forty centuries of ink-第49章

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with　water…mills；　improved　upon　the　Moorish

method　of　grinding　the　raw　cotton　and　rags；　and

by　stamping　the　latter　in　the　mill；　they　produced　a

better　pulp　than　from　raw　cotton；　by　which　various

sorts　of　paper　were　manufactured；　nearly　equal　to

those　made　from　linen　rags。



〃A。　D。　1153。　Petrus　Mauritius　（the　Abbi　de

Cluni）；　who　died　in　this　year；　has　the　following

passage　on　paper　in　his　Treatise　against　the　Jews；

'The　books　we　read　every　day　are　made　of　sheep；

goat；　or　calf　skin；　or　of　rags　（ex　rasauris　veterum

pannorum）；'　supposed　to　allude　to　modern　paper。



〃A。　D。　1178。　A　treaty　of　peace　between　the

kings　of　Aragon　and　Castile　is　the　oldest　specimen

of　linen　paper　used　in　Spain　with　a　date。　It

is　supposed　that　the　Moors；　on　their　settlement　in

Spain；　where　cotton　was　scarce；　made　paper　of

hemp　and　flax。　The　inventor　of　linen…rag　paper；

whoever　he　was；　is　entitled　to　the　gratitude　of

posterity。



〃A。　D。　1200。　Casiri　positively　affirms　that

there　are　manuscripts　in　the　Escurial　palace　near

Madrid；　upon　both　cotton　and　hemp　paper；　written

prior　to　this　time。〃



Abdollatiph；　an　Arabian　physician；　who　visited

Egypt　in　1200；　says　that　the　linen　mummy…cloths

were　habitually　used　to　make　wrapping　paper　for　the

shopkeepers。



A　document　with　the　seals　preserved　dated　A。　D。

1239　and　signed　by　Adolphus；　count　of　Schaumburg

is　written　on　linen　paper。　It　is　preserved　in　the

university　of　Rinteln；　Germany；　and　establishes　the

fact　that　linen　paper　was　already　in　use　in　Germany。



Specimens　of　flax　paper　and　still　extant　are　quite

numerous；　a　very　few　of　them　having　dates　included

in　the　eighth　and　ninth　centuries。



The　charta　Damascena；　so…called　from　the　fact　of

its　manufacture　in　the　city　of　Damascus；　was　in　use　in

the　eighth　century。　Many　Arabian　MSS。　on　such　a

paper　exist　dating　from　the　ninth　century。



The　charta　bombycina　（bombyx；　a　silk　and　cotton

paper）　was　much　employed　during　mediaeval　periods。



The　microscope；　however；　has　demonstrated　conclusively

many　things　formerly　in　doubt　and　relating

particularly　to　the　matter　of　the　character　of　fibre

used　in　paper…making。　One　of　the　most　important

is　the　now　established　fact　that　there　is　no　difference

between　the　fibres　of　the　old　cotton　and　linen　papers；

as　made　from　rags　so　named。



To　ascertain　the　precise　period　and　the　particular

nation　of　Europe；　when　and　among　whom　the　use　of

our　common　paper　fabricated　from　linen　rags　first

originated；　was　a　very　earnest　object　of　research

with　the　learned　Meerman；　author　of　a　now　exceedingly

rare　work　on　this　subject　and　published　in　1767。

His　mode　of　inquiry　was　unique。　He　proposed　a

reward　of　twenty…five　golden　ducats；　to　whoever

should　discover　what　on　due　examination　should　appear

to　be　the　most　ancient　manuscript　or　public

document　inscribed　on　paper　manufactured　from

linen　rags。　This　proposal　was　distributed　through

all　parts　of　Europe。　His　little　volume　contains　the

replies　which　Meerman　received。　The　scholars　who

remitted　the　result　of　their　investigations　were　unable

to　distinguish　between　what　they　estimated　as

cotton　or　linen　rags。　They　did；　however；　establish

the　fact　that　paper　made　of　linen　rags　existed　before

1308；　and　some　of　them　even　sought　to　give　the

honor　of　the　invention　to　Germany。　They　also　asserted

that　the　most　ancient　English　specimen　of

such　a　paper　belonged　to　the　year　1342。



The　transformation　of　paper　made　from　every　conceivable

fibrous　material　into　what　is　commonly

known　as　〃linen〃　or　true　paper　was　of　slow　growth

