THE NARRATIVE OF JUNIUS

HE8PECTING

THE DISGOVERY OF PRINTING, CRITIGISED.

THE RMIÎE, OR, A JOURNEY FROM TITRECHT TO FRANCFORT. (From page 186 to 198.)

1. The narrative of Jukius, in favour of Haerlem, and of laureuce coster , respecting the discovery of printing, is much more simple, uniform, consistent, and devoid of motives for partiality, thananyof the narratives adduced by the advocates for Mentz. Several very natural and very probable circumstances are minutely related , and several crédible witnesses are produced , who hâve traced the invention up to coster with so much perspicuity, that ifit be allowed that the discovery was made at Haerlem , not the least embarrassaient remains concerning the author of it. The accidentai manner in which the idea was at first suggested is natural. The persons for whom the lirst letters were eut out of wood are specified. The name of the book-binder , who is said to hâve slept with the supposed thief , is mentioned , and the existence of such a person at that period fully proyed. Compare thèse facts with the vague and superficial manner in which the honour of the invention is claimed by Mentz. No collatéral and illucidating circumstances are traced f nor are the partizans of Mentz agreed among them-

selves to whoni flicy shall ascribc thc honour. This very singulai fact not only wcakens their pretensions, by defect of évidence , but this defect of évidence awakens unfavourable suspicions. Nor can it be explained in any otber mariner so well as by supposing tbat the art was introduced info Mcntz in some dishonourable and surreptitious manner. We may rest assured , that when the art could no longer be concealed , from lucrative motives the inventor would hâve stept forwards to vindicate his right to the honour ; and it was certainly as much in his power to produce authentic évidence of the fact, as it was for the witnessesat Slrasburg, in the process against gutenberg, to trace his attempts to establish a printing press in that city. Thèse précautions could not hâve been omitted through indifFerence. Too much eagerness is manifested to support the honour of the place , and also to claim the honour due to every improvement , for us to imagine that the prime honour due to the first inventor, should remain enveloped in so much obscurity, if the supposed author could hâve exhibited himself in an honourable point of view. Letus, on the otherhand, admit that one of thèse early printers at Mentz had stolen the art, and the cause of this obscurity becomes obvious. The perpetrator, conscious of the meanness which adhères to so flagrant a breach of trust, and violation of his oath , would attempt concealment , respecting the mode of introduction , and highly extol any considérable improvement, as alone deserving of the public attention ; and this plan has been carefully followed. Chalcography , or the use of métal types has been solely insisted upon , as worthy the name of printing; and when the évidence in favour of Haerlem could not be eonfutéd, the claim has been depreciated as unworthy, not orily of being brought into compétition , but of notice.

Again, the narrative of junitjs is exempt from every suspicion of a personal nature. He was neither a descendant from Laurence, nor his successor in the business of a printer , who might hâve been disposed to support the claims of the only true original printing office, in thc way of trade. But J. schoeffer. who is the principal witness in behalf of faustus , was the grandson of this person , was his successor in the printing business ; and attributes the honour to his ancestor manifcstly as an argument, by which to obtain an exclusive patent, for somc of his publications, and to advertise othcrs in the most advantaîîcous manner.

Somc «light objections bave been madc lo the narrative of jofisv,

in order to invalidate ils force. The story lias been ridiculcd El impossible, ft is urged , (hat a printing press with ail ils impIemenU iwouM make a load much (oo j)onderous for a lliief to run away with. The ansvver is, that in the very infancy of printing, a Clarendon press WU not to bc expected. The types and other implements mus! bave been few. Seiz forms a gênerai calculalion , by winch lie reduces tbc cbief stock in trade to about twenty pounds in weigbt. Ile juslly observes , that as the first press used for printing was of the samc construction with family presses in coramon use , it would hâve been necdless to run off with that also.

