forty centuries of ink-第58部分
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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 Greek origin。 Printing was introduced there
about the middle of the sixteenth century。 The oldest
printed book which has been discovered is a Sclavonic
psalter； the date Kiev； 1551； two years after a press
was established in Moscow。
It is said that the skins of 300 sheep were used in
every copy of the first printed Bible。 Hence the old
saying； 〃It takes a flock of sheep to write a book。〃
What would have been the comment in olden times；
to learn that it takes almost a forest of trees to print
the Sunday edition of some of our great newspapers？
Wax （shoemakers'） was first employed on
documents A。 D。 1213； although it was white wax which
was used to seal the magna charta； granted to the
English barons by King John； A。 D。 1215。 In 1445
red wax was much employed in England； but the earliest
specimen of red sealing wax extant is found on
a letter dated August 3； 1554。
Pliny enumerates and describes eight different
kinds of papyrus paper：
1。 Charter hieraticasacred paper； used only for
books on religion。 From adulation of Augustus it
was also called charta augusta and charta livia。
2。 Charta amphitheatricafrom the place where it
was fabricated。
3。 Charta fanniafrom Fannius； the manufacturer。
4。 Charta saiticafrom Sais in Egypt。 This appears
to have been a coarser kind。
5。 Charta toenioticafrom the place where made；
now Damietta。 This was also of a less fine quality。
6。 Charta claudia。 This was an improvement of
the charta hieratica； which was too fine。
7。 Charta emporitica。 A coarse paper for parcels。
There was also a paper called macrocollum； which
was of a very large size。
Of all these； he says； the charta claudia was the best。
The ink…written rolls of papyrus were placed vertically
in a cylindrical box called capsula。 It is very
evident that a great number of such volumes might
be comprised in this way within a small space； and
this may tend to explain the smallness of the rooms
which are considered to have been used for containing
the ancient libraries。
At Mentz； in Upper Germany； is a leaf of parchment
on which are fairly written twelve different kinds of
handwritings in six different inks also a variety of
miniatures and drawings curiously done with a pen
by one Theodore Schubiker； who was born without
hands and performed the work with his feet。
In Rome the very plate of brass on which the laws
of the ten tables are written is still to be seen。
Stylographic inks should not be used upon records；
most of them are aniline。 The absence of solid matter；
which makes them desirable for the stylographic
pen； unfits them for records。
Never add water to ink。 While an ink which has
water as its base might； under certain conditions bear
the addition of an amount equal to that lost by evaporation；
as a rule the ink particles which have become
injured will not assimilate again。
One of the best methods to cleanse a steel pen after
use； is to stick it in a raw （white） potato。
Inks which are recommended as permanent； because
water will not remove them； while it does immediately
obliterate others； may not be permanent as against
time。 These inks may be the best for monetary purposes；
but； owing to an excess of acid in them； may
be dangerous in time to the paper。
It is interesting； since coal tar has acquired so important
a position in the arts； to trace how its various
products successively rose in value。 The prices in
Paris； as given by M。 Parisal in 1861； are as follows：
Coal；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 1/4 c。 per lb。
Coal tar；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 3/4 〃 〃
Heavy coal oil；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 2 1/2 a 3 3/4 〃 〃
Light coal oil；。。。。。。。。。。。。。 6 3/4 a 10 1 /4 〃 〃
Benzole；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 10 1/2 a 13 〃 〃
Crude nitro…benzole；。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。 57 a 61 〃 〃
Rectified nitro…benzole；。。。。。。。。。。。。 82 a 96 〃
