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used in the manufacture of ink。 All ink is improved
by exposure to the sun's rays。 Book…writers'
ink has gum mixed with it；weavers' ink is
made up with glue。 Ink whose materials have been
liquified by the agency of an acid is erased with
great difficulty。〃
There are but few exceptions respecting the general
sameness of ink receipts of the succeeding centuries；
one of which is the 〃Pomegranate；〃 credited
to the seventh century but really belonging to an earlier
period：
〃Of the dried Pommegranite （apple） rind take
an ounce； boil it in a pint of water until 3/4 be
gone； add 1/2 pint of small beer wort and once
more boil it away so that only a 1/4 pint remain。
After you shall have strained it； boiling hot through
a linnen cloth and it comes cold； being then of a
glutinous consistence； drop in a 'bit' of Sal Alkali
and add as much warm water as will bring it to a
due fluidity and a gold brown color for writing with
a pen。〃
Following this formula and without any modifications；
I obtained an excellent ink of durable quality；
but of poor color； from a standpoint of blackness。
A less ancient 〃Secreta；〃 signed by the Italian
monk 〃Theophilus；〃 who lived about the commencement
of the eleventh century； is most interesting：
〃To make ink； cut for yourself wood of the
thorn…trees in April or May； before they produce
flowers or leaves； and collecting them in small bundles；
allow them to lie in the shade for two； three；
or four weeks； until they are somewhat dry。 Then
have wooden mallets； with which you beat these
thorns upon another piece of hard wood； until you
peel off the bark everywhere； put which immediately
into a barrelful of water。 When you have
filled two； or three； or four； or five barrels with
bark and water； allow them so to stand for eight
days； until the waters imbibe all the sap of the bark。
Afterwards put this water into a very clean pan； or
into a cauldron； and fire being placed under it； boil
it； from time to time； also； throw into the pan some
of this bark； so that whatever sap may remain in it
may be boiled out。 When you have cooked it a
little； throw it out； and again put in more； which
done； boil down the remaining water unto a third
part； and then pouring it out of this pan； put it
into one smaller； and cook it until it grows black
and begins to thicken； add one third part of pure
wine； and putting it into two or three new pots；
cook it until you see a sort of skin show itself on
the surface； then taking these pots from the fire；
place them in the sun until the black ink purifies itself
from the red dregs。 Afterwards take small
bags of parchment carefully sewn； and bladders；
and pouring in the pure ink； suspend them in the
sun until all is quite dry； And when dry； take from
it as much as you wish； and temper it with wine
over the fire； and； adding a little vitriol； write。
But； if it should happen through negligence that
your ink be not black enough； take a fragment of
the thickness of a finger and putting it into the
fire； allow it to glow； and throw it directly into the
ink。〃
After reciting many receipts which pertain to other
arts； this good old monk concludes：
〃When you shall have re…read this often； and
have committed it to your tenacious memory； you
shall thus recompense me for this care of instruction；
that； as often as you shall successfully have
made use of my work； you pray for me for the pity
of omnipotent God； who knows that I have written
these things which are here arranged； neither
through love of human approbation； nor through
desire of temporal reward； nor have I stolen anything
precious or rare through envious jealousy； nor
have I kept back anything reserved for myself
alone； but； in augmentation of the honour and
glory of His name； I have consulted the progress
and hastened to aid the necessities of many men。〃
The 〃thorn〃 trees which Theophilus mentions are
asserted by some writers （with whom I do not
agree） to be those commonly known as the 〃Norway
spruce；〃 a species of pine of lofty proportions sometimes
rising to the height of 150 feet with a trunk
from four to five feet in diameter。 It lives to a great
age believed to exceed in many instances 450 years。
The leaves （needles； thorns） are short but stand thickly
upon the branches and are of a dusky green color
shining on the upper surface； the fruit is nearly
cylindrical in form and of a purple color covered with
scales ragged at the edges。 It is a native of Europe
and Northern Asia。 It furnishes the material known
as Burgundy pitch which is obtained by removing the
juice which is secreted in the bark of the tree； it is
purified by a melting process and straining either
through a cloth or a layer of straw。 It gives forth a
peculiar odor not unpleasant； resembling turpentine。
The Burgundy pitch or rosin is soluble in hot alcohol
（spirits of wine）。
An ink prepared after the method laid down by this
monk； assuming that he referred to the spruce…pine；
while troublesome to write with； would be almost as
lasting as 〃Indian〃 ink and would be most difficult
to erase from parchment into which it would be absorbed
due to its alcoholic qualities。
〃The ink；〃 remarks Montfaucon； 〃which we see in
the most ancient Greek manuscripts； has evidently
lost much of its pristine blackness； yet neither has it
become altogether yellow or faint； but is rather tawny
or deep red； and often not far from a vermillion。〃
While there are some monuments of this kind of ink
in fair condition of the fourth and succeeding centuries；
they aggregate but a very small proportion of
the vast number of principally Indian ink specimens
which remain to us of those epochs。 As exemplars；
however； of a forgotten class of inks belonging to a still
more remote antiquity； careful research adduces certain
proof of their existence more than nine hundred
years before the Christian era commenced。
Reference has earlier been made to the ancient
Myrobolam ink； which was characteristically the same
in color phenomena as those which Montfaucon mentions。
These 〃tawny〃 colored inks I estimate were
products obtained from the 〃thorn〃 trees spoken of
by the monk Theophilus。 The thorn trees were of
two species。 The pomegranate； anciently called the
〃Punic apple；〃 because it was largely employed by
the Carthagenians for the purposes of dyeing and
tanning； and the acacia； known in Egyptian times
as the lotus。 The former was held in such high esteem
that the Arabians and Egyptians made it an emblem
to designate one of their dieties and termed it
raman。
The products of these thorn； trees were collectively
used together as ink； most of the tannin being obtained
from the pomegranate； and the gum from the acacia。
CHAPTER VIII。
MEDIAEVAL INK。
INK SECRETAS OF THE TWELFTH CENTURY COMPARED WITH
EARLIER ONESAPPEARANCE OF TANNO…GALLATE OF
IRON INK