Page:The History of Ink.djvu/49

Rh The oldest Phoenician ink-writing of which any specimen has been preserved, dates no later than the second century before Christ, and may be much older.

A fac-simile of a portion of it will be found among our illustrations, explained by notes referring to each by its number.

Greek manuscripts in ink (on papyrus), of the third century before Christ, are in existence. We give specimens of the oldest known,—one written in Egypt, 260 B. C., being an order from Dioscorides, an officer of the government of Ptolemy Philadelphus, to another named Dorion. The translation of the words is "Dioscorides to Dorion, greeting. Of the letter to Dorion the copy is subjoined." * * * We add other specimens, of the same and later periods.

Of Latin writing with ink, the earliest we can find is the palimpsest of Cicero's book, "De Republica," which had been partly effaced to make room for a copy of Augustin's commentary on the Psalms. It is believed by the learned that the original manuscript was executed at least as early as the second or third century of the Christian era. The restoration of this manuscript and the discovery of this long-lost and earnestly sought classic gem, were the work of Cardinal Mai, as before