Those , who affect not to reject entirely (he claims of Haerlcm, attempt to diminish tlieir value, and assert with confidence and triumph , that wooden blocks alone were in use at the printing office of coster , and that moveable types were the invention ofMentz. This was the opinion of accursius hiinself, who acknowledges that the Donatus of Mentz was printed after a model of the one printed at Haerlem. But incontestable are the proofs that coster , in the early stage of printing , cmployed moveable types. This is évident to the sight of every one who examines the spécimens of early printing. The irregularity of the lines , starting of certain letters, the one depressing another, plainly .indicate that the types were more moveable , than the printer could bave wished ; some letters are in an invertcd direction , wbich could only be through the inadvertency of a compositor. By comparing différent éditions of the Spiegel onser Behoudenisse , the letters are the sarne, though the arrangement différent. The Donatus , so lately brought out of obscurity , is manifestly Avitb the same letter as was used in a meliorated édition of the Spiegel onser Behoudenisse. Faults in one édition are corrected in another , as nëgerkâde , is corrected into menigerhâde. Différent modes of spelling, and diminishing the number of contractions, demonslrate altérations, tliat could not hâve been madc in tables. Where spaces were requisite , the letters w , m , n , etc. were arrangée! to flll up the vacancies , and slips of paper were placed over thein to receive the impressions. The marks of thèse are visible in raany places.

From the above circu instances it is plain that moveable types were used at coster's press , although it is allowed , that in bis first essays hc might hâve attempted the other mode. It is also certain , that some

words which most frequently occur wcre eut out in one type , in the uianncr of modem logography ; and it is certain that a greater lirmness was given to the weaker lctters by their being conjoined in the manner of an st , sh , et , etc. as was universal custom a few years ago.

2. The narrative of Juni us has the superior merit of being accompanied with an internai évidence of its probability. Tlicre is perhaps no invention of importance which owes the first idea to design. — Human ingenuity must hâve some existent material to work upon ; it deals not in absolute création ; accident points to the germ , which being once discovered , the wisdom of man is sometimes able to develope it to an amazing estent. The manner in which the idea ofaprinting press is said to hâve been suggested? indicates a natural event productive of a cause adéquate to the effect. The liist object which Laurence coster had in view was simply to tcach his nephews their letters, by way of amusement. He fortunately thought of making stamps and impressions of each letter upon paper* an idea in itself perfectly natural. We are now surprised that the art of engraving, which had been practised many âges, had not led to the invention of the printing press. Perhaps the reason may hâve been, the object of engraving is always one and simple; the intention has always been to make an impression of one permanent représentation ; but to teach his nephews the lelters of the alphabet in the manner proposed by Laurence, a succession of course presented itself. His alphabet being once completed , we may suppose that he would arrange it in différent forms to teach the children how to spell différent words , and thus a train of ideas perfectly correspondent to the first suggestion was excited , which naturally led to the important discovery. The spécimens of short prayers, etc. mentioned above, point out the Connecting médium, as it were, between teach ing thèse children to read and spell, and more important uridertakings.

Will you accuse me of refining too much , should I further argue in this manner ? — Whether the narrative bc true or false , it must be confessed that the relation between the cause assigned and its effect is close and intimate. The man to whom such a relation originally suggested itself, must have been erjual to the discovery. Is it not easier to suppose that Laurence coster was the mari, than that another shii»W

invent an ingénieras falschood (0 liis own disgrâce , and to i.aijhejcce costkk's honour ! The /îrst idea being capable of produetng tin- «lî.senvery , it requires inuch less credulity tO attributc ils l)ir(li to the ininil ot' costeu, wlio had a correspondent and interesting objecl before him, than to any other person, wlio had not such an object.

To this mass of probability, the city of Mentz lias nothing to oppose that will bcar comparison. The supposition of some , that tliree persons should unité to invent tfie first princij)lcs of the ait , is too extravagant to be admitted, and tliose who bave conlined the invention to one man , trace no steps, nor suggest the most distant causes that could lead to it. — Ânalogous to this argument is the following.

