amiss；　and　as　many　lies　as　will　lie　on　a　sheet　of
  paper；　although　the　sheet　were　big　enough　for
  the　bed　of　Ware　in　England；　set　'em　down；　go；
  about　it。　Let　there　be　gall　enough　in　thy　ink；
  though　thou　write　with　a　goose　pen；　no　matter：
  about　it。〃
  The　general　black　ink　conditions　for　a　period　of　at
  least　three　hundred　years；　if　we　exclude　the　sixteenth
  century；　had　been　but　repetitions　of　each　other。
  They　so　remained　until　the　year　1626；　when　the
  French　government　concluded　an　arrangement　with　a
  chemist　by　the　name　of　Guyot；　for　the　manufacture
  of　a　〃gall〃　ink　WITHOUT　added　color　and　which　thereby
  guaranteed　and　insured　more　sameness　in　respect　to
  desirable　ink　qualities。　That　government　with　a　few
  modifications　relative　to　the　proportions　of　ingredients
  continued　its　employment；　which　was　followed　by　the
  contemporaneous　writers。　Other　governments　later
  partially　adopted　the　French　formulas　while　some　of
  them　gave　the　matter　no　attention；　although　their
  records　and　those　of　the　cities　or　towns　not　only　of
  Europe　but　early　America；　the　United　States　and
  Canada　are　found　in　most　instances　to　have　been　written
  with　an　ink　of　this　character。
  Where　prior　to　1850；　inks　containing　a　different
  base　（with　the　single　exception　of　indigo）　were　used；
  they　have　either　disappeared　or　nearly　so　and　it　is　not
  an　infrequent　occurrence　among　those　who　are　accustomed
  to　examine　old　records　to　find　that　signatures
  or　dates　to　valuable　instruments；　pages　of　writings　and
  indeed　sometimes　the　writings　in　an　entire　book　are
  more　or　less　obliterated。
  The　black　inks　of　a　large　portion　of　the　seventeenth
  century；　on　documents　of　every　kind；　are　found　to　be
  nearly　perfect　as　to　color　conditions；　which　is　evidence
  of　the　extreme　care　used　in　their　preparation　and　the
  exclusion　of　〃added〃　color　in　ink　manufacture。
  CHAPTER　XI。
  ANCIENT　INK　TREATISES。
  INK　TREATISES　OF　THE　FIFTEENTH；　SIXTEENTH　AND
  SEVENTEENTH　CENTURIESJOHN　BAPTISTA　PORTA
  AUTHOR　OF　THE　FIRSTSECRET　INKS…NERI；　CANEPARIUS；
  BOREL；　MERRET；　KUNCKEL　AND　OTHER　AUTHORS
  WHO　REFER　TO　INK　MANUFACTUREPROGRESS　OF　THE
  ART　OF　HANDWRITING　ILLUSTRATED　IN　THE　NAMES　OF
  OVER　A　HUNDRED　CALLIGRAPHERS　CHRONOLOGICALLY
  ARRANGED。
  THE　literature　of　the　fifteenth；　sixteenth　and　seventeenth
  centuries　on　the　subject　of　black　and　colored
  ink　formulas；　secret　inks；　etc。；　is　both　diversified　and
  of　considerable　importance。　The　following　authors
  and　citations　are　deemed　the　most　noteworthy：
  John　Baptista　Porta；　of　Naples；　born　A。　D。　1445
  and　died　A。　D。　1515；　is　best　known　as　the　inventor
  of　the　〃camera　obscuro；〃　was　also　the　author　of　many
  MSS。　books　compiled；　he　says；
  〃As　the　results　of　discussions　of　long　years　held
  at　my　own　house　which　is　known　as　de　Secreti；
  and　into　which　none　can　enter　unless　he　claim　to　be
  an　inventor　of　new　discoveries。〃
  Two　of　these　treatises　which　were　extant　in　the
  first　half　of　the　seventeenth　century；　dated　respectively
  1481　and　1483；　dwell　at　great　length　on　SECRET
  inks　and　specifically　mention　as　translated　into　the
  English　of　the　time　〃sowre　galls　in　white　wine；〃　and
  〃vitriol；〃　repeating　Italian　formulas　pertaining　to
  the　〃Secreta〃　of　the　twelfth　century。
  About　secret　ink　he　tells　us：
  〃There　are　many　and　almost　infinite　ways　to
  write　things　of　necessity；　that　the　Characters　shall
  not　be　seen；　unless　you　dip　them　into　waters；　or
  put　them　near　the　fire；　or　rub　them　with　dust；　or
  smeer　them　over。
  *　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
  〃Let　Vitriol　soak　in　Boyling　water：　when　it　is
  dissolved；　strain　it　so　long　till　the　water　grow　clear：
  with　that　liquor　write　upon　paper：　when　they　are
  dry　they　are　not　seen。　Moreover；　grinde　burnt
  straw　and　Vinegar：　and　what　you　will　write　in　the
  spaces　between　the　former　lines；　describe　at　large。
  Then　boyl　sowre　Galls　in　white　Wine；　wet　a　spunge
  in　the　liquor：　and　when　you　have　need；　wipe　it
  upon　the　paper　gently；　and　wet　the　letters　so　long
  until　the　native　black　colour　disappear；　but　the
  former　colour；　that　was　not　seen；　will　be　made
  apparent。　Now　I　will　show　in　what　liquors　paper
  must　be　soaked　to　make　letters　to　be　seen。　As　I
  said；　Dissolve　Vitriol　in　water：　then　powder　Galls
  finely；　and　soak　them　in　water：　let　them　stay　there
  twenty…four　hours：　filtre　them　through　a　linen
  cloth；　or　something　else；　that　may　make　the　water
  clear；　and　make　letters　upon　the　paper　that　you
