QJarttBll HmoBmtH Hibtarg 
 
 atljata. New ^nrfe 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 BENNO LOEWY LIBRARY 
 
 COLLECTED BY 
 
 BENNO LOEWY 
 
 1854.1919 
 
 BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY 
 
Cornell University Library 
 
 arW8594 
 
 John Gutenberg first master printer 
 
 3 1924 031 472 438 
 oiin,anx 
 
WIS 
 
 Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031472438 
 
JOHN GUTENBERG, 
 
 Firft Majter Printer, 
 
 His A(Sts, and moft remarkable Difcourfes, 
 
 and his Death. 
 
 FROM THE GERMAN, 
 
 By C. ®. W. 
 
JOHN GUTENBERG, 
 
 Firft Mafier Printer^ 
 
 His Acts, and moft remarkable Difcourfes, 
 
 and his Death. 
 
 from the german, 
 By C. W. 
 
 LONDON : 
 T R U B N E R .\ N D CO. 
 
 do, PATERNOSTKR Ri iW. 
 i860. 
 
Only One Hundred Copies Printed. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter I. As how John Full, mafter printer 
 in the city of Maience, gave his daughter 
 Chriftine to wife to Peter Schoeifer his 
 partner, and what came of it . . . 3 
 
 Chapter II. What John Gutenberg, mafter 
 printer, iaid, and what he did, while Peter 
 Schoeffer was taking to wife the demoifelle 
 Chriftine; all which Ihould intereft the 
 reader ...... 27 
 
 Chapter III. Who John Gutenberg found in 
 his dwelling when he came back to it, and 
 what converfation he there held with the 
 little Parifian ..... 49 
 
 Chapter IV. How two Crofters being en- 
 gaged in a quarrel, the poor people of Mai- 
 ence were the fuiferers, and Mafter John 
 Gutenberg in particular . . . . 6g 
 
 Chapter V. The Lord Archbiftiop Adolfe 
 of Naflau having bethought him of John 
 Gutenberg, the printer, caufes a fearch to 
 be made for him by one of his horfemen, 
 who finds him in a fiftierman's hut . . 88 
 
 Chapter VI. Death of John Gutenberg. 
 Reader, pray for the repofe of his foul : 
 his poor remains fleep in an unknown 
 tomb 108 
 
JOHN GUTENBERG. 
 Chapter I. 
 
 As how "John Fuji, majler printer in the city of 
 Ma'ience, gave his daughter Chrijfine to wife 
 to Peter Schoeffer his partner, and what came 
 of it. 
 
 WEDDING! how much 
 joy is contained in that 
 word ! but even more in 
 the thing itfelf! You, 
 however, who Uve in thefe days, can 
 hardly form an idea of what a wed- 
 ding was in the good old times, for 
 you poffefs only the fhadow, and 
 even that is of the paleft hue. 
 Guefts, among whom the hufband 
 and the minifter appear dreffed in 
 black from head to foot, a large room 
 furniflied in the modern ftyle, a very 
 profaic fquare table, on which, after 
 
4 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 the marriage contraft is figned, the 
 repaft is ferved up, the whole accom- 
 panied with the ftaleft and moil com- 
 mon-place compliments, the coldeft 
 ceremonies. . , . No, no ! a fig for 
 your modern weddings ! 
 
 Reader, you ought to have found 
 yourfelf at the appointed hour at the 
 great St. Humbert at Maience, in the 
 ftreet now called La Rue des Save- 
 tiers, and which then bore the name 
 of St. Quentin, for that which I re- 
 late to you happened in the year of 
 our Lord fourteen hundred and fixty- 
 one, before Ma'fence became a fe- 
 deral fortrefs. That was indeed a 
 wedding in the true fenfe of the 
 word ! A grand, a noble wedding ! 
 At the moment when the clock ftruck 
 twelve, the proceffion, attired in moil 
 fuperb garments, came out of the 
 church of St. Quentin, and, having 
 turned the corner of the Rue des 
 Savetiers, took the road to the houfe 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 5 
 
 of the great St. Humbert. All 
 along the route it was accompanied 
 by the joyous acclamations of the 
 crowd ; citizens, their wives and 
 daughters, opened their fmall cafe- 
 ments, and put out their heads to 
 gaze, and the little boys in the ftreet 
 malicioufly ran behind the wedding 
 guefts, tfying to jeer and to mock 
 at the bridegroom, as is ftill the cuf- 
 tom in thefe days — one, indeed, of the 
 only cuftoms left us of olden times. 
 The fun fhed his brighteft and 
 warmeft rays on the houfe of the 
 great St. Humbert, for it was on the 
 14th day of Auguft that Chriftine 
 Fuft, the worthy daughter of the 
 printer John Fuft, efpoufed her fa- 
 ther's partner, Peter Schoeffer of 
 Gernfheim. On that day, too, the 
 houfe of the printer was open to all 
 comers ; thofe prefles, generally fo 
 black and fo myfterious, were now 
 crowned with flowers; the fcrews. 
 
6 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 the levers, the timber, groaned no 
 longer under the brawny arms of 
 the workman, and the paper and 
 parchment remained neglefted in a 
 corner. All the inmates were gone 
 to the church of St. Quentin to be 
 prefent at the marriage ; the work- 
 men, dreffed in their fineft clothes, 
 flood ranged in a goodly group 
 around their chief, who held firmly 
 aloft the banner of the Corporation, 
 ornamented with the Imperial Eagle. 
 The Burgomafter himfelf, Jacob 
 Fuft, a mafter goldfmith, brother of 
 the printer, and rich beyond belief, 
 had come in perfon to do honour 
 to the wedding of his niece. And 
 how can we find fault with the 
 father of the bride, who walked 
 proudly at the head of the band, arm- 
 in-arm with his brother the grandee 
 and the renowned goldfmith, if he 
 caft now and then on the afl"embled 
 crowd looks in which difdain was 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 7 
 
 fomewhat mingled. It is true that 
 he fmiled more benignly at the win- 
 dows from whence certain filvery 
 voices were heard to cry out as he 
 pafled, " We wifh you much happi- 
 nefs, Mafter Fuft !" Or again, "May 
 peace and a bleffing reft on the houfe 
 of the printer ! " 
 
 To fpeak truly, it muft be con- 
 feffed that the couple who had juft 
 been united were not in their firft 
 youth, and if the bridegroom had 
 nothing in common with Adonis or 
 Apollo, the bride on her fide was 
 far from reprefenting that type of 
 beauty which the ancients have be- 
 queathed to us, and which may ftill 
 be feen in the gallery of the Medici. 
 Let not this furprife you, reader ! 
 Peter SchoefFer in 1449 was already 
 renowned in the Academy of Paris 
 for his fkill in caligraphy ; he had 
 even then rendered great fervices to 
 Mafter Fuft, who chofe him for his 
 
8 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 fon-in-law ; fo you perceive that at 
 the time of which we are fpeaking 
 there was no longer any queftion of 
 youth or fprightlinefs for SchoefFer. 
 Chriftine, on her part, had no doubt 
 chofen her hufband for his moral 
 qualities ; fhe had declared herfelf 
 ready to beftow her hand on the 
 homelefs ftranger on the day on 
 which he, who was then only her 
 father's workman, ftiould lay at her 
 feet, repofing on a velvet cufhion, a 
 copy of the admirable Pfalter of the 
 year 1457. ^^% it was not until 
 then that Chriftine confented to fur- 
 render her hand to that of SchoefFer — 
 to that hand which had deligned the 
 initials of the Pfalter, which had il- 
 luminated them in fuch brilliant 
 colours, and had arranged the beau- 
 tiful types, the ink of which, it is 
 malicioufly faid, ftill clung to his 
 fingers more or lefs. 
 
 The betrothal dated from the year 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 9 
 
 1457 ; but, as the father had infifted 
 on proving the charadter and the 
 talent of his workman, he had made 
 it a condition that the two volumes of 
 the great Latin Bible fhould be com- 
 pleted before the fulfilment of the 
 marriage. On St. John's day, 1462, 
 the finifhing touch was put to the 
 work. Peter Schoeffer wrote upon 
 the laft page to the effedt that the 
 tafk was ended ; he printed his fa- 
 ther-in-law's arms alongfide, and on 
 the following 14th of Auguft the 
 book was expofed to the public, at 
 the fame time that the marriage was 
 announced ; John Full flyly remark- 
 ing that he brought on that day two 
 treafures to light, the one conjointly 
 with Schoeffer, the other he gene- 
 roufly made over to him. 
 
 To the two treafures were allotted 
 their feparate place of honour. Chrif- 
 tine dazzled the eyes of the public, 
 robed in rich crimfon velvet, fuch as 
 
10 John Gutenberg. 
 
 was feldom worn in thofe days by 
 citizens' daughters. Her little white 
 wreath was attached to her hair by 
 a firing of Venetian pearls, prefented 
 on that very morning by her uncle 
 the Burgomafter, and it muft be al- 
 lowed the pearls became her well. 
 The Bible, on its part, had its filver 
 clafps well rubbed and polifhed, and, 
 being placed on a table, it fhone, to 
 the edification and admiration of all 
 beholders. 
 
 If at the end of the table where 
 the Burgomafter prefided, dividing 
 the wedding guefts on his right and 
 left, there reigned a certain degree of 
 folemnity, it was made up for at the 
 lower end, round the long board pre- 
 pared for the workmen, where the 
 moft noify and expanfive gaiety pre- 
 vailed. That patriarchal cuftom 
 which required that the head of the 
 family, after having tafted of a difh, 
 fhould join in a prayer with all the 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 1 1 
 
 guefts, that cuftom, at the time of 
 which we fpeak, had even in the 
 richefl families fallen into difufe, 
 only when, as on the prefent occa- 
 fion, a dignitary happened to be at 
 table, a fpecial gravity was obferved, 
 and a great decorum maintained. 
 *' NoblefTe oblige," fays the proverb, 
 fo we muft not be furprifed if the 
 Burgomafter, inftead of taking part 
 in the joyous hilarity of his relatives, 
 and efpecially of his workmen, look- 
 ed around him with anxious and 
 penfive eyes. The cares of govern- 
 ment clouded his countenance, and 
 occafionally wrinkled his fine lofty 
 brow. 
 
 In truth, alarming days were ho- 
 vering over the good city of Maience. 
 Two crofiers were clafhing rudely 
 for precedence, both being competi- 
 tors for the Archi-epifcopal throne ; 
 and, as generally happens in fuch con- 
 fliifts, the blows fell lefs heavily, and 
 
12 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 in lefs number, on the backs of the 
 aftual combatants than on thofe of 
 the vidtims who were the objedts of 
 conteft. A year previoully the Arch- 
 bifhop Dietrich d'Ifembourg had been 
 deprived of his fee for failing in proper 
 refpedt towards his fpiritual paftor, and 
 Adolfe of Naffau, appointed Arch- 
 bifhop in his room, was preparing feri- 
 oufly, arms in hand, to expel a prede- 
 cefTor who feemed far from difpofed 
 to yield his poft with a good grace. 
 All the Rhine country, the Palatinate, 
 Bavaria, Wlirtemberg, and even 
 Brandenberg itfelf, had taken part in 
 the quarrel, for one fide or the other ; 
 in the city of Maience Dietrich d'I- 
 fembourg reckoned partifans who 
 were ftill holding office fide by fide 
 with thofe who fecretly favoured the 
 new order of things, and rivals and 
 enemies met together full of an ani- 
 mofity which they took but little 
 pains to diffimulate. 
 
John Gutenberg. 13 
 
 To this caufe of diffenfion was 
 added the quarrel between the citi- 
 zens and the nobles — a quarrel which 
 dated forty years back, and was even 
 now far from being quelled ; def- 
 cendants of the emigrant families ran 
 about the town exciting the malcon- 
 tents, they themfelves only awaiting 
 an opportunity to regain, in the ge- 
 neral confufion, the privileges which 
 they had loft. 
 
 Thefe were the grave matters 
 which pre-occupied the mind of the 
 Burgomafter of Maience, the great 
 Jacob Fuft, and left him but little 
 leifure to think of anything but his 
 cares at the wedding of his niece 
 Chriftine. Did a noify vivat make 
 itfelf heard at the lower end of the 
 table, was a joyous fong refounding, 
 near the entrance door, in honour of 
 the newly-married couple, the Bur- 
 gomafter would raife himfelf anxi- 
 oufly on his great carved oaken arm- 
 
14 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 chair, and, commanding filence, ex- 
 claim, throwing his head back, 
 " Thefe are fad times in which we 
 " live ;" and his brother the printer 
 would echo his words, throwing back 
 his head in like manner. As for the 
 bridegroom he was in the height of 
 good humour, for the pre-occupations 
 of his uncle the Burgomafter affedled 
 him but very (lightly. " Eh ! what 
 then," faid he to the affembled guefts, 
 " are we not here in our free city of 
 " Maience, under the protection of 
 " the paftoral ftaff of His Grace our 
 " Archbifhop, whom may God pro- 
 " tedt } Let my Lord of NaiTau in- 
 " trigue, and cabal as he will, as long 
 " as the Rhine flows between him and 
 " us, as long as our good walls de- 
 " fend us, we may laugh at his Grace ; 
 " and moreover our art, our beauti- 
 " ful art, does it not flourifh more 
 " and more every year ? Have we not 
 " five good prefTes in the workfhop ? 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 15 
 
 " Have we not fifty vigorous arms 
 " employed in our fervice? Come, 
 " come, my gracious uncle, come, 
 " worthy father, put away your fears, 
 " and your fcruples ; fill up your 
 " glafTes, and fecond me when I drink 
 " to ' the noble art of printing,' with 
 " * three times three.' " 
 
 The guefts refponded to this ap- 
 peal, and the noife of the "vrvat had 
 fcarcely fubfided when a great dif- 
 turbance was heard on the flairs ad- 
 joining the banquet-room, and a con- 
 fufion of voices and footfteps, which 
 feemed to indicate a quarrel. The 
 hoft was about to rife and go in per- 
 fon to the fpot from whence the 
 noife proceeded, to call the difputants 
 to order, when the door was fuddenly 
 thrown open. On the threfhold ap- 
 peared two workmen, dragging a 
 third individual by his arms, and 
 who, to judge from his age and ap- 
 pearance, was only an apprentice ; 
 
1 6 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " Look, mafter,"faid the eldeft of the 
 men, " here is a fellow who dares to 
 " difturb your feftival by coming 
 " even into your houfe to abufe your 
 " art, and your noble trade." " Yes, 
 " it is true," continued the fecond 
 workman, " but it fhall not be per- 
 " mitted, were I never again to touch 
 " a type, or the cheek of a pretty 
 " maiden !" 
 
 " It is the Strafburger who lies !" 
 exclaimed the young boy, making 
 vigorous efforts to free himfelf from 
 the gripe of his accufers. " I faid 
 " not a word againft you or your art ; 
 " it is they, on the contrary, who 
 " flandered your fon-in-law, and even 
 " your daughter dame Chriftine ; and 
 " you fee, mafter, that was more 
 " than I could bear, fo my French 
 " blood rebelled." " Let peace be 
 " in this houfe," replied Fuft, in a 
 commanding tone ; " and you Straf- 
 " burger, who are the eldeft, you 
 
"John Gutenberg. 17 
 
 " fpeak firft, and let go your hold of 
 " the Parifian !" 
 
 " Mafter, we were down below 
 " there, fitting drinking our beer, as 
 " your worfliipful company, faving 
 " your prefence, is now feated drink- 
 " ing your wine ; we fang, we drank, 
 " we laughed, not a foul among us 
 " thought of quarrelling ; fuddenly, 
 " I had juft delivered myfelf of a lit- 
 " tie bon-mot, fuch as is not unufual 
 " at our German weddings — " 
 
 " Strafburger, what was that bon- 
 " mot ? Come, out with it frankly !" 
 
 " I faid," replied the workman, 
 hefitating, " I faid — " 
 
 Here the Parifian, with the viva- 
 city of a Frenchman, interrupted the 
 other, and repeated the bon-mot in 
 queflion — a witticifm fo flrongly fea- 
 foned, that, although it might be al- 
 lowable at a country wedding, it could 
 not be repeated here without a breach 
 of good manners. 
 
 3 
 
1 8 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 This unexpedled communication 
 was received with a violent burft of 
 laughter from the male part of the 
 company, including even the worthy 
 Burgomafter Jacob Fuft, the bride- 
 groom alone felt his anger rifing, and, 
 having fome difficulty in reftraining 
 himfelf, he bounded from his feat, 
 while the cheeks of his gentle better- 
 half, Chriftine, became of a deeper hue 
 than the velvet of the drefs fhe wore. 
 
