forty centuries of ink-第13章

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are　safely　attributed　to　the　seventh；　and　a　great

proportion　of　those　extant　were　unquestionably

executed　in　the　tenth；　while　many　belong　to　the

following　four　hundred　years。　It　is；　however；　to

be　observed；　that　some　manuscripts；　executed　at　so

late　a　time　as　the　thirteenth；　or　even　the　fifteenth

century；　afford　clear　internal　evidence　that；　by　a

single　remove　only；　the　text　they　contain　claims　a

REAL　antiquity；　higher　than　that　even　of　the　oldest

existing　copy　of　the　same　work。　For　these　older

copies　sometimes　prove；　by　the　peculiar　nature　of

the　corruptions　which　have　crept　into　the　text；　that

they　have　been　derived　through　a　long　series　of

copies；　while　perhaps　the　text　of　the　more　modern

manuscripts　possesses　such　a　degree　of　purity　and

freedom　from　all　the　usual　consequences　of　frequent

transcription；　as　to　make　it　manifest　that　the　copy

from　which　it　was　taken；　was　so　ancient　as　not　to

be　far　distant　from　the　time　of　the　first　publication

of　the　work。〃







CHAPTER　V。



REVIVAL　OF　INK。



THE　DISAPPEARANCE　AND　PRESERVATION　OF　INK　WRITINGS；

AS　ESTIMATED　BY　LA　CROIXCOMMENTS　OF

OTHER　WRITERSDE　VINNE'S　INTERESTING　EXPLANATIONS

OF　THE　STATUS　QUO　OF　MANUSCRIPT　WRITINGS

DURING　THE　DARK　AGES　WHICH　PRECEDED　THE　INVENTION

OF　PRINTINGPRICES　PAID　FOR　BOOKS　IN

ANCIENT　TIMESLIMITATIONS　OF　HANDWRITING　AND

HANDWRITING　MATERIALS　AT　THE　BEGINNING　OF

THE　FIFTH　CENTURYWHO　CONTROLLED　THE　RECORDS

ABOUT　THEMINVENTION　OF　THE　QUILL

PENTHE　CAUSE　OF　INCREASED　FLUIDITY　OF

INKSORIGIN　OF　THE　SECRETACHARACTER　OF

INFORMATION　OBTAINED　FROM　THEMIMPROVEMENT

OF　BLACK　INKS　IN　THE　EIGHTH　CENTURY　AND　EMPLOYMENT

OF　POMEGRANITE　INK。



LA　CROIX'　preface　to　his　〃Science　and　Literature　of

the　Middle　Ages　and　the　Renaissance；〃　refers　to　the

Dark　Ages：



〃In　the　beginning　of　the　Middle　Ages；　at　the

commencement　of　the　fifth　century；　the　Barbarians

made　an　inroad　upon　the　old　world；　their　renewed

invasions　crushed　out；　in　the　course　of　a　few　years；

the　Greek　and　Roman　civilization；　and　everywhere

darkness　succeeded　to　light。　The　religion　of　Jesus

Christ　was　alone　capable　of　resisting　this　barbarian

invasion；　and　science　and　literature；　together　with

the　arts；　disappeared　from　the　face　of　the　earth；

taking　refuge　in　the　churches　and　monasteries。　It

was　there　that　they　were　preserved　as　a　sacred　deposit；

and　it　was　thence　that　they　emerged　when

Christianity　had　renovated　pagan　society。　But

centuries　and　centuries　elapsed　before　the　sum　of

human　knowledge　was　equal　to　what　it　had　been　at

the　fall　of　the　Roman　empire。　A　new　society；

moreover；　was　needed　for　the　new　efforts　of　human

intelligence　as　it　resumed　its　rights。　Schools　and

universities　were　founded　under　the　auspices　of　the

clergy　and　of　the　religious　corporations；　and　thus

science　and　literature　were　enabled　to　emerge　from

their　tombs。　Europe；　amidst　the　tumultuous　conflicts

of　the　policy　which　made　and　unmade　kingdoms；

witnessed　a　general　revival　of　the　scholastic

zeal；　poets；　orators；　novelists；　and　writers　increased

in　numbers　and　grew　in　favour；　savants；　philosophers；

chemists　and　alchemists；　mathematicians

and　astronomers；　travellers　and　naturalists；　were

awakened；　so　to　speak；　by　the　life…giving　breath　of

the　Middle　Ages；　and　great　scientific　discoveries

and　admirable　works　on　every　imaginable　subject

showed　that　the　genius　of　modern　society　was　not

a　whit　inferior　to　that　of　antiquity。　Printing；　was

invented；　and　with　that　brilliant　discovery；　the　Middle

Ages；　which　had　accomplished　their　work　of

social　renovation；　made　way　for　the　Renaissance；

which　scattered　abroad　in　profusion　the　prolific　and

brilliant　creations　of　Art；　Science；　and　Literature。〃



This　author　to　some　extent　discredits　himself；　however；

p。　455；　where　he　remarks：



〃Long　before　the　invasions　of　the　Barbarians

the　histories　written　by　Greek　and　Latin　authors

concerning　the　annals　of　the　ancient　peoples　had

