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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
up : — ^Firet, the real inventor would be unable to confine the secret wholly to himself, and advan- tage would be taken by such as had opportunities of learning any particulars concerning it during its experimental progress and imperfect state, to arrogate to themselves the merit of being the in- ventors of that to which they contributed nothing, but mechanical agents. — Secondly, for a time, printing was as much the counterfeit of, as the mbstittite for writing ; being, as it were, the/ac- timile of the hand-writing of the most approved scribes : and as large sums were pud for mann- script copies of choice worlds, the first printers were desirous to sell their printed copies as ma- nuscripts ; hence, lucrative motives might operate to prevent the founder of the art from divulging himself to the world as the author of so gpreat a novelty. — Thirdly, the want of sufficient funds for his purpose mduced the original projector, and those artistsimmediately concerned with him, to engage jointly with men of property in the practice of the art ; and their names thus becom- ing blended, the merit of the invention became liable to be falsely ascribed. — Fourthly, the com- mencement of book-printing could not have been earlier than the year 1422, nor later than 1442 ; and it is probable that within this period presses were established in various parts of Europe : and as intercommunication between distant countries was not then very easily effected, each printer and each city might claim the honour of the in- vention without much risque of immediate detec- tion. These appear to nave been some of the principal causes that conduced to render it doubt- ful in whom, and at what place, the art had actually its origin.
A controversy has arisen concerning the first discoverer of the art of printing, between the three towns of Haerlem, Mentz, and Strasburg ; each, from a natural partiality, attributing it to their own countrymen. The dispute, however, has turned rather on words than facts ; and it seems to have arisen from the different definitions of the word printing. If we estimate the dis- covery from the invention of the principle, tiie honour is unquestionably due to lAurence Coster, a native of Haerlem, who first found out the method of impressing characters on paper by means of carved blocks of wood. If moveable types be considered as a criterion, the merit of the discovery is due to John Gutenberg of Mentz, and Schoerfer, in conjunction with Faust, was the first who founded types of metaJ.
The claims of Coster depend principally on the authority of the celebrated historian of Hol- land, Hadrianus Junius, or Adrian Young, who was born at Horn in 1511, and took up his re- sidence at Haerlem in 1560; he was rector of the Latin school, and also teacher of natural philosophy at Haerlem. In January, 1675, he finished his work, intituled Batmna, and died on the ] 6th of June the same year : this work ap- peared in 1578, from which it is considered that all Coster's partisans have taken their ground of argument. The following particulars are suppled to have been written in 1568.
"About 120 years ago, Laurence Zaiwa Coster, inhabited a decent and fashionable honst in the city of Haerlem, situated on the nuuket- place, opposite the royal palace. The name o( Coster was assumed, and inherited from his ancestors, who had long enjoyed the honounble and lucrative office of Coster or Sexton to tbe church. This man deserves to be restored to the honour of being the first inventor of printing, of which he has been unjustly deprived by othen, who have enjoyed the praises due to him alone. As he was walkingin the wood contiguous to the city, which was the general custom of the richa citizens and men of leisure, in the afternoon and on holydays, he began to pick out letters on the bark of the beech; with these letteis he es- stamped marks upon paper in a contrary direc- tion, in the manner of a seal ; until at length he formed a few lines for his own amusement, and for the use of the children of his brother-in-law. This succeeding so well, he attempted greata things ; and being a man of genius and reflection, he invented, with the aid of his brother, or son- in-law, Thomas Pieterison, a thicker and note adhesive ink, as the common ink was too thin and made blotted marks. With this ink he was able to print bloclcs and figures, to which he added letters. I have seen specimens of his printing in this manner: in the beginning he printed on one side only. This was a Duteh hook, entilled Speigal enser BehoudenUu. That it was one of the first books printed after the invention of the art, appears from the leaves, which are pasted together, that the naked sides might not be offen- - sive to the eyes ; and none at first were printed in a more perfect manner. As this new species of traffic attracted numerous customers thus did the profits arising from it increase his lore for the art, aiid his diligence in the exercise of it
" He engaged workmen, which was the source of the mischief. Among tiiese workmen was one
Jan whether his surname be that of Fanst,
or any other, is of no great importance to ine ; «s I will not disturb the dead, whose consciences must have smote them sufficiently while liring. This Jan, who assisted at the printing press under oath, after he had learned the art of casting the types, setting them, and other matter belong- ing to the art, and thought himself sufficienU; instructed, having watehed the opportunity, as he could not find a better, he packed up the tjpes and the other articles on Christmas eve, whilt the family was engaged in celebrating the festival, and stole away with them. He first fled to Am- sterdam, thence to Cologne, until he could estab- lish himself at Mentz, as a secure place wheiehe might open shop, and reap the fruits of his knavery. It is a known fact, that within the twelve months, that is, in the year 1440, he pub- lished the Alexandri Galli DoctrinaUdipsniVsti at that time in high repute, with Petri Hup'*' Tractatibm Logicis, with the same letteis wnich Laurens had used. These are the principal cir- cumstances I have collected from cieditoble persons, far advanced in years, which they have transmitted like a flaming torch firom hand to
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