 The Strafburger, emboldened by 
 the fuccefs of his bon-mot, and by the 
 excellent reception it had met with, 
 caft a look of triumphant fatisfaftion 
 on the little Parifian, who flood by 
 fpeechlefs and aftounded. At this 
 moment a bafhful glance diredted to 
 him by dame Chriftine, unfeen by all 
 the reft, rewarded him for his chival- 
 rous condudl. The old workman 
 continued his harangue. 
 
 " Mafter, you fee, it is on account 
 " of this innocent jeft that the fellow 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 19 
 
 * has made this difturbance ; he pre- 
 ' tended that the honour of your 
 ' houfe was compromifed, as well as 
 
 * that of the dame, your daughter, 
 ' which God defend from injury ; he 
 ' ftruck the table violently with his 
 
 * fift, and, in fadl, behaved like a 
 ' madman. The Frankforter, who 
 ' ftands there, tried by a paternal re- 
 
 * monftrance to bring him to reafon, 
 
 * and we were once more feated be- 
 
 * hind our goblets, when, behold, the 
 ' young good-for-nothing recom- 
 ' mences. We were drinking unani- 
 
 * moufly to the health of the art of 
 ' printing, that it might flourifh at 
 ' leaft a thoufand years, when all on 
 ' a fudden, with his two little fpin- 
 
 * die legs, he leaps on the table, up- 
 
 * fets the goblets, and exclaims that 
 ' we muft not forget him who firft 
 ' invented the trade, who was the 
 ' author of all our good fortune, him 
 ' who revealed our beautiful art to 
 
20 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 "the world at large. We both 
 " opened our mouths wide — may the 
 " Lord forgive us our fin — the wretch 
 " told us he was going to fpeak of 
 " the Holy Trinity, when, behold, he 
 " calls out, with all the force of his 
 " lungs, ' Long live Gutenberg; long 
 " live Mafter Jean Gutenberg, of 
 " Maience ! ' The Frankforter then 
 " feized him by one leg, I by the 
 " other, we dragged him down from 
 " the table and brought him here. 
 " Now he ftands before you, he who 
 " was not afhamed in your own 
 " houfe to give all the honour and 
 " praife to Gutenberg." The Straf- 
 burger was filent. At the name of 
 Gutenberg the company became vifi- 
 bly embarraffed ; the countenances 
 of fome of the guefts evinced an 
 ironical pleafure, Peter Schoeffer, 
 looking down, bufied himfelf awk- 
 wardly in readjufting the frill of his 
 fhirt, while Mafter Fuft, not caring 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 21 
 
 particularly to meet the fiery eye of 
 the little Parifian, turned alternately 
 from one workman to the other. 
 
 " Children," replied he, after a 
 moment's painful paufe, " children, 
 " you are but fimpletons after all ; 
 " what is the ufe of troubling your 
 " heads, on a day like this, with fuch 
 " nonfenfe ? Leave Gutenberg to 
 " himfelf, and let us enjoy in peace 
 " the good which God has given us! " 
 
 " Mafter," exclaimed the Httle 
 Frenchman, in a lofty tone, and in- 
 terrupting Fuft, without hefitation, 
 " that is what we have done ; but 
 " allow me to fay one word, one only, 
 " with an honefty worthy of the great 
 " art which we promote ; if all this 
 " company thinks to-day of you, and 
 " of Mafter Peter SchoefFer of Gern- 
 " fheim, of his letter-founding, of his 
 " fkill in engraving, in illuminating, 
 " in printing, ought we, on that ac- 
 " count, to forget the man to whom 
 
2 2 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " we owe all that we now have ? That 
 " is why, I fay it again, and may all 
 " thofe who feel as they ought to do, 
 " fay it after me, * Long live Gu- 
 " tenberg of Mai'ence, the firft prin- 
 " ter of the world, long may he 
 "live!"' 
 
 With three bounds, and before he 
 could be prevented, the audacious 
 boy reached the table, feized one of 
 the filled wine-cups, and emptied it 
 at a draught. He had juft laid it 
 down again, with a crafh, when Maf- 
 ter Fuft, red with anger, pufhed him 
 roughly afide, " Fellow," he exclaim- 
 ed, in a voice hufky with vexation, 
 " what have you done?" " What 
 " you fhould have done inftead of 
 me," replied the little Frenchman, 
 without being difconcerted, and be- 
 coming more calm in proportion that 
 his mafter grew more excited. "How! 
 " you have the audacity to come here 
 " and jeer us in the prefence of our 
 
"John Gutenberg. 23 
 
 " guefts, and, above all, in the pre- 
 " fence of my brother, the moft 
 " worthy Burgomafter? To the door, 
 " to the door, with the little brawler ! 
 " Go, go, to your Gutenberg, fee if 
 " his great prefles are at work ; go, 
 " run through the ftreets and high- 
 " ways with your hero. To the door 
 " with him, I fay ! " The printer 
 threw a few pieces of fmall money to 
 the Parifian, and with an angry gef- 
 ture pointed to the door. " Mafter 
 " Fuft," replied the other, while col- 
 ledting the coins which were fcat- 
 tered over the floor, " if I pick up 
 " this money, it is to take what you 
 " owe me ; but I cannot go to Maf- 
 " ter Gutenberg, and that you know 
 " as well as I do. Since the day he 
 " was obliged to give up his eftab- 
 " lifhment to you, for a debt of a hun- 
 " dred, or a couple of hundred dol- 
 " lars, which you lent him at a high 
 " interefl, he has not been in a poll- 
 
24 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 " tion to fet up any prefs worth 
 " fpeaking of. So it always is in 
 " this world. To the one, head and 
 " intelligence, to the other money ! " 
 Thefe laft words were fcarcely ut- 
 tered, when a blow from a fift fell on 
 the cheek of the little Frenchman. 
 Mafter John Fuft, incapable of fur- 
 ther felf-control, had ftruck the blow; 
 and, if SchoefFer and the two other 
 workmen had not interfered, a ferious 
 fcene might have enfued, to the coft 
 of the audacious boy, and in prefence 
 of the guefts. In an inftant the 
 whole affembly was in an uproar ; 
 Chriftine took refuge, trembling, in 
 the arms of her hufband ; the guefts 
 fwore, threatened, jeered, murmured ; 
 the workmen in the meanwhile had 
 all the trouble in the world to re- 
 ftrain the little Frenchman, whofe 
 clear lilvery voice called out through 
 the crowd, " Mafter Fuft, you have 
 " no right to ftrike me ! you had not 
 
"John Gutenberg. 25 
 
 " the right even when I was in your 
 " fervice, you have it ftill lefs now. 
 " I infift on your giving me fatisfac- 
 " tion ! " 
 
 " Turn out the brawler, turn him 
 " out," faid the Burgomafter, in a 
 folemn tone ; but the workmen tried 
 in vain to execute the order. 
 
 " I fhaH go of my own accord, 
 " and alone," faid the little Parifian, 
 grumbling, "as foon as thefe German 
 " fifts have loofened their hold of me, 
 " not before. Yes, I fhall go ftraight 
 " to Mafter Gutenberg, and if he has 
 " no work to give me at his prefles, 
 " well, I would rather untie for him 
 " the firings of his fhoes, than re- 
 " main any longer in a houfe where 
 " one is forbidden to fpeak out one's 
 " thoughts in liberty. You, Fuft, 
 " you, SchoefFer, what would you be 
 " withoutthat Gutenberg, whom you 
 " have robbed of his goods ! O, cur- 
 " fed be the falfe, the inhofpitable 
 
26 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " threfhold ! And you who live under 
 " this roof, take care left the hyme- 
 " neal torch lighted this day change 
 " not into a burning flambeau, which 
 " fhall fwallow up, under its wings 
 " of flame, the ruins of your ill-got- 
 " ten wealth ! " 
 
 During this allocution, uttered 
 with all the earneftnefs of paflion, 
 the two workmen had dragged the 
 boy towards the door, refifting all 
 the way. One kick, and he rolled 
 down the ftaircafe, carrying with 
 him the Frankforter and the Straf- 
 burger. SchoefFer fhut the door on 
 the difputants, reconducted Chriftine, 
 with much care and folicitude, to 
 her arm-chair, tried to calm his fa- 
 ther-in-law, and fucceeded in reftor- 
 ing, at leaft, an appearance of calm 
 to the feftival, and to the guefts, who 
 had been firft furprifed, and then 
 alarmed, at this fcene. 
 
John Gutenberg. 27 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 What yohn Gutenberg, Majier printeryfaid, and 
 what he did, while Peter Schoefferwas taking 
 to wife the demoifelle Chrijiine ; all which 
 Jhould inter^eji the reader. 
 
 F you have not beenfpoiled, 
 reader, by the fight of the 
 fine rooms of MelTrs. 
 Brockhaus and Hadnel, 
 thofe coryphees of the prefent day 
 of the art of typography, who draw 
 off" their books on Stanhope prefixes, 
 in frames of highly poUfhed wood, 
 faftened with bright iron fcrews, per- 
 haps you will not feel any repugnance 
 to follow me into the low dark abode 
 to which I am about to introduce 
 you. We enter. The night is mild 
 and beautiful, the moon's filvery 
 beams reft gently on the undulations 
 
2 8 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 of the eternally flowing Rhine, a light 
 breeze trembles through the vine 
 leaves, the deep fhadows of the houfes 
 conceal here and there the ftreets of 
 old Maience. But w^hy fhould w^e 
 occupy ourfelves w^ith fuch matters ? 
 Did the old man w^ith filver hair, 
 with his head bending over the 
 table, and given up body and foul to 
 his work, occupy himfelf with them ? 
 Where were his workmen? They 
 were out of doors enjoying the beauty 
 of the night, being rocked gently in 
 fmall boats on the river, or drinking 
 in taverns, or ftanding at church 
 doors faying foft gallantries to their 
 miftrelTes, and he the folitary, the 
 indefatigable workman, why did he 
 take no reil ? His inflamed eye-lids, 
 his forehead furrowed with wrinkles, 
 his rounded back, fhowed how much 
 he flood in need of it. 
 
 A fmoky lamp hung from the 
 beam which divided the ceiling of 
 
John Gutenberg. 29 
 
 the room into two equal parts, and 
 fhed its feeble light on the table 
 where John Gutenberg was work- 
 ing. But beware, reader, of reprefent- 
 ing this table to yourfelf as furnifhed 
 with any of thofe perfedt inftruments 
 which are the improvements of mo- 
 dern days ; with a cafe for the let- 
 ters, a viforium, a compofing-ftick, a 
 galley, or a catch ; it was nothing 
 more than a great oaken board, on 
 which his letters were placed in lit- 
 tle woollen bags, ranged in alphabe- 
 tical order ; the form in which they 
 were to be difpofed was in front of 
 the artift, and at his fide, on a defk, 
 roughly put together, repofed the 
 heavy in-folio which he ufed as a 
 manufcript. Let the compofitor of 
 the prefent day, who complains, often 
 juftly, of the illegible copy of the poet 
 or the philofopher, compare humbly 
 his talk with that of his great prede- 
 cefTor ! He was obliged firft to feleft 
 
30 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 from his bags, to place the letters 
 with great delicacy, to turn back to 
 the manufcript in order to read it, 
 and to recommence his labour incef- 
 fantly until one whole line, labori- 
 oufly put together, had been ranged 
 along a firing ; if at this point his 
 negligence, as a compolitor, had per- 
 mitted one fault, he muft needs un- 
 faften the firing, and recommence 
 his work from the beginning ! 
 
 Miferable place as it was, there 
 worked the firfl printer of the world ! 
 A humble cradle which contained a 
 giant ! Poor, wretched houfe, what 
 a difference between it and thofe pa- 
 laces which the difciples of the great 
 inventor have fince built for them- 
 felves ! The fhutters of Gutenberg's 
 room were hermetically clofed, not 
 one of the moon's filver rays could 
 penetrate them ; the fmell of the prin- 
 ter's ink, of the oil, and the black 
 fmoke, made the clofe air of this poor 
 
John Gutenberg. 31 
 
 apartment ftill more oppreffive ; a 
 painful ftillnefs prevailed, difturbed 
 only by the metallic noife of the 
 letters as they touched each other. 
 But I will not dwell any longer on 
 this melancholy pidture, in which 
 you might have feen the old man, 
 whofe ftray white locks {haded his 
 broad forehead, whofe feeble fingers 
 could only flowly and with trembling 
 fulfil their tafk, whofe knees tottered, 
 and who whenever he turned over 
 the leaves of his manufcript was 
 forced to wait a few feconds to regain 
 breath and flrength. No, no, reader, 
 think of Gutenberg rather as you 
 would doubtlefs like to fee him, {land- 
 ing on his pedeflal of flone, in the 
 centre of the fquare, in front of the 
 Cathedral of Maience, one of the lafl 
 achievements, but by no means one 
 of the happiefl efforts, of the great 
 Thorwaldfen. 
 
 John Gutenberg, in his humble 
 
32 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 workfliop, turned round on hearing 
 the door behind him creak on its 
 hinges. " You fee, I knew it," faid 
 one of the new comers on entering, 
 " there he is, ftill at work." He to 
 whom thefe words were addreifed 
 fhrugged his fhoulders flightly, both 
 came forward, and the foremoft,with 
 his head refpedtfully uncovered, ap- 
 proached Gutenberg, who gave his 
 vifitors a friendly greeting. Addrefs- 
 ing the fecond, " Will it pleafe you, 
 " my dear Dodior," he faid, " to look 
 " on for a few moments while I am 
 " at work ? If fo, take this ftool, and 
 " fit at your eafe, as far at leaft as 
 " that is poffible in my humble abode. 
 " Beildech," faid he to the other, 
 " did you take care to faften the 
 " latch as you came in } " " Yes, 
 " Mafter," replied Beildech ; " but it 
 " muft be clofe upon midnight, it is 
 *' time for you to leave off work ; 
 " here you are ftill at your table ; 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 33 
 
 " will you never learn to think of 
 " yourfelf, and of thofe who love 
 " you ? " At thefe words the old 
 man, with a gefturefull of tendernefs, 
 took the hand of the fpeaker and 
 prefTed it on his heart. Beildech was 
 the only one who, through good for- 
 tune and evil fortune, had invariably 
 flood by ' Gutenberg, from the day 
 when the latter left the gates of his 
 native town on horfeback, to diredt 
 his fteps towards Strafburg ; days of 
 youth and of beauty. 
 
 The fecond perfon whom we intro- 
 duced was named Dr. Humery. He 
 was Syndic of the free city of 
 Maience, and a wife man, if ever 
 there was one, and well verfed in the 
 knowledge of all that was right and 
 juft. The chronicles fay that even 
 in a ftate of blindnefs he could have 
 diftinguifhed black from white, and 
 white from black — a fcience which 
 has completely efcaped the nume- 
 
 5 
 
34 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 rous fucceffors of the Syndic Humery ! 
 He called himfelf the patron of Gu- 
 tenberg in the year 1455, when a 
 fentence of the tribunal of Maience, 
 having forced the poor printer to give 
 up his w^orkfhop to John Fuft his 
 creditor, Gutenberg, his heart over- 
 flow^ing w^ith refentment againft his 
 native toM^n, fled to Strafburg ; but 
 finding that he fucceeded no better 
 there than elfew^here, he foon re- 
 turned to his own country. While 
 Mailer John was feeking fome reft- 
 ing-place where he might purfue his 
 art, it was the Syndic Humery who 
 advanced the feventy crowns which 
 Gutenberg required to fet up his new 
 prefles, and who provided him with 
 the quarters which we have def- 
 cribed. " On account of which," 
 faid the convention, " the above 
 " named Mafter John is held to 
 " continue his labours at the rilk and 
 " the peril of Humery." 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 35 
 
 " Conlider," faid the dilinterefted 
 Syndic, " that you are no longer 
 " young ; I wifh to fave you from all 
 " further rifk of getting into trouble. 
 " Continue your work on my ac- 
 " count, fo that what you do, fhall 
 " be mine by an equitable payment, 
 " but, on the other hand, let it be 
 " underftood that I am likewife re- 
 " fponiible for your lofles ; and above 
 " all, Mafter Gutenberg, beware of 
 " your old tricks ! " 
 
 Gutenberg faid gratefully Yes and 
 Amen to all that was propofed to 
 him, but his heart was broken. He 
 neither afked nor wifhed for any- 
 thing but to be allowed to cultivate 
 his art, that well-beloved art, to which 
 he had confecrated the earlieft, the 
 beft days of his life. In the abfence 
 of children, which had been denied 
 to his old age, he defired at leaft to 
 play with his metallic charadters, 
 black to the outward eye, but full 
 
36 John Gutenberg. 
 
 of the attradtive force of affeftion to 
 the printer. So it Tiappened that 
 Gutenberg took up his abode at the 
 back of the Syndic's houfe, working 
 with his prefs as far removed as pof- 
 fible from the Httle windows, before 
 which, as foon as it was dufk, he 
 haftened to faflen the fhutters. Rea- 
 der, if you afk me a reafon for this 
 pecuUarity, here is one which may 
 account for it. From the windows 
 of the houfe of the Syndic Humery 
 you might fee a Httle old fmoky 
 building, which, by a caprice of for- 
 tune, happened to be exadtly the 
 birthplace and cradle of the ancient 
 race of the Gutenberg {xum guten 
 Berg), a noble ftock, of the exiftence 
 of which the great typographer had 
 been obliged to inform flrangers, in 
 the place where he invented the art 
 of printing. Who can tell ? Perhaps 
 the eyes of the old man could not re- 
 concile themfelves to the fight of the 
 
John Gutenberg. 37 
 
 balcony, where he had played as a 
 child, from the table where he flood 
 arranging his letters. 
 
