Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/141

 132

HISTORY OF PRINTING.

new art. They encouraged the most malignant and ridiculous charges against our artists, even that of sorcery or magic. They also contrived to institute against them a vexatious legal process. The aSair was brought before the parliament, and that tribunal, little more enlightened and liberal than the credulous multitude, ordered their books and impressions to be confiscated. But to the honour of Louis XI. it is recorded, that upon this occasion he interposed his royal authority in behalf of the printers. He inter- dicted the parliament from taking further cogni- zance of the affair, reserving it for his own special decision and that of his privy council ; and it is scarcely necessary to add, that the event was entirely favourable to the typographers, and their books and copies were ordered to be restored.

Even at an earlier period than that of the introduction of printing into Paris, it appears that Conrart Hannequis suid Pierre Schoeffer, printers and burgesses of the city of Mentz, had established magazines for the sale of books at Paris, Angers, and some other places in France. Stratten ueir agent happened to die in that country; and as he had never obtained any legal instrument of naturalization, he had not die power of disposing of his effects by will. Every thins belonging to this stnmger, or entrusted to his nands, was seized and confiscated; and amongst die rest, the works which Hannequis and Schoeffer had placed at his disposal. The German printers prevailed upon Frederick III. king of the Romans, and the elector of Mentz, to interest themselves in their behalf ; and Louis XI. moved not only by the considerations due to their recommendation, but also by his own favourable disposition for the encouragement of such artists, and the diffusion of useful learning, ordered plenary restitution to be made. The indemnification claimed by Hannequis and Schoeffer amounted to 242.'^ ecus and three sols toumois, or about 1 100 francs, (£45 16s. 8d.) The finances of this monarch would not con- veniently admit of the payment of so large a sum at once. He therefore gave directions to Jean Bri9onnet, his receiver general, to pay to these printers annually the sum of 800 livres, tilt the whole claim should be discharged.

In the year 1473, Gering and -his associates removed irom the Sorbonne, and established themselves in " la rue S. Jacques," at the sign of the Golden Sim. Of the second series of their impressions, those of 1473 are considered as the earliest; and the latest are those of 1483. Amongst this series we find BiUia Sacra,* in folio ; which was the earliest impression of the

diactmioii, about the middle of the last centaij, in con. aeqaence bf a Grand practiaed upon a copf of it, now in the public library at Cambridge. Bj an alteration and erasure in the colophon, it la ascribed to the year 1463, or I464 j the words Iriiut unJeeimut Imlru, in the first line, refer- ring to the reign of Louis XI. bcinic altered into tmi u/t- deamut butrum, and tlie two last lines being erased. A full account of the detection of this fraud, which for many years engaged the attention of bibliographers, may be (bnod in two letters written by Dr. Taylor, preaenred in Nichols's JMtrarf AiuctMei.
 * Thia celebrated editton tttncted mnch curioeltr and

sacred scriptures, printed in the whole lealm of France. Panzer, by conjecture from its sub- scription, fixes the date about theconunencenieBt of the year 1476. The characters used in the second series of Gering's impressions are wholly different from those employed in the first. Se- veral of them exhibit specimens of the Roman character, varying both in size and degrees of elegance and beauty. Some of them are in a character neither Roman nor Gothic, but which exhibits a coarse imagination of the writings of those ages. Chevillier says the bible is of a character of this kind, " tnait plut grot." Some few of those works which are executed in tke Roman letter will compare in the same biblio- grapher's opini on, with the finest specimen! of Jenson, the Spiras, and other most celebnied of the early Italian printers.

In those works which came forth subsequentlj to the year 1477, Geringfs name appears alone. It is supposed that Crantz and Friburger at this, period returned to Germany as no mention i> afterwards made of them. But Gering passed the residue of his days at Paris; fopnea new associations; and published new works. It is chieflv on this accoimt that he has obtained the appellation of the earliest Parisian printer ; for in the impressions of the society, his name ii not uniformly found die first in order oi mentioi; but in some books occupies the second, place, and in others the thil^. Gering is by some believed to have admitted his scholars Caeiaiii and Stol into a participation of his establishment. He afterwards associated himself with Berthold Rembolt. In 1483 Gering removed his Insigne and establishment, once more, to a part of the city, more immediately in the vicinity of the Sor- bonne. With the doctors of this institutioa h« maintained the strictest intimacy ; and consulted with them on the subject of those works which might prove most worthy of being submitted to the press. The learned body accorded to him the " Privilege of hospitality ;" that is, of pos- sessing apartments in ue college, and of a seat at the table of the doctors. For diese honoun Gering made ample recompense in his life time, by liberally opemng his purse to relieve tb« occasional necessities of the foundation, and bj numerous charitable donations to poor students.

In several of the impressions of nis third series, Gering used the same oold and handsome Ronum character which was employed in the finer specimens of his second series. But the greater part are printed in the Gothic character, which Gering used more especially in works of an ecclesiastical nature. It was not without reluc- tance that this meritorioos: printer yielded so far to the. prevailing fashion, as to exchange bis fine Roman letter for the. clunm and ill-fiivOiiied Gothic. The mtnalt of Maittaire and FUuet furnish a long enumeration of early Parisian printer!!, the infancy bf whose estaolishments Gering witnessed; and who successively were become the rivals of his art and industry. Fipm their presses various popular works were con- Stanly issuing, " m Uttra Golki^Met," and on

VjOOQ IC