384 INSTRUMENTS FOR WRITING WITH. 



Inde alii stimulus, et acumina ferrea vibrant, 

 Qua parte aratis cera sulcis scribitur. 



V) p. 93. 



When the ancients wrote on softer materials than wood or me- 

 tal, other instruments were used for writing with, of which reeds 

 and canes seem to have been the first. Pliny says that Kgypt fur. 

 nished a great quantity of the kind of re'ds which were used for 

 writing with *: and Martial hath these words : 



*' Dat chartis habiles calamos Memphitica tellust." 



Reeds and canes are still used as instruments for writing with by 

 tlio Tartars, (he Indians, the Persians, the Turks, and the Greek*. 

 Mr. Hallu'd Mis n>e that the two first of tlu-se nations write with 

 small reeds bearing the hand exceedingly lightly. Tavernier, in 

 one of his voyiiges says the same of the Persians. Raiiwo'lf, who 

 travelled in 1.583, relates, that the Turks, Moors, and eastern na. 

 tio'is, use can* s for pens, which are small and hollow within, 

 smooth without, and of a brownish red colour +. 



The canes iu Persia are cut in March, which they dry in the 

 smoak for about six months ; those which are covered with a fine 

 varnish of black un ! yellow, are esteemed the best for writing 

 with. 



The Indians more frequently write with the cane called bamboo, 

 which is cut about tin* length and thickness of our pens. 



Pencils made of hair are used by the Chinese for their writing : 

 they first liquify their ink, and dip their pencils into it. The large 

 capital letters were made with hair pencils from the time of the 

 Roman emperors till the sixteenth century. After the invention of 

 printing they were drawn by the illuiiiimtors. 



Quills of geese, swans, peacocks, crows, and other birds hare 

 been used in these western parts for writing with, but how long is 

 not easy to ascertain. St. Isidore of Seville, who lived about the 

 middle of the seventh century, describes a pen made of a quill as 

 used in his time. u Instruments scriba: calamus et >.eiina ; t-x his 



Plin. Hist.l. xvi.c. 36. 



f Lib. liv F.pi K r. 5t. 



f Ranwolff** Travel*, p. 87. 



