Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-26
THE ORIGIN OF PAPER.
1t was First Iutroc ucod Into Western
Europe In he Zenith Century.

Europe In he Zenith Century.
Paper Mill.
This query is an tyersrecuIring one in
the literature CT the day, ID has come to
bs regarded by many in the light of 3
"Who struck Billy Patterson" question.
Nevertheless, there Is 8 peculiar charm
stitching to The subject, and the Paper
Mill can never ind 1t In its hesrt to deal
CURLY with the eterrsl q1sstioners. We
have raked up the following facts from
few musty tones, which, We trust, will
please numerous correspondents, and
prove as intert sting to them as 1t hiss been
lahor!ous Tor US TO Unesrth them.
II is not known when papsr was fest
made from linen rags, nor to whom we
owe the inven' ion. DR.. Pfidesux is Of
the opinion that linen paper WAS beough.
tom the east, because many of the
oriental manuscripts are written upon 1t.
Msbilon is OF the opinion thst the inven-
ton belongs to the twelfth century. One
OF the earliest specimens Of paper from
linen rsgs yet discovered is a document,
with the seal preserved, bearing date
A. d. 1889, signed By Adolphus, count
of ScnsumourS. Casiri, however, asserts
that there are in the Escurial number of
manuscripts, both upon cotton and linen
psper, which were written prior to the
thirteenth century. The invention was
early introduced into England, for there
xre some acts in existence Of John Gram
don, prior OF Ely, made on linen paper,
which bear dsts IN the fourseeath yesr Of
the reign OF KiGg Edward II. A. D. 1920;
and in the Costonisn library are said to
be several writings On this kind OF pApsr
as esrlS as the wear 1886
Some twenty years ago Mr.. Thomas
Wright, IN note to the London Athen.
II I'm, wrote: 'T have made little dis
covery which, Think, will be considered
curious in the history CT paper. l be-
lieve that the hrst traces CT the use Of pa
per in Western Europe are found toward
the end of the twelfth century, and we
have no reason to suppose thit II was in
use N England until the thirteenth or the
beginning OF the fourteenth. 1. Is under
stood to have been brought westward
from Italy, where it was IN use earlier;
sud believe that our word psper-s cor
rup,ior, Of course, OF papyrus-is con,id-
cred to have been borrowed, with the
article itself, from TIE French. I saw,
yesrs ago in PAris-I believe they be-
longed to the roysl election Ot WAS In
The time Of Louis Pllllippe) few Of the
earliest documents On paper EnowD, be-
longing to Western Europe, in the period
since the r mans, which interested me
much. THey consisted Of receipts, or
rather, bonds, for money borrowed from
tie Jews In thu time of Ce1r dc Leon,
given by chiefs who were starting for his
crusade, and, II I remember well, the
psper resembled much thst OF the If
teenth and six.eetta centurlts, except
thst it was OF rather coarse texture.
I. would seem es il, In the
vest, its use st this eerIy per-
lod was known principally among the
Jews. Now l an jus! passing through
the press an edition Of glossary OF Latin
and English-or, s. We are accustomed
to call II, Anglo Sixon-words CT, I think,
not later than the middle OF the tenth
century. We may safely look upon Il as
the English Of the days lf A.heistan; and
IN the part OF which have inst received
the proof I find papJrus, paper. The
word pspef does not occur In Dr.. Bos-
1orth's, or any other Anglo. Saxon die
tiopary, but we have here evidence that 1t
was in use in our language 8. 6 very ear
ly period, and there cannot be doubt
that we derive It from the Anglo Saxon
and have not taken 1t from The French Of
the middle ages. But this fact leads us
to another, namely, that cur Anglo. Saxon
forefathers, to have the word In an Anglo
Saxon form In their own language, must
| nave been pretty well acquainted with
paper itself, and no doubt they found the
r oman paper In use in the island when
they came. II is fact, indeed, which
opens up to rs several others, equally
! new, in the eocisl history Of our Anglo
Saxon forefathers. 1 need hardly Edd
that paper probably never went entirely
out CT use in western Europe sitter the
Roman times, and little research nigh.
still throw some curious light upon its
history during the earlier middle sges, 1t
certainly was lot suppossd before thssts
might be in use amhg the Afkfo-
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