been　falling　into　disfavor。　Even　the　best　of　them

were　little　read；　for　the　Christians　felt　but　slight

interest　in　these　pagan　narratives；　and　that　is　why

works　relating　to　the　history　of　antiquity　were　already

so　scarce。〃



Another　authority　writing　on　the　same　subject　discusses

it　from　a　different　standpoint；　remarking：



〃As　in　the　middle　ages　invention　busied　itself

with　instruments　of　torture；　and　as　in　our　days　it

is　taken　up　almost　as　much　with　the　destructive　engines

of　war　as　with　the　productive　arts　of　peace；

so　in　those　early　ages　it　applied　itself　to　the　fabrication

of　idols；　to　the　mechanism　and　theatrical

contrivances　for　mysteries　and　religious　ceremonies。

There　was　then　no　desire　to　communicate

discoveries；　science　was　a　sort　of　freemasonry；

and　silence　was　effectually　secured　by　priestly

anathemas；　men　of　science　were　as　jealous　of　one

another　as　they　were　of　all　other　classes　of　society。

If　we　wish　to　form　a　clear　picture　of　this　earliest

stage　of　civilization；　an　age　which　represents　at

once　the　naivete　of　childhood　and　the　suspicious

reticence　of　senility；　we　must　turn　our　eyes　to　the

priest；　on　the　one　hand；　claiming　as　his　own　all　art

and　science；　and　commanding　respect　by　his　contemptuous

silence；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　to　the

mechanic　plying　the　loom；　extracting　the　Tyrian

dye；　practising　chemistry；　though　ignorant　of　its

very　name；　despised　and　oppressed；　and　only　tolerated

when　he　furnished　Religion　with　her　trappings

or　War　with　arms。　Thus　the　growth　of

chemistry　was　slow；　and　by　reason　of　its　backwardness

it　was　longer　than　any　other　art　in　ridding

itself　of　the　leading…strings　of　magic　and

astrology。　Practical　discoveries　must　have　been

made　many　times　without　science　acquiring　thereby

any　new　fact。　For　to　prevent　a　new　discovery　from

being　lost　there　must　be　such　a　combination　of

favorable　circumstances　as　was　rare　in　that　age　and

for　many　succeeding　ages。　There　must　be　publicity；

and　publicity　is　of　quite　recent　growth；　the

application　of　the　discovery　must　be　not　only　possible

but　obvious；　as　satisfying　some　want。　But

wants　are　only　felt　as　civilization　progresses。　Nor

is　that　all；　for　a　practical　discovery　to　become　a

scientific　fact　it　must　serve　to　demonstrate　the　error

of　one　hypothesis；　and　to　suggest　a　new　one；　better

fitted　for　the　synthesis　of　existing　facts。　But

（some）　old　beliefs　are　proverbially　obstinate　and

virulent　in　their　opposition　to　newer　and　truer

theories　which　are　destined　to　eject　and　replace

them。　To　sum　up；　even　in　our　own　day；　chemistry

rests　on　a　less　sound　basis　than　either　physics；　which

had　the　advantage　of　originating　as　late　as　the　17th

century；　or　astronomy；　which　dates　from　the　time


when　the　Chaldean　shepherd　had　sufficiently　provided

for　his　daily　wants　to　find　leisure　for　gazing

into　the　starry　Heavens。〃



The　observations　of　a　still　earlier　commentator　are　of

the　same　general　nature。　He　says：



〃In　the　first　ages　of　Christianity；　when　the

fathers　of　the　Church；　the　Jews；　and　the　Heathen

philosophers　were　so　warmly　engaged　in　controversy；

there　is　reason　to　believe　that　pious　frauds

were　not　uncommon：　and　that　when　one　party　suspected

forgeries；　instead　of　an　attempt　at　confutation；

which　might　have　been　difficult；　they　had

recourse　perhaps　to　a　countermine：　and　either　invented

altogether；　or　eked　out　some　obscure　traditional

scraps　by　the　embellishments　of　fancy。

When　we　consider；　amongst　many　literary　impositions

of　later　times；　that　Psalmanazar's　history　of

Formosa　was；　even　in　this　enlightened　age　and

country　（England；　about　1735）；　considered　by　our

most　learned　men　as　unquestionably　authentic；　till

the　confession　of　the　author　discovered　the　secret；

I　think　it　is　not　difficult　to　conceive　how　forgeries

of　remote　events；　before　the　invention　of　printing

and　the　general　diffusion　of　knowledge　might　gain

an　authority；　and　especially　with　the　zealous；　hardly

inferi