 In the prefent day the proprietors 
 of the Cafino have pitched their tents 
 in the yard of the building where 
 Gutenberg lived, and, in default of 
 other proofs, an infcription fays, on 
 the part of the natives of Maience, 
 that it was affuredly there that ftood the 
 houfe of their immortal countryman. 
 
 As for the very humane Dr. Hu- 
 mery, when he had looked over Gu- 
 tenberg's ftioulder for about a minute, 
 he faid, with a jerk of his head, " It 
 " feems to me, worthy Mafter John, 
 " that during the laft week your 
 " work has made very little progrefs." 
 Gutenberg made no anfwer, but a 
 vivid colour, which I can only com- 
 pare to the brightnefs of the fetting 
 fun on the glaciers, flufhed the old 
 man's cheeks. Humery continued : 
 " Under pretext that you could not 
 
38 John Gutenberg. 
 
 ' agree with them, you have dif- 
 ' charged two of your beft work- 
 ' men." " That is true, gracious 
 ' Dodtor ; they printed according 
 ' to the modern fafhion, without 
 ' drawing a firing at each line ; in 
 ' fuch a manner how was it poffible 
 
 * to accompHfli anything really 
 ' good ?" " But," replied Humery, 
 ' you muft have feen that the Bible 
 
 * which Fuft has juft edited is a 
 ' magnificent piece of workman- 
 
 * fhip, and you muft confefs your- 
 ' felf that it much furpaffes your 
 ' Katholicon, the laft and the only 
 ' work which has iiTued from your 
 ' prefs." 
 
 At thefe words, Gutenberg, with- 
 out anfwering, placed a marker 
 in his in-folio, ftiut it up, tied up 
 his bags which contained his letters, 
 and put them away in the drawer of 
 his table, with the frame containing 
 the unfiniftied page ; he then wafhed 
 
John Gutenberg. 39 
 
 his hands, and began pacing up and 
 down his room. " Now you have 
 " made him angry, " whifpered 
 Beildech to the Syndic, " look to 
 " yourfelf to make your peace with 
 " him." Upon which the faithful 
 fervant went out flamming the door 
 after him, the latch falling noifilyinto 
 the ftaple. 
 
 The Syndic took the arm of Gu- 
 tenberg kindly. " Mafter, do not 
 " be vexed with me if I now and 
 " then fay a word which may doubt- 
 " lefs appear rather harfh to you, 
 " but which I fpeak from my heart. 
 " See how many hours you fpend in 
 " dreaming, in devifing means to per- 
 " fedt your art, and in the mean- 
 " while hands more adtive than yours 
 " rob you of your difcoveries. Peter 
 " Schoeffer, for inflance, has he not 
 " made a fortune with his impref- 
 " fions.? and he has fecured a rich 
 " wife into the bargain. Befides," 
 
40 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 continued the Syndic, while the other 
 maintained an obftinatefilence, walk- 
 ing all the time, with long ftrides, 
 backwards and forwards in his work- 
 fhop, " befides, as you grow in years, 
 
 * your temper becomes fo whimfical 
 
 * and touchy that it is next to impof- 
 fible not to lofe patience with you. 
 
 ' Recolleft all the law-fuits, all the 
 ' quarrels, which have difturbed 
 
 * your younger days, and, as we are 
 ' ipeaking freely to one another, tell 
 ' me what have you gained by keep- 
 ' ing your art fecret, to fuch an ex- 
 ' cefs even that you only work with 
 ' bolted doors, and you forbid your 
 ' workmen to loiter in the ftreets, 
 ' for fear they fhould be tempted to 
 ' divulge your fecret ? Thefe are no 
 
 * longer fimilar times to thofe when 
 you camefrom Strafburg, and when 
 
 ' you printed your firft Donat ; it 
 ' was then allowable to make a myf- 
 ' tery of your difcovery, but now 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 41 
 
 " that Fuft and SchoefFer have pub- 
 " licly eftabUfhed a workfhop at the 
 " Great St. Humbert, with workmen 
 " and apprentices from all parts of 
 " the world, when fuch towns of 
 " Germany as Strafburg, Bamberg, 
 " and Frankfort, and Holland are 
 " haftening to reap what you have 
 " fown, one afks onefelf of what ufe 
 " it is to keep your art concealed, as 
 " if it were the philofopher's ftone, 
 " This my fiery, inftead of ferving 
 " your purpofes, can only be of ufe 
 " to your enemies and further their 
 " interefls ! " Here the wife Syndic 
 Humery was filent, awaiting the im- 
 preffion that fo eloquent a difcourfe 
 would certainly produce on his in- 
 terlocutor, who until now had never 
 uttered a word. Gutenberg had taken 
 down his cloak from the peg where 
 it hung, and, having covered his head 
 with his black velvet cap, he con- 
 tented himfelf with faying to the 
 
 6 
 
42 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 Syndic, while he looked fixedly at 
 him, " There exifts an old proverb 
 " which fays that many fools are ca- 
 " pable of afking more queftions in 
 " a breath than a wife man can an- 
 " fwer in a whole day." Thereupon 
 Gutenberg, without adding another 
 word, pafled before the Syndic, bow- 
 ing coldly, and was going out at 
 the door, when he turned round, 
 " Befides, Herr Syndic, I here re- 
 " peat once more that I am not, 
 " neither do I call myfelf Mafter 
 " Gutenberg ; learned Dodtor, I am 
 " Herr Gutenberg, fon and defcen- 
 " dant of an ancient noble family, 
 " and that you ought to know better 
 " than moft people." Upon which 
 the old man difappeared, leaving the 
 Syndic Humery alone in the work- 
 fhop. 
 
 Unhappy man ! what bitternefs 
 muft have filled thy heart, when 
 enveloped in thy cloak, both arms 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 43 
 
 crofred~^over thy weary breaft, thou 
 cameft forth alone in the deferted 
 ftreets of Maience ! Thou didft re- 
 volve in thy mind, doubtlefs, the mor- 
 tifications thou hadft experienced in 
 thy native town, thou didft think of 
 thofe for whom thou hadft worked, 
 and who now trampled on thee ! 
 Thy ftarwas on the decline. 
 
 That very morning John Guten- 
 berg had feen a copy of the magni- 
 ficent Bible recently edited by Fuft 
 and SchoefFer, and, in fpite of the 
 fecret pride of the printer, he could 
 not deny to himfelf that his pupils 
 had furpafled him. Gutenberg be- 
 longed to that clafs of men of genius, 
 or choice fpirits, deftined by Provi- 
 dence to conceive the grandeft ideas, 
 to attain the moft wonderful difco- 
 veries, but who are crippled in the 
 details of execution, and incapable of 
 drawing any material profit from 
 their difcoveries. Peter Schoeffer, on 
 
44 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 the contrary, reared in Paris, and 
 trained to the intrigues of life, was, 
 thanks to the faciUty of his conception, 
 juft the man to feize the idea of ano- 
 ther, and to turn it to his own profit. 
 Fuft, now his father-in-law, was won- 
 derfully ufeful to SchoefFer by his 
 practical fkill in bufinefs, and fo we 
 fhall be eafily believed when we af- 
 fert that our two intruders had not 
 much difficulty in excluding from 
 their partnerfhip the poor old in- 
 ventor. From henceforward the fole 
 mafters of their trade, they conducted 
 it in a manner infinitely lucrative 
 to themf elves. 
 
 Gutenberg found this out ere long. 
 In the year of our Lord 1460, fee- 
 ing his Katholicon, finifhed, before 
 him, he examined it, and as he com- 
 pared in his mind the meagre, ill- 
 formed charadters with the beauti- 
 ful type of the Ffalter of Fuft and 
 Schoeffer, his foul was bowed down 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 45 
 
 with an overwhelming fenfe of in- 
 feriority, and on that account he 
 omitted to put his name in great let- 
 ters at the end of his work, as the 
 others had done. He contented him- 
 felf with adding on the laft page the 
 following modeft poftfcript : — "This 
 " book has been printed with the ajjiji- 
 " ance of the Moji High, who by one 
 " Jiroke of His hand opens the mouths 
 " of babes, and who often deigns to re- 
 *' veal to the humble that which He 
 " hides from the wife." Then he 
 added — " T^he whole was executed in 
 ' * the good city ofMdience, which forms 
 " a part of the glorious German na~ 
 " tion, which it has pleafed the good- 
 " nefsofGod to dijiinguijh by the light 
 " of His fpirit, and the gift of His 
 " grace, above many other nations of 
 " the earth.'^ A pious and touching 
 record from a fon to his 3doptive 
 mother ! grander, and above all more 
 patriotic than that Roman pride which 
 
46 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 forbid that even after death the mor- 
 tal remains fhould be reflored to an 
 ungrateful country ! 
 
 If the Syndic reproached Guten- 
 berg with making an unneceffary 
 myftery of his labours, the effort 
 being ufelefs, herein lay the caufe. 
 Gutenberg had always profeifed that 
 he never would make a trade of his 
 art. " Have I then," faid he, " crea- 
 " ted a new corporation, among the 
 " many others, only that I may fee 
 " the ancient efcutcheon of my an- 
 " ceftors fufpended fide by fide with 
 " the vulgareft enfigns at the doors 
 " of taverns, and of abbeys ? My art 
 " belongs to me as much as to the 
 " reft of the world ; let it remain 
 " the property of intelligence, and 
 " only be pradtifed by thofe who 
 " have been initiated in it. Let 
 " others, if they will, place them- 
 " felves on a rank with the tailor, 
 " who cuts my doublet, and the fhoe- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 47 
 
 " maker, who fews the leather of my 
 " flioes, what I require is fomething 
 " above that — it is the conftant im- 
 " provement of my art, it is an inde- 
 " pendent labour, for which neither 
 " my name nor my anceftors need 
 " blufh." 
 
 Poor dreamer ! thou kneweft not 
 what a ferious pradlical thing a new 
 difcovery becomes to its author, and 
 the more important it is, the more it 
 conceals in its bofom hopes and riches 
 for the future, the more quickly dif- 
 appears, from the memory of men, 
 the fource from which it was de- 
 rived. For human adtivity there 
 exifls no monopoly, no privileges ; 
 no fooner does a new idea break forth 
 than it becomes public property ; 
 what the one finds, the other culti- 
 vates, he profits by it, he improves it, 
 it is a ftreamlet of blood added to the 
 general circulation. The name and 
 the perfon of the folitary originator, 
 
48 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 whatever may be his efforts, will foon 
 difappear; but all that has been denied 
 to the man while living, becomes a 
 debt to pofterity, which is bound in 
 gratitude to feek out and bring to 
 light him who has contributed in fo 
 large a meafure to art and fcience by 
 his inventive genius. That is why, 
 O Gutenberg, on that very fpot 
 where, perhaps, on that night thou 
 wert looking up to heaven in deep 
 fadnefs, feeling that thy ftar was on 
 the wane, thy defcendants fee to-day 
 thy bronze form cafting its fhadow 
 before thee ! May every one now 
 gaze on thee, love and admire thee ! 
 
yohn Gutenberg, 49 
 
 Chapter III. 
 
 Who John Gutenberg found in his dwelling when 
 he came hack to it^ and what converfation he 
 there held with the little Parijian. 
 
 HEN John Gutenberg re- 
 turned he found in his 
 humble room, befides his 
 faithful Beildech, a young 
 ftranger awaiting him, who haftened, 
 when the old man entered, to rife 
 and falute him refpedlfully. Sur- 
 prifed at fo late an hour of the night 
 to fee a ftranger, Gutenberg afked 
 him the motive of his vifit. " Maf- 
 " ter," replied the young man, " I 
 " come to do homage, through you, 
 " to the great art which you exer- 
 " cife." Then he added a familiar 
 faying, " May God blefs the work- 
 " (hop to-day, to-morrow, and always ! 
 " who cares for its fize when it is fo 
 full of honour?" Gutenberg in- 
 7 
 
 << 
 
50 John Gutenberg. 
 
 clined his head good humou redly. 
 In his prefent frame of mind fo un- 
 timely a vilit from an apprentice 
 feemed fomewhat inopportune to the 
 old man ; he thought himfelf bound, 
 however, to bow, and to beftow a 
 fmall denier in acknowledgment of 
 the compliment . Typographers, then 
 only very recently in exiftence, had 
 neverthelefs formed themfelves into 
 a feparate body ; fuch was the will 
 of the mafter-workers in the middle 
 ages. The card-makers, the engra- 
 vers on wood, the image venders, had 
 done the fame for fome time paft in 
 the Low Countries, in France, and in 
 Germany, and it is only in this man- 
 ner that we can account for the ra- 
 pidity with which not only work- 
 fhops, mafters, and apprentices were 
 eftablifhed on the borders of the 
 Rhine, and in Alface, but that whole 
 corporations appeared in Italy,France, 
 Holland, and almoft all over Europe. 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 51 
 
 Beildech having placed in the 
 young man's hand the proffered coin, 
 the latter bent his head in acknow- 
 ledgment. " Forgive me, gracious 
 Mafter," he faid to the old man, "but 
 " at prefent I am not on a walking 
 " tour, and if I come to you it is not 
 " fo much to receive a gift as to afk 
 " for work, and to put at your dif- 
 " pofal a pair of vigorous arms and 
 " a very light heart," 
 
 The frank and familiar, but yet 
 refpedlful manner, of the young 
 ftranger awakened Gutenberg's atten- 
 tion. " Thou belongeft not to thefe 
 " parts," he faid to him, " one can 
 " tell that by thy accent." " No, 
 " Mafter, the blood which runs in 
 " my veins is only half German, my 
 " mother is French, and I was born 
 " in Paris. I was a card-maker until 
 " the noife of the profeffion of which 
 " you are the creator attradted me 
 " firft to Strafburg, then to Mai- 
 
52 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " ence ; until now I have worked 
 " for Mafter Fuft, but, as he has 
 " juft turned me away, I come to 
 " you." 
 
 This information, as may be fup- 
 pofed, was not calculated to conci- 
 liate the favour of his new patron 
 for the little Parilian. Gutenberg 
 anfwered, not without a certain bit- 
 ternefs, " Boy, if thou doft expedt to 
 " find a well-covered table with me, 
 " and a prefs as eafy to manage as 
 " thofe which thou haft quitted, thou 
 " mayeft find thyfelf miftaken. I do 
 " not feed my workmen, and as for 
 " work, I have at this moment but 
 " little to difpofe of" 
 
 The young man looked with a 
 blank expreffion round the room. 
 " Mafter Gutenberg," faid he, " you 
 " will do wrong to fend me away 
 " thus difcomfited, without an en- 
 " gagement. I know you have juft 
 " difmiffed two workmen who re- 
 
"John Gutenberg. 53 
 
 " fufed to fubmit to your orders, and 
 " that you want help in your work- 
 " ihop, weak as the help may be that 
 " I can offer you. Try me ; I am the 
 " child of honeft parents, my name 
 " is Claude Mufny at your fervice, 
 " and I am the fon of Gifquette 
 " Mufny." 
 
 Here Gutenberg's attention feem- 
 ed for a moment particularly arrefted, 
 lefs, perhaps, by the name of the fon 
 than by that of his mother ; one 
 might even have perceived a flight 
 emotion pafTing over the face of the 
 old man as he examined more clofely 
 the features of the young French- 
 man. " Thou fayeft thy mother's 
 " name is Gifquette } Gifquette, 
 " what a lovely name !" repeated the 
 old man, as if to himfelf ; then, after a 
 moment's filence, he added, " Claude, 
 " I am very forry, but the thing is 
 " impofTible, I cannot employ thee." 
 "In that cafe adieu, Mafler Guten- 
 
54 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " berg, and may you profper always, 
 " and for ever, according to the wifh 
 " of the moft devoted of your difci- 
 " pies ! " At thefe words the little 
 Frenchman feized the hand of the 
 old man and kiffed it with much 
 fervour, before Gutenberg had time 
 to withdraw it. 
 
