But for their derivation and appropriation or theft of the great arts from the West, the Chinese and all Oriental nations, from the Euphrates to the Pacific, including the Japanese, would have remained to this day in the condition in which the Mexicans and Peruvians were found by the Spanish and Italian robbers who first explored the Western Hemisphere, and murdered its inhabitants for their land, and the fruits and the gold and silver of that land. Whatever arts the Chinese or Japanese or Jesuits may have invented or preserved, the art of TELLING THE TRUTH is evidently, to all of them, one of “THE LOST ARTS,“—lost irretrievably and forever! [Illustration: Blackwood’s Black Ink. Davids & Co’s Limpid Writing Fluid.— Harrison’s Columbian Ink. Steel-Pen Ink, Thaddeus Davids. Maynard & Noye’s Black Writing Ink.— Written, Augt. 14, 1855, to test permanence by long exposure to Sun & Rain— James R. Chilton, MD. Chemist The above is a close fac-simile of a paper upon which I wrote with Several Kinds of Ink, as it appeared after being exposed to the weather for five months. James R. Chilton, MD. Chemist. New York, March 15, 1856. Snyder, Black & Sturn, 92 William St.] DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. No. 1.—A fac simile of the oldest Hieratic writing extant—about the 15th century B.C. The hawk (the emblem of Divinity) and the man stand on something that “teters”—the circle between them (a serpent biting its own tail) is the ancient symbol of eternity. The Deity overbalances the man. No. 2.—From a Greek MS. buried at Herculaneum in the year 29 B.C. No. 3.—Written on papyrus in Egypt; in the 3d century B.C. No. 4.—Written on papyrus 260 years B.C. No. 5.—Specimen of a Palimpsest copy of Cicero’s “Republic” in the Vatican Library. No. 6.—Phœnician writing on papyrus. No. 7.—From a Pentateuch in the Bib^{e.} Nat^{e.} Paris, A.D. 450. No. 8.—From a Greek Copy of the Book of Genesis, written in gold on purple vellum, A.D. 400. No. 9.—From a MS. on papyrus written in Egypt 3d century B.C. No. 10.—From a Charter of Childebert III. A.D. 703. No. 11.—From a Charter of Charlemagne, about A.D. 785. No. 12.—From a Charter of the Emperor Conrad I. A.D. 988. No. 13.—Specimen of “Roman Saxon,” A.D. 600. No. 14.—From a Charter of Dagobert I. about A.D. 620. No. 15.—From an early Gælic MS. No. 16.—From a Deed of William the Conqueror. No. 17.—The monogram signature to a Charter of Charlemagne about A.D. 785. No. 18.—From a Charter of the reign of Hugh Capet, A.D. 988. No. 19.—From a Deed of Henry I. No. 20.—From a Deed of Stephen, dated A.D. 1139. No. 21.—From a Deed of the reign of Richard I. No. 22.—From a MS. of Wyckliffe’s translation of the Bible. No. 23.—“Set Saxon,” A.D. 850. “_Qui sub Pontio Pilato crucifixus est, et sepultus, tertia die resurrexit._” No. 24.—From a Charter of Sebbi, King of the East Saxons, A.D. 664,