like a pepper…

box on freshly written manuscripts。



Blotting paper as first employed consisted of very

thin sheets and of a dark pink color; which fashion

changed to blue in later years。



Good blotting paper of the present time removes

fully two thirds of fresh ink when used on HARD

finished paper。



Blotting paper should not be used upon records。

Its use removes the body of the ink; leaving discoloration;

but nothing for penetration。 In inks intended

for copying; the employment of blotting paper is

especially bad。



 〃Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of

the realm in erecting a Grammar School; and

whereas; before; our forefathers had no other

books but the score and the tally; thou hast

caused printing to be used; and contrary to the

King; his crown and dignity; thou hast built a

paper mill。〃

                              2 King Henry VI; iv; 5。



Mr。 Knight relates a conversation between Dr。 Gale

and a gentlemen from the West relative to the introduction

of some material into ink to prevent moulding。

Dr。 Gale had astonished his friend by stating

〃will prevent the deposition of the ova of infusoria

animalcutae;〃 when it was suggested that he add

〃and the sporadic growths of thallogenic cryptograms

and be fatal to the fungi。〃



The University of Pennsylvania claims to possess

the oldest piece of writing in the world and which is

on a fragment of a vase found at Nippur。 It is an

inscription in picture writing supposed to have been

made 4;500 years before Christ。



Wafers were not introduced until the close of the

sixteenth century。



The Persians in ancient times; some 800 years

B。 C。; were in the habit of celebrating certain festivals

and it is related that in the month of December one

of their ceremonies was that of driving the Dives

(spirits) out of their houses。



For this purpose the Magi wrote certain words

with saffron on skins; papyrus or wood and then

smoked it over a fire。 The spell thus prepared was

glued or nailed to the inside of the door; which was

painted red。 The priest then took sand; which he

spread with a long knife; whilst he muttered certain

prayers and then throwing it on the floor the enchantment

was complete; and the Dives were supposed

immediately to vanish; or at least to be deprived of

all malignant influence。



Aristotle's work on the Constitution of Athens;

B。 C。 340; or probably the copy made by Tyrannio;

was discovered transcribed underneath farm accounts

of land in the district of Hermopolis in Egypt in the

reign of Vespasian; A。 D。 9 to 79。



In MSS。 written before the invention of printing

and indeed for many years after; the title page if any;

will be found on the last page with the date。



 〃Let lawyers bawl and strain their throats;

     'Tis I that must the lands convey;

 And strip their clients to their coats;

     Nay; give their very souls away!〃

               DEAN SWIFT; 〃On ink。〃



〃It is certain that in their treaties with the

European Greeks of Constantinople the Arabs

always stipulated for the delivery of a fixed number

of manuscripts。 Their enthusiasm for Aristotle is

equally notorious; but it would be unjust to imagine

that; in adopting the Aristotelian method; together

with the astrology and alchemy of Persia;

and of the Jews of Mesopotamia and Arabia; they

were wholly devoid of originality。〃



The 〃Arabic〃 numerals which we now employ are

probably of Indian origin; having been brought by

Arab traders from the East and introduced by them

into Spain in the middle ages; whereas they spread

over Europe coming in use in England perhaps about

the eleventh century。 But whether India invented

them or borrowed from Greek or other traders from

the West is unknown。



The ancient writing implement known as the stylus

was made of every conceivable material; sometimes

with the precious metals; but usually of iron; and on

occasion might be turned into formidable weapons。

It was with his stylus that Caesar stabbed Casca in the

arm; when attacked in the senate by his murderers;

and Caligula employed some person to put to death a

senator with a like instrument。



In the reign of Claudius women and boys were

searched to ascertain whether there were any styluses

in their pen cases。 Stabbing with the pen; therefore;

is not merely a metaphorical expression。



Sir William Gore Ouseley; a famous diplomat and

savant; who was living at the beginning of the nineteenth

century; during his long residence in India

spent a fortune in the collection of ancient Persic and

Arabic MSS。 In 1807 he permitted them to be examined

by Beloe; whose description of a few will bear

repeating:



〃No。 1。 A Koran; in the Cufi or Cufic character;

said to be written by Ali; the son…in…law of

Mahammed; the Arabian prophet。 The substance

upon which this curious manuscript is written

appears to be a fine kind of asses' skin or vellum;

and the ink of a red; brownish colour。 The ends

of verses are marked by large stars of gold。 If

written by Ali; it must be nearly twelve hundred

years old; but at all events may be considered as

very ancient; many hundred years having elapsed

since the use of the Cufi character has given way

to the Neskh; Suls; etc。; etc。 This manuscript is

still in excellent preservation。〃



〃No。 4。 Beharistan; 'The Garden of Spring。'

A book on ethics and education; illustrated by interesting

anecdotes and narratives; written both in

verse and prose; in imitation of the Gulistan; or

'Rose garden' of Saadi; and like it divided into

eight chapters; composed by Nuruddin; Abdurrahman

Jami; ben Ahmed of the village of Jam; near

Herat。 He was born A。 H。 817 and died at the

age of 81 years (about A。 D。 1492)。 As a grammarian;

theologist and poet he was unequalled; and

his compositious are as voluminous as they are

excellent。 The enormous expense which people

have incurred to possess accurate copies of and to

adorn and embellish his works; is no small proof

of the great estimation in which they were held by

the literati of the East。〃



〃This volume is a small folio; consisting of 134

pages; written in the most beautiful Nastilik

character; by the famous scribe Mohammed Hussein;

who; in consequence of his inimitable penmanship;

obtained the title of Zerin Kalm; or 'Pen of

Gold。' The leaves are of the softest Cashmirian

paper; and of such modest shades of green; blue;

brown; dove; and fawn colors; as never to offend

the eye by their glare; although richly powdered

with gold。 The margins; which are broad; display

a great variety of chaste and beautiful delineations

in liquid gold; no two pages being alike。 Some

are divided into compartments; others are in running

patterns; in all of which the illuminations

show the most correct; and at the same time fanciful

taste。 Many are delineations of field sports;

which; though simple outlines of gold; are calculated

to afford the highest gratifications to the lover of

natural history; as well as the artist; from the

uncommon accuracy with which the forms of the

elephant; rhinoceros; buffalo; lion; tiger; leopard;

panther; lynx; and other Asiatic animals are portrayed。

It appears; by the names which a
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