Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-10


The paper read by Prof. A. P Montague be-
fore the AthropologicaI Society on Writing
materials and books among the ancient
Romans" proved most interesting Prof Mon
tague divided his subject into four heads, and
gave an interesting little talk on each. The
headings were: LIST. The material used as
paper. I'd The ink. Sd. The pen or pencil.
4th. Books. The materials used in place of
paper were the thin rind of the Egyptian papy-
rus, parchment made of skins and wooden tab
lets covered with wax.
PAPYRUs LEAVES
Papyrus leaves were in the most common use,
especially in the writing of books The papyrus
plant or tree found in swamps in many tropical
countries. and especially in the valley of the
Me, grows to the height of ten twelve feet.
we learn that different pieces of the rind, hay
ing been wetted In the water OF the Nile, which,
according to eminent authorities. has a glu-
tlnOus property, were joined together; layer
OF these pieces was placed fiat on a board and
cross layer put over 1t; these were pressed
together and atterward exposed to the sun to
be dried. These individual sheets were from
eight to fourteen inches high and from three
TO twelve inches wide At one time the ancients
wrote upon these sheets and then pasted them
together at the sides IN regular order; but in
Pllny's time rolls of sheets pasted together
ready for the writer were sold.
LONG BOOKS.
In writing books an author could continue
this FASTING process until he made a book
stretching, when laid out, at least fifty yards,
and there are papyri rolls preserved which are
actually of this length Roman authors how
ever, usually divided their works into several
rolls, as a large book OF the times would have
extended ninety yards. Caliimachus, the poet
and librarian OF 250 b. c., said "a large book,
large nuisance" When the writing was
finished and the sheets had been pasted, n
stitch was fastened to the last sheet and all the
sheets were rolled into what was termed a
Yolumen. This roll made cylinder. To the
ends OF the stick were added knobs, which
were highly ornam anted. The title of the
book was written in red color on piece of
papyrus or parchment, which vas attached to
the volumen. II was the custom then 20 steep
the roll in cedar oil and to place it in "A
parchment case stained purple or yellow. The
portrait Of the author was often placed on The
first page of thu book.
Long before the time Of Herodotus B. c.
4Si as we learn from that a1tEor himself. the
Egyptian papyrus was known to the CONNER
clal world. That papyrus was widely used IN
the western part 0f Europe Is known not only
lrCm references III Latin authors bat from the
fact that many rolls Of papyri were found at
Hercn.aneum and that paintings Of them were
lew fragments OF Homer, Ihucydides, Eurip-
lies and SallUst are extant on broken papyrus
leaves or sheets.
PARCHMENT PATER
Parchment is said by some writer's to have
been invented by Eumenes H. BIC 263, being
of Pergamus, city of Mysia but this is
before ierodotu5 alluded to skins in use be-
fore his time. Eumenes was led it is related
TO use and improve skins as paper by the fact
tnat Ptolemy, Eplphanes, King of Egypt fear
ing that Pergamus would rival Alexandria az
the book center OF the world, had forbidden
the export Of papyrus. Parchment came into
use Tor books among the Romans about 80, A.
D., and gradually took the place of papyrus
The parchment after being rendered smooth
by rubbing with pumlce, was fattened with
lead and 1t was capable of being made 80 thr
that the whole of the lliad. written on this ma
terIa!, was inciOsed within walnut she'll.
Quintlllus writes: For persons of weak sight
parchment Is much better than waxen tablets
but the rapid flow of thought is checked by
the constant necessity of dipping the pen il
ink"
FASTING SHEETS TOGETHER.
Parchment sheets were pasted together an(
| rolled in the same manner as those made from
the papyrus plant. Parchment possessed Ger
tam advantages over papyrus in that it wa
thicker and writing could be placed on bott
sides; it was more durable and the same piec,
could be used several times This fact gave
rise TO the singular custom of erasing or wash
ing out the writing on parchment and of using
II as new material. Several remarkable facts
given by DIR. Cow in connection with
this custom. The monks of the middle ages
in their desire to write the lives of theil
saints, washed and scraped old parchment,
which had fallen into their hands. Traces OF
original writing were long afterwarC
discerned under and between theil
lines, and by the use of certain
chemical preparations these first writings were
brought out 50 that they were capable of being
deciphered In 1916 Niebuhr came upon a
manuscript at Verona which contained certain
writings of Jerome. Detecting marks of al
older writing he went to work and soon re-
stored the ancient manuscript, which proved
to be the famous legal treatise of Gains called
the Institutes which had long been considered
lost. and had been for many years known only
through references Of other authors MANY
other incidents of recovered writings by thil
means have been recorded. Parchment leaves
were often bound together and sewed at the
back into a binding in the modern way.
WAX TABLETS.
Tablets in Rome were pieces of wood. gen.
orally beech or fir, covered with wax, Tn,
outer sides of these tablets were of wood, only
the inner sides being covered with wax. Tn,
TWO pieces Oh WoOd were fastened at the Dacl
with wires hinges and could be opened OF
shut like our books These waxen tablets were
used for almost any purpose when great length
was not desired. Their chief use was in CORE
spondence. When the writer had completed a
letter he bound the tablets together with a
strong thread, which he tied in a fiat knot ,rpor
which hs placed wax and then stamped thi,
with the device on his sIgnct ring. When let
tiers were written by secretaries-the usual way
this was the only signature. Waxen tablets
were also used in writing wills and other
legal documents, and also for many other uses
Waxen tablets were used in Europe in the
middle ages; the oldest of these medieval tab
lets OF which We know belongs to the yea,
1901, A.D., and Is now In the Florentine mu.
scum.
THEME.
The first mention OF ink among the Roman,
is made by Plautus in his play called 9Th,
Ghost" where he has an ironical reference Il
the attempt to make ivory white with ink. Al
eminent scholar of Cambridge informs US tina
the ink used in writing on papyrus was made O
lamp black, and gum and that for pare hmen
of gum and oak gals. Pliny writes OF the max
ing of ink in his times as follows:
1T is made OF SCOT in various ways with
burned resin and pitch, For this purpose
they have built furnaces that do not permit
| the escape of smoke"
He also states that kind Of ink was made BY
boiling and straining the dregs of wine
There can be no question as to the excellence
OF the ink used among ancient nations when We
remember that the colors and brightness oil
Egyptian ink remain to this day, as is attested
by certain specimens of their papyri and wher
we recall the fact that at Herculaneum wal
found an inkstand containing ink which had
hLnn all L,.A Il