been　previously　scraped　to　be　afterwards　submitted　to
  intense　heat　which　so　hardened　them；　that　a　graver
  would　cut　lines　with　the　same　facility；　as　could　be
  accomplished　on　soft　metal　like　lead。　These　bamboo
  tablets　were　joined　together　by　means　of　cords　made
  of　bark　and　when　folded　formed　a　〃book。〃　Different
  nations　adopted　other　modes　in　their　preparation
  of　surfaces　to　engrave　on。　Many　original
  specimens　have　come　down　to　us　which　present　definite
  evidence　of　the　variety　of　materials　and　methods
  employed　in　their　manufacture。
  Hilprecht；　〃Explorations　in　Bible　Lands；〃　1903；
  mentions　many　discoveries　of　such　specimens。　He
  says　that　more　than　four　thousand　clay　tablets　were
  discovered　during　the　excavations　of　1889　and　1900。
  These　relics　call　attention　only　to　a　very　few
  discoveries　of　this　character。　There　were　other　explorers
  who　preceded　Hilprecht　in　this　direction；　and
  who　with　him　have　thus　secured　tangible　evidence
  which　fully　confirms　all　that　has　been　said　about　the
  employment　of　the　most　ancient　of　writing　instruments；
  the　〃stylus。〃
  The　diamond　is　also　to　be　classified　under　the　head
  of　〃scratching　implements〃　and　many　historical
  incidents　are　recorded　of　its　use。　One　of　the　most
  interesting　relates　to　Sir　Walter　Raleigh　and　Queen
  Elizabeth　and　to　be　found　in　Scott's　〃Kenilworth。〃
  Sir　Walter；　using　his　diamond　ring；　wrote　on　a　pane
  of　glass　in　her　summer…house　at　Greenwich：
  〃Fain　would　I　climb；　but　that　I　fear　to　fall。〃
  The　maiden　Queen　adding　the　words：
  〃If　thy　mind　fail　thee；　do　not　climb　at　all。〃
  Biblical　mention　of　the　diamond；　employed　as　a　pen；
  is　found　in　Jeremiah　xvii。　1。
  〃The　sin　of　Judah　is　written　with　a　pen　of　iron；
  and　with　the　point　of　a　diamond。〃
  It　has　not　always　been　possible　to　decipher　and　interpret
  the　character　values　of　the　most　ancient　hieroglyphics
  or　picture　writings　inscribed　on　bricks；　stone
  and　metal　slabs；　and　the　Egyptian　monuments。　The
  means　to　do　so　were　furnished　as　the　result　of　a　very
  fortunate　accident　or　〃find。〃
  A　French　artillery　officer　in　1799　while　excavating
  the　foundations　for　a　fortification　near　the　Rosetta
  mouth　of　the　Nile；　found　a　curious　black　tablet　of
  stone。　On　it　were　engraved　three　inscriptions；　each
  of　different　characters　and　dialects。
  The　first　of　the　three　inscriptions　was　in　hieroglyphic；
  then　unreadable；　the　second　in　demotic　or
  shorter　script；　also　unknown；　and　the　third　in　a　living
  language　pertaining　to　the　time　of　Ptolemy　Epiphanes；
  who　reigned　about　200　B。　C。
  This　relic　of　antiquity　is　called　the　Rosetta　stone。
  Jean　Francois　Champollion；　who　with　Dr。　Thomas
  Young　studied　the　intricacies　of　these　writings；　first
  established　the　fact　that　the　three　inscriptions　on　this
  stone　were　translations　of　each　other。　Dr。　Young's
  investigations　caused　him　to　study　the　language　included
  in　the　second　inscription；　and　made　his　deductions；