 Beildech, who during this inter- 
 view had been preparing his matter's 
 humble couch for the night, hazarded 
 timidly a remonftrance as he took the 
 cloak from Gutenberg's fhoulders. 
 " Mafter Gutenberg, you ought not 
 ** to have difmifled the young man in 
 " that manner ; he appeared to me 
 " a good little fellow, and had he 
 " unloofed his tongue to you as he 
 " did to me, I am fure you would 
 " not have fent him away, for let me 
 " tell you it is owing to you that 
 " the poor lad is now without bread." 
 " Eh! whydidyounotfayfofooner.?" 
 " Dare one ever fpeak to you in 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 55 
 
 the prefence of a ftranger?" replied 
 the attendant to his excited maf- 
 ter ; upon which he related in a 
 few words the ftory of the difmiflal 
 from Fuft, as he had juft heard it 
 from the little Frenchman himfelf. 
 Gutenberg was no fooner acquainted 
 with the chain of circumftances than 
 he rufhed to the window with the 
 little panes framed in lead, opened it, 
 and began calling after the young 
 ftranger. He had not proceeded far, 
 and his cheeks were red with emo- 
 tion as in a moment's time he re-ap- 
 peared before the old man. Guten- 
 berg pafled his thin hand compla- 
 cently through the fair locks fur- 
 rounding the happy young face. 
 " Thou art a naughty boy," he faid, 
 " and more than that, thou art a fim- 
 " pleton for not having told me all 
 " that thou haft fuffered on my ac- 
 " count from thofe tradefmen !" 
 " Mafter, you were a ftranger to 
 
56 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " me, and befides, what I did was 
 " lefs in honour of you than of your 
 " noble art, of which you are the 
 " fole inventor. Was it neceflary 
 " to come here and boaft, in order to 
 " win your good will ? Be fure I 
 " fhould never have related what I 
 " did to thiit famulus there if it had 
 " not been to beguile over wearinefs, 
 " and to kill the time, while we 
 " were both waiting your return." 
 
 The naive candour of the young 
 Parifian completely conquered the 
 heart of Gutenberg, and although 
 midnight had long fince ftruck, he 
 told Beildech to bring a jug of wine ; 
 he fat down and defired his new ap- 
 prentice to do the fame, " For to- 
 " night you muft, at any rate, remain 
 " here, all the taverns are now clofed, 
 " and we will manage as well as we 
 " can. Beildech, make up a bed for 
 " the lad as you think beft, but, above 
 " all, let us have quickly fomething 
 
"John Gutenberg. 57 
 
 " to drink ! That idle talk of the 
 " Syndic has ftirred my bile, and if 
 " we drink later than ufual we (hall 
 " only fleep the better for it, and to- 
 " morrow being a holiday we need 
 " not be at the prefs at peep of day." 
 So the mafter and apprentice fat 
 fide by fide, clinking their goblets, 
 and drinking to the health and prof- 
 peri ty of the art of printing. Old 
 Beildech was obliged alfo to take his 
 fhare, for faid Gutenberg, " He, too, 
 " deferves well of me, and of the 
 " great art of typography. Was it 
 " not he who faved my prefTes in the 
 " wicked quarrel which I had with 
 " Dritzehn, and his heirs, when they 
 " all tried to trample on me, and 
 " would have forced my fecret from 
 " me for a bit of bread "i Believe me, 
 " my fon, I have endured much, and 
 " heaved many a figh, ere I reached 
 " my prefent pofition. Ah ! when 
 " the little Herr Gutenberg came 
 
58 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " into the world, they did not fing 
 " the fong they ought to have fung 
 " around his cradle, that would have 
 " been that he would wander from 
 " town to town, with a pack upon 
 " his back, pradtifing his poor trade." 
 At this forlorn pidture, Claude 
 could not help laughing. " Mafter," 
 faid he to Gutenberg, " if the curio- 
 " fity of a young man will not ap- 
 " pear indifcreet, I fhould like to 
 " hear you relate how the firft idea 
 " of your invention occurred to you?" 
 At this queftion from the lad a grave 
 and fad expreffion croffed the old 
 man's face ; he laid his hand on his 
 broad forehead, furrowed with 
 wrinkles, and looking down into the 
 depths of his goblet, he anfwered, 
 " My friend, in this world whatever 
 " is beft and nobleft always comes 
 " alone, and of itfelf, without our 
 " being able to fay from whence or 
 " how — fo it was with the art which 
 
John Gutenberg. 59 
 
 I purfue. The method of print- 
 ing with boards as you do for cards, 
 and as others do for books, ceafed 
 to fatisfy me. The ftep from en- 
 graved boards to moveable types 
 vv^as comparatively eafy. The an- 
 cients, w^ith their wifdom, had 
 already long fince pointed out the 
 way, but no attention had been 
 paid to them. It was on looking 
 one day at my fignet ring, that I 
 was led to think of ufing moveable 
 types. I had amufed myfelf with 
 imprefling on the foft wax the 
 little pilgrim with his cockle-fhells, 
 which has always been the armorial 
 bearing of the Gutenbergs of 
 Mai'ence, and it was on feeing my 
 coat-of-arms reproduced that it 
 occurred to me one might cut let- 
 ters in wood, or in ftone, and after- 
 wards print them. Claude, thou 
 feeft how far I ftill was from 
 the goal, and yet even then light 
 
6o John Gutenberg. 
 
 " was breaking in upon me for the 
 " advancement of my own art, and 
 " of other branches connedled with 
 " it. If thou knoweft Straiburg, I 
 " lived at that time in the Faubourg 
 " St. Arbogafte ; I will not tell thee 
 " the time and the trouble it took to 
 " achieve the manufadture of wooden 
 " blocks, how many attempts I made 
 " before I fucceeded, and how many 
 " loffes I fuflained ! One of the 
 " greateft difficulties, when I had 
 " formed my charadters, was to print 
 " them. A prefs is apparently a very 
 ' ' fimple thing, without complication, 
 " and yet there is an abyfs of fepara- 
 " tion between a prefs and the brufh 
 " which was ufed in former days, 
 " that great pad of rag and of horfe- 
 " hair, with which one could only 
 " print one fide of a page at a time, 
 " and even that with great difficulty. 
 "It was one of my greateft vexations 
 " that I could not find a fit inftru- 
 
John Gutenberg. 6i 
 
 " ment to hold my little wooden 
 " letters. I could not manage to 
 " get the impreffion ftraight and 
 " even, and ftrong enough to pro- 
 " duce the engraving w^ithout feeing 
 " my letters conftantly break, and 
 " fall out of place. One day, as I 
 " w^as feated alone in my w^orkfhop, 
 *' a world of ideas pafTed through my 
 " mind, without my being able to 
 " realize any one of them ; I became 
 " proftrate with the fenfe of my own 
 ** weaknefs, and a feeling of defpair, 
 " at feeing myfelf incapable of fuc- 
 " cefs, took fuch pofTeflion of me 
 " that I fuddenly rufhed out of doors, 
 " like a madman. I required to 
 " breathe the pure air of heaven, and 
 " I wifhed to try if in the midft of 
 " quiet fields, and gentle fcenes, I 
 " might, for a few moments, forget 
 " my grief. It happened to be juft 
 " that beautiful autumn feafon when 
 " the hills and the gardens around 
 
62 John Gutenberg. 
 
 Strafburg, far and near, fwarmwith 
 vintagers, young men and women 
 gathering the grapes. My fon ! 
 man is corrupt from his earlieft 
 years, and his heart isfuUof wicked- 
 nefs. My foul was burfting with 
 the blackeft, vileft envy. At the 
 fight of thefe poor, happy work- 
 people, I faid to myfelf, each has 
 his own place under the fun, each 
 knows what he has to do, and I — 
 I alone, am condemned to be a 
 ufelefs, unemployed wanderer ! At 
 this very moment, as if the Al- 
 mighty wifhed to punifli me in 
 his own way, for my blind rebel- 
 lion, a load of grapes was thrown 
 juft before me, under the fcrew of 
 the wine-prefs ; the machine began 
 working immediately for the vine- 
 drefler. Ah ! it was as if fcales 
 had fuddenly fallen from my eyes. 
 I ran, I flew to my workfhop ; I 
 worked the whole night, in con- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 63 
 
 cert with my faithful Lawrence 
 Beildech, and in the morning, 
 when Aurora appeared on the 
 horizon, lighting up my poor 
 dweUing with her rays, I had be- 
 fore me a printing prefs, rough and 
 fhapelefs it is true, but the difco- 
 very was made ! Claude, thou 
 mayeft' believe me when I fay that 
 I could alfo have behaved like that 
 great mathematician, of whom I 
 have read fomewhere, who, jump- 
 ing out of his bath where he had 
 folved a problem, ran naked through 
 the ftreets of his native city, ex- 
 claiming, * I have found it ! I have 
 found it ! ' Some day, perhaps, 
 thou mayeft thyfelf experience 
 thefe ecftafies, when, after having 
 long wandered in darknefs, fud- 
 denly light breaks in upon thee, 
 a delirium feizes one, the iinner 
 falls down on his knees to thank 
 God, from whom proceeds all light, 
 
64 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " that God to whom we, the un- 
 " grateful children of earth, do not 
 " fear, in our ignorant pride, to afpire 
 " to an equality ! " 
 
 Here Gutenberg clafping both 
 hands round his mug, raifed it to his 
 lips, " and drank a long draught. 
 Claude had liftened with naive emo- 
 tion to the relation of the old man, 
 and when he had finifhing fpeaking, 
 Claude replied, in a tone of prophetic 
 infpiration, " Mailer, you have dif- 
 ' covered and accomplifhed a divine 
 ' work, what are all arts in compari- 
 ' fon of yours, with its inceflant fe- 
 ' cundity ? No, no, do not take what 
 ' I fay as a piece of inlipid flattery, 
 
 * but I can only liken your inven- 
 ' tion to an old fable which I faw 
 ' reprefented in my joyous city of 
 
 * Paris, I think they called it a 
 ' Myftery ; there was a hero who if 
 ' I recoiled: right was named Pro- 
 ' metheus : he wifhed to ileal fire 
 
"John Gutenberg. 6^ 
 
 " from heaven, to bring down a fpark 
 "of it to our cold gloomy earth. 
 " You have done as he did ; may then 
 " your name, and your art, live for 
 " ever ! " 
 
 Here the young man flood up and 
 drank. Gutenberg meanwhile had 
 w^ith a penfive air been (baking his 
 head and his grey locks, his eyes 
 fixed before him. " Claude," faid 
 he, " thou fpeakeft according to thy 
 
 * years, and thy imagination. Life 
 ' has no fhadows for thee, thy dreams 
 ' have not yet been deflroyed. It 
 
 is different with me. Claude, be- 
 ' lieve what I fay, I fee the time 
 ' coming when thefe little mobile 
 ' letters, which I have difcovered, 
 ' will become living realities ; like 
 ' fo many ferpents, they will climb 
 ' the walls of our Cathedrals, even 
 ' up to the clock towers, and they 
 ' will be as gnawing worms to the 
 
 * old thrones of our Emperors. Yes, 
 9 
 
66 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 thefe moveable letters contain alfo 
 a Satanic element, which thou doft 
 not perceive. I have created, I 
 have invented them, but they can- 
 not be otherwife than deftrudtive. 
 I have lighted a torch, but let the 
 wind and the ftorm arife, and 
 fhake their wings, and I warn them 
 that the flame will fuddenly be- 
 come a devouring fire, confuming 
 everything around it." 
 Claude did not quite underftand 
 the fenfe in which the old prophet 
 uttered his denunciation. His furvey 
 only Ikimmed over the furface of 
 events, without feeking to penetrate 
 beyond, and he was incapable of 
 forefeeing the inevitable confe- 
 quences, the fearful re-adtions which 
 muft enfue from fo wonderful a dif- 
 covery. Full of love for his old 
 mailer, he repeated inceflantly his 
 congratulations to the old man for 
 the imperifhable monument he had 
 
John Gutenberg. 67 
 
 raifed to his own name. This even 
 Gutenberg would not admit. He 
 faid, " My art is not Hke any other 
 ' art ; a painter fketches his figures 
 ' on the canvas, and he perfedts the 
 ' creation of his thought ; the fame 
 ' with the poet, the engraver, the 
 ' architedl, and the mufician ; we, on 
 ' the contrary, with our prefles, are 
 ' only the fervants of others; printing 
 ' is only an inftrument for thinkers. 
 ' Of what importance are the fingers 
 ' which regulate the letters in a 
 ' book .^ Of what importance is the 
 ' hand which works the prefs, which 
 
 * arranges the pages and the leaves, 
 ' which gives a vifible form to the 
 ' adlion of the mind.? Will the 
 ' reader afk who has printed the 
 ' book } He will only care to know 
 ' the name of him who has con- 
 ' ceived it, written it, which name 
 ' will fhine in large letters on the 
 
 * firil page, while we the typogra- 
 
68 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 " phers will only appear at the end 
 " in a modeft paragraph, hardly per- 
 " ceptible, dragged as it were in tow 
 " by the author on his journey to 
 " immortality." 
 
 The Mafter rofe and moved to- 
 wards the window ; outfide a gentle 
 breeze whifpered to the river, to the 
 town, and to the furrounding country, 
 in the ftillnefs of the night. Guten- 
 berg looked up with emotion to the 
 brilliant ftarlight of the heavens. 
 " Lord," murmured he, in a low 
 voice, " thou knoweft the aim which 
 " I have fought, and the nature of 
 " my work, may it all end in Thee ; 
 " let my poor life, my name, be for- 
 " gotten, if fuch be thy will ; let 
 " them be loft in the vaftnefs of thy 
 " Infinity ! " He fpoke, and difap- 
 peared in the recefs of the room, 
 where he was in the habit of feeking 
 repofe for the night. Claude watched 
 him with furprife ; but Lawrence 
 
John. Gutenberg, 69 
 
 Beildech, who had not liftened to his 
 beloved Mafler without being moved 
 to tears, faid foftly to the young man, 
 " He is often fo — he has the heart 
 " of a child — may the Almighty 
 " have him in His holy keeping ! " 
 
 Chapter IV- 
 
 How two Crofters being engaged in a quarrel.^ 
 the poor people of Ma'ience were the fufferers, 
 and Mafler John Gutenberg in particular. 
 
 ERH APS,Reader,you may 
 have happened to witnefs 
 a threatening ftorm en- 
 clofing the hills around 
 with its gloomy wings, while the 
 valley below fleeps carelefsly in the 
 laft rays of a lingering fun. The 
 labourers are ftanding outfide their 
 doors contemplating their harveft 
 with fatisfied looks, the blue fmoke 
 
 i 
 
70 yohn Gutenberg, 
 
 curls as it rifes lightly from the 
 chimneys ; all is calm and ftillnefs, 
 when in one hour, only one fhort 
 
 hour Spare me, Reader, 
 
 the reprefentation of fuch a pidture. 
 Never in the worft times of reli- 
 gious warfare had the city of Mai'ence 
 fuch a day to endure as that of the 
 23 rd of Oftober, 1462. In the ca- 
 lendar it is named Simon and Jude ; 
 and one aiks onefelf if the people 
 of Mai'ence fhould mark it with a 
 black crofs in fign of mourning, as a 
 day really worthy of its patron Judas, 
 or with a red crofs in commemora- 
 tion of the blood which flowed in 
 their city, and the flames which 
 burfling out on all fides confumed 
 their houfes. The prince Adolfe 
 of Nafl^au, in order to compel the 
 Archbifhop Diether to let go his 
 hold, conceived the fomewhat novel 
 expedient, (efpecially fo, when we 
 refledl that it emanated from the 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 71 
 
 brain of a fpiritual fhepherd,) of 
 fmoking his competitor out, as bees 
 are fmoked in order to oblige them 
 to vacate their hives. It might 
 have been about four hours after 
 midnight when a hundred of the 
 boldeft and moft enterprifing of the 
 followers of Adolfe of NaiTau fcaled 
 the wall of the city at its higheft 
 point ; for, exadtly on account of its 
 height, and, above all, of its pofition 
 on the edge of the river, which 
 bathed its feet, it was thought pecu- 
 liarly fafe, and the fentinels, which 
 were pofted elfewhere, were confi- 
 dered unnecelTary at that fpot. 
 
