forty centuries of ink-第17章

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nations　of　Western　Europe　in　its　development；　and

that　England　retains　her　Hiberno…Saxon　hand　till

after　the　Conquest　of　1066。　It　may　be　noted　that

the　twelfth　century　produced　the　finest　writing　ever

knowna　large；　free　and　flowing　form　of　the　minuscule

of　Tours。　In　the　next　century　comes　in　the　angular

Gothic　hand；　the　difference　between　which　and

the　twelfth　century　hand　may　be　fairly　understood

by　a　comparison　of　ordinary　German　and　Roman

type。　In　the　thirteenth；　fourteenth；　and　fifteenth

centuries　the　writing　of　each　century　may　be

discerned；　while　the　general　tendency　is　towards

complication；　use　of　abbreviations　and　contractions；

and　development　of　unessential　parasitic　forms　of

letters。



〃The　Book　of　Kells；　the　chief　treasure　of　Trinity

College；　Dublin；　is　so…called　from　having　been

long　preserved　at　the　Monastery　of　Kells；　founded

by　Columba　himself。　Stolen　from　thence；　it　eventually

passed　into　Archbishop　Ussher's　hands；　and；

with　other　parts　of　his　library；　to　Dublin。　The

volume　contains　the　Four　Gospels　in　Latin；　ornamented

with　extraordinary　freedom；　elaboration；　and

beauty。　Written　apparently　in　the　seventh　century；

it　exhibits；　both　in　form　and　colour；　all　the

signs　of　the　full　development　and　maturity　of　the

Irish　style；　and　must　of　necessity　have　been　preceded

by　several　generations　of　artistic　workers；

who　founded　and　improved　this　particular　school

of　art。　The　following　words　of　Professor　Westwood；

who　first　drew　attention　to　the　peculiar　excellences

of　this　volume；　will　justify　tile　terms　made

use　of　above：　'This　copy　of　the　Gospels；　traditionally

asserted　to　have　belonged　to　Columba；　is

unquestionably　the　most　elaborately　executed　MS。

of　early　art　now　in　existence；　far　excelling；　in　the

gigantic　size　of　the　letters　in　the　frontispieces　of

the　Gospel；　the　excessive　minuteness　of　the　ornamental

details；　the　number　of　its　decorations；　the

fineness　of　the　writing；　and　the　endless　variety　of

initial　capital　letters　with　which　every　page　is

ornamented；　the　famous　Gospels　of　Lindisfarne　in　the

Cottonian　Library。　But　this　MS。　is　still　more　valuable

on　account　of　the　various　pictorial　representations

of　different　scenes　in　the　life　of　our　Saviour；

delineated　in　a　style　totally　unlike　that　of　every

other　school。'　〃







CHAPTER　VII。



EARLY　MEDIAEVAL　INK。



CONTROVERSIES　AMONG　HEBREW　SCHOLARS　RELATING　TO

RITUALISTIC　INKSTHE　CLASS　OF　INKS　EMPLOYED　BY

THE　FRENCH　AND　GERMAN　JEWSCONVENTION　OF

REPRESENTATIVES　FROM　JEWISH　CENTERSSUBMISSION

OF　THEIR　DIFFERENCES　TO　MAIMONIDESHE　DEFINES

TALMUDIC　INKSIXTH　CENTURY　REFERENCE　TO

〃GALL〃　INKASSERTION　OF　HOTZ…OSTERWALD　THAT

EXCLUSIVE　OF　THE　INDIAN　INK；　THE　WRITING　PIGMENTS

OF　ANTIQUITY　HAVE　NEVER　BEEN　INVESTIGATEDHIS

BELIEF　THAT　YEAST　FORMED　A　PORTION

OF　THEMSOME　OTHER　OBSERVATIONS　ON　THIS

SUBJECTANCIENT　FORMULAS　ABOUT　THE　LEES　OF

WINE　IN　INK…MAKINGCOMMENTS　ON　INK…MAKING　BY

PLINYANCIENT　FORMULA　OF　POMEGRANATE　INK

SECRETA　BY　THE　MONK　THEOPHILUSWHAT　THE；

THORN　TREE　HE　REFERS　TO　REALLY　ISIDENTITY　OF

THE　MYROBOLAM　INK　OF　THE　MOST　REMOTE　ANTIQUITY

WITH　THE　POMEGRANATE　INK　OF　THE　MIDDLE　AGES

THE　USES　OF　THE　ACACIA　TREE。



MOST　of　the　documents　of　early　mediaeval　times

which　remain　to　us　containing　ink　in　fairly　good　condition；

like　charters；　protocols；　bulls；　wills；　diplomas；

and　the　like；　were　written　or　engrossed　with　〃Indian〃

ink；　in　which　respect　we　of　the　present　century　continue

to　follow　such　established　precedent　when　preparing

important　written　instruments。　It　is　not

remarkable；　therefore；　that　the　black　inks　of　the

seventh；　eighth；　ninth　and　tenth　centuries　preserve

their　blackness　so　much　better　than　many　belonging

to　succeeding　ages；　including　a　new　class　of　inks　which

could　not　stand　the　test　of　time。



During　the　twelfth　and　first　years　of　the　thirteenth

centuries　there　were　bitter　controversies　among　Talmudic