3. No invention of a complicatcd nature bas ever been discovered at once, and in' ail its parts, one idea is gradually suggested by a former. In the first essays , imperfections are discovered ; to removo which is the object of subséquent attempts. To the removal of capital defects succeed the ideas of greater advantages than were at first proposed 5 such as a more extensive opération , perspicuity , neatness, élégance , expédition , cheapness. We may therefore infer , that if two spécimens of any complicated work be laid before us , each claiming a ])riority, the probability is in favour of the most imperfect. If it be prudent to adhère to the above rule, the pretensions ofthe Moguntian press are in danger of being rejected; for the earliest spécimens from this, are much more perfect than the latrst spécimens exhibited as proceeding from the press of coster. When the déception respecting the imitation of manuscripts could no longer rcmain concealed , tho next object was to excel them in perspicuity and cheapness. This will abundantly appear by your recurring to the faets stated in the preceding letter. The gradations of improvement respecting the ink , the goodness of types, rendering the text more conspicuous by avoiding those perpétuai abbreviations , which the tediousness of copying by the pen had introduced, the economy of paper , by printing on each side ofthe leaf, and by printing larger works in two columns, with smaller letters, are such as would naturally présent themselves in progress of time , and yct would require time to présent themselves. It is very probable that. numberless difficulties, and also numberless attempts had proved abortive , before a page could be produced worthy of meeting the public eye, or that imitated the most inferior manuscript , sufficient

to cairy on a déception. The high degree of élégance therefore in the t-arliest copies from Menlz , whatever merit of another kind they may claim, is a strong argument against their priorily. The art manifests foo great a degree of maturity at anearly period for us to suppose, that Ihe same period was that of ils infancy.

The partizans of Mentz hâve nothing to oppose to this species of internai proof. The Donati Grain, and the Breviary , which they shew as the earliest productions of their press extant , are much too perfect in the exécution. They manifest that the art was considerahly advanced. Some indeed hâve maintained that the first spécimens were destroyed after considérable improvements were made. This*is not probable, because Mentz lias been much more eager to claim the'invention than the inhabitants b{ Haerlem; nor can a simple assertion of this nature be permitted to invalidate the positive évidence produced in favour of their press. « If the defunct be dead , he cannot be admit ted as a witness in the court. »

4. If tbere should hâve been theft in the case , which is extremely probable , as we cannot suppose that this valuable secret could hâve been obtained any other way, there is much greater reason to suppose , according to the narrative of junius, that this theft was commilted by some person who carried the art to Mentz , than that the magistrale of Haerlem should hâve been guilty of the fact. I do not proceed upon the idea that every magistrate is an honest man. This would be too extravagant a position; nor will I lay much stress upon his being descended from one of the first families of Holland: I wave ail thèse considérations, but this I maintain , that the probabil ity is much more in favour of this same magistrate than of the person that hasbeen accused. The station in life , respectable office, and local situation of lacrence? plead strongly in his favour.

Were it an indisputable fact that the first printing press was establishcd at Mentz , it would be improbable to the highest degree , that a magistrate of Haerlem should hâve obtained so early , and 1 may add exclusive information of the fact , or should hâve entertained the design of establishing a rival press. His rank and office rendered it very improbable that he should beat Mentz about this period, equally improbable that he should bave been disposed to imitate a mechanic art of this nature. Lct me add also, that as Holland was in a very

ilourishing sfatc at tins period, as it was llie centre of mnnufaelories, commerce, riches, it must hâve heen the place of resort, fromcoontries whcre neither agriculture nor commerce were suftieient to rapport the natives. In the prescrit day the influx of fiermans to the différent parts of Holland is immense; on the other hand , there is scarcely an instance when an individual Dutchman established himself in any part ofGermany, unless he has been banished from lus country. Now, if you admit that coster was the inventor, and an inventor there must hâve been, the remainder of the narrative is j;erfecfly correspondent with the supposition.

It is almost as probable that the servant he hired was a Germait , as that he required the service of any one; for, even in the présent day, most of the menial servants in Holland are of that country. It is also highly probable that such a person should hâve abused the confidence reposed in him, and hâve yieldcd to the temptation of acquiring both wealth and renown, by establishing the invention in a distant country , where bis person was safe, and where the theft itself miglit continue undetected.

Thèse probable suppositions are suflîcient to explain every leading circumstance relative to the affair. They explain wherefore there are no traces nor the most distant hints concerning the manner in which a knowledge of the invention might hâve been convoyed from Mentz to Haerlem, and the reason of that obscurity attending the establishment of a press at Mentz.