  it　is　said；　〃by　dint　of　thousands　of　scientific
  guesses；　all　but　a　few　of　which　were　eliminated　by
  tests　which　he　invented　and　applied；　he　at　last　discovered
  and　put　together　the　set　of　fundamental　principles
  that　govern　the　ancient　writings。〃
  Champollion；　however；　began　at　the　bottom　and
  having　successfully　translated　the　LIVING　language；
  established　a　〃key〃　or　alphabet。　Hence　it　became
  possible；　although　requiring　some　years；　to　solve　the
  mystery　of　writings　of　4000　or　more　years　old。
  Champollion　pursued　his　discoveries　so　thoroughly
  in　this　direction　as　to　be　able　to　complete　in　1829　an
  Egyptian　vocabulary　and　grammar。
  The　Rosetta　stone　after　remaining　in　the　possession
  of　the　French　for　many　years　was　captured　by　the
  English　on　the　defeat　of　the　French　forces　in　Egypt
  and　is　now　in　the　British　museum。
  As　writing　with　liquid　colors　on　papyrus　or　analogous
  materials　which　could　be　used　in　the　form　of　rolls；
  gradually　came　into　vogue；　the　calamus　or　reed　pen；
  pencil　brush　（hair　pencil）；　or　the　juncas；　a　pen　formed
  from　a　kind　of　cane；　were　more　or　less　employed。
  The　〃calamus〃　followed　the　〃brush；〃　just　as
  phonographic　writing　which　denotes　arbitrary　sounds
  or　the　language　of　symbols；　came　after　the　picture　or
  ideographic　writing。
  The　places　where　the　calamus　grew　and　the　modes
  of　preparing　them　are　variously　discussed　by　different
  ancient　and　modern　writers。　Some　claim　that　the
  best　reeds　for　pen　purposes　formerly　grew　near
  Memphis　on　the　Nile；　near　Cnidus　of　Caria；　in　Asia
  Minor；　and　in　Armenia。　Those　grown　in　Italy　were
  estimated　to　have　been　of　but　poor　quality。　Chardin
  calls　attention　to　a　kind　to　be　found；　〃in　a　large　fen
  or　tract　of　soggy　land　supplied　with　water　by　the
  river　Helle；　a　place　in　Arabia　formed　by　the　united
  arms　of　the　Euphrates　and　Tigris。　They　are　cut　in
  March；　tied　in　bundles；　laid　six　months　in　a　manure
  heap；　where　they　assume　a　beautiful　color；　mottled
  yellow　and　black。〃　Tournefort　saw　them　growing　in
  the　neighborhood　of　Teflis　in　Georgia。　Miller　describes
  the　cane　as　〃growing　no　higher　than　a　man；
  the　stem　three　or　four　lines　in　thickness　and　solid
  from　one　knot　to　another；　excepting　the　central　white
  pith。〃　The　incipient　fermentation　in　the　manure
  heap　dries　up　the　pith　and　hardens　the　cane。　The
  pens　were　about　the　size　of　the　largest　swan's　quills。
  They　were　cut　and　slit　like　a　quill　pen　but　with
  much　larger　nibs。
  In　the　far　East　the　calamus　is　still　used；　the　best
  being　gathered　in　the　month　of　March；　near　Aurac；
  on　the　Persian　Gulf；　and　still　prepared　after　the　old
  method　of　immersing　them　for　about　six　months　in
  fermenting　manure　which　coats　them　with　a　sort　of
  dark　varnish　and　the　darker　their　color　the　more
  they　are　prized。
  The　〃brush〃　also　holds　its　career　of　usefulness；
  more　especially　in　China　and　Japan。
  The　earliest　examples　of　reed　pen　writing　are　the
  ancient　rolls　of　papyrus　which　have　been　found
