594 PAPER, PARCHMENT, INK, BOOKS, ETC. 



purchaser. In Oxford, 1558, Magdalen College buys a ream in 

 November at 6s., another in February at 4.$-. 6d. 



It is possible that royal paper was that particularly tough 

 and stout material which is or was known as cartridge paper, 

 one entry of which, though in a single quire, is to be found 

 under the year 1579, at the great price of 26s. %d. the ream. 

 At any rate, the price of this article, though recurrent, is so 

 anomalous that in drawing out the table given at the con- 

 clusion of this chapter I have omitted entries of large or royal 

 paper by the quire and by the ream. 



I am disposed to think that in the sixteenth century a 

 practice had sprung up in trade of selling paper at quarto size, 

 and that for the first time in 1536, or thereabouts, paper was 

 sold in half-sheets by the ream, and at half prices. 



Writing paper is not the only material known in the accounts. 

 In 1465 an entry of blotting-paper may be found. Our ancestors 

 used to dry their ink by sand or brass dust long before this 

 kind of material for drying up writing was devised, in the first 

 case probably by accident. The entry does not designate the 

 value of the blotting-paper, nor the quantity. I can certify to 

 the quality, for I have often found scraps of a coarse grey and 

 rather thick unsized paper in fifteenth century, accounts, which 

 have probably never been disturbed till I examined them, and 

 have plainly been used for blotting. Sand and brass dust were 

 constantly and continuously used for the purpose, and can often 

 be detached from the paper at the present time. This article 

 occurs not unfrequently in the accounts, and will be commented 

 on lower down. 



I have found brown paper twice, in 1570 and 1571. It is 

 sold in bundles at zs. ^d. and zs. the first year, at is. 4d. the 

 second. In the year 1471 I find an entry of a ream of 'tappe,' 

 bought at 5^. 4^. in London. I find no explanation of this 

 word. In 1432 sheets of gold and silver paper are bought at 

 $\d. each. 



PARCHMENT AND VELLUM. Parchment is sold by the 

 dozen, and by the roll of five dozens. Generally, and as we 



