Mend. Ah! I have let the ink horn fall, whilst coming here.
V. Ink
Teacher. Boy, bring me that two-handled ink flask, and let us pour from it into this little leaden mortar.
Mend. Without a sponge!
Teacher. You get the ink thus more flowingly and easily into the pen. For if you dip the pen into cotton, or silk-thread, or linen, some fibre or fluff adheres to the nib. The drawing of this out causes a delay in writing. Or if you don’t draw it out, you will make blurs rather than letters (lituras verius quam literas).
Mend. As my companions advised, I put in either Maltese linen-cloth or thin, fine silk.
Teacher. That is certainly more satisfactory. However, it is much better to pour ink only into a little mortar which stands firmly, for that can be carried about; for this, of course, a sponge is necessary. Have you also paper?
VI. Paper
Mend. I have this.