Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/105

 1

96

LITERATURE.

siderably indebted to his Postilla; for it has been adffinned, that

If Lym had not liaiped on profanatiOD, Luther had never planned the Reformation.

1433. At this period writing quills were so scarce at Venice, that men of letters could scarcely procure them. Anbrosius Traversarius, a monk of Cameldule, sent from Venice, to his brother, a bunch of quills, together with a letter, in which he said; "They are not the best, but such as I received in a present. Show the whole bunch to our friend Nicholas, that he may select a quill, for these articles are indeed scarcer in this city than at Florence." Ambrosius also complains, that at the same period, he had scarcely any more ink, and requested that a small vessel filled with it, might be sent to him." — BeckmanrCs History of Inventions.

This Nicholas was a famous writer, and wrote several tracts, exposing the frauds and errors of the popish monks ana priests, and treatises on church government.

1436. Conrad Saspach was the name of the turner who made the first printing press, under the direction of Gutenberg ; and John Dunius declared before the magistrates of Strasburg in 1439, that he had received one hundred florins for work done at a press three years before.

John Gutenberg or Genesfleisch,of Sorgeloch, called zam Gutenburg, of an illustrious family but who on a revolution at Mentz, in the time of Conrad III. retired to Strasburg; where it is thought, about the year 1420 or 1423, he made his first experiments connected with the art of printing. An authentic document corroborative of his being at Strasburg in 1424, has been dis> covered in the archives of the acts of Mentz ; to which city Gutenberg was invited to return by the aforesaid Conrad — butin which it is supposed he never made his re-appearance tUl about tlie year 1434. It is certam that misfortune had then reduced this enterprising genius to poverty ; for in 1435, he entered into partnership with Andrew Drozhennis (or Dritzenen), John Rifl", and Andrew Heelman, citizens of StnLsburg, binding himself thereby to disclose to them some important secrets by which they should make their fortunes. The workshop was in the house of Andrew Dritzehen, who dying, Gutenberg immediately senthis servant, Lawrence Beildech, to Nicholas, the brother of the deceased, and requested that no person might be admitted into the workshop, lest the secret should be discovered and the formes stolen. But they had already disappeared ; and this fraud, as well as the claims of Nicholas Dritzehen to succeed to his brother's share, produced a lawsuit among the surviving partners.

Somewhere about this time he appears to have attached himself to a young lady called Isebnen Thure, of the christian name of Anne, and whom, there is every reason to think, he even- tually married. Whether she brought him any property, or whether the sweets of love gave a more fortunate, as well as more ardent turn to

his genius may possibly be questioned. In tbis year something like a printing press was probably established — ^who first primed the balls, who first wetted the sheet, who first laid it upon the tympm — seized upon the handle — pressed, and threw off the/m«jf — and then hold up the typogia- phical miracle — moving in the wmd, and glilter- ing in the sunbeam, must, alas, I fear, remain in eternal obscurity!* About the year 1443, Gutenberg returned to Mentz, and there hired a house called zam Jungen ; and about 1450 he formed his celebrated connexion with John Faust

Gutenberg seems to have had pretty distinct notions of uie mechanism of a printing press, without the means of carrying his views into effect.

An author who is said to have written at a

Seriod not very remote from that of Gutenberg's iscovery, pretends that he received the first i(ka of the art from an impres.^ion taken in wax from the seal of his ring ; which he accidentally ob- served some letters in relief. Thus our author, who wrote in poetic numbers :

<* Respidt archetypoa auri vestigto loBtrana,

Et aecam tadtus talia verba refert.

^. fiaam bell^ pandit ccrtas hscc orbita rocee ;

■' Monatrat et exactis iqita reperta libris."

He afterwards proceeded to remark, that the contemplation of a wine pre.ss suggested or assisted his first crude conceptions of a machine proper for the exercise of his newly discovered art:

" Rotrara prospexit dehinc torcnJaria BacchI, Et dixit Preli forma sit ista novl."

In 1438, the unfortunate Drizchen lamented to his confessor, the great expense which he had incurred, without having been reimbiused a single n&o/iM. Nor did Gutenberg himself, who persisted in his unsuccessful attempts, reap any advantage from them ; for, on quitting Strasburg, he was overwhelmed in debt, and under the necessity of parting with the greater portion of hisproperty.

In December 1439, a trial took place at Stras- burg between John Gutenberg ana his partners. In the course of thislaw-suit, five witnesses, among whom was Beildech, Gutenberg's confidentL'U servant, incontrovertibly proved that Gutenberg was the first who practised the art of printing with moveable types. The result was a dissolu- tion of partnership. The whole proceedings on this important trial are in existence, and have been printed After this, Gutenberg relumed, poor and disappointed, but not dispirited to kb native citv. It is doubtful whether he had hi- therto really printed any thing. Heinecken, vfho has investigated this subject with great diligence and labour, is of opinion that he had ruined both himself and his partners, without being able to produce a single clean and legible leaf.

1437, Feb. 21. James I. King of Scotland, murdered at Perth. The character of this sove- reign shines with distinguished excellence in the literary annals of his country. The misfortunes


 * Dibdin, Bibliographical Decameron.

VjOOQ IC