forty centuries of ink-第51部分

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written　in　Hebrew　on　goat's　skins。　The　goat　skins

were　thirty…seven　in　number；　dyed　red；　and　were

sewn　together；　so　as　to　form　a　roll　forty…eight　feet　in

length　by　twenty…two　inches　in　width。　At　what　date

this　was　written　cannot　be　now　determined；　but　it　is

supposed　to　be　extremely　ancient。



The　Hebrews　began；　early　after　the　invention　of

parchment；　to　write　their　scriptures　on　this　material；

of　which　the　rolls　of　the　law　used　in　their　synagogues

are　still　composed。



Scriptural；　like　many　other　classes　of　MSS。　originating

previous　to　the　eighth　century　and　ink　written

either　on　parchment　or　vellum；　or　both；　are　in

capital　letters　without　spaces　between　words　and

exceedingly　rare。　The　more　important　and　valuable　of

them　which　apply　to　the　New　Testament　are　respectively

known　as　the　Sinaitic；　the　Vatican　and　the

Alexandrian；　many　of　whose　various　translations　and

readings　are　incorporated　by　Tischendorf　in　his

Leipzig　edition　of　the　English　New　Testament。　The

stories　relating　to　the　discovery　and　obtaining　of

these　relics　of　the　first　centuries　of　our　era　are

startling　ones。　The　reputation　and　standing；　however；

of　the　discoverers；　and　the　investigations

subsequently　made　by　known　scholars　of　their　time；

serves　to　invest　them　with　a　certain　degree　of　truthfulness。

The　most　interesting　is　the　story　about　the

Sinaitic　codex；　the　oldest　of　any　extant　and　which　is

best　told　by　Madan：



〃The　story　of　the　discovery　of　this　famous

manuscript　of　the　Bible　in　Greek；　the　oldest　existing

of　all　the　New　Testament　codexes；　and　in

several　points　the　most　interesting；　reads　like　a

romance。　Constantine　Tischendorf；　the　well…

known　editor　of　the　Greek　Testament；　started　on

his　first　mission　litteraire　in　April；　1844；　and　in

the　next　month　found　himself　at　the　Convent　of

St。　Catherine；　at　the　foot　of　Mount　Sinai。　There；

in　the　middle　of　the　hall；　as　he　crossed　it；　he　saw

a　basket　full　of　old　parchment　leaves　on　their　way

to　the　burning；　and　was　told　that　two　baskets　had

already　gone！　Looking　at　the　leaves　more　closely；

he　perceived　that　they　were　parts　of　the　Old　Testament

in　Greek；　written　in　an　extremely　old　handwriting。

He　was　allowed　to　take　away　forty…three

leaves；　but　the　interest　of　the　monks　was　aroused；

and　they　both　stopped　the　burning；　and　also　refused

to　part　with　any　more　of　the　precious　fragments。

Tischendorf　departed；　deposited　the　forty…

three　leaves　in　the　Leipsig　Library；　and　edited

them　under　the　title　of　the　Codex　Friderico…Au…

gustanus；　in　compliment　to　the　King　of　Saxony；　in

1846。　But　he　wisely　kept　the　secret　of　their　provenance；

and　no　one　followed　in　his　track　until　he

himself　went　on　a　second　quest　to　the　monastery　in

1853。　In　that　year　he　could　find　no　traces　whatever

of　the　remains　of　the　MSS。　except　a　few　fragments

of　Genesis；　and　returned　unsuccessful　and　disheartened。

At　last；　he　once　more　took　a　journey

to　the　monastery；　under　the　patronage　of　the

Russian　Emperor；　who　was　popular　throughout　the

East　as　the　protector　of　the　Oriental　Churches。

Nothing　could　he　find；　however；　and　he　had

ordered　his　Bedouins　to　get　ready　for　departure；

when；　happening　to　have　taken　a　walk　with　the

steward　of　the　house；　and　to　be　invited　into　his