  buried　with　the　Egyptian　dead。　Some　of　these　old
  relics　of　antiquity　are　claimed　to　have　been　prepared
  fully　twenty　centuries　or　more　before　the
  Christian　era。
  The　〃reed〃　pen　for　ink　writing　held　almost　undisputed
  sway　until　the　sixth　century　after　the　Christian
  era；　when　the　quill　（penna）　came　into　vogue。
  Reed　pens　preserved　in　excellent　condition　were
  found　in　the　ruins　of　Herculaneum。
  〃When　he　had　finished；　he　dried　the　bamboo…pen
  on　his　hair；　and　replaced　it　behind　his　ear；　saying；
  'Yak　pose'　（That　is　well）。　'Temou　chu'　（Rest　in
  peace）；　we　replied；　and；　after　politely　putting　out
  our　tongues；　withdrew。〃　Abbe　Hue　at　Lha…Ssa。
  CHAPTER　XXVI。
  INK　UTENSILS　（QUILL　PEN　STEEL　PEN）。
  THE　QUILL　PEN　THE　MOST　SUCCESSFUL　AND　FITTING　OF
  ALL　WRITING　INSTRUMENTSTENDENCY　TO　〃WEAR〃
  OUTTHE　SOMETIMES　AFFECTION　FOR　OLD　PENSDR。
  HOLLAND'S　LINES　ON　THE　PENSELECTION　OF　QUILLS
  TO　BE　MADE　INTO　PENSMETHOD　OF　PREPARING
  THEMBYRON'S　ESTIMATION　OF　HIS　QUILL　PENITS
  INVENTION　BEFORE　THE　SIXTH　CENTURY　UNCERTAIN
  EMPLOYMENT　OF　THE　REED　AND　QUILL　PEN
  TOGETHER　UNTIL　THE　TWELFTH　CENTURYWHEN
  THE　STEEL　PEN　CAME　INTO　VOGUEWHO　WAS　ITS
  INVENTORSOME　OBSERVATIONS　ABOUT　ITQUANTITY
  OF　MATERIAL　SIXTY　YEARS　AGO　CONSUMED　IN　PEN
  MANUFACTUREA　FEW　REMARKS　ABOUT　GOLD；　FOUNTAIN
  AND　STYLOGRAPHIC　PENSMORE　STEEL　USED　IN
  THE　MANUFACTURE　OF　PENS　THAN　IN　THAT　OF　SWORDS
  AND　GUNSPOETICAL　LINES　ABOUT　THE　PEN。
  THE　quills　belonging　to　the　feathers　of　birds　seem
  to　have　been　the　most　successful　and　fitting　of　all　materials
  for　pens；　for；　though　steel　and　other　metals　are
  now　used　for　this　purpose　to　an　immense　extent；　there
  is　a　power　of　adaptation　in　a　quill　pen　which　has　never
  yet　been　equalled　in　metal。　Quills；　however；　like
  other　things；　have　a　tendency　to　〃wear　out；〃　and　the
  trouble　resulting　from　the　necessity　of　frequently
  mending　quill　pens　and　a　desire　to　write　with　more
  rapidity　have　been　the　main　causes　of　the　introduction
  of　steel　substitutes。　A　kind　of　affection　has　often
  been　felt　by　an　author　or　official；　or　their　admirers；
  for　the　pen　with　which　he　has　written　any　large　or
  celebrated　work　or　signed　some　important　document；
  old　worn…out　pens；　as　well　as　new　ones；　have　been　preserved
  as　memorials　in　connection　with　such　matters；
  and　Dr。　Holland；　who　translated　Pliny's　〃Natural
  History〃　in　the　sixteenth　century；　recorded　an　exploit
  connected　with　it　in　the　following　lines：
  〃With　one　sole　pen　I　wrote　this　book；
  Made　of　a　gray　goose…quill：
  A　pen　it　was　when　it　I　took
  A　pen　I　leave　it　still。〃
  The　quills　employed　for　pens　were　generally　those
  of　the　goose；　although　the　crow；　the　swan；　and　other
  birds　yielded　feathers　which　were　occasionally　available
  for　this　purpose。　Each　wing　produced　about　five
  good　quills；　but　the　number　thus　yielded　was　so　small
  that　the　geese　reared　in　England　could　not　furnish
  nearly　enough　for　the　demand；　hence　the