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vermillion； except the great letters of double feasts；
which shall be as the large gilt letters are in the Psalter。
And all the letters at the commencement of the
verses shall be illuminated with good azure and vermillion；
and all the letters at the beginning of the
Nocturns shall be great uncial （unciales） letters； containing
V。 lines； but the Beatus Vir and Dixit Dominus
shall contain VI。 or VII。 lines； and for the
aforesaid illumination and for colours he ＇John＇
will give 5 s。 6 d。； and for gold he will give 18 d。；
and 2 s。 for a cloak and fur trimming。 Item one
robeone coverlet； one sheet； and one pillow。〃
CHAPTER IX。
END OF MEDIAEVAL INK。
THE SECRETAS PRECEDE ALCHEMY AND CHEMISTRYEFFORT
TO IMPROVE GALL INKSVARIATIONS IN INK
COLORSTHE USE OF RED INK IN THE NINTH AND
TENTH CENTURIESCOLOR COMPARISONS BETWEEN INK
WRITINGS OF ITALY； GERMANY； FRANCE； ENGLAND AND
SPAINHOW TO DETERMINE THE ANTIQUITY OF
MSS。PRACTICES WHICH OBTAINED IN MONASTIC LIBRARIES
OF VARIOUS COUNTRIES…KINDS OF INK EMPLOYED
IN LITURGICAL WRITINGSTHE PUBLIC SCRIBES
AND THEIR EMPLOYMENTSEFFORTS TO COUNTERFEIT
OLD SCRIPT IN EARLY PRINTED BOOKSWHEN THEY
WERE ABANDONED。
IT is well known that alchemy preceded chemistry
and hence the Secreta came first。 When the formula
for making a real 〃gall〃 ink had ceased to be a secret；
chemistry was then but little understood。 It is not a
matter for wonder； therefore； to learn that 〃gall〃 ink
of the first half of the twelfth century was low in
grade and poor in quality。 It was a muddy fluid
easily precipitated and it deteriorated quickly。 A
century or more of experimenting was needed to
modify or overcome defects； as well as to gain
information about the chemical value of the different
tannins； the relative proportions of each constituent
and the correct methods in its admixture。
There is no written account of this ink being manufactured
as an industry until over three hundred years
later。 Hence； as it appears so frequently of varying
degrees of color on documents of the intervening
centuries； we are compelled to assume that it was
compounded by individuals who had neither chemical
knowledge； nor who had made a study or a business
of ink…making。 Notwithstanding which； its progress
seems to have been comparatively rapid and like the
same ink of the present day was to be obtained of any
quality or kind； whether unadulterated or containing
some added color。
Intense black or a black tinged with red…brown
characterizes the color of the inks found on the very
earliest MSS。 Their lasting color phenomena； due to
the employment of lampblack and kindred substances
even after a lapse of so many ages； is at this late day
of no particular moment as they but prove the virtues
of the different types of 〃Indian〃 inks。
A different set of facts are evident in the inks of
mediaeval times which are found to greatly vary according
to their ages and locality。 But few black
inks of the ninth and tenth centuries remain to us。
In the MSS。 of those centuries a red ink was the prevailing
one even to the extent of entire volumes being
written with it。 In Italy and many other portions of
Southern Europe specimens now extant； when compared
with those belonging to Germany and other
more northern countries； are seen to be blacker and
this is also true when those of France and England
are compared； the blacker inks belonging to France。
With the gradual disappearance of the so…called
〃Dark Ages；〃 the ink found on Spanish written MSS。
of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries； are notedly
of intense blackness while those of some of the other
countries appear of a rather faded gray color； and in
the sixteenth century； this gray color effect prevailed
all over the Christian world。
To revert again to the ink phenomena of the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries which are of Italian
origin。 In no section of that country or of Europe
during those centuries do ink creations possess； in so
marked a degree； the variety of color qualities that
are seen on those of the city of Florence。 Indeed it
may be truly said that during those periods more ink
written MSS。 were produced in that place than all the
rest of Europe。 These productions of MSS。 were not
confined to simple ink writings。 The heads of religious
orders and rulers of the country liked to have
artists near them to illuminate their missals and sacred
books； besides the decorating of walls in their churches
and palaces。
Through this art of illuminating and the painting of
miniatures in MSS。 books； 〃oil〃 painting took root and
the day for mere symbols and hieroglyphics was over。
In that city of scholars and wealth it was a fashion
and later the custom to acquire Greek； Latin and
Oriental MSS。 and copy them for circulation and sale。
The prices offered were sufficient to stimulate the
search and zeal for them。 We learn that in the year
1400 〃on the square of the Duoma a spacciatore
was established whose business was to sell manuscripts
often full of mistakes and blunders。〃 Nicholas V；
before he became Pope； was nicknamed 〃Tommaso the
Copyist。〃 He is said to have presented to the Vatican
library as a gift five thousand volumes of his own
creation。
The information of these increasing demands for ancient
documents of any kind spread over Europe and
portions of Asia； bringing into Florence a great
quantity of them； as well as many scholars and copyists。
Shiploads of the works of the Byzantine historians
arrived from the Golden Horn； and the city
became a vast manufactory for duplicating or forging
ancient MSS。 Parchment and vellum were too costly
to employ very much； so most of them were of paper。
Vespaciano； one of the many engaged in this business
and who lived in 1464； found it necessary in order to
reduce the cost of production； to become a paper merchant。
In writing to a friend he says：
〃I engaged forty…five copyists and in twenty…
two months had completed two hundred volumes；
which included some Greek and Latin as well as
many Oriental writings。〃
The reading and judging of manuscripts are now
known as the science of diplomatics。 To determine
their antiquity or genuineness requires the nicest distinctions
and care； irrespective of alleged dates （whether
exhibited by Roman numbers or the Arabic one which
we continue to employ； and which first made their
appearance near the commencement of the twelfth
century）。 The inks as already mentioned and used
on them； as we shall see； serve fully as much in estimating
authenticity or genuineness as does combined
together；the style of the writing； the miniatures；
vignettes and arabesques （if any）； the colors； covers；
materials； ornamentation and the character of their
contents。
With the re…establishment of learning in the fifteenth
century and the creation of alleged stable governments；
who may perhaps have rea