 To leap into the city, to put to 
 the edge of the fword the foldiers 
 who kept the gates, to fet fire to 
 the neareft houfes, whofe inhabitants 
 they -maffacred, was for the invaders 
 the work of a moment. When day 
 began to dawn the flames of thefe 
 incendiary fires lighted up the ftreets, 
 
72 John Gutenberg. 
 
 the alarm bells rang, the houfes re- 
 founded with cries and lamentations, 
 as well as with the noife of arms ; a 
 memorable fpedtacle of anguifh 
 which lafted from the firft rays of 
 the morning until the evening fun 
 retired to reft, bathed as it were in 
 blood, behind the waters of the Rhine. 
 The people defended themfelves in a 
 manner worthy of free citizens ; but, 
 when they beheld 400 of their moft 
 valiant colleagues lying dead in the 
 ftreets, when they faw, above all, 
 women, young girls, and children, 
 throwing themfelves with clafped 
 hands in the midft of the combatants, 
 praying for mercy from the foldiers 
 of Prince Adolfe, who were occu- 
 pied in fetting fire to the houfes 
 which they had firft pillaged, then 
 the poor Maien9ois threw away their 
 arms in defpair, and, as fo many fheep 
 overtaken by a ftorm, they allowed 
 themfelves to be conducted, without 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 73 
 
 refiftance, to the Grand Square of the 
 archiepifcopal city. There it was 
 announced to them, on the part of 
 their new prince, that from that mo- 
 ment they were at Hberty to depart, 
 themfelves, and all who belonged to 
 them, wherever they pleafed, but 
 that they muft leave the town with- 
 out delay by any one of its nume- 
 rous gates. 
 
 I wifh, Reader, you could perufe, as 
 I have done, the ancient Chronicles 
 of the city of Maience. You would 
 therein perceive how the old chroni- 
 clers vie with one another in lament- 
 ing unanimoufly over this bloody 
 page of the hiftory of their city. You 
 would read the heartrending defcrip- 
 tion of the mifery of fo many unfor- 
 tunate creatures, who, mortally 
 wounded and ftricken, faw them- 
 felves baniflied from their hearths 
 without the means of exiftence, 
 leaving behind them defolation and 
 
 10 
 
74 John Gutenberg. 
 
 defpair. How noble and juft, on the 
 other hand, is the anger of thefe fame 
 chroniclers when they fpeak of cer- 
 tain cunning citizens, who, having 
 made a fecret alliance with the Prince 
 of Naffau, now that there was nothing 
 more to fear, openly paraded their 
 affurance in the midft of the general 
 mourning. You might alfo read 
 how one of thefe honeft hiftorians in 
 his fimplicity expreffes indignation 
 againft the Archbifhop Diether, who, 
 aroufed from his morning flumber by 
 the alarm bell, immediately clothes 
 himfelf in difguife to prevent the 
 people from recognizing him ! For- 
 getting, in his hafte, his ring, his 
 crofs, and his crolier, he Hides down 
 by a cord from one of the caftle win- 
 dows, and jumping into a fmall boat, 
 the worthy Paftor, not deigning to 
 caft one look behind him on his poor 
 city in flames, follows the courfe of 
 the ftream without delay. But what 
 
yohn Gutenberg. ys 
 
 then ! O, fimple chronicler, does 
 that aftonifli thee, as if the circum- 
 ftance were in any way extraordinary, 
 or had any right to furprife thee ! 
 
 Amid this muhitude efcaping for 
 its Hfe our chief bufinefs is to look 
 around us, and inquire, in the uni- 
 verfal mifery, what has become of 
 our old acquaintances. 
 
 At the Great St. Humbert the 
 partizans of the Prince of NafTau, 
 we muft confefs, terribly abufed the 
 right of might ; they threw the prefTes 
 out of the windows, when they fell 
 on the pavements and were broken ; 
 in the Rue des Savetiers it literally 
 rained alphabets, the plunderers broke 
 open all the chefts and boxes, with- 
 out finding anything to fatisfy their 
 avidity. Of what avail was it that 
 Mafter Fuft fwore, with clafped 
 hands, that he poffeffed nothing, that 
 he had given up everything ; when 
 he threatened to complain to his bro- 
 
76 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 ther, the Burgomafter, the richeft 
 goldfmith of the city, and one who 
 ftood well in the books of the Arch- 
 bifliop Adolfe, the foldiers anfwered 
 by burfts of laughter ; and on find- 
 ing neither gold nor filver to carry 
 off, their unlettered hands feized the 
 moft valuable impreffions, which 
 they found piled up under the frame- 
 work of the roof. " This is not good 
 " to eat," faid a long-bearded foldier 
 of the Palatinate, " it would be too 
 " indigeftible, but after all it may 
 " ferve as litter for the horfes ;" and, 
 fo faying, he threw fix large in-folios 
 into his great fack, where they dif- 
 appeared as in a gulph. 
 
 The fcene was even ftill more dif- 
 trefiing at the houfe of Peter Schoeffer, 
 who, at the fame time that he tried 
 to infpire his new helpmate with a 
 little courage, entered into a violent 
 difpute with one of his fierce vifitors. 
 Dame Chrifline had retired to the 
 
John Gutenberg. jj 
 
 furtheft end of her apartments, where 
 on her knees, before her prie-Dieu, 
 fhe implored the Virgin mother of 
 God. SchoefFer was running firft 
 into the court-yard, trying to arreft 
 the progrefs of the pillage, and then 
 returning to his wife bringing fcraps 
 of information, which, alas ! were 
 anything * but re-afluring. At this 
 fearful moment an impudent dragoon 
 forced his way fuddenly into the 
 apartment of Dame Chriftine, and 
 looked around with favage and avari- 
 cious eyes to fee what he could feize 
 upon. The poor woman offered 
 trembling all fhe pofTefled in neck- 
 laces and jewels. " Not enough," 
 faid the robber, in a brutal tone, 
 and with both hands he began 
 diving into the chefts. At the bottom 
 of one of them the Pfalter of 1 457 
 fuddenly attracted the eyes of the 
 foldier ; lefs. Reader, as you will readily 
 believe, on account of its beautiful 
 
yS yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 type, than for its filver clafps, which 
 excited the avarice of the Vandal. 
 With a fmile on his Hps he drew out 
 the volume. Dame Chriftine, who 
 valued the Pfalter, not only as her 
 book of devotion, but, alfo, as the 
 wedding gift of her hufband, tried to 
 difpute the poffeffion of it with the 
 invader. At the cries of his wife 
 Schoeffer rufhed into the room, 
 fnatched the book from the hands of 
 the foldier, who defended himfelf, 
 and in trying to' ftrike Schoeffer with 
 the heel of his heavy boot, he wounded 
 him with his fpur. Schoeffer flrug- 
 gled, and feizing the. prie-Dieu hurled 
 it with fuch force in the face of his 
 enemy that he was covered with 
 blood, and began fwearing and howl- 
 ing moft piteoufly. His fellow- 
 foldiers ran to his affiflance ; they 
 drove Schoeffer and Chriftine out of 
 their houfe, a mercilefs hand col- 
 ledted the cinders and live charcoal, 
 
"John Gutenberg. 79 
 
 which were in the hearth of the 
 common fitting-room, and in a few 
 moments the flames burfting forth 
 from every ifTue enveloped the en- 
 tire building with their fiery tongues, 
 as if the maledidtion of the little 
 Parifian againft the houfe of the 
 printer was to be accomplifhed with- 
 out lofs of time. 
 
 The family of Fufi:, afi"embled in 
 the court of the Great St. Humbert, 
 was fending up its cries to Heaven, 
 and uttering ufelefs imprecations 
 againft the plunderers, who, after 
 having pillaged and burned the houfe, 
 left the fmoking ruins, to tempt for- 
 tune by proceeding further in the 
 work of deftrud:ion. It will not be 
 difficult to underftand that the eflforts 
 of the workmen, who knew not 
 to which Saint to vow themfelves, 
 whether they ought to try and ex- 
 tinguifli the fire, or rather attempt to 
 fave what the flames had fpared, 
 
8o yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 (hould have remained without much 
 refult. Neither did the neighbours, 
 in the midfl of the general confufion, 
 feel much difpofed to come to the 
 aid of a man who by his haughtinefs 
 in profperity had eftranged them 
 from him. Fuft, not knowing what 
 he was about, tore his hair and threw 
 it into the flames, which were con- 
 fuming his property ; the Burgo- 
 mafter, his brother, too much oc- 
 cupied with the general diftrefs, or, 
 which is more probable, completely 
 abforbed in the care of his own con- 
 cerns, found no time to think of his 
 own flefh and blood. In every part 
 of this wretched city, enemies, plun- 
 derers, and mafTacrers, were alone to 
 be feen ; the gates were clofed, and 
 the entrances to private houfes care- 
 fully barricaded from the infide. 
 Fuft, incapable of giving any orders, 
 flood motionlefs watching the flames, 
 while Chriftine, in defpair, hid her 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 8i 
 
 face in her hufband's bofom. The 
 workmen wandered here and there, 
 with hands clafped, and high above 
 •their heads the fire crackled and 
 fparkled, the beams were fwallowed 
 up in the blaze, and in the air paper 
 afhes flew about, tofled in malicious 
 play by the frelh breeze of the morn- 
 ing. 
 
 To defcribe the impreflion pro- 
 duced by this fcene would be almoft 
 impoflible. It was folitude and 
 filence, annihilation and defpair in 
 the midft of turmoil and clamour. 
 At this moment a new perfonage ap- 
 peared on the fcene. " May God 
 " and His mercy be with you all, 
 " poor unfortunate creatures ! " faid 
 the new comer, in a tone of compaf- 
 fion at once deep and iincere. If we 
 add that inftead of thanks the fpeaker 
 was only anfwered by cold recogni- 
 tions, and met by eyes from whence 
 flafhed hatred and defiance, every 
 1 1 
 
82 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 one will guefs that it was John Gu- 
 tenberg, who, with his knapfack on 
 his back, his pilgrim's ftafF in his 
 hand, and his doublet tucked up- 
 for a journey, had juft entered the 
 court-yard of the Great St. Humbert. 
 It was indeed he, and Fuft, glad to 
 find fome one on whom to vent his 
 anger, hurled thefe words at him, ac- 
 companied by looks as fiery as the 
 flames which were confuming his 
 houfe. " Man — what brings you 
 " here ? Are you come to feaft your 
 " eyes on the fight of our mifery, 
 " or, perhaps, to beg your bread from 
 " beggars.''" Theperfonfooffenfively 
 addrefTed, contented himfelf with 
 {baking his head gently, and without 
 even looking at SchoefFer, who at 
 the fight of Gutenberg had turned 
 away, taking Dame Chrifliine with 
 him. " I imagined," faid the old 
 man, " that at fuch a time of uni- 
 " verfal fuffering you would, doubt- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 83 
 
 ' lefs, have forgotten our little former 
 ' quarrels, and if I come it is to learn 
 ' your fate, anxious to hold out a 
 
 * hand of fuccour, if fuch is in my 
 
 * power. I have already loft all re- 
 ' colledlion that vv^e parted in anger, 
 
 * and hope that I may ftill have the 
 ' means of ftiowing my intereft in a 
 ' houfe in w^hich I w^orked for fo 
 ' many years w^ith you and your fon- 
 
 * in-law." Fuft, for all anfwer, re- 
 plied, " You fee there is nothing 
 
 * left to be done here, or to be car- 
 
 * ried away, we are all ruined like 
 ' yourfelf " 
 
 ** Mafter," replied Gutenberg, 
 ' let there be an end of all petty 
 ' jealoufy. I am not in a better 
 ' condition than you are ; the par- 
 ' tifans of Naffau have done what 
 
 * they lifted at the Syndic's houfe ; 
 
 * my preffes are broken, my alpha- 
 ' bets fcattered, nothing is left but 
 ' the bare houfe and walls." 
 
84 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 SchoefFer had in the meanwhile 
 re-entered, and, taking part in the 
 converfation, faid with bitternefs to 
 his former patron, " Well, moft 
 " worthy fir, you, it appears to me, 
 " have only caufe for increafed tran- 
 " quillity ; is it not well known that 
 " you pofTefs no ad:ual right in your 
 " prefTes, and that you only continue 
 " your profeffion at the riik and 
 " peril of the Syndic ?" At this un- 
 feeling fpeech one might have feen 
 a vivid colour mount up in the face 
 of the old man. " It is true, it is as 
 " you fay," replied he ; " but who 
 " ought to know better than your- 
 " felf the caufe of my misfortunes ? 
 " I do not mourn over the little I 
 " may have loft, my only regret is to 
 " fee my work interrupted ; time 
 " and bodily ftrength are wearing 
 " away, two things of which an old 
 " man may well be covetous, that is 
 " my forrow, for who knows when, 
 
, yohn Gutenberg, 85 
 
 " or where, the Mafter may find a 
 " place in which to fet up once more 
 " his compofitor's table ? " 
 
 " Do you ftill think then," faid 
 Fuft, in a deprefled tone, " that it 
 " will ever be poflible to re-eftablifh 
 " a printing-houfe ? Yours and mine 
 " were the two firft, believe me, they 
 " will be the two laft. Every one 
 " will avoid in future the revival of 
 " a profeflion on which the curfe of 
 " heaven fo evidently refts. You 
 " and I to be fo completely ruined ! 
 " O curfed be the hour when you 
 " firft crofTed my threfhold, when 
 " by enticing words you perfuaded 
 " me to join in the work of Satan ! 
 " May it pafs away for ever, and 
 " vanifti like the fmoke ifluing from 
 " my houfe, and come to nothing, 
 " like this calcined plank on which 
 " refted the firft printing prefs ! " 
 
 A loud crafh ferved as an accom- 
 paniment to this terrible wifh. The 
 
86 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 yard, and the ftreet in which it flood 
 were buried under the fragments, 
 the duft, the cinders, and the burning 
 timber. One workman difappeared 
 under the avalanche, the others ran 
 away with loud cries. SchoefFer 
 carried his weeping wife far from 
 this fcene of defolation ; the old Fuft 
 and Gutenberg remained alone in 
 the midft of the ruin. The former 
 with both hands over his eyes had 
 fallen almoft to the ground on his 
 trembling knees. Gutenberg, on the 
 contrary, as if renewed with the 
 vigour of youth, flood ered:, and lay- 
 ing his hand on the fhoulder of his 
 antagonifl, he addreffed the follow- 
 ing words to him, in a tone of in- 
 fpired prophecy. " O you of little 
 " faith, who think becaufe the tem- 
 " pie is in flames that the Divinity 
 " mufl alfo burn ! That which hap- 
 " pens now happens juflly, for your 
 " labour has been far lefs for the fake 
 
John Gutenberg. 87 
 
 " of your art, and its progrefs, than 
 " for your own perfonal intereft. I 
 " tell you, Mailer Fuft, this art, of 
 " which you defpair, {hall be eternal 
 " as the word which created it is 
 " great in the fight of men ; and it 
 " is as little likely to perifh in the 
 " flames of your dwelling, as the 
 " heavens are likely to perifh which 
 " you fee flretched out fo far above 
 " you, in their blue ftillnefs and 
 " beauty ! Behold, Mafter Fuft, your 
 " workfhop is empty, your workmen 
 " are difperfed — refleft on what I 
 " fay ! Fate, fitting above your head 
 " bowed down with grief, fcatters 
 " the afhes of your books to the four 
 " winds of heaven ; well, by the very 
 " fad: of the fufpenfion of our work, 
 " and banifhment from our hearths 
 " and homes, our art will extend it- 
 " felf to the fartheft corners of the 
 " world. Let then all burn that can 
 " burn, O Fuft ! The art of print- 
 
88 yohn Gutenberg, 
 
 " ing is a Phoenix which will rife 
 " from its afhes and cover the whole 
 " world with its wings ! " 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 The Lord Archbijhop Adolfe ofNaJfau having he- 
 thought him of John Gutenberg^ the printer^ 
 caufes a fearch to he made for him hy one of his 
 horfemen, who finds him in a fijherman's hut. 
 
 N the diftria of the Rhein- 
 gau, on the right-hand 
 fide of the great river, fome 
 miles below Maience, is a 
 little town to which, in the prefent 
 day, is given two different names, ac- 
 cording to fancy ; it is fometimes 
 called Eltvil or Elfeld. When thofe 
 fmoking Leviathans, the fteam- 
 boats, pafs roaring before the modeft 
 houfes of Eltvil, the found of the 
 filvery bell has fcarcely echoed in the 
 
"John Gutenberg. 89 
 
 air, when a little boat, carrying a 
 white and red flag, is unmoored and 
 cuts fwiftly through the water. It 
 arrives alongfide, the paflengers 
 mount the large velTel, but the tourifts, 
 ftrutting up and down the deck, 
 fcarcely condefcend to call even a 
 vacant look on their new fellow-tra- 
 vellers. " And why fhould they .? Of 
 what importance to the fair daugh- 
 ter of Albion, reclining on one of 
 the benches, is the graceful Rheingau 
 peafant, who, with her balket on her 
 arm, and her knitting in her hand, 
 mounts filently the fide of the boat, 
 and after addreffing her parting adieus 
 to her friends, male and female, 
 whom fhe leaves on the bank, goes 
 quietly and takes her feat on a ruflic 
 wooden ftool. 
 