room；　in　the　course　of　conversation　the　steward

said：　'I；　too；　have　read　a　Septuagint；'　and　produced

out　of　a　wrapper　of　red　cloth；　'a　bulky

kind　of　volume；'　which　turned　out　to　be　the　whole

of　the　New　Testament；　with　the　Greek　text　of　the

Epistle　of　Barnabas；　much　of　which　was　hitherto

unknown；　and　the　greater　part　of　the　Old　Testament；

all　parts　of　the　very　MSS。　which　had　so　long

been　sought！　In　a　careless　tone　Tischendorf

asked　if　he　might　have　it　in　his　room　for　further

inspection；　and　that　night　（February　4…5；　1859）

it　'seemed　impiety　to　sleep。'　By　the　next　morning

the　Epistle　of　Barnabas　was　copied　out；　and　a

course　of　action　was　settled。　Might　he　carry　the

volume　to　Cairo　to　transcribe？　Yes；　if　the　Prior's

leave　was　obtained；　but；　unluckily　the　Prior　had

already　started　to　Cairo　on　his　way　to　Constantinople。

By　the　activity　of　Tischendorf　he　was

caught　up　at　Cairo；　gave　the　requisite　permission；

and　a　Bedonin　was　sent　to　the　convent；　and　returned

with　the　book　in　nine　days。　On　the　24th

of　February；　Tischendorf　began　to　transcribe　it；

and　when　it　was　done；　conceived　the　happy　idea　of

asking　for　the　volume　as　a　gift　to　the　Emperor　of

Russia。　Probably　this　was　the　only　possible　plea

which　would　have　gained　the　main　object　in　view；

and　even　as　it　was　there　was　great　delay；　but　at

last；　on　the　28th　of　September；　the　gift　was　formally

made；　and　the　MSS。　soon　after　deposited　in

St。　Petersburg；　where　it　now　lies。　The　date　of

this　MSS。　is　supposed　to　be　not　later　than　A。　D。

400；　and　has　been　the　subject　of　minute　inquiry　in

consequence　of　the　curious　statement　of　Simonides

in　1862；　that　he　had　himself　written　it　on　Mount

Athos　in　1839…40。〃



Constantine　Simonides　was　a　Greek　who　was　born

in　1824　and　is　believed　to　have　been　the　most　versatile

forger　of　the　nineteenth　century。　From　1843

until　1856　he　was　in　evidence　all　over　Europe　offering

for　sale　fraudulent　MSS。　purporting　to　be　of

ancient　origin。



In　1861　Madan　says：



〃He　boldly　asserted　that　he　himself　had　written

the　whole　of　the　Codex　Sinaiticus　which　Tischendorf

had　bought　in　1856　from　the　monastery　of　St。

Catherine　on　Mount　Sinai。　The　statement　was；　of

course；　received　with　the　utmost　incredulity；　but

Simionides　asserted；　not　only　that　he　had　written　it；

but　that；　in　view　of　the　probable　skepticism　of　the

scholars；　he　had　placed　certain　private　signs　on

particular　leaves　of　the　codex。　When　pressed　to

specify　these　marks　he　gave　a　list　of　the　leaves　on

which　were　to　be　found　his　initials　or　other　monogram。

The　test　was　a　fair　one；　and　the　MSS。；

which　was　at　St。　Petersburg；　was　carefully　inspected。

Every　leaf　designated　by　Simonides　was

found　to　be　imperfect　at　the　part　where　the　mark

was　to　have　been　found。　Deliberate　mutilation　by

an　enemy；　said　his　friends。　But　many　thought　that

the　wily　Greek　had　acquired　through　private　friends

a　note　of　some　imperfect　leaves　in　the　MSS。；　and

had　made　unscrupulous　use　of　the　information。〃



A　curious　kind　of　document；　which　links　the　classical

times　with　the　middle　ages；　in　respect　to　the　we

of　parchment；　is　afforded　by　the　〃palimpsests；〃　or

manuscripts　from　which　old　writing　had　been　erased

in　order　to　make　way　for　new。　A　well…prepared　leaf

of　parchment　was　so　costly　an　article　in　the　middle

