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.2 a“?

THE

HISTORY 0E PRINTING

, - «Amman—L.“

AMERICA; w

WITH A

BIOGRAPHY OF PRINTERS,

AND AN

ACCOUNT OF NEWSPAPERS. .

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED A CONCISE VIEW OF

THE DISCOVERY AND PROGRESS OF THE ART

IN

OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

“##-
IN TWO VOLUMES.
ﬁeﬁb

BY ISAIAH THOMAS,

PRINTER, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

M ‘5‘? *—
YQLUMEWL.
9-4

PRINTING dispels the gloom of mental night-—
Hail! pleasing fountain of all cheering light!

ﬂow like the radiant orb which gives the day,

And o’er the earth sends forth th' enlight’ning ray!

0
—--.®.—-——-

WORCESTER :

FROM THE PRESS OF ISAIAH THOMAS, jUN.
ISAAC STURTEVANT, PRINTER.
«4,-—

1810.

 

DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, T’O WIT.
A

L. s.

(v) BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the eleventh
day of May, in the thirty fourth Year of the Independence of the
United States of America, ISAIAH THOMAS, of the said District, has
deposited in this Ofﬁce the Title of a Book; the Right whereof he
claims as Author, in the Words following, to wit : The History of
Printing in America. With a Biography of Printers, and an AC-
count of Newspapers. To which is preﬁxed a concise view of the
Discovery and Progress of the Art in other Parts of the World. In
two Volumes.

In Confermity to the Act of the Congress of the United
States, entitled, “ An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by
securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and
Proprietors of such Copies, during the Times therein mentioned ;”’
and also to an Act entitled, “An ACt supplementary to an Act, en-
titled, An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the
COpies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors
of such Copies during the Times therein mentioned; and extending
the Beneﬁts thereof to the Arts of Designing, Engraving, and Etch-
ing Historical, and other Prints.”

WM. S. SHAW,
Clerk of the Dz'rtrz'ct qf Massachusetts.

L

%wﬁa g wit? "/1" ”' M

””4"

 

1

iv) i

Dachau“ m
731;: DEbICXllQION.
V’tl

Fiﬁ» “t3 t” “k ’1

TO

The President, and other Oﬁeers and JVlembers, of
Me AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL so-
CIETY, in Pennsylvania .---—

AND,

The President, Counsellors and otlzer ,Members, of
the AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES, in Massachusetts.

GENTLEMEN,

I KNOW not to whom I. can with more pro.
priety dedicate this work than to you, who are pro-
fessedly patrons of the arts.

No writer, on either side of the Atlantic, has
presented to the world a History of Printing in
America ; and, as many of the facts relating to the
subject were in danger of being irrecoverably lost,
Ihave, with a view of placing them in a state of
preservation, undertaken to collect the same, and

now take the liberty to present them to you.

WML3 e

CONTENTS.

VOL. I.

~+~d

Page.
HISTORY of Printing, . . . . . . . . . . 17

Account of Books, . . . . . . . . . . . ibid
Materials of which books have been made, . . . . 28
Invention of Parchment, . . . . . . . . . 29
Various kinds of paper, . . . . . . . . . . 34
Scarcity and value of books before the discovery of
printing, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Books written by the scribes, compared with those ﬁrst

printed,..............48‘

Description of ancient Bibles, . . . . . . . . 45
Illumination of books, . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Origin and practice of Printing in China, . . . . 73

Discovery and progress of the art in Europe, . . . 85
Introduction of Printing in England, . . . . . . 125
Account of the ﬁrst English Printers, . . . . 133
List of the ﬁrst Printers in Europe, Asia, Africa and
America, . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Miscellaneous Observations, . . . . . . . . . 158
On Printers and Printing in Europe, . . . ibid
. . . . Stereotype Printing, . . do. . . . . 161

Logographic do. . . . do. . . . . 168

. Engraving Machine, . . do.. . . . . ibid

. . . Ancient Engraving, . . do. . . . . 170

. Modern . do. . . . do. . . . . 181

. . . . Printing Presses, . . . do. . . . . 185

Vi

CONTENTS.

Introduction of the art into Spanish America, .

Mexican editions of books, . . . . . . . .

Peruvian..do..

Introduction of Printing into Portuguese America,

0

English America, .

the art in Newengland,

General Remarks, . . . . . . . . .
. . on Papermaking in the United States,

6

O

C

Type Foundries, . . do. . .

. Stereotype Printing, . do. .

. Engraving, . . . do.
Printing Presses, . . do. . .
Printing in Massachusetts, .

. . Printers, . . do. .

C

O

Catalogue of books ﬁrst printed in Cambridge by Daye,
Books printed by Samuel Green in Cambridge,

Catalogue of books printed by Marmaduke Johnson

in do.

3 n o o O I o 6 O O n o 0

Printers in Connecticut, . . . . . .

Notes,

0

O

. Rhodeisland, . . . . . . . . ,.

Newhampshire, . . . . . . . .

o o c o c O o O o a . .

See INDEX at the end of Vol. II.

In page 68, read-between the years 1428 and 1431.

Page?
189

194
196
201
203
ibid
209
211
213
215
ibid
220
220
227
231
252

2.73
405
418
432
43.?

PREFACE.

THERE is implanted in man by the allwise Creator, a
principle which stimulates him to invention, and produces a

desire to communicate his discoveries to his contemporaries.

and to posterity. With this natural disposition to invent,
and then to reveal the products of his ingenuity, is connected
an insatiable curiosity to become acquainted with the origin
and history of every discovery made by his fellow men.

' In no condition of man are the ﬁrst principles of the arts
and sciences unknown ; which circumstance demonstrates
that the efforts of invention arise from natural propensities,
perpetually stimulated by his desire to render his works more
perfect and useful. Rousseau says, “ Man is employed, from
the ﬁrst age of his being, in invention and contrivance.”

As respects the communication of discoveries, it has been
the custom of all civilized nations to hand them down from
age to age by the pen of the seribe, and by the types of the
printer; and, even among savages, it is the ofﬁce of particular
persons to chronicle, in their memories, the most interesting
occurrences and extraordinary events, in order that they may
be conveyed to future generations.

But notwithstanding all that has been done, to transmit to-

us the history of the origin and progress of the arts, we are
still very deﬁcient in this branch of knowledge. The Greeks
pretended to know the source from whence every thing was

3 PREFACE.

derived; and it was, probably, to conceal their ignorance of the
rise of the arts, See. that they assigned the invention of them
to fabulous personages of fabulous ages—To Prometheus
they ascribed the discovery of ﬁre; to Ceres, or the Egyptian
Isis, the method of sowing wheat and barley; to Bacchus the
introduction of wine; to Cadmus the art of carving, or stat«
nary, 8m.

On the other hand it has been pretended that there never
was a ﬁrst physician, statuary, architect, or astronomer; but,
that each art and science has been the result of the combined
knowledge and application of a number of individuals who, in
most instances, succeeded. each other. And, it is said, that
the progress of every art was a. mystery to those who ﬁrst
practised its rudiments. As an illustration of this position, it
is maintained, that he who invented an alphabet never thought
of a library so large as that of Alexandria.

As the discovery of all those arts, which have a just claim‘
to antiquity, is involved in obscurity, we cannot wonder if
some dark clouds should render a view of the origin of Print-
ing indistinct. The following pages will shew, that the prea.
cise date of the invention of it in China cannot be ascertained ;
and, that the ﬁrst principles of it were known in Europe, and
in other parts of the world, from very remote ages; and, long
before the reputed discovery of the art at Haerlem by Law-
RENTIUS.’*

* In a work called the Cabinet, printed at Edinburgh, there is an
account that several plates have been found in the ruins of Hercu-
laneum, a city of the kingdom of Naples, supposed to have been
overwhelmed by the great emption of Mount Vesuvius, A. D. 79,
on which plates were engraven the names of eminent men. By
means of these plates they were enabled to afﬁx their signatures to
any paper, or parchment, with greater expedition than by writing
them. This was printing to all intents and purposes, but not ar-
ranged into that useful form which it has now acquired.

So LOMON has said, that “ there is no new thing under the sun ;”
and DUTENS, in his Recherche: sur le: Decourverte: attribue: aux
Modernes, makes some observations, which are humiliating to the
pride of modern inventors. He afﬁrms, “ there is scarcely one of

PREFACEs 9

But whatever obscurity may rest upon the origin of Print-
ing, the invention has happily been the mean of effectually
perpetuating the discovery of all other arts, and of disseminat-
ing the principles by which they are accomplished. It is,
therefore, considered as the most important of them all. This-
beneﬁt which has afforded to'the world, together with its use-
fulness in propagating knowledge of every kind to all classes
of men, has excited the attention, and engaged the patronage,
not only of monarchs and civil rulers,* but also of those who
have held the highest rank in literature; and, has induced
authors in the civilized nations of the old world, where this art
has been introduced and established, to write histories of its
origin, and the various stages of improvement it has under.
gone, down to a certain period of time.

the discoveries attributed to the modern-s, which had not been, net
only known, but also supported by the most solid reasonings of the
ancients.” ”

The celebrated French academician FRER‘ET, much to the same
effect, observes, "‘ Being, at this day, destitute of the works of the
ancient philoSOPhers, we are, necessarily, ignorant of the methods
they followedin the arrangement and the connexion of their ideas;
their systems are to us like those ancient statues of which only frag-
ments remain ; and, consequently, we have it not in our power to form
a complete judgment of them, unless we could restore the parts
which are lost. We owe the same justice to the ancient philoso~
phers as to the ancient sculptors; we should judge of the parts
which are lost by those which remain, as it is reasonable to suppose
there was a mutual correspondence between them; and, that a col-
lection of them would form a whole, which would be perfectly uni.
form and consistent. If the modems have any advantage over the
ancients, it consists in their coming after them, and in travelling in
roads which have been beaten and prepared by the ancients; and,
by the advantages for instruction which we derive not only from
their discoveries, but, likewise, from their errors.”

* King George II, of England, it is said, entertained a great re-
gard for this art. In a London new3paper of February 16, 1731 his
the following paragraph—“ A printing press, and cases for compos-
mg, were a few days since,*put up at St. James’s house for their "
majesties to see the noble art of Printing. The royal family, and
several lords and ladies of the household, attended the exhibition
yesterday.” i

I . t;

l E! VPREEEQE}

Amidst the darkness which surrounds the discovery of
many of the arts, it has been ascertained that it is prac-
ticable to trace the Introduction and progress of Printing, in
the northern part of AmeriCa, to the period of the revolution.
A history of this kind has not, until now, been attempted,
although the subject, in one point of view, is moreinterestiuug
to us than to any other nation. We are able to convey to pee--
terity, a correct account of the manner in which we have
grown up to be an independent people, and can delineate the
progress of the useful and polite arts among us, with a degree
of certainty which cannot be attained by the nations of the old
world, m respect to themselves.

I am sensible that a work of this kind might, in other
hands, have been rendered more interesting. It has a long
time been the wish of many, that some person distinguished
for literature would bring it forward; but, as. no one has ap-
peared who was disposed to render this service to the repub-
lie of letters, the partiality of some of my friends led them to
entertain the opinion, that my long acquaintance with Printing
must have afforded me a knowledge of many interesting facts,
and pointed out the way for further inquiry, and that, therefore,
I should assume the undertaking. Thus I have been, per»
haps too easily,led to engage in a task which has proved more
arduous than I had previously apprehended; and which has
been attended with much expenseﬁ“

It is true, that in the course of ﬁfty years, during which
I have. been intimately connected with the art, I became.
acquainted with many of its respectable professors; some of
whom had, long before me, been engaged in business. From.

‘3‘ Few persons would form an idea of the cost which has attended
the collection of the information I have found it necessary to pro—
cure, from various parts of the continent. An entire sale ‘of the
edition of this work would barely defray it. The purchase of vol-
umes of old newspapers alone, has required a sum amounting to up-
wards of a thousand dollars. It is true, however, these volumes are
valuable; and, together with the collection previously owned by the
author, probably, constitute the largest library of ancient public jour-
nals, printed in America, which can be found in the United States.

M
lwaEFACEel tut

them I received information. respecting the transactions and
events, which occurred in their own time, and also concern-
ing those, of which they received the details from their pre-
decessors. By these means I have? been enabled to record,
many circumstances and events, which must soon have been
ha'ried in oblivion. My long acquaintance with printing, and
the researches I made inseveral of the colonies before the
revolution, certainly afforded me no inconsiderable aid in
this undertaking; and, to this advantage, I may add, and
I do it with sincere and grateful acknowledgments, that I have
received the most friendly attention to my inquiries, from
gentlemen in diﬁ‘erent parts of the United States; among
whom I must be permitted to name the following, viz—EB—
‘icnnznn anAnD, esq. and judge J. B. SMITH, of Pliz'ladel-
jz’lzz'a ; the hon. DAVID Ramsay, of Charleston, Southcaroli—
na; rev. doctor MILLER, of Newyork ,- rev. AARON BAN--
extent, and mr. WILLIAM SHELDON, of Worcester; the rev.
Tnannnus M. Haunts, of Dorolzester ,- the rev. doctor JOHN
ELIOT, of Boston,- and the rev. WILLIAM BENTLEY, of Sa-
lem ; Massachusetts. To these I must add, among the elder
hrethrenof the type,WILLIAM GODDARD and JOHN CARTER,
esqrs. of Providence ,- and mr. THOMAS BRADFORD, and the
late mr. Jame-s HUMPHBEYS, of Philadelﬁlzz‘a. Many others
belonging to the profession, in various parts of the union, have
laid me under obligatiOns for the information they have giv-
CB me.

Through the politeness of various gentlemen, I have had
access to the ancient MS. records of the counties of Middle-
sex and Suffolk-in Massachusetts, where Printing was ﬁrst in-
troduced to this country; to those of the colony of Massachu-
setts, and of the university of Cambridge ; and, also, tothose
of the United Newengland Colonies; all of the seventeenth
century g—likewise, to the records of several of the southern
states; and,to many of the principal libraries, in diﬁ'erent parts
of the United States. From these documents and institu-
tions ill-ave obtained much valuable intelligence.

Yet, notwithstanding all these advantages, I have experi—
enced much difﬁculty in collecting, through this extensive
country, the facts which relate to the introduction of the art

l2 PREFACE.

of Printing in the several states. These facts were all to be
sought for, and the inquiry after them had so long been neg-
lected, that the greater part of them would soon have passed
beyond the reach of our researches. Most of the printers,
mentioned in these volumes, have long since been numbered
with the dead, and of whom many were but little known while
living; yet, the essential circumstances respecting them, as
connected with'the art, will, I believe, be found in the follow-
ing pages; although I cannot ﬂatter myself that they will be
entirely free from unintentional errors or omissions?

The length of time devoted to collecting materials for
this history, has prevented my paying so much attention
as was necessary for the revision of it. I make no preteno
sions to elegance of diction; but had I not been pressed by
advancing age, and a multiplicity of domestic concerns, I
might, perhaps, have attempted some improvements in the
phraseology, although I should not, probably, have altered the
general arrangement. As it is, the reader will receive a
simple and unadorned statement of facts; and to his judgment
and candor Isubmit the work in its present state. Should
any object that the statements, respecting some persons men-
tioned in these pages, are rather unfavorable to their characc
ters, I can only assure them that. they are such as. came to my
hands, and that I have “neither extenuated, nor set down
aught in malice.” My ﬁrst object has been to publish noth-
ing but historical truth. The satires and lampoons which .
were published during the war, had their effects, but they will
now pass only “ for what they are worth ;” and will not affect
the moral character of any man. I introduced some of them
with aview to give a true idea of the spirit of the press in
those times.

* Those who discover errors, and such as can add to the inform.
ation contained in this work, are requested to acquaint the author
therewith, by letter; as it is his intention to make every necessary
correction and amendment, which from time to time may come to
his knowledge, in a c0py he has appropriated to this purpose; in
order, that if, hereafter, another edition should be called for, the
corrections, &c. may appear therein.

PREFACE. 13

The reader will perceive that I have followed the common
practice of the writers on Printing, and have traced the art
from the period of the discovery of it in Europe; but I am
persuaded that few will consider this as a work of supererogao
tion; for although histories of the origin and progress of
Printing have been written by several eminent men in Europe,
yet, I presume, that the reader will prefer having a view of
the whole subject laid before him 3 especially, as it will be
very difficult and expensive to procure the works of those Eu-
ropean writers; I have, therefore, endeavored to comprise
within a few pages, the substance of many volumes published
on the subject 5 and, I conceive this compressed statement
will give a new, and, I hope, a clear view, of the discovery
and progress of the art on the other side of the Atlantic.”E

An account of the Origin of Books, and of the arts of Pa-
permaking, Engraving, See. which are intimately connected
with Printing, were, by several of my friends, recommended
to my attention; and, I ﬂatter myself, that the introduction of
these subjects into the work, will prove to be not altogether
uninteresting, or inapplicable.

In the notice I have taken of ancient and modern books,
and of the arts of Printing,En graving, &c.if the reader should
not think the observations important, I am persuaded he will
ﬁnd some which are new.

It may be thought that I have given in the account of the.
printing and the printers of this country, too much attention
to some circumstances that are not generally interesting. Eu-
ropean writers, however, have been very precise in such pare

*’ One of the ancient fathers, by way of apology for publishing
a book on a subject that had been treated of largely by others,
observed, “ This advantage we owe to the multiplicity of books on
the same subject, that one falls in the way of one man, and another
best suits the level or comprehension of another. Every thing that
is written, does not come into the hands of all; perhaps, says he,
some may meet with my book who may hear nothing of others,
which have treated better of the same subject. It is of service,
therefore, that the same subject be handled by several persons, and
thatthe explications of difficulties and arguments for the truth may
come to the knowledge of every one by one way or other.”

' [Encyclop. Ext.

I44 PREFACE.

ticulars, and I have thought it best to follow their example.
It will be recollected that things have a relative importance ;
and minute circumstances often serve to elucidate a subject.
To inquisitive minds, even the Imfzrz'nts and Colo/2110728 to old
gazettes and books, are more interesting than any thing which
could now be written; they carry us back to the time when
those publications ﬁrst appeared—the publishers of them
seem to speak to us in their own persons—they take us to the
very spot where they printed, and shew us things as they
were; in a word, these are images of. antiquity which we can-
not in any other way so accurately delineate as by reprinting
them} They are, therefore, in every instance, copied with
exactness, as are also extracts from ancient printed books and
manuscript records. In such quotations, both the orthogra-
phy and syntax of the original works from which they were
taken, whether in English or in other languages, have been
carefully preserved, and may, therefore, in these cases, ac-
count for misspelling.

In the arrangement of the work, the memoirs of printers
follow each other in the order of time in which the subjects
of them began business in the respective toWns or cities where
they resided.

it What is denominated an IMPRINT by printers, is the informa-
tion given, commonly at the foot of the title page of a book, where,
and by whom, it was printed and 501d, the date of printing, &c.
Formerly imprints were placed at the conclusion of the text, or at
the end of a volume, with, or without, a c010phon.

Co LO PHON, is a word derived from a city of that name in Asia,
where the artists of all descriptions were exceedingly expert, inso-
much that Kthotpa'im Emlsesm, became a proverb among the Greeks;
signifying ultimam manum impouere, to put the ﬁnishing hand to any
thing. The same idea was implied by the word Colophon»: among
the Romans; and, hence our ancient typographical fathers usually
concluded the books they printed with an article written by them-
selves, eXpressing the time they had Spent in printing them ; the
labor and expense attending the business; the patronage they had
received from great men; some observations respecting the nature
of the work, or the design of the author, or translator, in having it
published, &c. accompanied by pious ejaculations. These conclu-
sions, or ﬁnishings of the work, they called Colopbam.

PREFACE. 15

The biographical sketches of printers are principally con-
ﬁned to their professional concerns, and to such events as are
connected with them.

N eWSpapers are placed in the proper order of succession,
or agreeably to the periods in which they were established in
the various cities, towns, &c.

The narratives respecting such persons as remained in
business after the American revolution, and such newspapers
as were continued after this event, are brought down to the
time when those printers quitted business, or died, or these
publications were discontinued. From the settlement of the

country to the establishment of the independence of the Unit-
ed States, few Printers, and not many Newspapers, have, I
believe, escaped my observation; and, I may venture to as-
sert that the data respecting them are as correct, as can, at this
period of time, be obtained by the researches of an individual.

Histories of printing in Europe, end at the period when the
art became generally diffused over that quarter of the globe;
that is, at the close of the ﬁfteenth century. Historians who
have written 0n the subject of Printing, in particular king-
dams, have observed the same rule; indeed, when an art be-
Comes generally known through a country, it is no longer
ne-ceSSary to trace its course.

The history of printing in America, I have brought down
to the most important event in the annals of our country—the
Revolution. T 0 have continued it beyond this period, all
will admit would have been superﬂuous.

From the consideration that the press, and particularly
the newspapers to which it gave birth, had a powerful inﬁuc
ence in producing the revolution, I have been led to conceive
there would be much propriety in giving accounts of the pros-
ecutions of printers for publishing Libels,which occurred un-

der the several colonial governments. Articles of this descrip-
tion, will be found in such parts of this work as contain me~
moirs of the Printers who were prosecuted, or descriptions of
the Newspapers in which the supposed libels were published.

With a view to gratify the admirers of typographical anti~
quities, l have, in several instances given, as accurately as the

16 PREFACE.

nature of the! case Would" admit, representations of the titles of
the most ancient Newspapers; from which a tolerable idea
may be formed of the fashion of the originals.

Although a work of this nature may be principally inter-v
esting to the professors of the typographic art, yet the facts
relating to printing are necessarily connected with others
which I hare thought it proper to enlarge upon. This cir-
cumstance may render these volumes amusing to the man of
letters, and not altogether uninteresting to the antiquary.

I devoted some time to obtain a correct account of the
booksellers in Boston; it having been my intention to take
notice of all who were in the trade from the ﬁrst settlement of
each colony to the year 1775 ; but I discovered that particular
information from other states respecting many, who, in this
character, have passed over the stage of life, could not be pro-a
cured, therefore, the statement is not so complete as I
intended it should be. But supposing that the particulars
which I have collected may afford some gratiﬁcation, I have
annexed them to this work.*

I will conclude by remarking, that in the account of print-
ers and newspapers, I have not thought it necessary to attempt
the avoidance of a repetition of the same terms; indeed, I
much doubt if our language affords a sufficient variety for the
purpose of ‘ changing the phraseology in the narratives given
of a great number of persons, or things, which are alike in
their nature, professions, or descriptions.

If this work should fall into the hands of critics who may
feel disposed to treat it with severity ; in case I have not
already said enough to ensure their forbearance, I beg leave
to inform the liberal and ingenuous writers who “ assume the
critic’s noble name,” that I will readily correct all errors
which gnay be candidly pointed out to me; and, that I will
bear all “ just reproof with decent silence.”

I. THOMAS.
W'orcester, May 7, 1810.

* It was my design to have giVen a catalogue of the books
printed in the English colonies previous to the revolution ; ﬁnding,
however, that it would enlarge this work to another volume, I have
deferred the publication ; but it may hereafter appear.

HISTORY or PRINTING.

BOOKS being the great offspring of the press,
before I enter 4 into the history of Printing, it may
be proper to state the advantages and disadvantages
commonly imputed to books ; and, give a detail of
their mechanical construction, and the materials
whereof they are composed.

Of Books.

AT different periods of time objections haVe been
urged against books and learning, the principal of
which are, that they may be emplOyed to excite the
evil passions, and propagate heresy and impiety ;
that they may be used for the purpose of imposing
on the people ; and the famous John of Gaunt, duke
of Lancaster was of opinion, that books are perni-
cious, because they have a tendency to make peeple
idle.

But, if books may be employed for ill purposes,
they are much oftener used for those which are good.
They are the chief instruments of acquiring knOWL

1 c

18 HISTORY or PRINTING.

edge ; they are the repositories of the laws, and ve-
hicles of learning of every description ; our religion
itself is contained in books, and without them, says
Bartholin, h“ God is silent, Justice dormant, Physic
at a stand, Philosophy lame, Letters dumb, and all
things involved in Cimmerian darkness.” The
eulogia which have been bestowed upon books
are numberless ; they are represented as “ the ref'
uge of truth, when it is banished out of conversa~
tion ; as standing counsellors and preachers, always
at hand, and always disinterested; having this advan-
tage over all other modes of instruction, that they are
ready to repeat their lessons whenever we have. oc-
casion for them.” They supply the want of mas-
ters, and even, in some measure, of genius and in-
, vention, and can raise the dullest, persons, who have
memory, above the level of the greatest geniuses
which are destitute of the aid of books. “ Perhaps
their greatest glory is t11e_aHecti011 borne to them
by some of the greatest men.” The devotion of the
renowned Scipio for them was so great, that he pre-
ferred their company to that of living beings, and
used to say, that “ through their means he Was nev.
er less alone than when by himself ;” to him may
be added, M. Cato, the elder Pliny, the emperor
Julian, and many other distinguished characters.
Richard Bury, bishop of Durham and lord Chan.-
cellor of England, wrote a treatise expressly on the
love of books. . ’
As to their being a source of idleness, that is
contradicted by the experience of all ages, and the
examples of eminent men. If Anaxagoras, through I
a love of contemplation, neglected his worldly affairs,

or BOOKS. 19

he has had but few imitators. Many illustrious
Romans could be mentioned who alternately follow.
ed the plough, harangued 111 the forum, and com-
manded armies, who were attentive to books. The
patriarchs and the inspired psalmist were eminent
men, yet did they not neglect their business as
shepherds; and St. Paul, an eminent scholar, was
a tentmaker. Cleanthes was a gardener’s laborer ;
Esop and Terence were slaves. Augustus Cesar
had his garments spun and wove in his own house.
Mahomet kindled his own ﬁre, swept the ﬂoor, milk.-
, ed his ewes, and mended his shoes and his woollen
garment with his own hands. Charlemagne made
a law to regulate the sale of his eggs; and of Gus-
tavus Vasa, it is said that “ a better laborer never
struck steel.” Although most of these great
characters had much acquaintance with books, yet
that circumstance did not prevent their attendance
on. the most minute of their public or private icon-
cerns.

We must admit, however, that the paths of
knowledge are not entirely free from difﬁculties or
causes of regret. The more a man knows, the more
fully will he be convinced of the circumscribed lim-
its of the human understanding, which are conﬁned,
principally, to this earth, and to a very contracted
view of the transactions of men which have taken
place in the course of some thousands of years.
The inﬁnity of space, the remote, if not the bound-
less ages of antiquity, are, as it w e1e, before him,
but must for ever remain unexplored and unknown,
although they are not entirely impervious to conjec-
ture. It is a cause of regret that Homer did not

BO HISTORY or PRINTING.

enlarge on the subject of the Atlantic Island ;* that:
Solon did not ﬁnish his poem of the Atlantides, and
that Plato did. not complete his Timmus, which
would have contained all the information he obtain-
ed from the wise men of Egypt on that interesting
part of the history of the world. It occasions regret
that the three great libraries of Alexandria were de-

* The Atlantic Island, or continent, was supposed to have
been situated where the Atlantic Ocean now is. There are
several hints in ancient authors respecting the Atlantides, a
people said to inhabit that country. Plato, who lived about
four hundred years before the time of Christ, gave some ac-
count of them in one of his dialogues; he intended to have
given a full account of them in his Timaeus, but he did not live
to ﬁnish the work. He had his account of them from the wise
men of Sais, in Egypt. The particulars he has written con-
ccrning their cities, buildings, &c. are more like romance than
history. Among other things he mentions, that they invaded
Greece with a powerful army some thousands of years before
his time. In Gen. x. 25, there is mention made of Peleg the
son of Eber, who was so called because in his days the earth
was divided. From this passage some learned men have in-
ferred that anterior to that period the country of the Atlantides,
Was joined to Europe ; and that, by some great convulsion of
nature, it was then disjoined and torn from Europe and Afri-
ca, removed farther west, and was this identical continent of
America.

The Rev. Samuel Mather, of Boston, who nearly forty
years since, wrote a small, but ingenious treatise, intitled,
“ America known to the Ancients,” appears to have been of
Opinion, that the posterity of J aphet, by Magog, were the pri-
mary inhabitants of America.

Should this be true, this country was, thousands of years
since, inhabited by a renowned and warlike people, who were
well qualiﬁed to make those ancient encampments, the res
mains of which have lately been discovered.

or BOOKS. 215

stroyed; ﬁrst, by the Gentile Cesar; secondly, by
the Christian Theophilus ; and thirdly, by the Ma-

hometan Amrou, by order of the Saracen caliph
Omar. The contents of those libraries might have

thrown light on the history of the Atlantides, and
many other curious facts, which are, for ever, sunk
in oblivion. .

The Goths and Mahometans are not the only
people who are to be blamed for the destruction of
ancient manuscripts. Many, very many, valuable
Works have been destroyed by the Popes, and other
intolerant bigots among Christians. These things
are to' be regretted, and particularly the burning of '
the library of the Escurial, which contained the
learning of the Moors in Spain. The superstitious
priests who followed Columbus to America, in their
zeal to promote the Christian religion, destroyed
the ancient records of the natives, depictured and
perpetuated by hieroglyphics, which in fact gave
the history of that part of this immense continent;
but which the Spanish priests supposed were used
in the rites and ceremonies of Paganism, and believ-
ed them to be the works of the devil, with whom
they imagined the Mexicans had leagued them—
selvesﬁK‘

, To get wisdom, is not only pleasant and conven-
ient, but it is a duty frequently enjoined in holy
writ.-~Happy is the man who ﬁndeth wisdom, and
the man who getteth understanding. For the mer-
chandise of it is better than the merchandise ofsil.
ver, and the gain thereof than ﬁne gold. She is more
precious than rubies; and all the things than cans:

* Clavigero’s Hist. of Mexico.

22 HISTORY or PRINTING.

desire, are not to 66 compared unto her. Proverbs
iii. 13.....15,

How great then are our obligations to the in-
ventors of the art of Printing, who have rendered
wisdom easy of attainment, and given us an im-
mense advantage over the ancients, who

Wand’ring from clime to clime observant stray’d',
Their manners noted and their states survey’d.*

Like the bees, they were obliged to collect their
sweets by roving from ﬂower to ﬂower ; but we
come at once to the hive, and get our ﬁll without
difﬁculty or labor. Lycurgus and Pythagoras were
obliged to travel into Egypt, Persia and India, to
learn the doctrine of the Metempsychosis, the prin-
ciples of Zoroaster and the Gymnosophists. Solon,
Plato, and most of the ancient sages and philoso-
phers, were under the necessity of seeking the wis-
dom of Egypt in Sais, and other Egyptian cities. ,
Herodotus and Strabo, had to collect their materials
for history and geography from the observations
they made in their travels. Till within the last
three hundred and forty years,1‘ there were no prints
ed books in our language ; they were all written;
and being scarce and of great price, were conse-
quently in but few hands ; the means of knowledge
were then very inconsiderable, compared with what
they are at present. If a man wanted to become ac-

* Pope’s Odyssey. B. 1.

1‘ The ﬁrst book known to be printed in English was, The
History of Troy, translated from the French by William Cax-
ton, at Cologne, and by him printed in that city, anno 1471.

or BOOKS. 23

quainted with the history of any particular country,
or to gain other useful information, perhaps he had
to travel several hundreds of miles to get sight of
some manuscript which related to, or explained the
Subject matter of inquiry. But we are contempo.
raries of all ages, and citizens of all nations. We
can travel much farther than did Jason or Ulysses ;-
and by our ﬁre sides extend our acquaintance to
the regions they visited; where we can also scan the
great Southern Ocean with Drake, Bougainville,
Cook, and many other circumnavigators; and be-
come acquainted with the history, geography, laws,
manners and products of all the known nations of
the earth, in company with a vast number of well
informed ancient and modern travellers. We aspire
with Copernicus, Gallileo, Huygens, and Newton,
to explore the inﬁnite regions of space, and to as-
certain “ What other systems circle other suns.”
We soar with Leibnitz, or Looke, into the regions
of metaphysics; or descend with Woodward, or
Buﬁbn, De Luc, or Whitehurst, to an examination
of organic structures on the face of the earth; or
search beneath its surface, and discover the ruins of
antiquity, which have been hidden for ages. We
survey superﬁces and solid contents with Fergusson,
De la Hire, or Herschel; or, enter into the chym-
ical analysis of matter with Priestley or Lavoisier.
Books afford us opportunities to become acquainted
with all subjects, recondite and familiar—with the
religions of all ages and nations—with the institu-
tions of Moses, and of Lycurgus—wwith the Theog-
ony of Hesiod, and the Mythology of Homer. We
learn to revere the happy inﬂuences of genuine re-

24' HISTORY or PRINTING.

ligion; and to detest the baneful operations of big-
otry, enthusiasm, superstition and inﬁdelity.

Such are the beneﬁts we derive from books;
and, as it respects the great body of the people,
nearly all, these advantages result from Printing; for
Without this discovery few would have been able to
procure even a Bible, a manuscript copy of which
must have cost, perhaps, ﬁve or six hundred dol-
lars.

At the present period of light and information,
we can easily conceive of the shackles which retard-
ed the progress of the human mind, in its researches
after truth, before the invention of the am artium.

Ancient authors had no means of conveying to
the world the knowledge they had acquired; they
could, it is. true, transcribe a few copies of their
Works, which, in circumstances the most favorable,
could only reach a very few libraries of the most
wealthy in a kingdom, and then, perhaps, were
doomed to perpetual rest, or subjected to be de-
stroyed by the caprice of the powerful, and the pre-
judices of the illiterate.

Printing removed the veil which obscured the
reason of man; it'broke the chain that bound him
in superstition. By multiplying copies of the labors
of the learned, and dispersing those copies over the
earth, even to its remotest regions, he was enabled
to search after truth in“ religion, in philosophy, in
politics; and, improvement in the mechanic arts.

The advantages of books to society, have been.
a theme which has employed the pens of many writ-
ers, from the time of the origin of Printing to the
present day. '

or BOOKS. 25

A celebrated modern French author,* thus elea-
gantly describes the beneﬁts whiCh the world has al-
ready received from the invention and progress of
the art, by augmenting the number of books.

“ Printing has been applied to so many subjects ;
books have so rapidly increased, they have been so
admirably adapted to every taste, every degree of in--
formation, and every situation of life ; they afforded
so easy, and frequently so delightful, an instruction ;
they have opened so many doors to truth, which it
is impossible ever to close again, that there is no
longer a class or profession of mankind from Whom
the light of knowledge can absolutely be excluded.
Accordingly, though there may still remain a mul.
titude of individuals condemned to a forced or vol-
untary ignorance, yet the barrier between the en-
lightened and unenlightened proportion of mankind
is nearly etlaced, and an insensible gradation occu-
pies the space which separated the two extremes of
genius and stupidity.’”r

An English divine,i whose Essays are well
known and approved by the learned and pious, is

3“ M. de Condorcet, in his “ Outlines of an Historical
View of the Progress of the Human Mind.”

T These distinctions between genius and stupidity have been
revived within the course of a few centuries in Europe where,
in the dark ages, all were reduced to nearly the same level of
ignorance and brutality. Lord Lyttleton, in his life of Hen-
ry II, informs us, that in the reign of King Stephen, in the
twelfth century, it was considered as a mark of nobility not to

know a letter. This was before the discovery of Printing in
Europe.

z; Dr. Vicessimus Knox.

1 D

26 HISTORY or.- PRINTING.

one among many who inform us of the beneﬁts
which Christianity has derived from the increase of
books ;. as well as the great utility of Printing to the
literary and political World, notwithstanding the.
abuse of it by the artful and licentious. The obser-
vations of this, able and pleasing writer are these,
viz.

‘4 To the art of printing, it is. acknowledged We.
ewe the reformation. It has been justly remarked,
that if the books of Luther had been only multi.
plied by the slow process of handwriting, they
must have been few, and would have been easin
suppressed by the combination of wealth and pow-
er; but, poured forth in abundance from the press,
they spread over the land with the rapidity of an in-
undation, which acquires additional force from the
efforts used to obstruct its progress. He who. un-
dertook to prevent the dispersion of the books once
issued from the press, attempted a task no less. ar-
duous than the destruction of the hydra. Resist-
ance was vain, and religion was reformed ; and we,
who are chieﬂy interested in this happy revolution,
must remember, amidst the praises bestowed on
Luther, that his endeavors had been ineffectual, un-
assisted by the invention of Faustus.

“ How greatly the cause of religion. has been
promoted by the art, must appear when it is cons’i'd-
ered that it has placed those sacred books in the
hands of every individual, which, besides that they
were once looked upon ina dead language, could not
be procured without great difﬁculty. The numer-
ous comments on them of every kind, which tend
to promote piety, and to form. the Christian phi.-

or BOOKS. 27

losOplier, would probably 'neVer have been com;
*posed, and certainly would not have extended their
beneﬁcial inﬂuence, if typography had still been un-
known. By that art, the light, which is to illumin-
ate a dark world, has been placed in a situation
more advantageous to the emission of its rays ; but
if it has been the means of illustrating the doctrines,
and enforcing the practice of religion, it has also,
partiCularly in the present age, struck at the root of
“piety and moral virtue, by propagating opinions fa-
vorable to the sceptic and the voluptuary. It has
enabled modern authors, wantonly to gratify their
aVariCC, their vanity, and their misanthr0py, in dis-
Seminating novel systems, subversive of the digni-
ty and happiness of human nature. But though the
perversion of the art is lamentably remarkable in
those volumes which issue, with offensive profusion,
from the vain, the wicked, and the hungry, yet this
good results from the evil, that as truth is great and
Will prevail, she must derive fresh lustre, by display-
ing the superiority of her strength, in the, conﬂict
with sophistry.

“ Thus the art of Printing, in whatever light it is
viewed, has deserved respect and attention. From
the ingenuity of the contrivance, it has ever excited
mechanical curiosity; from its intimate connexion
with learning it has justly claimed historical notice ;
and from its extensive inﬂuence on morality, poli-
tics, and religion, it is now become a subject of very
important speculation.

“ But, however we may felicitate mankind on
the invention, there are those, perhaps, who Wish
that, together with its compatriot art Of manufactur-

28 HISTORY or PRINTING.

ing gunpowder, it had not yet been brought to light.
Of its effects on literature, they assert, that it has
increased the number of Books, till they distract,
rather than improve the mind; and, of its malignant
inﬂuence on morals they complain, that it has often
introduced a false reﬁnement, incompatable with the
simplicity of primitive piety and genuine virtue.
With respect to its literary ill consequences, it may
be said that though it produces to the world an in-
ﬁnite number of worthless publications, yet true
wit and ﬁne composition will still retain their value,
and it will be an easy task for critical discernment
to select these from the surrounding mass of absur.
dity ; and though, with respect to its moral effects, a
regard to truth extorts the confession, that it has dif-
fused immorality and irreligion, divulged with cruel
impertinence the secrets of private life, and spread
the tale of scandal through an empire; yet, these are
evils which will either shrink away unobserved‘in
the triumphs of time, and truth over falsehood ; or,
which may, at any time, be suppressed by legisla.
tive interposition.”

The Materials of which Books have been made.

THE methods of making books, and the materi.
als of which they were composed, have been various
in different ages of [the world. Our progenitors ap-
pear to have been desirous of transmitting their
knowledge and discoveries down to posterity; for
that-purpose they have successively used the ma-

or Booxs. 29

terials which they called folium, tabula, tilia, or phi~
lyra, scheda, codex, liber, biblos, Ste.

A very ancient method was, that of spreading
wax on wood made into thin boards, and writing on
them with the stylus , the boards Were strung to-
gether, and thus made books. At other times the
stylus was employed on thin sheets of lead, on ivo-
ry, the bark of trees, on spade bones, which were
strung together, until they were supplanted by, the
Egyptian papyms*, which made decent books.
That article, however, was not produced“ in suﬂia
cient quantities to furnish the literary nations of an.
tiquity ; therefore parchment was used in many
countries , the invention of which has been ascrib-
ed to Eumenes king of Pergamus.

But there are those who doubt whether Eume-
nes was the original inventor——-it must have been
known long before his time ; for mention is made of
it by more ancient authors. The prophecy of J er-
emiah was written, by Baruch, in a roll of a 600k,
which could not have been the linen roll made use
of in less ancient times. Some have supposed that
the book of the law of Moses must have been of
parchment, or it could not have lasted so many ages

* In thee 1 st Odyssey of Homer it is mentioned, that when
Ulysses was preparing for the destruction of the suitors of
Penelope, Philaetius fastened the gate of the palace yard with
a cable made of the biblos, which was brought from Egypt—-
this seems to imply that the papyrus became an article of com-
merce much earlier than most antiquarians seem to have imag«
ined—and from the Greek word biblos, being applied to it by
Homer, We may conclude that books were made of it be-
fore his time.

30 HISTORY ‘OF PRINTING.

as it did. What .king Eumenes did, was, probably,
nothing more than to make an improvement on
parchment, which from him came to be called Per-
gamena. The occasiOn was this-Eumenes was
ambitious to rival the Ale‘xandrian library, founded
by Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt; but, in
order to circumvent him, Ptolemy prevented the
exportation of the papyrus, that Eumenes might not
ﬁnd a substance on which his scribes might copy
the books; upon which Eumenes directed them to
make use of parchment, which many suppose was
then very well known—~311d, as his scribes became
so familiar with it, we cannot wonder they hit upon
some improvement. In process of time the papy-
rus, perhaps on account of the troubles of Egypt,
grew into disuse, and parchment supplied the place
of it, inso‘m‘uch that nearly all the ancient mamas
scripts which have been handed down to us are made
of that material. There are some in different parts
of the world, which are from twelve to ﬁfteen hun-
dred years old ;* some of them are in the shape of

* See Wetstein, Woide, Griesbach, Michaelis, Sec. on the
Alexandrian manuscript, in the British Museum, of which
Dr. Woide published an edition in 1786, with "types cast for
the purpose, line for line, without intervals between the words,
as in the manuSCri‘pt itself. This copy is so perfect an imita-
ticm of the original, that it might Supply its place. Its title is,
.N’ov‘um Testamentum Grcecum Codite. .MS. ﬂlcarandrz‘no qui
Londi‘ni in Bibliotheca Musei Britannici asservat’u'r descrifza
mm. It is a very Splendid folio, and the preface of the learns
ed editor contains an accurate description of the manuscript,
Which is supposed by many critics, to be about 1500 years
old. Considerable dispute, however, has arisen respecting its
antiquity.

or BOOKS. 31

our gm books, and many of them are considera-
‘ bly larger. Some writings were made, on rolls of
parehment down to the period of the invention of
printing, Such are the British rolls of parliament,
for the care of which an oﬂicer is appointed by the
British government, who is called the Master of the
Rolls.

That Eumenes, king of Pergamus, was not the
inventor of parchment, appears clear; because Dio.
don-.18 Siculu-s says, it was used by the Persians in
very ancient times ; and, Herodotus remarks, that
the skins of sheep and goats were used among the
ancient Ionians long before the time of Eumenes.
Some have concluded that it was not known among
the members of the Amphictionie league, because
they engraved their ancient treaties on columns ;
but that was done with a view to make them more
public and durable; and it might be for the same
reason that the children, of Seth, as mentioned by
Josephus, wrote, or engraved, their astronomical
discoveries on columns. The writing of the law of
Moses on two tables of stone, does not prove that
parchment was not then in use; for Moses mentions
some books; and the book of J ashereie is mentioned
in Joshua, 8m. and as it is believed that Moses was
the author of the; book of Job,1' we may, from the

a“Joshua x. 13.-—See also Gen. v. 1.——Exod. xvii. l4:.--
Numb. xxi. 14.—-Deut. xxxi. :24, 26.-—-Josh. xviii. 9.--
1 Sam. x. 25, 8:0.

T Commentators on the book of Job have differed respecting
the author ; some ascribing it to Moses, some to Job, and oth-
ers to Eliphaz the T emanite. The Rabbins, and the genera
ality of Christians, consider Moses. as the writer of it.

32 HISTORY or PRINTING.

exclamation, 0 that mine adversary had written
a book I presume that in those days the mak‘
ing of books was a familiar practice. Indeed
from another passage in Job, chap. xix. v. 23, 24,
it might be presumed that all the different modes of
writing, as well as printing, engraving and book-
making were known in those days; for he says,
Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they
were printed in a book .’ That they were graven
with an iron pen [the stylum] and lead, in the rock
for ever .’

The Greeks "had many authors before the time
of Homer, such as Orpheus, Musaeus, Hermes, and
sixty or seventy more, who are mentioned by an-
cient writers; and, some are of opinion, that Homer
lived much earlier than is generally supposed. His
works were written, according to some authors,
in tablets of wood covered with wax. The writ-
ings of Hesiod, which were deposited in the Tem-
ple of the Muses in Boeotia, were originally
written upon plates of lead. These facts seem to
prove that in the time of the most ancient Greek
authors, parchment and the papyrus were unknown ;
but there can be no doubt that the skins of beasts
prepared either as leather or parchment, were known
before the time of Alexander, and, consequently,
prior to the pretended invention of Eumenes.