 It is at Eltvil that we fhall take 
 up again the thread of our ftory, 
 which was fo abruptly broken by the 
 incendiary of Mai'ence. Three years 
 
90 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 have paffed fince that event, three 
 cruel years to the poor inhabitants of 
 the Rhine country. Gutenberg has 
 refumed, as before, his pilgrim's ftafF. 
 Claude Mufny w^alks in front in 
 charge of the light baggage of the 
 little caravan, and this joyous child of 
 a light-hearted nation, thanks to his 
 gaiety, which neither privations nor 
 contrarieties can reach, has it often 
 in his power to bring back moments 
 of forgetfulnefs and ferenity to the 
 old man. Lawrence Beildech, infe- 
 parable from his mafter, walks by 
 his fide, fometimes fupporting Gu- 
 tenberg's faltering fteps, and when 
 neceffary coming to the affiftance of 
 his failing eyefight. 
 
 What a caravan, and what a 
 journey ; and what thoughts muft 
 have pafled through the mind of the 
 chief adtor and guide when he re- 
 fledled, efpecially on that firft occa- 
 fion of his flight in this very fame 
 
John Gutenberg. 91 
 
 direftion — a flight then refembhng 
 that of an eagle foaring from its 
 nefl! Beildech carefully avoided every 
 word vv^hich might recal thofe days 
 to his Mafler ; but one evening w^hen 
 our travellers had halted on a hill 
 overlooking the Rhine, Gutenberg 
 broke the general filence by faying, 
 vv^ith much fadnefs, " Doft thou re- 
 " colledt, my good Beildech, how in 
 " the year — 20 we travelled this 
 " road together ? I proudly on horfe- 
 " back, a boafting young ariftocrat, 
 " juft like all the refl:, thinking my- 
 " felf quite equal to the Furftenberg, 
 " the Volkfberg, the Gelthufs, the 
 " Humbert, canft thou not fee me 
 " now with my fine floating feather 
 " faftened to my velvet cap, and my 
 " flafhed doublet covered with an 
 " abundance of ribbon ? Ah, Law- 
 " rence, how handfome it was ! and 
 " how merrily we pafl^ed by on the road 
 " heavily mounted cavaliers fent by 
 
92 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " the abbots and the citizens, fo de- 
 " firous were we to be the firft to 
 " falute the Emperor Rupert ; and, 
 " afterwards, when we were far away, 
 " how the people of Mai'ence came 
 
 " and attacked our houfes " 
 
 " Ah ! thofe were good old times," 
 faid Beildech, fighing and fhaking 
 his head. 
 
 " Yes, thou art right ; they were 
 " happy times," replied Gutenberg. 
 " Alas ! when will our weary pil- 
 " grimage and our forrows come to 
 " an end ? " At thefe words, which 
 fell with fome bitternefs from his 
 lips, the noble old man fixed his 
 gaze on the glorious fetting fun, 
 whofe brilliant rays furrounded his 
 thinly covered head, and his pale 
 forrow-ftricken face. One might 
 have faid that they wifhed to form 
 a luminous martyr's crown around 
 him. 
 
 Gutenberg did not fpeak without 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 93 
 
 reafon of his trials, for during three 
 fucceffive years the little caravan had 
 wandered along the Rhine, now def- 
 cending, now re-mounting it, and 
 our three travellers had arrived in 
 this manner as far as Stralburg, where 
 Gutenberg wifhed to remain, hoping 
 in that city to meet with old friends. 
 He knocked on all fides, but found 
 only clofed hearts or faftened doors. 
 No one cared about typography ; the 
 facking of Maience had difperfed 
 crowds of fugitive workmen to all 
 parts of the Rhine country, and 
 printers were in fuch efpecial abund- 
 ance, that there feemed no opening 
 anywhere for the old man. To 
 place himfelf under the orders of 
 another was what the Mafter could 
 not make up his mind to do. Gu- 
 tenberg wifhed for his own workfhop, 
 and to work at his own hours, even 
 though his purfe fhould remain 
 fcantily furnifhed. 
 
94 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 At the end of three years the 
 peregrinations of the caravan came 
 to an abrupt termination ; a termi- 
 nation which it certainly did not 
 feek or defire. Gutenberg fell fud- 
 denly dangeroufly ill. It was with 
 difficulty that his companions pro- 
 cured him {helter and a lodging 
 with a boatman, who poiTefled, on 
 the left bank of the Rhine, oppofite 
 the rich and powerful convent of 
 Erbach, a hut where he earned a 
 fcanty livelihood, partly by fifhing, 
 partly by the profits he made in carry- 
 ing over pilgrims in his little boat 
 to the monaftery. It was here that 
 Gutenberg was obliged to remain, 
 overcome by ficknefs. The place 
 fuited him inafmuch as it was re- 
 moved from the haunts of men, 
 which the old man, foured by grief 
 and depreffed by misfortune, endea- 
 voured, every day more and more, to 
 avoid ; the hut, which was buried 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 95 
 
 in the vine-branches, overlooked the 
 Rhine, whofe w^aters almoft bathed 
 its threfhold. 
 
 It is thus that, in the year of Our 
 Lord Jefus 1465, John Gutenberg, 
 the inventor of the art of printing, 
 w^as laid up under this wretched roof, 
 a prey to ficknefs, forgotten and for- 
 faken by mankind. The moft trying 
 feafon of the year had found him 
 ftill travelling ; fatigue, illnefs, grief, 
 difappointment of every kind, had 
 overpow^ered the old man, and it 
 was on this account that his two com- 
 panions watched with fo much anx- 
 iety and anguifh by the fide of their 
 mailer's pallet. They fhared be- 
 tween them the care of the fufferer, 
 and while Claude Mufny went about 
 here and there offering his fervices 
 to the vine-dreflers, and the monks 
 of the convent, Beildech remained 
 in attendance on his mafter. Occa- 
 fionally, at rare intervals, a monk of 
 
96 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 Erbach, expert in the art of heal- 
 ing, crofTed the water, at the earneft 
 entreaty of Claude, to vifit the infirm 
 old man, whofe ordinary phyfician 
 was a fhepherd of the neighbour- 
 hood, who, by means of potions and 
 prayers, vainly endeavoured to reftore 
 vitality to an exiftence already worn 
 out. 
 
 On one of the laft evenings of the 
 autumn of this fame year, Beildech 
 and the young Frenchman fat by 
 Gutenberg's couch watching his 
 reftlefs and feverifh fleep Outfide, 
 the night was dark and gloomy ; the 
 waters of the Rhine, fwollen by the 
 rain, beat againft the walls of the hut, 
 and a {harp wind which blew down in 
 fqualls from the hills fhook the 
 framework of the miferable dwell- 
 ing. The fick man had been fuflfer- 
 ing all day ; he complained of a burn- 
 ing heat in his head, efpecially in his 
 eyes, and Beildech had obferved with 
 
John Gutenberg. 97 
 
 uneafinefs his uncertain and heiita- 
 ting hold of the porringer when put 
 into his hand. Claude fat filent at 
 the foot of the bed, and every time 
 that Gutenberg moved or moaned 
 the fhepherd began muttering unin- 
 telligible prayers. Beildech flood at 
 the w^indow^ liftening to the noife of 
 the river and the w^ailing of the 
 w^ind. 
 
 The hut w^hen Gutenberg awoke 
 was in profound darknefs. In a faint 
 voice he afked for a light. Beildech 
 went out and lighted a refinous torch, 
 which he placed in an iron ring in 
 the wall, fattened there for the pur- 
 pofe, and clofe to Gutenberg's bed. 
 The latter hearing the door creak on 
 its hinges lifted himfelf up. " A 
 "light — light!" faidhe; then again, 
 after a fhort paufe, he added in an 
 impatient tone, " Is there then no 
 " one here who will condefcend to 
 " grant the favour of a light to an 
 
 '3 
 
98 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 " old man, to while away the tedious 
 " hours of darknefs ? " 
 
 Beildech, trembling from head to 
 foot, drew the young Frenchman 
 quickly to the other fide of the bed. 
 " Beloved Mafter," he faid, " be fo 
 " good as to turn and to open your 
 " eyes, the torch is in its ufual place." 
 
 " I tell thee thou lieft," faid Gu- 
 tenberg angrily, " is not everything 
 " here as dark as in a tomb ? Claude, 
 " my fon, anfwer me — where art 
 " thou .?" 
 
 He whom he called was clofe to 
 his mafter's head, he fhuddered as he 
 bent down towards him. " Here I 
 " am," he faid, in a low voice, tak- 
 ing hold affedtionately of his mafter's 
 hand ; but the latter pufhed him 
 away, and ftretching out his arm to- 
 wards the torch he laid hold of it, 
 and brought it clofe to his eyes. He 
 could no longer fee it ! 
 
 With a cry of defpair, and bury- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 99 
 
 ing in his hands thofe eyes from 
 which the Hght was for ever fhut out, 
 Gutenberg threw himfelf back on 
 his pallet. " I underftand you," he 
 faid to his two companions, who 
 were fobbing aloud, " but I cannot 
 " fee you. I fmell the odour of the 
 " refin, but its flame no longer pene- 
 " trates the darknefs which envelopes 
 " me. O miferable man that I am ! 
 " Alas, I am afflifted like Tobias, 
 " but Tobias without a fon ! " 
 
 After the firft burft of defpair, fi- 
 lence once more reigned in the hut. 
 The fhepherd, who, in this refpedt, 
 much refembled the dodtors of our 
 own days, when he was at a lofs 
 what more to do, flunk noifelefsly 
 away. The young Frenchman, quite 
 overcome with grief, was on his 
 knees by the fide of the bed, while 
 Beildech, the torch in his hand, held 
 it clofe to the eyes of the old man, 
 as if he fought by this means to re- 
 
loo "John Gutenberg. 
 
 ftore the light which was quenched 
 for ever. 
 
 Such was the pidlure prefented by 
 the interior of the hut, when the 
 found of an approaching horfe came 
 fuddenly to reheve the folitude of 
 our poor fufferers. Beildech was 
 juft opening the window to Uften, 
 when the fifherman ufliered in a 
 horfeman wet to the fkin, and 
 covered with mud. " Here," faid 
 the boatman, " behold him of whom 
 you are in fearch." 
 
 The horfeman bent his tall figure 
 as he entered the low door of the 
 dwelling. " He whom I feek," faid 
 he to Beildech, who advanced 
 gloomily, " is called John Guten- 
 berg, and he is from Mai'ence." 
 
 The old man, hearing his name 
 pronounced by a ftranger, fat up to 
 liften, and motioned to his attendant 
 to be filent. His pride revolted at 
 the idea of being difcovered in fuch 
 
yohn Gutenberg. loi 
 
 an abode ; turning towards the door 
 from whence the voice proceeded, 
 he faid rather roughly to the horfe- 
 man, " And who told you to come 
 " and feek that noble gentleman 
 " here in this wretched hut? Pafs 
 " on, my friend, and leave honeft 
 " people to reft in peace." 
 
 " That is a pity," faid the cavalier, 
 cafting a doubtful look at the fick 
 man, " yes, it is a great pity that 
 " fuch good news fhould meet with fo 
 " rude a reception. He to whom my 
 " meifage is addreffed will doubtlefs 
 " receive me with more politenefs." 
 " Are you quite fure of that ? " 
 " I think fo at leaft," faid he, 
 drawing from under his doublet a 
 roll of parchment. " Here is what 
 " I bring from our worthy Lord 
 " Archbiftiop — a letter which could 
 " not fail to rejoice the old gentle- 
 " man if I could only put it into his 
 " hands. I have been for weeks on 
 
102 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " his track, and only yefterday the 
 " reverend fathers of Erbach fent 
 " me here." 
 
 At thefe words Lawrence and 
 Claude, in whofe face a fanguine 
 curiofity was clearly legible, ap- 
 proached the cavalier. " If you 
 " could make up your mind," faid 
 Lawrence, pointing filently to his 
 mafter, " to leave your meflage with 
 "us, I will anfwer for it, on my 
 " head, that it could not fall into 
 " better hands, for the retreat of the 
 " noble John Gutenberg is perfedlly 
 " well known to us." " Well then," 
 replied the horfeman, who was not 
 flow to underftand, " I agree to that 
 " readily," and he placed the fcroll 
 in the old man's hands. " For my 
 " part I am glad to be at laft releafed 
 " from my troublefome commiffion, 
 " and if the boatman will take me 
 " acrofs the river to-night, I can at 
 " any rate reach Eltvil, where my 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 103 
 
 " moft gracious mafter, the Arch- 
 " bifliop Adolfe, whom God preferve, 
 " has fixed his refidence." 
 
 The fpurs of the horfeman were 
 ftill refounding on the threfhold 
 when Claude feized the fcroll out of 
 Gutenberg's hands, and haftily ap- 
 proaching the refinous torch, he took 
 a rapid 'furvey of the miffive from 
 which hung, in a cafe, the great feal 
 of wax of the Archbifhop. 
 
 " Mafter," cried he, falling on his 
 knees, with a joyous exclamation, 
 " it is when our diftrefs is at its height 
 " that our Lord is neareft to us!" And 
 his tears, which were no longer of 
 forrow but of joy, and his kiffes, co- 
 vered the old man's hands. 
 
 " Peace, peace, young fcatter- 
 " brain !" faid Gutenberg, who could, 
 however, with difficulty control his 
 own emotion. " What can this 
 " miffive contain capable of thus 
 " exciting our little Frenchman } " 
 
I04 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " Deliverance for you, O my 
 " Mailer !" repeated Claude, in a tone 
 of jubilee, and he gave the parch- 
 ment back to Gutenberg, vv^hofe 
 trembling fingers w^andered over the 
 ribbon and the feal. Claude had 
 forgotten that the old man w^as no 
 longer able to read it; Beildech 
 w^as obliged to recall the fad: to him. 
 Claude then retook the fcroU, and 
 began deciphering with fome diffi- 
 culty, and many interruptions from 
 the fobs of Lawrence, this document, 
 a precious relic, which we here re-pro- 
 duce in the fimple language of thofe 
 times. 
 
 *' We Adolphe the eleSled Lord and 
 " injl ailed Archbijhop of Maience, do 
 " recognize by this prefent, that we 
 " have accepted, as ufeful and agree- 
 " able to our perfon, the fervices ren- 
 " dered to us by our dear and faithful 
 * ' John Gutenberg, that is why,excited 
 " to this adl by the efpecial grace of 
 
"John Gutenberg. 105 
 
 God, we have chofen and eledied 
 him for our fervant, worthy of 
 forming one of our court. Not 
 permitting ourfelves, nor wifhing 
 for the term of his Hfe, to deny 
 him our good offices ; hoping that 
 for our fervice he may recover 
 himfelf, we grant him each year, 
 when "we clothe our community, 
 veftments after the fafhion of our 
 gentlemen ; and (hall caufe to be 
 given to him the drefs of our 
 court, and every year twenty 
 bufhels of wheat, and two tuns of 
 wine, for the ufe of his houfehold ; 
 and for that the faid Gutenberg 
 (hall have no temptation to fell or 
 to give thefe away, the aforefaid 
 bufhels of wheat and tuns of wine 
 fhall have free entrance, and ex- 
 emption from duty, in this our 
 city of Maience, for as many years 
 as the faid Gutenberg fhall live, 
 and fo long as he fhall remain our 
 14 
 
io6 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " fervant. In teftimony whereof we 
 " defpatch him this prefent." 
 
 The fcroll of parchment fell from 
 the hands of the reader, and it was a 
 touching fight to fee the old Law- 
 rence preffing the right hand of his 
 beloved mafter, while, with uplifted 
 face towards heaven, he murmured, 
 " Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant 
 " depart in peace !" 
 
