forty centuries of ink-第61章

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A　statement　which　has　caused　Mr。　Knight　to　make

the　following　comment：



〃This　observation；　undoubtedly　true　1；800　years

ago；　is　much　more　remarkably　so　now；　indeed；　in

considering　that　paper　as　we　now　understand　it

was　entirely　unknown　to　Europe　in　the　time　of

Pliny；　the　expression　of　the　great　dependence

upon　what　seems　to　us　so　fragile　and　inefficient　a

substitute　for　real　paper　appears　strange。〃



Mr。　Knight　also　says　that　the　Greek　name　papuros；

mentioned　by　Theophrastus；　a　contemporary　of　Aristotle

and　Alexander；　was　probably　the　Egyptian　name

of　the　reed　with　a　Greek　termination。　It　was　also

called　biblos　by　Homer　and　Herodotus；　whence　our

term　bible。　The　term　volumen；　a　scroll；　indicates　the

early　form　of　a　book　of　bark；　papyrus；　skin；　or　parchment；

as　the　term　liber　（Latin；　a　book；　or　the　inner

bark　of　a　tree）　does　the　use　of　the　bark　itself。　Hence

also　our　terms　library　and　librarian。　〃Book〃　is

also　derived　from　the　Danish　word　bog；　the　bark　of

the　beech。

Pliny　quoting　Varro；　who　preceded　him　some　two

centuries；　asserts　that　before　the　invention　of　papyrus；

the　large　leaves　of　certain　plants　were　prepared　so

that　they　could　be　written　upon。　Hence　originates

our　term　〃leaves〃　of　a　book　which　in　the　Latin　form

folium　has　also　given　us　the　modern　term　folio。



When；　however；　the　reed　pen　and　the　pencil　brush

and　their　kindred　substances　denominated　colored

liquids　or　inks；　came　into　vogue；　some　material　on

which　characters　could　be　inscribed　and　preserved　in

the　shape　of　continuous　rolls　for　record　and　other

uses　became　necessary。　The　papyrus　plant　seems　to

have　met　every　requirement。　It　is　a　noteworthy　fact

that　all　information　which　can　be　derived　from　any

source；　specifically　calls　attention　to　papyrus　and

sometimes　the　inner　barks　of　trees　as　being　coexistent

with　pen　and　ink。



Varro　has　been　credited　with　many　statements

which　in　the　light　of　investigation　and　discovery　are

proved　to　be　incorrect。　One　of　these　is　in　effect

that　the　use　of　papyrus　was　an　incident　pertaining　to

the　expeditions　of　Alexander　the　Great。　This　assertion

is　not　only　contradicted　by　Pliny；　the　historian；

who　calls　attention　to　〃books　of　papyrus　found　in　the

tomb　of　Numa　〃　（Numa　Pompilius；　the　second　king　of

Rome；　B。　C。　716…672；）　but　even　at　this　late　day　many

monuments　of　ancient　papyri　are　still　extant　and　belonging

to　periods　more　than　a　thousand　years　before

Alexander's　time。



The　real　facts　in　respect　to　this　matter　are；　that

the　introduction　of　the　use　of　papyrus　to　nations　beyond

the　limits　of　Egypt　was　an　event　that　did　not

take　place　until　after　the　reign　of　the　first　Macedonian

sovereign　of　Egypt；　Ptolemy　Lagus　（B。　C。　323）　when；

in　return　for　Greek　literature；　Egypt　gave　back　her

papyrus。　Before　this　epoch　the　Greeks　had　been　in

the　habit　of　employing　such　materials　as　linen；　wax；

bark　and　leaves　for　ordinary　writing　purposes；　while

their　public　records　were　inscribed　on　stone；　brass；

lead　or　other　metals。



Papyrus　as　then　introduced　into　those　western

countries　was　the　only　substance　for　a　long　period

employed　for　literary　purposes。



Parchment　and　vellum；　which　were　adopted　there

as　writing　materials　about　two　centuries　later；　were

too　costly　to　be　used　so　long　as　papyrus　was　within

reach。



When　the　use　of　this　ancient　paper　had　become

established　in　the　countries　bordering　on　the　Mediterranean；

all　the　MSS。　assumed　the　form　of　rolls；　being

rolled　on　cylinders　of　wood；　ivory；　bronze；　glass　and

other　substances。　Sometimes；　the　ends　were　decorated

by　various　ornaments。　As　a　rule　only　one　side　of

the　material　was　written　upon。　This　was　due　largely

to　the　fact　of　its　brittle　character　which　would　cause

it　to　break　if　rolled　or　bent　the　wrong　way。



The　ancient　manufacture　of　papyrus　for　export

was　carried　on　in　Egypt　on　an　extensive　scale　and

in　the　most　systematic　manner。　A　gradual　improvement