Solomon was a great maker of books; for he
spake three thousand proverbs, and his songs were a
thousand and ﬁve.* He also wrote upon natural
history, trees, plants, herbs, beasts, fowls, insects

*1. Kings, iv. 32.

OF BOOKS. 33

and ﬁshes; and he was acquainted with the Works
of Icarned men of other nations. He was a great
author; but at last he feund his subjects so inexa
haustible,‘ that he came to the conclusion thc t, “in
making many boOkS there is no end.”*‘ It is sup-
posed that Solomon was contemporary With ZoroaSa
ter,1- the founder of the ‘Magian religion, in Persia ;
that he wrote his book of Ecclesiastes against the
dOgmas of Zoroaster; and, it is probable, he had
those works written on parchment, according to the
V ~ custom of Persia. Therefore, supposing parchment
had not been introduced into J udea, previously to
his time, we cannot suppose that a king, who was
acquainted with all the rich productions and luxu—
ries of the world, could remain ignorant of so great
a convenience. We cannot, indeed, doubt that
parchment was, before his time, known by the Is-
raelites; and, that. it was used even in the times
when the Jews were liberally supplied with the pa-
pyrus from Egypt. It has continued in use from
. those days until now; and is still much used in Eu‘
rOpe, in all records and legal transactions.

Paper, for more than two centuries, has been
employed in the manufacture of printed books.

* Eccles. xii, 12.

1' We learn from ancient authors that the writings of Zoro-
aster amounted to two millions .of lines, or verses, which
must have made a very considerable number of books. As it
has been afﬁrmed there were many learned men of that name,
it is thought, by some, the writings of all have been imputed to
one of them. Seneca, in his Epistle lxxxviii, mentions that
most of the 4000 volumes [perhaps pages] of Didymus, Were
written concerning the birth place of Homer.

1 ‘ E

34" HISTORY or PRINTING.

Numerous authors have written largely both with
respect to parchment and paper; but, I will. endeav-
or to comprise, in a few pages, the substance of
what they have published,- in many volumes.

It is the opinion of many of those authors, that
the art of making paper from silk and cotton, came,
like many of our arts, from the Chinese. The use
of it in Europe cannot be traced higher than to the
eleventh century. In England, the oldest testimony,
of paper, made from linen, does not ascend higher
than to the year 1320.

Of paper, there have been four principal kinds;
Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian, and European, Which
were invented in diﬂ'erent periods of time.

As to the epocha when the Chinese paper was
invented, we are left in darkness ; nearly all we
know of the matter is, that the Chinese have had
the use of paper from time immemorial. They still
excel all other nations in the manufacture of it, so
far as relates to ﬁneness, and delicacy of texture.
Silk is supposed to be an ingredient in the manufac-
ture of the best Chinese. paper.* Common paper
is manufactured in that country, from the young
bamboo, the inner bark of the mulberry, and other
trees, and from the skin which is found in the web
of the silk Worm.

Paper is made, in Japan, from the bark of trees,
the growth of that country. Kempfer describes
four, but the best paper is made of the bark of the
young shoots of the true paper tree, called in the
Japanese language kaadsi ; this bark is pr0per1y

* The Chinese have a book called chim, said to have been
written by their ﬁrst king Fohi, about 3000 years before Christ. ,_

or BOOKS. 35

cleaned, and boiled in clear lye, till the matter ac-
quires a proper consistency ; it is then washed and
turned till it is sufﬁciently diluted, and reduced to
soft and tender ﬁbres ; after this, it is laid on a
smooth table, and beaten with a kind of batoon ' of
hard Wood, till it resembles paper steeped in water;
the bark thus prepared is put into a narrow tub, and
a glutinous extract from rice and the root oreni, is
added. These are stirred together till they form a
liquor of an equal and uniform consistency ; then
poured into large tubs, and the workmen proceed
to form the sheets. The Japanese paper, according
to Kempfer, is of great strength; and, it is said, the
materials which compose it might be manufactured
into rcpes; one kind of it is ﬁt for bed hangings and
wearing apparel, resembling so much stuﬂ's of wool
and silk that it is often mistaken for them. When
"paper was ﬁrst made in Japan cannot be known; it
is believed they received the art from China.

In Egypt, the western parts of Asia, and the
civilized parts of Europe, it is probable, paper was
not known till long after it was discovered and used
in China. The ancients wrote on stones, bricks,
the leaves of trees, andﬂo—wers, the rind or bark of
trees, tables of wood covered over with wax,’*‘ and
on ivory, plates of lead, linen rolls, spade or blade
bones. Pliny says, the most ancient way of writing
was on the fol‘ium, or leaves of the palm tree. Then
they used the inner bark of a tree ; and hence, biblos
in Greek, and ﬁber in Latin, came to signify a book.
‘When they wrote on harder substances, they used

* This method is mentioned by Homer.

36 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

iron styles, and from this circumstance, it is said,
came the phrase of dg'ﬁierent styles in writing.

According to Varro, paper was not made ”from
the Egyptian papyrus, till about the time that Alex-
ander the great built Alexandria. From the term
papyrus, is derived our word paper. The papyrus
was a large rush, or reed,- which grew in Egypt to
the height, of several feet, and of a considerable big-
nessﬁ'e The Egyptians made sails, rigging, ropes,
mats, blankets, clothes ; also, small ships of the
stalks of the papyrus, and paper.

From Plinyﬂr Guilandinus and Salmasius, we.
learn that the Egyptians made their paper in the fol-
lowing manner. They began with lopping off the
two extremities of the papyrus, namely, the head
and root, as of no use to the manufacturer ; the re.
maining stem they slit lengthwise, into two equal
parts, and from each of these they stripped the thin
scaly pcllicles, of which it consisted, with the point
of a needle, or knife. The innermost of those pel-
licles were looked upon as the best, and those near-
est therrind, the worst. They were, accordingly,
kept apart, and constituted different sorts of paper.
As the pellicles were taken OPE they extended them
on a table ; then two, or more of them, were laid
over each other transversely, so as that the ﬁbres
made right angles, In this state they were glued
together by the muddy water of the Nile, and put

* It grew in marshes near the Nile, was of a triangular
shape, about fourteen feet high, and eighteen or twenty inches
in circumference.

T Pliny, lib. xiii. c. ‘2,

or BOOKS. 37

under a press to produce adhesion. When the wa—
ter and pressure proved ineffectual, a paste made of
the ﬁnest wheat ﬂour, mixed with hot water, and a
sprinkling of vinegar, was used ; the sheets were
again pressed, and afterwards dried by the sun;
they were then ﬂattened and smoothed by beating
them with a mallet, when they became paper;
which they sometimes polished by rubbing it with
a smooth hemisphere of stone, glass, 8tc.

Paper was‘an important branch of commerce to
the Egyptians, which continued to increase towards
the end of the‘Roman republic. In a letter of the
emperor Adrian, the preparing of the papyrus is
mentioned as one of the principal occupations in
Alexandria. “ In this rich and opulent city,” says
he, “nobody is seen idle ; some are employed in
the manufacturing of cloth, some in that of paper,”
Etc. “ The demand for this paper was so great to-
ward the end of the third century, that when the ty-
rant Firmus conquered Egypt, he boasted that he.
had seized as much paper and size as would support
his whole army.”*

By a publication of M. Meerman, at the Hague,
in 1767, it appears that paper made from linen rags
had been used in Europe before the year 1300.

The abbé Andrez published, at Parma, in 17 82,
a work wherein he maintains, that paper made from
silk was very anciently fabricated in China, and the
eastern parts of Asia; that the art of making this
paper was carried from China to Persia about the
year 652, and to Mecca in 706. The Arabs sub.

“‘ Encyc. Vol. 12. p. 705.

38 HISTORY or PRINTING.

stituted cotton, and carried the art of making paper
into Africa and Spain; from Spain it passed into
France, from thence to Germany and England, 8:0.

The European paper made from bark, was only
the inner, whitish rind. inclosed between the bark
and the wood of various trees, particularly the ma-
ple, plane, beech, elm, the tilia, p’hilyra or linden~
tree, the last of which was chieﬂy used for the pur-
pose. On this, stripped oil, ﬂatted and dried, the
ancients wrote books, several of which are said to
be still extant.

The among, or Charm Bombycz’na, mentioned
by Greek writers, formerly was used to signify silk,
though afterward the term was applied to cotton
paper, which has been in use for several centuries
past. Cotton paper appears to have been very com-
mon eight or nine hundred years ago, consequently
itmust have been invented long before. Anterior
to the destruction of the late French king’s library,
at Paris, there were manuscripts in it on cotton pa-
per, which appeared to be of the eleventh century.
The learned antiquarian, father Montfaucon, saw
one there, proved to be written in 1050. The same
author mentions that cotton paper was commonly
used in the eastern empire, and even in Sicily, in the
twelfth century.

When, or by whom, linen paper was invented,
is not known ; as Polydore Virgil confesses, it may
be cf great antiquity. If the Decalogue was written
on tables of stone, the laws of Solon on rollers of
wood, those of the Roman Decemvirs on brass, and
the ordinances of the AreoPagus, and the various
treaties of the Greeks, were engraved on columns;

or BOOKS. 39

if monuments have been found with Egyptian hi-
eroglyphics, with Pelasgic, with Runic, characters
on them; this does not prove that the ancients had
not more convenient materials to write on. The
quaint Dr. Arbuthnot says, that Augustus Cesar
had neither glass to his Windows, or a shirt to his
back ; but however that may have been, linen was
made in very ancient times. There is mention
made of ﬂax, and ﬁne linen, in the writings of
Bdogmﬁt

a"Although Varro ascribes the manufacture of the papy-
rus to the time of Alexander; yet, it is certain, they had paper
in much more ancient times ; and from their great ingenuity
in the manufacture of the tz‘num, or ﬂax, in which they excelled
all people, both ancient and modern, we may presume they had
linen paper. The making of ﬁne linen was a very important
branch of manufacture among the Egyptians, who were so ex.
pert at the business, that they carried it to a most wonderful
degree of perfection. It is related, that they could draw out
threads which were ﬁner than the ﬁnest web of the spider.
The priests were always habited in linen, and never in wool~
len ; and, not only the priests but generally all persons of dis-
tinction wore linen garments. The ﬁne linen of Egg/2t was
renowned through all antiquity, and a most extensive trade in
it was carried on; much of it being exported into foreign coun-
tries. The making of it employed a great number of hands.
Fine linen is the ﬁrst article of Egyptian commerce, mention-
ed by the prophet Ezekiel, chap. xxvii. 7, and the women
were much employed, in the manufacture of it, as appears from
apassage in Isaiah, chap. xix. 9, in which the prophet me-
naces Egypt with a drought of so terrible a kind, that it should
interrupt every description of labor. ﬂforeover, they that work
inﬁneﬂax, and they that weave net work, shall be confounded.
We ﬁnd that one consequence of the plague of hail, brought
upon Egypt by Moses and Aaron, Exodus ix. 31, was, that

4O HISTORY or PRINTING.

The following is the best evidence I have been
able to collect, respecting the invention of paper,
made from linen, in Europe ; which the reader will
see is not entirely free from" Contradiction.

Scaliger ascribes the invention to the Germans,
Maﬁ‘ei' to the Italians, others to some Greek refu-
gees at Basil, ”who t00k the hint'from' the manner of
making cotton paper in their own country; Corin~
gius thinks We received it from the Arabs. Linen
paper appears to have been introduced into Europe,
about the fourteenth century, according to the Count
Maffei, who found no traces of it before'the year
1300. Some ' go much farther back, and take the
Zibrz' lintei' mentioned by Livy, and other Roman
writers, to haVe been written on linen paper. Oth-
ers, make the invention more modern than it is, as
‘ can be clearly proved, for they date its origin only
about three hundred years ago: but Mabillon has
shewn the contrary, from many manuscripts about
four hundred years old, written on linen paper; and
Balbinus has produced divers instances of such man-
uscripts written before the year 1340. . To this we
may add, that there are writings on linen paper, in the
Cottonian. Library at Oxford, in the times of most

the ”ﬂax was smitten, because it was ballad. The embroidered
work from Egg/12:, mentioned by Ezekiel, was made from the
ﬁnest of the linen, and frequently died purple. This, in Pliny’s
estimation, held the second rank ; the ﬁrst place he gives to
the Asbestos, or Asbestinum, or incombustible ﬂax. As there
was so much trade in ﬂax and linen in Egypt, it is not unlikely
paper was made from it; and this may account for the difﬁcul-
ty the modems have met with in tracing the origin of linen
paper.

, or Books. 41-
of the kings and queens of England, as high as the
year 1335. That celebrated historian and divine,-
Br’. Humphrey Prideaux, Wrote as follows, On this
subject. ' >
‘2 The invention of making linen paper, Mr.
Ray puts very late. For he tells us in his Herbal,
that it was not known in Germany till the year of
Our Lord 1470; that then two men, named Antho-
ny and Michael, brought this art ﬁrst to Basil, out
Of Gallicia, in Spain, and that from thence it Was
learnt and brought into use by the rest of the Ger-
mans. But there must be a mistake in this, there
being both Written and printed books, as well as
manuscripts, of this sort of paper, which are cer-
tainly ancienter than the year 1470. There is
extant a book called Catholicon, written by J acobus
de Janna, a monk, printed on paper, at Mentz, in
Germany, anno 1460 ;' and therefore the Germans
must have had the use of this sort Of paper long be-
are Mr. Ray saith. And there are manuscripts
that are written on this sort of paper, that are much
an‘eienter, as may be esPe‘cial‘ly eVidenced in several
registries within this realm [England] where the
dates of the instruments or acts registered prOve the
time. There is in the Bish0p’s registry at Nor-
Wich, a register book of wills, all made of paper,
wherein registrations are made which bear date so
high up as the year of our Lord 1370, just an hun-
dred" years befOre the time that Mr. Ray saith the '
use of it began in Germany. And I haVe seen a
registration of some acts of John Cranden, prior of
Ely, made upon paper, Which bear date in the four-
teenth year of king Edward the second, that is,
1 F

‘2 HISTORY or PRINTING.

Anno. Domini 1320. This invention seems to have
been brought out of the East. ' For most of the old
manuscripts in Arabic, and other oriental languages,
which we have from thence, are written on this sort
of paper, and some of them are certainly much an-
cienter than any of the times here mentioned about
this matter. But we often ﬁnd them written on pa-
per made of the paste of silk, as well as of linen. ' It
is most likely the Saracens of Spain ﬁrst brought it
out of the east into that country ; of which Gallicia
being a province, it might, from thence, according
to Mr. Ray, have been from thence ﬁrst brought
into Germany; but it must have been much earlier
than the time he says.”

This passage from that learned author, makes it
sufﬁciently clear, that the invention of linen paper
was earlier than the period marked by several of the
authors I have mentioned. His supposition, that it
“ came from the east,” favors the opinion that it was
known in the east, and most likely in Egypt, from
very ancient times.

It is not only possible, but probable, that the
Egyptians made it some thousands of years since, -
perhaps long before they manufactured the papyrus
from the fragments of their linen; and, that they
made the papyrus for ordinary purposes, to which
itvwould have been extravagant to apply the paper
made from their ﬁne linen.

Paper was, for near three hundred years, manu-
factured on the continent of Europe in a much bet-
ter manner than in England. I have seen books,
printed at Paris about two hundred and ﬁfty years
ago, on paper which appears to have been chieﬂy

or BOOKS. 43

made from silk. It resembles the Chinese paper in
regard to its strength, delicacy of texture, and want
of whiteness. This shews that the French, as well
as the Dutch, had made great progress in the busia
ness of papermaking, near three centuries back.
Till Within the last century the English did very lit.
tle in this line of business; but they now manufac~
ture paper in greater perfection than the Dutch,
from whom they formerly purchased the greatest
part of their ﬁne paper.

From the preceding remarks it appears, that
books Were originally written on stone, bricks,
bones, Wooden planks, bark, leaves, wax, leather,
lead, linen, silk, horn, skins and paper. The forms
of books were almost as diﬁ‘erent as the materials of
which they were made. When bark was introduc-
ed, it was rolled up, in order to be removed with
greater ease; the roll was called volumen, a volume ;
the name was continued afterwards to written rolls
of paper and parchment, which were composed of
several sheets fastened to each other, “ and rolled
upon a stick, or uméz'lz'cus ; the Whole making a kind
of column, or cylinder, which was to be managed
by the umbilicus as a handle, it being reputed a
crime to take hold of the roll itself ; the outside of
the volume was called ﬁons ; the ends of the umbil-
icus, comm, which were usually carved, and adorn-
ed With silver, ivory, or even gold and precious
stones ; the title, avAAaCac, was struck on the outside;
the whole volume, when extended, might make a
yard and a half in width, and ﬁfty feet in length.
The form, which obtains among us, is the square,
composed of separate leaves; this form was known,

44- HISTORY or PRINTING.

though little used, by the ancients. To the form of
books belongs, also, the internal economy, as the or.
der and arrangement of letters and points, into lines
and pages, with margins and other appurtenants.
This has undergone many varieties; at ﬁrst, the let-
ters were only divided into lines ; then into separate
Words, which, by degrees, were noted with accents,
and distributed, by points and stops, into periods,
paragraphs, chapters, and other divisions. In some
countries, as among the orientals, the lines began
from the right, and ran to the left; in others, ,as the
, northern and western nations, from left to right;
others, as the Greeks, followed both directions, al-
ternately going in the one, and returning in the oth.
er. In most countries, the lines run from one side
to the other; in some, particularly the Chinese,
from top to bottomﬁl6

The ancients are said to have made paper of the
asbestos. ‘Signior 'Castagnatta proposed a scheme
for making books of that kind of paper, which from
its imperishable nature, he would call Books of eter-
m'ty ; not only the leaves, but the thread which sew-
ed the books, and the covers, Were all to be made
from the same substance; and the letters were to
be made of gold. Dr. Brukmann, professor at the
university in Brunswick, in Germany, published the
natural history of that fossil, and four copies of his
book were printed on paper made of it.

The reader will ﬁnd, hereafter, some notice of the
rise of papermaking in our country. Many of our

5“ Fabric. Bibl. Antiq. c. 19.-Brit. Encyc. Vol. 3.

or Booxs. . 45

manufacturers appear to be too intent upon proﬁt;
although some of them attempt to rival the best per-
formances of the papermakers of Europe.

Scarcity and value of Books, liq/bra the invention of
Printing.

Whartoni6 mentions the scarcity of books in the
seventh, and several subsequent centuries; among
many instances he gives the following.

“ Towards the close of the seventh century,
even in the papal library at Rome, the number of
books was so inconsiderable, that pope St. Martin
requested Sanctamund, bishop of Maestricht, if pos.
sible, to supply this defect from the remotost parts
of Germany.”

“ In the year 855, Lupus, abbot of F errieres, in
France, sent two of his monks to pope Benedict III,
to beg a copy of Cicero de Oratore, and. Quintilian’s
Institutes, and some other books ; “ for, says the
abbot, although we have parts of these books, yet
there is no whole or complete copy of them in all
France.”

“ Albert, abbot of Gemblours, who with incred-
ible labor, and immense expense, had collected an
hundred volumes on theological, and ﬁfty on pro-
fane subjects, believed he had formed a splendid.

library. ’ ’

3' Hist. of English Poets. Vol. 1.

46 HISTORY or PRINTING.

“ At the beginning of the tenth century, books
were so scarce in Spain, that one and the same copy
of the Bible, St. Jerome’s Epistles, and some vol;
umes of ecclesiastical ofﬁces, 8m. served several
different monasteries.”

“ The library of the bishop of Winchester, in
1294, contained nothing more than “ Septemdecem
parti librum de diversis scientiis.” That prelate in
1299, borrowed of his cathedral convent of St.
Swithin, “ Bibliam bane glossatam ;” that is, the *
Bible with marginal annotations ; but gave a bond
for the due return of the loan, drawn up with great
solemnity.”

“ If any person gave a book to a religious house,
he believed that so valuable a donation merited eter-
nal salvation; and he offered it on the altar With
great solemnity.”

“ The most formidable anathemas were peremp-b
torily denounced against those who should dare to
alienate a book presented to the Cloister, or library,
of a religious house.”

“ The prior and convent of Rochester declare,
that they will every year pronounce the irrevocable
sentence of damnation on him Who shall purloin or
conceal a Latin tranSlation of Aristotle’s Physics, or
even obliterate the title.”

“ When a book was bought, the affair was of so
much importance, that it was customary to assem-
ble persons of consequence and character, and to
make a formal record that they were present at the
sale.”

“ About the year 1225, Roger de Insula, dean
of York, gave several Latin Bibles to the univer-

or BOOKS. 47

sity of Oxford, with a condition, that the students
who perused them should deposit a cautionary
pledge.”

“ The library of the university at W, before
the year 1300, consisted only of a few tracts, chain.
ed or kept in chests in the choir of St. w
church.” w

“ About the commencement of the fourteenth,
Century, there were only four classics 1n the royal
library at Paris; the rest were chieﬂy books of de;
votion; the classics were Cicero, Ovid, Lucan, and
Boé'thius. ” W

“ About the year 1400, a copy of John of
Meun’ s Romum de la Roze, was sold before the pal-
ace gate, at Paris, for forty crowns.”

The (hitchess of Buckingham, left to the Lady
Margaret Beaufort, mother of king I;I_§_n_r_y 7th, of
England, ‘.‘ in consideration of the lady Margaret’s
love of literature, a book of English, being a legend
of saints; a book of gm, of the Epistles and
Gospels; a Primerz with clasps of silver, gilt, cov—
ered With purple velvet.” 91? T1118 was estimated a
most valuable legacy.

It is certain that after the art of making paper
was known, manuscript books were multiplied; but
the number of books was greatly enlarged when
Printing was discovered. Rees1L observes, that “ the
invention of the art of making paper, and the inven-
tion of the art of Printing, are two very memorable
events in the history of literature and of human civ.
ilization.”

* Strype’s Annals. 1' Cyclo. Vol. 4.

5‘8 msroa? er immune.~

0f Book: Wk 1 TTEN by the Scribes, before the art
qurz'nting was discovered; and, of those which
were ﬁrst printed.

Nearly four centuries having elapsed since the
at of making books Was practised wholly by the
scribes; and We, having been 'so long familiarized
to the produCtions of the press, cannot forms an ad---
muate idea of the methods Which were used to
complete manuscript books, in the elegant manner
in which they were found. Many thousands of
volumes have, at great expense, and by strenuous
exertions of learned men, been collected from all
the ancient depositorks of Asia and Africa, as well
as Europe, which were accessible, and placed 1n the
great public libraries in Italy, Germany, FranCe, and
England, 8w. but few, on either side of the Atlantic,
who have not had the Opportunity to visit those li-
braries, and examine the antique volumes, can be
Well acquainted with the state of perfeCtion to Which
the art of making them had been brought. As this
part of America was not settled till printed books
had been nearly two hundred years in use, very
few ma’nusCript volumes were brought here by our
forefathers; of those few there are now scarcely any
remains ; so that even a leaf is held in high eStima-“
tion, by the American antiquary, as a precious relic
of the ingenuity and skill of the ancient seribes.

From our want of information, we readily be-
lieve that, with Printing, originated the many nice-
ties, and methodical arrangements, Which constitute

or BooKs. 49

books, and produce their convenient forms and ele-
gant appearance. The fact is otherwise—printed
books were made to imitate, in the most minute
particulars, th0se which had preceded them from
the hands of the scribes. The persons who printed
them, kept the art a secret, that the books might be
sold at the prices usually charged for those which
Were written.ale Ancient manuscript books were
written, generally, on parchment, after the time of
Eumenes; and, to carry on the deception, those
which Were printed, before the secret was exploded,
were printed on parchment; and, indeed, for some
time after, until the article became scarce through
the multiplication of c0pies, when paper was made
to resemble vellum, and substituted in its place;
that paper was, at least, equal to the ﬁnest vellum
paper in use at the present day. The scribes prc.
"pared their parchment according to the size of the
books they wrote. The sizes were generally f0:-
lios and quartosu—but few of octavo ; and some
of a smaller size for children. Paper was made for
books, the dimensions whereof corresponded with
those made of parchment. The sizes of the sheets
were, generally, those of pot and foolscap ; and,
for a century, that used for printing did not exceed
the limits of crown.

After the parchment for manuscript books was
prepared, the margin to the pages was determined ;
which, in all eminent works, was large and hand.
some. The spaces for pages, columns and lines,

* Trimethius calls Printing, “ the wonderful art of charac-
terizing boo , .”

1 MG

50 HISTORY or PRINTING.

were marked out with the greatest exactness, from

the beginning to the end of a volume—~the space

for the lines was in proportion to the size of the

script or writing ; the letters, or characters, for

which, were What is termed Gothic blacks, very

similar to the blacks or types of German and Eng-

lish text, now occasionally used. The inventors of
Printing carefully imitated the sizes and shapes of '
those characters, ﬁrst on blocks of wood, and after~

ward on metal types. Pages, columns and lines of
written book-s,- corresponded with the nicest accura-

cy on each side of a leaf, occupyingthe like spaces

on one side as on the other, and were continued with

the same uniformity throughout the volume—~this,

which is by printers called register, was perfect.

The pages of written books were in two columns ;

so were those of books from the press, for a centu»

ry after it came into use. The space between the

columns was large. In folio volumes, written with

letters of the size of pica, I have measured, in seva

eral MS. books, or rather the leaves of them, which

I possess, ﬁve eighths of an inch between the colc

umns ; and three eighths of an inch in quartos, or"
works written in smaller characters than the size of
pica. The same space was made between the col-

umns of pages in books ﬁrst printed.

In the infancy of the art, the variety in the sizes
of the types, was but inconsiderable ; however, such
as they were, they were copied from the sizes of the
letters made use of in manuscript books. I have
compared the pages of several of those books, writ-
ten before the era of Printing in Europe, with the
casts of both old and modern specimens of types,

or BOOKS. 51

and have found the lines of whole pages of the an-
cient manuscripts to correspond in breadth of face,
8m. with the pica blacks in the printed specimens ;
the written and printed works measuring so exactly
together, as not to gain one line in thirty. The let-
ters of some that I have compared, corresponded
exactly to english, and those of others to long
primer and brevier. I was struck with the great
resemblance of written brevier, on a parchment leaf
of an ancient MS. quarto volume, to that of brevier.
mack early printed. At ﬁrst sight, I thought the
Work was impressed by types; but, soon discovered
my error, by observing that the spaces for the pages,
columns and lines, were all marked out by the
rule and divider; and that the letters crowded on .
each other, in many places, more than they could
have done, had printing types been used. I criti-
cally examined this manuscript leaf, and laying it by
the side of a printed column, from brevier types, I
found that the lines of each ran exactly parallel, for
the whole length of the manuscript, containing sev-
enty lines. The manuscript page was in two col-
umns ; the width of each column, twenty two bre-
vier ems. The space between the columns three
eighths of an inch; the breadth of the faces of the
letters, were as uniformly true and exact as if they
had been cast ; the ink was a ﬁne black, precisely
similar to that anciently used for Printing; or, to
speak more correctly, the ancient printers used ink
exactly resembling in color that which was used by
the scribes. No rules at the sides, head or feet of
the pages, or between the columns, were used by
thC scribes, nor were they to be seen in books

52 HISTORY“ or PRINTING.

made by‘ the earliest- printers. The use of rules, or
such black lines as 1 divide the advertisements in
newspapers, and ﬂowers, and two line letters, were
unknown till long after the invention of Printing
in Europe.

Scribes, or illuminators as they were called,
decorated the beginnings of manuscript books, and
their several chapters, or divisions, with ornamented
capital letters. The ornaments were made with
liquid ink of various colors, and they were often
very elegantly and beautifully pencilled and gilded
At the beginning of books, and at the principal di—
visions of them, the letters were larger than at the
subheads, 8m. The same method was used 111 the
ﬁrst printed books , a space was left in printing
them, for the ornamented letters, which were af-
terwards ﬁlled up by the illuminator. This meth-
od was practised for nearly a century; or until, at
length, ornamented letters, engraved on wood, sup-
plied the place of the largest illuminations; and two,
three, or four line letters, from the foundry, the
place of the smaller letters for the purposes men-
tioned. The principal colors used in the illumina-
tion of such Works, as I have seen, were red and
blue; and, in books, made three or four hundred
yeais ago, they appear as fresh as if just laid on ,
and, although some of the manuscripts have been,
in pa1t, decayed, by having been f1 equently wet,
and by other accidents, yet the ink with which the
letters were made, and the colors of the illumina-s,
tions, remain fresh and unaltered,

The art of cutting on wood, for letter press, was
‘ brought to considerable maturity in the ﬁfteenth

or BOOKS- 53

‘ century, and to great perfection in the sixteenth.
Large ornamented capital letters, as substitutes for
the works of the illuminator, were then introduced,
' and were soon after followed by those decorations
called head and tail pieces. '

From what has been said, it appears that the
scribes excelled in the art. of writing ; and that
Printing was, for a long time, modelled by the
works of the scribes, of which it was an imitation.
Perhaps it never equalled their performances as long
as it continued to imitate them.

Manuscript books, and those printed for many
years after the invention of types, were variously
decorated in binding. Strength appeared to be the
ﬁrst object, neatness the second, and elegant works
i were eXecuted for those who chose to pay for them.
They were sewed on single, or double bands, of
strength proportioned to the bulk of the Work. The
bands were fastened to boards of compact wood, of
a proper size, and planed to a suitable thickness.
The: boards were covered with parchment, and then
impressed with divers ﬁgures. Some of the most
elegant books were covered with clear vellum ; then
overlaid with gold leaf, and impressed with a stamp
nearly the size of the boards, and others were hand-
somely ornamented; after which they were clasped.
'Stamps, with various devices, were used for that
purpose, and the year in which the book was bound,
appeared in large ﬁgures, on its covers.

Printing was introduced at Venice, as early aS
1469 , that city was famed for Improvements in the
art. Books printed there before 1476, and for
many years after, exceeded, in neatness of type, and

54 Hrsronr or PRINTING.

elegance of impression, those of all other {arts of Eu.
rope. I had read of the beauty of the Psalter, print-
ed by Faust and Sdioeﬂer, in 1457, and of sevelal
early editions of the Bible, 8w. printed at Mentz and
Venice. -. I supposed, however, no more was meant
than that they were so 'eStimated considering the in-
fancy of the art; and, I should not have had a due
knowledge of the beauty of ancient typography,
had I not see-n a Bible, which I have the satisfaction
to own, printed at Venice, in ﬂurteen hundred and
seventy six ; a date which carries us back Within
about twenty years of the time when metal types
were invented, by SChoeHEr, with cast faoes, and to
within forty six years of the period when Printing
was discovered by Laurentius.

'1 his Venetian edition of the Bible is a copy of
the Latin vulgate. It is a folio; and the paper is (an
imitation of ﬁne, clear vellum. The types are semi
Gothic, diﬁ'ering from either ancient or modem
blacks. They are superior in neatness ; and, com--
pared with blacks, may be considered as an elegant
specimen. The letters are shaped more like Roman
than any other characters; their faces are broad and
bold, and have but few ﬁne strokes. Double letters.
and abbreviations are very freely used. The ink is ‘
clear, and of a ﬁne black ; and, in no book, ancient
or modern, have I seen better press work. There
is not a letter but what is fair. In technical lan-
guage, no pick, blot, blur, friar or monk, is to be
seen in the work, It is printed, generally, in insets
of ﬁve sheets each, but some are of six. Insets of
ﬁVe sheets, require ten forms of two pages to a form;
and would render a very large cast, or fount, of types

or BOOKS. 55

necessary. The size of the types is near that of
small pica in width of body, the ancient pica gain-
ing of the modern about one line in twenty four.
The sheets have signatures at the foot of every other
page, for the ﬁrst ten, of the insets. There is no
catch, or indicative words at the bottom of the
pages; no folios, or pages numbered; no running
titles, excepting every other page is headed; the head
extending beyond the limits of the page, with the
name of the book, as Mumeﬁ, Mamie, in larger
type, of the size of two lines english, of handsome
face, and more resembling blacks than the types of
‘ the text; the pages are in two columns, witha space
of nearly half an inch between them; and a similar
space between the body of the page and the heads
' abovementioned. There are no typographical dec-
orations whatever; but the whole work is handsome...
ly ornamented by the illuminator ; and, the colors
of the illuminated letters are as lively as if just laid
on with the pencil. The illuminated I, which be-
gins the ﬁrst chapter of Genesis, is very beautiful ;
it is of the length of seventeen lines pica, and eight
in Width; two ems of the Width, encroach on the
margin of the page. For the width of two ems, the
ornamental part of the I, is carried in the margin,
close to the text, along the side of the page, and ex-
tends below its foot. The beginning of each book,
has a larger illuminated letter than its several chap-
ters. Those for the chapters are three lines in depth;
of only one color, and that is red. Each capital
letter in the text has, throughout the volume, a
touch of red from the pencil. In printing the work,
spaces were left to add the illuminated letters.

56 HISTORY, or PRINTING.

EVeryi chapter . is without a break, or indentation,
from the beginning to the end of it, except-for the -
illuminated, letter. If a chapter ended with part, of
a'line, the other part is ﬁlled by the number 'of the
chapter following, if only room barely for the nume-
rals. If no room was left, the number of the succeed-
ing: chapter is inserted at the end of the ﬁrst line of
that chapter, which follows on Without any white
line or space; the illuminated letters being the only
marks for dividing the chapters. Where a book
ends, a white line follows, with a short prologue, or
introduction, to the next book; then another white
line succeeds, and the text begins with a large illu.
minated letter, and the whole of the ﬁrst line in
large types, of the same size as those used for the
heads to every other page. .

A prologue of seven parts, and the preface of
St. Jerome, precede the Pentateuch; after the Pen-
tateuch, the books of the Old Testament, , accom-
panied with the prologue of St; Jerome, 8:0. are
arranged,- as is usual in the Latin Vulgate, as fol-
lows,.vizt . Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Kings, in four
books, Chronicles, Esdras I, Nehemiah, Esdras II,
Esdras III, .Tobit, Judith, Esther, Job, Psalms, [the
divisions in the 119th Psalm are all numbered as
distinct Psalms, making the number of Psalms 171]
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Wisdom,
Ecclesiasticus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ba-
ruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Oba-
. diah, Jonah,- Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah,
Haggai, Zechariah, MalaChi, and Maccabees. The
books of the New Testament. follow each other, as
in the present English translation, with the addition

or Boots. 57

of the prefaces of St. Jerome preﬁxed to each. Then
follows an alphabetical explanation of Hebrew names,
in sixty six pages. The whole Work makes nine
hundred and fourteen pages.

This edition is mentioned by Le Long “ Biblim
them Sacra,” page 253; and by Clarke, in his Bibn
liog‘r‘aphical Dictionary. Vol. 1. page 191, in these
wrmsw“ This is ‘a beautiful ancient edition ; it has
a copious index at the end, which enhances the val?
‘ me 01' it. As it is not described by Clement, or
mentioned in the Harleian catalogue, it is, undoubt»
eély, rare in Europe. De Bure mentions it, as an?
edition rare, for: 7 ec/zerc/zes (les- curz'euac. "’

In all probability, it is the moSt anoi'ent printed
book now in America, eXcepting one hereafter men-
hmnai.

This Bible, which has been" preserved with great
care, resembles the work of the most perfect ancient
manuscripts. Not any of the leaves are torn, and
only two are wanting, one of which contains a part
of the prologue to the Pentateuch, and, unfortunate.
ly, the other was the title page. The imprint is at
the end of the apocalypse, and is as follows :

“ Explicit biblia ipressa Venetijs : p Fraciscﬁ
do Hailbrun 7 Nicholaﬁ 5 frankfordia socios
M.CCCC.LX..X.VI.”

I have a copy of the celebrated Bible called, by
Way of distinction, “ The Great Bible ;” by Arch;
bishop Cranmer ;* printed in the reign of Henry
VIII, anno 1540.

3‘ This is Tyndal’s version revised by the directions of
Archbishop Cranmer, by Miles Coverdale, afterWards bishop
of Exeter, and others, and examined by Cranmer, who pre-

1 H

58 HISTORY or PRINTING.

This Bible'is a folio, of large size, printed on
good vellum paper, from a black type of the size of
large bodied english, , and in insets of four sheets.
Every other page is numbered at the end of the
running title, e. g. fol. In. and so on. The ink is
excellent; and the work is well executed, though
inferior to the printing done at Venice, and in other
parts of Europe, sixty years before. This volume
never received the ﬁnishing touches of the illumina-
tbr. The prologues, the ﬁrst chapter of Genesis and
of Matthew, are begun with very large ornament-
ed letters; and all other chapters with smaller deco-
rated letters, from wooden engravings. The large
T, at the beginning of Matthew, ﬁlls the whole width
of the lines of the column, and a space of eighteen
lines in length. Wooden cuts of scripture history,
of nearly the width of the columns, and twelve lines
deep, are interspersed throughout the work; but
are not .so/well executed as cuts for similar pur-
poses, which were made at the same period in Ger-
many, and-many other parts of Europe, Where ar-
tists excelled in engraving on wood for letter press
printing. The archbishop’s prologue ends with
@031 sane the Binge; and beneath, by way of
what are called tail pieces, are two very large orna-
mented letters, m. {3. [Henry King] of Gothic
shape, well engraven on wood.

The title is, “ {I The Byble in Englyshe, that is
to saye the contEt of al the holy scrypture, bothe

ﬁxed a prologue, 81c. to it; whence it is called Cranmer’s, or,
“ The Great Bible.” T yndal’s was the ﬁrst translation of the
Bible, printed in England ; though Wickliﬁ'e was the ﬁrst
tanslator of it into the English language.

or BOOKS. ' 59

of the olde, and have testamet, with a prologe ther-
into, made by the reverende father in God, Thomas
archbyshop 0f Cantorbury, '1 This is the Byble
apoynted to the vse of the Churches. ‘1 Prynted
by Rychard’ Grafton. Cum priuilegio ad imprimen-
dam solum. 9Q, D. II,” The lines are printed in
black and red alternately. This title occupies three
inches, by three and ﬁve eighths in the centre of a
largefrontispiece, or border, in magnitude thirteen
and six eighths by nine and six eighths inches.
This border is mentioned by British writers, Vinthe
Encyclopedias, 8:0. as a “ beautiful frontispiece.”
It is from a Wooden engraving, and if not beauti-
fully, it may be said to be well executed for that kind
of work done in England in 1540; a deseription of
this frontispiece may, to many, be acceptable.

Before I give an account of it, I will observe,

that it is used also as a border to the title page of
the New Testament; which, that title informs us,
is “ translated after the Greke ;” and then mentions
all the gospels, epistles, 8m. which it contains. Like
the title of the Old Testament, it is printed with
black and red lines, alternately. The ifrontispiece,
or border, is said to have been designed by Hans
Holbein, a celebrated Swiss. artist of that time. A
description of it follows.

On the top of it, is a representation of the Al-
mighty 1n the clouds of heaven, with both his hands
stretched out, and two labels going from his month.
On that going toward his light hand are the follow-
mg welds “ (asthma meum quon egrebietur De
MB 11180 11011 tBUBtthlt an me vacuum, 38D fa:
riet quazcunque nului. QEMI. in.” ‘ Hi8 left

6.0 HISTORY or PRINTING.

hand points to the king, who is represented kneeling
at some distance bareheaded, and his hands lifted up
toward heaven, with his crown on the ground be--
fore him, and a label going out of his month. On
the label which comes from the Almighty is this
text—w“ zlnneni nitum jurta tor meum, qui
fatter names voluntatwmeas. att. riﬁ.”—--to
which answers that proceeding from the king,
“ iLucema penibus mats nerbum mum. 119,331.
unﬁt,” Underneath the Almighty, the king is
again represented, but enthroned, and the royal arms
placed before his feet. On the right hand stand two
bishops bareheaded, and their mitres on the ground,
in token, as it should seem, of their acknowledg-
. ment of the king’s supremacy. The king gives to
one of them a book, shut, with these words on the
cover, “ VERBUM DEI ;” and the following words
on a label going out of his mouth, “ 1.13“ precipe 8t
DOW.” The bishop receives it, bending his right
knee. On the king’s left hand stand several of the
lords temporal, to one of whom he delivers a book,
clasped, with “ VERBUM DEI” on the cover of
it, and the following words on one label—“ a me
[unstitutum eat Dectetum, at in autumn ims
. min at regno men tremiscant 2t paneant Drum
nmentem. Danie. Di.” And on another'label,
this text, “ much iuﬁtum est iuuitate. Elta pars
hum auutetis, ut magnum. £32m. prime.” The.
nobleman receives the book, bending his left knee.
Underneath the bishops, stands archbishop Cran-
mer, with a mitre on his head, and habited in his
rochet, over which is a stole. Before him is one kneel.
ing with a shaven crown, and habited in a surplice,

or BOOKS. 61

to Whom the archbishop delivers a book, clasped,
with the words “ VERBUM DEL” on the cover ,
of it; he uses the following sentence, which appears
on a label coming out of his mouth———“ {Easting qui
in butts est mega-m elbow. primn. E92. 13.”
Behind the archbishoP seems to stand one of his
chaplains. At the archbishop’s feet is placed the coat
of arms of his. family, which is the same as that ail.
terwards preﬁxed to his lifepublished by archbishop
Parker, only here distinguished by the crescent, as
the arms of a younger family. Under the lords tem-
poral stands the lord Cromwell, the king’s vicege-
rent, as appears by his. arms placed at his feet, as the
archbishop’s are. His lordship is represented as
standing with his. cap on, and a roll of paper in one
hand, and in the other a book, clasped, with “ VER-
BUM DEI” on the cover of it, which he delivers to
a nobleman, who receives it of him bareheaded. The
following label is over their heads, “ Einette a ma:
to at far bonum, inquire pacem ct perﬁeq‘uere
mm. {95811110 ffﬂﬁ.” At the bottom, on the
right hand, is represented a priest with his square
cap on, in a pulpit, preaching to a large auditory of
persons of all ranks and qualities, orders, sexes and
ages, men, women, children, nobles, priests, soldiers,
tradesmen, and countrymen; which are represent-
ed, some standing, and others sitting on forms, and
expressing themselves very thankfully. Out of the
preacher’s mouth goes a label with these words—a
“ mama igttur prtmum nmnium ﬁcti obsea
(rationes, orationes, pustulattunrs, gratis:
rum atttnnts ntu omnibus bumtnibus, pm re:
gihug, GE. 1 @im. if.” 011 the right side of the

62 HISTORY or PRINTING.

pulpit are the words, “ VIVAT REX ;” and, in
labels coming from the mouths of the peOple and
children, “ VIVAT REX,” [Long- live the Eng]
to expreSs the great and universal joy and satisfac-
tion which all the king’s subjects, high and low,
great and little, had, and their thankfulness to the
king, for his granting them the privilege, of hav-
ing and reading the holy. scriptures in their mother ‘
tongue. ‘ On the left side, are represented prisoners '
looking out of the prison grates, and participating
this great and common joy.

In the text of this Bible, those parts of the Latin
version, not found 1n the Hebrew or Greek, are in-
serted in a smaller type ; such, for instance, are the
'5th,6th, 7th, and 10th verses of the 14th Psalm, as
2 in the translation used in the English book of Com-
mon Prayer; and the disputed texts, I John, ii. 23,
and ch. v. 7, 8—~—also, Rev. viii; 23, 8m. A mark is
used to denote the difference of reading between the
. Hebrew and Chaldee. Johnson calls this edition of
the scriptures, “ The Bible in the large or great vol-
ume,” and ascribes it to the year 153 9. He, and
several other English writers, in the notice they
take of wit, observe that king Henry VIII, at the
request of archbishop Cranmer, who had long been
engaged in revising and correcting Tyndal’s trans-
lation, determined to have it printed, although great
Opposition was made to it by some of the superior
clergy ; particularly in the convocation, the interlo‘
cutor whereof, made a .speech , against putting the
scriptures into the, hands of mere English readers; in
the course of which he made use of this curious ar-.
gument—J‘ If,” said he, “ we give them the, scripa

or BOOKS. 63

tures-in their vernacular tongue, what ploughman,
who has read, that no man having set his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is ﬁt for the kingdom of
haven—will make a straight furrow ??’* But the
‘ power of the king prevailed, and the opposition was
overcome. He allowed Grafton, the printer, and
bishop Coverdale, as Corrector of the press, by per—
mission from the French monarch, Francis I, to go
to France, and, execute the work at Paris; where
printing was done better, and where paper could
be had cheaper, and of a quality superior to what
was made in England]L They accordingly went to
Paris in 1537, and nearly completed an impression
of 2500 copies ; when, notwithstanding the royal per-
mission to execute the work in that city, the ofﬁcers
of the inquisition, by virtue of an order, dated De-
cember 17, 1538, seized the work, prohibited their
proceeding with it, and ordered all the copies to be
burned. Coverdale and the English agents ﬂed, and
the holy ofﬁce became appeased; but the ofﬁcer,
who had the charge of committing the books to the
ﬂames, was bribed to save a part of them ; and Graf-
ton’s agents afterward returned to Paris, recovered
the copies that were preserved, and carried them to
London, together with the types, presses and French
printers, where the edition was completed; as ap-
pears by the imprint of the book in 1540. If this
account be correct, the work, though completed in
London, must be considered as a specimen of
French, rather than of English, printing. [a]:

* Ryder’s History of England. 1' Rees’s Cyclo. Vol. 4.

