The act of unrolling a manuscript to read it was called _explicare_, and when the reader had come to the end it was _opus explicitum_. In mediaeval times from the false analogy of the word (_hic_) _incipit_, a verb _explicit_ was invented, and was often written at the end of _codices_ to show that the manuscript was complete to the end, though, strictly speaking the word is only applicable to a _roll_. _Mediaeval use of papyrus._ The use of papyrus paper for manuscripts to some extent continued till mediaeval times. Papyrus manuscripts of the sixth and seventh century A.D. are not uncommon, and, long after vellum had superseded papyrus paper for the writing of books, short documents, such as letters, Papal deeds and the like, were still frequently written on papyrus. Papal _Briefs_ on papyrus still exist which were written as late as the eleventh century. _Black ink._ _Carbon ink._ The _black ink_ which was used for classical manuscripts was of the kind now known as "Indian" or more correctly "Chinese ink," which cannot be kept in a fluid state, but has to be rubbed up with water from day to day as it is required. One of the menial offices which Aeschines when a boy had to perform in his father's school was "rubbing the ink," [Greek: to melan tribôn]; see Demos. _De Corona_, p. 313. This kind of ink ([Greek: melan] or [Greek: melanion], _atramentum librarium_) simply consists of finely divided particles of carbon, mixed with gum or with size made by boiling down shreds of parchment. It was obtained by burning a resinous substance and collecting the soot on a cold flat surface, from which it could afterwards be scraped off. The soot had then to be very finely ground, mixed with a gummy medium and then moulded into shape and dried. The process is described by Pliny, _Hist. Nat._ XXXV. 41; and better still by Vitruvius, VII. 10. _Black pigment._ A variety of this carbon pigment used for pictures on stucco by wall-painters was called _atramentum tectorium_, modern "lamp-black"; the only difference between this and writing ink was in the kind of glutinous medium used with it. Careful scribes probably prepared their own ink, as the writers of mediaeval manuscripts usually did. The common commercial black ink of about 300 A.D. was sold at a very cheap rate, as is recorded in an inscription containing part of Diocletian's famous edict which was found at Megalopolis and published by Mr Loring (_Jour. Hell. Stud._ Vol. XI., 1890, p. 318, line 46). Under the heading "Pens and ink," [Greek: Peri kalamôn kai melaniou], the price of ink, [Greek: melanion], is fixed at 12 small copper coins the pound. Very great skill is required to prepare carbon ink of the finest quality. Though it is now largely manufactured in Europe, none but the Chinese can make ink of the best sort. In some places sepia ink from the cuttle-fish was used in ancient times; see Persius, _Sat._ III. 12; and cf. Pliny, _Hist. Nat._ XI. 8, and XXXII. 141. _Red inks._