until　after　the　invention　of　printing。　Following　that

great　event　it　is　surprising；　how；　in　so　short　a　period；

the　manufacturers　of　paper　improved　its　quality　and

the　degree　of　excellence　which　it　later　attained。

They　imitated　the　old　vellum　so　closely　that　it　was

even　called　vellum　and　is　so　known　to　this　day。

This　class　of　paper　was　employed　both　for　writing

and　printing　purposes　and　has　never　been　excelled；

surpassing　any　like　productions　of　modern　times。



A　curious　custom　came　into　vogue　during　the

early　infancy　of　the　〃linen〃　paper　industry；　which

is　of　so　much　interest　and　possesses　so　curious　a

history　as　to　be　well　worth　mentioning。　It　is　the

water　mark　as　it　is　commonly　but　erroneously　termed

in　connection　with　paper　manufacture。



Its　origin　dates　back　to　the　thirteenth　century；

though　the　monuments　indicating　its　use　before　the

time　of　printing　are　but　few　in　number。



The　real　employment　of　the　water　mark　may　be

said　to　have　commenced　at　the　time　when　it　was

a　custom　of　the　first　printers　to　omit　their　names

from　their　works。　Also；　it　is　to　be　considered　that　at

this　period　comparatively　few　people　could　either

read　or　write　and　therefore　pictures；　designs　or　other

marks　were　employed　to　enable　them　to　distinguish

the　paper　of　one　manufacturer　from　another。　These

marks　as　they　became　common　naturally　gave　their

names　to　the　different　sorts　of　paper。



The　earliest　known　water　mark　on　linen　paper

represented　a　picture　of　a　tower　and　was　of　the　date

of　1293。　The　next　known　water　mark　which　can　be

designated　is　a　ram's　head　and　is　found　in　a　book　of

accounts　belonging　to　an　official　of　Bordeaux　which

was　then　subject　to　England。　It　is　dated　1330。



In　the　fifteenth　century　there　were　no　distinctions

in　the　quality　of　paper　used　for　manuscripts　or　for

books。　In　the　Mentz　Bible　of　1462　are　to　be　found

no　less　than　three　sorts　of　paper。　Of　this　Bible；　the

water　mark　in　some　sheets　is　a　bull's　head　simply；

and　in　others　a　bull's　head　from　whose　forehead　rises

a　long　line；　at　the　end　of　which　is　a　cross。　In　other

sheets　the　water　mark　is　a　bunch　of　grapes。



In　1498　the　water　mark　of　paper　consisted　of　an

eight　pointed　star　within　a　double　circle。　The　design

of　an　open　hand　with　a　star　at　the　top　which

was　in　use　as　early　as　1530；　probably　gave　the　name

to　what　is　still　called　hand　paper。



It　appears　that　even　so　high　a　personage　as　Henry

VIII　of　England　in　1540　utilized　the　water　mark　in

order　to　show　his　contempt　for　and　animosity　to

Pope　Paul　III；　with　whom　he　had　then　quarreled；

gave　orders　for　the　preparation　of　paper；　the　water

mark　of　which　was　a　hog　with　a　miter：　this　he　used

for　his　private　correspondence。



A　little　later；　about　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth

century；　the　favorite　paper　mark　was　the　jug　or　pot；

from　which　would　appear　to　have　originated　the　term

pot　paper。　Still　another　belonging　to　this　period

was　the　device　of　a　glove。



At　the　beginning　of　the　seventeenth　century；　the

device　was　a　fool's　cap　and　which　has　continued　by

name　as　the　particular　size　which　we　now　designate

fool's　cap。



The　water　mark　has　continued　to　increase　in　popularity

and　to…day　may　be　found　in　almost　any　kind　of

paper；　either　in　the　shape　of　designs；　figures；　numbers

or　names。



The　circumstance　of　the　water　mark　has　at　various

times　been　the　means　of　detecting　frauds；　forgeries

and　impositions　in　our　courts　of　law　and　elsewhere。

The　following　is　introduced　as　a　whimsical　example

of　such　detections　and　is　said　to　have　occurred　in　the

fifteenth　century；　and　is　related　by　Beloe；　London；

1807：