  desire　to　have　concealed：　send　it　to　your　Friend
  absent：　when　you　would　have　them　appear；　dip
  them　in　the　first　liquor；　and　the　letters　will　presently
  be　seen。
  *　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*
  If　you　write　with　the　juice　of　Citrons；　Oranges；
  Onyons；　or　almost　any　sharp　things；　if　you　make
  it　hot　at　the　fire；　their　acrimony　is　presently　discovered：
  for　they　are　undigested　juices；　whereas　they
  are　detected　by　the　heat　of　the　fire；　and　then　they
  show　forth　those　colours　that　they　would　show　if
  they　were　ripe。　If　you　write　with　a　sowre　Grape
  that　would　be　black；　or　with　Cervices；　when　you
  hold　them　to　the　fire　they　are　concocted；　and　will
  give　the　same　colour　they　would　in　due　time　give
  upon　the　tree；　when　they　were　ripe。　Juice　of　Cherries；
  added　to　Calamus；　will　make　a　green：　to　sow…
  bread　a　red：　so　divers　juices　of　Fruits　will　show
  divers　colours　by　the　fire。　By　these　means　Maids
  sending　and　receiving　love…letters；　escape　from
  those　that　have　charge　of　them。　There　is　also　a
  kind　of　Salt　called　Ammoniac：　this　powdered　and
  mingled　with　water；　will　write　white　letters；　and
  can　hardly　be　distinguished　from　the　paper；　but
  hold　them　to　the　fire；　and　they　will　shew　black。〃
  With　respect　to　the　preparation　of　black　and　colored
  inks　and　also　colors：　Antonio　Neri；　an　Italian　author
  and　chemist　who　lived　in　the　sixteenth　century；　in　his
  treatise　seems　not　only　to　have　laid　the　foundation
  for　most　of　the　receipts　called　attention　to　by　later
  writers　during　the　two　hundred　years　which　followed；
  but　to　have　been　the　very　first　to　specify　a　proper
  〃gall〃　ink　and　its　formula；　as　the　most　worthy　of
  notice。
  Pietro　Caneparius；　a　physician　and　writer　of　Venice；
  A。　D。　1612；　in　his　work　De　Atrametis；　gives　a　more
  extensive　view　about　the　preparation　and　composition
  of　inks　and　adopts　all　that　Neri　had　given；　though　he
  never　quotes　his　name；　and　adds〃hitherto　published
  by　no　one。〃　He　does　however　mention　many　valuable
  particulars　which　were　omitted　by　Neri。　Most
  of　his　receipts　are　about　gold；　silver　and　nondescript
  inks；　with　directions　for　making　a　great　variety　for
  secret　writing　and　defacing。　This　book　revised　and
  enlarged　was　republished　in　London；　1660。
  In　1653　Peter　Borel；　who　was　physician　to　Louis
  XIV；　King；　of　France　published　his　〃Bibliotheca
  Chemica；〃　which　contains　a　large　number　of　ink　receipts；
  two　of　which　may　be　characterized　as　〃iron
  and　gall〃　ones。　They　possess　value　on　account　of
  the　relative　proportions　indicated　between　the　two
  chemicals。　The　colored　ones；　including　gold；　silver
  and　sympathetic　inks　are　mostly　repetitions　of　those
  of　Neri　and　Caneparius。　The　French　writers；　though；
  speak　of　his　researches　in　chemistry　as　〃somewhat
  credulous。〃
  Christopher　Merret；　an　English　physician　and　naturalist；
  born　A。　D。　1614；　translated　Neri　into　our
  language　in　1654；　with　many　notes　of　his　own　about
  him；　his　observations　have　added　nothing　of　value　to
  the　chemistry　of　inks。
  Johann　Kunckel；　a　noted　German　chemist　and
  writer　in　1657；　republished　in　the　German　language
  Neri's　work　with　Merret's　notes；　and　his　own　observations
  on　both。　He　also　inserted　many　other　processes
  as　the　result　of　considerable　research　and　seems　to
  have　been　thoroughly　conversant　with　the　chemistry
  of　inks；　advocating　especially　the　value　and　employment
  of　a　tanno…gallate　of　iron　ink　for　record　purposes。
  Salmon；　A。　D。　1665；　in　his　Polygraphics；　proceeds
  to　give　instructions　relative　to　inks　which　notwithstanding
  their　merit　are　confounded　with　so　many　absurdities
  as　to　lessen　their　value　for　those　who　were
  unable　to　separate　truth　from　falsehood；　but　he
  nevertheless　dwells　on　the　virtues　of　the　〃gall〃　inks。
  Jacques　Lemort；　a　Dutch　chemist　of　some　note；
  issued　a　treatise；　A。　D。　1669；　on　〃Ink　Formulas　and
  Colors；〃　seemingly　selected　from　the　books　of　those
  who　had　preceded　him。　He　expresses　the　opinion
  that　the　〃gall〃　inks　if　properly　compounded　would
  give　beneficial　results。
  Formulas　for　making　inks　are　found　tucked　away
  in　some　of　the　very　old　literature　treating　of　〃curious〃
  things。　One　of　them　which　appeared　in　1669　directs：
  〃to　strain　out　the　best　quality　of　iron　employ　old　and
  rusty　nails；〃　another　one　says；　that　the　ink　when
  made　is　to　remain　in　an　open　vessel　〃for　thirty　days
  and　thirty　nights；　before　putting　it　in　a　parchment
  bag。〃
  An　English　compendium　of　ink　formulas；　published
  in　1693；　calls　attention　to　many