Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/375

 Books and Science in the Middle Ages 275 Roger Bacon knew of the explosive nature of a compound of sulphur, saltpeter, and charcoal, and a generation after his death gunpowder began to be used a little for guns and artillery. By 1350 powder works were in existence and French and English books refer now and then to its use. At least a hundred and fifty years elapsed, however, before gunpowder really began to supplant the old ways of fighting with bows and arrows and axes and lances. By the year 1500 it was becoming clear that the old stone castles were insufficient protection against cannon. Gunpowder has done away with armor, bows and arrows, spears and javelins, castles, and walled towns. It may be that sometime some such fearfully destructive compound may be discovered that the nations may decide to give up war altogether as too dangerous and terrible a thing to resort to under any circumstances. 458. Excellent Work of Medieval Copyists. The invention of the compass, lens, and gunpowder have greatly changed the habits of mankind. To these may be added the printing press, which has so encouraged education that it is becoming rare to find anyone who cahnot read. The Greeks and Romans and the people of the Middle Ages knew no other method of obtaining a new copy of a book than by writing it out laboriously by hand. The pro- fessional copyists were incredibly dexterous with their quills. They made letters as clear, small, and almost as regular as if they had been printed (see cut facing page 274). After the scribe had finished his work the volume was often turned over to the illumi- nator, who would put in bright illuminated initials and sometimes page borders, which were delightful in design and color. The written books were often both compact and beautiful, but they were never cheap or easily produced in great numbers. When Cosimo, the grandfather of Lorenzo the Magnificent, wished to form a library just before the invention of printing, he applied to a contractor, who engaged forty-five copyists. By working hard for nearly two years they were able to produce only two hundred volumes for the new library. 459. Errors of Copyists. Moreover, it was impossible before the invention of printing to have two copies of the same work