1, References of this description point to NOTES near the
‘ close of the volume. '

64 HISTORY or PRINTING.

While .I am treating of ancient books, I will
mention one or two more in my possession. The
ﬁrst of them, I believe was printed as early as the
year 1470. A number of pages are lost, both from
the beginning and end of it; but above 500 pages
of the. work remain. The title page, as well as the
latter part of the book being gone, no imprint is to
be found ; and neither the place Where it Was print-
ed, nor the year can be ascertained. But the fea»
tures of the typography are such, as to ascertain that
it came from the press in the infancy of the types
graphic art. The subject of the Work is natural his-
tory. ‘ A considerable part treats of botany, part of
zoology, part of ornithology, part of ichthy‘ology,
part of petrifaction, &c. The treatise on plants con-
tains 530 chapters; each of which begins with an
illuminated red letter. The chapter, Whatever its
length, is but one continued paragraph, from begin»
ning to end, without a break line. Sections of chap—
ters are distinguished by capital letters ; i. e. A
shews the ﬁrst section, B the second, and so on.
The letters are placed in the beginning, middle, or
end of the line ; and wherever one section ends, an—
other immediately succeeds it. The volume is a
folio; the Work .is in Latin; the pages contain two
columns each ; they are not numbered ; have no
catch or direction words; but have, in large types,
a running title, as, “ @tﬂttatus,” on the left hand
page, and “ De Ipsthig,” on the right, placed two
pica ems distant from the body of the page. The
work has a large margin, and a space of three
eightl‘is of an inch between the columns of each
page. It has not the features of ancient English

or Booxs. 65

printing; but by comparing the book with other
antique volumes, I am led to believe, that it came
from a German press. This, like the Bible printed
at Venice, has no typographical ornaments ; such
as head pieces, ﬂowers, rules, 8tc.—-—and, similar to
that, has, throughout the whole, types of only two
sizes—One for the text, and a larger for the heads.
The ink, like that of all ancient Printing, is excel-
lent, as is the press work. There is no perceptible
difference in the color, or in the impression, through- ,,
out the volume. The monks, friars, and other im-
perfections of the press, we should suppose were
unknown to the fathers of the type. The work is
printed in insets of four sheets each, with signa‘
tures; and on good vellum paper. The types are
the ancient black, well cast, of the size of english,
but broader faced, and not so handsome as those of
a later period. The illuminated letters at the begin.
ning of the chapters, appear to have been made with
despatch, and are of inferior execution. About the
middle of the book, a small letter is introduced in
the space left for the illuminator, as a direction for
' him to make the same letter with his pencil.
Preceding every chapter is a cut of the plant,
animal, or bird, 8:0. concerning which the chapter
treats. These cuts are of the width of one'column
of the page, and are, generally, from three, to Em
and a half inches in length; coarsely executed, and
appear to be the rude efforts of the earliest design-
ers, in wood, for letter press printing. However,
the articles are well expressed, and are all colored.
This book is a valuable relic of ancient typogra-
phy, and engraving on wood ; and would, doubtless,
1 I ,

66 HISTORY or PRINTING.

be held in high estimation, if placed in the cabinet
of an European antiquary.

Magdeburg acquired considerable renown, on
account of the printing. done in that city, in the six-
teenth century. I haven Romish Missal, by Simon
Paulus, bearing the {cllowing imprint. “ Ex of- ,
ﬁcina TypOgraphic-a VVolfgangi Kirchneri. Anne
1573.” It contains seven hundred pages, small oc-
tavo, well printed with good ink, on vellum paper;
and is principally ﬁom the cursive [Italic] type. 01d ,
German, and a very handsome Greek letter, were
occasionally used for quotations, 8m. and Roman
for the introductions, or What is since called, from
its having been printed in red letter, the rubric to
the prayers. A few of the Roman two line letters,
in the title page, 8m. are (of rude woﬁkmanship; and
appear as if the, faces Were not cast, but out; others
are well shaped. The book has a number of well-exe-
cuted wooden cuts of scripture history. The print-
er of it appears to have had a great variety of founts
'for that time. Among them I observed a very neat
cursive paragon, used for the dedication. The book
is complete, and in its original binding of 1573.
The year when it was bound, is impressed -' on each
side of the cover ; and the execution is in the best
style of that age. The cover is vellum, impressed
with Various ﬁgures, 81c. over boards of hard wood.
Pasteboard was not then, nor for many years after,
used by bookbinders.

Among the early productions of the press, may
be distinguished various splendid editions of "Prim-
ers, or Prayer Books; they were embellished with
cuts, ﬁnished in most elegant" taste. 'Many of them

or BOOKS. 67

were grotesque, and some obscene, though not de-
signedly so. In one of them is a representation of
an angel crowning the virgin Mary, and the Al-
mighty assisting at the ceremony. The editors of
the Encyclopedia mention that they had seen in a
book of natural history, the Supreme Being repre-
‘ sented as reading on the seventh day, when he rested
from all his Works. In some places St. Michael is
seen overcoming Satan; in others, St. Anthony ap.
pears attacked by several devils, of most hideous
forms. “ The Prymer of Salisbury,” printed in
1533, is fullof cuts; and, at the bottom of 'the title
page, is the following remarkable prayer.
“ God be in my Bede,
And in my Understandynge,
God be in my Eyen,
And in my Lokynge,
God be in my mouthe,
And in my Spekynge,
God be in my Herte,
And in my thinkynge,
God be at my ende,
And at my departynge.”

Scaliger tells us, his grandmother had a printed
Psalter, with cuts, the cover of which was two
inches thick. In the inside was a kind of recess,
which contained a small silver cruciﬁx : The book
appeared to have been printed from engraved blocks
of wood; and, probably, was bound according to
the prevailing fashion of those times.

Luckombe, in his “ History and Art of Print-
ing,” mentions that, “ about the time of king Henry
II, of England, the manner of publishing the works

68 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

of authors was, to have them read over three. days
successively, before one of the universities, or other
judges appointed by the public; and, if they met
with approbation, copies of them Were then permit-
ted to be taken, which were usually written by
monks, scribes, illuminators, and readers brought
11p to that business for their maintenance.”

Iwill quit the subject of ancient books, after
having stated some brief observations on the “ flo-
rarz'um” of Laurentius. This work, made for the
use of children, in eight very small pages, is sup-
posed to have been the ﬁrst book printed by the
discoverer of the art in Europe, between the years
1430 and 1431.

That adept in typography, and learned anti-
quary, Gerard Meerman, L. L. D. and pens-ionary
of Amsterdam, became acquainted with the ﬁrst
literary characters in Europe. He visited the prin-
cipal libraries where any thing that ﬁrst issued from
the presses of Holland, Germany, France, or Eng.
land, was preserved; and, it is presumed that no
one, either before or since! his time, was better in-
formed with respect to ancient printing. He was
the most active of all the writers who have attempt-
ed an. investigation of facts, relative to the com-
mencement of the art in Europe. He examined,
7with the eye and judgment of a profound critic,
every description of‘ printing that he met with from
the presses of Laurentius, Geinsﬂeiche, Faust, Gut-
tembu'rg and Schoeffer, as well as those of all the
other patriarchs of the type, who ﬂourished in the
ﬁrst age of the art. In his Origines Typographicw,
he gives the result of his researches respecting the

or BOOKS. 69“

Horarz'um, in substance, as follows--“ It Was the v
ﬁrst work of Laurentius—there is a rudeness in the
types ”that I have not observed in any other in-
stance.—-—After it was critically examined by‘ proper
artists, and good judges, they gave it as'their opin-~
ion, that it agreed exactly with the description given
of it by Junius, 8m. It is conformable. to the ﬁrst
edition of the Dutch Speculum Salvatio‘m's, and the
fragments of the ﬁrst Haerlem edition of Danatus,
both of which are the works of the same Lauren-
tius, and were preceded by the .Homrz’um.”

Meerman has published ﬂzc similar of “pages of
several productions of the press of Laurentius,
which shew the progressive improvements he made
in the art. Of these specimens the fibrariunz occu-
pies the ﬁrst place. I have had an exact engraving
made from Meerman’s ﬁzc simile of it, which is.
annexed to this volume. It may be considered as
the greatest typographical curiosity ever exhibited
in this part of the world.

This small tract, which contains only the Alpha-
bet, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ave ﬁlaria ora pro 120-
bis, the Apostles’ Creed, a short prayer beginning,
“ Ave salus iMundi ;” and another prayer, seems to
exhibit, as Meerman observes, “ a specimen of his
piety, and a ﬁrst attempt in this newly invented
art.” It has no signature, no directions, or catch.
words ; nor has it any numbers to the pages; those"
which appear on the plate, were added, together with
the crooked lines, by Meerman, to direct the pages
as. they followed each other, when folded. There
"are no hyphens at the end of the lines where words
are divided; on the contrary, a syllable, divided in

70 HISTORY or PRINTING.

the middle, is seen in the last page; and, in the third .
and fourth lines, words are divided thus 5;: iritu ;
and in page one, line six, “ sanctiﬂcemr.” There
are neither distinctions, nor points seen, as in. other
works printed by Laurentius. The lines are une‘
vein; the letters vary in size, are dissimilar in ﬁg
are, and many of them appear as if broken in the act
of engraving them ‘on the Wooden blocks, from
which I have a strong belief it was printed, notwith-
standing the Opinion of abler judges in Europe, who
have concluded the work was impressed on movea-
ble wooden types, The imperfect letters and words
in the eighth page, appear so in the original. The
spaces at the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, Creed,
8m. were left, as was usual in all the books ﬁrst
printed, to be ﬁlled, by the illuminator, with the
large letters, which are wanting.

Books Illuminated.

... The ingenious art ‘of illuminating was practised
long before, and for some time after the discovery
of Printing in Europe; but as soon as the art of
cutting pictures on blocks of wood was brought to
some degree of perfection, the ornamented letters
0f the engravers on wood, supplied the place of
the illuminations formerly made with the brush or --
pen. The ornaments of the illuminators were, many .
of them, exquisitely ﬁne, and curiously variegated
with the most beautiful colors—~very often with gold
and silver. The margins of books were embel-
lished witha variety of ﬁgures of ' kings, and other

OF- BOOKS. 71

great men, saints, beasts, birds, ministers, ﬂowers,
&c. which sometimes bore a relation to the omitents
of the page, though often these symbols were not
analogous. These embellishments were costly ; but,
for those who could not afford to go to the expense
of the most superb ornaments, others were made of
inferior degrees, to correspond with the ability of the
purchaser.at
The origin of the practice of illuminating is not
known. Pliny’r informs us, that Varro wrote the
lives of seven hundred “illustrious Romans, and or.
namen-ted their histories with their portraits. Cor-
nelius Neposgﬁ also says, that Pomponius Atticus
wrote a work on the actions of great men amorg
the Romans, which be decorated with their m. -
traits. These works are lost. The great libraries
in Europe, such as those of the Vatican, at Rome;
' St. Mark’s, at Venice ; the royal libraries at Paris;
the Escurial, in Spain ; St. J ames’s and the Bodleian
libraries, in England; and several others, have in
them vast numbers of manuscripts of Roman and
even Grecian art. In the year 1731, a most la-
mentable accident happened at the Cottonian library
on the 25th of October. A ﬁre broke out, which
did considerable damage; and among the manu-
scripts and books which were injured, was that of
Genesis in manuscript. That work comained two
hundred and ﬁfty curious paintings in water colors;
and, unfortunately, only twenty or thirty fragments
of this invaluable work escaped the ﬁre. Lambe-
cius has made a catalogue of the imperial library at

* Luckombe. 1‘ Nat. Hist. lib. 35. cap. 2. 1 Opera. cap. 18.

72 HISTORY or PRINTING.

Vienna, "from which it appears he found some draw~
ings nearly as ancient as those of the Cotton library.
The Vatican Virgil, which was made in the fourth
century, is ornamented with drawings of the sub-
jects which are descanted on by the Roman poet.
A copy of the gospels was carried into England by
St. Augustine, in the sixth century, to each of
which a miniature drawing is preﬁxed. This work
is preserved in the library of Corpus Christi C ol-
lege, Cambridge, in England. There are specimens
of the state of the arts in England, from the seventh
century, downward, to be found in the libraries of
' the two universities ; and others, particularly in
that of the British museum, which shew the prog-
ress made in the illumination of books, as long as
the practice continued in fashion.

Origin and Practice of the Art.

\\

IT is acknowledged by all writers on the origin
of Printing, that the art was ﬁrst practised by the
Chinese. The precise epocha when it was invent-x
ed, cannot be ascertained. The Chinese assign a
date to its origin, which is anterior to the promulgaa
tion of Christianity. Some historians, of other na-
tions, who have attempted to ascertain the fact, ada
mit that the Chinese practised Printing as early as
the sixth century; others, among whom is Phil.
Couplet, who has always been considered by the
learned as a very accurate historian, ascribe the
invention, in China, to the year 930.at The cele-
brated Meerman‘, in his history of Printing, men;
tions that “ The Historia Sinensis of Abdalla, wrip
ten in Persic in 1317, speaks of it as an art in very
common use.” And, indeed, as the art is so useful,
and, as practised in China, so simple, we cannot
have a doubt that it Was, at least, coeval with many
other arts; which, though less needful, and more
complicated and intricate in practice, are very gene-
rally acknowledged to haVe been in use, in that great

* Brit. Encyc. Vol. 15 .
1 K

74 HISTORY or PRINTING

and very ancient empire, for many ages previous to
a knowledge of similar arts in Europe.ale

The latest account of Chinese Printing, is given
by sir George Staunton, who was attached to the
embassy of lord Macartney, to the court of Pekin,
in 1793.

He informs us, that “ the art was, probably, prac-
tised at a very early period of the empire ; and, may
have contributed to preserve its government, in a
nearly uniform state, to the present time.

Sir George Staunton’s account of Chinese Print‘
ing, agrees with the accounts given us by the learn-
ed disciples of Ignatius Loyola,1L who long resided
in China, and others, who have written on the arts
and manufactures of that cOun-try. His is, however,
more circumstantial On the subject of Printing,
than any other which I have had an opportunity of
reading.

Mr. Winterbotham, who, to enable him to com-
pile “ An historical, geographical and philosophical

* The abbé Raynal, Histoire Philosophique et Politique,
tome l. p. 151, says of the Chinese—“ 11 leur faut des siecles
pour perfectionner quelque chose; et quand on pense a'l’état
on se trouVoient chez eux les arts et les sciences i1 y a tl'ois
cens ans, on est convain‘cu de l’étonnant durée de cet empire.”
The same argument will apply to the antiquity of their lan-
'guage, and the art of Printing among them; in which they
have not for many ages made any improvement, because, “ La
langue des Chinois demande une étude longue et pénible, qui
occupe des hommes tout entie'rs durant le cours de leur vie.”

t Ignatius Loyola was fOunder'of the order of je‘suits. He
was born anno 1491, died in 1556; and, was canonizcd by Paul
V, anno 1609.

IN CHINA. 75

View of the Chinese Empire,” consulted the various
writers of Chinese history, as well as some of the
gentlemen who were in the suite of lord Macartney,
in treating of the literature and arts of that country,
gives an account of Printing, similar to the narra-
tions of the other writers I have mentioned. From
these authorities, the process of Chinese Printing is
ascertained to be as follows.-—-They ﬁrst write, or
draw, a fair copy of the work intended to be printed;
it is then given to the engraver, or, more properly,
the carver, who glues the leaves of the manuscript
upon a piece of hard board, or plank, properly pre-
pared, on which he traces over, with a suitable in-
strument, the strokes of the writing; carves out the
characters, in relief, and cuts down the intermedi-
ate parts of the wood ; therefore, the beauty of the
letters depends on the dexterity of the person Who
writes the copy. The adroitness of the carver is
such, that he cepies every stroke exactly; his work
is sometimes so neatly executed, it is difﬁcult to
distinguish a book that is printed, from one which
is written. The board, thus carved, or engraved,
generally contains the characters for two pages.
When the work of the carver is completed, it is
taken by the printer, laid level, and ﬁxed in that
position. The printer being provided with two
brushes, he takes that which is hardest, dips it into
the ink, and therewith lays the ink on the carved
board in such manner as to have a quantity which
will be exactly suﬁicient for four or ﬁve impress-
ions, as he does not ink the board for every im-
pression. When the board has received as much
ink as the artist judges to be sufﬁcient, he lays on

76 HISTORY or PRINTING

the paper; and, with the'other brush, which is of an
oblong ﬁgure, and softer than the ﬁrst, he presses
the paper upon the board, by gently drawing the
brush over it, with a force, which is a little increas-
ed for each impression, until the ink, put on the
letters, is all taken off by the paper. In this mode
of performing the business, one man is able to throw
off several thousand copies in a day.

The ink, the Chinese use for printing, is made
in a peculiar manner; and is different from their
common sort, which they roll in oblong sticks or
cakes.

After an edition of a book is printed off, the
plates, or carved boards, are collected together;
and, it is generally mentioned in the preface, where
they are deposited, in case a second edition should
be wanted.

The paper they use for printing, is not sized by
any glutinous liquid; it is too thin and weak to
receive distinct impressions on both sides; there.
fore, no more than one side is printed. For this:
reason, the printed sheets, when they are to be
bound into books, are taken separately and doubled;
the blank sides touching each other; and, they are
folded so exactly, as to make the extremities of one
page correspond with those of the other, as is the
method with our bookbinders; but, contrary to our
mode of binding, all the single edge sare placed so
as to form the back of the book; the folds make
the front, and are never cut. Their books are, gen—
erally, covered with neatly manufactured, colored
pasteboard. Those who wish to have them done
out of the common way, cover the pasteboard with.

IN CHINA. 77

rich and elegant fancy colored silk, or satin; and,
sometimes, with gold and silver brocade, 8:0. The
folded edges of the leaves are left plain.

V It has been thought by printers in Europe, and
others, that moveable types would answer a better
purpose for the Chinese, than their method of carv-
ing characters on wooden plates, or blocks; but,
until they invent something like an alphabet, of
which their words, or characters, may be composed,
.moveable types cannot be of great use to them.
They are not without the knowledge of separate
types; though such as they use are cut in wood;
and, when the same characters frequently occur, as is
often the case in the Calendars and Gazettes, they
occasionally insert those separate types, in places
ﬁtted to receive them in the wooden plates, on which
the other part of the Gazette, Calendar, &0. is carv-
ed; or, otherwise, ﬁx them for the purpose for
which they are wanted. They have no alphabet,
from which they can form words as we do. Their
words are represented by characters; and, these
characters have been usually said to be 80,000 in
number ; but, from the Dictionary which was made
by the emperor Cam Hi, who lived in the time of
king Charles II, of England, it appears, that their
characters do actually amount to the number of
120,000.916 '

* This fact has been ascertained by doctor Benjamin Car-
ter, son of John Carter, esq. of Providence, Rhodeisland;
who, having been some time in China, acquired a knowledge
of the Chinese language, and brought one of Cam Hi’s diction-
aries over with him.

78 HISTORY or PRINTING

A compositor, in our printing houses, easily
distinguishes the various letters, Sec. of an alpha.
betic language; he at once sees where each is to
be found in the type cases before him; he distin-
guishes them at a glance ; his hands even acquire
the habit of reaching them rapidly without looking
for them, as the ﬁngers learn to touch the keys of a
harpsichord, without turning the eyes toward them .3
were there many thousands of such keys, it is ob.-
vious that no such habit could be acquired; nor
could the keys be within reach.”* It would be
equally inconvenient to print with an hundred and
twenty thousand different characters ; especially, as
many types or characters of the same denomination
would be wanted, which would increase them to a
prodigious number. It has not, it seems, occurred
to the Chinese artists to make moveable and separate
types for parts of characters, which, when placed
together, would form whole characters, as is the
practice of European founders, with their types for
music. But this mode would be attended with
greater diﬂiculty, in a printing house, than casts of
whole characters; because, a great increase of num-
bers would be necessary; and, consequently, the
labor and inconveniences of a compositor would be
augmented. He could not use them with the same
facility that a Chinese carver of characters forms
them on wooden plates. It is admitted, that sepa-
rate types, cast for the whole, or the parts of char-
acters, would answer for any work until Worn

* Staunton’s Embassy to China. Vol. 2. p. 295, London 4to.
edition.

IN CHINA. 79

down; but, it must be considered, that they would
be much more expensive than the carved, or en-
graved plates which are now used. Hence it
appears, that, unless the Chinese form an alphabet,
and substitute it for their characters, they cannot
prosecute the business of Printing with more ease
and expedition, or with less eitpense, than by the
process they have adopted, and practised for centua
tics past.

Winterbotham mentions, that a Work which is
printed «and published every three months, in .Pekin,
intitled, “ The State of China,” is altered, or cor-
rected, at each time of publication, by means of
moveable wooden characters, in the mode before
dCSCribed. He adds, that some “ very small works
are printed in the same manner.”*’

As we have so little information respecting that
interesting country, where strangers cannot travel,
but by permission, which is obtained with great
difﬁculty, all authentic intelligence respecting it
—-—particularly the state of its arts, and, above all,
the art of Printing, cannot fail to excite attention.
For this reason, I will here insert a few passages
from authors of the highest reputation, respecting
Chinese publications.

Like the capital cities of European kingdoms,
“ Pekin the capital of the Chinese empire, is fur~
nished with a Gazette, which circulates into the re.
motest provinces, and which is even considered, by
the administration, as an essential part of the politi-
cal constitution. It is printed daily; and, contains

3" View of the Chinese empire. P. 415.

80 HISTORY or PRINTING

an account of all those objects to which the attena
tion of administration is directed. In this Gazette,
may be seen the names of all those delinquents who
are punished with death, and of the ofﬁcers appoint-
ed to ﬁll the places of the disgraced mandarins ;--—-
the relief given by government; and the expenses.
incurred by administration, for the subsistence of
the troops, supplying the wants of the people, re-
pairing, or erecting, public works ; and, lastly, the
remonstrances made to the sovereign by the superi-
or tribunals, either with regard to his public decis-
ions or private conduct; and, sometimes, even
with relation to both. Nothing, however, is con-
tained in this Gazette, which has not immediately
come from the emperor, or been submitted to his
inspection; and, immediate death would be the
consequence of inserting a falsehood in this minis-a
terial paper.”*

"‘ Gazettes are frequently published in Pekin,
under the authority of government. The various '
appointments throughout the empire, the favors
granted by the emperor, all his public acts, his re.
mission of taxes to districts suffering by dearth, or
other general calamity; his recompenses of extra-
ordinary services; the embassies sent, and the trib-
ute paid to him, form a considerable part of the
public news. The domestic details of his house-
hold, or of his private life, are seldom, if ever,
mentioned. Singular events, instances of longevi-
ty, sometimes the pUnishments of offences, com-
mitted by mandarins, are there recorded. Even,

"‘ Encyclopedia, American edition. Vol. iv. p. 676.

IN CHINA. 81

sometimes, instances of the adultery of women,
which is a punishable, though not a capital offence ;
are occasionally published, perhaps, by way of de-
terring others from the commission of the like en-
ormities. While China was at war, its victories,
as well as the suppression of rebellions, were an-
nOunced. In all other cases the World, in point of
intelligence, is conﬁned to China. Beside the classic
works of the Chinese, of which the multiplication
by Printing is prodigious ; the lighter literature of
the country gives no inconsiderable occupation to
the press.

“ Notwithstanding the vigilant police of the
Chinese magistrates, books disapproved by them,
are, in various instances, privately printed and dis-
seminated in China. It is not easy to prevent, or
even always to detect, the operations of a trade,
which, beside paper and ink, requires little more
than some pieces of board, and a knife to cut the
characters upon them. The books thus published,
privately, are chieﬂy those which are offensive to
deCency, and inﬂame the imaginations of youth.
It is not said, that any are levelled against the gov-
ernment. The political, moral, and historical works
of the Chinese, contain no abstract ideas of liberty,
which might lead them to the assertion of indepen-
dence. '

“ The art of Printing, has been the mean of
diffusing, universally, and establishing among all
ranks of men, certain ﬁxed principles of right, and
rules of moral rectitude, Which serve as so many
dykes, or barriers, against the tumult of human

passions, and restrainthe propensities of conquerors
L a

82 HISTORY or PRINTING

in the plenitude of power. At every change in the
governments of the neighboring countries, not «so
circumstanced, success, like a torrent, sweeps be-
fore .it, and levels all former arrangements of soci-
ety; but, in China, institutions and opinions, sur-
vive the wreck of revolutions. The sovereign may
be removed, his Whole family out off ;, but, the
mamiers and conditions of the people remain the
same. The throne itself is supported by maxims
from the press ; the Virtues of its possessor are bla.
zoned by it to all his subjects. It gives him the
vast advantage of directing their sentiments as he
thinks ﬁt. His palaces, his gardens, his magniﬁ-
cence, create no envy toward a prince represented
to be endowed with the most transcendent qualities;
and to be employed, without intermission, in pro-
moting the happiness of his people.”9i<‘

Dictionaries, almanacks, and novels which are,
generally, simple and interesting, are allowed to be
published in China; and, permission has been given
to the Christian missionaries, who visited that coun-
try, to publish several religious works in the Chi-:
nese language.

Dr... Ducarel, commissary general of the city
and diocese of Canterbury, keeper of Lambeth
library, 8w. had a collection of specimens of Chi-
nese ingenuity, among which, Nichols,T in 1776,

* Staunton’s Embassy. Vol. 2.

’r Nichols’s Orig. of Printing, p. 300. Bowyer and Nich.
015 were two eminent printers in London, whose account of
Printing was introduced into the Encyclopedia. As many writ-
ers on Printing will be mentioned in the course of this work,

IN CH-‘I’NA. 83

saw a Chinese book, in which all the miracles re-
corded in the New Testament, are exhibited, printed
from. wooden blocks; our Savior, the apostles, and
all persons therein mentioned, are dressed in Chi--
ne‘sehabits. The jesuit missionary, probably, gave
the Chinese block cutter an European book, with
prints, for him to copy; and- directed him to dress
the ﬁgures in the fashion of his country, as being
most pleasing to its inhabitants.

I will make the reader acquainted "with some of them who are
modern, viz.--Dr. Conyers Middleton, keeper of the public li-
brary at Cambridge, in England, was celebrated for his learn-
ing, and acquaintance with ancient typography.-—T he Rev. Mr.
Lewis, an English author, who has written much on the sub-
ject.—Joseph Ames, esq. fellow of the Royal Society, and sec-
retary to the Antiquarian Society, who, in 1749, published a
large quarto volume of The History of Printing in England,
Scotland, and Ireland, and has given more particular and mi-
nute details-of English typographical antiquities, than any other
author.——Andrew Coltee Ducarel, L. L. D. commissary general
of the city and diocese of Canterbury, and F.R.A.S. of Eng-
land—Mr. Palmer, who wrote a history of Printing in Eu-
rope—M. Maittaire, a very respectable French writer, and
author of Annales Typographici.—-John Enchedi, a well edu-
cated printer, in Holland, who made great researches to ascer.
tain the origin of the art in Europe, and published a treatise on
the subject—P. Luckombe, M.T. A. author ofThe History and
Art of Printing in England—C. Stowers, author of The Print-
er’s Grammar, and History of Printing, lately published in
England; a work which may be very serviceable, not only to
master printers, but to journeymen and apprentices—Gerard
Meerman, mentioned p. 68; who, when in England in 1759,
received the degree of doctor of civil law at the university of

Oxford.

84 HISTORY or PRINTING.

In the curious and extensive collection of
George Perry, Esq. .F. A. s. in England, was a
number of admirable specimens of Chinese print-
ing, Which demonstrate the zeal and the genius of
the jesuits. Among those specimens was a book
intitled, “ Sinurum Scientia Politico—Moralis, a P.
Prospero Intocretta, siculo, Societatis Jew, in lu-
eem' editu.” Part of the book was printed at Can-'
ton, and the other part at Goa. The license of the
vice provincial of the order is dated “ In urbe Quam
Chéu metrepoli ‘Sinensi provinciae Quam tum, die
31, mensis J ulii, anni, 1667.’_’ After a preface,
printed at Goa, with Roman types, there is a second;
title, viz. “ Scientia Sinciae liber secundus. Chum 7
medium. Yﬁm constanter tenendem Versio litera-
lis.” Then follow twelve double leaves in Chinese
characters, with a Latin version, in Roman charac~ .
ters, all cut in blocks in the Chinese manner, printed
at Canton ; and fourteen single leaves in the Euro-
pean manner, printed at Goa. In the translation of
this latter part, both the Chinese and Latin are print-
ed with Separate types. The Roman types are of
metal coarsely cast; and, those of the Chinese, are
cut on wood. The volume closes with the life of
Confucius, in Latin, with several Chinese words in,
terspersed 5 and, an additional license.*

* N ichols’s Origin of Printing, p. 286.

EUROPE.

Discovery and Progress of Printing.

IF we consider the remote periods in which the
arts and sciences began to ﬂourish in Europe, we
Shall think it remarkable, that, previous to the ﬁf-
teenth century, no method of multiplying cepies of
the works of the learned, or of communicating past
and present events, should have been practised, ex-
cept by the slow operation of the pen of the scribe,
the pencil of the painter, or the chisel of the sculp-
tor; especially, as China, where the art of Printing
has been practised for a thousand years, was not
unknown to Europe.

Bacon says, Homo natura: minister vet interpres,
tantumﬁzcit et intelligit, quantum do natum‘ ordine,
re, vel mente observaverit : nec amplius scit, aut
fattest. Perhaps the European world was inﬂuenced
by this maxim; or, other sufﬁcient reasons might
be given for the slow progress of this discovery. In
ancient times, we may believe, there were. not many
readers of books, although the number who pur-
chased them was not small ; and, it was a business,
a trade, to copy them.

86 HISTORY or PRINTING

The scribes formed a numerous fraternity ; and,
were much interested in preventing the introduction
of any new practice, or art, which would take from
them their bread. They had brought their art to
great perfection; and no one, who is not acquainted
with ancient manuscripts, can have a just idea of
the neatness of their performances. The forms and
sizes of the types for Printing, were taken from the
letters as written by the scribes, just as the copper-
plate engravers now engrave from written copies.
In short, Printing, for a considerable length of time,
as has been observed by a British writer, was “ as
much the cozmtmﬁit, as it was the substitute of
writing ;”‘ being the ﬁle smile of the hand writing
of the most approved scribes.

Should we even admit, that some method of
printing was known in ancient times, we cannot
wonder that the common use of the art met with
successful opposition. That, at least, a partial
knowledge of the art existed many centuries ago,
is probable. Seals, or signets, must have been in
common. use before the time of Moses, for they are
mentioned very familiarly ; and, directions are given-
fOr engraving precious stones. We ﬁnd, that Beza-
lee], and Aholiab cm engraver and a cunning war/e.
man—wwrought onyx stones inclosed in ouc/zes of
gold; CRAVEN A‘S SIGNETS ARE CRAVEN, wit/2:
the names of the children of'Ismel.*‘ VVe further-
ﬁnd, that they were in the habit of engraving the
ear-dius, topaz, carbuncle, emerald, sapphire, ligure,
agate, amethyst, beryl, jasper 3 and, the (Zimnoml,

’* Exodus, xxxix. 6. l4.

IN EUROPE. 87

(which, it seems, no one can now engmve ;) for it
is said, that these stones were according to the names
oftﬁe :dzz’ldren of Israel, twelve, according to their
names, like the engravings of a ’ signet, every one
with hisname, according to the twelve .tri'laes. Hence
it is evident, that engravings were made in stones
as well as metal; and, we may suppose, therefore,
impressions were taken from the engravings, and,
consequently, the ﬁrst principles of printing known,
even in those early ages.

Homer is called the most ancient author of all the
heathen World ; and from his writings, particularly
from his description of the shield of Achilles, it is
sufﬁciently evident, that the art of engraving and
embossing was carried to a very great degree of
perfection in his time. Had he never seen engrav.
ings in metal, it is next to impossible that he could
have given a description, so exact in all its proper-
tions, as is that of which we are speaking. In the
centre of the shield, he describes the earth, with the
sun revolving round it—-—the full moonm—the signs
of the zodiac—«with several of the constellations.
Round that picture he describes twelve others, in
twelve separate compartments, representing, ﬁrst,
a marriage; second, an assembly of the people;
third, a senate; fourth, a beleagured town, with a
sally of the besieged; ﬁfth, shepherds and their
ﬂocks fallen into an ambuscade; sixth, a battle;
seventh, tillage; eighth, a harvest; ninth, a Vin.
tage ; tenth, lions and herds of cattle; eleventh,
sheep; twelfth, the dance; and, round the whole,
he represented the ocean}: As most of the poets

* Homer’s Iliad. B. 18.

88 HISTORY or PRINTING

took their images from the labors of . the painters,
sculptors, 8m. we may conclude Homer did the
same. Indeed, from his own words it amounts to
a certainty; for he acknowledges, that his repre--
’sentation of the dance, on the shield, is similar to
one made at Gnossus, by the renowned Daedalus,
for, the queen of Crete.

In like manner, if we examine the historians and
poets of all succeeding ages, we shall ﬁnd materials
to justify the opinion, that the art of engraving has
been known from time immemorial; and, that al-
though Maso Finiguerra, and the other Florentine
engravers, made some innovatiOns and improve-
ments in the art, they were, by no means, the invena-
tors of it; and, we may reasonably believe, that
though the art of Printing was not brought to any
great degree of maturity, the means for performing
it were not entirely unknown; especially, as it is so
nearly allied to engraving.

Ulphilas, who ﬂourished about the year of Christ
370, became the apostle of the Goths, and converted
many of them to Christianity. At that period, the
Goths used the Runic characters; but, as those
characters had been used in magic incantations,
Ulphilas would not employ them in the cause of
Christianity; he, therefore, invented new charac-
ters, which were called the Moeso Gothic ; and into
that language he translatedthe “Bible. A large part
of this identical version of Ulphilas, was found,
many years ago, in the abbey of Werden, in West-
phalia. It was carried from that place to Prague,
where it was discovered by the Swedes, in 1648, who
conveyed it to their queen, Christiana; and, it is

IN EUROPE. 89

now deposited in the library of the university of
Upsal. 'The Swedish antiquarian, Ihre, who has
published an edition of the remains of this ancient
work, gives it as his opinion, that the letters in the
original were made by hot metal types, in the man-
ner the backs of books are lettered; for the letters,
except the initials, are all of silver; and thence the
Work is called the Codex Argenteus-the initials are
Of gold. " Carr, who examined this book, supposed
the letters-were made by the pencil ; which, probaa
bly, was the fact ;' although, it is not impossible
that types, of some sort, were known in-the days of
Ulphilas; but, inthe dark ages which succeeded,
that knowledge might have been obscured, or ex-
tinguished. [6] We cannot, however, be certain
that the Dutch and German printers, to whom we
ascribe the merit of the invention, had not a knowl.
edge of this work of Ulphilas ; or even of the exist-
ence of some kind of types; and, of the Chinese
method of printing, which had existed from 50.0 to
700 years at least, before the time of Laurentins or
Geinsﬂeiche.

If the Dutch and German printers did make a
new, and a second discovery of the art, it is strange
that the mechanical management of the business,
should have been exactly the same as had been so
long known and practised in China. It is not im-
possible that the art of Printing, on the European
continent, should have been discovered by accident.
This has been asserted by all writers on the subject",
excepting those to whom the credit of the invention
is given; they have said but little respecting it;
and some doubts will always remain on the mind,

1 M

90 HISTORY or PRINTING

whether some information concerning the Chinese
method of printing, had not been communicated to
him who ﬁrst, as is commonly supposed, attempted
the business in Europe,

Great disputes have arisen, respecting the place
where the art was ﬁrst discovered and practised, in
EuroPe; and, who. made the discovery. Almost
as many cities have contested the honor of the
invention, as ever contended for being the birth
place of Homer. Didymus, it is said, wrote bun.
dreds of volumes, chieﬂy with a View to determine
that question; and, perhaps, his works may be
outnumbered before the true origin of Printing is
ascertained. In the midst of this uncertainty, how-
ever, I proceed to state such facts, as are the result
of accurate disquisitions on this well canvassed sub-
ject; those that are admitted, are as follow.

1. That the cities of Hacrlem, in Holland, and
Mentz and Strasburg, in Germany, all claim the
honor of being the birth place of the art of Print-
ing.

2. That Laurentius, sometimes called Coster,
Koster, or Kustos, has the best claim to the honor
of the discovery, which was made about the year
1429; or, as several writers state, not earlier than
1422, nor later than 1436.

3. That he lived at Haerlem, was a man of large
property, had a lucrative oﬂice under the govern.
ment, and there practised printing in its- original
rude state.

4. That Laurentius, for some time after he
began printing, used wooden blocks, or plates, on
which he engraved, or carved, in pages, 8w. the

IN EUROl'E. 91

wards far several small Works ; in some of which
were pictures, Cut in the blocks With the words.
These he printed only on one side of vellum, or
paper, and doubled and pasted the leaves together,
thus ferming them into books. After practising
this Way for a few years, he invented and used sep.
arate wooden types, but never attempted to cut or
Cast types in metal.

5 . That Laurentius employed several servants
in his business; among whom was John Geins-
ﬂeiche, senior. There were two brothers of that
name—~the younger was sometimes distinguished
by the name of Guttemburg. He was an ingen-
ious artist, and lived at Strasbur-g.

6. That John Geinsﬂeiche, senior, communi-
cated, ﬁrst, the theory of the art; and, afterward
the practice of it, to his younger brother; whom,
for the sake of distinction, I shall, hereafter, call
Guttemburg.

7. That Laurentius followed printing during
the remainder of his life ; and that, after his death,
the business was continued in his family at Haer-
10m, for many years.

8. That John Geinsﬂeiche, the servant of Lau.
rentius, about the time that his master died, with
the aid of a fellow servant who was his accomplice,
took an opportunity, on a festival, to steal a con—
siderable part of his master’s wooden types, with
other parts of his printing apparatus, and abscond-
ed ; and having conveyed his plunder to Mentz, his
native place, he there commenced printing, about
the year 1440, with the types he had stolen from.
his master.

92 HISTORY or PRINTING

9. That after Geinsﬂeiche settled at Mentz, he
was assisted with money, &C. by John F ust, alias
Faust, alias F austus, a’ rich and very respectable
man; who, Consequently, shared the proﬁts with
Geinsﬂeiche. Fust andGeinsﬂeiche afterward form-
ed a company, and admitted as a partner John Mei-
denbachius, with some other persons.

10. That Guttemburg, the younger brother of
Geinsﬂeiche, continued at Strasburg till 1444,- and
was in various employments ; but he made great
efforts toward attaining the art of Printing with cut
metal types. He could not, however, bring the
art to any degree of perfection. It is believed by
some, that he, and the partners with whom he was
concerned, printed a few very small works. Their
performances, have all disappeared ; and, as far
as is known, have been entirely destroyed. Al-
though, whilst at Strasburg, Guttemburg had made
considerable progress in improving the art ; yet,
having quarrelled with his partners, and being in-
vOlved in law suits, he quit-ted that city, and joined
his brother at Mentz.

11. The two brothers had the management of
the printing business at Mentz ; and they united
their endeavors to form a fount of metal types, with
cut faces. Their method of making these types
was, first to cast the shanks, or bodies, to a suitable
size, and afterward to engrave, or cut, the letters on
themﬁt After- a labor of several years, they accom-
plished the undertaking ; and in 1450 a part of the

3* Polydore Virgil mentions, that metal types, with cut faces,
were first thought of in 1442.

IN EUROPE. 93

Bible appeared from their press, which was printed
with those types. The same year, and very soon
after they began to work with those types, the part-
nership between the brothers, Fust, and company,
was dissolved ; and a connexion between Fust and
Guttemburg commenced ; but a difference between
them arising, an action at law was instituted by
Fust, for money advanced to Guttemburg ; and,
their joint concern in business ended in 1455. Af-
ter this, Guttemburg was assisted by Conrad Hu-
mery, syndic of Mentz, and others; and, this new
company opened another printing house in that city.
Fust also continued the business ; and took into
partnership one of his servants, called Peter Schoef-
fer; an ingenious man, who had become very skil-
ful in the printing business.

12. That Schoeffer, in 1456, completed the in-
vention of metallic types, by casting them with
faces. “ He privately cut matrices for the whole al-
phabet; and, when he shewed his master the types
cast from these matrices, Fust was so much pleas-
ed that he gave Schoeffer his only daughter in mar-
riage.” There were, at ﬁrst, many difﬁculties with
these types as there had been with those of wood,
and those that were cut on metal. One was owing
to the softness of the metal, which would not bear
forcible pressing; but this defect, as well as some
others, was soon remedied. The ﬁrst book printed
with the improved types was Durandi Rationale. It
was not ﬁnished till 1459.

These facts give us a clear idea of the rise and
progress of the art, until it was, in a great measure,
brought to perfection, by the invention and use of
metal types, cast with faces.

94 Hrsronv or PRINTING

It will now be proper to make some further in.
quiry respecting the manner in which the art was
discovered ; and, the claims of the cities of Haerlem,
Mentz and Strasburg, to the honor of having made
the discovery.

Hadrian J unius*' ascribes the invention of Print
ing to Laurentius. Some have controverted his au»
thority ; but, it has been, eventually, very generally
admitted to be indisputable. This Junius relates,
that Laurentius was the son of John Laurentius,
who held the reputable ofﬁce of Custos, or edituus,
of the cathedral church in Haerlem ; which circum-
stance occasioned the epithet of Custos or Koster,
to be added to his name. Others mention Lau-
rentius the younger, merely by the additament of
Koster. J unius explained—That he received this
information from his schoolmaster, Nicholas Galius,
and, from Quirinius Talesius,’r his acquaintance

* In his Batavia. p. 253. ed. Ludg. 1588. Hadrian Junius
was born at Horn, in Holland, in 151 1. He was at ﬁrst rector
of the Latin school, and teacher of natural philosophy at Haer-
lem, where he composed aGreek and Latin Lexicon, to which
he added 6500 words :-—He wrote also Animadversa et de Co-
ma Commentarius, which was greatly applauded. His history
of Holland is written in elegant Latin. He was the author of
many other works; became a learned physician; and prac~
tised for some time with much reputation in England, where
he was esteemed a man of great integrity and impartiality.
Vide Biographie Generale des Pays Bas. Art. Jun.--Encyc.
vol. 9. Sue.

TQuirinius was many years amanuensis to the learned
Erasmus, as appears by his epistle dated July 23, 1529. Opera.
Tom. iii. p. 1222. In 1537, he was scabinus; and consul in

IN EUROPE. 95

and correspondent; both of whom were men of
respectable characters—«That Galius had his testi-
mony immediately from Cornelius, who was a fel.
low servant with the elder Geinsﬂeiche and others,
to Laurentius the younger, when he practised the
art of Printing.—-—This Cornelius, after the death of
his master, Laurentius, was bookbinder to the ca.
thedral of Haerlem ; a branch of business which
had, long before, been performed by the Franciscan
friars ;—.--that he lived to a great age; and, accord.
ing to the register of that cathedral, died in 1515 ;
-—--and, that he was a very conscientious man, and
often Spoke with sorrow of the loss his master had
sustained by the roguery of Geinsﬂeiche, his fellow
servant, associate and bed fellow.

The account they gave of the discovery of Print-
ing, is as follows.---“ Laurentius went to walk in a
wood near the city (as the citizens of opulence used
to do) and when there, he began at ﬁrst to cut some
letters upon the rind of a beech tree, which for fan.
cy’s sake he afterwards set and ranked in order, and
put with their heels upward upon paper, and so im«
pressed or printed on paper, one or two copies, as
specimens for his grandchildren (the sons of his
daughter) to follow in writing. This having hap-
pily succeeded, he meditated greater things, as he
was a man of ingenuity and judgment ; and, ﬁrst of
all, with his son in law Thomas Pieter, invented a
more glutinous ink, because he found the common
ink sink and spread, and then formed whole pages

1552. He lived during the troubles in the Low Countries;

and was killed by the Spanish soldiers in 1573. Some have
written his name Salesius.

