Expect not I should by way of Preface enumerate the several inventions, whereby the ancients did communicate, and continue their Notions to Posterity. First by writing in Leaves of Trees still remembred, when we call such a Scantling of Paper a Folio or Leafe. Hence from Leaves men proceeded to the Bark of Trees, as more solid, still cou•…•…enanced in the Notation of the word Liber. Next they wrote in Labels or Sheets of Lead, wherein the Letters were deeply engraven, being a kind of Printing before Printing, and to this I refer the words of Job (an Author allowed Contemporary with, if not Senior to Moses himself.) * 1.1 Oh that my words were now written, oh that they were printed in a book.
To omit many other devices in after ages to signify their conceptions, Paper was first made of a broad Flag (not unlike our great Dock) growing in and nigh Canopus in Egypt, which it seems was a s•…•…aple commodity of that Country, and substantiall enough to bear the solemn Curse of the Prophet, The Paper-reeds by the brooks shall wither; be driven away, and be no more. * 1.2
Our Modern Paper is made of Grinded Raggs, and yet this New Artificiall doth still thankfully retain the Name of the Old Naturall Paper. It may pass for the Emblem of Men of m•…•…an Extraction, who by Art and Industry, with Gods blessing thereon come to high preferment. * 1.3 He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, that he may set him with his Princes, even with the Princes of his People. One may fin•…•…, if searching into the pedigree of Paper, it cometh into the world at the doungate, raked thence in Rags, which refined by Art, (especially after precious secrets are written therein) is found fit to be choicely kept in the Cabinets of the Greatest 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Pity it is that the fi•…•…st Author of so usefull an invention cannot with any * 1.4 assu∣rance by assigned.
There are almost as many severall kinds of Paper as conditions of Persons betwixt the Emperor and Beggar, Imperial, Royal, Cardinal, and so downwards to that course Pa∣per called Emporetica, usefull onely for Chapmen to wrap their wares therein. Paper Participat•…•…s in some sort of the Caracters of the Countrymen which make it, the Vene∣tian being neat, subtile and courtlike, the French light, slight and slender, the Dutch thick, corpulent and gross, not to say sometimes also charta Bibula, sucking up the Ink with the sponginess thereof.