〃The　monks　of　a　certain　monastery　at　Messina

exhibited　to　a　visitor　with　great　triumph；　a　letter

which　they　claimed　had　been　written　in　ink　by　the

Virgin　Mary　with　her　own　hand；　not　on　the　ancient

papyrus；　but　on　paper　made　of　rags。　The　visitor

to　whom　it　was　shown　observed　with　affected

solemnity；　that　the　letter　involved　also　a　miracle

because　the　paper　on　which　it　was　written　could

not　have　been　in　existence　until　over　a　thousand

years　after　her　death。〃



An　interesting　example　of　the　use　of　water　marks

on　paper　for　fraudulent　purposes　is　to　be　found　in　a

pamphlet　entitled　〃Ireland's　Confessions。〃　This　person；

a　son　of　Samuel　Ireland；　who　was　a　distinguished

draughtsman　and　engraver；　about　the　end　of　the

eighteenth　century　fabricated　a　pretended　Shakespeare

MSS。；　which　as　a　literary　forgery　was　the

most　remarkable　of　its　time。　Previous　to　his　confessions

it　had　been　accepted　by　the　Shakespearean

scholars　as　unquestionably　the　work　of　the　immortal

bard。　The　following　is　a　citation　from　his　Confessions：



〃Being　thus　urged　forward　to　the　production　of

more　manuscripts；　it　became　necessary　that　I

should　posses；　a　sufficient　quantity　of　old　paper　to

enable　me　to　proceed；　in　consequence　of　which　I

applied　to　a　book…seller　named　Verey；　in　Great

May's　buildings；　St。　Martin's　Lane；　who；　for　the

sum　of　five　shillings；　suffered　me　to　take　from　all

the　folio　and　quarto　volumes　in　his　shop　the　fly

leaves　which　they　contained。　By　this　means　I　was

amply　stored　with　that　commoditynor　did　I　fear

any　mention　of　the　circumstance　by　Mr。　Verey；

whose　quiet；　unsuspecting　disposition；　I　was　well

convinced；　would　never　lead　him　to　make　the　transaction

public；　in　addition　to　which；　he　was　not

likely　even　to　know　anything　concerning　the　supposed

Shakespearean　discovery　by　myself；　and　even

if　he　had；　I　do　not　imagine　that　my　purchase　of

the　old　paper　in　question　would　have　excited　in

him　the　smallest　degree　of　suspicion。　As　I　was

fully　aware；　from　the　variety　of　water…marks；　which

are　in　existence　at　the　present　day；　that　they　must

have　constantly　been　altered　since　the　period　of

Elizabeth　and　being　for　some　time　wholly　unacquainted

with　the　water…marks　of　that　age；　I　very

carefully　produced　my　first　specimens　of　the

writing　on　such　sheets　of　old　paper　as　had　no

marks　whatever。　Having　heard　it　frequently　stated

that　the　appearance　of　such　marks　on　the　papers

would　have　greatly　tended　to　establish　their　validity；

I　listened　attentively　to　every　remark　which

was　made　upon　the　subject；　and　from　thence　I　at

length　gleaned　the　intelligence　that　a　jug　was　the

prevalent　water…mark　of　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　in

consequence　of　which　I　inspected　all　the　sheets　of

old　paper　then　in　my　possession；　and　having　selected

such　as　had　the　jug　upon　them；　I　produced　the

succeeding　manuscripts　upon　these；　being　careful；

however；　to　mingle　with　them　a　certain　number　of

blank　leaves；　that　the　production　on　a　sudden　of　so

many　water…marks　might　not　excite　suspicion　in

the　breasts　of　those　persons　who　were　most　conversant

with　the　manuscripts。〃



Fuller；　writing　in　1662；　characterizes　the　paper　of

his　day：



〃Paper　participates　in　some　sort　of　the　character

of　the　country　which　makes　it；　the　Venetian

being　neat；　subtle；　and　court…like；　the　French

light；　slight；　and　slender；　and　the　Dutch　thick；

corpulent；　and　gross；　sticking　up　the　ink　with　the

sponginess　thereof。　And　he　complains　of　the

'vast　sums　of　money　expended　in　our　land　for

paper　out　of　Italy；　France；　and　Germany；　which

might　be　lessened　were　it　made　in　our　nation。'　〃



Ulman　Strother　in　1390　started　his