96 HISTORY or PRINTING

of wood with letters out upon them ; of which sort”
I have seen some essays in an anonymous work-
printed only on one side, in which it is remarkable
that in the infancy of printing (as nothing is com-
plete at its ﬁrst invention) the back sides of the pages
were pasted together,* that they might not by their
nakedness betray their deformity. This book was
entitled Speculum nostm’ salutis.”

Junius then goes on to mention Gerard Thomas,
Whom he knew, a person of great reputation, anda
great grandson to Laurentius, who gave him a sima
ilar account of the invention of printing to that
which he had received from Galius. J unius ob-
serves, “ A new invention never fails to engage cu-
riosity; and, whena commodity, which was uncom-
mon, excited purchasers, to the advantage of the
inventor, the admiration of the art increased; de!
pendants, workmen and servants were multiplied——
the ﬁrst calamitous incident; among them was one
John, unfaithful and unlucky to his master. This
man, bound by oath to keep the secret of Printing;
when he thought he had learned the art of joining
the letters, the method of making the types and
other things of that nature, taking the most con-
venient time that was possible, on a Christmas eve,
when every one was customarily employed in lust-
ral sacriﬁces, seizes a collection of types, and other
implements of printing, and, with one accomplice,
marches off to Amsterdam, from thence to Cologne,
and at last settled at Mentz, as at an assylum of se-

* This account of the ﬁrst printing in Europe, proves the
method to be similar to that practised by the Chinese.

IN EUROPE. 97

.eurity, where he might go to work with the tools
he had stolenﬁ’é It is certain that in a year’s time,
Viz. in 1442, the Doctrinale of Alexander Gallus, a
grammar which was much used at that time, togetha
er with the Tracts of Peter of Spain, came forth
there also, from the same types that Laurentius had
made use of at Haerlem.” This is the substance of
the account which Junius tells us he received from
Nicholas Galius, to whom it was related by Cor-
nelius ; and from Quirinus Talesius his intimate
friendqL

Petrus Scriverius, an early writer on the dis-
covery of Printing, gives an account substantially
the same as that of Cornelius. He says; ,“ Lau—
rentius walking in the wood, picked up a small
bough of a beech, or rather of an oak tree, which
had been broken off by the wind. He sat down
and amused himself with cutting some letters on it;
and wrapped up, in paper, the part he had thus en—
graven. He afterward fell asleep, and when he
awaked, he perceived that the paper, having, been
moistened by a shower of rain, or some other acci-
dent, had received an impression from the letters
he had engraven; which induced him to pursue
the accidental discovery.”

No one but Laurentius himself could tell how
he discovered the art; and, it is probable, he gave

3“ “ It is not to be supposed that Geinsﬂeiche carried
off the Whole printing apparatus of his master ; but a part of
his types, and such things as were necessary for specimens
to form others by,” 8m. Nichols’s Orig. Print.

1‘ Meerman. Orig. Print.

1 N

98 HISTORY or PRINTING

the accounts, related by Junius and Scriverius, to
his friends and servants ; but let this matter be as
it may, the truth of his being the ﬁrst who made
use of it in Europe, must have been known to
many. The fact is well supported by abundance
of testimony produced by Gerard Meerman, in his
Origines Typographic-a3 ; and, by other credible
writers.

Respecting the claim of Mentz to the invention
of Printing, it is agreed by the best writers that it
cannot be admitted. But the invention of metal
types, both with cut and cast faces, is certainly due
to that city ; and this is, unquestionably, the most
important of all the branches connected with the
typographical art; for all the subsequent improve-
ments are of minor importance.

In regard to the claim of Strasburg to the inven-
tion of metal types, I cannot agree, altogether, with
Meerman and others who assert, that it is entirely
without foundation. It is admitted by those who
Oppose the pretensions of Strasburg, that Guttem-
burg, the brother of Geinsﬂeiehe, was, for several
years, employed in endeavoring to attain the art of
Printing ;. and, it could not be meant simply print-
ing from wooden blocks; for it is proved, that
Guttemburg and his partners were at such great ex-
pense of time and money, in attempting the
business, that they became bankrupts. It appears
from an authentic record of a judicial decree of the
senate of Strasburg in 1439, that Guttemburg and
his associates engaged in the business about the year
1436; and European writers admit, that Guttem~
burg persevered in his endeavors to become mas-

IN EUROPE. 99

ter of the art, until he left Strasburg in 1444, when
he joined his brother at Mentz. They all allow that.
metal types were the invention of the two broth-
ers Geinsﬂeiche and Guttemburg. They further
admit, that Guttemburg was more ingenious than
Geinsﬁeiche in the mechanical arts; but they are
silent as to which of the two invented the cut face
metal types. Geinsﬂeiche did not use metal types
till after his brother joined him at Mentz ; it is,
therefore, as some writers mention, highly probable
that Guttemburg was employed, at Strasburg, in
endeavoring to complete the cut face metal types ;
but that for want of a more accurate knowledge of
the art of Printing, which. he could only obtain
from his brother, he failed in his attempts till he
joined Geinsﬂeiche at Mentz ; where, by their
united endeavors, they became successful. So
that, although Guttemburg did not accomplish What
he had long labored to complete at Strasburg; yet,
it is almost certain, that he performed some printing,
either from blocks, or moveable wooden types, or
from those of metal with engraved faces, in the
course of several years that it appears he was em-
ployed in that business, before: he removed to
Mentz. No proof to the contrary has been pro-
duced. And, as he was engaged in cutting metal
types long before any thing was printed at Mentz,
this circumstance may, in some measure, justify
the claim of Strasburg to the invention of metallic
types; and, even her pretensions that the art of
Printing was practised in that city before it was
a known at Mentz.

100 HISTORY or PRINTING

The claims of the three cities have, however,
been determined, and arranged by Meerman, Nich.
015, 8:0. as follow—the discovery, and ﬁrst rudi-
ments of the art, are allotted to Laurentius of
Haerlem;—-—the invention and improvement of the
moveable, cut face, metal types by Geinsﬁeiche,
senior, and his brother Guttemburg, and the com-
pletion of the business by the invention of metal
types, cast with faces, by Schoeffer——to which op-
erations John Fust, or Faust, had the honor of con-
tributing by his liberality—-—the merit of this is giv-
en to Mentz ;——-—but the claim of Strasburg, they
set aside, as altogether unsupported, and unsup-
portable.

It is not strange that the origin of an art which
has given light to all other arts, should be involved
in obscurity ; when we consider what has been ob-
served by Meerman, Maittaire, and many others,
who have written on the subject, viz. “ that Print-
ing was invented as a more expeditious method of
multiplying books than by writing, which it was at
ﬁrst designed to counterfeit ;” and, consequently,
was concealed from motives of private interest,
rather than revealed to the honor of the ﬁrst in.
ventor ; and the advantage of the public.

The Psalter, printed by Fust and Schoeﬁer, at
Mentz, in 1457, is celebrated for the beauty of its
typography ; and, although it is difﬁcult to believe,
that an art, so complicated, could be brought to so
high a degree of perfection in the course of ﬁfteen
or sixteen years, from so rude a beginning; yet,
such is the fact.

IN EUROPE. 101

I will here remark, that the Psalter of Fust and
SchoeHer, is the ﬁrst book to which any printers
put their names, or which is known to have a gen-
uine date ;- but, from that time, it became common
for printers to ascertain the works they printed by
putting their names, and the date when the work
was executed, in an imprint at the end of the vol-
ume.

Having stated the facts respecting the discovery
of the art of Printing in Europe, as they are re-
lated by the best authors ; and given an account of
Printing. through its several stages, from wooden
blocks, to separate wooden types ; and from cut face
wooden and metal types, to its completion with
metal types cast with faces; I will now proceed
with an account of the earliest printers ; taking
them in the order of time in which they arose.

HOLLAND.

JOHANNES LAURENTIUS; alias LAURENCE ZANSSEN,
alias COSTER, alias Kosrus, or Kos'rER, alias LAW-
RENTZ JAN Kos'rER; of HAERLEM.

THIS is the person to whom the writers on the
origin of Printing give the credit of ﬁrst discover-
ing the art in Europe. His real name is said to be
Johannes Laurentius; and, as I have before re-
marked, the addition of Coster, Kostus, 8:0. is a
mere title of ofﬁce, which was given to his father ;_

102 HISTORY or PRINTING

Who was, by the citizens of Haerlem, elected their.
edituus or custos, according to a privilege granted
to them by count Albert of Bavaria. In a diploma
signed by count Albert, in 1390, the father of Lau~
rentius is mentioned by the name of Johannes Lau-
rentii ﬁliusﬂ“

Laurentius, the printer, was born at Haerlem,
about the year 1370, from an illegitimate branch of
the Gens Brederodia. He was edituus, or custos,
after his father, and was, at different times, appoint-
ed to several departments of the magistracy. His
oﬁices are said to have been very lucrative. He
was religious; a man of great property ; and, lived
in a splendid style”L in a fashionable house, at Haer-
lem, in the market place, opposite the royal palace,
now the townhouse.

I have already related the manner in which, it is
said, he made the important discovery that led to
the art of Printing. According to the best accounts
given of him, he mustthen have been about ﬁfty
nine years of age. He practised the art eleven years;
and, during that time, he made great improve-
ment in it. The precise date of the discovery, can-
not be determined ; but, it is believed to be about
the year 1429. Scriverius, whose testimony has
not been disputed, when mentioning the year in
which Laurentius died, i. e. 1440, observes, that
his discovery was made about ten or twelve years
before that period. He further mentions, that soon
after Laurentius had developed the ﬁrst principles of
the art, he exhibited some rude specimens of his

* Meerman’s Orig. Typog. thid.

IN EUROPE. 103

performances. Junius gives a more particular ac.
count, which was derived from the servants of Lau-
rentius; and, afterward, describes some of those
specimens, which he saw. One of them was the
Homrium.

More modern writers inform us of some of the
early productions of Laurentius’s invention, seen by
them. Among the manuscripts relating to Haer-
lem, in St. John’s college, Oxford, is a letter from
John Laughton, esq. an English gentleman, who
visited Holland in 1699, which is dated Amster.
dam, June 23, 1699. Its contents are as follow.
“ I made some stay at Haerlem, and visited the
learned antiquary Van Dalen ; he received me with
abundance of humanity, and shewed me all his col-
lections of antiquities, which are very numerous,
and many extremely curious. He introduced me
to a young lady there, born deaf and dumb, yet
taught to speak and read, very intelligibly, both
Dutch and Latin. Her preceptor is Dr. Amand,
a German ; she is the only child of a very rich mer-
chant. I was very desirous of seeing the ﬁrst book
printed here by Coster, of which we have had many
false accounts in England. It is kept in a chest in
the Stadthouse; and the masters keep the key,
which we procured, and found the book to be a
Dutch piece of theology, with cuts, printed on only
one side of the paper. We saw, also, one leaf of
Latin, intitled, ‘ Liber vitae Alexandri Magni,’ that
seems to be ‘monkish Latin. These, the Dutch
say, were printed 1430, the year he invented the
art. There is bound up in the same volume an-
other Dutch piece, said to be printed by Coster in

104 HISTORY or PRINTING

1432. The time when he invented the art, and the
years when those small works were printed, is siga
niﬁed, not on them, but in an inscription under his
picture in the room where the books are.”

Mr. Ellis, in the PhiloSophical Transactions,
published in England, gives an account of small
articles said to be printed by Coster, or Laurentius,
as early as 1430 or 1432, but they are all without a
printed date.

I have been informed, that some specimens of
very ancient and unskilful printing are preserved in
the Bodleian library at Oxford ; in that of Bennet’s
college ; and, also in the library of the king of Eng-
land; they are said to be samples of some of the
ﬁrst essays of Laurentius in the art of Printing, im-
pressed from wooden blocks before he had acquired
the art of making ink suitable for the purpose ;
and, like some other samples, before mentioned,
are printed only on one side of the paper, which
is doubled, and the pages pasted together. As
many frauds have been practised by the artful
venders of ancient books ; and, as specimens of the
printing of Laurentius are very rare, there is no
possibility of ascertaining whether these relics are,
or are not genuine. If no fraud has been practised,
doubtless, these fragments must be allowed to be-
long to that period when the art of Printing was
ﬁrst attemptedﬁt

* Notwithstanding the European virtuosi have been able to
make very considerable collections of ancient printed books,
yet, such is the scarcity of articles from the press of Lauren-
tius, that in all the Curious libraries and cabinets of antiquities,

IN EUROPE. 105

As no name or date appeared with the books of
Laurentius, to shew that they were from his press,
only the following can be ascertained to have been
printed by him.

IIorarium. Mentioned before ; supposed to have
been. impressed in 1430 or 1431.

$2 gpiegel ﬂDnaer Tﬁzbueninge. It was
printed from wooden types made separately, and
executed in a superior manner to the Horarium;
-——it, however, bears evident features of the in-
fancy of Printing. In this work are pictures, im—
pressed from wooden blocks on which they were
cut ; they are the ﬁrst that are known to have been
introduced into any book, or letter press Work.
De Spiegel is one of the books described by Had-
rian Junius; mentioned by Ellis, and by many oth-
ers. A copy of it has been carefully preserved at
Haerlem, and from time to time shewn to the curi-
ous. It was seen by Mr. Laughton, in 1699; and,
since by Meerman, who has given a fac simile
of one of its pages, among other specimens of the
printing of Laurentius, in his Origines Ty pograplr.
icae. From the best accounts, it appears to have
been printed in 1432.

Grammatica Donati. Commonly called Dona—
tus. Some fragments of a copy of this book, printed
on parchment, were, near three hundred years after
the death of Laurentius, discovered by John ES»-

to which Meerman extended his researches, he could ﬁnd only
two or three works that were entire and some fragments, of
others, which were genuine. But he discovered many facts,
and detected many errors and impositions, relative to the in-
vention and progress of printing in Europe.

1 0.

106 HISTORY or PRINTING

chedi, an ingenious printer in Haerlem. Eschedi
had purchased, at a low price, some remains of an
ancient library ; among which was a very old Dutch.
Psalter, that excited his curiosity. On examining
the binding of the Psalter, he found, to his surprise,
pasted to the cover, part of a copy of this identical
edition of Donatus.*

Liber Vim Alexandrz' *Magni.

Speculum Belgium. Printed about 1438, with
moveable wooden types.

Speculum nastrae Salutz's. This was generally
called Speculum. It was a Latin version of the
Spiegel Onser Behoedlnge, and said to be printed in
1440, with moveable wooden types.

Grammatical Donati. A second edition, of a
smaller size than the ﬁrst; and, is supposed to have
been issued from the press in 1440.

It is believed that he printed many other books,
but I do not ﬁnd that any mention has been made
of them by his biographers. All the editions of his
works were printed part on vellum and part. on
parchment. His press was shaped like the common
wine presses. He died in 1440, aged 70 years.

It does not appear that Laurentius had any son ;
but he had one daughter, whose name was Lucia.
She was married to Thomas Pieter, alias Peter
Thomas, who, in company with his sons, succeeded
Laurentius at Haerlem.

Dr. \Vallis’r relates that, in the time of Hege-
nitz, the house in which Laurentius lived, was still

3“ Seiz’s Treatise. Published 1740.

1‘ Inquiry into the Origin of Printing.

IN EUROPE. 107

standing in the market place at Haerlem, with an
inscription, in golden letters, over the door, of which
the following is a copy.
“ Memoria Sacrum.
Typographicae Ars, artium Conservatrix, his pri-
mum inventa circa, Ann. M.CCCC.XXX.

Vana quid Archetypos, et Praela Moguntia jactas,
Haerlemi Archetypos, Praelaque nata scias.

Extulit hie, monstrante Deo, Laurentius artem; '
Dissimulare 'Virum hunc, dissimulare Deum est.”

THOMAS PIET ER AND SONS, of HAERLEM.

THOMAS PIETER son in law of Laurentius,
ismentioned by Cornelius, as being concerned with
Laurentius in bringing the art of Printing to that
degree of perfection, which it attained in his days.

It is said, that Pieter, with his three sons, Peter,
Andrew and Thomas, were the successors of Lau-
rentius, and carried on the business several years.
Cornelius continued in the family some time after
the death of his master; and, assisted Pieter and his
sons. Only a few of the books they printed can
be identiﬁed ; as, like Laurentius, they printed for
proﬁt, not for fame. They neither put their names
to the books, nor added the date when, nor the place
where, they were printed. It is, however, agreed,
that the sons of Pieter printed new editions of the
Donatus and the Speculum ; and, afterwards reprint-
ed the 61!; cculum with a Latin translation; in the
execution of which work, they used their grand-

108 HISTORY or PRINTING

father’s wooden pictures; and printed the book
part1}r on wooden blocks and partly on wooden sep-
arate types. This was done between the years
1442 and 1450.49 After that time they printed sev-
eral editions of the Speculum, both in Latin and
Dutch. Copies of four editions of this book ;‘are
now to be seen in Haerlem.1‘

The grandsons of Laurentius printed with wood-
en, separate types, the following books; specimens
of which are given by Meerman, viz.

Historiae ﬂlexana’rz' 211(2ng New edition.

Flavz'z' Vedatz'z', for Vegetii, Renatz' epitome de 7':
Mlz'tari. And,

Opera Varz'a, Thomas a Kempis. In 1472.

Thomas a Kempis is supposed to be the last
book which was. issued from the press of Laurenti-
us’s descendants ; whose industry in improving the
art of Printing is suﬂiciently manifested by the neat-
ness of the editions of their works. They, soon
after printing Kempis, disposed of their printing ap-
paratus ; this might be owing to the invention and
general use of metal types.

Junius mentions, that the three grandsons of
Laurentius attained the consular dignity. Peter.
and Andrew fell in the civil war of 1492.

1" Meerman. Vol. 1. p. 150. t Ibid.

IN EUROPE. 109

GERMANY.
JOHN GEINSFLEICHE, the Elder, of Mszzﬂ

I HAVE before related, that this John Geins.
ﬂeiche was accused by Cornelius, Hadrian J unius,
8w. of having stolen a part of the wooden printing
types of his master.

Several credible writers, some of whom lived
before Junius, and others his cotemporaries, bear
testimony to the fact—that Geinsﬂeiche robbed Lau-
rentius of his types, and ﬂed with them to Mentz.
They give to Laurentius the merit of having dis.
covered the art of Printing; and, conﬁrm the ac-
count which has been given by J unius, that Come-
lius and Geinsﬂeiche were servants, at the same time,
to Laurentius. The following writers, who cor-
roborate this material part of our history, appear to
have derived their information through different
chmmnﬂst

1. Ulric Zell, almost coeval with Cornelius, was.
a German. He attained the rudiments of the art,
at Mentz, by oﬂiciating, as corrector of the press,
under F ust and Guttemburg; and was afterwards
the ﬁrst who practised Printing at Cologne, Zell

* Mentz was, at the period of which I am treating, an im-
perial city. It was afterward subjected to the crown of France.

1 Meerman’s Documents, Lxxx1~Lxxxzv.

110 HISTORY or PRINTING

published the C/zrom'con of Cologne, a work written
under his own inspection; in which he is profess-
edly an advocate in favor of Mentz ; but, he admits,
that the foundation. of the art Was laid at Haerlem.

2. “ Zurenus, in Joannis van Zuyren reliquim,
ex opusculo de perdito cui tit. Zurenus junior,
sive de prima, et inaudita hactenus vulgo, et veri-
ore tamen artis typographicae inventione dialogus,
nunc primum conscriptus, autore Joan. Zureno,
Harlemeo, ad amplissimum virum N. N. asservatae
-~—a Petr. Scriverio in Laurea Laurentiana, 0. ii.”

3. “ Theodorus Volckardi Coornhertius in
dedicatione praemissa versioni Belgicae Ofﬁciorum
Ciceronis, edit. Harlem. 1561, atque inscripta con-
sulibus, Scabinis, et Senatoribus ejusdem urbis.”

4. “ Henricus Pantaleon, Lib. de viris illustri-
bus Germania, part. ii. Ed. Basil.” He mentions
two circumstances worthy of notice; one, of the
manner of hiding the types when they were stolen,
“ eos literas in sacculis clausz's secum in oﬂicinas
tulisse, atque abeuntes abstulisse.” The other re—
lates to the honor paid to the ﬁrst artistsﬁié

* Meerman, mentions, that to follow any other manual pro-
fession than printing, was accounted a derogation to nobility;
but, that this art conferred honor on its professors. Hence it
was very early practised by many who were of noble families,
and even by eminent ecclesiastics. “John Guttemburg was,
in 1465, received inter aulz‘cos by the elector Adolphus ; and
the emperor Frederic 3d, permitted printers to wear gold and
silver ; and both Ty/zogra/zlzz'z' and Ty/zot/zetw were honored by
him with the privilege of wearing coats of arms.”-——“ T ypo-
thetis scil. aquilae, typographis autem gryphi,pede altero pilam
tinctoriam, unguibus tenentis, scutum donavit, cum aperta ga-
lea, et superimposita ei corona.” Vol. 1. p. 47, 48.

IN EUROPE. 111

5. “ Ludovicus Guicciardinus, Descrizzione di
tuttii Paesi Bassi. Edita Antwerpiae, typis Gul.
Sylvii, in descriptione urbis Harlemi.”

" Geinsﬂeiche was born at Mentz; and, that he
was the ﬁrst who attempted printing there, is a fact
Which is not disputed. It is said his family had
been distinguished by the honor of knighthood;
but, being reduced to poverty, that circumstance
obliged him and his brother to seek a livelihood in
a foreign country. Meerman says, thct he was
called Geinsﬂeiche norm 320x511“

He ﬂed to Mentz, with his types, about the year
1440 ; but did not publish any thing till two years
after his arrival there. During the interval he was
employed in making preparations for business.

Before he left Haerlem, his younger brother was
engaged in attempts to execute printing at Stras-
burg; but, being unsuccessful, and learning that
his elder brother, by the assistance of John F ust,
John Meidenbachius, and others, had established
himself in the printing business, and performed it in
a house hired for that purpose, and which from that
circumstance was called 311m jungenﬁ<~ he left
Strasburg, and went and joined this company at
Mentz, in 1444. As they were all connected to-
gether some years, it may be proper, in this place,
to give some account of the younger Geinsﬂeiche
and Fust.

”t This house ever after retained the name of the Printing
‘ House.

112 HISTORY or PRINTING

JOHN GEINSFLEICHE, the Younger, alias GUTTEM-
BURG, of STRASBURG.

IT has been observed by those who have written
concerning the tWo Geinsﬂeiches, that it was not
uncommon, in the age in which they lived, to call
two brothers by the same christian name ; to which
other names were, occasionally, added by way of
distinction. Upon this principle the younger Geins-
ﬂeiche took the addition of Guttemburg—by which
name I shall designate him in the course of this
work.

Guttemburg was born at Mentz ; but he lived,
several years, at Strasburg. At that place he had
several partners, who were employed in various
branches of business ; particularly, in attempting to
improve the art of Printing. Originally they were
lapidaries, looking glass makers, 8m.

Guttemburg is supposed to have had a knowl-
edge of the art, as it was practised at Haerlem;
which, it is thought, he acquired by visiting his
brother, who was in the service of Laurentius ; and,
it is probable, that when Geinsﬂeiche ﬂed from Hol-
land to Mentz, he visited Guttemburg at Strasburg,
and gave him some farther information respecting
the business. At that time, it is believed, they pro.
jected the cut metal types ; about which Guttem-
burg was, afterward, much employed, without be.
ing able ‘to bring them to perfection, before he went
to Mentz. He is represented as being more skilful

IN armors. 11:3

in mechanic arts than his brother, but, it is said,
failed in completing the types from the want of a
more competent knowledge of the art of Printing.

The author of a very curious treatise on engrav-
ing, which was published at Leipsic in 17 7 1, men-
tions, that Guttemburg fell short of the completion
of his design, from his not being able to form his
whole c011ection of types of a uniform height.
Whatever was the cause of his failure, he nearly
ruined himself and his associates at Strasburg, by
his projects. He differed with those partners, whose
names were Andrew Drizehen, Andrew Heilmann,
and John Riﬂ' ; and he was involved in three law-
suits with them,* as appears by an authentic judi-
Dial decree of the senate of Strasburg, in 1439, after
the death of Drizehen. That unfortunate man died
in 1438 ; and, on his death bed, mentioned to his
confessor, that his connexion with Guttemburg, in
an attempt to acquire the art of Printing, had ex-
posed him to vast expenses, of which a single 060‘
[us had never been remunerated.

Guttemburg became overwhelmed with debts;
and, being harrassed with law suits, he was obliged
to sell every thing he possessed at Strasburg, and
to quit that city.

He had entered into a marriage contract with
Anna, “ a noble girl of The Iron Gate,” but refus-
ed to fulﬁl the contract, until he was compelled, by
a judicial decree. They lived unhappily ;---and,
when he went to Mentz, he deserted her.

* Orig. Typog. Vol. 1. p. 163.
1 P

114 HISTORY or PRINTING

JOHN F UST , alias FAUST, alias FAUSTUS, of MENTZ.

VVH E N Geinsﬂeiche arrived at Mentz, about the
year 1440, he entered into a connexion with F ust,
who was rich, and became the: patron of the art of
Printing. He supplied the funds upon which Geins-
‘ﬂeiche conducted the business. In 1442, Fust and
Geinsﬂeiche published the ﬁrst productions from
their press, viz.

ﬂlexandrz' Galli Doctrinale, and

Petrz' .Hispani ﬂactatus.

These books were much used in schools ; and
it was thought they produced a handsome proﬁt for
the printers ; as they issued several editions of them
from their separate wooden types.

John* Meidenbachius, and others, became part-
ners in this concern in 1443 ; and, in 1444, they
were joined by Guttemburg.

This Company soon zealously engaged in the
attempt to bring forward the invention of cut face
metal types; which was a Work of great magnitude,
and required so much labor and attention, that it
was not brought to any degree of maturity till about

"' Many of the earliest printers had this prenomen, as Lau-
rentius, Geinsﬂeiche, Guttemburg, Fust, Meidenbachius, Pe-
tershemius, 8m. This circumstance led the printers at Leip-
sic to choose St. John as their tutelar saint ; and to commem-
orate the festival of St. John the baptist. J0. Stovius. Wolﬁus,
Monumen. Typog. Tom. ii.

IN EUROPE. 115

seventeen years after the ﬁrst discovery of Printing;
and, they were busily employed two years in com-
pleting a sufﬁcient quantity to begin an edition of
part of the Bible.

During the time the metal types were prepar-
ing, they printed several books from wooden blocks,
and moveable wooden types, among which were,

The Catholicon.

Tabula Alphabetica.

Donati Grammatica.

T he Corgﬂessz'onalz'm

T/ze Decretals of Gregory IX. And some
Pictures ﬂ‘om wooden cuts.

In 1450, an edition of part of the Bible appear-
ed from the metal types with cut faces. I

This was the SECOND GREAT ERA or THE
ART. '

A disagreement among the partners produced a
dissolution of the company, before the end of the
year 1450. How Geinsﬂeiche was employed after
this time, does not appear. He was much advanced
in years, and had nearly lost his sight, when he quit-
ted this connexion. He died in 1462.

FUST and GUTTEMBURG, of MBer.

Ar TE R the partnership of Fust, Geinsﬂeiche, 8m.
was dissolved, Fust and Guttemburg formed a new
engagement, and continued together till 145 5, when
many diﬁiculties arose ; the partnership was dis.

.116 HISTORY or PRINTING

solved, and an action, brought by Fust against Gut-
temburg, for monies advanced, terminated in favor
of the former.

F ust, when he separated from Guttemburg,
kept possession of the printing materials, by agree-
ment, and took, as a. partner, the ingenious Peter
Schoeﬁer; who, as the servant of Fust, had been
instructed and employed in printing by Geinsﬂeiche
and Guttemburg.

Guttemburg procured some peeuniary assist-
ance from Conrad Humery, syndic of Mentz, and
other friends ; by means whereof, he furnished him—
self with cut face metal types, and opened another
printing house in Mentz ; where, in 1460, he pub-I
lished, without his name, the Cat/whom qf'Jacoéus do
Janua, which was printed in a very handsome style.
He worked with wooden, or cut face metal types,
till the year 1462. In 1465, he was admitted inter
aulz'cos, as has been mentioned, with a pension; and
died in February, 1468.

At the death of Guttemburg, Conrad Humery
took possession of his printing materials, under an
engagement to. the archbishop Adolphus, that he
never would sell them to any one but a citizen of
Mentz ; they were, however, soon after disposed of
to Nicholas Bechtermuntze, of Altavilla; who, in
1469, published Vocabularium Latino Teutonicum,
printed with the same types on which Guttemburg
printed the Cat/2050072.

There was, formerly, in the front of the house
where Guttembur‘g lived at Mentz, the following
inscription, which was placed there anno 1507.

IN EUROPE. 117

“ Joannz' Guttembergensi Moguntz'no, gut: primus
omnium [items ere Imprimendas invem't, Izac Arte
dc 07°63 iota-bent: merentz' .° Yvo Vintigensz's 1200' Sam-
um ero tMonumento posuz’t.”*

FUST and SCHOEFFER, of MEer.

BEGAN business together in 1455 ; and, in 1457,
published what was then called a “ magniﬁcent edi.
tion”-of the Psalter. It was in the press four years;
and, for those times, was uncommonly. elegant.
As it was published in eighteen months after the
retreat of Guttemburg, he must be allowed the
credit of having had a considerable share in the per-
formance. This Psalter is said to have been print-
ed with a new fount of cut face metal types; and,
is the ﬁrst book known to have a genuine date, and
the names of the printers.

Schoeﬂ‘er turned his attention to an important
improvement in the artm-that of casting types with
faces. He kept the scheme secret, till he became
perfect in the business.

This may be called THE THIRD GREAT ERA
or PRIN TIN c.

The ﬁrst book which was printed with these
new invented types was,

Durandz' Rationale, in 1459. Afterward,

The Bible, in 1462, some say 1460.

f'Luckombe. Hist. Print.

118 HISTORY or PRINTING

Tally-’3 Qﬂi‘ces, which was several years in the
press, and completed in 1465—~—a second edition
was worked 01? in 1466, according to some, but
this is contradicted by Maittaire, in his Annals.ale

Afterwards, a second edition of the Psalter,‘ on
cut'metal types. This edition was not equal to the
ﬁrst. Many other books were printed by F ust and
Schoelfer. V

The edition of the Bible, just mentioned, was
a very expensive work. It was ﬁve years in the
press ; and, it was calculated that the expense
amounted to 4000 ﬂorins, before they had printed
the twelfth sheet. The work was admirably exe-
cuted. It was this edition of the Bible, as sOme
authors say, of which Fust took a number of ’ cop-
ies to Paris, where he sold them, ﬁrst for six, then
for ﬁve hundred crowns each, which were the
prices commonly given to the scribes for very ele;
gant copies of the Scriptures. He afterwards, by
degrees, reduced the price to thirty crowns. It is
said, that the purchasers were ignorant that these
copies were printed ; and, that it was the policy of
Fust to make them believe they were written.
They were an exact imitation of the best manu-
scripts. As he lowered his price, his sales increas~
ed; and, people were astonished by his producing
copies as fast as they were called for. When be
lessened his price to thirty crowns, all Paris was
perplexed and agitated, both on account of the

*' Mait. Anna]. Typog. 1719, Vol. i. p. 60 ; but Meerman
observes that, on examination, it was found there were two
editions.

IN EUROPE. 119

number of books produced, and the uniformity
of them. It was believed, that he had made a
league with the devil ; and, he was accused of be-
ing a magician. His lodgings were searched, by
the ofﬁcers of police ;—-—several Bibles were found—-
and the red ink with which the illuminators had
made the great capitals at the beginning of each-
chapter, was pronounced to be his blood. Fust
lied, and escaped the death which awaited such
hapless victims of superstition as, in those days,
were suspected of being necromancers. From this
event, originated the story of “ The Devil and Dr.
Faustus.”

At the commencement of their business, F ust
and Schoeﬂ‘er printed, chieﬂy, on parchment; but,
a multiplicity of copies occasioned a scarcity of that
article, and they printed afterward on paper, with
the exception of a few copies, which were printed
on vellum for the purpose of being elegantly illu-
minated.

F ust had the surname of @utman, or Good-
man, given to him ; on account of his beneﬁcence,
and the good he did, by employing so many
people it but, notwithstanding his "eminence, and
the fame he acquired, no one has handed down to us
an account of the period at which he died. _It is
believed he did not live longer than the year 1470.
He is called F ust, Faust and F austus, by different
writers.

-* Vide the Chronicle of Jo. Cation.

120 HISTORY or PRINTING

PETER SCHOEFFER, of .MBer...

Completion of the Invention of Printing.

THE consummation of the art, is, of course, dat-
ed from the time when Schoeﬂ'er ﬁnished his inven-
tion of metal types with cast faces; the credit of
which belongs exclusively to him, although they
were used during the time of his copartnership with
Fust. This was, as I observed before, a new era
in the art of Printing; and, it is from this period
that many of the Europeans date the invention of
the art in Europe.

It is said, that Laurentius, Geinsﬂeiche and
Guttemburg, who used blocks and wooden types,
were classed, by the Germans, among the Qﬁteefs
malew, so called, who painted playing cards 011
paper, and pictures on both paper and parchment.
But, after the discovery of .the method of impress-
ing the languages on those substances, by means of
Schoeﬁ‘er’s cast metal types, the Dutchmade use of
the verb printen, to express the manner in which
that kind of impressions were made, or taken, and
hence was derived the term Printing. [0]

Cutting the types in wood or metal, was a
tedious and expensive process, and retarded the
progress of the art ; but, the invention of Schoeﬂbr

IN EUROPE. 121

relieved it from those difﬁculties which conﬁned it
to Haerlem, Mentz or Strasburg; and, in a short
period, it was carried toalmost all the capital cities
of Europe. It has since been spread into Africa,
American-and even to the “ thrilling regions of
thick ribb’d ice,” in the northern parts of Europe—-
not excepting Iceland.

While Fust was in partnership with Geins-
ﬂeiche and Guttemburg, Peter Schoeller of Germs,
he-im, who was his servant, learned from them the
art of Printing. Schoeﬂ'er, on account of his inge-
nuity and industry, became the partner of his mas-
ter, and had the management of the business, after
Geinsﬂeiche and Guttemburg separated from F ust.
Several of the performances of Fust and Schoeller,
have already been mentioned.

From the superior genius, and inventive faculs
ties, of Schoe‘ﬂ‘er, he soon excelled both Geinsﬂeiche
and Guttemburg in the printing business. N ot.
long after his connexion with Fust, he, by repeated
trials, arrived at the object his active mind had con-
eeiv-ede-«an object. which established his fortune—-
and will hand his fame down from age to age, as
long as the art shall endures.

When Schoeﬂ‘er had ﬁnished a few of his metal
types, cast with faces, he shewed them to F ust, who
was so overjoyed by the discovery, that he promi5~
ed Schoeﬂer his only daughter Christiana, or, as
others say, @2119“, [Dinah3 in marriagem—Whieh
promise he soon fulﬁlled.

At ﬁrst, many difﬁculties attended these types,
as well as those which were cut. To cast them all
exactly of a height; to make the faces range in a

1 a

122 HISTORY or PRINTING

line, and to compound the metal so as to be fusible
and make the cast clear, yet of such ﬁrmness, when
cast, as to stand the necessary pressure, 8m. were
objects not accomplished in a moment, but which
it was indispensably necessary to attain, before the
types could be useful. These difﬁculties, and all
others, were overcome by the perseverance and in.
genuity of Schoeﬁer.

The art of manufacturing these types was con-
cealed, by administering an oath of secresy to all
with whom they entrusted the discovery, and em-
ployed in their foundery and printing house, till the
year 1462; when, through the sacking of Mentz,
by Adolphus, the workmen were driven into other
countries ; and, as they practised the art as a mean
of subsistence, the secret soon became known in all
the places to which they ﬂed.

A clear account of the means used by Schoeﬂ'er
in making his types, is given by Trithemiusﬁ'e who
had it from Schoeffer himself, in 1484 ; to which
may be added the testimonies published by J o.
F rid. Faustus of Aschafl‘enburg, a descendant of
Fust, from papers which had been preserved in the
family; and, the evidence of John Schoeﬁ'er, the son
of Peter Sclioeiler.'r

Schoeﬂer is said to have been one of the ﬁrst
engravers on copper; he was so, as respects en-

3* Annales Hirsaugiens. Tom. II. ad ann. 1450.12. 421.

’r In a colofzhon to an edition of Breviarz'um Tritizemz’. John
Schocl‘fer succeeded his father as a printer. Meerman Orig.
Typog. vol. ii. p. 144. Wolﬁus Mon. Typog. vol. 1. p. 468.

IN zunopz. 123

gravingthe moulds for casting types ;* but the art
of engraving on that metal was known and practised
long before his time. .~

In 1468, Schoeﬂ'er printed an edition of Justin~
ian’s Institutes, to which was added the following,
with other lines in praise of printing, and of those
who, in Mentz, had made improvements in that art.

“ Natio quaeque suum poterit reperire charagma
Secum; nempe style praeminet omnigeno.”

The same versiﬁer writes thus, respecting the
invention of cast metal types.

“ Hos dedit eximios sculpendi in arte magistros,
Cui placet in mactos arte sagire viros,

V Quos genuit ambos urbs Moguntina Johannes,1~
Librorum insignes protocharagmaticos,

Cum quibus optatum Petrus venit ad Polyandrum,
Cursor posterior, intro'eundo prior ,

Quippe quibus praestat sculpendi lege, sagitus
A $010 dante lumen et ingenium.”j; ’

In 1471, after the death of Fust, we ﬁnd 'Schoef-
fer in partnership with Conrad Henlifl', a kinsman

3‘ Jo. Frid. Faustus, says, that Schoeﬂ‘er, “ by the good
providence of God, found out the method of cutting incidendz’,
the faces‘of the characters in a matrix, that the letters might
be singly cast ;” and, that “ he privately cut matrices for the
whole alphabet.”

. 1‘ By ambos Joannes, Meerman is of opinion that the poet
refers to the two Johns, Geinsﬂeiche and Guttemburg; the
ﬁrst inventors of metal types with cast faces.

1 A translation of the above, which appears to be a mixture
of several languages, rendered more difﬁcult by technical

124 HISTORY or PRINTING

of Fust; but, how long this connexion lasted, has
not been ascertained. Schoeﬂ'er continued the print-
ing business till 1490, and published many books.
The last book known to be printed by him was
an edition of the Psalter. He printed forty eight
books, in various sizes, as mentioned by Schwart—
ziusﬁ’? Meerman has increased the number; but,
probably, he included the works of the society of
Fust and Schoefle1*.

Peter Scl1oefler was succeeded in the printing
business by his son John, to whom the exclusive
privilege of printing Livy, was granted by the em-
peror Maximilian.

terms, is not attempted; but the following lines, presented by
a friend, may, perhaps, pass for an imitation.

The nation which all others would excel,
Like him must learn the art of printing well.

Whoever would in arts resplendent shine,

Let him pursue the sculptor’s art divine;
Following the two—of science the bright morn—
The JOHNS renown’d, who in fam’d Mentz were born.
Or He,” the husband of the graphic arts-—

Old Gernshiem’s pride—the man of various parts.
Great was his fame l—his well earn’d honor more
Than that of all the men who rose before !

He holy writ fulﬁls—for though the last,

His fame transcends all those of ages past I

The typographic art he made secure,

By laws, and skill, and light, which shall endure
From age to age, till types shall be no more.

ll Schoqﬂ'er.

2* Schwartzius, Primar. Docum. de Orig. T ypogr. par. ii. p. 4,

IN EUROPE. 125

Having traced the art of Printing in Europe,
from its cOmmencement by Laurentius, in Haer-
lem, to the consummation of the discovery, by
Schoeﬁ'er, at Mentz ; and, having brieﬂy stated the
claims and pretensions of Haerlem, Strasburg and
Mentz, to the honor of the original invention——-by
Which it appears that, as nearly as can be determin-
ed by the most diligent and minute investigation,
the art was ﬁrst discovered at Haerlem, about
1429, or 1430, carried to Mentz in 1440, and at-
tempted at Strasburg about the same period; but,
that after Guttemburg removed from Strasburg, it
. was conﬁned to Haerlem and Mentz, till the year
1462 ;-—-—I will now give a concise account of what is
called “ its dispersion” into other parts of Europe,

Upon the taking and sacking of Mentz, the
workmen of Schoel’fer were scattered abroad ; and,
thus the art of Printing was spread to the distant
cities Where they ﬁxed their abode. Chieﬂy by
their means the art became known at Strasburg,
Boulogne, Tours, and Paris ;-——-where it was prac-
tised, as well as in several other cities, before it was
introduced into England,

ENGLAND.

IN regard to England, a voluminous controversy
has existed whether the ﬁrst press was set up in
'Westminster, or at Oxford; which question never
has been, and perhaps never will be fully and satis-
fac torily settled.

126 HISTORY or PRINTING

The celebrated William Caxton had, for nearly
two hundred years, the credit of being the ﬁrst who
transplanted the art into Greatbritain. He was a
mercer, and citizen of London, but went to the con-
tinent on his own business, and was employed in it,
as well as in public aﬁ'airs, for several years, in Hole
land, Flanders, Germany, 81c. While abroad, he
was commissioned, jointly with Richard Whitehill,
esq. to negotiate and conclude a treaty of com-
merce between his sovereign king Edward IV, and
the brother in law of that monarch, the Duke of
Burgundy, who, at that period, held the sovereignty
of Flanders. When Caxton was in Germany, the
knowledge of Printing had pervaded a considerable
part of Europe. He acquired a proper understand-
ing of the business ; furnished himself with a print-
ing apparatus; and, for three years, practised the
art at Cologne, where he was patronised by the
duke and dutchess of Burgundy.

. About the year 1473, he returned to England,
and set up a press in Westminster Abbey gels .and,
there he continued to print till he died. He receiv-
ed the patronage of the nobility, the royal family,
and particular encouragement from the abbot of

* Newcourt, in his Rejzcrtorium, tom. 1. p. 721, differs,
though not materially, from this account. He says, “ St.
Anne’s, an old chapel, over against which the lady Margaret,
mother to king Henry VI, erected an almshouse for poor
women. The place whereon this chapel and almshouse stood,
was called the eleemosynary or almonry, as the alms of the
abbey were there distributed to the poor ; in which the abbot
of Westminster erected the ﬁrst printing press put up in Eng-
land for William Caxton, 'citizen and mercer.”

IN EUROPE. 127

Westminster. The fact, that he was the ﬁrst who
introduced the art into England, is justiﬁed and
conﬁrmed by many public and private records;
and, by chronologers and almanack makers, who
mentioned him as the ﬁrst printer, from time to
time, and from year to year, without contradiction,
till about 1660.

A dispute arose, in 1642, between some per.
sons who printed by virtue of a patent from the
crown, and the company of stationers, respecting
the patents. A petition was presented to parliament
for a law to enforce a better regulation of the art of
Printing; and to recal several patents. A com.
mittee was appointed, Who heard counsel for and
against the petitioners ;---and, in the course of the
pleadings, Caxton was acknowledged as indisputa~
bly the ﬁrst printer in England. No other printer
was mentioned; or, perhaps, ever thought of, at
that time, as having a primogenial claim.

But, at length a book was taken notice of by
some curious antiquarians, bearing the date of its
~ impression at Oxford in 1468. This book Was
ﬁrst discovered in the public library at Cambridge;
and afterwards found in other ancient libraries.- It
was a small volume of forty one quarto leaves, with
this title, Exposicio Sancti Jeronimi in Simbolum
Apostolorum aa’ Papam Laurencium ﬁt and, at the
end, Explicit expositio, &C. Impressa Oxom'e et-

* The types with which this book was printed, it is said,
were made after the manner of those used by Laurentius ;
that is, on wood, sejzaratcly and moveable. See the specimens-
a'nnexed, No. I. and II.

