The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-16
History of Writing.

HlStOry Oh NTltnnSs
On the coasts of the Red Sea, and
afterwards on the coasts of the Medi-
terranean Sea, opposite the Island of
Cyprus, in district surrounded by
mountains, and scarcely goo miles In
extent, there lived q remarkable peo
ple-the Ph9nicians. qel
In very ancient times-perhaps 900
years before Christ-they were cele-
brated as q commercial people; to
them, also, many useful Inventions
were ascribed but the most important
gift that they gave to the world was
the art of writing, which Is supposed
to have been invented by one OF their
number, named Taaut (called by the
Egyptians, Thot), eighteen or nineteen
hundred years after the creation OF the
world.
Before this art was known, various
troublesome and inadequate means
were employed to preserve the remem-
brance Of events or other notable oc-
currence. Parents made past and cur
rent events part of the education of
their children, but the means employ
ed for that purpose were such that it
was easily forgotten or prevented.
These events were introduced into
song. committed to memory, and from
time to time publicly recited. Pictures
were employed, in order to give the
thoughts and words form and shape;
these representations were gradually
curtailed; arbitrary signs were added,
and single figure used to represent
several things. All this carried great
disadvantage with it, especially as such
picture-writing had numerous signs,
and some of ambiguous meaning. AT
length in writing with letters, a small
number of signs were found, which,
along with the sounds that are pro-
duced on reading them, are closely re-
lated to one another, and express not
things, but merely words; these. how
ever, being put together in different
combinations, made all things to be
comprehended by the mind. through
the eye.
The art of writing probably descend
ed from the Ph9nieians to the Assyri-
ans, Israelites and Egyptians; these
nations shared it with the Greeks and
Romans, who communicated it TO the
rest of Europe.
In the earliest times men wrote upon
stone, lead, wood, palm leaves, cloth,
and the skin and intestines of animals;
ivory and sea shells were also used for
this purpose. AT length the Egyptians
paper, which they made
from the plant papyrus, found ON the
banks of the Nile; and finally our
linen and cotton papers were INTRO
duced.
The instruments used in writing
changed according to the nature OF the
material written upon. AS long as the
writing materials were hard, the stylus
was employed, which, in ancient times
was made of iron, afterwards OF bone.
Men wrote ON the Egyptian paper
with q reed, which was cut nearly as
our pens are. GOOSe-tiuills were not
used before the invention OF
linen paper.
The iak used for writing on paper
was prepared from SCOT, which gave
the letters yellow appearance. Sub
very thick ink was used,
from tartar, charcoal AMI
vitriol. Straight lines were drawn
with rule and pencil made OF lead.
Titles were frequently written in oin-
abar; the lines were divided with ver-
million or other red co,Ors hence the
ancient derivations of the expectations
"paragraphr and "rubric."
Sacred and other standard works of
import were written in gold and silver,
which was the most beautiful and
costly mode of writing known to the
aBcients.
AT first other marks of punctuation
were used, or II point like our period
was placed at the end of every word,
and the words were all joined together
as one: hence il was difficult to under
stand n book, and this was the cause OF
the many mistakes that were made by
copyists. Under the reign OF the
Egyptian king, Ptolemy Epiphanes,
several marks ofpunctuation were said
TO have been used In the time Of the
Apostles point was placed at the end
of the word and &C the top of the line,
in the centre, or at the bottom. The
first was equal to our period, the
second to our colon, and the Last 10
our semi-colon or comma. But this
was useful only to the learned. At
length, as many words were Written
together in one line as were necessary
to form an ineligible sentence, or
blank space was left, or a perioa was
made when the Great Emperor OF Ger
many, who fiourishedin theelghtn cen
tury. contributed very much to the III
PRODUCTION of present marks OF punctua-
ton.
The Hebrews. Arabiaus and Assyri-
ans wrote from right to left. The
Pbpnicians wrote at one time from
right to left, and then from left to
right alternately; the Greeks at first
adopted the same method, but after
wards finding it more convenient to
write from left to right, this became
their practice, i'm which they have
been followed by all European nations
The Chinese and japanese write per-
from top to bottom.