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HISTORY OF PRINTING.

tenberg the person who first attempted it; but that he practised more successfully at Mayence, with the assistance of Faust and Schoeffer, par- ticularly the latter, who cut the punches, struck the matrices, and cast the letters from them.

Catherinot considers Gutenberg and Schoeffer to hare been the inventors at Mentz, about the year 1455.

Dr. Clarke is in favour of Gutenberg, and states that he commenced his experiments at Strasburg, between 1430 and 1448, with the assistance of John Mentil and others.

Maittaire, in his Annates Typographici, 1719, conjectures that the art was discovered about 1440, by Faust, Gutenberg, and Schoeffer, who at first used engraved plates or blocks; these gave place to moveable wooden types, and at last they adopted fusile types. On the dissolu- tion of partnership with Faust, in 1455, he observes, Gutenberg went to Strasburg, and thence to Haerlem, where he employed Corsellis, at the time he was bribed to leave him, and was carried to Oxford, 1459.

Meerman steps forward as the avowed cham- pion of his beloved Coster, and treading close upon the heels of Junius, follows him through all the intricate mazes of hearsay evidence, and at length sits down, after various conjectures, with- out being able to favour his readers with the name of the robber.

The claims of Coster and Haerlem are con- sidered by Mr. Home as entitled to no credit.

Christ. Besoldi,itt his work, published in 1630, is of opinion that we are not indebted to the Chinese for the discovery of typography, (as they only practise block-printing) the Germans of the fifteenth century having no communication with that secluded people. The claims of Strasburg, Mentz, and Haerlem he does not decide upon.

Boxhomii advances nothing new in favour of Coster, he comments upon two inscriptions, one under the statue, the other in front of Coster's house.

Chevillier stands forward in the front rank, under the banner of Gutenberg and Strasburg.

Judex vaguely indicates, hist John Faust, a

foldsmith of Mayence, and then his partners, choeffer and Gutenberg, as the inventors of printing.

Lambinet explodes the account of Coster as a fable; he is of opinion that the art originated with Gutenberg at Strasburg, and perfected at Mayence.

Lemoine ascribes the origin of printing (with wooden types only) to Coster, at Haerlem, about 1430, and ailerwards continued by his family: to Gutenberg and Schoeffer he awards the merit of cut, and also cast metal types.

Luckombe gives the palm to Gutenberg: and r^ects Coster's claim altogether, as scarce worthy of notice.

Mr. Astle is of opinion, that the art is of Chinese origin, and that it was first practised in Europe in the fifteenth century.

Stower ascribes the origin to Haerlem, the improvements to Mentz.

Wurdtwein attributes the first productions of the press to Geinsfleisch, Gutenberg, or Sorge- lock.

Tiraboschi, upon Meerman's evidence, com- pletely sinks the cause of Haerlem, for Stias. burg and Mentz.

Palmer leaves Gutenberg in the backgroaad, and advances with Faust and Schoeffer; he fixes the invention in 1440, and metal types prior to 1460.

The account given of Coster by Junius is con- sidered as authentic by Messrs. Bowyer and Nichols, in their Origin of Printing, 1774.

Schoepflin arrests our attention with a judicial decree of the Court of Strasburg, by this he considers the glory secured to Gutenberg and Strasburg, prior to 1440, and its perfection to Mentz about 1450.

Seizii concurs with the hearsay tradition.

Schrag rises up for Mentilius and Stiasbnn;: he says, that Mentz received it from one of ue workmen.

Santander inveighs against the claims of Haerlem, and defends the cause of Gutenberg.

Scriverius wears the colours of Coster and Haerlem, known there in 1430, not before 14S0 at Mentz

Tentzeliii stains his paper in 'the cause of Gutenberg and Strasburg in 1440, and Mentz in 1460.

Fischer employs his pen for Gutenberg, and explodes the claims of Haerlem.

Danou favours Gutenberg, and condemns the claims of Haerlem.

Zell gives the discovery to Haerlem, the im- provements to Mentz.

Caxton desen-edly treats Haerlem with alent contempt; he bestows the laurel wreath on Gutenberg and Mentz.

Oberlin meets us with a translation of the German passage, discovered by SchoEpflin, re- lative to fusile types, it runs thus: — " Go, taie away the component parts of the press, and pull them to pieces; then no one will understand what they mean. Gutenberg intreated him to go to the press, and open it by means of two screws, and thus the two parts would separate: that Uiese need only be placed under the press, and no one would understand anything about them. Gutenberg sent him to bring together all the different forms which were pulled to pieces before him, because there were some with which he was not satisfied. Dritzehen was particularljtareful to secure every bit of lead," &c.

Hoffmann is of opinion that printing was practised in Poland in the fifteenth century.

MoUeri enters the list in favour of John Men- tilius of, Strasburg; he says, a line must be drawn between the first attempts of the art, and its progress.

Naude advances with confidence to reward Gutenberg and Strasburg with the pahn for the invention; and Gutenberg, Faust, and Schoeffo', for its perfection at Mentz.

Norman boldly declares that Gutenberg's first productions issued ihim his press at Strasburg.

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