128.. HISTORY or PRINTING

ﬁnita Anno Domini M. CCC C . lxviij . xvij—edz'e De-
cembrz's. Asthe date of this book was fair, and
bore no appearance of fraud, it, at once, robbed
Caxton of the fame which had so long been attach~
ed to his memory, and created a strong doubt of his
being justly considered as the father of printing in
England. His partizans,‘ however, soon raised ob-
jections, one of which was, that this exposition was
antedated, either by accident or carelessness, by the
omission of an X ; which, added, would make it
1478, the period which had ever been assigned to
the establishment of the ﬁrst press at Oxford. As
there are many proofs that mistakes like this had
occurred, the fame of Caxton began to revive ; but
in 1664, Richard Atkyns, esq. who claimed some
exclusive privilege in printing, under the royal pa-
tents, and who had then, as appears, a law suit with
the company of stationers, respecting a book, to
the copy of which he had a patent right ;.—-—-pub1ish-
ed a pamphlet, intitled, “ The Original and Growth
of Printing, collected out of History, and the Rec-
ordes of the Kingdome, wherein it is demonstrated
that Printing appertaineth to the Prerogative Royal,
and is a Flower of the Crown of England.” The
design of this pamphlet was to give the right and
title of Printing to the crown; and, by that mean,
to ascertain the validity of the patents granted by
the crown. To support this argument, it was stated
that an ancient manuscript record was discovered
at Lambeth House, in the registry of the see of
Canterbury, the purport of which is as follows, viz.
-—-That, “ as soon as the art of Printing made some
noise in Europe, Thomas Bourchier, archbishOp of

or EUROPE. 129

Canterbury, moved king Henry VI, to use all pos-
sible means for procuring a “ Printing .Mo‘ula’,” for
so it was then called, to be brought to England.
The king taking advice how to effect his design,
concluded it could not be brought about, without
great secresy, and a considerable sum of money
given. to some person who should draw off some of
the workmen from Haerlem, in Holland, where it
was invented. The king furnished Robert Tur-
nour, then master of the robes, with a thousand
marks, and Turnour took to his assistance William
Caxton, a citizen of good abilities, who traded
much to Holland, and, on that account, formed a
good pretence for going and tarrying in the Low
Countries to attain the art. Tumour was in dis-V
guise——had his beard shaven olf, &C. but Caxton
appeared in public, being known. They went to
Amsterdam, then to Leyden, not daring to enter
Haerlem itself ; for the town was Very jealous, and
had imprisoned divers persons who came from oth.
er parts with the same intention. They spent all
their money, and the king sent them ﬁve hundred
marks more. At length, a bargain was struck be—
tween Caxton and Tourner and two Hollanders, for
bringing off one of the under workmen, named
Frederick Corseillis, who, late one night, stole from
his fellows, in disguise, into a vessel prepared for
his reception—and he arrived safe in London. By
means of the archbishop, who was appointed chan—
cellor of the university, Corseillis was carried by a
guard to Oxford, it being thought imprudent to set
him to work in London; which guard constantly

watched to prevent Corseillis from any possible es-
1 n '

130 HISTORY or PRINTING

cape till he had made good his promise in; teaching
them how to print. So that, at Oxford, Printing;
was ﬁrst set up in England, before there was any
printing in Franceﬁk‘ Spain, Italy or Germany, ex-
cept the city of Mentz, which claims the priority“ in
printing even over Haerlem itself, calling her city
Urbem Moguntinam artis typographica? inventricam
primum; though it is known to be otherwise, that
city having received the art by the brother of one of
the workmen of Haerlem, who had learned it at
home of his brother, and afterward set up for him-
self at Mentz.”

The pamphlet then goes on to state that, “ This
Oxon press was at least ten years before there was
any printing in Europe, except at Haerlem, and at
Mentz, where it was but new born. This press at
Oxford was afterward found inconvenient to be the
sole printing press of England, as being too far from
London and the sea; wherefore, the king set up a
press at St. Albans, and another at Westminster,
where they printed books of divinity and physic, as
the king, for reasons best known to himself and
council, permitted, then, no law book to be printed;
nor did any printer exercise that art, but only such
as were the king’s sworn. servants; the king himsegf
having the price and emolument for printing hooks.
By these. means the art grew so famous that anno-
[n'imo Richard 3. c. 9, when an act of parliament

.* This is an error, for before what is supposed to be the
spurious date of the book printed at Oxford [I468] there was
a press at Boulogne. It was established there as early as
1462; there was also one at Paris in 1464, and another in
Rome in 1466, 8:0.

IN EUROPE. 131

was made for restraining aliens from using any
handicrafts here, except as servants to natives, a
special proviso was inserted, that strangers might
bring in printed or written books to sell at their
pleasure, and exercise the arts of Printing, illumi-
nating and writing, notwithstanding the acts—so
that in the space of ﬁfty years, by the indulgence
of Edward 4th, Edward 5th, Richard 3d, Henry
7th, and king Henry the 8th, the English proved so
good proﬁcients in Printing, and grew so numer—
ous, as to furnish the kingdom with books ; and so
skilful as to print them, as well as any beyond the
seas; as appears by the act of 25 Henry 8th, cap.
15, which abrogates said proviso for that reason;
and it was enacted in said statute, that if any person
bought foreign books, bound, he should pay 63. 8d.
per book; and further, if any printer or seller of
books were unreasonable in their prices, they should
be moderated by the lord chancellor, lord treasurer,
the two lords justices, or any two of them, who also
had power to ﬁne them Ss. lid. for every book the
price whereof should be enhanced; but when they
were by charter incorporated with bookbinders,
booksellers, and founders of types, and called the
Company of Stationers ; they kickt against the pow-
‘er that gave them life, 8m. Queen Elizabeth gave--
the sole privilege of printing all books that touch
the law, or concern the common law of England, to
Tottel, a servant to her majesty; and after his death,
Yest Weirt, another servant to her majesty; and
after them, king James granted the same privilege
to More, of the Signet, which grant continues to
this day,” 8m. 8m.

132 HISTORY or PRINTING

The year following, 1465, the house of com-
mons thought proper to inquire into the right of
the king ’3 prerogative respecting Printing ; at which
time, it is said, the Lambeth House record was
examined by a committee of the house, appointed ‘
to draw up a. bill relating to the exercise of the art;
and that this committee borrowed the record for
that purpose, but did not make use of it, and never-
returned it ;. and, the record has not been seen or
heard of since. The advocates for the authenticity
of the record. observe, that as sir John Berkenhead,
whom they mention as the borrower of it for the use
of the committee, did not return it to its proper
keeper, it» was probably destroyed in 1666,. in the
great ﬁre which consumed upwards of 13,000 houses
in! the city of London, and an almost inﬁnite num~
ber _ of literary productions‘

The late discoveries of the learned Meerman, in
his researches after ancient Printing, were published;
at Amsterdam. in 1762. He established beyond
controversy the claim. of Haerlem t0; the discovery
of Printing by Laurentius; and he, as well as some
other good writers on the subject, are decidedly of
opinion that the Oxford press was the ﬁrst set up in.
England ; and that, at this press, wooden types were
used. They allow Caxton to be the ﬁrst who
printed with metal types; and, as the full discovery
of the art should be dated from the invention of those:
types, Caxton may be called “ the ﬁrst English
printer,” Those, in the opposition, will not allow
there was any press in the kingdom till Caxton es-
tablished his, and most of the best English writers
on Printing, appear to be of that opinion. [(1]

m Burton. 133

WILLIAM CAXTON, of WESTMINSTER.

HE Was born in the county of Kent, England,
and served an » apprenticeship to: Robert Large, a
mercer, who Was sheriff and afterward lord mayor
of London. Large died in 1441, and left by will
“ xxxiiiiale marks to his apprentice William Cax-
ton ;” Which being a considerable sum in those
days, We may Consider it as a strong proof of his
esteem for the integrity and good character of Cax-
font When young, he went to Holland, 8m. as a
factor for the company of mercers, in London, and
appears to have been proud of his business, and of
his country; for even at the court of the duke of
Burgundy in 1470, he stiled himself “ citizen and
mercer of the city of London.” In 1464, he was
employed, with Richard Whitehill, esq. as has been
already mentioned, by Edward IV, to negotiate a
treaty of commerce With the duke of Burgundy.
The commission styled them, “ Ambassiatores,
PrOCuratores, Nuncios, et Duputos speciales,” and
gave them full power jointly and severally to treat, 1
&c. It was during his residence at the court of the
duke of Burgundy, between 1466 and 1472, that
he turned his attention to the practice of Printing.

When he arrived in England, the novelty and
usefulness of Printing, attracted particular notice,

a“ A mark is 13s. 4d. sterling.

’r Amevs’s Typographical Antiquities.

134 HISTORY or PRINTING

not only of the learned, but of the great men of the
kingdomﬁt Many of his books were printed at
their expense. Several of them were dedicated to
Edward IV; to the king’s brother, the duke of
Clarence; and, to his sister, the dutchess of Bur-
gundy, in whose service Caxton had been employed
several years, While he was absent from England.
He printed various books by order of Henry VII,
and his son, prince Arthur.

The biographers of Caxton, do not mention the
particular year in which he was born ; nor do they
give his exact age. But it appears, from various
accounts, that he was about thirty one years old
when . his master and patron died. Soon after that
event he went to Holland to manage the concerns of
the company of mercers, having previously been.
made a member of that body. By his own state-
ments, given in the prologues and colophons of the
books he ﬁrst printed, we ﬁnd that he remained.
abroad thirty two years ; and returned to England
with a press and types in 1473, when he must have.
been sixty three years of age. He died in 1491,
aged eighty one years; and was buried in St. Mar.
garet’s church, Westminster. This fact is proved
by a record of the church warden’s account for
1491, in which there is this item, “ Atte bureyng
of William Caxton, for IIII. torchys vi 5. viii d.”

* Caxton began Printing, in England, in a room belonging
to Westminster Abbey; in consequence of which, a printing
house, when certain ceremonies are performed by the work-
men to sanction the name, has, down to the present period,
been called a Chaﬁel.

IN EUROPE. 135

There is another record of his death, in the follow:
, ing words, “ Of youre charitee pray for the Sowle-
of Mayster Wyllyam‘ Caxton, that in hys tyme was
a man of moche ornate and moche renommed wys-
dome and connyng, and decessed full crystenly in
the yere of our Lord M .cccc ‘LXXXXI.

Moder of merci shyld hym from thorribul fynd V
And bryng hym to lyﬁ' eternall that neuyr hath‘ynd.”

He followed the printing business as long'as he
lived; and, published some works of considerable
magnitude. Among them was The Canterbury
Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer, which Mr. Ames sup-
poses he completed in 1475, or 1476. This work
he printed from a very imperfect copy ; and, as his
candor does honor to his heart, I will give, in his
own words, his reasons for undertaking a second
edition ; presuming it will be agreeable to the read-
‘ er to see the identical language which was spoken '
and written by the Father of English Printing.
When Caxton was informed of the imperfections in
his ﬁrst edition of The Canterbury Tales, he says he
undertook a second, to satisfy the author, whereas
before by ignorance he had erred, in hurting and
defaming his book ;-~—“ whyche book I have dyly-
gently oversen, and duly examyned, to thende that
it be made accordyng unto his owen makyng; for
Ifynde many of the sayd b00kes, whyche wryters
have abrydgyd it, and many thynges left out. And
in some places have sette certayn versys that he
never made ne sette in hys booke ; of which b00kes,
so inc-orecte, was one brought to me vi. yere passyd,
whyche I supposed had ben veray true and corecte,

136 HISTORY or PRINTING

and accordyng to the same I dyde do enprynte a
certayn nomber of them, whyche anon were sold to
many and dyuerse gentyl men, of Whom one gentyl-
man cam to me, and sayd that this book was not
according in many places unto the book that Gef-
ferey Chaucer had made. To whom I answered,
that I had made it accordyng to my copye, and by
me was nothyng added ne mynusshyd. Thenne he
sayd he knewe a book whyche hys fader had and
moche louyd, that was very trewe, and accordyng
unto hys owen ﬁrst book by hym made; and sayd
more, yf I wold enprynte it agayn he wold gete me
the same book for a copye. How be it he wyst
well, that his fader wold not gladly departe fro it.
To whom I said, in caas that he coude gete me
suche a book, trewe and correcte, yet I wold ones
endeuoyre me to enprynte it agayn, for to satisfy
thauctour, Where as to fore, by ygnoraunce, I erryd
in hurtyng and dyﬂ'amyng his book in dyuerce pla-
ces, in setting in somme thynges that he neuer sayd
ne made, and leuing out many thynges that he
made, whyche ben requysite to be sette in it. And
thus we fyll at accord, and he ful gentylly gate of
hys fader the said book, and delyuered it to me, by
whyche I have corrected my book, as heere after
alle alonge, by thayde of almyghty God, shal folowe,
whom I humbly beseche,” 8U).

In addition to the other evidences and conjec-
tures, adduced to prove that Caxton was the father
of Printing in England, I might have added that of
the famous antiquary, J oh. Leland, who was nearly
contemporary with Caxton ; part of his works hav-
ing been written about forty years after Caxton

IN EUROPE. 137

died. This Leland was library keeper to king
Henry VIII; and Was employed by the king about
twelve years, to examine the libraries of the differ-
ent monasteries in the kingdom, and to collect
whatever was curious therein. He wrote an ac—
count of his discoveries, which he called his Itinera-
rz'um. In a work of his, entitled, De arte amana’i,
written before he undertook his Itinerary in 1540,
he speaks thus of Caxton, Gulielmum Caxodunum
hominem nec indiligentem, nec ina’octum, (at guem
.constatprimum Londim' artem exercuz'sse typograph-
icam, 81c. In another work of Lelandﬁk‘ he ex-
pressly calls Caxton “ the ﬁrst printer of England.”

In an appendix, I shall insert several of the colo-
phons, 8m. to Caxton’s books, which may prove
interesting to the curious. In most of them he
left a space, at the beginning of the chapters, for the
illuminator to make the large capitals according to
custom; but he, sometimes, used large two line

letters with Gothic faces, which were called “ Anglo
Norman. T

a“ De Script. Brit. p. 480,—The celebrated Henry Whar-
ton also at'ﬁrms, “that Caxton was the ﬁrst who imported
Printing into England.”

fFor specimens of Caxton’s types and printing, see the
plates annexed to this work; they are copied from Ames’s
English Typographical Antiquities.

138 HISTORY or PRINTING

WYNKYN DE WORDE, of Wxisa'mxsn'x.

DE Worms succeeded Caxton at Westmin-
ster. He had been apprentice to him in Burgundy,
emigrated 'to England with him, and remained with
him as long as he lived. He styled himself “ Prynt-
er to Margarate, 8:0. the Kinges- Gran-dame.” Most.
of the writers who mention hrm, say that he was
very skilfu'l in his profession. He printed acts of '
parliament, 8w. after his master’s death. His ﬁrst
care was to furnish himself with a new set of
punches, and new casts of types, with handsomer
faces than those used by Caxton. The faces of the
types made by De ’Worde, are the same as those of
the iﬁiackﬁ of the present day. He introduced
Roman letters, and was the ﬁrst who used them in
England; but they were only for emphatical words,
in the manner we now use Italics.

De Worde did much business, was in great
repute, and, like his master Caxton, was learned,
accomplished and pious. He died about the year
1535. De Worde carried on the business six or
seven years in the printing house which had been
occupied by Caxton. At the end of the ﬁrst work
he executed, he printed these lines, viz.

“ Infynyte laude, with thankynges many folde,
I yielde to God, me socouryng with his grace
“This boke to ﬁnyshe, which that ye beholde,
Scale of perfeccion calde in every place ;

, IN Evnorx.‘ 139

Whereof thau'ctour Walter Hilton was, V
.And Wynkyn do Wondc this hath sett in prynte

Inj-William Caxston’s hows, so fyll the ante,
God rest his soule. In joye ther mot it stynt.

Impressus, anno \salutis M cccc Lxxxxiiii.”

As a conclusion of this brief account of the in-
.- troduction of Printing into England, I will give an
extract from the last will and testament of one of the
ancient English printers, viz. the abovementioned
Wynkyn de Worde, successor of Caxton.

He commends his soul to God and the blessed
St. Mary ﬁle and, his body to be buried in the paro-
chial church of St. Brides, in Fleet street, before the
high altar of St. Katherine.--—“ Item. For tythes
forgotten, 6 s. 8 d. To the Fraternity of our Lady,
of which I am a Brother, 10 s. to pray for. my soul.
To my maid, 3 l. in books. To Agnes Tidder,
Widow, 40 s. in books. To Robert Derby, 31. in
printed books. To John Barbanson, 60 s. in books,
and ten marks. To Hector, my servant, ﬁve marks,
sterling, in books. To Wislin, 20 s. in printed
books. To every of my apprentices, 31. in printed
' books. To my servant James Ganer, twenty marks
- in books-«and forgive John Badil, stationer, all the
money he owes me, for executing this my will with
James Ganer; and that they, with the consent of
the wardens of the parish of St. Brides, purchase at
least 20 s. a year, in or near the city, to pray for my
soul and say mass. To Henry Pepwell, stationer,

4“ At this time our ancestors in England were, chieﬂy, Ro-
- ”man catholics.

140 HISTORY OF PRINTING

41. in books. To John Gouge, forgive what he
owes me, and 41. To Robert Copland, ten marks,
and to Alard, bookbinder, my servant, 61. 15 s. 4 (1,.”

There was no press in London, till the year
1480, when two foreigners, supposed to have been
brought over to England by Caxton, Whose names
were John Lettou and William Macklinia, or. Mac-
lyn, followed the printing business, sometimes in
partnership, and sometimes separately.

After the year 1470, the knowledge and practice
of Printing, was rapidly diffused over Europe. To
give a particular account of the introduction of it
into each country and city, WOuld be tedious and
uninteresting. An alphabetical list of the cities and
towns, the names of the persons by whom, and the
dates when, it was ﬁrst introduced, will be thought
sufficient. Such a catalogue I have extracted from
Maittaire’s Annales Typographici, tom. primi, pars -
posterior, Amster. 1733 ; Nichols’s Origin of Print-
ing ; Meerman’s Origines Typographicae ; Middle-
ton’s Dissertation on the Origin of Printing, 8w.
This catalogue I have enlarged and completed from
various other authorities—added the places in
America, Where Printing ﬁrst made its appearance;
and, arranged it in the order following, viz,

IN EUROPE, 8w.

EUROPE, ASIA AND AFRICA.

Cities. Names of Printers.

. John Du Pré and Pe-
Abbevzlle, ter Girard, i
Albans, St. Anonymous,

Alcala di Henarez,

[Complutum in Anonymous,

Spain]
Alost 10: de Westphalia, g

’ Theodorlc Martens,

Altavilla, Italy, Nicolas Bichtermuntze,
Amberg, Anonymous,
Angers, John Alexander,
Angoulesme, Anonymous,
Antwerp, Anonymous,

Gerard Leeu,
Aquila, in Abrunno, Adam (16 Rotwil,
Augsburg/z, John Bemler,
Avignon, Nicholas Lepe,
Austria, city a}?!6 Gerard of Flanders,

Bamberg,‘ or Bem- g John Pfeil,
berg,

Barcelona, Anonymous,

141

Date 9f
the ﬁrst
Printing.

1486
1480

1494

1474

1469
1471
1498
1493
1479
1480
1482
1466
1497
1480

1499
1473

* This is a very vague account. By the city of Austria,
perhaps Vienna was meant. By Gerard of Flanders we may
probably understand Gerard de Leeu, or Leen, of Antwerp,
.Whom Luckombe places at Gouge in 1479, and Bowyer and
Nichols at Antwerp in 1480. Perhaps he removed to Vienna,
or" some other city of Austria, the same year. It is probable
'by Gouge was meant Ghent, or, as the French call it, Gand.

142 HISTORY or PRINTING

Basle,

Bergamo,
Berlin,
Besaneon,

Bois Le Due,

Boulogne,

Bourges,
Bresoz'a,

Bruges,

Bruno? [Q Bruns-
wick .9]

Brussels,

Buda,

Burgdmj;

aen,

Caragossa, [ Sam-

gossa]
Colle,

Cologne,
Constance,
Constantinople,

Convent of Regu-
lars at Selzoen/lo-

ven,
Cosenza,
Craeow,
Cremona,

Deventer, in Over-

yssel,
Delft,
Dijon,
Dole,

Anonymous,
Bernard Richel,

Anonymous,

Anonymous,
Anonymous,
Anonymous,

Balthazar Azoguidus, 3

Anonymous,

Frederick Alemanus,

Henry of Cologne, Sta- E
tius Gallicus,

Colard Mansion, 1475 or
Anonymous,

Anonymous,
Andrew Hess,
Anonymous,
Jacobus Durand,
Anonymous,
Pablo Hurus,
Bonus Gallus,
John Koelhoﬂ,
Anonymous,
Anonymous,

Anonymous,

Octavius Salmonius,
Anonymous,

Bernard de Misintis,

S Anonymous,

1 Richard Paffroit,

Jacob Jacobs,
Anonymous,

John Hebertus,

1475
1476
1498
1484
1487
1487
1462
_or
1471
1493
1496

1474

1476
1488

1476
1473
1475
1480
1491
1499
1471
1470
1489
1490

1500

1478
1500
1485
1472
147 7
1477
1491
1492

IN EUROPE, 8m.

Eichstea’t, Michael Reisser,
Erfurt/z, Anonymous,
Ergow, Elias ﬁls Eliae,
Eyelingen, [Suabz'a] Conrad F yner,
Ferraro, Andrew Gallus,
Florence, Bernar% &.I).ominick
enlnl,
Friburg, Kilianus,
Gaieta, J usto,
( Anonymous,
Ghent, l Arend de Keysere,
Anonymous,
Geneva, ~Jacobus Arnollet,
‘Geoennensz'ﬁ'e Anonymous,
Genoa, Matthew Moravus,
Gentice, EQ. Ghent .9] Anonymous,
Goa, Anonymous supposed
as early as

St. Giacomo dc Ri- . .
nolz', [a monaste- Dom. de Plstoria,
ry at Florence]

' Anon mous,
Gouda, g Gerar3d Leeu,
Grenada, Anonymous,
Anonymous,
Haguenau, 3 John de Garlandia,
Henry Gran,
Laurentius,
Haerlem, 3John Pieter & Sons,
Jacobus Begaard,
HEzsseletz', ﬁnonymous,
. non mous,
Hezdelberg, {Jacobiis Knoblocker,

Hoolum, Iceland, John Mathieson,

§

143

1488
1482
1470
1475
1471

1472

1493
1488
1483
1485
1478
1498
1481
1474
1480

1580

1477

1478
1480
1496
1475
1489
1496
1430
1442
1484
1481
1480
1489
1580

3“ In the book whence this adjective was originally taken,
it was, probably. preceded by a substantive, indicating some

place of the Cévennes. C. D. M.

144 HISTORY or PRINTING

Ingalstadt, Peter Appianﬁ’é 1492
Lantriguz'er, John Casney, 1499
Lez’psz’c Anonymous, , 1481
- ’ Marcus Brandt, 1484
Leirz'a, or Lyra, Anonymous, 1494‘
Lewis, 62. AnonymOus, , 1479
Leyden, Anonymous, 1497
Ligm'tz, [Ligm's] Anonymous, 1481
Lintz, Peter Asselin, 1500
Lisbon, Anonymous, 1491
Anonymous, 1481
[Will. de Macklinia, 1481
John Lettou 1481
London, 4 Richard Pynson, 1493
Nicolas Le Conte, 1494
3 Julianus, [Notaire] 8t
LI. Barbier, 1498
Louvain, Jo. de Westphalia, 1473
Lucas Brandiz, Disde
Lubeck, de Schafz, g 1471
Lunenberg, .1 ohn Luce, 1493
Lyons, Bartholomew Buyer, 1477
Madrid, Anonymous, 1494
Magdeburg, Anonymous, 1483
Illam'lla, Anonymous, as early as 1590
Illantua, Tho. Sgtggigistrensmg 1472
. Anon mous, 1483
ZWemmmgen, a Alba}; Kune, 1490
Geinsﬂeiche, 1442
Mentz, g Fust and Guttemburg 1450
Fust and Selloeﬁer, 1455
. William Scenber er, 1486
Messma, g Andrew de Brugigs, 1497
M1072, Anthony Zarot, 1470

* He was an astrologer; and the emperor Charles V,
presented him with ﬁve thousand crowns.

IN EUROPE, 81¢.

Mrana’ula, Anonymous,
Malena, Balthazar d6 StIFJCiiS?
Mntreale, [in Sicily] Domlnlgtk icilleiiNivaldls

Monte Monac/wmma John Sensenschmidt,

 

' Perpignan, J. Rosembach‘,
1

145
1496
147 7
1481
1481

Ivan BasileWitz, "
Moscow, Peter Timoﬁolfom, g 1560
Munster, John Limburgus, 1486
Nantes, Stephen Larcher,‘1488
Naples, Sixtus Riessenger,1471
Nimeguen, Jo. de Westphalia, 1479
Nuremberg, Anthony Coburger, 1471
Qﬂ’énbac/z, Anonymous, 1496
Oppen/mm, Anonymous, 1498
Ortona, Judwi Soncinates, 1496
Oudenarde, John C msar, 1480
rAnonymous, [Q Cor-
seillis .9] ’ 1468
Thomas Hunte, an
ll Englishman who
is su 3 osed to
Oxﬁrd, have ligen taught
by Caxton, 1480
T. R. [doubtless The-
odorick Rood. ] 1480
kTheodorick Rood, 1481
Padua, §Ba§holomew de Val-g 1472
ezochlo,
Palermo, Andrew de Wormacia, 1477
Pampeluna, William de Brocario, 1496
Ulric Gering, Martin
Paris, [Q1464 -?J Crantz, andMicha- 1470
el Fribilrger,

‘ Anon mous, 1472
Parma, §Stepth Corallus, 1473
Pavia, gJacobus,de Sancto Fe; 1477

- tro,
1 5 00:

I46 H‘Isro-Rr or PRINTING”

     

ngia, Stephen Arns, 14819..
Pesaro, Anonymous, ‘ 149.4.
Fascia, Sigismond Rodt, 1488
Piacenza, Jo. Peter de Ferratis, 1475
Pigneroli, .lacobus de Rubeis, 1475
Pisa . Anonymous, 1482
"' Gregory de Gente, 1485
Placentia, John Peter, 1475
_ Anocnymous, in wa’ibus
. . , ' anonici Ecclesix 1479‘
Poztzers, , B. Hilarii, . ‘
_ p : John de Marnef, 1500.
Prg'z/igzgagigﬁ g William Tabernier, 1497'
Quilczmbaurg, Anonymous,... 1480
. . Pros Odoardus,3Alb.
Reggzo, M12: guli, } 1481
Reutlingerr, John Averbach, 1469‘
. Ratiséon, Anonymous, 1471
Bimini, Anonymous, 1486 .
Conrad Sweynheim, E 1466
Rome, 1" Arnold Pannartzﬁi ‘ I ‘

7* They printed several years; and after having produced
a great number of beautiful and correct editions of books, these
ingenious printers were reduced to the most necessitous cir-r
cumstances. Their learned patron, the bishop of Aleria, pre-
sented a petition to pope Sixtus IV, in 1471, in their behalf,
in which he takes notice of their great merit, and represents
their misery in the most pathetic terms ; and, declares their
readiness to part with their whole stock for subsistence.
They say, “ We were the ﬁrst of the Germans who introduced
this art, with vast labor and expense, into the territories of
your holiness, in the time of your predecessor ;. and encourw
aged, by our example, other printers to do the same.. If you
peruse the. catalogue of the works printed by us, you will ad-
mire how and where we could procure a sufﬁcient quantity of
paper, or even rags,.for such a number of volumes. The total
of these books amount in number to 12,475 volumes 5 a prod

IN EUROPE, Ste. 147

' Presbyteri 6t Clericz‘,

,Rosz‘oc/z, Congregation“ do- 147 6‘
mus .vi'ria’is hartz', _
Rowen, John Le Bourgeoisﬁle 1488
Salamanca, Anonymous, 1495
Salonz'cfzi, Anonymous, 1493
Scandiam', Peregrine Pascal, 1495
Schoen/zoven, 1 Anonymous, m .0072“; 15.00
. . ventu Regulamum,
Scigggzz, Sedam, g Anonymous, 1498
Seville, Paul de 'Colonia, 1491
Sienna, Sigismund Rodt, 1489
’ Anonymous, 1484
307205720, Abraham ﬁlius Rabbi
Hhajim, 1488
5hrtenMonasterium, Anonymous, 1478
Spire, Petrus Drach, 1477
Sleek/201772, John Faber, 1495
' John Guttemburgfr 1441
Strasburg, ' 1464

_ Henry Eggestein, Eor 1471

digious heap, and intolerable to us, your holiness’s printers, by
reason of those unsold. We are no longer able to bear the
great expense of housekeeping for want of buyers; of which
there cannot be amore ﬂagrant proof, than that our house,
though otherwise spacious enough, is full of books, in quires,
butvoid of every necessary of life.” “ [See Palmer’s Hist. Print.
p. 130.] Those printers ﬁrst attempted the Roman types,
now in use, anno 1466 ; but, they were not brought to perfec-
tion till many years afterward.

3" It is probable that he was the inventor of that description
of types, which is still called after him, Bourgeois.

1' I take notice of Guttemburg as a printer at Strasburg,
although historians do not allow that he brought any work to
perfection there. He certainly made many attempts at print-
ing in that city.

148 HISTORY or PRINTING

Sub aco*
Ci; ”71003725466392 g :nonymous, 1465
non ous, 1486
TOM” John 2i‘neiler, 1495
Toulouse, ‘ Anonymous, 1486
g Anon mous, 1480
Treca, 2 Willizirm Le Rouge, 1492
Treviso Girard de Lisa de
’ Flandria, 1471
Tubingen, Fred. Meynberger, 1488
Tu rin John Fabri, and Jo. de
’ Petro, 1474
Anonymous, in demo
Tours, Gulielmz' Are/ziep. .
‘ Turonensis, 1467
~ - Anon mous, 1475
Valmm’ Alphoynsus de Orta, 1495
Rodolt, 1468
Job. de Spira, 1469
. Joh. 8t Vindelin de‘
Venice, < Spira, '
Nicolaus Jenson, 1470
Christo. Baldarfer,
Zaccaria Calliergoﬁ‘ 1499
Verona, J o. Nicolai ﬁlius, 1472
V' Hermanus Levilapis,
zcenza, or Lichtenstein, 1475
Vienna, Anonymous, 1481
V z'enne [Dauphiné] Peter Schenck, ' 148.4

* Some write Subz'aco ,- but, probably, it should be Subbz'aro.

1‘ Calliergo was born in Crete. He was a learned man;
and skilful in printing Greek. He was many years at Venice.
In 1515, under the patronage of pope Leo X, he set up a press
in the house, and at the expense of the learned Agostino at
Rome ; where he printed a ﬁne quarto edition of the works of
Pindar. This was the ﬁrst Greek book which was printed at
Rome. '

IN EUROPE, 8:0. 149

Viterho, Anonymous, 1480
Ulm, John .Zeiner, 1473
Urhino, Anonymous, 1484
Ua’ine, Anonymous, 1498
Nicholas Ketzlaer, ‘

Iftrecht, Gerard de Lumpt, g 1473
Westminster William Caxton, 1475

’ Wynkyn de Worde, 1495
Zwoll, Anonymous, 1479

AMERICA.

Spanish Provinces.

Mexico cit , in the .
Proviiice if] g as early as 1600
Lima, Peru, Anonymous, about 1590

British Colonies, now the UN I T E D S 1' A r E s .

Cambridge, Massa- Stephen Daye, 1639
chusetts, Samuel Green, 1649
Boston, do. John Foster, 1674

Philadelphia ["6er ; William Bradford, 1687
to,] Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia, do. do. 1689
I William Bradford, Who
removed from Phila-
delphia, 1693

Newyorlc,

150 HISTORY or PRINTING

Newlona’on Connec- ‘ ‘
ticut, ’ ' Thomas Short, 1709

N67317:,” 5" Rnoa’ezsl- James Franklin, 1732

Annaﬁolis, Maryland, W 1111am Parks, 1726

William Parks, who

[Williamsburg Vzr- removed from An-
ginia, napolis, I 729

Charlestown, South- Eleazar PhillipS, 1730
caroiina, ‘

WOOdmdge’ NBTUJC’T- Samuel Parker, 1752
so

Newborn, Northea- James Davies, 1755
rolina,

Porhtsmoutﬁ, New- Daniel F owle, 1756

amps/zzre,
Savanna/z, Georgia, James 1011115011, 1762

Other Colonies and Islands.

Bartholomew Green,
ffaliﬁzx, Novasootia, the younger, 1751
John Bushell,

 

William Brown, and
Quebec, Canada, Gilmore, 1764
partners,
Kingston, Jamaica, about 1725
Bridgetown, Baroa- 3 David Harry, 1730
does, Samuel Keimcr,1731
Bassaterre, St. C/iris- g T homas Howe 1747
topher,
St. John, Antigua, Benjamin Mecom, 1752
Roseau, Dominica, William Smith, 1765

St.(1eorgestown, E William Wayland, 1765

Dominica,

IN armors, Ste. 151

The city of Venice was greatly celebrated for
near a century, on account of the elegance and cor-
rectness of the printing performed there. Aldo
Manuzio, or Aldus Manutius, his son, and grand-
son, were three of the most ingenious and learned
printers of the age in which they lived. They are
not mentioned in the preceding list, because they
Were not among the ﬁrst who spread abroad the
knowledge of the art. They did not ﬂourish till the
sixteenth centurywbut Iam unwilling to pass by
such eminent professors of the art; and, for that
reason, introduce them here.

Aldus Manutius, born at Bassano, in Italy, print-
ed at Venice, in 1513, the works of Plato, and ded-
icated them to pope Leo X; the Greek types which
he made for this book were much superior to any
that had been cast before. He was the inventor of
that description of types called the cursive, or Italic.
The pope granted him the exclusive privilege, for
ﬁfteen years, of reprinting and publishing all the
Greek and Latin books which he had already print-
. ed, or might afterwards print from types invented
or improved by himself. This privilege was se-
cured by a denunciation, of heavy penalties, and
the terrors of excommunication againstall such as
should invade it. At. the same time, it was recom-
mended to Aldus, or Aldo, to sell his books at a
reasonable price ;. and the pope expressed his con-
ﬁdence in the integrity and obedience of the printer.¥'
Manutius was an accomplished scholar; and died
in 1516.

* Roscoe’s Leo X. Vol. ii.

152 HISTORY or PRINTING

Paulus iManutz'us, son of Aldus, succeeded his
father, at Venice, and it is said that he excelled him
in learning. He removed to Rome; where pope
Pius IV, put him at the head of the apostolic press,
and committed the library of the Vatican to his care.
He died anno 157 4.

Aldus Manutz'us, the son of Paulus, was esteem-
ed the greatest genius, and the most learned man of
his time. Pope Clement VIII, made him director
of the Vatican printing house. The proﬁts of that.
establishment were but small; and he was obliged
to accept the chair of the professor of rhetoric. Still
he was poor, and was obliged, as a mean of subsist-
ence, to sell the excellent library which had been
collected by his father, his uncle, and his great
uncle, ' with extraordinary care and expense. It
was reported that it contained 80,000 volumes. He
died at Rome in 1597.

These three great men were all celebrated as
authors, and eminent as translators.

Having given this account of these excellent
Venetian printers, I cannot forbear making some
mention of the highly renowned Step/2am, of Paris.

Henry Stephens, the ﬁrst of these distinguished
men, was born in France, soon after the discovery
of printing, i. e. about 1465. He settled at Paris,
and there published a number of bOOks in Latin,
printed with Roman letter, which was well made
for that period. He died about the year 1520; and
left three sons, Francis, Robert and Charles; who
were all printers, and two of them became very cel-
ebrated authors. The widow of Henry married
Simon de Colines; and she put him in possession

IN EUROPE, 8w. 153

of Stephens’s printing house; of which he remain.
ed master till he died.

Robert Stephens, the second son, was born in
1503. He made so great proﬁciency in the Latin,
Greek and Hebrew languages, that at the age of
nineteen, his father in law, De Colines, intrusted
him with the management of his press. He mar-s
ried Perette, the daughter of J odocus Badius, who
Was a printer, and an author. She was a learned
Woman, and well acquainted with Latin. In 1539,
Francis I, made him his printer, and ordered a new
set of elegant types to be founded for him. Robert
published several editions of the New Testament ;
the annotations to which gave great offence to the
doctors of the Sorbonne; who became so troubled
some to him, that, notwithstanding he was patronis-
ed. by the French king, Henry II, he abandoned his
country, and went to Geneva. It was he who ﬁrst
divided the New Testament into verses, during a
journey between Paris and Lyons. The advantages
of this alteration, are fully counterbalanced, say the
editors of the Encyclopedia, by its defects ;--—“ it has
destroyed the unity of the books, and induced many
commentators to consider every verse as a distinct
and independent aphorism ; and, to this, in a great
measure, is to be ascribed the many absurd inter—
pretations that have been forced out of that book.”
But Robert Stephens arrived at an honor, the like of
which no printer, or learned man beside himself, ever
attained; for he made a collection of manuscripts
of the New Testament, and from all those which
he collated, he formed the Greek text of the New
Testament which is now in use among us ; and

1 ET

154 HISTORY or PRINTING

from which our present translation was made. The
learned dr. Richard Bentley speaks of this perform-
ance in these terms.---“ The present text,” of the
New Testament, “ was ﬁrst settled almost two hun-
dred [now near three hundred] years ago, out of
several MSS. by Robert Stephens, a printer and
bookseller. at Paris; Whose beautiful, and, gener-
ally speaking, accurate edition, has been ever since
Counted the standard, and followed by all the rest.”*

The books of which he was the author, editor
and publisher, were said to amount to three hun-
dred and sixty. Among them was a Greek Testa-
ment, with the Latin translations of Erasmus and
Veteris on each side, which formed three columns
on a page. There is nothing very remarkable in
the Latin, but the Greek types were as elegant and
as well executed, as any that were ever used in a
press. The paper for that work was also remarka-
bly ﬁne ; perhaps, superior to any which is now
made. Robert, like his father, left three sons, who
were all printers. '

I have a copy of Cicero’s Orations, printed by
this R. Stephens, from the cursive type, in 154.4,
which has in the title page the device, or mark,
which he put to all his books, of “ a branched fruit
tree,” under which is a man looking and pointing up
to it. Some of the smaller branches are represent-
ed as having been cut, and are falling to the ground.
On a label displayed from a lower branch of the
tree, are these words—~Noli Altum Sapere.

* Bentley’s Remarks, 1). 68.

IN EUROPE, 8:0. 155

Charles, the third son of Henry, was a printer,
3 physician, and an author. He wrote thirty trea-
ti'seson various subjects; particularly, on botany,
anatomy and history. His printing was distin-
guished by the neatness and elegance of it. He
lived inParis, and died anno 1564.
Robert, the grandson of Henry, remained in
Paris, where he was printer to the king. His types
were uncommonly handsome. He died about 1589;
and was succeeded by Francis, his brother, who
had been a printer in Geneva.
Henry, the third son of Robert, was born at
Paris in 1528. He was a printer and an astrono.
mer ; and, was the most learned, and the most re"
nowned, of all the family. He travelled to Rome,
Naples, 8m. in the service of the French govern-1
ment. He wrote and printed the Thesaurus Lin-
gaze Graeme; which, considering the wretched ma.-
terials that more ancient dictionaries furnished, and
the size and perfection where-to he brought his
work, may be considered as the greatest undertak-
ing of the kind that ever was executed by one man.
It was carried on at a greater expense than he could
support; and he was not remunerated by the sale
of the book. His own servant, John Scapula, eX-
tracted from his manuscripts whatever he thought
would be serviceable to students, and anticipated
the publication of Stephens’s work. By this act of
treachery Henry Stephens was reduced to poverty.
He was in favor with his sovereign, Henry III, of
France ; and frequently resided at court. The civil
war prevented the king from doing what he intend-
ed for Stephens; and, in consequence of his dis-

156 HISTORY or PRINTING

tressed situation, his mind became unsettled—~he
imbibed a distaste for books—again travelled; and,
died at Lyons in 1598, aged 70. Itsis said of him
that he composed and even wrote poetry on horse-
back, during his travels. His works were nume-
rous, and some of them elaborate—his publications
of other authors were manifold; a great proportion
of them were Greek, some Latin, and a few in
the oriental languages. He printed most of the
Greek classics, which were remarkably correct.

Paul, the son of the last mentioned Henry Ste-
phens, and great grandson of the ﬁrst, settled at
Geneva. , He, also, was a man of learning; trans-
lated several books; and, published a number of
the ancient classics. His editions were not equal
to those of his father, in point of elegance. He sold
his types to one Chowet, a printer, and soon after
died, in 1620, aged 60.

Ant/tony Stephens, the. last printer of the family,
the son of Paul, and great great grandson of the ﬁrst
Henry, was born in Geneva. He apostatised from
the protestant religion, went to France, the country
of his ancestors, and became printer to the king;
but, as he mismanaged his affairs, he was reduced
to poverty, retired to an hospital, became blind,
and died in miserable circumstances, anno 1674,
aged 80.

There are no certain records to ascertain the pe-
riods at which the art of Printing was introduced
into Scotland and Ireland. The earliest book from
the press in Scotland that has been discovered, is a
Breviary of the Church at Aberdeen, printed at-

IN 33171201112, 8:6. 157

Edinburgh in 1509, thirty six years after the estab-
lishment of the press at Westminster by Caxton.
The ﬁrst printers known in Scotland, Ireland, and
even in London, were from Germany.

Printing was introduced into Russia, anno 1560;
it was early practised in Spanish America, as well
as at Goa, Manilla; on the coast of Coromandel, at
Tranquebarﬁlé and in the cold regions of Iceland.
Dr. Van Troil, in his Letters on Iceland, mentions,
that a press was established at Hoolum, or Hola, in
the north part of the island in 1530; and, the Icelandic
Bible printed there in 1584. Mr. Bryant, also, writes
that it was early practised there; he observes, that
“ Arngrim Jones was born amidst the snows of Ice-
land ; yet, as much prejudiced in faVor of his coun-
try, as . those who are natives of a happier climate ;
this is visible in his Cry/magma, but more particu-
larly in his Anatome .Bqu/cim‘ana. I have in my
possession that curious little treatise, written in
Latin, in his own country, and printed Typis flo-
lensibus in Islandz'ri Boreali, anno 1612. Hola is
placed in some maps within the arctic circle, and is,
certainly, not far removed from it. I believe the
arts and sciences have never travelled farther north
in any part of the world.”1~

* A book, entitled, “ N ovum T estamentum Malebaricum,
a Ziigenbalg 8c Grundler,” in quarto, printed at T ranquebar,
in 1619, is now in the library of Harvard college.

TObservations and Inquiries relating to various Parts of
ancient History. Published in 1767 ; p. 27 7. The ﬁrst book
printed at Hoolum, was the Breviarium Nidarosiense. Ma-
thieson, the printer, was from Sweden.

158 Hts-roar or PRINTING

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS.

On Printers and Printing.

AFTER Printing was introduced into the Eu-
ropean world, the scribes used their utmost endeav-
ors to excel, in order to preserve their stations in
society; but they were soon obliged to give way
to the press, as the works performed by it were sold
much cheaper than those of the scribes could possi-
bly be afforded.

In the early stages of Printing, the name of the
printer, his place of residence, and the date of the
performance, were put at the end of each book;
and, generally, accompanied by some pious ejacula-
tion, or doxology, in prose or verseﬂt

* In the edition of “ The Pragmatic Sanction,” printed by
Andrew Bocard at Paris, 1507, the following curious couplet
is to be found.

“ Stat, liber, hic donec ﬂuctus formica marinos
Exhibat ; ct totum testudo perambulet orbem.”

IMITATED.

May this volume continue in motion,
And its pages each day be unfurl’d,

’T ill an ant to the dregs drinks the ocean,
Or a tortoise has crawl’d round the world.

[See Appendix, for ancient colophons, 8m]

IN EUROPE. 159

Ancient printers did not divide words at the end
of lines by hyphens. In order to avoid that, they
used to “ get in,” according to the technical phrase;
or, to speak more intelligibly, they made use of
vowels with a mark of abbreviation, which denoted
that one or more letters were omitted in the syllable
where it was placed ; e. g. c6pose, compose; Cople-
ti5, completion, &0. The great number and vari«
ety of abbreviations that were introduced in the
Course of time, at length created no triﬂing obsta-
cles for the reader to overcome. ~

For many years the printing done in England
was inferior to that executed on the neighboring
continent. After the art was generally practised
throughout Europe, it greatly degenerated. Res-
pecting England, John Nichols, an experienced
printer of London, observes, that “ Caxton and
Rood were indiﬂ'erently good printers. De Worde
and Pynson were worse, and those that followed
them, most abominable.”

In punctuation, no points were used except
the colon and full point; but, after some time, an
oblique stroke thus / was introduced, in the place
of which the comma was afterward substituted.

The orthography of those times was various,
often arbitrary; and, syntax was disregarded. Cap~
itals were not used according to our present rules.
Proper names and sentences, were often begun.
with small letters, as well as the beginning of lines
in poetry.