ages；　that　the　transcribers　who　were　employed　by　the

monastic　establishments　in　writing　often　availed　themselves

of　some　old　manuscript；　from　which　they　scraped

off　the　writing；　such　a　doubly…used　piece　of　parchment

was　called　a　〃palimpsest。〃　This　practice　seems

to　have　been　followed　long　before；　but　not　to　so　great

an　extent　as　about　the　fourteenth　and　fifteenth　centuries；

at　which　time　there　were　persons　regularly

employed　as　〃parchment…restorers。〃　The　transcribers

had　a　regular　kind　of　knife；　with　which　they　scratched

out　the　old　writing；　and　they　rubbed　the　surface

with　powdered　pumice　stone；　to　prepare　it　for　receiving

the　new　ink。　So　common　was　this　practice　that

when　one　of　the　emperors　of　Germany　established

the　office　of　imperial　notary；　it　was　one　of　the　articles

or　conditions　attached　to　the　holding　of　the　office　that

the　notary　should　not　use　〃scraped　vellum〃　in　drawing

deeds。　Sometimes　the　original　writing；　by　a

careful　treatment　of　the　parchment；　has　been　so　far

restored　as　to　be　visible；　and　it　is　found　to　be　parallel；

diagonal；　and　sometimes　at　right　angles　to　the　writing

afterwards　introduced。　In　many　cases　the　ancient

writing　restored　beneath　is　found　to　be　infinitely

more　valuable　than　the　monkish　legends　written　afterwards。



Cicero's　De　Republica　was　discovered　by　Angelo

Mai　in　the　Vatican　library　written　under　a　commentary

of　St。　Augustine　on　the　Psalms；　and　the　Institutions

of　Gains；　in　the　library　of　the　chapter　of　Verona；

were　deciphered　in　like　manner　under　the　works　of

St。　Jerome。



Papyrus；　parchment；　and　vellum　were　sometimes

used　together　in　the　MSS。　books。　Thompson；　author

of　〃Greek　and　Latin　Palaeography；〃　observes：



〃Examples；　made　up　in　book　form；　sometimes

with　a　few　vellum　leaves　incorporated　to　give　stability；

are　found　in　different　libraries　of　Europe。

They　are：　The　Homilies　of　St。　Avitus；　of　the　6th

century；　at　Paris；　Sermons　and　Epistles　of　St。　Augustine；

of　the　6th　or　7th　century；　at　Paris　and

Genoa；　works　of　Hilary；　of　the　6th　century；　at

Vienna；　fragments　of　the　Digests；　of　the　6th

century；　at　Pommersfeld；　the　Antiquities　of　Josephus；

of　the　7th　century；　at　Milan；　an　Isidore；

of　the　7th　century；　at　St。　Gall。　At　Munich；　also；

is　the　register　of　the　Church　of　Ravenna；　written

on　this　material　in　the　10th　century。〃



The　rolls　and　records　connected　with　the　early

parliamentary　and　legal　proceedings　in　England　furnish

interesting　examples　of　the　use　of　parchment　in　writing。

The　〃Records；〃　so　often　alluded　to　in　such

matters；　are　statements　or　details；　written　upon　rolls

of　parchment；　of　the　proceedings　in　those　higher

courts　of　law　which　are　distinguished　as　〃Courts　of

Record。〃　It　has　been　stated　that　〃our　stores　of　public

records　are　justly　reckoned　to　excel　in　age；　beauty；

correctness；　and　authority　whatever　the　choicest　archives

abroad　can　boast　of　the　like　sort。〃



The　records　are　generally　made　of　several　skins　or

sheets　of　parchment　or　vellum；　each　sheet　being　about

three　feet　long　and　often　nine　to　fourteen　inches　in

width。　They　are　either　all　fastened　together　at　one

end；　so　as　to　form　a　kind　of　book；　or　are　stitched　end

to　end；　so　as　to　constitute　an　extended　roll。　These

two　methods　appear　each　to　have　had　its　particular

advantages；　according　to　the　way　in　which；　and　th