 As for Gutenberg, pale and mo- 
 tionlefs on his pallet, a few ftray tears 
 wandered down his cheeks on to his 
 grizzled beard, but not a mufcle of 
 his face, or a movement of his body, 
 denoted that life ftill exifted within 
 him ; but when his two faithful com- 
 panions tried each to lay hold of one 
 of his hands, he put them gently 
 afide, fobs efcaped him, and he faid, 
 fhaking his head, "It is too late, 
 " thefe eyes can no longer fee any- 
 " thing, they can only weep ! " 
 
 We who have come into the world 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 107 
 
 four centuries later, and who, accord- 
 ing to a pompous infcription, aere per 
 totam Ruropam collato, which figni- 
 fies, by means of fubfcriptions raifed 
 throughout all Europe, let monu- 
 ments be eredted upon monuments, 
 at Mai'ence, at Strafburg, at Gern- 
 Iheim, at Haarlem, and Heaven 
 knows where elfe, in honour of the 
 art and its inventor, why do we not 
 rather enclofe in the pedeftal of the 
 ftatue a fragment of the parchment 
 bearing the old document? And 
 thou, fair Reader, whofe only thought 
 is rapture at the intelled: diffufed 
 throughout the album of Gutenberg, 
 and you, fuccefTors and difciples of 
 the great Mafter, who build palaces 
 for your printing-works, and laftly, 
 you fpedtators who think that 1 0,000 
 crowns fpent upon a feftival ought 
 not to weigh too heavily in the 
 budget of a town, recoUedt him who 
 was the originator, and is ftill the 
 
io8 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 hero ; he owed it to the bounty of 
 a generous prince that he received 
 annually twenty bufhels of wheat 
 and two tuns of wine ! 
 
 But here let us be filent, for, Rea- 
 der, you doubtlefs recoUedt a certain 
 old proverb which fays, " Vieille chan- 
 '^fon vieille hijloire !" 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 Death of yohn Gutenberg. Reader, pray for 
 the repofe of his foul : his poor remains fleep in 
 an unknown tomb. 
 
 ISTORY, in tranfmitting 
 to us the decree of Adolfe 
 of Naflau, has provided us 
 with a proof of the libe- 
 rahty of this Prince of the Church, 
 but fhe remains filent when we in- 
 quire by what fervices Gutenberg 
 could have drawn upon himfelf fuch 
 favours. Some authors pretend that 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 109 
 
 the old man, being a fecret partifan 
 of NalTau, had affifted in the fur- 
 prife of his native town ; the folitude 
 in which Gutenberg Uved, and his 
 diftafte for all political affairs, do not 
 allow us, for a moment, to entertain 
 fuch a fuppofition. For our part 
 we would rather conclude that the 
 Archbi{hop, after having taken vio- 
 lent poffeffion of the capital, be- 
 thought him of this one of its chil- 
 dren. Accident had doubtlefs brought 
 back to the memory of the prince 
 the poor houfelefs inventor of an art 
 which at that time was making much 
 noife. Why fhould we feek an ex- 
 planation for that which unaccounted 
 for appears to me far nobler and 
 more humane ? 
 
 The Archbifhop held his court at 
 Eltvil. That town muft have been 
 more thickly inhabited, and of more 
 importance then than it is at pre- 
 fent. The great caftle of Eltvil had 
 
1 1 John Gutenberg. 
 
 not yet been the vidlim of the flames 
 of France, and theArchbifhop Adolfe, 
 not placing as yet entire confidence 
 in the hearts and fidelity of the fheep 
 of his flock, had hefitated to eftablifti 
 his refidence in Maience itfelf. It 
 was then towards Eltvil that John 
 Gutenberg diredted his fteps, fup- 
 ported by his faithful Claude, and 
 accompanied by Lawrence Beildech. 
 He was no longer a wandering Be- 
 lifarius; but he was not thelefs a poor 
 blind old man, whom the liberality 
 of his prince had fought out too late, 
 and whofe exiflence could not be re- 
 animated by the tardy favours of a 
 court. Reader, fpare me the recital 
 of that fcene where the fightlefs old 
 man entered the archiepifcopal re- 
 fidence to render his thanks in per- 
 fon to his powerful patron. At the 
 fight of that tall figure, fo cruelly 
 bent with age and infirmities, the 
 prelates, full to repletion and florid 
 
John Gutenberg. 1 1 1 
 
 with health, afked each other in low 
 tones, " Is that then the man who 
 " teaches the art of printing ? " We 
 do not confider that thefe words con- 
 vey any very lively or deep fympathy 
 with the great difcoverer of fo im- 
 menfe a work on the part of the 
 wearers of ftoles and of armour. 
 After fo'many trials and misfortunes, 
 Heaven only granted a few fhort years 
 to the old man, wherein to enjoy 
 his modefl competency. He appeared 
 — forgive me, Reader, for the com- 
 parifon, I allow it isfomewhat ftale^ — 
 like the fetting fun burfling through 
 a veil of clouds before him, in order 
 to difappear, a moment afterwards, in 
 folitary grandeur and majefty be- 
 hind the diftant hills. Gutenberg 
 could no longer fee this fine fun 
 rifing and fetting on the Rheingau, 
 but now and then, neverthelefs, he 
 wandered, guided by his two faith- 
 ful companions, to the banks of the 
 
1 1 2 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 great river, and fat down to liften to 
 its gentle undulation as it flowed. 
 Few words now efcaped his lips ; 
 thofe lips, alas ! which had been fo 
 fteeped in bitternefs that they could 
 fcarcely tafle the honey of his latter 
 days, and under the impreflion of 
 great forrow remained inceffantly 
 fealed. 
 
 It was thus that the year 1466 
 pafled away to our three friends, 
 who ftill remained faithful to their 
 retreat ; the feafon of Spring had be- 
 gun to revive the earth with its firfl 
 warm breath. Gutenberg, then fe- 
 venty years of age, was flanding one 
 morning at the window of the hut 
 while his young companion trained 
 the vine-branches which covered the 
 wall of the humble abode like tapef- 
 try. Scraps of fongs and ballads fol- 
 lowed each other merrily from the 
 lips of the lively Parifian. Guten- 
 berg, probably, underftood them but 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 1 1 3 
 
 little ; Claude's clear voice, however, 
 pleafed him. 
 
 At this jundlure the young man 
 heard himfelf called violently by his 
 mafter. He haftily put down his 
 pruning-knife, and ran to the door 
 of the hut, where he found Guten- 
 berg, who, by the help of his ftick, 
 was trying to come to him. " Thy 
 " fong," faid he, in a trembling voice, 
 " thy laft fong, repeat it to me." 
 Claude looked at his mafter with 
 furprife, and began to fing afrefh — 
 
 " So'ir et matin, filles, n'allezfollettes 
 " ^ierre es gazons derraines violettes." 
 
 Gutenberg hardly gave the finger 
 time to pronounce thefe few words 
 when he drew him violently towards 
 him, and prefTed him to his heart. 
 " Young man," faid he, "from whom 
 " haft thou learnt that fong ?" " My 
 " mother taught it to me," replied 
 Claude, " in my childhood, while I 
 " played with fmall quoits on the 
 
 '5 
 
114 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " Place de Greve." Here the old 
 man remained for a moment in deep 
 thought ; prefently he faid, " Seeft 
 ' thou, Claude, thou art an honeft 
 ' lad, and by thy fidelity thou haft 
 * merited my confidence. This fong 
 ' touched my heart, becaufe it 
 ' brought back to me the laft word, 
 ' the laft found of the voice of one 
 ' whom I loved, dearly loved ; fince 
 ' then how many years have pafTed 
 ' away ! I (hall never hear that 
 ' voice again, alas ! never as in days 
 ' gone by ! " 
 
 Gutenberg, overcome by his emo- 
 tion, was filent, and it was as well, 
 perhaps, that he did not fee the agi- 
 tation in which his words had thrown 
 the young man. " Now, Claude," 
 faid he, after a paufe, " go, return 
 " to thy vine, but thou muft fing that 
 " fong to me once every evening, 
 " doft thou hear } Give me thy hand, 
 "child." Claude held it out. "Thou 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 1 1 5 
 
 " trembleft ; tell me, what ails thee ?" 
 afked Gutenberg, in a tone of mif- 
 truft, not uncommon to the blind. 
 " Nothing, Mafler." " But I will 
 " know the reafon of thy agitation ; 
 " thy hand burns." " Well, be- 
 " caufe you tell me that you have 
 " confidence in me, and at the fame 
 " time ^ou hide from me the caufe 
 " of your grief!" 
 
 Claude had uttered thefe laft words 
 with anguifh, almoft in the tone of 
 a fuppliant who haftens to feize the 
 favourable moment. Gutenberg 
 turned away, and after a fomewhat 
 prolonged filence, he faid, in a low 
 voice, to the young Frenchman — 
 " Claude, a countrywoman of thine 
 " once fang that fong to me in bid- 
 " ding me adieu — a good girl, who 
 " had a noble heart — her name was 
 " fhe fame as thy mother's ; thou 
 " fayefl thy mother's name is Gif- 
 " quette." The old man hid his 
 
ii6 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 face in his hands, while Claude, fall- 
 ing at Gutenberg's feet, embraced his 
 knees, murmuring, " My father, my 
 " father ! Do you not guefs ? She 
 " who fang that fong was my mo- 
 " ther!" 
 
 A cry efcaped from Gutenberg ; 
 his ftick fell from his hand ; the 
 iightlefs eyes feemed to feek the face 
 of the young man at his knees. " It 
 " is falfe," he faid ; " have pity on 
 " me — O tell me not an untruth ! " 
 
 " By the quenched light of thofe 
 " eyes, which I love, by the heart of 
 " Gifquette, I fpeak the truth. I 
 " am thy fon, and fhe was my 
 " mother ! " Claude uttered thefe 
 words with all the vivacity of a 
 Frenchman. Gutenberg anfwered 
 not, his bofom heaved painfully — 
 one could fee the ftruggle between 
 miftruft and the wifh to believe. 
 
 " But why " afked he. " Fa- 
 
 " ther," replied Claude, who per- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 1 1 7 
 
 ceived at once what was pafling in 
 Gutenberg's mind, " doft thou not 
 yet underftand the nature of my 
 miflion, why I prefented myfelf to 
 thee, why I followed thee, how it 
 is that I have ended by loving thee 
 as I do, even to adoration? And 
 doft thou not guefs how I was 
 bound" by my mother, by a folemn 
 oath, never to utter a lingle word 
 that could recall her to thy me- 
 mory, until thou thyfelf hadft in 
 fome manner named her ? — * Be, 
 if it muft be fo, his moft humble 
 attendant, for he is thy father ; 
 and if thou findeft Gutenberg in 
 profperity, which I pray Heaven he 
 may be, and he has forgotten the 
 days at Aix-la-Chapelle, oh, do 
 not invoke the fhade of poor Gif- 
 quette to place it between him and 
 happinefs ! But if he is in trouble 
 he will of himfelf think of me ; 
 then fall at his feet, kifs the ground 
 
1 1 8 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 " he treads on, and fay to him, Be 
 " comforted, it is Jhe who fends thy 
 " fon to thee!'" 
 
 " Enough, enough, by the Holy 
 " Saviour, enough ! " cried Guten- 
 berg, ftraining in his arms the young 
 man who ftill knelt before him. 
 " Yes, it is fhe herfelf ! I recognize 
 " her in thofe words, my fon ! my 
 " child ! " 
 
 A thunderbolt would not have fe- 
 parated thofe two men clafped to- 
 gether. The old man, although 
 unable to look upon the fon who 
 had been given to him, uttered no 
 complaint ; his lips, his hands, his 
 arms, were as fo many eyes to him. 
 " Before I knew," faid Gutenberg, 
 " the treafure I pofTeffed in thee, I 
 " recoUedl tracing in the frank and 
 " amiable expreflion of thy face 
 " fomething of my Gifquette." 
 
 When they had recovered them- 
 felves a little from their firft emotion. 
 
yohn Gutenberg. i 19 
 
 Gutenberg became fufficiently calm 
 to fpeak to Claude of his mother. 
 He could not fee the eyes of the young 
 man raifed to heaven, but, in the 
 outburft of grief with which he threw 
 himfelf into his father's arms — " I 
 " underftand," he faid ; " fhe awaits 
 " me there — above ! " 
 
 Lawrence Beildech, on his return 
 from the fields, found the old man 
 and Claude ftill fitting happily fide 
 by fide. " Lawrence," cried Guten- 
 berg, whofe ftep he had recognized, 
 " Lawrence, I have found a fon ! " 
 
 Beildech received this information 
 with much furprife, and Claude, lefs 
 to juftify his allegations than to 
 furnifh a tangible proof to the old 
 fervant, drew from his trunk a little 
 polifhed metal mirror, ornamented 
 on one fide with a figure fculptured 
 on the border. " Tell the mafl:er, 
 " Beildech, what figure it is you fee 
 " behind this mirror." " A Holy 
 
I20 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " Virgin, her heart pierced with 
 " three fwords, carrying in her arms 
 " the infant Jefus, crucified." " And 
 " is there not engraved underneath," 
 faid Gutenberg, eagerly, " Fjcce mulier 
 ^^Jilium tuum ? O give, give me that 
 " mirror, it w^as my gift to Gifquette 
 " the firft time I faw^ her, in the 
 " fquare of the cathedral at Aix-la- 
 " Chapelle," and Gutenberg, feizing 
 this relic of happier days, preiTed it to 
 his lips. 
 
 The very hour when he placed 
 this mirror in a beloved hand, the 
 whole of that period of his life came 
 before Gutenberg at this moment ; it 
 was a ray of funfhine lighting up for 
 an inftant the fnow of the glacier. 
 A little later the old man related to 
 his newly found fon as follows : — 
 "It was in the year 1440, at the 
 " time when all Chriftian Europe 
 " made a pilgrimage to the ancient 
 " and celebrated city of Aix-la- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 121 
 
 " Chapelle, a holy vifit as it was 
 " called which was paid every feven 
 " years to the wonderful relics of the 
 " cathedral, that I lived at Strafburg 
 " in the Rue St. Arbogafte, my mind 
 " fully occupied with my art, but not 
 " having yet fucceeded in accom- 
 " plifhing anything worth fpeaking 
 " of. At that time thou knoweft, 
 " Lawrence, I lived fomewhat poorly. 
 " For a long while I had received no 
 " help from Mai'ence, and the heritage 
 " of my forefathers was all exhaufted 
 " in the various experiments which I 
 " had made, and which I had hoped 
 " would turn to good account and 
 " place me in a pofition to carry out 
 " my one idea. I was juft in the 
 " meridian of life, and it became 
 " neceflary that I fhould follow a 
 " more lucrative trade. I began 
 " polifhing mirrors and ftones ; I en- 
 " graved images and ornaments on 
 " wood; andl affociatedmyfelfwith 
 16 
 
122 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " thofe Straflburgers who afterwards 
 " treated me fo ill, Andre Dritzehn, 
 " Heilmann, and others. 
 
 " A year or fo might have elapfed 
 " fince we commenced bufinefs to- 
 " gether ; they furnifhed the funds, 
 " I fupplied the implements, and 
 " taught the trade to my partners to 
 " the heft of my power. We pro- 
 " mifed ourfelves a rich harveft from 
 " our pilgrimage to Aix-la-Chapelle, 
 " where people were arriving from 
 " all parts of the world. 
 
 " The French braggart with his 
 " page behind him fmartly equipped, 
 " the proud Spaniard, the beautiful 
 " veiled Venetian women, and others 
 " from all parts of Italy. We na- 
 " turally hoped to make much profit 
 " by our merchandize. Another rea- 
 " fon contributed to detach me from 
 " Strafburg. I had been for fome time 
 " betrothed to ayoung Alfatian named 
 " 'Enel of the iron gate. I thought 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 123 
 
 ferioufly of carrying her with me 
 to my native town, enamoured as I 
 was of her black eyes and fine 
 elaftic figure ; Providence and the 
 parents of Enel decided other wife. 
 I Hke to fuppofe that fhe was inno- 
 cent of the tranfaftion, for fhe 
 was an honeft girl, who loved me 
 with all her heart, only, faid ma- 
 licious tongues, fhe was fome- 
 what frivolous in charadter, and 
 more attached to the things of this 
 world than was quite confiflent in 
 a Chriftian, efpecially in a German. 
 Enel's parents had nothing to fay 
 againfl my mode of life, except that 
 they could have wifhed my ener- 
 gies to be beftowed upon fome pro- 
 feffion more worthy in their eyes, 
 and they could not confole them- 
 felves when they fawme incelTantly 
 tied to my beloved workfhop, bend- 
 ing over my books, and only think- 
 ing of my experiments. The father 
 
124 John Gutenberg. 
 
 ' confidered my taftes very vulgar, 
 
 * and faid that, unlefs I altered for the 
 better, he, for his part, fhould not 
 have much pleafure in giving his 
 daughter to an idle fellow, a dreamer 
 
 ' like me. He w^as a rich man, 
 ' w^ell-born, and much refpedled in 
 ' Strafburg. It may eafily be fup- 
 
 * pofed that from that day I never 
 
 * croffedhisthreftiold. I had attained 
 ' my fortieth year in all honour and re- 
 
 * fpeftability, and I had no wiih to 
 ' exchange my profeflion for that of 
 ' a clerk, fcratching for ever, like a 
 ' cat, w^ith a pen in my hand. No, 
 ' no, let others who like it undertake 
 ' that fort of trade ! 
 