Except some of the ﬁrst essays of Laurentius,
most printed books were of the folio or quarto sizes ;

160 HISTORY OF PRINTING

and this practice continued a long time after the art
was introduced into England.

The ﬁrst essay at printing Greek was made by
i F ust and Schoelfer, in Tully’ s Ofﬁces, anno 1465.
They used only a few characters, and those were
very rude. Some were made and introduced into
Lactantius’s Institutes, printed the same year at a
monastery in the kingdom of Naples, which were-
much better executed than those of Fust and Schoef-
fer. The Italian printers made use of very decent
Greek types about the year 1470; and they were»
brought to a high degree of perfection by the Ste-r
phani in Paris, before the year 1540.

About the year 1465, types of a kind of semi-
Gothic character, far more elegant than the old Ger-
man, or the blackﬁ used at the present time, were
introduced at Venice. They, in shape, approached
near to the Roman types, which, in less than two
years after, were invented and used at Rome.

The Roman type, which is now, and for nearly
two centuries has been, in general use in Italy,
France, England, Spain, Portugal, and America,
made its ﬁrst appearance in the capital of his holi.
mess the pope, in an edition of Cicero’s Epistolae
Familiares, printed by the brothers Sweynheim and
Arnold Pannartz, in 1466. This type was improv-
ed in Italy, and brought to nearly its present degree
of perfection, as early as the year 1490.

The Italic character, anciently called by some
cursive, and by others Aiding, was invented by Aldo
Manuzio, at Venice, about the year 1505.

Printing with Hebrew characters, appears to
have been ﬁrst performed at Soncino, in the dutchy-

IN EUROPE. 161

'of Milan, anno 1482, and at Naples anno 1487.
The ﬁrst works printed. with them were, the Penta-
teuch in 1482. The greater prophets, Joshua,
Judges, and Samuel, in 1484. The lesser preph-
ets in 1486. The Hagiographa in 1487. The
three ﬁrst, printed at Soncino, the last at Naples.*
The Whole text of the Hebrew scriptures, was
printed in One volume folio, in 14-88, at Soncino, by

Abraham Ben Rabbi Hhajim.

Stereotype Printing.

THE method of printing, at this time, is, gen-
erally, the same as it was formerly; for although
some improvements have been made, very few of
them have been brought into common practice;
and, with such as have been introduced, it is certain
that modern printing does not much exceed that
' degree of perfection to which the art arrived about
forty years after it was discovered in Europe.

As I have mentioned in another place, it was
the principal aim of those who ﬁrst practised print-
.ing, to imitate, as nearly as possible, the beautiful
script, or writing, of the scribes; and, their object

* This edition is said by Dr. Pellet, who presented a copy
of it to Eton College library, in England, to contain many cu-
tious readings different from all other printed copies, and con-
trary to the Masora. It is mentioned, I believe, by Dr. Ken-
nicott, that this edition, excepting a few cepies which happened
to be saVed, was destroyed. Dr. Pellet says, Hoc exam/21a:-
um’cum, ctjlammis, ercjztum, uti [tar est credorc.

1 w

162 Hrsronr or PRINTING

was not fame, but proﬁt. The most valuable man.
uscript books commanded a high price; and the
inventors of Printing kept the art secret, in order to
obtain as much for their printed copies, as was paid
for those which were written.

They might have another reason for secrecy;
for every one must have observed, that if an inven-
tion is calculated to lessen labor and diminish the
number of laborers in any branch of art, particularly
in Europe, such inventions, frequently, give rise to
mobs and tumults, and put to hazard the lives of
the inventors; and, as the scribes were a very nu-
merous body, the lives and property of those who
had invented a method to destroy their business,
might have been endangered; therefore, it was most
prudent to conceal the discovery. A press was
more than once set up at Constantinople, but the
scribes, it is said, had inﬂuence enough to suppress
it ; and, I am told, it was not till about the year 1784,
that Printing could be effectually introduced there.

From the necessity the printers Were under,
both upon principles of interest and safety, to imi-
tate the neatness of the ancient scribes, we can ac-
count for the beauty of the-earliest printedbooks.
This is, also, a sufﬁcient reason why the discovery
of the art in Europe, is involved in so much obscu-
rity; and, why so much difﬁculty has been experi-
enced in the attempts which have been made to as-
certain who were the ﬁrst inventors of Printing, and
the place where the discovery was ﬁrst made. After
printing became generally known, and Europe was
furnished with a sufﬁcient number of workmen,
books were multiplied in so great a degree that

IN EUROPE. 163

purchasers of "them at the high prices they were then
sold for, could not be found. In order to promote
the sale, cheap editions were made of inferior mate.
rials, and by inferior. workmen; and, in this way,
we can readily conceive that the art of Printing de.
generated. »

It may appear strange, that after the art had
been brought, as it were, to perfection, the profess-
ors of it should again revert to ﬁrst principles, and
consider the original plan as an improvement on
modern practice; yet, this appears to have been the
case, in respect to those who have introduced stere.
otype printing; or, the method of printing from
metal blocks, instead of moveable types. By those
who are not better informed, this mode of book-
making is considered as a modern invention. The
friends of the celebrated Didot, in Paris, have as-
cribed it to him ; others have given it to British
artists of the present day. The truth is, that it is
more than a century since printing from metal plates,
or blocks, was practised in Holland. This will ap-
pear by the following extract from a Work printed
in 17 98.959

“ About a hundred years ago, the Dutch were
in possession of the art of printing with solid or
ﬁxed types, which, in every respect, was superior
to that of Didot’s stereotype. It may, however, be
readily comprehended, that these letters were not
cut in so elegant a manner, especially when we re—

* “ match: ﬁtgzmim none: 2:: letter 730112.” 1798- N- 23?-
Vide Philosophical Mag. Edited by Alexander Tilloch, csq.
Vol. X, published in London.

164 HISTORY or PRINTING

ﬂect on the progress which typography has made.
since that period. Samuel and J. Leuchtman, book-
sellers at Leyden, have still in their possession the
tbrms of a quarto Bible, whiCh were constructed in
this ingenious manner. Many thousand impress-
ions were thrown off, which are in every body’s
hands, and the letters are still good. The inventor
of this useful art was J. Van der Mey, father of the
well known painter of that name. - About the end
of the sixteenth century, he resided at Leyden.
With the assistance of Muller, the clergyman of the:
German congregation there, who carefully superin-
tended the correction, he prepared and cast the
plates for the above mentioned quarto Bible. This
Bible he published also in folio, with large margins,
ornamented with ﬁgures, the forms of which are.
still in the hands of Elwe, bookseller at Amsterdam;
also, an English New Testament, and Schaaf’s Syr-
iac dictionary, the firms of which were melted
down ; and, likewise, a small Greek Testament in
18mo. As far as is known, Van der Mey printed
nothing else in this manner; and the art of prepar-
ing solid blocks was lost-vat his death; or, at least,
was not afterwards employed.”

The next person who printed in this way, was
William Ged, an ingenious goldsmith in Edin-
burgh. He began to prosecute this business about
the year 1725. His method was, to set up common
types into pages of the work intended to be printed;
and, from those pages to form moulds to cast the.
blocks; which, when cast, were ﬁtted for the press.
He removed from Edinburgh to Lendon, and form-
ed a partnership with Thomas James, then the most

IN EUROPE. 165

celebrated, if not the only type founder in that city;
and, with William F enner, a stationer, who was to
furnish money, on condition that he should receive
one half of the proﬁts. In 1730, these partners ap-
plied to the university of Cambridge, England, for
the privilege of printing Bibles and Prayer Books,
in this way ; and obtained it. They expended large
sums ’of money in attempts to bring their plan to per.-
fection. They completed the Prayer Book in 8vo.
and in 12mo. and had the larger part of the Bible pre-
pared on blocks, when they relinquished the under-
taking. It seems that one of the partners became
hostile to the plan, and, in connivance with the work-
men, contrived to have the Work executed very er-
roneously; and, the pressmen designedly battered
the forms. The books, in consequence, were sup-
pressed by authority, and the plates were sent to the
king’s printing house, and from thence to the found-
ery, where they were melted down. Ged returned
to Edinburgh, much disappointed, where he printed
and published in 1736, by a subscription from his
friends, an edition of Sallust from east plates. He,
afterward, manufactured plates for Scougal’s “ Life
of God in the Soul of Man,” which was printed in
12mo. on a writing pot, with this imprint, “ New-
castle : Printed and sold by John White, from plates
made by William Ged, Goldsmith in Edinburgh,
1742.” He died in 1749. His son, who was bred
a printer, published, in 1751, proposals for renewing
the stereotype printing; but, not meeting with suc-
cess, he went to Jamaica, and died there.

The ingenious and learned Alexander T illoch,
of Glasgow, when he resided in that city about

166 HISTORY or PRINTING

thirty years since, is said to have made a second dis;
covery of the art of stereotype printing; and, de.
clared himself ignorant of its having been previ-
ously practised, or even attempted. Until he had
nearly completed the invention, he believed it was
entirely his own, when he discovered, that, ﬁfty
years before, Ged had printed several works from
stereotype plates; and, he further ascertained that,
near ﬁfty years before Ged, stereotype printing
had been practised by Vander Mey, in Holland.
“ A knowledge of these facts,” says Tilloch, in a
treatise he wrote on the subject, “ lessened the value
of the discovery so much in my estimation, thatl
felt but little anxiety to be known as a second
inventor.” He, however, pursued the business.
Foulis, printer to the university of Glasgow, assisted
him. They printed two or three small works from.
the plates which they made ; and, sold the editions
to the trade, Without any intimation of their being
executed out of the common way. They then took
out patents for stereotype printing in England and
Scotland; and, in 1783, they printed Xenophon’s
Anabasis, in Greek, in that way. They nearly:
completed the plates for several of the English p0.
ets ; but, that work was delayed by circumstances
which induced them to set the business aside, and
it never was resumed.

Some years after this, Didot, a very celebrated.
printer at Paris, revived this art of founding pages;
and applied it, in the ﬁrst instance, to logarithmic
tables, for which it is well adapted. He then pro-
ceeded to print some of the claSSics, and other

1r zunorn. 167

works, all of which do him much credit; being ex.
ecuted with great neatness and accuracy.

About the same time, lord Stanhope, a British
nobleman, having received from Tilloch some in-
formation respecting the method of casting plates
for letter press, undertook to revive, perfect and
establish stereotype printing in England. After
two years of application, with the aid of Foulis of
Glasgow, who had assisted Tilloch, and Wilson, an”
ingenious printer in London, his lordship succeed-
ed, not only in casting plates with facility; but,
also, in the construction of a press more suitable for
stereotype printing than that now in common use.

Stereotyping, as it is termed, is now adopted by
many printers in Europe, for standard books which
command an extensive sale ; and which are not
subject to alteration or amendment. The principal
object accomplished by this innovation, is a saving
in case work; but, no advantage of any conse-
quence can be made in books printed with letter of
larger size than long primer. The beneﬁt is de—
rived from heavy works, printed from bodies of
bourgeois, brevier, and pearl. Large editions of the
Old and New Testament, and other books, in vari-
ous languages, have been printed, in Europe, by
this method, for the several societies for propagating
the gospel in the Eastindies, and other countries.
,Part of a large edition of Morell’s abridgment of
Ainsworth’s Latin Dictionary, was lately published
in London from stereotype plates.

168 HISTORY or PRINTING

Logographic Printing.

A M0 D a of printing with types of words, instead
of single letters, was sometime since introduced in
England, and much. was said about “ the logo-
graphic press.” This novelty, as is usual with new
things, attracted much custom for logographic pub-
lications; but it soon ceased, and we heard no more
of logographic typography. It was set aside; for,
like casting Chinese characters, to print the lan-
guage of that country, it would answer no valuable
purpose. I eagerly cast my eyes on a book, an.
nounced by the title page to be printed in London,
“ logographically ;” I had not read twenty lines be.
fore I saw an inverted letter, and, further on, a trans-
position of letters. A little further still, I found a.
word divided with a space ; and, notwithstanding
the declaration in the title page, I was soon con-
vinced that single types were generally used in the
Work.

Engraving lilac/tine.

A MACHINE to multiply copies of manuscripts,
or books of common size, was invented, in 1781,
by the ingenious M. Rochon, afterwards director
of the marine observatory at the port of Brest. This

IN EUROPE. 169

machine engraves, with great celerity and correct-
ness, the pages of a book, or manuscript, on as many
plates of copper.* The machine was submitted to
the inspection of a committee of the royal academy
of sciences; Which committee made the following
report resPecting its utility, viz.

“ This machine appears to us to unite several
advantages, 1. Engraved editions of books may be
executed by this means superior to those which can
be made by the hand of the engraver, however skil-
ful ; and these engraved originals will be made with
much more speed, and much, less expense. 2. As
this machine is portable, and of no considerable
bulk, it may become very useful in armies, ﬂeets
and public oﬂices, for the impression of orders,
instructions, &0. 3. It possesses the advantage
which, in a variety of circumstances, is highly valu-
able, of being capable of being used by any man of
intelligence and, skill, without requiring the assist-
ance of any professional workman. And, lastly, it
affords the facility of waiting for the entire compo-
sition and engravings of a work, before any of the
copies are printed off ; the expense of plates, even
for a-work of considerable magnitude, being an ob-
ject of little charge; and. the liberty it affords to
authors, may prove highly beneﬁcial in works of
which the chief merit consists in the order, method
and connexion of ideas.”

* The manner of the construction and operation of this en-u
graving machine, may be seen in the third volume of the sup-
plement to the Encyclopedia, published several years since at
Philadelphia, page 42 5.

1 x

170 HISTORY or PRINTING

“ Many well informed persons are of opinion,
that the perfect equality which this machine for ens
graving affords, in the formation of letters and signs
the most diﬂicult to be imitated, might be the means
of remedying the dangers of forgery. It is certain,
that the performance exhibits a simple and striking
character of precision, which is such, that persons
of the least experience might ﬂatter themselves, in"
certain cases, to distinguish counterfeits from orig-
inals. Lavoisier, whom the friends of science, and
of the arts, will not cease to regret, made some ex=
periments of this kind for the Caisse d’Escompte,
whi’ch were attended with perfect success. Artists,
appointed for the purpose, endeavored in vain to
imitate a vignette, formed by the successive and.
equal motion of. a character of ornament.”

Ancient Engraving.

NE ARLY all the treatises which have been writ-
ten concerning engraving, speak of it as an art
which is of modern invention; and the authors of
them have considered Maso Finiguerra of Florence,
as the father of this branch of designing. But I
have already shewn, on the authority of scripture,
and from other monuments of antiquity, that the
art of engraving was known in very remote ages
and abundance of other testimony might be ad-

IN EUROPE, 8m. 171

ded, to what has already been produced, on this
subject.

Man is an imitative creature. According to
Strabo, it was Homer’s sublime descriptions of the
gods which awakened the conceptions of the emi-
nent statuaries among the Greeks, and led them to
attempt the expression of his ideas in marble.
Hence was derived that noble performance, the J u—
piter of Phidias. This Opinion may be carried much
farther back; and We may, on reasonable ground,
conclude that men, in the earliest ages of the world,
made sensible representations of the objects of their
meditation, in various ways, and on different sub—
stances. From this desire of imitating the ﬁgures
of animated nature, that of man in particular, we
may conclude arose the hieroglyphics, formerly
used, which were some of the most ancient repre-
sentations of things produced by the indefatigable
ingenuity of man. Recundier, in his descriptions
of Egyptian antiquities, gives an account of hiero-
glyphics, seen by members of the French national
institute, which they supposed were several thous-
and years old. Engraving, carving, statuary, and,
We may presume, painting, and the various meth-
ods of designing, were known when the Israelites
were in Egypt; as they are forbidden, in the dec-
alogue, to make any grave): image, or other rep-
resentations of things, which were used by ancient
nations, in their religious ceremonies—~that engrav-
ing was practised by the children of Israel, has al—
already been proved, by passages from the writings
of Moses.

172 HISTORY or PRINTING

Numerous are the authors who inform us, that
among the Greeks, engraving is of great antiquity.
In proof of this fact, many examples might be given,
beside the instances already alluded to. The most
curious monument of antiquity now extant is the ap-
otheosis of Homer; a Work of Archelaus of Priene,
said to be now in the palace of Colorma. This en-
graving is, like to the description given of the shield
of Achilles, in various compartments. In one of them
is Homer, in a chair, attended by various emblemat-
ical representations ; and behind him is Time, and
a female ﬁgure representing the World, crowning
him with laurel. Beneath this compartment is the
following inscription—OIKOTMENH XPONOE IAIAZ
OATEEEIA OMEPOE. A group is seen advancing to
sacriﬁce on an altar, which is before him ; and,
beneath those ﬁgures, are descriptions of them in
Greek capitalszZTOPIA HOIHEEIE TPAI'QAIA
KQMQIAIA (DTZIZ APETH MNHME H’IETIE ZOQIA.
In another part of this performance is an inscription
engraved, also in Greek capitals, stating that it was
the work of Archelaus Pollonius of Priene. A very
ancient bust of Homer is in the Farnese palace at
Rome, with his name engraved on it, in Greek cap-
itals. Of ancient ‘ Grecian engravings, in metal, I
shall have occasion to speak hereafter.

That the Romans possessed the art of engraving
in stone, and metal, is a fact we are well acquainted
with. The Roman monuments which attest this
truth, areas numerous as those of the Greeks. We
may presume that engraving was practised in Rome
as early as the time of Numa, from the circumstance
of the making of the Ancylia, by Veturius Ma.

IN EUROPE. 173

murius.at N uma presented an extremely curious
shield to the Romans, which he pretended to have
received from the god Mars, as a palladium of the
city; and in order to prevent its being stolen, a
reward was oﬂ‘ered to any one who could make so
exact an imitation of it, as would deceive any person
who might be disposed to carry it off, as Ulysses
did the palladium from Troy. Mamurius succeed-
ed in making eleven others, so exactly “like it, that
the true ancyle could not be distinguished from the
copksf

Historians have, also, related that the twelve
tables of the Roman decemvirs were engraved on
brass; but some of them have mentioned that the
decemvirs sent their ambassadors to Greece, to col-
lect the laws recorded on the tables in question—s-
allatas a Gracia leges.-——It may, therefore, be con-
tended, that those tables were engraved at Athens.
But this circumstance would not invalidate the fact
I wish to establish, namely, that engraving in metal
was practised in the time of the Roman decemvirs.
It may be further objected, that though Heinnec-
ciusf; maintains that the twelve tables were of aereas,
brass, yet in the text of Pomponius we read eboreas,
ivory ; for which Scaliger has substituted roboreas,

* Virgil carries the practice of engraving shields, higher
than the time of which we are treating. Speaking of one of.
the kings who fought against Eneas, he says,

Clypeoque insigni paternum
Centum angues, cinctamque gerit serpentibus hydram.
ENEID.

 

 

TPlutarch, in Vit. Numa. t Hist. J. R. c. l. No.26.

174. HISTORY or PRINTING

oak, or other hard wood.* To this it may be an.
swered, that modern verbal criticisms cannot invali.
date the evidence for the existence of engraving, in
' ancient Rome, because Suetoniust relates that three
thousand brass plates, on which were engraven the
acts of the Roman senate and people, had been de.
posited in the capitol. As to the twelve tables hav.
ing been engraved at Athens, there is much reason
to doubt that the Roman decemvirs ever sent mes.
sengers there; for J osephus,i in speaking of a later
period, observes, “ The city of Rome, that hath this
long time been possessed of so much power, and
hath performed such great actions in war, is yet
never mentioned by Herodotus, nor by Thucydides,
nor by any of their contemporaries ; and it is very
late, and with great difﬁculty, that the Romans be.
came acquainted with the Greeks.” Plutarch,§ also,
in giving an account of the irruption of the Galli
Senones, or Gauls, into Italy, says, “ Heraclides of
Pontus, who lived not long after those times, in his
treatise concerning the soul, relates that an army from
the country of the Hyperboreans, had taken a Greek
city, called Rome, situated somewhere near the great
5621.” It is true, we are told, that before the pe-
riod of which we are now speaking, the Romans
had contended with Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who,
they thought, was king of all Greece; but they
hardly seem to have known where his country was

'” Bynkershoek, p. 286. t In Vespasian, c. 8.

tContra Apion. Vol. 6, p. 208. Worcester edition of
W'histon’s translation.

§ In vit. Camil.

IN EUROPE. 175

situated. He invaded the Roman territory as the
ally of the Grecian colony of Tarentum ; and when
he Was beaten out of Italy, the Romans did not ap-
pear to know where he was gone-~52 Greciam
3mm trans mare ac terms fugat0.*

I might write a volume concerning ancient en-
gravings in wood, bricks, marble, gems, and a
Variety of materials, beside metals; but that is un--
necessary ; because I can mention proofs of the
antiquity of engraving, which are under almost.
every man’s observation—VI mean in the articles of
medals and coins.

We have not any certain data to determine the
ﬁrst invention of medals or coins ; they were known
in ancient times among the nations of Asia. But it
does not appear they Were in use among the He-
brews before the time of their kings. When Abra-
ham paid for the cave of Machpelah he weighed to
Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audi-
ence of “the sons of Heth, fbur hundred Shekels of
silver, current money with the vvzerchanmL Here it
must be observed, that the Word money is not found
in the Hebrew; nor is the word pieces, used Gen.
XXXvii. 28, in the original. It is probable that in
the ﬁrst of these texts silver should have been in-
se‘rted; and, Shekels in the other ;-—_-for as money
was weighed by the Shekel in those days, it is likely
the Ishmaelites Who bought Joseph, paid his breth-
ren twenty Shekels of silver for him. From Gen.
xliii. 21, we ﬁnd that the sons of Jacob paid for their
corn, in Egypt, in money by weight. When the

5“ Florus, lib. 1, cap. 18. 1 Gen. xxiii. 16.

1-76 HISTORY or PRINTING

Israelites left Egypt they borrowed of the Egyp-
tians jewels of silver and jewels of gold ;--—had
coined money been in use, they would, probably,
have borrowed that also. The same argument will
apply to the subscriptions, or offerings ; for the
tabernacle, where we ﬁnd both men and women
brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tab-
lets, all jewels of gold. Had coined money been
current among them, it is likely they would have
presented that, and saved their more costly jewels-
With earrings Aaron made the golden calf, or sym-
, bol of the Egyptian god Apis, or Serapis—And he
received them at their hand, and FASHIONED IT
WITH A GRAVING TOOL, after he had made ita
molten cal/IT Coins must have been introduced
among the Israelites after these times.

It has been pretended that money was ﬁrst coin-
ed by Phidon, king of Argos, about the year A. C.
870; but it is certain that money was known in
much earlier times. The Greeks excelled all na-
tions in the beauty and delicacy of their coins.
They had the skill of expressing the veins and mus-
cles with such exquisite art, as the Romans never
could imitate. Many Greek coins are extant which
are older than the time of Alexander ; and there are
Sicilian coins more ancient than those of the Greeks-
of Attica.

There are extant two medals of Homer, by
'Amastris ; also one struck at Smyrna, and another.

3“ Exodus xxxv. 22. The tablets, here mentioned, it is
presumed were medals, or other engraved articles, but not
current coin.

T Exod. xxxii. 4.

IN EUROPE. 177

at Chios. The Chian medal appears to be the most
ancient. It represents the great poet as sitting, with
a'book in his hand; and the exergue has the repre-
sentation of a centaur. The letters on it denote a.
very early period of the Grecian literature, and read
from right to left. We have no types which would
justly describe them. Over the ﬁgure of Homer is

DOJHWO, and over the centaur N'O‘IX, reversed. The
other medals are Well expressed; but the shape of
the M differs from that used in later periods, and C
occupies the place of 2.

Money was generally stamped, by the ancients,
With ﬁgures engraved in steel, or hardened c0pper ;
and Where engraving was unknown, money could
not be coined. This coined money is by Strabo
called pecunia signata, to distinguish it from articles
exchanged by weight. According to Pliny,9K Ser-
vius Tullius ﬁrst stamped brass coins among the
Romans.-——Servius rex ovium [2021772tu qﬁi’gie pri-
mus (L’s sigmwit. These oxen, swine, Ste. could not
have been formed without the art of the engraver.
The same author says, that silver was coined in
Rome, A. U. C. 484 ; ﬁve years preceding the ﬁrst
Punic war. The uses sextentario pondereﬁrieban-
tur, which the Romans coined when Hannibal was
in Italy, were marked with a Janus on one side, and
the beak, or stern, of a ship on the other. In the
cabinets of antiquities, in Europe, are almost innu-
merable ancient coins, and medals, of the Roman
emperors; as well as of eminent men, in various
other nations These are so many independent and

* xxxviii. 8.

1 Y

178 HISTORY or PRINTING

infallible testimonies of the existence of engrav.
ing in the times that are past, and many of them ev-
idence that. it was practised long before the Christian
era. The earliest Roman coins were stamped with
the pews, Whence came the term pecunia. Some of
their brass coins were stamped with a boat; the sil-
ver denarii had the ﬁgures of waggons with two, or
four horses ; and on the reverse the head of Rome
with a helmet. The victoriati, had the image of
victory; the sestertz'z', had the images of victory, and
of Castor and Pollux, with the city on the reverse.
The heads of the Roman emperors were engraved
on their coins, with their names and titles round
them, in a similar manner to that in which coins are
now executed. Nothing can be more evident, there- ‘
fore, than that the art of engraving, in metal, was
known among the Romans; for, without that art,
they never could have made their stamps to ﬁx the
impressions on their coinsﬁ?6

Those who never had an opportunity to examine
the accounts which are given of the more ancient
Greek and Roman coins, may ﬁnd evidence in st.
Luke, sufﬁcient to convince every Christian, of the
truth, that Roman coin-s were well known when
Christ was on earth. It is clearly asserted, that the.
Roman denam'us bore the image and superScription.
of Cesar—n— ””1036 image and superscription hath it .31

3“ For the most valuable part of the above observations on
ancient coins and engravings, I am indebted to my friend, Mr.
William Sheldon. Those who are desirous to see more on
these subjects, may consult Pinkerton on medals, 25cc.

1 Luke xx. 24.

IN EUROPE. 179

The making the letters round those images of the em-
perors, and stamping them on the metal, were pro-
cesses that embraced the rudiments of printing; and
render the» opinion of Ihre, that Ulphilas’s version of
the scriptures was impressed with hot metal types, '
somewhat the less 1mpr.obable

From the researches of the English Asiatic So-
ciety, we have full and unequivocal evidence, that
the art of engraving on copper and brass, was known
in Hindostan, and other parts of Asia, in very remote
periods of time. The Asiatic Researches contain
some curious specimens ; among which is an ac-
count of a royal grant of land, engraved on a copper
plate, bearing date twenty three years before the
Christian era, that is, eighteen hundred and thirty
three years since. This plate was discovered among
the ruins of Mongueer, in India. A copy of the
grant was translated from the original sanscrit, by
Charles Wilkins, esq. in the year 1781, and pub-
lished by sir William J ones.ale

The rev. Claudius Buchanan, L. L. D. who was
sent from England, as a missionary, to the East
» Indies, and who, since his return, has published a
a celebrated sermon, entitled, “ The Star in the
East ;” in the appendix to that performance, has
given an account of various engraved plates of mix-
ed metals, which were found among the Christians
of st. Thomas, at Malayala, Malabar ; the largest of
which contains an engraved page of thirteen by four
inches; and the writing engraved on four of them

* See Asiatic Researches, printed at Calcutta, 17 88, in six
volumes, quarto, with an engraving of the plate.

180 HISTORY or PRINTING

makes eleven pages. The plate reputed to be the
oldest, contains characters resembling the Persic of
Persepolis, or the Bablenish letters. “ On the
same plate there is writing in another character,
which has no afﬁnity with any existing character in
Hindostan.” The names of four ancient and emi-
nent Jews, who were witnesses to the guarantee of
the privileges which the engraving on the plates is—
said to convey, appear written in very old Hebrew
characters. These Christian tablets of Malayala,
are a great curiosity, and, no doubt, may justly
claim a very high degree of antiquity. The Jews
at Cochin have two brass tables, similar to those of
the Malayalans ; and the palm of priority is disputed
by these people. The Jews have a‘ Hebrew manu-
script, stating that they received a grant, which was
recorded on brass tablets, in A. D. 37 9. [6]

From the observations which have been made,
I presume it is sufﬁciently evident, that the branch
of designing, called engraving, may be considered
as an invention, the author of which is lost amidst
the darkness of remote antiquity ; and that the
knowledge of it has existed from time immemorial.
When writers speak of the discoveries of Finiguerra,
and his ‘cotemporaries at Florence, therefore, they
cannot with propriety allude to any thing further,
than the method of taking impressions on paper,
from engravings ; which appears to have been neare
ly the extent of the improvements they introduced
into the art. It must, however, be admitted, that
although the art of engraving was well known to
the ancients, and practised by them in a style nearly
approaching to perfection; yet, during the dark

IN EUROPE. 181

ages of Gothic barbarity and monkish superstition,
which obscured the light and glory of Europe,
much of the knowledge of the ﬁne arts was lost;
and, perhaps, the clouds of ignorance and obscurity
fell upon the business of the engraver ; so that, pos—
sibly, the Florentines had to explore the secrets of
the art among the rubbish of antiquity ; and, in the
course of their researches they accidentally display—
ed. some new ideas, as was the case with Finiguerra.

The progress and discoveries of the modern
European engravers, I will proceed to state under.
the head of

Modern Engraving, on ”food, Copper, 59%.

A BOOK published at Leipsic in 1771, without
the name of the author, and under the title of “ Idée
générale d’unes Collection complette des Estampes ;,
avec une Dissertation sur l’Origine de la Gravure,
et sur les premiers Livres (1’ Images,” opposes, in
some measure, the opinions of the best writers on
the origin of Printing in Europe. The author’s.
attention wasparticularly directed to engraving, and,
to an examination of wooden cuts in books of the
earliest dates, which led, of course, to an investiga-
tion of the printing of those books. This author
traces the origin of cutting on wood, as far back as
the year 1423, and he attributes it to artists employ-
ed in making cards ; Which artists, he says, pro-
ceeded from little pictures of saints, to small pieces

182 HISTORY or PRINTING

of history; intended for the instruction of youth,-
and for purposes of devotion. This, he thinks,
gave the hint to Guttemburg, when he lived, in
Strasburg, of cutting single letters. Like several
German writers, he is not willing to allow the claim
of Holland to the discovery of Printing ; or to ad-
mit Laurentiu‘s, alias Coster, to be either a printer,
engraver, or carver, and treats his pretensions to the
discovery as ﬁctitious. But Meerman’s investiga-
tions have settled this business, by producing full
and ample testimony in favor of Laurentius.

The anonymous writer, of Leipsic, states, that
of all the modes of engraving for the press, the most
ancient is, that on wood ; or, to speak more techni-
cally, the ﬁrst impressions on paper were taken from
carved wooden blocks. For this invention, he ob-
serves, we are indebted to the hteefmta’letﬁ, or
makers of playing cards, who practised the art in
Germany in the 15th century. From the same
source may, perhaps, be traced the ﬁrst idea of
moveable types, which appeared not many years af-
ter; for then breef male'rs did not entirely conﬁne
themselves to the printing and painting of cards;
but produced, also, subjects of a more devout na-
ture; many of which, taken from holy writ, are
still preserved in the diﬁ‘erent libraries in Germany,
with the explanatory texts, facing the ﬁgures, the.
whole engraved rudely in wood. In this manner
they even formed a species of books, such as 112':-
toria smzcti Johannis cy’usqzw visiones apocalyptim;
fﬁsz‘oria Veteris Novi Testamcnti, known by the
name of “ The Poor Man’s Bible.” These short
mementos were printed only on one side, and two

IN EUROPE. 183

of them, being pasted tOgether, had the appearance
of a single sheet or leaf. The anonymous writer
then mentions, that the earliest date found on these
Wooden cuts is 1423. The subject is, St. Christo-
pher, carrying the inﬂmt Jesus over the sea, which
was preserved in a convent at Buxheim near Mem—
mengen; and, that“ it is of a folio size, illuminated
in the same manner as the playing cards ; and at the
bottom is this inscription, Ckrz'stqferi, faciem die.
quacunquc tucrz's. Illa nempe die morte mala mm
moricris. Millesimo CCC’CQXXo $371603”?e

Mr. Bullet, in his researches into the history of
Cards, printed at Lyons in 1757, supposes the in—
vention of them to have taken place between the
years 1367 and 1380 : Other authors make the
year 1367 to be the epocha of the discovery ; but,
do not allow that they were made from engraving,
or carving, of any kind. They contend that the
ﬁgures were painted upon thick paper; and con-
tinued to be made by that method till after printing
was invented.

Upon the invention of moveable types, that
branch of the breef malers business, which was
connected with the making of that kind of books,
mentioned by the Leipsic author, was gradually dis-
continued ; but the art of engraving on wood, was
still practised and improved. Toward the end of
the 15th, or beginning of the 16th century, it be-

“ Later writers have contradicted the statement of the
Leipsic author, so far as it respects the date, which, doubtless,

is erroneous. The error arises from the omission by design,
or accident of an L. The true date probably should stand thus :

“Millessimo CCCC°LXX° tertio.”

184 HISTORY or PRINTING

came customary for almost every one of the Ger:
man engravers on copper, to engrave on wood also.
Among the Germans, the engravings of Albert Du-
rer, on wood, are justly held in the highest estima-
tion. Italy, France and [Holland produced many
capital artists in this line.

One Hugo de Carpi projected a scheme of cut-
ting in wood, by means of which the prints appeared
as if painted in chiaro scum. In order to effect this,
he made three kinds of stamps for the same design;
which were drawn after one another through the
press for the same print. They were so contrived
as that one served for the grand lights, a second for
the demi tints, and a third for the outlines and deep
shade. '

The art of engraving in Wood, was carried to
a high degree of perfection, in Europe, two hun-
dred years ago ; and, for beauty of design, might
vie with that of engraving on copper. It afterward
much degenerated ; and, for a long period, was
neglected. Some years since, it was revived, but
in a different style, to that which was practised at
an earlier period. The best cutting in wood is now
made to imitate, when impressed, the prints from
copperplates.

Blocks of wood are still used in Europe, for
cuts to be printed at letter press ; but in this coun-
try, particularly in Newengland, type metal is sub-
stituted for wood. -

It is believed that Schoeffer was the ﬁrst, in Eu-
rope, who engraved on c0pper for the press; but,
he went no further than to engrave matrices for the
faces of metal types, before he had discovered the

IN EUROPE. 185

art of cutting steel punches to impress them. The
modern art of taking impressions of pictures, 82c.
from engravings, is said to have taken its rise not
much earlier than the middle of‘ the 15th century.
One Maso Finiguerra, a goldsmith of Florence, has
the credit of the discovery of copperplate printing in
the year 1440; he had poured some melted brim-
stone on an engraved plate; and, when the brim-
stone was cold, he found thereon the exact impres—
sion of the engraving, marked black with the mat—
' ter taken out of the strokes, by the liquid sulphur.*
He then attempted to do the same with wet paper
on silver plates, by passing a roller smoothly and
forcibly over it, and succeeded. Prints, from en-
graved copperplates made their ﬁrst appearance
about 1450, in Germany. Stoltzhirs is said to be
the ﬁrst who both engraved and printed from 00p-
perplates.1- He produced several pieces, or speci.
mens, of this kind of work. ‘

Printing Presses.

A PARTICULAR description 0f the presses ﬁrst
used in printing, has not come under my observation;
”but early writers mention that they were com
structed like common Wine presses; and that Gut-
’temburg, before he quitted Strasburg, had one made,

* Sculptura, Historico Technica, p. .‘2.
’( Strutt’s His-t. of Engraving.
,1 z

186 HISTORY or PRINTING

better adapted to the purpose for which it was in—
tended, than that used by Laurentius, at Haerlem.
The ingenious artists, who ﬁrst printed at V6.
nice, it is probable, made improvements on those
used by Fust and Geinsﬂeiche, at Mentz. Luck-
ombe informs us, that the presses used in Europe,
before the seventeenth century, were “ a make shift,
slovenly contrivance ;” and others mention, that
they were, in many respects, highly inconvenient.
William Jansen Blaew, was bred a joiner in
Amsterdam. About the year 1620, he made sev.
eral improvements in the presses used before, and at
that time ; and, these improvements were soon gen.
erally adopted by the printers in Holland, and after-
ward by those in England, 8m. Blaew, after hav-
ing served out his apprenticeship, travelled to Den.
mark, and there was employed by Tycho Brahe,
the celebrated mathematician and astronomer, in
making mathematical instruments, by which means
Blaew appears to have become a favorite with Ty.
cho, who instructed him in mathematics, and gave
him copies of his celestial observations before they
appeared in public. With these, Blaew returned to
Amsterdam, and there practised making globes
agreeably to Tycho’s astronomical tables. He traded
also in maps and geographical books ; his business
increased; and, he commenced printing. Discov-
ering many inconveniences in the structure of the
old presses, he contrived to remove them, and made
a new one, which he found to answer his purpose;
he, therefore, caused eight more, for himself and
others, to be constructed in the same manner, and
called each one, by the name of one of the muses.

IN EUROPE. 187

Presses on Blaew’s model, with few alterations
in their construction, some of which were made by
the ingenious Baskerville, printer and type founder
of Birmingham, England, have continued in com.
men use in Europe and America, till within a few
years past.

An improvement was made in the presses in the
late French king’s printing house at Paris, by M.
Anisson, who wrote a treatise on the construction of
those machines, and gave a description of a new
press made for the service of his most Christian '
Majesty. This treatise, a late English writer ob-
servesﬁle must have afforded many useful hints to
his countryman, earl Stanhope, in the formation of
his iron press for stereotype printing; which press,
this Writer says, “ is constructed on the true
principles of mechanism, with much simplicity and
harmony of parts.” The common press was found
inadequate to the pressure required for the heavy
forms of stereotype. After many expensive and
laboritms experiments, his lordship, with the aid of
a very skilful mechanician, succeeded in the com-
pletion of a press, which fully ansWered all the pur-
poses of stereotyping. The superiority of this press,
which bears the name of its projector, over those in
common use, is, that it affords a great accession of
power to the pressure of heavy forms of small letter,
and with much less labor than is required atother
presses. Stowers asserts, that “the Stanhope press-
is capable of ten times the force of the common

*C. Stowers; from whose Work I have extracted the
greater part of what follows relating to the Stanhope stereo-
type press.

188 HISTORY or PRINTING.

press, with perhaps, a tenth part of the labor- ;”
and, that the pressure is so equal, that “ nothing is

left to the judgment of the pressmen but the beat-
ing ;” or supplying the types with ink.

That part of the machinery of this press, which
produces the power, has been applied to the com-
monpress ; but not with the success that was ex-
pected. The wooden parts of the common press,
were found too weak to bear the pressure produced
by the machinery of the Stanhope press; the accel-
erated power is produced, principally, “ by the ar-
rangement of its bar and spindle.” A press, how-
ever, has been constructed, embracing, in a consid-
erable degree, the advantages of the StanhoPe press,
and is used in many printing houses in London.

In the course of the last ﬁfty years, several at-
tempts have been made to improve the machinery
of printing presses. In one of these innovations,
the power of the press was communicatedby a cyl-
inder turned by a crank ; in another, by a lever,
Without a screw; and, in a third, by a wheel and
weight. As these presses were not so convenientas.
those in common use, they were, most of them, soon
set aside. I shall, hereafter, give an account of a
cylindrical press, which was constructed by Nichols,
in London, and might, I conceive, be used to ad--
vantage, at least in large editions of ordinary work.
It is calculated to produce some saving in bothlabor
and time.

SPANISH AMERICA.

“*h—

THE art of Printing was ﬁrst introduced into
Spanish America, as nearly as, can be ascertained,at
the close of the sixteenth century. The histof
rians, whose works I have consulted, are all silent,
as to the time when it was ﬁrst practised on the
American continent; but, the knowledge we have
of the Spanish territories, especially of Mexico and
Peru, is so circumscribed, that we cannot ﬁx on
any precise date as the period of its commence-
ment; but, it I is certain, that Printing Was exe-
cuted both in Mexico and Peru, before it made its
appearance in the British North American colonies.

I do not mean to assert, however, that it is impos-
sible‘ to ascertain the place where, and the date
when, the ﬁrst printing was performed in the exten-
sive provinces belonging to Spain; but, as respects
myself, I have found that an insurmountable dif-
ﬁculty has attended the inquiry. ' I i i

I have ascertained that there was a press
established in the capital of Mexico, as early as-
1604.

190 HISTORY or PRINTING.

Chevillier, who, I believe, wrote in the be-
ginning of the seventeenth century, refers his read-
ers to some books printed early at Lima, the capi-
tal of Peru.*

Luckombe writes? that “ Printing was extend-
ed to Africa and America, not indeed at the invita-r
tion of the natives, especially of America, but by
means of the Europeans; and, particularly, of the
Spanish missionaries, who carried it to the latter fer
their ends ; accordingly, we ﬁnd that several print-
ing houses were erected very early in the city of
Lima, and in several cities of the kingdom of Mex-
ice.”

The religion of the Spaniards has suffered very
little, if any iIIHOVathR; and many of the books-
they have printed in America, are on religious sub-
jects. Cepies of these, together with those of va-
rious histories of the old world, and of the discovery
and settlement of America, which have, from time
to time, issued from the Mexican and Peruvian
presses, are, it is said, preserved in the colleges of
the capital cities in those provinces, tOgeth'er with
many heavy folio volumes in manuscript, respecting
that country, and written there. In this age of rev-
olutions, those, and the other provinces of Spain,
may experience some convulsions of the revo-
lutionary tornado, by which their parent state is
desolated, in common with the other European
kingdoms. The time may not be far distant when

5" Chevillier, a French writer, was library keeper at the
Sorbonne.

1- History and art of Printing. P. 41.

SPANISH AMERICA. 191

a spirit of freedom and a consciousness of their own
strength, may lead the people of the south to follow
the example of their northern neighbors, and estab-
lish their independence ; when that time shall arrive,
strangers, may be permitted to explore their country
Without difﬁculty or restraint.

MEXICO AND PERU.

THE books published both in English and Span-
ish America, till within the last ﬁfty years, were,
principally, on religious subjects. Perhaps those
produced in the British colonies, anterior to the
revolution, exceed, in number, those published in
Mexico and Peru; but, from the best information
I have been enabled to obtain, it appears they were
inferior, in point of magnitude, to the many large
and voluminous labors of the monks, on subjects of
devotion and scholastic theology, that have been
printed in the Spanish part of the continent. Be-
side books on religious and devotional concerns,
many large historical works, a variety of dictiona-
ries, grammars, 8:0. have been produced by the
presses of Spanish America.

Notwithstanding the press in Spanish America
is under severe restrictions, yet the books allowed
to be printed, together with the works necessary
for the purposes of government, have afforded it
much employment; and, from the best information

192 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

I can procure, it appears that the typographical peri
formances, both in Mexico and Peru, have not been.
badly executed.

Gazettes have, for many years, been published
in that country ; some say they were printed before
the end of the seventeenth century ; that they were
so, in the cities of MexiCo and Lima, is not improb-
able. Dr. Robertson, in his history of America,
mentions his being furnished with the “ Gazeta dc
Mexico” for the years 1728, 1729, and 1730, print-
ed in quarto. Having examined the contents, he
observes,* “ The Gazette of Mexico is ﬁlled al-
most entirely with accounts of religious functions,
with descriptions of processions, consecrations of
churches, beatiﬁcations of saints, festivals, autos de
fé, 810. Civil, or commercial affairs, and even the
transactions of Europe, occupy but a small corner
of this monthly magazine of intelligence.” He
mentions, also, that the titles of new books were
regularly inserted in the Gazette; whence it ap-
peared that two thirds of them were treatises on re-
ligion.

As the press is under the absolute control of
government, we might expect to ﬁnd the cata-
logue of Spanish American publications conﬁned
Within narrow limits; but, the fact is, that the
works which treat of religion, history, morals, and
classical books, which, in that country, are permitted
to be printed, are numerous. Even the dictionaries
and grammars, for the use of the various nations of
aborigines in the Mexican provinces only, excite;

"‘ Robertson’s Amer. vol. 3. p. 401. Ed. 7. Land.

SPANISH AMERICA. 1953

our . surprise. Of these the Abbe Clavigeroﬁ the
historian, mentions ﬁve Mexican dictionaries, and
twenty Mexican grammars. Three Otomee dic-
tionaries, and four grammars. Two Tarascan
dictionaries, and three grammars. One Zapotecan
dictionary, and one grammar. One Miztecan gram-
mar. Three Maya dictionaries, and three grammars.
Two Totonacan dictionaries, and two grammars.
One Popolucan dictionary, and one grammar.
One Matlaz incan dictionary, and one grammar.
Two Huaxtecan dictionaries, and two grammars.
One Mixe dictionary, and one grammar. One
Cakciquel dictionary, and one grammar. One Ta.
raumaran dictionary, and two grammars. One Te»-
pehuanan dictionary, and three grammars.