（Hebrew）　scholars；　relative　to　the　character　of

the　ink　to　be　employed　in　the　preparation　of　ritualistic

writings。　Nice　distinctions　were　drawn　as　to　the

real　meaning　of　the　word　deyo　as　understood　by　the

Jews　of　the　western　part　of　the　world；　and　the　Arabic

word　alchiber；　as　then　understood　nearer　Palestine

and　the　other　eastern　countries。



The　French　Jews　were　using　〃tusche〃　（typical　of

the　〃Indian〃　ink）；　while　the　Germans　were　employing

〃pomegranate〃　and　〃gall〃　inks。　Representatives

from　interested　religious　Jewish　centers　came

together　and　resolved　to　submit　their　differences　for

final　adjustment　to　Maimonides；　born　in　Spain；　A。　D。

1130　；　and　died　A。　D。　1204the　then　greatest　living

Hebrew　theologian　and　authority　on　biblical　and

rabbinical　laws。　Discarding　all　side　issues；　their　differences

were　seemingly　incorporated　into　three　questions

and　thus　propounded　to　him：



1。　Is　the　Talmudic　deyo　identical　with　alchiber？



2。　Of　what　ingredient　should　the　Talmudic　deyo

consist；　if　it　is　not　the　same　as　alchiber？



3。　Is　alchiber　to　be　understood　as　relating　to　the

gall…apple　and　chalkanthum　（blue　vitriol）？



To　the　first　and　third　questions　Maimonides　declared

that　deyo　and　alchiber　were　not　identical；

and　for　the　reasons　that　the　Talmud　declares　deyo　to

be　a　writing　material　which　does　not　remain　on　the

surface　on　which　it　is　placed　and　to　be　easily　effaced。

On　the　other　hand　alchiber　contains　gum　and　other

things　which　causes　it　to　adhere　to　the　writing　surface。



To　the　second　question　he　affirmed　that　the　Talmud

distinguishes　a　double　kind　of　deyo；　one　containing

little　or　no　gum　and　being　a　fluid；　and　the　other　referring

to　〃pulverized　coal　of　the　vine；　soot　from

burning　olive　oil；　tar；　rosin　and　honey；　pressed　into

plates　to　be　dissolved　in　water　when　wanted　for　use。〃

Furthermore；　while　the　Talmud　excludes　the　use　of

certain　inks　of　which　iron　vitriol　was　one；　it　does　not

exclude　atramentum；　（chalkanthum；　copper　vitriol）；

because　the　Talmud　never　speaks　of　it。　He　insisted

that　the　Talmud　requires　a　dry　ink　（deyo）。



As　one　of　the　last　entries　made　in　the　Talmud　（a

great　collection　of　legal　decisions　by　the　ancient

Rabbis；　Hebrew　traditions；　etc。；　and　believed　to　have

been　commenced　in　the　second　century　of　the　Christian

era）　is　claimed　to　belong　to　the　sixth　century；

mentions　gall…apples　and　iron　（copper）　vitriol；　it　must

have　referred　to　〃gall〃　ink。　Further　investigation

discloses　the　fact　that　such　galls　were　of　Chinese　origin

and　as　we　know　they　do　not　contain　the　necessary

ferment　which　the　aleppo　and　other　galls　possess　for

inducing　a　transformation　of　the　tannin　into　gallic

acid；　no　complete　union　could　therefore　obtain。

Hence　the　value　of　this　composition　was　limited　until

the　time　when　yeast　and　other　materials　were　introduced

to　overcome　its　deficiencies。



Hotz…Osterwald　of　Zurich；　antiquarian　and　scholar；

has　asserted　that　with　the　exception　of　the　carbon

inks　employed　on　papyrus；　the　writing　pigments　of

antiquity　and　the　Middle　Ages　have　scarcely　been

investigated。　The　dark　to　light…brown　pigment；

hitherto　a　problem；　universally　used　on　parchment；

he　contends　upon　historical；　chemical　and　microscopic

evidence　is　identical　with　oeno…cyanin　and　was　prepared

for　the　most　part　from　yeast；　and　was　first

employed　as　a　pigment。　Contrary　to　the　general　opinion

it　contains　no　iron；　except　frequently　accidental

traces；　and　after　its　appearance　in　Greece　in　the　third

century；　it　formed　almost　exclusively　the　ink　of　the

ancient　manuscripts；　until　displaced　by　the　gallate

inks；　said　to　have　been　introduced　by　the

Arabians。　These　accidental　traces　of　iron　were　due

to　the　employment　of　iron　vessels　in　the　making　of

the　ink。



My　own　observations　in　this　direction　confirm　and

establish　the　fact　that　it　was　the　custom　in　the　early

centuries　of　the　Christian　era　to　utilize　yeast　or　an

analogous　compound　as　part　of　the　composition　of　ink；

to　which　was　added　sepia；　or　th