 " I felt fome regret in renouncing 
 
 * the young girl, although time very 
 
 * foon taught me that in fadl fhe had 
 
 * never pofTeffed a deep hold on my 
 ' afFedtions ; fo this journey to Aix- 
 ' la-Chapelle during the pilgrimage 
 ' feemed to me to happen very a 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 125 
 
 " propos. In the month of June, 
 " Dritzehn, Heilmann, Voigt, NiiFe, 
 " and I, ftarted, accompanied with 
 " two ftrong beafts of burden laden 
 " with our ftones, our mirrors, and 
 " our images of the faints. We were 
 ** full of joyful anticipation and had 
 " only one fear, that our horfes were 
 " not in'fufRcient condition to carry 
 " back the large ftock of money 
 " which we calculated upon making 
 " at Aix-la-Chapelle ; we declined 
 " taking the route by water as we 
 " hoped to exhibit a good deal of 
 " our merchandize along the road. 
 
 " Do not afk me to defcribe the 
 " crowd, the floating mafles which 
 " we found extending even beyond 
 " the walls of the holy city. My 
 " memory cannot recall the fcenes, 
 " which my eyes, now clofed to the 
 " light, witneflTed in thofe days. 
 " Every ftreet, every fquare, was 
 " crammed with pilgrims, natives of 
 
126 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " the country or foreigners, nobles, 
 " and plebeians, the healthy and the 
 " infirm. At night they encamped 
 " before the gates, in little wooden 
 " huts, or under canvas ornamented 
 " with branches of pine, from which 
 " gleamed thoufands of lighted ta- 
 " pers. Early in the morning, as 
 " foon as the faintly proceffions began 
 " to move, you fhould have feen 
 " them preffing towards the doors of 
 " the Cathedral, to touch with qui- 
 " vering lips the revered flirine, or to 
 " offer to the Virgin Mother of God, 
 " the one a taper, the other a chalice, 
 " others only their tears, and their 
 " filent prayers. When the bells 
 " had ceafed ringing the fhops and 
 " the booths opened on all fides, then 
 " Jews and Chriftians vied with each 
 " other in their cries. Quacks, 
 " ballad fingers, foot-foldiers, might 
 " be feen elbowing filken doublets, 
 " Cardinals' hats, and the cloaks of 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 127 
 
 " princes ; the fick plunged their 
 " aching Hmbs into the hot fprings ; 
 " thofe who thought themfelves 
 " cured offered a filver heart, or a 
 " leg of wax to the Virgin ; fops 
 " walked in the crowd with their 
 " miftreffes, foldiers played with dice 
 " on their drums, monks, carrying 
 " the ci\icifix and the banner, ac- 
 " companied funeral proceffions, and 
 " here and there might be feen an 
 " occafional mafk. My head be- 
 " comes bewildered even in think- 
 *' ing of thofe things, and I feem to 
 " have again in my ears the incef- 
 " fantuproarofthatimmenfe crowd. 
 " I was then in the full vigour of 
 " my manhood, nothing difcompofed 
 " me ; on the contrary, I was ever 
 " feeking frefh excitement. In the 
 " fame manner in which a fifh fwims 
 " in fparkling running water, fo I 
 " rufhed into the middle of this 
 " human ftream, looking into every- 
 
128 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " thing, fhouting with thofe who 
 " fhouted, and thofe who obhged me 
 " to take my rapier in my hand were 
 " foon convinced that the defcend- 
 " ant of the nobles of Maience was 
 " not making his firft effay in arms. 
 
 " I did not underftand much about 
 " commerce, fo at leaft faid my com- 
 " rades ; at night when we (hared 
 " our profits it often appeared to me 
 " that they had taken a tithe out of 
 " mine. I mentioned my fufpicions, 
 " for in fadt it was neceffary that I 
 " fhould get fomething out of the 
 " purfe, to enable me to live, and I 
 " had plenty of time to meditate on 
 " my profpedts, and to give myfelf 
 " up to work. 
 
 " I had been three days at Aix-la- 
 " Chapelle. As I flood one morn- 
 " ing at the booth where Andre 
 " Dritzehn expofed his mirrors" — 
 (here. Reader, as he ftretched out his 
 hands to touch Claude's head, you 
 
John Gutenberg. 129 
 
 might have feen a faint colour red- 
 dening the cheeks of the old man,) — 
 " among the curious who furrounded 
 " us, admiring our mirrors polifhed 
 " like fleel, was a young girl, who, 
 " being fuddenly pulhed back rudely 
 " by the crowd, had only time to 
 " caft one rapid glance at our trea- 
 " fures.* Her eyes pleafed me fo 
 " much that I faid, ' Try to come 
 " forward, little one.' She did not 
 " feem to know that I was addreff- 
 " ing her. I repeated my invitation ; 
 " {he did not yet underftand me ; 
 " I tried to take her hand ; fhe drew 
 " it quickly away. * I am not a 
 " German,' faid fhe, blufhing, * I am 
 " French, from the Faubourg St. 
 " Antoine, Paris ; if you happen 
 " ever to have been there.' I was 
 ** obliged to confefs, laughing, that 
 " I had not. Although I did not 
 " underftand much of the language 
 " fpoken by the young girl, I ga- 
 
 •7 
 
130 "John Gutenberg. 
 
 " thered fufficient to be able to an- 
 " fwer her. • Pretty child,' I faid, 
 " ' wilt thou not buy one of our 
 " mirrors ?' * Alas ! no, fir.' * Thou 
 " art in the wrong there, when one 
 " has a pretty face like thine, one 
 " ought to poflefs fuch a piece of 
 " furniture.' Talking in this man- 
 " ner, I placed my hand under her 
 " chin, and obliged her to lift up 
 " her exquifite face, which till now 
 " had been held downwards. She 
 " looked at me with her large eyes 
 " half fupplicating, half reproach- 
 " fully, then fhe tried to difengage 
 " herfelf I held her faft, and 
 " placing one of our beft mirrors be- 
 " fore her, that very one now in 
 " your hand—' Well,' I faid, ' look 
 " then at yourfelf, little unbeliever.' 
 " A cry of furprife efcaped her finely- 
 " cut mouth when fhe faw her blufh- 
 " ing face refledled in the polifhed 
 " metal ; never before probably had 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 131 
 
 " the view been fo complete ; her 
 " beauty feemed to ftrike her for the 
 " firft time. I preffed her to buy 
 " the mirror, fhe hefitated ; one faw 
 " how much fhe wifhed to poffefs it ; 
 " but all at once {he put it quickly 
 " down on the bench, ' I will not,' 
 " fhe faid, and fuddenly difappeared 
 " in the crowd. I followed her. 
 "Our flail was in the fquare of the 
 " Cathedral ; I rejoined the fugitive 
 " clofe to the church. * Why wilt 
 *' thou not have it ?' ' Sir—' * Speak 
 " to me without fear.' * Becaufe I 
 " have no money to pay for your 
 " mirror. Look ! here is a denier, 
 " the only one left ; it is deflined for 
 " the purchafe of two ivory hands, 
 " which my motheir prefents to the 
 " Virgin full of grace, as a thank- 
 " offering for her cure.' 
 
 " The filial love of the young 
 " girl, which fpoke even more elo- 
 ** quently in her eyes than in her 
 
132 John Gutenberg. 
 
 " words, touched me deeply. I 
 " queftioned her about her mother, 
 " her country, and her name. She 
 " told me with fimplicity that her 
 " name was Gifquette, and that fhe 
 " came from the Faubourg St. An- 
 " toine, in the great city of Paris, 
 " where I (hould certainly not have 
 " gone in fearch of this little pure 
 " unfpotted flower. She added that 
 " a vow taken by her mother had 
 " brought them to Aix-la-Chapelle, 
 " with her brother James, in order 
 " to prefent an offering to the Virgin, 
 " in acknowledgment of her old 
 " mother's wonderful cure. 
 
 " ' How doft thou expedt to reach 
 " home?' I then afked her; ' how 
 " wilt thou make the long journey, 
 " thou who art only a poor girl with- 
 " out means, for in that denier which 
 " thou haft fhown me con lifts thy 
 " whole fortune ?' * Sir,' replied fhe, 
 " with the carelefs gaiety of her na- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 133 
 
 " tion, ' I fhall go back as I came. 
 " Brother James is very clever ;^he 
 " can relate flories on the road, he 
 " will fing tales of the Trouveres, 
 " and I fliall accompany him on my 
 " lute. In this manner w^e enter the 
 ** convents, and the houfes of hof- 
 " pitality, of which, thank God and 
 " his faints, there is no want. Bro- 
 " ther James,' faidfhe, with a fifter's 
 " pride, * has already fung here in 
 " Aix-la-Chapelle before great lords 
 " and princes, at home he is well 
 " known in all the neighbourhood. 
 " Once when a grand myftery was 
 " performed in the large Hall he 
 " adted the part of Mercury, and 
 " had on his fhoulders two large 
 " wings of gauze, which I made for 
 " him myfelf. I affure you he 
 " looked very handfome, and recited 
 " his fine verfes beautifully.' 
 
 " Need I tell you, O my dear com- 
 " panions, how immediately my 
 
134 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " heart felt attracted towards this 
 " young girl ? I led her back to our 
 " booth, and giving her the mirror 
 " which a moment before {he had 
 " fo coveted. — * Take it, my child,' 
 " I faid, ' and keep it in remembrance 
 " of this hour, as well as of the friend 
 " thou haft gained by thy filial piety.' 
 " For fome time fhe refufed to accept 
 " it, and as Andre, who kept the 
 " ft all that day, began reproaching 
 " me for giving away our goods, in- 
 " ftead of felling them, fhe returned 
 " me the mirror, faying, * Thank 
 " you, my kind fir ! it ftiall never be 
 " faid that you were brought into 
 " trouble by the vanity of a poor 
 " girl.' 
 
 " If the avaricious fpeech and fen- 
 " timent of Heilmann had fent the 
 " colour to my cheeks, this fad re- 
 " fufal on the part of Gifquette put 
 " the climax to my irritation. Un- 
 " loofing my purfe angrily from my 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 135 
 
 " waiftband, I threw down on the 
 " bench the value of the mirror, 
 " which I laid hold of with one 
 " hand, while with the other I forced 
 " my way through the crowd with 
 " the young girl, and drew her to 
 " fome diftance from the place. 
 
 " Claude, we fpent feven days to- 
 " gether, Gifquette and I, in Aix- 
 " la-Chapelle, feven whole days, days 
 " of happinefs, which will never be 
 " effaced from my memory. I fol- 
 " lowed Gifquette like her (hadow ; 
 " fhe, poor child, out of her pure 
 " fimple heart vowed to me, unwor- 
 " thy as I was, her firft love. At 
 " the end of that time we parted . . . 
 
 " never to meet again . 
 
 " and to-day . . . ." 
 
 John Gutenberg was filent. Again 
 he prelfed to his heart the fon of 
 Gifquette, that fon whom he had 
 juft found. Claude had but little to 
 add to complete his father's flory. 
 
136 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 He told him of the forrowful life 
 led by Gifquette, of her unbroken 
 faith to him, and how on her death- 
 bed it had been her confolation to 
 bequeath Claude as a laft pledge of 
 affedtion to her abfent friend. 
 
 When the young man had ceafed 
 fpeaking, there was a folemn filence 
 in the hut. The faithful Beildech 
 feafted his looks on them both. The 
 old man, his eyes ftruck with blind- 
 nefs, his hair falling in white curls, 
 his long venerable beard refting on 
 that bofom, oppreffed by the memory 
 of the paft, and agitated by the emo- 
 tion of the prefent . , Ah ! whoever 
 had feen Gutenberg at this moment 
 could not have failed to liken him to 
 CEdipus in the arms of Antigone ; he 
 was bent, infirm, and weakened by 
 age ; it was, neverthelefs, the head of 
 a king and the heart of a father. 
 
 " I tell you in truth," it was thus 
 that Gutenberg fpoke, with tremb- 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 1 37 
 
 ling lips, " yes, I tell you truly, death, 
 " which is now approaching, will be 
 " for me a haven full of bleffednefs. 
 " Love is guiding me here below, 
 " it will alfo receive me on the other 
 " fide ; it is of the beft works that 
 " it is written, they fhall not forfake 
 " the juft, but fhall follow them. 
 " The 'arts and fciences which we 
 " purfue without relaxation, the 
 " fame and glory which fhall carry 
 " our names to poflerity, are but as 
 " founding brafs and tinkling cym- 
 " bals in comparifon with the words of 
 ** love, pure, divine, and human love. 
 " Yes, I think that my life will not 
 " have been entirely ufelefs to others, 
 " that the feed which I have fown 
 " will bear fruit and become a tree, 
 " under whofe branches the genera- 
 " tions to come may find refl and 
 " fhelter. My endeavour has been 
 " to give freedom to thought, to 
 " give wings to words ; the one and 
 18 
 
1 3 8 yohn Gutenberg. 
 
 " the other, thanks to my difcovery, 
 " will one day overrun the metamor- 
 " phofed earth ; full of independence 
 " and of liberty they will immortalize 
 " my name. But, neverthelefs, I 
 " fhould have gone down to the 
 " tomb without confolation, and 
 " without peace, if I had poffefled 
 " only the light of reafon to en- 
 " lighten my darkened way.* A 
 " fon has been given to me, and I 
 " fhall no more wander through 
 " defer t paths folitary and alone. 
 ■" Man will ever remain man. His 
 " heart cannot feed eternally on glory 
 
 * I will not, fays the author of the Death of 
 Gutenberg, let the authority for the blindnefs 
 of my hero reft on ficStion alone. My readers 
 will permit me to cite the teftimony of a man 
 who was contemporary with Gutenberg, Wim- 
 phelin of Schleftadt, who at the age of fifteen 
 came to Strafburg, in the year 1465. He fays 
 diftinftly, in fpeaking of Gutenberg, in his ca- 
 talogue of the Bifliops of Strafburg written in 
 1508 : " dudtu cujufdam Johannis Gensfleifch, 
 " ex fenio cseci." 
 
"John Gutenberg. 139 
 
 " and on hope. Love will always be 
 " the beft part of his being, and that 
 " is why I would have given the 
 " labour of my whole life in ex- 
 " change for thee, Claude, who art 
 " even more to me than my inven- 
 " tion ; thou art my fon, the mef- 
 " fenger fent by Gifquette, who 
 " fpeaks to me from eternal blefTed- 
 " nefs ! " 
 
 Gutenberg died negledted and in 
 deftitution. His death excited no 
 intereft among his carelefs and un- 
 grateful contemporaries. It is only 
 on the faith of a dufty old parch- 
 ment, which does not even make 
 diredt mention of the inventor of 
 printing, that we learn that John 
 Gutenberg muft have been gathered 
 to his fathers about the 24th of Fe- 
 bruary, 1468. In what place ? That 
 remains uncertain, and even to this 
 day we Ihould be ignorant on that 
 point had not an infcription written 
 
140 yohn Gutenberg, 
 
 in his honour by Adam Gelthufs, a 
 relation of the printer, fallen acci- 
 dentally into our hands. It is in 
 Latin, and fays that the bones of 
 Gutenberg repofe in the Church of 
 St. Fran9ois at Mafence. 
 
 So much for hiftory. As for us, 
 it is with a fenfation of pain, and a 
 blufh on our forehead, that we clofe 
 this page of our book, in which we 
 have narrated the adls and difcourfes 
 worthy of admiration, and the death 
 of him who difcovered the moft re- 
 markable, the moft wonderful of all 
 the arts, that which is deftined to re- 
 model the world. 
 
 Poetry in compofing a pidlure, of 
 which the plot has been gathered 
 thread by thread from the dark abyfs 
 of archives, has taken upon herfelf 
 to throw a ray of light on the laft 
 days of the great inventor, to caft on 
 his tomb a palm-branch of peace 
 and of hope. Was that not her 
 
yohn Gutenberg. 141 
 
 right ? And has (he any occafion to 
 juftify herfelf? In our opinion the 
 nobleft duty of intelligence, as well 
 as its moft glorious appanage, is 
 to enlighten, to reconcile, to reftore 
 to light, efpecially when life has only 
 left behind it a few vague fhadows, 
 and an unknown tomb !