Clavigero also mentions eighty six authors held
in high estimation by the learned; thirty three of
Whom were Creoles, “ who have written on the
doctrines of Christianity, and on Morality, in the
languages ofNe-w Spain.” Their works, and the
dictionaries and grammars before mentioned, were,
unquestionably, printed in the provinces of Mexico ;
and, it is not improbable, that many books, of the
like kind, have been published in the extensive
provinces of Peru, in South America.

Dr. Robertson preﬁxed to the seventh edition of
his history, a list of Spanish books and manuscripts,
which he consulted for that work. I have extract-
ed from his list, the titles of those which were

’r Alearned native of New Spain, who published the his-
tory of ancient Mexico, and the conquest of it, by the Span-
iards, in two large volumes, quarto.

1 2A

194 HISTORY or PRINTING.

printed in Mexico and Lima, and have added to-
them, some others printed in those cities; they all
relate solely to the history and conquest of the coun-
try. Among those of which I have thus collected
the titles, the reader will see that the earliest printed
book is from a Mexican press in 1606. I have
heard of a work, but cannot procure its title, printed
in the capital of New Spain in 1604 ;--there can be
but little doubt that Printing was introduced there
some years before that period.

illexican Editions.

MARTINEZ [Arigo] History of New Spain.
Folio. Printed at Mexico, 1606. In this work,
according to Clavigero, are astronomical and phys.
ical observations, which are of importance to the
geography and natural history of that country.

Cisn‘eros, [Diego] Sitio Naturaleza y Proprie-r
dades de la Ciudad de Mexico. Quarto. Printed
at Mexico, 1618.

Villalobos [Arrias] History of Mexico. Writ‘
ten in verse. Folio. Mexico, 1623.

Casti-llejo, [Chaves Christ.] History of the
Origin of the. Indians, and their ﬁrst Colonies in the
Country of Anahuac. Mexico, 1632.

Gongora [Carlos de Siguenza e, a celebrated
.Mexican, professor of mathematics in the university
of his native country] author of several mathemat-
ical, critical, historical and poetical works ; amongst
them were,

SPANISH AMERICA. 195

The Mexican Cyc10graphy, a work of great
labor, in which, by calculating eclipses and comets,
marked in the ancient historical pictures of the
Mexicans, he adjusted their epochs with those of
Europe ; and, he explained the methods by which
they used to enumerate centuries, years and months.
Folio. And,

The History of the Chechemecan Empire, in
which Gongora explains what he found in ancient
Mexican manuscripts and paintings, concerning the
ﬁrst colonies which passed from Asia to America;
and the occurrences of the most ancient nations CS~
tablished in Anahuac. Folio. '

All the preceding works of Gongora were print—
ed at Mexico, from 1680 to 1693.

Betancourt [Augustino de, a Franciscan of
Mexico] Mexican Theatre, or the Ancient and
Modern History of the Mexican Empire. Folio.
Mexico, 1698.

Arguello [Emam] Centum Confessionis, 12mo.
Mexico, 1703.

Aranzeles Reales de los Ministros de la Real
Audiencia de N. Espagna. Folio. Mexico, 1727.

Beltran [P. F. Pedro] Arte de el Idioma Maya
reducido a sucintas reglas, y Semilexicon. Quarto.
Mexico, 1746.

Villa Segnor y Sanchez [D. Jos. Ant] Theatro
Americano. Descripcion general de los Reynos y
Provincias de la Nueva Espagna. 2 vols. Folio.
Mexico, 1746.

Huemez y Horcasitas [D. Juan Francisco de]
Extracto de los Autos de Diligencias y reconoci-
mientos de los rios, lagunas, verticntes, y desaguas

196 HISTORY or PRINTING.

de Mexico y su valle, 8w. Folio. Mexico, 1748.

Concilios Provinciales Primero y Segundo cel-
ebrados en la muy Noble y muy leal Ciudad de-
Mexico en los Annos de 1555 and 1565. Folio.
Mexico, 1769.

Consilium Mexicanum Provinciale tertium cel-
ebratum Mexici, Amlo 1585. Folio. Mexico,
1770.

Lorenzana [D. Fr. Ant. ] Arzobisco de Mexi.
co, ahora, de Toledo, Historia de Nueva Espagna,
escrita por su Esclarecido Conquistaer Hernan
Cortes, Aumentada con otros Documentos y N otas
Folio. Mexico, 1770.

Eguiara El Egueren [D. Jo. Jos.] Bibliotheca
Mexicana, sive Eruditorum Historia Virorum in
Americ. Boreali natorum, 810. Two volumes.
Folio. Mexico, 1775.

Peruvian Editions.

’ ARRIAco [P. Pablo Jos. de] Extirpacion de la
Idolatria de Peru. Quarto. Printed at Lima, 1621.
Bellesteros [D. Thomas de] Ordenanzas del
Peru. Folio. Two volumes. Lima, 1685. ,

Peralta Barnuevo ED. Pedro de] Lima fundada
.o Conquista del Peru Po'elma Eroyéo. Quarto.
Lima, 1732.

Lima, .Gozosa’s, DescripCion de las festibas De.- -
monstraciones, Conquista ciudad Celebro la real
Proclamacion de el Nombre Augusto del Catolico.
Monarcho D. Carlos III. Quarto. Lima, 1760.

SPANISH AMERICA. 197

Aparicio y Leon [D. Lorenzo dc] Discurso
Historico-Politico del Hospital San Lazaro de Li~
ma. Octavo. Lima, 17 60.

Jesuitas, Colleccion de las applicaciones que se
van haciendo de los Cienes, casas y Coligios que
fueron de la Compagnia de Jesus, expatriados de
estos Reales dominios. Quarto. Two volumes.
Lima, 1772 and 1773.

The foregoing books relate solely to the con-
quest and settlement of the country; copies of
which were not without much difﬁculty procured,
by dr. Robertson, who found it necessary to use the
interest of his friends at the Spanish court. When
We consider that so large a number of valuable
works, on one subject, were published in the cities
of Mexico and Lima only, we are led to suppose that
the whole number, which has been printed on va-
rious other subjects, through the extent of Spanish
America, must be very great; and this considera-
tion strengthens the opinion before expressed, that,
although the works published in that country, from
the time it was ﬁrst Settled, till the year 1775, might
not equal, in number, those produced by the Anglo
American presses, yet,,any deﬁciency of this nature
has been fully supplied by the superior magnitude
of the Spanish performances.

It evidently appears, that the most voluminous
and expensive works were published by the Span-
iards; and this is not altogether strange, as they

, possessed by far the richest part of the country ;
and the settlement of the southern part of the conti-
nent, and of Mexico, commenced a century before
‘ that of the British colonies.

198 ' matron! or PRINTING.

‘ SAINT DOMINGO.

A inm‘rme press ’vvas early introduced into“
- the Spanish pan of this island; probably about the.
beginning of the seventeenth century. It was seli
dom‘ used, ' except for printing the lists and returns,
and other papers for the different branches of the
administration. .
M. dc St. Meryﬁ‘ in his “ Description of the?
Spanish part Of St. Domingo,” informs lis, that
i “ No work's concerning the colonies can be printed
in them, Without the permission of the council of
the Indies, and it is well known that the conncil ie
‘ not over fond of granting such permissions. In the
examination of the vessels “that arrive, strict search
is made after the books proscribed by the inquisi;
‘1 tion; and, as the convent of St.'Lawrence the Royalf
has, in Spain, the exclusive privilege of printing
religious books, the senior auditor IS exclusively
charged with the causes that this privilege may givt‘
rise to in the island. If a work be printed at St.
Domingo,“ twenty c0pies of it“ must be delivered to"
the president, to be sent by him to the council of
the Indies, there to be buried, like every thing else
that is Sent thither. ”

* M. de St. Mary, lived at Cape Francois, previous to the
destruction of it by the blacks. In 1798. he was a bookseller
in Philadelphia, and a member 0f the Philosophical“ Society of
Pennsylvania.

srANrsn AMERICA. 199

In 17 90, the printing house, in the city of St.
Domingo, stood in the Vicinity of the palace of the
president, or governor general, and not far from the
ancient cathedral ; which, with the prisons, and
many ancient private houses, form a square, which
is. used for a market place. The cathedral was be-
gun in 1512, and ﬁnished in 1540; and, in it were
interred the remains of the celebrated Christopher
Columbus, the discoverer of this continent, which
Ought to have borne his name. The cathedral, also,
contains the remains of his brother Bartholomew, or
of Diego, the son of Columbus. The coilins which
contained their bodies were discovered in 1783,
when, in repairing the cathedral, part of a thick wall
was taken down. This fact St. Mery mentions on
good authority ; which is corroborated by the cer-
tiﬁcates of don Joseph Nunez, dean, dignitary of
the holy metropolitan and primatial church of the
Indies, don Manuel Sanchez, canon, dignitary, 8m.
and don Pedro de Galvez, preceptor, canon, digni-
tary of the cathedral church, and primate of the
Indies, These certiﬁcates are dated at Santo Do-
mingo, April 26, 1783. I: f] ‘

There was a printing house at Cape Francois,
on the French part of the island, as I am informed,
long before that town was destroyed by the negroes
when they revolted.

200 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

- CUBA.

_ THI s island was discovered by Columbus in
1492. He gave it the name of Ferdinando, but it
soon after reeovered its ancient name of Cuba. a

A preSs, it' is said, V was established in this
island many years ago; but it was intended merely
for the use of the govemment.

PORTUGUESE AMERICA.

PRINTING has been long practised in the
Portuguese settlements ; but, ‘I believe, the press
has been kept almost solely for the use of the gov-
ernment. If . any literary productions were eVer
issued from it, I am unacquainted with them.

As there is an intercourse betWee'n the United
States and Brazil, we may hope to obtain, at no dis-
tant period, the history of printing in this part of
South America.

Brazil is an extensive, opulent, and rich country,
divided, according to geographers, into about twenty
provinces, which contain diamond, gold and silver
mines. The number of , inhabitants is estimated at
2,500,000, whereof one half are the descendants
of the original possessors of the country ; about
700,000 are slaves imported from Africa, 10,000 of
Whom are employed in the diamond mines; and,
the remainder are native and European Portuguese.
St. Salvador, and St. Sebastian, or Rio Janeiro, are
the principal cities; the latter, sir George Staun-
lton informs us, contains 43,000 inhabitants—40,000

‘1 2: B "

£202 ‘ HISTORY or PRINTING;

of these are slaves and people of color—~the royal
court of Brazil is held at this place,* now become
the residence of the king and royal family, Who lately
ﬂed from Portugal on the invasion of that country
by the emperor of the French. Thus one king of
a civilized; people, has been; introduced on this con-
tinent. HOW soon one, or more, may be placed at
the head of the government, or governments, of the,
Spanish provinces in South and in North America,
is as yet unknown; but the-time does not appear to
be far remote, when such an event may take place.

L * In 1792,, according to sir George Staunton’s account,
there were but tWo booksellers in Rio Janeiro, and they sold
books on the subjects of divinity and medicine only.

ENGLISH AMERICA.

NOW THE

UNITED S TA TES.

III—ﬂex. ”—-

Introduction of the Art.

THE early part of the history of the United
States, 18 not, like that of most other nations, blend-
ed with fable. Many of the ﬁrst European settlers
of this country were men of letters , they made
. records of events as they passed, and they, from the
ﬁrSt, adopted effectual methods to transmit the
knowledge of them to their posterity. The rise
and progress of English America, therefore, from
its colonization to the period at which it took a
name and place among sovereign and independent-
nations, may be traced with the clearness and cer—
tainty of authentic histdry.

That art, which Is the preserver of all arts, is
worthy cf the attention of the learned and the curi—
ous. An account of the ﬁrst printing executed 1n
the English colonies of America, combines many

204 HISTORY or rnmrrNe.

of the important transactions of the settlement, as
well as many incidents interesting in the revolutions
of nations ; and, exhibits the pious and charitable ef-
forts of our ancestors, in Newengland, to translate the
sacred Books into .a language, which at this short
distance of time is, probably, not understood by an
individual of the human race, and for the use of a
nation* which is now extinct. Such is the ﬂuctua.
tion of human affairs!

The particulars respecting the Printing and
Printers of this country, it is presumed, will gratify
professional men; and, a general history of this na-
ture will certainly preserve many important facts
which, in a few years, would be irrecoverably lost.

Among the ﬁrst settlers of Newengland were
many pious as well as learned men. They emi-
grated from a country where the press had more
license than 1n other parts of Europe, and they were
acquainted with the usefulness of it. As soon as
they had made those provisions that were neces-
sary for'their existence in this land, which was then
a rude wilderness, their next objects were, the 65-.~
tablishment of schools, and a printing press; the
latter of which was not tolerated, till many years
afterward, by the elder colony of Virginia.

‘ The founders of the colony of Massachusettsl~
consisted 'of but a small number of persons, who

‘ The aborigines of the country.

tThe reader will perceive that I am \ here speaking of
Massachusetts proper, not of the colony of Plymouth, where a
settlement was made in the year 1620. That colony has, how‘
Wer, long since been incorporated into that of Massachusetts,

vnxrsn STATES. ‘ 205

- arrived at Salem in 1628. ' A feW‘more joined them
in 1629'; and governor Winthrop, with the addi-
tion. of fifteen hundred settlers, arrived in 1630.
These last landed at the place since called Charles-
town, opposite to Boston, where they pitched their
tents, and built a few huts for shelter. In 1631,
they began to settle Cambridge, four miles from
the place where they landed. They also began a
(settlement on the identical spot where Boston now
Stands. In 1638, they built an academy at Cam-
bridge, which in process of time was increased to a
college; and, the same year, they opened a printing
house in that place. In January, 1639, Printing
Was ﬁrst performed in that part of North America,
which extends from the gulph of Mexico to the
frozen ocean“

For this press our country is chieﬂy indebted
to the rev. mr. Glover, a nonconformist minister,
who possessed a'considerable estate, and had left his,
native country with a determination to settle among '
his friends, who had emigrated to Massachusetts ; ,
because in this Wilderness, he could freely enjoy,
with them, those Opinions which were not counte-
nanced by the government and a majority of the
people in England.

Very little more than the name of this Father of
the American Press is known among 115.30 far
as my researches have extended, I can only ﬁnd that
his name has been barely mentioned by two re.
Spectable journalists} who were among the ﬁrst
settlers that emigrated here. This was, probably,

* Governor Winthrop, and captain Johnson.

206 ' Hrsrronv or PRINTING.

owing to his having died on his passage to MaSsa-
, chusetts. By searching the ancient records of the
college, 8m. at Cambridge, Massachusetts, I have
been enabled to collect the few particulars respect.
ing him which I shall mention in course. '

Another press, with types, and another printer,
were, in 1660, sent over from England by the cor-
poration for pr0pagating the gospel, among the In-
dians, in Newengland. This press, 8m. was de-
signed solely for the purpose of printing the Bible,
and other books,‘in the Indian language. ' On their
arrival they were carried to Cambridge, and em-
ployed in the printing house already established in
that place. .

Notwithstanding Printing continued to be per-
formed in Cambridge, from a variety. of causes it
happened, that many original works were sent from
Newengland, Massachusetts in particular, to Lon-
don, to be printed. Among these causes the prim.-
cipal were—o-ﬁrst, the press at Cambridge had, gen-
erally, full employment; secondly, the Printing
done there was executed in an inferior style ; and,
thirdly, many works on controverted points of relig-
ion, were not allowed to be printed in this country.
Hence it happened that for more than eighty years
after Printing was ﬁrst practised in the colony, man-
uscripts were occasionally sent to England for pub-
lication.

The fathers of Massachusetts kept a watchful
eye on the press ; and, in neither a religious or civil
point of view, were they disposed to give it much
liberty. Both the civil and ecclesiastical rulers were
fearful that if it was not under wholesome restraints,

UNITED STATES. 207

‘ contentions and heresies would arise among the
people- In 1662', the government of Massachusetts
appointed licensers of the press; 5" and afterward,
in 1664, passed a law that “ no printing should be
allowed 1n any town within the jurisdiction, except
in . Cambridge”—-—nor should any thing be printed
there but what the government permitted through
the agency of those persons who were empowered
for the purpose. Offenders against this regulation
were to forfeit their presses to the country, and to
be disfranchised of the privilege of printing thereaf-
terd‘ In a short time, this law was so far repealed,
as to permit the use of a press at. Boston, and a per-
son was authorized to conduct it ; subject, however,
to the licensers who were appointed for the purpose
of inspecting it. 4
It does not appear that the press, in Massachu-
setts, was free from legal restraints till, about the
year 1755. Holyoke’s Almanack, for 1715,1has,
in the title page, “ Imprimatur, J. Dudley.” A
.‘pamphlet, printed in Boston, on the subject of
" building market houses in that town, has the addi-
tion of, “ Imprimatur, Samuel Shute, Boston, Feb.
19, '17 19.”:[: James Franklin, in 1723, was ordered

f Gen. Daniel Gookin, and the rev. mr. Mitchel, of Cam-
bridge, were the ﬁrst appointed licensers of the press in this
country.

1' See this stated more at length in the account given of
Samuel Green, printer at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

5; There was no market house in Boston till 1734. On the
20th of April, in that year, the town, after manyyears contest-

208 ins-roar or rnmrmc.

by the government, not to publish ‘f .The New.
England Courant,” Without previously submitting
its contents to the secretary of the province ; and,
Daniel F iowleil" was imprisoned by the house of
representatives, in 17 54, barely on suspicion of his
having printed a pamphlet, said to contain reﬂections
on some members of the general court.

For several years preceding the year 1730, the
government of ~Massachusetts had been less rigid
than formerly ; and, after that period, I do not ﬁnd
that any ofﬁcer is mentioned as having a particular
control over the press. For a long time, however,
the press appeared to be under greater restrictions
here than in England; that is, till toward the close
of the seventeenth century.

In the course of this work it will appear, that the
pr‘ésses established in other colonies were not en-
tirely free from restraint.

In Virginia the ﬁrst press was not introduced
till about the year 17 27. The rulers in that colony,
in the seventeenth century, judged it best not to
permit public schools, nor to allow the use of the

ing the question, voted to build three houses of wood; one at
the south part of the town, near the Great Elms ; another on
the Old North square; the other, in a more central situation,
near the Town Dock, where Faneuil Hall now stands. T be,
three frames were erected the month following ; and the
sales, at the Town Dock market, commenced the 25th of the
same month. In the course of two or three years, two of the
market houses were sold by order of the town, for other uses ,
and the third was destroyed by “ the people. ”

* See Franklin, and Fowle.

' "UNITED STATES. v 209

press.ale ’ And thus, by keeping the people in ignoe-
.rance, they thought to render them more obedient
to the laws; prevent them from libelling the gov-
emment, and to impede the growth of heresy, 8m. '

REMARKS.

TH E press had become free some years previous
.to the commencement of the. revolution ; but it
continued for a long time duly to discriminate be-
tween liberty and licentiousness. This freedom of
the press was the ﬁrst, and one of the greatest agents
in producing our national independence. The press
'appears to be now under no particular restraints,
and no one can wish the liberty of it to be greater.

Except in Massachusetts, no presses were set
up in the colonies till near the close of the sevenT
teenth century. Printing then was performed in
Pennsylvania, “ near Philadelphia,” and afterward
in that city, by the same press, which, in a few years
subsequent, was removed to Newyork. In 1709,
a press was established at Newlondon, in Connecti-
out; and, from this period, it was gradually intro-
duced into the other colonies ;. as well as into sev-
eral of the Westindia islands, belonging to Great
Britain. ,

Till the year 1760, it appears that more books
were printed in Massachusetts, annually, than in any
of the other colonies; and, before 17 40, more print. -

* Chalmer’s Annal. Vol 1. p. 32, and 345.
I 2 C

210 HISTORY or PRINTING.

ing was done there than in all the other colonies.
After 1 760, the quantum of printing done in Boston
and Philadelphia was nearly equal, till the commence-
ment of the war. N-ewyork produced s0me octave
and duodecimo volumes.——-The presses of Connec-
ticut were not ‘idle ; they furnished many pam-
phlets on various subjects, and some small volumes. ,
Some books were handsomely printed in Virginia
and Maryland; and folio volumes of laws, and a *
few octavos and duodecimos, on religion, history
and politics, issued from the presses of Carolina;
Rhodeisland, Newhampshire, Ste.

Before 1775, printing was conﬁned to the cap» -
itals of the colonies ; but the war occasioned the dis—
persion of presses, and many were set up in towns
that were remote. After the establishment of our im-
dependence, by the peace of 1783, presses multiplied
very fast, not only in seaports, but in all the princi-
pal inland towns and villages ; and, it may now be
said, that in the United States there are more presses
employed than in any other part of the globe, con-e
taining the same number of inhabitants. The mat ‘
jor part of these presses is used in printing news-
papers; but newspapers form not the only branch
of printing which has increased. Bibles of all the _
various sizes, Dictionaries in English and Latin),
Greek Lexicons—v—most of the Greek and Latin '
classics, which are used in the country, numerous
original works, as well as the republication of Va ,
rious European books of history, divinity, law, f
physic, philosophy, 82c. in volumes of various mag. .
nitudes, now ﬁnd their way through the presses of
the United States. a

ummn swans. ‘ 211

Papermaking.

IN the beginning of this work, When treating of
paper, I took notice of the various descriptions of 1t,
made by the Chinese, Japanese, E gyptians, and the
Europeans. I will now give a brief account of the
paper made by the natives of America, before this
country was known to the nations of the old world.

The ancient ‘Mexicans made great use of paper.
They manufactured it from the leaves of a genus of
the aloe, or the palm z'cxotl, and from the thin bark
of other trees, by a process not now known. '1 hey
formed it into sheets of various dimensions and
thicknesses, so as to answer sundry purposes , some
of the sheets were similar, in thickness, to the thin
pasteboard, and press paper for Clothiers, manufac-
tured in Europe ; and some were thinner, but softer,
smoother, and easy to write on. The sheets were
generally made very long, and were polished suita-
bly for the use to which they were intended to be
applied. For preservation they were made up into
rolls, or folded in the manner of bed skreens, and
thus formed into books. Clavigero, who saw and.
handled several sheets which are now preserved 1n
Mexico, informs us, that on this kind of paper the
ancient Mexicans painted, in beautiful and perina-
ment colors, the representations of their gods, their
kings, their heroes, their animals, their plants, and
whatever objects their fancy dictated, or circum-

212 , msronr or PRINTING.

stances might require. On paper they delineated, ;_
in hieroglyphics, painted with colors which were ap- .
propriated to the subject—“ the symbols of their re-

ligion, accounts of. remarkable events, their laws, ;
their rites, their customs, their taxes or tributes.——-»
Some of these paintings on paper were chronologic-

al, astronOmical, or'astrological, in which were rep-

resented their calendar, the position of the stars,

eclipses, changes of the moon, prognostications of
the variations of the weather—this kind of painting

was called, by them, tonalamatl.——Other paintings

were topographical, or chorographica], which served

not only to shew the extent and boundaries of posQ
sessions, but, likewise, the situation of places; the

direction of the coasts,- ‘and course of the riversﬁlé~

The Mexican empire abounded with all these kinds ‘
of paintings on paper, for their painters were innu-

merable, "and there was hardly any thing left un-

painted. If those had been preserved, there would
have been nothing wanting to explain the history of
Mexico ; but, after the conquest of the country by

the Spaniards, the ﬁrst preachers of the gospel, sus-

picious that superstition was mixed with all these
paintings, made a furious destruction of them.”t

* Cortes says, in his ﬁrst letter to Charles V, of Spain, that:
having made inquiry if‘ there was any safe harbor for vessels in f;
the Mexican gulf, Montezuma, the Mexican king, presented
him with a painting of the whole coast, from the port of Chal-
- chiuhcuecan, where at present Vera Cruz lies, to the river I,
Coatzacualco. This account is conﬁrmed by Berna] Dia‘z. I

’r Clavigero’s Hist. Mex.

UNITED 'sraras. _ . . 213

Paper similar to that of Mexico, it is said, was
made 1n Peru. _

Whether the European method of makmg paper
has ever been introduced into Spanish America, ,I
am not competent to say , but, in some of the Eng;
. lish colonies, making paper from rags of Cotton and
of linen, has long been practised. --

Papermms were erected in Pennsylvania many
years before the revolution- There were several in
, Newengland, and two or three 1n Newyork.

About the year 1730, an enterprising booksel-
ler in Boston,* having petitioned for, and received
Some- aid from the legislature of Massachusetts,
erected a paper mill, which was the ﬁrst set up in. ’
that colony. SinCe 1775, paper mills have in-'
creased rapidly, and paper is now, I believe, manu.
factured 1n all parts of the union.1‘

Type Foundries.

A FOUNDRY, principally for Gothic, or German
types, was established at Germantown, Pennsy_lva-- 1
nia,’ several- years before the revolution; bilt that
foundry was chieﬂy employed for its oWner, Chris-'
topher Sower, who printed the Bible, and several“
other valuable Works, in the German language. .

* Daniel Henchman. He produced, 1n 1731, to the gen-
eral court, a sample of paper made at his mill.

1' The paper On which this work is printed, was manufac-u .
tured 1n Worcester, at a mill built some years since, which
has been for some time past owned by Elijah Burbank.

214, Hrsronr or PRINTING.

Some attempts were made about 17 68, to estab-
lish foundries for types—one at Boston by mr.
Mitchelson, from Seotland; another in Connecticut
by a mr. Buel; but they were unsuccessful. In
17 7 5, dr. Franklin brought from Europe to Philau
delphia, the materials for a foundry; but little use ,
was made of them.

Soon after the close of the revolutionary war,
John Baine, type founder, of Edinburgh, sent the
materials for a foundry to this country, by a kins-
man, I believe his grandson, who settled at Phila-
delphia. Baine came over himself, soon after; and
they were the ﬁrst who regularly carried on the
business of type founders in the United States.
They were good workmen, and had full employ-
ment. The types for the Encyclopedia, twenty
one volumes quarto, printed some years since
by Dobson, at Philadelphia, were cast at their
foundry. Baine died in August, 1790, aged 77.
He must have been 70 years of age when he ar-
rived at Philadelphia. His kinsman returned to
Scotland.

. "At the commencement of the late commotions in
Holland, an ingenious type founder, from that coun-
try, cattle and settled. at Newfork. His formdry Was
calculated, principally, for Dutch and German types,
the casts of which were handsome. ‘ The faces of
his English letter were very ordinary. He was a
Dutch patriot, who had lost most of his property,
and was obliged to ﬂy from his country. His want
of funds disabled him from carrying on the business
here with success.

unrrnn s-Tans. , -215'

At this time we have three or more type found»-
tics in the United States. The types from which.
this work is printed, were manufactured by Bmey
md Ronaldson, at Philadelphia.

ﬂStereotggeﬂr mtm :gS—i/

ABOUT the year 1775, an attempt at stereotype
printing was made by Benjamin Mecom, printer,
nephew of doctor Franklin. He cast the plates for
a number of pages of the New Testament; but
never completed them. I shall have occasion to
mention Mecom, in the course of this work, several
-- times. He was skilful, but not successful.

The ingenious Jacob Perkins, of Newburyport, a
Massachusetts, has lately invented a new kind of
stereotype, for Impressing capper and other plates.
From plates so impressed, most of the bank bills of
‘Massachusetts and Newhampshire, are printed at

rolling presses, and are called stereotype bills.

I

 

f"'\, /me//\,

I HAVE already observed, that man, in his pri-
meval state, discovered a prepensity to represent,
‘ by ﬁgures, on various substances, the animated
Work of his Creator. .

From sketching, painting, or engraving these \
, images, or representations on the surface of those
. substances, he proceeded to the business of the

216 HIS-TORY or . PRINTING.

sculptor or statuary, and produced all the features
and pr0portions of men, and the other various des—
criptions of the animal creation, in wood and stone.

The invention of hieroglyphics has been genera
ally attributed to the, priests of ancient Egypt, who
made use of them, to convey the knowledge they
possessed of the mysteries of nature, and the secrets
of their morality and history, to their successors in
the priesthood, without discovering them to the
vulgar; but dr. Warburton, who appears to have
been well acquainted With the subject of hiero.
glyphic engravings, although his knowledge of coins
and medals was questioned by Pinkerton, has, with
great ingenuity, shewn, that hieroglyphics were not
the invention of Egyptian priests. alt—He remarks,
that “ the general concurrence of different nations in
this method of recording their thoughts, can never
be supposed to be the effect of imitation, sinister
views, or chance; but must be considered as the
uniform voice of nature, speaking to the rude con-
ceptions of mankind; for, not only the Chinese of
the east, the Americans of the west, the Egyptians
of the' south, but the Scythians, likewise, of the
north, and the intermediate inhabitants of the earth,
viz. the Phenicians, the EthiOpians, the natives of:
India, 8w. used the same methods of hieroglyphic
and picture.”

At this day the American continent is not desa‘
titute of vestiges of ancient engraving. Long before
the discovery of America by Columbus, we are told:-
that the Mexicans made coined money of tin and;

6* See Warburton’s works.

UNITED STATES. 217

copper, which was Stamped by the authbrity of their
sovereigns and feudal lordsﬁ'e They were acquaint-
ed with the arts of sculpture and engraving; and,
Francois Corréal says, that the ornaments of the
doors of- the temple of the sun, in Peru,- were formed
of jasper and granite, and were sculptured in birds,
quadrupeds, and animals of imaginary being, such
as the Sphinx, 8m. and in the most exquisite mana-
ner. Don Ulloa gives an account of vases dug up
in South America, which have ﬁgures designed
upon them, completely in the Etruscan'taste ;. form‘
ed of earth, or composition, which, like the ,- old
Etruscan, is now no where to be found. Theywere ‘
red, black, and extremely light, and sometimes had
the ﬁgures in relief. What is very remarkable is,
that, like the Etruscan vases, they have been dis-
covered 1n no other places than sepulchres.

The Mexicans had learned to express ,, in their
statues, “ all the attitudes and postures of which the
human body 13 capable; they observed the propor-
tions exactly, and could, when necessary, execute
the most delicate and minute strokes,” with their
chisels of ﬂint, or of hardened copperqL They ex-
celled in the art of founding and casting, with the
precious metals, the most perfect images of natural
bodies. They were expert lapidaries, and knew
how to form gems into such shapes and ﬁgures as
fancy dictated, and to ﬁnish them with an exqui-
site polish. Among their precious stones were
the emerald, amethyst, carnelian, turquoise, and
others which were unknown in Europe. They set

. * Clavigero’s Hist. Mex. 1 Ibid.
I 2 D

”2'18 . rus‘ronr or pamrmc.

these stones in . gold, and in silver, wrought in" a
very skilful manner, and, rendered of great value.
‘Condamine and Clavigero were both astonished at
‘ the industry , and patience with which they must
have» worked in marble. They were workmen in
linen and cloth of various descriptions, as well
as ' painters and engravers. The specimens of
their art, which were carried to Europe by Cortes,
and others who visited the country, were found to
be nearly inimitable, by the most expert artists of
the old world. Their copper instruments and weap-
ons they hardened to a temper which was equal to
that of steel, an art which the Greeks and Romans
possessed to the time of the taking of Constanti
nople, by Mahomet II, when, with the knowledge ‘
of the Greek ﬁre, it sunk into oblivion.

3 The United States have produced several ves~
tiges of engraving, by the rude hands of the aborig.
ines. . I have a prospect of obtaining particular ac.
counts of Some of them; which, should I be so 1
fortunate as to procure, I will take notice of them in
an appendix.

, Thus we ﬁnd that there is hardly any inhabited '
part of the world, which did not, before it became
civilized, produce some specimens of engraving.
The modern European art of engraving, was not \
greatly encouraged in America before the revolu. ‘
tion, and the artists did not appear to possess ﬁrst
rate abilities. They were unskilful; but the in-
crease of printing having made business for the
engraver, and created a necessity for artists in tim
line, it has now arrived at nearly as great perfection

in the United States, as in Europe. Engraving on

UNITED .srams. ;, - -. 219

type metal, and occasionally on brass, in rélief, for
letterpress printing, has been practised for many
years in the United States; and, is often as well ex-‘
ecuted as are wooden cuts, for the like purpose,
on the other side of the Atlantic.

Printing Presses.

T1111 printing presses made use of in' the Eng,
*lish colonies, before the revolution, were, generally,
imported from England, but some were manufac-
tured 1n the country.

Since 1775, good presses have been made 1n
many of the capital towns in the United States, par-
ticularly in Philadelphia, and in Hartford, Connecti-
cut. Some of these presses underwent several par;
tial alterations 1n their machinery, but no essential
change 1n the construction was made from the com-
mon English printing press. A few have been con- ,
trived to perform the operation of printing in a dif-
ferent manner from that press, but these were not
found to be useful.

' Some years since doctor Kinsley, of Connec-
ticut who possessed great mechanical ingenuity,
produced, among other inventions, a model of a
sylindrical letter press. It was a subject of much
conversation among printers, but was never brought
into use. The invention, however, did not orig-
111ate with Kinsley. Cylindrical letter presses
Were invented“ 1n 1789, by William Nicholson, of
London, who obtained a patent for them 1n 179.0

220 HISTORY or rnrurmc.

Kinsley’s* model was from Nicholson’s plan, with
some. variation. Nicholson placed his forms of
types horizontally; Kinsley placed his perpendic-
ularly; his method was not Calculated for neat
printing. Nicholson’s presses were used, and, it is
said, made excellent work. These presses require
but one person to work them, who is able to per—
form as much or more work in a. day than two at
common presses. The workman applies a sheet of
paper to the form, turns the cylinder by a handle,
the Impression is made, and, he has nothing more
to do than to take off the printed sheet, and put on
anOther white one, thus continuing to print. The
form is blacked by the revolution of rollers, properly
prepared for the purpose.

For a deScription of these presses, see appendix
and the plate, both of which are copied from the

supplement of the Encyclopedia, vol. 3. ‘

Rolling Presses.

. THE rolling press, as it is called, by copperplate
printers, was not used in England, till the reign of
king James I. It was carried from Antwerp to
England, by one Speed. I cannot determine when;
it was ﬁrst brought into English America, butI
believe about the beginning of the eighteenth cen-
tury, ~ '

9“ Dr. Kinsley was a native of Massachusetts, but settled 1n ‘

Connecticut. He invented a machine for making pins, and an-
other for preparing clay and moulding bricks, 8m.

MASSACHUSETTS.

SO far as relates to the introduction of the art'
of Printing, and establishing the press in” this sec-
tiOn of the continent, Massachusetts claims prece-
dencer'over all the other colonies. The press was
erected here in the autumn of 1638 ; and, it was
more than forty years before printing commenced. in
any other part of what, before the revolution, was
called British America.’ ,

, Hitherto justice has not been done to the man, --
by whose agency the art was ﬁrst introduced into
the English colonies. Although he was one of the
best, and ﬁrmest ' friends to Newengland, his name
has not been handed down to us with so much pub-
licity as were thoSe 0f other distinguished charac-
ters, who were his contemporaries, and fellow labor-
ers, in the great work of settling a dreary country,
and civilizing the native children of the wilderness.
' The principal cause of this seeming neglect in our
lﬁstorians and biographers may, perhaps, arise from
this circumstance, that his destiny was similar to
that of Moses, who, although zealously engaged in

222 HISTORY or PRINTING.

conducting the Children of Israel from Egypt to
Canaan, yet never reached the land of promise, but
--ﬁnished his pilgrimage in the mountain of Nebo.

As this patron 'of the Anglo American press
died on his passage from Europe to this country,
he, of course, did not become so well known, as he
would have been, had he arriVed and resided here.
-—--This circumstance, probably, prevented his ac-
quiring that celebrity to which his merits justly
' entitled him. Although his name is barely men«
tioned by two or three journalists, yet, after a dilii-
gent research, I have been enabled to obtain the fol-
lowing, particulars respecting this venerable Father
of the American Press.

REV. JESSE GLOVER.*

Mr. GLoveR was a worthy and: wealthy dist
senting’ clergyman in England, who engaged in the
business of the settlement of Massachusetts, and
had been attentively pursuing such measures for its
interest and prosperity as he judged would best tend
to promote them. Among other things for the ben-
eﬁt of the infant colony, he was very desirous of

“ His christian name has been variously spelled in the an-
cient records. In those of Harvard college it is abbreviated
Jose. In the records of the county court, it is in some places.
written Jesse, in Others Jesse. In all probability the latter is
‘ his right name. The author of Wonder-Working Providence
wmte it Joe. which in past times was the abbreviated name of
Jacelez. : i

, UNITED 31.1111 3. 223

. establishing a press to accommodate the business
both. [of church and state ;* he contributed liberally
towards a sum sufﬁcient to purchase printing mate-
rials,‘ and for this purpose solicited, in ' England?
and. Holland, the aid of others.

The ancient records of Harvard college mention,
that “ Mr. Joss. Glover gave to the College a font -
of Printing Letters, and some gentlemen 01' Am-

sterdam gave towards furnishing of a Printing ..
Press with letters fortymine pounds and something ‘
more.”i The same records give us, also, the follow-

,ing names as “Benefactors to the ﬁrst ﬂ'onts of Let-
ters for printing in Cambridge, in New England,

'. * Wonder-Working Providence of Sion’s Saviour in New»
r-r England. Lond. ed. 4to. p. 129 ; avery scarce book; it is a
'“ History of New-England from the English planting in the
iyeere 1628 until the yeere 1652.” It was written by major
é’EdWard Johnson, who was one of the ﬁrst settlers of Woburn,
{a very judicious and active man in the settlement of the col.
bony; he was a member of the general court, and employed in
several important concerns of the government. He was ﬁather
hf the hon. William Johnson, who was chosen assistant in
1684 .—-Johnson bears testimony to the worth of mr. Glover, '
and speaks of his exertions to promote the interest of the ma
fant colony. He mentions him, as “ being able 1n person and,
Estate for the work 1n which he was engaged; ” and “ for fur-
Eher compleating the Colonies 1n Church and Common-wealth-
work, he provided [in 1638] a Printer, whiCh hath been very
usefull In many respects.”

-1 Governor Winthrop mentions that “ a printing house
was begun at Cambridge, at the charge of Mr. Glover. ”
Scehis Journal,p. 17!.

“ 3 Ancient records of Harvardcollege. Vol.1 and 3, inMS.

224 ' 11131011? or . PRINTING.

Major Thomas Clark, Capt. James Oliver, Capt.
Allen, Mr. Stoddard, Mr. Freake, and Mr. Hues.”

In the year 1638, mr. Glover, having obtained
the means, procured a good printing apparatus, and
engaged a printer to accompany it in a ship bound
to N ewengland Mr. GlOver, with his family, em-
barked m the same vessel; but unfortunately he did
not live to reach the shores of this new worldﬁle
His widow and children, it is supposed, arrived in
the autumn of that year, and settled at Cambridge;
she afterwards became the wife of mr. Henry Dun-
ster, who was elected the ﬁrst president of Harvard
college.

It is not known, whether mr. Glover had been
in Newe11gland previous to his embarking for this
country in 1638; but I ﬁnd by the records of the
county of Middlesex, that he posseSSed a valuable"
real and personal estate in MassaChusetts; that he
had two sons and three daughters; that John Glovy
er, One of the sons, was educated at Harvard 001-.
lege, and graduated in 1650, and was appointed a
magiStrate in 1652; that one of the daughters was’

’ {In the same ship in which mr. Glover embarked £013:
, Newmgl'and, came passenger the rev. Ezekiel Regers, who,
With a number of emigrants, about sixty" families, from Eng;
land, settled at Rowley , and mr. Rogers was chosen and or-
dained their minister. These people were the ﬁrst settlers of
, that town ; they soon erected a number of houses, and were.
the ﬁrst who manufactured woollen cloth 1n this part of Amer-
ica; many of them having followed the business 1n its various
branches 1n England. They built a fulling mill, and employed
their children 111 spinning cotton, 81c. [Wond. Work. Prov.

p. 130. . ,

umnn STAITESt "295

5-de to mr. Adam Winthrop, and another to
:mr. Appleton.

Mr Glover had doubtless been written to and
-'-requested by his friends—among Whom were the
:leading men in the new settlement of Massachu-
setts, Who were then establishing an academy, which
soon acquired-the appellation of college-40 provide
.a press, 8m. not only for theadvantage of the church
:and state, but particularly for the beneﬁt of the
academy; the records of which prove that the types
and press were procured for, and, the types partic-
ularly, were the prOperty of, that institution. The
press, as appears by the records of the county court
of Middlesex, 1656, was the property of Mr. Glov-
:er’ s heirs. Mr. Glover, it should seem, intended to
have carried our-both printing and bookselling ; for,—
beside the printing materials, he had provided a
Stock of printing paper, and a quantity of books for
sale.

John Glover, one of the sons of Jesse Glover,
after the death of his mother, brought an action,in
the court above mentioned, against his father in law
5Dunster, for the recovery of the estate which'had'
belonged to his father and mother, and which was
detained by Dunster. ‘An inventory of the estate
was ﬁled in court; among the items were the print-
ing press, printing paper, and a quantity of books;
{,I‘he inventory proves that __ the press, then the, only
iene in the country, was the property of the plaintiff
in the action; and, it is shewn by the said inventory,
“and by the records of ‘ the general court, that Dun-
i'ster had had the management of. the press, in right

I 2. E ' ‘

225 His-irony: so: rnmrmc.

of his Wife, and as president of? the college; and, that ‘
he had received the “ proﬁts of it.” As it may amuse
those who feel an interest in Whatever concerns the

ﬁrst press, and the person by Whose agency the r-arti
of Printing was introduced into the colonies, and as

others may be gratiﬁed by the perusal of the pared

ceedings 1n, and decision of, one of the courts of
justice holden m the primitive state of the country,

I have extracted them, verbatim ct literatim, from 1
the records, and added them with the inventory
beforementioned in note [3‘]

CAM-81811) GE .

Tm: printing apparatus, as has been related,
was, in the year 1638, brought to Cambridge, then ‘
as much' settled as Boston 9* both places being
founded in a situation which eight years before this
event, was in scriptural language, a howling Wilder- l
ness——-at ”Cambridge the building of an academy
was begun , and, it was at that place the rulers ‘
both of church and state then held their assent-a; :
blies. These circumstances, probably, induced

 

                                             

ﬁx the press there, and, there it remained for Sixty

* Boston and Cambridge are separated by Charles river
Cambridge Was ﬁrst intended as the capital of the colony , two
years after the settlement began, a preference Was given to

Boston. : ‘

UNITED 912A us. 2527

years, altOgether under their control; as were other
presses afterward established in the colony; but,
for upwards of thirty years, Printing was exclu-
siVEIyi carried on in that town.

STEPHEN DAYE.

DAYE was the ﬁrst who printed in thispart of
America. He was the person whom mr. Glov-
er engaged, to come to Newengland, and conduct
the press. He was supposed to be a descendant of
John Daye, a very eminent printer, in London, from
I560 till 1583, but this cannot be accurately ascer-
mined. He was, howeVer, born in LondOn, and
there served his apprenticeship to a printer.

Daye haw mg, by the direction of the magistrates
and elders, erected the press and prepared the other
parts of the apparatu s, began business In the ﬁrst
month of 1639 * ”

The ﬁrst work which issued from the press was
The -Freeman’s Oat/z ;——-to which shcceeded, An
Almana ck.

However eminent Daye’ s predecessors, as
printers, might have been, it does not appear
that he was well skilled in the art; it is probable
he was bred to the press; his work discovers
but little of that knowledge which is requisite for
a compositor.

* Winthrop’s Journal, p. 171.

228. Hrsronv or rnmrmc.

In the ancient 'manuscript records of the colony,
are several particulars respecting Daye‘; the ﬁrst 15
as follows.

“ Att a General Court held at Boston on the

Eighth Day of the Eighth moneth [October] 1641.
Steeven Day being the ﬁrst that sett vpon print-
ing, is graunted three hundred acres of land, where
it may be convenient without prejudice to any
town.”