in　quality　was　the　result；　some　of　the　kinds

being　given　well…known　Roman　names　which　are

mentioned　by　contemporary　writers。　The　kind　employed

by　the　Romans　for　ordinary　use　was　designated

Charta。　More　expensive　qualities　were　known　as

〃Augusta；〃　〃Livinia；〃　〃Hieratica；〃　etc。；　the　latter

being　reserved　for　religious　books。　Some　kinds　were

sold　by　weight　and　employed　by　the　tradesmen　for

wrapping　purposes；　while　the　bark　of　the　plant　was

manufactured　into　cord　and　rope。



The　methods　of　the　manufacture　of　papyrus　as　a

writing　material　Pliny　undertakes　to　describe　at

great　length；　and　while　he　asserts　many　things　from

probable　knowledge　and　the　information　at　hand　in

his　time；　yet　he　is　not　always　correct。　He　says　that

the　reed　stalks　were　cut　into　lengths　and　separated

〃by　splitting　the　successive　folds　of　the　stalk　with　a

fine　metal　point。〃



Mr。　Knight；　who　investigated　this　matter　with　care；

is　authority　for　the　statement；　that　the　papyrus　stalk

as　seen　under　the　microscope　shows　that　it　does　not

possess　successive　folds；　but　is　a　triangular　stalk　with

a　single　envelope　with　a　pith　on　the　inside；　which

could　only　be　divided　into　slices　with　a　knife；　either

in　stripes　of　a　width　permitted　by　the　sides　of　the　prism；

or　else　shaved　round　and　round；　like　the　operation　of

cork　making；　and　producing　a　long　spiral　shaving。



In　the　description　which　Pliny　gives　of　the　various

homes　of　this　plant　in　Egypt；　he　calls　particular

attention　to　its　abundance　in　marshy　places　where

the　Nile　overflows　and　stagnates：　〃It　grows　like　a

great　bulrush　from　fibrous；　reedy　roots；　and　runs　up

in　several　triangular　stalks　to　a　considerable　height。〃

They　possessed　large　tufted　heads；　but　only　the　stem

was　fit　for　making　into　paper。　After　the　pellicles　or

thin　coats　were　removed　from　the　stalk；　they　were

laid　upon　tables　two　or　more　over　each　other　and

glued　together　with　the　muddy　and　glutinous　water

of　the　Nile　or　with　fine　paste　made　of　wheat　flour；

after　being　pressed　and　dried　they　were　made　smooth

with　a　ruler　and　then　rubbed　over　with　a　glass　hemisphere。

The　size　of　the　paper　seldom　exceeded　two

feet。



Papyrus　was　also　known　to　the　Hebrews。



The　Prophet　Isaiah　（B。　C。　752）　refers　to　this　plant

when　he　says：



〃The　paper　reeds　by　the　brooks；　and　everything

sown　by　the　brooks；　shall　wither；　be　driven　away

and　be　no　more。〃



Which　prediction　seems　to　have　been　long　ago　fulfilled

as　the　plant　is　now　exceedingly　rare。



The　manufacture　of　Egyptian　paper　from　papyrus

it　is　said　was　quite　an　industry　in　the　ancient　city　of

Memphis　more　than　six　hundred　years　before　the

Christian　era。



The　Mexicans　employed　for　writing　a　paper　which

somewhat　resembled　the　Egyptian　papyrus。　It　was

prepared　from　the　aloe；　called　by　the　natives　Maguey

which　grows　wild　over　the　tablelands　of　Mexico。　It

could　be　easily　colored　and　seemed　to　bind　to　ink

very　closely。　It　could　be　rolled　up　in　scrolls　just　like

the　more　ancient　rolls　of　papyrus。



The　following　account　of　an　interesting　discovery

of　a　fragment　of　one　of　the　〃Orations　of　Hyperides；〃

by　Mr。　Harris；　the　well…known　Oriental　scholar；　is

derived　from　the　London　Athenaeum：



〃In　the　winter　of　1847　Mr。　Harris　was　sitting

in　his　boat；　under　the　shade　of　the　well…known

sycamore；　on　the　western　bank　of　the　Nile；　at

Thebes；　ready　to　start　for　Nubia；　when　an　Arab

brought　him　a　fragment　of　a　papyrus　roll；　which

he　ventured　to　open　sufficiently　to　ascertain　that　it

was　written　in　the　Greek　language；　and　which　he

bought　before　proceeding　further　on　his　journey。

Upon　his　return　to　Alexandria；　where　circumstances

were　more　favorable　to　the　difficult　operation　of

unrolling　a　fragile　papyrus；　he　discovered　that　be

possessed　a　fragment　of　the　oration　of　Hyperides

against　Demosthenes；　in　the　matter　of　Harpalus；

and　also　a　very　small　fragment　of　another　oration；

the　whole　written　in　extremely　legible　characters；

and　of　a　form　or　fash