Part 9 (1/2)

CHAPTER X

RENAISSANCE INK

INK OF GRAY COLOR BELONGING TO THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY AND ITS CAUSES--INFLUENCE OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH RESPECTING INK DURING THE DARK AGES--THE REFORMATION AND HOW IT AFFECTED MEDIAEVAL MSS--REMARKS OF BALE ABOUT THEIR DESTRUCTION-- QUAINT INK RECEIPT OF 1602--SELECTION FROM THE TWELFTH NIGHT RELATING TO PEN AND INK--GENERAL CONDITIONS WHICH OBTAINED UNTIL 1626--THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AWARDS AN INK CONTRACT IN THAT YEAR--OTHER GOVERNMENTS ADOPT THE FRENCH FORMULA--INKS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ALMOST PERFECT IN THEIR COLOR PHENOMENA-- NO ADDED COLOR EMPLOYED IN THEIR MANUFACTURE

THE gray color of most of the inks found on documents written in the sixteenth century is a noteworthy fact Whence its cause is a matter for considerable speculation The all” class and if prepared after the for centuries should indicate like color phenomena As these same peculiarities exist on both paper, vellum and parchations in s indicate the exercise of a more rapid pen reater fluidity than those of an earlier history Such fluidity could only be obtained by a reduction of the quantity of guether with an increase of ink acidity The acids which had theretofore been more or less introduced into inks, except oxalic acid, could not effect such results Consequently, as theto all the portions of the Christian world, with a uniformity that is certainly remarkable, it beco of inks bad passed into the hands of regular manufacturers who adulterated them with ”added” color

We can well believe that the influences which the fathers of the Church exerted during the thousand years known as the ”Dark Ages,” in respect to ink and kindred subjects, reat

That they endeavored to perpetuate for the benefit of succeeding generations in book and other forhout the world we know to be true Most of these sources of ink infor a series of sad events in the unhappy hich followed their preparation

The Reforan in Germany in the first quarter of the sixteenth century, and with it the eighty years of continual religious warfare which followed During this period the priceless MSS books of information, historical, literary and otherwise, contained in the monastic libraries outside of Italy were burnt

We are told:

”In England cupidity and intolerance destroyed recklessly Thus, after the dissolution of monastic establishments, persons were appointed to search out all ends, and such 'superstitious books' and to destroy or sell thes, when, as was frequently the case, they were ornaold and silver, curiously chased, and often further enriched with precious stones; and so industriously had theseall books in which they considered popish tendencies to be shown by illumination, the use of red letters, or of the Cross, or even by the--to therams of mathematical problems-- that when, some years later, Leland was appointed to examine the monastic libraries, with a view to the preservation of as valuable in them, he found that those who had preceded him had left little to reward his search”

Bale, himself an advocate for the dissolution of monasteries, says:

”Never had we bene offended for the losse of our lybraryes beyng so many in nombre and in so desolute places for the moste parte, yf the chief monuments and moste notable workes of our excellent wryters had bene reserved, yf there had bene in every shyre of Englande but one solemyne lybrary for the preservacyon of those noble workes, and preferres in our posteryte it had bene yet somewhat But to destroye all without consyderacyon is and wyll be unto Englande for ever a rave senyours of other natyons A grete nombre of them wych purchased of those superstycyose mansyons reserved of those lybrarye bokes, some to serve theyr jaks, some to scoure theyr candelstyckes, and sorossers and sope sellers, and some they sent over see to the bokebynders, not in small nombre, but at tymes whole shi+ppesful I knowa merchant hte the content-, of two noble lybraryes for xl shyllyngs pryce, a shame it is to be spoken Thys stuffe hathe he occupyed in the stide of greve paper for the space of h for as uous example is thys, and to be abhorred of all men who love theyr n atyon as they shoulde do”

Passing to later epochs, A D 1602, the following quaint receipt proves interesting as showing that the ”gall” inks ell known at that time:

”To make common Ink, of Wine take a quart, Two ounces of Gumme, let that be a part; Five ounces of Galls, of Cop'res take three, Long standing doth make it the better to be; If Wine ye do want, raine water is best, And then as much stuffe as above at the least, If the Ink be too thick, put Vinegar in, For water doth make the colour ht III, 2, has also referred to the strain:

”Go write it in a martial hand; be curst and brief; it is no matter hoitty, so it be eloquent, and full of invention; taunt him with the license of ink; if thou thou'st him thrice, it shall nor be amiss; and as h the sheet were big enough for the bed of Ware in England, set 'eh in thy ink, though thou write with a goose pen, no eneral black ink conditions for a period of at least three hundred years, if we exclude the sixteenth century, had been but repetitions of each other

They so reovernement with a cheall” ink WITHOUT added color and which thereby guaranteed and insured overnment with a few redients continued its employment, which was followed by the conteovernments later partially adopted the French forh their records and those of the cities or towns not only of Europe but early America, the United States and Canada are found in most instances to have been written with an ink of this character

Where prior to 1850, inks containing a different base (with the single exception of indigo) were used, they have either disappeared or nearly so and it is not an infrequent occurrence a those who are accustonatures or dates to valuable instrus in an entire book are e portion of the seventeenth century, on documents of every kind, are found to be nearly perfect as to color conditions, which is evidence of the extreme care used in their preparation and the exclusion of ”added” color in ink manufacture

CHAPTER XI

ANCIENT INK TREATISES

INK TREATISES OF THE FIFTEENTH, SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES--JOHN BAPTISTA PORTA AUTHOR OF THE FIRST--SECRET INKS---NERI, CANEPARIUS, BOREL, MERRET, KUNCKEL AND OTHER AUTHORS WHO REFER TO INK MANUFACTURE--PROGRESS OF THE ART OF HANDWRITING ILlustRATED IN THE NAMES OF OVER A HUNDRED CALLIGRAPHERS CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED

THE literature of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries on the subject of black and colored ink formulas, secret inks, etc, is both diversified and of considerable i authors and citations are deemed the most noteworthy:

John Baptista Porta, of Naples, born A D 1445 and died A D 1515, is best known as the inventor of the ”camera obscuro;” was also the author of many MSS books co years held at my own house which is known as de Secreti, and into which none can enter unless he claim to be an inventor of new discoveries”