1 In 1642, he owned several lots of land “ in the
bounds of Cambridge.” He mortgaged one of
those lots as security for the payment of a cow, calf,
and a heifer; whence, we may conclude, he was
not in very afﬂuent circumstances.*

.- * A simple memorandum of the fact, made in the book
of records, was then judged suﬁicient, without recong a
. formal mortgage; this appears by the ﬁrst book of records
kept 1n the colony, now in the registry of deeds of the county
of Suffolk, Massachusetts, from which the following are ex-
tracted, viz. '

“ Steven Day of Cambridge graunted vnto John Whyte
twenty Seaven Acres of land laying 1n the Bounds of Cambridg
for the payment of a cows and a calf- and a two yeares old
heiffer. ” Dated the 25th of the 5th month, 1642.

i “ Steeven Day of Cambridg graunted vnto Nicholaus Da-v
vidson of Meadford, all his lands on the south side of Charles
River, being aboute one hundred Acres in Cambridg bounds,
for surety of payment of sixty pounds,'with sundry provisions."
Dated the 25th of the 5th month, 1642.

9‘ Steeven Day of Cambridg bound over to Thomas Crosby,
ﬁre lots of land in the new ﬁeld beyond the water in Cambridg,
number 24, 25, 26, 27, and 29th, in all sixety Acres, for the
payment of ﬁftey seaven pounds, With liberty to take 01? all
wood and timber,” are. Dated 16th of 2d month, 1643.

UNITED STATES. ' ‘ 229

In 1643, Daye, fOr some offence, .was by order
of the general court taken into custody; this crime
does not appear on record; the court “ ordered,
that Steven Day shall be released, giving 1001. Bond
for appearance when called for.”

‘ Daye continued to print till about the close of
of the year 1648, or. the beginning of 1649; at
which time the printing house was put under the
management of Samuel Green. Whether the re.
signation of the ofﬁce of manager of the printing
house, was, or was not, voluntary in Daye, cannot
be ascertained. Neither the press, nor the types,
belonged to him; he had been employed only as
the, master workman; his wages were undoubtedly:
low; and, it evidently appears, he was embarrassed»
with debts. His industry and economy might not
be suited to the state of his ﬁnances; circumstances
like these might cause mr. Dunster, who it seems
then conducted the printing business, to be dissatis—'
tied, and induce him to place the printing house in
other hands , or, it was possible, that Daye, ﬁnd-
ing himself and the press under a control he was
unwilling to be subjected to, lesigned his station.

Daye remained 1n Cambridge; and, some yea1s
after he had ceased to be master workman in the
printing house, brought an action against presi-
{dent Dunster, to recover one hundred pounds for
former services. The record of the decision of the
.cOunty court in. that case, is as follows. “ Att a
County Court held at Cambridge, April, 1656,
Steeven Day Plant. against Mr. Henry Dunster,
Defi‘t in an action of the case for Labour and Ex-
penses about the Printing Presse and the utensils

230% HISTORY arr PRINTING.

and appurtenances thereof and the mannageing the
said worke to the vallue of one: hundred pounds.
The Jury ﬁnds for the Defft. costs of court.”

In 1655, he had not obtained the [and granted
to him ,in 1641. This appears by the following
‘ extracts from the public records, viz.

“ At a General Court of Elections holdeu at
Boston 23d of May 1655, In answer to the Peticb’n
- of ’Steeven Day of Cambridge craving that the
Graunt within the year 1641 of this Court of three
hundred Acres of Land to him for Recompence of
his Care and Charge in furthering the worke' of
Printing, might be recorded, the Record whereof
' appears not, *6 the Court Graunt his Request and
doeth hereby conﬁrme the former graunt thereof
to him.”

. ‘.‘ At a General Court Of Elections holder: at '
Boston, 6th of May 1657, Steeven Day of Cam-
bridg having often complayned that he hath suﬁ'ered ‘
much dammage by Erecting the Printing Presse at '-
Cambridg, at the Request of the Magistrates and e
Elders, for Which he liever had yett- any Consider-
. able ,Sattisfaction. This C ourt‘ doe Graunt him
‘ three'hundred Acres of Land in any place not for.
hierly Giaunted by this Court.”

In the records of 1667, is the following order
of“ the General Court relative to another petition
from Daye, viz. “ In answer to‘ the Peticénfof
Steeven Daye, It is ordered that the Peticéner hath
liberty to procure of the Sagamore of Nashoway

1 ~ ’ The record appears to have been regularly made 1111641.
I extracted it from the original record book of the colony for
that year.

err-r211 STA‘T‘ﬁS. . 231

(new Lancaster] by sale, 01' otherwise to the quan-
trty of One hundred and ﬁfty acres of ’Vpiand, and
this Court doeth also graunt the petitioner tWenty
Acres of meadow where he nan ﬁnd it free of
farmer GranHts ”

Daye died 111 Cambridge, December 22, 1668,

aged about 58 years. Rebecca Daye, probably his
wife, died October 17, of the same year. ‘
I I have found but few books printed by Daye.
" I have never seen his name in an imprint, and, I
believe. it never appeared in one. Several books
“_printed. at Cambridge, by his successor, are without-
7 the name of the printer; and, sm-ne of them do not
give even the year in which they were printed;
m I: have identiﬁed the following

E ' Catalogue of Books printed by Darn.

1639. The Freeman’ 8 Oath.
.. 1639. An Almanack, calculated for New England. —~By
I Mr Pierce, Mariner .--The year begins with March.

1640. The Psalms 1n Metre, Faithﬁilly translated for the
Use, Ediﬁcation, and Comfort of the Saints 1n publick and p114
rate, especially 1n New England. CroWn 8vo. 300 pages. An
entire copy, except the title page, is now in the possession of
the rev. mr. Bentley, of Salem; this copy I have carefully ex-
amined, and although the title page is wanting, and no imprint .
appears, I have no doubt but it is one of the 1mpression of the
ﬁrst book printed in this country. The type is Roman, cf the
Size of small bodied english, entirely new, and may be called a
ﬁery“ good letter. In this edition there are no Hymns or Spir-
Preface, and “ An Admonition to the Reader” of half a page,
at the end of the Psalms after “ Finis. ” T 1115 “ Admonition”
Erespects the tunes suited to the psalms. The second edition

l

 

232 HISTORY or ”white.

in 1647, contained a few Spiritual Songs.—-The third edition,
revised and amended by president Dunster, 8m. had a large
addition of Scripture Songs and Hymns, written by mr. Lyon.
The ﬁrst edition abounds with typographical errors, many of
which were corrected in the second edition. This specimen
ofDaye’s printing does not exhibit the appearance of good
workmanship. ~ The compositor must have been wholly unac-
quainted with punctuation. “ The Preface,” is the running
title to that part of the work. “ The.” with a period, is on the
left hand page, and “ Preface.” on the right. Periods are
Often omitted where they should be placed, and not'seldom,
used where a comma only was necessary. ‘ Words of one syl-
lable, at the end of lines, are sometimes divided by a, hyphen; ‘
at other times, those of two, or more syllables, are divided
without one ; the spelling is bad and irregular. One thing is
very singular—at the head of every left hand page throughout
the hook, the word “ PSALM” is spelled as it should be; at
the head of every right hand page, it has an E ﬁnal, thus, I:
“' PsALME.” Daye was probably bred a pressman; the press- ;
work is passable. The book is bound in parchment. [h]
This was commonly called “ The Bay Psalm Book,” but “
afterward, “ The New England Version of the Psalms.” The [
rev. Thomas Prince, of Boston, who published a revised and
improved edition in 175.8, gives, in his preface, the follow—(,3

= ing acCount of its origin and of the ﬁrst edition printed by“;
, Daye, viz.“ By 1636 there were come over hither, near thirty

piOus and learned Ministers, educated in the Universities chi
England, and from the same exalted Principles of Scripture;

~ Purity in Religious Worship, they set themselves to translate

the Psalms and other Scripture Songs into English Metre, as

‘near as! possible to the inspired Original. They committed ‘

this Work especially to the Rev. Mr. Weld, and the Rev. John",-
Eliot of Roxbury,* well acquainted with the Hebrew, in which

 

the Old Testament, and with the Greek, in Which the New, .
were originally written. They ﬁnished the Psalms in 1640, T
which were ﬁrst Printed by Mr. Daye that Year, at our Cam-
bridge, and had the Honor of being the First Book printed in

* Eliot who translated the Bible into the Indian language. .

UNITED “STATES. ‘ 233

in Ndrth‘ America, and as far as I ﬁnd in this whole New
World. ”* I
1-640. An Almanack for 1640.
1641. A Catechism, agreed upon by the Elders at the
Desire of the General Court 1‘
11641. Body of Liberties. [This book contained an hnnw-
v‘tlred Laws, which had been drawn up pursuant to an Order of
thei’general court, by Nathaniel Ward, pastor of the "church
in Ipswich. Mr. Ward had been a minister in England, and
formerly a practitioner of law in the courts of that country. i
‘ 1641. An Almanack for 1641. [One Or more f'A‘lmaa
nacks were every year printed at the Cambridge press. In
all of them the year begins with March. ] i " '
1. 1647. The Psalms in Metre. Faithfully translated fer
the Use, Ediﬁoation and Comfort of the Saints, in public‘
and private, especially in New-England. Cro. 8vo. 300 pages.
[This was a second edition, somewhat amended, and a few
Spiritual Songs added. After this edition was published, the
Rev. Henry 'Dunster, president of Harvard college, and a
master of the Oriental languages, and mr. Richard Lyon, eda-
ucated at a university in Europe, were appointed a committee
further to revise and improve the Psalms, which service they
performed in two or three years ; when another edition was
published, with the addition of other scriptural Songs. ' This
revised" version went through "numerous editions, in New—
england. It was reprinted in England and Scotland ; and .
was used, in many of the Englishdissenting congregationsyas
well as in a number of the churches in Scotland—it was added

’ " The reverend annalist is here in an error. Printing was introduced into
Wxico, and other Spanish provinces in America, many years before the set-
ﬁgment of the English colonies 1n North America. -

' + This work 13 mentioned' 1n governor Winthrop’ s journal.

tThe “ Body of Liberties” had been revised and altered by the General
Court, and sent to every town for further consideration. This year Ihe
011111 again revised and amended the laws contained 1n that back, and pub-
11M and established them as an experiment for three years.
Wzntlzrop’: journal.
I 2 F

234 HISTORY or nmrmc.

to several English and Scotch editions of the Bible; and, wart
through ﬁfty editions, including those published in Europe]
1647. Danforth’s [Samuel] Almanack for1647. “Cam-
bridg, Printed 154.7.” . _
1648. Danforth’s [Samuel] Almanack. “ Cambridg
Printed 164-8.” The typography is rather better than usual.
1648. The Laws of the Colony of Massachusetts ; drawn
up by order of, and adopted by, the General Court, ac. Folio.
" I have not £ound a copy of this work. ‘
1648. [About] Astronomical Calculations. By aYouth.
[Urian Cakes, then a student at-Cambridge ; where he was, af-
terward, settled in the ministry, and elected president of H2:-
vard college.) The Almanaek had the motto—Parana: ﬂarra
decent ; sad inest sud gratin ﬁarvis. The year in which this
was published is not ascertained, nor by whom printed!
1649. Danforth’s [Samuel] Almanack. “ Cambridg,
Printed.” ‘

Beside the works already enumerated, there were T
many others printed by Daye; but, no cepies of
them are now to be found. , '

Although I have not been able to discover a!
cepy of the laws, printed in 1648 ; yet, respecting.
this edition, there is the following record, viz.

“ At a General Court of Elections held at Boss
ton 8th month, 1648. It is ordered by the Court-{5
that the Booke of Lawes now at the Presse may be:
sould in Quires at 35. the booke provided that every
member of this Court shall have one without price,
and the Auditor Generall and Mr. Joseph Hills; for
which there shall be ﬁfty in all taken up to be so

_. disposed by the appointment of this Court.” [2']

* It is mentioned by Mather in his Magnolia, by Holmes in his History
of Cambridge, in Hist. COL—and, by others.

UNITED sure 3'. a. ' ' 2375

SAMUEL GREEN. 1

, Was the son of, Percival and Ellen Green , wuu,
.' with their children and other relations, were among
the ﬁrst settlers of Cambridge; 9*. they emigrated
from England, and. arrived with governor Win.
:7 throp, m 1630. Green and his family came in the
ship. in which the hon. Thomas Dudley, deputy
" governor, was a. passengerd‘ Samuel. ,Green- was
then only sixteen years of age. He was in Catﬁ-
‘ bridge eight years before Daye came from England; '
but was unknown as a printer until about 1649,
nearly eleven years after Daye s arrival.
Some writers, since the year 1733, erroneously
(mention Green as the “ ﬁrst who printed m N ew- A.
england, or in North America.” _
.. All the records. I have examined are silent res- '
Q pecting. the cause of Daye’s relinquishing the man-

" The records of the county of Middlesex inform us, that
four sons of Percival Green, were living in 1691, viz. Samuel,
' Nathaniel“, . Edward, andiThOmas—a' ﬁfth son, whose name
was John", died some years before ; Percival had a brother,
Bartholomew, who also settled in Cambridge. After the death
' of Percival Grew, his widow married Thomas Fox. In 1691,
. Samuel Green and his brothers sued Fox for recovery of a lot
__ of land 1n Cambridge, that he then held 1n possession, which
had belonged to their father. .

1 Boston News-Letter, I an. 30, 1733. ,

236 HISTORY or PRINTING.

agement of the press; nor do they give any reason,
why his place in the printing. house Was supplied.
by the appointment of Green. The similarity of
Green’s ﬁrst printing to that of Daye’s, induces me
to believe that Green was unacquainted with the art,
when he undertook the management of the press,
and that he was assisted by Daye, who continued to
reside in Cambridge ; and, whose poverty, probably,
induced him to become, not only an instructer, but,
a journeyman to Green.

By the records of the colony, it appears, that the
' President of the college still had the directiOn of the
concerns of the printing house, and made contracts
for printing; and, that he was responsible for the
productions of the press, until licensers were ap—
pointed. I have extracted the following from the
records of 1650 and 1654.

“ At a third meeting of the General Court of
Elections at Boston, the 15th of October 1650, It
is ordered that Richard Bellingham, Esquir, the
Secretary and Mr. Hills, or aney Two of them, are
appointed a Comittee to take order for the printing
the Lawes Agreed vppon to be printed, to determine
of all Things 111 refe1ence thereunto. Agreeing with
the President ﬁbr the printing of them with all EX-
pedition and to Alter the title if there be Cawse. ”9*

“ At a General Court of Elections, held at Bos- .
ton, the third of May 1654. It 18 ordered by this
Court that hencefOrth the Secretary shall, within
tenn clayes after this present sessions, and so from
time to time deliver a copie of all Lawes that are to

* MS. Records of the Colony, Vol. 2. p. 40,

UNITED STATES. _, 237

be pubh'shed, unto the President or printer who
shall £0rthwith make an ImpresSion thereof to the
noumber of ﬁve, Six, or Seven hundred as the
~ ' C0urt shall order, .all which C0ppies the Treasurer.
lshalltake of and payfor inywheate, or otherwiSe to
Content, for the Noumbe'r of ﬁve hundred, after the
rate of one penny a Sheete, or eight shillings a .
hundred for ﬁve hundred sheetes of ‘ a Sorte, for so _
many sheetes as the bookes Shall contajne, and the
Treasurer shall disterbute the bookes to every
magistrate one, to every Court one, to the Secretaz-
ry one, to each towne Where. no magistrate dwells
one, and the rest amongst the Townes that beare
publick charge with this jurisdiction, according to
the noumber of freemen in each Towne; "And the
order that Ingagetli the Secretary to transCribe cep-
, pies for- the Townes and others, 1s in that respect
repealed. ”*6 .

“ At a General Court held at Boston 9th of June
1654 Upon Conference with Mr. Dunster, [presi-
1dent of the college] and the printer in reference
to the imprinting of the Acts of the General Court,
whereby! we understand some inconveniencies may
accrue to the Printer by printing that Law . which
recites the agreement for printing. It is therefore
Ordered, that the said Law be not put forth in print, ’
but kept amongst the written @records of this
Court. ” '

' * I have quoted ancient records in many‘instances, as they
, not only giVe facts correctly, but convey to us the language, 8pc.“
of the periods in which they were made: \

23:8 HISTORY or PRINTING.

Whether Green was, or was not acquainted with
printing, he certainly, sometime after he began thm
business, prosecuted it in such a way as, generally;
met approbation. He might, by frequenting the
printing house, when it was under the care of Daye;
have obtained" that knowledge of the art, which
enabled him, with good workmen, to can";r it on a.
be this as it may, it is certain that as he proceeded
with the execution of the business, he seems to!
have acquired more consequence as a. printer; his
work, however, did not discover that skill of the
compositor, or the pressman, that was afterward-S
shewn when Johnson, who was: sent over to assist
' inprinting the Indian, Bible, arrived.

In I65 8, Green. petitioned the general court for
a grant of: land. The court took his petition into»
consideration, and determined as follows, viz.

‘.‘ .At the Second Sessions of the General- Court:
held at Boston the 19th of "October 1658, in answer
to the Peticiin of Samuel Green, of Cambridge,
printer. The Court judgeth it. meete for his En
couragement to grauntr him three hundred acres of
Land where it is , to be found.”

In 1659, the records of the'colony contain the
following order of the general court. ,“ It is order-
, ed“ by this Court that the Treasurer shall and hereby?
' is“ empowered to disburse out of the Treasury what
shall be necessary tending towards the printing of?
the ‘Lawes, v to Samuel Greene, referring“ to his
\ Pajaes therem: or otherwise.” This edition of the

. Laws was. ordered to. be printed. December 165 8,
and was ﬁnished at the press, October mm, 1660.

UNITED STATES. 239

From the MS.’ records of the commissioners of
the united colonies, who were agents for the core
paration, in England, for propagating the gospel
among the Indians, in Newengland, we ﬁnd, that

11116.56, there were two presses in Cambridge
both under the care of Green. One belonged to
the college, which undoubtedly was the press that
mr. Glover purchased in England, and Daye
brought over to America; the other, was the prop»
erty of the corporation in England. There were
types appropriated to each.

The corporation, for a time, had their printing
. executed in London; but, when the Indian youth »
had been taught to read, Ste. at the school at Cam.
bridge, established for the purpose, and mr. Eliot —
and mr. Pierson, had translated Primers and Cate-
chisms into the Indian language, for the common

use of the Indians, and eventually translated the Bi.

ble, it became necessary that these works, should be

printed in America, under the inspection of the
. translators. For this reason the corporation sent
over a press and types ; furnished every printing ma‘
, terial for their work; and, even paid for mending of
the press, when out of repair. , In September, 1654-,
the commissioners in the united colonies found that
a suﬂicient quantity of paper and types for the pur-
pose of executing the works which were projected,
had not been received; they, therefore, wrote to
the corporation in England for an augmentation to
the value of 201.916 The articles arrived in 1655. ,
Green judging it necessary to have more types.
for the Indian work, in 1658 petitioned the general

3" All the sums are in sterling money.

'240 HISTORY or PRINTING.

.court to that purpose. The court decided thereon
as follows, viz.

3‘ At a General Court holden at Boston 19th of

Mayv1658. In answer to the Peticon of Samuel
Green, printer, at Cambridge, The Court Judgeth it
meete to C omend the consideration therof to the.
Co'missioners of the United Colonjes at, their next-
meeting that so if they see meete they may write to
the Corporation in England for the procuring of
twenty pounds worth more of letters for the vse of
the Indian Colledg.”
_ When the press and types, 8:0. sent by the cor-
poration in England, for printing the Bible and other
books in the Indian Language, arrived, they were?
added to the printing materials belonging to the col;
lege, and, altogether made a well furnished printing
house; the types were neat, and the faces of them
as handsome as any that were made at that time;
they consisted of small founts of nonpareil, brevier,
long primer, small pica, pica, english, great primer,
and double pica; also, small casts of long primer
and pica Hebrew, Greek, and blacks.

The building occupied for a printing house, was:
Well suited to the business. It had been designed
for a college for the Indian youth. 9*

’ General Daniel Gookin, who lived in Cambridge, and
who, in 1662, was appointed one of the two ﬁrst licensers of
the press, mentions in his work, entitled “ Historical Colleag-
, tions of the Indians, of New England," dedicated to _ king
Charles II, that “ the house e1 ected for the Indian college,
built strong and substantial of brick, at the expense of the Cor-1‘,
poration in England, for pmpagating the Gospel 1n New Eng
land, and cost between 3001. and 4001. not being improved for

UNITED STATES. 941

Green now began printing the Bible in the Indian
- language, which, even at this day, would be thought
a work of labor, and must, at that early period of the
settlement of the country, have been considered a bu-
siness diﬂicult to accomplish, and of great magnitude.
It was a work of so much consequence as to arrest
the attention of the nobility and gentry of England,
as well as that of king Charles, to whom it Was ded-
icated. The press of Harvard college, in Cam—'
bridge, Massachusetts, was, for a time, as celebrated
as the presses of the universities of Oxford and
Cambridge, in England. Having obtained many
particulars relating to the printing of this .. edition of
the Bible, I will follow Green through that arduous
undertaking. ' ’ ,,
In 1659, Hezekiah Usher, merchant, and books
seller, of Boston, agent for the corporation, charges
that body 401. paid Green for printing “ the Psalms
and Mr. Pierson’s Cattechisme,” 8:0. and credits 801.
in printing types; he, also, gives credit for one bun-
dred and four reams of paper, sent by the corpora.
‘ tion, toWard printing the New Testament “in the
Indian language.” The corporation, in a letter
dated London, April 28, 1660 ; and directed to
the commissioners, observes, “ Conserning youer
Printing the New Testament in the Indian Lan- ‘
guage, a sheet whereof you haue transmitted to vs, '
wee concurr With youerselues therin, and doe ap-

the ends intended, by reason of the death and failing of Indian
Scholars, was taken to accommodate English scholars, and for
placing and using the Printing Press belonging to 'the Col-
lege,” Ste. This building was taken down many years since.
It stood not farxfrom the other buildings of the college.

I 2 G

2462 HISTORY :or rnrnrmc.

prone of that prouision you" have made for printing 1
the same c‘on’eeineing and oﬁ'eripg as our Judgments _
that it is better to print ﬁfteen hundred than but a
, , thousand; ho'peing that by incurragement from Si '
‘ on Collidge, with whom we haue late conference,
you may bee enabled to print ﬁfteen hundred of the
O’uld Testament likewise.”
Usher, in his account rendered to the corporaa
tion, in 1.660, debits the stock of the corporation"
with two hundred reams of printing paper, “ bOught
smce be rendered his last account,” and with print;
ing ink and types, and “ setting them 1n the presse”
the gross sum of f 120 1 8; and, to “ cash paid Mr“
Green for distributing the {font of letters and print.
,ing six sheets of the New Testament in Indian att
four pounds per sheet, [24.”
In September 1661, the commissioners,- who
that year met at Plymouth; wrote to mr. Usher;
and, among other things, thanked him for his “ care
inprouiding Matterials and furthering the" printing
of the Bible, and desire the continuance of the same
vntill it bee Issved ;;” and to "‘ pay Mr. Green. for
printing the same as formerly , also to “ demaund
and receiue of Mr. Green the whole Impression of
the New Testament 1n Indian, now ﬁnished; and
take care for the binding of two hundred of them
strongly, and as speedily as may bee with leather or
as may bee most serviceable for the Indians; and
deliuer them forth as you shall haue direction from
any of the .comissioners for the time. being 015
which keep an exact account that see it may bee
. seen how they are Improved and disposed of ; alsoe,‘
wee pray you take order for the printing of. a thous-

.. Wimp sum... 243

and, eaypyes of Mr. Eliotts. Catichismes which

We vnderstand are much wanting amongst the

Indiana which being ﬁnished. Receiue from the

Presse and dispose of them according to order

abouesaid. ”

The agent in his account current with the cor-
poration in 1662, has, among other charges, one for
“ Disbursements for panting the Bible as per bill
of particulars £234 11 8 ”5* ‘

This bill was only for one year ending Sep- _.
temb'er 14662 At that time Green, by direction,
gave to the commissioners—-

“ An acCount of the Vtensils for Printing belong-
ing to the Corporation, in the custody of Samuell
Green of Cambridge Printer and giuen in vn-
dear his hand, viz.

T he preset: with What belongs to it with one tinn
pann andtWo frisketts.

3“ The folloWing is the bill of particulars, as charged by
' Green, viz.

To mending of the windowes of the printing house, ,5 l 0 5
To pack thrid and uellum, ~ "5 6
To 2 barrells of Inke and leather for balls, 20 O 0
To hide for the presse being broken, _ g . l O 0
To 160 Reams of paper Att Gs. per ream, ' 48 o 0
To printing the Title sheet to the New Testament, l 0 e
To printing 1500 Cattechismes, 15 0 0

~

To printing 21 sheets of the Old Testament, att
31b. 10 3. per sheet Mr. Iohnson being absent, - 73 IO 0
To printing 25 sheets with his healp att 50 shill.

per sheet, 62 10 0
To binding 200 Testaments att 6 dca pe‘ece, 5 o 0

To Mr.Iohnsons board, V ,7 5 9

£234 118

244- HISTORY or PRINTING.

' Item two table of Cases of letters [types] with one ,,

ode [odd] Case. 1

Item the fl'ontt of letters together with Imperfections
that came since.

' Item one brasse bed, one Imposing Stone.

Item two barrells of Inke, 3 Chases, 2 composing .
stickes one ley brush 2 candlestickes one for the '

Case the other for the Presse.
Item the frame and box for the sesteren [water
trough. ]

Item the Riglet brasse rules and scabbard the

Sponge 1 galley 1 mallett l sheeting [shooting]

‘ sticke and furniture for the chases. '
vItem the letters [types] that came before that we're

' mingled with the colledges.”

At the meeting of the commissioners in Sep—
tember 1668, the agent charges the corporation
with the balance due for printing the Bible, which
he paid that month to Green, in full for his services,
£140 12 6. Green, at this meeting, gave in an
account of all the printing paper he had received at
different times, from the corporation, and their
agent, . amounting to 469 reams , 368 reams of
which he had used in printing the Bible, 30 reams
in printing two Catechisms, and there remained in
his hands 71 reams. '

At the meeting of the commissioners in Sep-

tember 1664, among the articles charged in the ,

agent’s account with the corporation, was the fol.
lowing bill of sundries paid to Green, viz.
“ To expenceslabout the presse for mend-

-ing it; makeing new Chases, and to ~

\

twenty seauen skins for balls 8m. [4 4 4 -

_ UNITED STATE-S. & 245

To two smale Chests to put the Bibles in .

[20 copies] that were sent to Eng. a a

land, 5 0
To printing the Indian Psalmes to go with ‘

the Bible, 13 sheets att 21b per sheet, ‘ ‘26 "0‘ 0
To printing the Epistle dedicatory to the ‘ '

Bible, ' ' 1 SO 0
To printing Baxter’s Call 1n Indian, eight '

sheets at 503. per sheet, 20 0 0
To printing the Psalter 1n Indian, 9 sheets

at 20s. - ~ . 9 0 0‘
To one yeareshoard of Iohnson, ' ‘ 15 O O

The agent, in his account for 1669, charges,
“ Cash paid Green for binding and clasping 200
Indian Bibles at 2 s. 6 d. f 25 --For binding 200
Practice of Piety at 6d. f 5 .—-For do. 400 Baxter’s
Call at 35. per 100,12s.” Ste.

I have made a calculation from the documents \
I have seen, and ﬁnd the whole expense attending
the carrying through the press, 1000 copies‘of the
" Bible; 500 additional copies of the New Testa-
ment; an edition of Baxter’s Call to the Uncon-
verted; an edition of the Psalter, and two editions
of Eliot’s Catechism, all in the Indian language,
including the cost of the types for printing the Bible,
and the binding a part of them, and also the binding of
a part of Baxter’s Call, and the Psalters, amounted
to a fraction more than 12001. sterling. The Bible
was printed on a ﬁne paper of pot size, and in quarto.
After the ﬁrst edition of the Bible, and some other
books in the Indian language, had been completed
at the press belonging to the corporation for propa-
gating the gospel, &c. the corporation made a pres—

246 nrsronv or nurture

ent of their printing materials to the college- On
this occasion the government of the college ordered
as follows. »

“ Harvard Colledge Sept. 20, 1670 The hon-
orable Corporation for the Indians having ordered
their Printing Presse, letters, and Vtensils to be
delibered to the Colledge, the Treasurer 1s ordered
forthwith to take order for the receiveing thereof, ‘
and to dispose of the same for the Colledge use and
improvement.”* Green, by direction, gave to the
president a schedule of the articles, and valued them
at 80 l. That sum must have been very low. With
these types he began another edition of the Indian
Bible at 1680, and completed it in 1686. ,

Some small religious treatises having been pub.
lishcd in 1662, which the general court, or some of
the ruling clergy, judged rather too liberal, and
tending to open the door of heresy, licensers of the
press were appointed rt but, on the 27th of May,
1663, the general court “ Ordered that the Printing
Presse be at liberty as formerly, till this Court shall
take further order, and the late order is hereby re-
”‘1’”:

After this order was passed, a more free use of
the press seems to have been made; this imme, ‘
diately arrested the attention of government, and

" College records. Vol. 1. y

1 Major Daniel Gbokin and ' the rev. Jonathan Mitchell
were the ﬁrst appointed licensers of the press. [Ancient
records of the colony]

1: Ancient records of the colony. *

outrun suns. ' 247

soon awakened dieirfears; and the follo'wing’f rigid
ediot'was in consequence passed, viz. ‘ ,

“At a General Court called by order from the
Governour, Deputy Governour, and other Magis‘
trates, held at Boston 19th of October 1664. For
the preventing of Irregularyties and abuse to the an. ‘
thority of this Country, by the Printing Presse, it is
ordered by this Court and the authority thereof, that
theeir shall no Printing Presse be allowed in any
Towne within this Jurisdiction, but in Cambridge,
nor shall any person or persons presume to - print
any Copie but by the allowance ﬁrst had and 013--
tayned under the hands of such as this Court shall
from tjme to tj me Impower; the President of the
C olledge, Mr. John Shearlnan, Mr. Jonathan Mitch-_
ell and Mr. Thomas Shepheard, or any two of them
to survey such Copie or Coppies and to prohibit
or allow the same according to this order; and in
case of non observance of this order, to forfeit the
Presse to the Country and be disabled from Vsing
any such profession within this Jurisdiction for the
tjme to Come. Provided this order shall not extend
to the obstruction of any Coppies which this Court
shall Judge meete to order to be published in
Print.”*

Government appears not only to have required 3a ‘
compliance with the above law, but to have exer-
cised a power independent of it. The licensers of
the press had permitted the reprinting of a book
written by Thomas a Kempis, entitled “ Imitation
of Christ,” 8tc. a work well known in the Christian

' Ancient MS. records of the colony.

24.8 HISTORY or PRINTING.

World. This treatise was represented to the court
by some of its members, in their session in 1667, as
being heretical; whereupon, the court passed an or;
der, as folloWs.---“. This Court being informed that
- there is now in the Presse reprinting, a book that Im«
itates of Christ, or to that purpose, written by Thom-
as Kempis, a popish minister, wherein is contayned
some things that are lesse safe to be infused amongst
the people of this place, Doe comend it to the licens-
ers of the Presse the more full revisale thereof, and
that 1n the meane tj me there be no further progressc
in that work.” .
In 1671, the general court ordered an edition of a
the laws, revised, 8m. to be printed. Heretofore the
laws had been published at the expense of the colony:
John Usher, a wealthy bookseller, who was then, tor ,
soon after, treasurer of the province, made interest
to have the publishing -. of this edition on his own:
account. This circumstance produced the ﬁrst ,
instance, in this country, of the security of copy ,
right by law. Usher contracted with Green to print .
the work; but, suspecting that Green might print
additional c0pies for himself, or that Johnson, . who,
was permitted to print at Cambridge, would reprint
from his copy—two laws, at the request of Usher, 2
were passed to secure to him this particular Work;
these laws are copied from the manuscript rec-
ords; the ﬁrst was in May, 1672, and is as fol ;
lows, viz.
“In answer to the petition of John Vsher, the ‘
Court J udgeth it meete to order, and be it by this
Court ordered and Enacted, That no Printer shall.
print any more Coppies than are agreed and paid

umrzn sum! 8; ' 349

for by the ovmer of the Coppie or Coppks, nor
shall he nor any other reprint or‘rnake Sale of any of
the same Without the said, Owner’s consent upon
the forfeiture and penalty of treble the Whole charge
of Printing and paper, of the Whole quantity paid
for by the owner of the C opp1e, to the said owner
or his Assigns. ”

When the book was published, Usher, not sat;
isﬁed with the law already made in“ his favor, peti-
tioned the court to secure him the copy rightggﬁin
seven years. In Compliance With the prayer of His
petition, the court, in May, 1673, decreed as fol‘ _
lows

“ John Vsher “Having been at the Sole Chardge
of the Impression of the booke of Lawes, and prep
sented the Governour, Magistrates, Secretary, as
also every Deputy, and the Clark of the deputation
with one. The Court J udgeth it meete to order
that "for at least Seven years, anesse he shall have
sold them all before that tjme, there shall be no oth—

‘er or further Impression made by any person thereof
in this Jurisdiction, under the penalty this court
shall see cause to lay on any that shall adventure 111
- . that Kind, besides making ﬁ'ull sattisfaction to the
said Jno Vsher or his Assigns, for his chardge and

damage thereon. Voted by the whole court met
‘ together.”

Another edition of the laws of the colony, revised, _
' was put to the press in 1685. Respecting this edi:
, tier-1, the court “ Ordered, for the greater expedi-
tion in the present revisal of the Laws they shall he
sent to the Presse Sheete by Sheete, and the Treas-
urer shall make payment to the Printer for the same,

I 2 H

.250 HISTORY or PRINTING.

T’aper and Work; and Elisha Cook and Samuel: '
Sewall Esqrs. are desired to oversee; the PreSSe: -
' about that work. ”.
There 15 among the records of" the colony for '_
1667, one as follows. --—“ Layd out to Ensign Sam- g
uel Green of Cambridge printer three hundred. ~
Acres of land in the Wilderness on the north of .
Merrimacht River on the west side of Haverhill,
‘ bounded on the north east of two little ponds begin-
pang at a red oak 1n Haverhill, ” 8w. “ The Court '-
allowed of the returne of this farme as laid out.”
. (3an continued printing till he became aged.
By the records of the earliest English proprie-
tors of Cambridge. it appears, that Green was the ~-
owner of several Valuable tracts of land in and about
that town. I - - ' ,
Green often mentioned tohis children, that for
some time after his arrival in Newengland, he, and ‘
several others, were obliged to lodge in large empty.
casks, having no other shelter from the weather;
so few were ,the huts then erected by our hardy and
venerable ancestors. He had nineteen children;
eight by his ﬁrst Wife, and eleven by a second, who
was daughter of Mr. Clarke, an elder in the church,
, in Cambridge, and to whom he was married Feb.
23, 1662*6 Nine of the children by the second
wife lived to the age of ﬁfty two years, or upwards.
The Cambridge company of militia elected
Green to' be their captain; and, as such, he bore a.
commission for thirty years. He took great pleas;
ure in military exercises; and, when he became,

f“ Middlesex records of marriages and deaths. Vol. 3.

I

UNITED s'rArEsr 251

through age, too inﬁrm to 'walk to the ﬁeld, he in-
sisted 011 being carried there in his chair, on days of
muster, that he might review and exercise his com-
Pany *

He was for many years chosen town clerk. f
And, in the Middlescx records, vol. 1, is the fol-
lowing particular, viz.

“ At a County Court held at Cambridge the
5th 8th month 1652, Samuel Green is alowed
Clearke of the Writts for Cambridge.”

Green was a pious and benevolent man, and as
such was greatly esteemed. He died, at Cambridge,’
January lst, 1702, aged eighty seven years.

Until the commencement of the revolution in '
1775, Boston was not without one or more printers
by the name of Green. These all descended from
Green of Cambridge. Some of his descendants
have, for nearly a century past, been printers in
Connecticut. One of them, in 1740, removed to
Annapolis, and established the Maryland Gazette;
which 1s still continued by the family.

N o printing was done at Cambridge after Green’ 8
death. The press was established 111 this place sixty
years , and, about ﬁfty of them, Green, under gov-
ernment, was the manager of it. - He Was printer to
the college as long as he continued in business. 1

Soon after his decease, the printing materials
were removed from Cambridge and, probably, sold.
It does not appear, that the corporation of the col-
lege owned any types after this time, till about. the
year 1718, when mr. Thomas Hollis, of London, a
great benefactor to the college, among other gifts

f“ Boston News-Letter, J‘ an. 17 33.

252,. HISTGRY or rnmrmc.

presented to the university, a fount, or cast, of 115.}

brew, and another of Greek types, both of them ~
were of the size of long primer. The Greek was not:
used till 1761, when the government of the college

had a work printed entitled, Pietas ct Gratulatz'o’ "

Magi Cantabrigiensis apud Novangbs, dedicated.
to king George the third, on his accession to the

throne; two of these poetical essays being written ,

in Greek, called these types into use. They were "

never used but at that time, and were, in January,
1764, destroyed by the ﬁre that constimed Harvard
hall, one of the college buildings, in which the types
and college library, were deposited; the cast of He.
brew escaped, ' having been sent to Boston some
time before, to print professor Sewall’s HebreW
Grammar.- A

The following 18 a catalogue of the books that I
have ascertained were printed by Green, and by

Green and Johnson; the greater part of them I have,

seen. Those in which Marmaduke Johnson was
' concerned, have the names of the printers added.

Catalogue of Books printed by GREEN.

' 1649. ‘ “A Platform of Church Discipline gathered out

, of the Word of God: and agreed upon by the Elders , and

Messengers of the Churches assembled in the Synod at Cam-
bridge in New England to be presented ‘to the Churches and
Generall Court for their-consideration and acceptance, in the

Lord. The Eight Moneth Anno 1649. Printed by S G at A

Cambridge in New England and are t6 be Sold at Cambridge
and Boston Anno Dom: 1649.” Quarto, of pot size, 44 pages.

- [This book appears to be printed by one who was but little.
acquainted with" the typographic art; it is a further proof that

. UNITED sures. 253

Green was not bred to it i and, that this was one of the ﬁrst,
books item the press, after he began printing;~
The type is new pica, or one bIIt little worn ;' thev‘press
work is very bad, and that of the case no better. The punctua-
tion in the title is exactly copied; the compositor did not seem
‘ to know the use of points; there are spaces before comma».
periods, parentheses, ﬁx. The head of “ The Preface” is in
taro lines of large capitals, but has no point after it---nor is
there any after “ FINIS” which word is in two line capitals
at the end of the book. The pages of the Preface have a run-
ning title; with the folio, or number of the pages, in brack-
ets immediately following 1n the centre of a line, thus,
The Preface [2]
The printer did not appear to have had any acquaint-
'ance with signatures. The book is printed and folded in
whole sheets, without insets; the title page is printed sepa--
rately , in the ﬁrst sheet, at the bottom of the ﬁrst page, is
“ J! a,” third page “ Aa a, ” ﬁfth page “ ﬂea,” seventh page
“ Aaaa. ” The second sheet has the signature A at the bot-
tom of the ﬁrst page of that sheet, “ Aa,” third page , “A aa,”
ﬁfth page; and, “ A aaa,” seventh page. The third sheet bee--~
gins with B, which, with the following sheets, have as many
signatures to each as the ﬁrst and? second; but all, excepting
those on the ﬁrst and third pages of a sheet, were uncommon, \
and have not any apparent meaning. Every part of the work
shows the want of common sliill in the compositor. F acs, and
ornamented large capitals cut on wood, are used at the begin-
ning of the preface, and at the ﬁrst chapter of the work. Ahead
piece of ﬂowers is placed at the beginning of the text, and alias
of ﬂowers betWeen each chapter. , In the book are many ref-
erences to Scripture, in marginal notes, on breviera ' Letters
1 of abbreviation are frequently used—such as comend, allow-
ace, compay, acquait, fro, offéce, offéded, partakig, cafession,
860. The spelling is very ancient, as els, forms, 'vpon, owns,
Wildernes, pawr, eyther, wee, acknowledg, minds, doctrin,
therin, wherin, himselfe, patrons, choyce, sovaraigne, sinne,
satisﬁe, greife, &c. As I believe this book to be one of the
ﬁrst printed by Green, I have beenthus particular in describi-

'254 Hrsronr or PRINTING.

ing it; soon after this period his printing was much improved]
[The Platform, ﬁne. was reprinted in London, in 1653, for
“‘ Peter Cole, at the Sign of the Printing Press, in Cornhill, -
near the Royal Exchange. ”]
1650. Norton’ s [John] Heart of New England rent at the}?
Blasphemies of the present Generation. Me. 58 pages. . .
- 1650.‘ The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the;
Old and New Testament, faithfully translated into English],
Metre, For the Use, Ediﬁeation and Comfort of the Saints in?
publick and private, especially in New England. 2 Tim. 3 :9;
16,17. Col. 3: 16. Eph. 5: 18, 19. James 5: 13.” Crown].
Bro. 308 pages. [This was the Newengland version of the,
Psalms, revised and improved by president Dunster and Rich-
ard Lyon, mentioned by the rev. Thomas Prince] . r,-
1653. Eliot's [John] Catechism. [In the Indian lan-
guage. Printed at the expense of the corporation in England.
for propagating the gospel among the Indians in N ewengland.]
.1656. An Almanack .for the year of our Lord 165 6. By
T. S. Philomathemat. Foolscap. 8vo. 16 pages. [This A1-
manack I own. It appears that an Almanack was annually
printedat Cambridge, from the ﬁrst establishment of the press,
till near the close of the 17th century. Many of them I have
seen, and those I shall more particularly take notice of.] i
1657’. An Almanack for the year of our Lord 1657. By
S. B. Philomathemat. Foolscap. 8vo.‘ 16 pages. [I have. a,
copy of this] '
165 7 . Mather’s [Richard] Farewell Exhortation to the
I Church and People of Dorchester, in New England. “Print-~
ed at Cambridge.” 4to. 28 pages. ' 4
1658. Pierson’s Catechism. [In the Indian language,
for the use of the Indians in Newhaven jurisdiction]
1659. Version of the Psalms in the Indian Language.
1661. [The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Je-
sus Christ. Translated into the Indian Language and ordered
to be printed by the Commissioners of the United Colonies in
New England, at the Charge and with the Consent of the Cars
poration in England, for the Propagation of the Gospel amongst
the Indians in New England. ' The Indian title is thus, Wusv
kn Wuttestamentum Nul-Lordumun Jesus Christ Nuppo-

UNITED STATES. , .255

.quohwussuaeneumun. With emarginal notes. ' Printed by
Samuel Green andMarmaduke Johnson. The whole in the
Indian language, except having two title pages, one of which
is in English. Quart‘o. [k] [Some copies were dedicated
to the king] . * p

1661. Eliot’s [John] Catechism. [In the Indian lan-
guage] Second edition. [1000 copies were printed]

1661. The Psalms of David in Indian Verse, entitled,
Wame Ketoohomae Uketo’ohomaongaSh David. 4to. [This
Indian version accompanied the New Testament, andwhen
the Old Testament was ﬁnished they were bound up together]

1662. Propositions to the Elders and other Messengers
of the Churches, concerning Baptisme. RecOmmended by
the General Court. Alto. 48 pages.

1662. Answer of the Elders and other Messengers of the
Churches assembled at Boston 1662, to the Questions p1 opos-
ed to them by order of the Honoured General Court Mo.
60 pages. I

1662. An Almanack for 1662. [Title page lost] ..

1662. Anti-Synodalia Scripta Americana. By John Al-
lin of Dedham. 4to. 38 pages. [No printer’s name nor year
are mentioned. This was reprinted in London]

1663. The Holy Bible: Containing the Old Testament
and the New. Translated into the Indian Language, and on-
dered to be printed by the Commissioners of the United Cal-
om’ee in New England, at the Charge and with the Consent
of the Corfzoratz'on in England for the Pro/zagatz’on of the Gas-
[tel amongst the Indians 1n New England. [I] Quarto. Print-
ed by Samuel (Green and Marmaduke Johnson. It had mar-
ginal notes; and also an Indian title page, for which see the
second edition in 1685. [This work was printed with new
types, full faced bourgeois on brevier body, cast for the pur-_
pose, and on good paper. The New Testament which was
ﬁrst printed in 1661, was on the same types and like paper.
The Old Testament was three years in the press. I have a
copy of the Old and New Testament, with the Version of the
Psalms,icomplete. It is a great typographical curiosity. A
dedication, see note [k] to king Charles II, was preﬁxed to a
number of copies.)

256 HISTORY or PRINTING.

1663. An Almanack for 1663. By Israel Chauncey.
matey-n91“. Printed by S. Green and M. Johnson.— .

1663. Davenport’s [John, of New Haven] Another Essay
for investigation of the Truth in answer to two Questions can: .
cerning, I. The subject of Baptisme. II. The Consociation
of Churches. Cambridge. Printed by Samuel Green and '
Marmaduke Johnson, Ate. 82 pages.

1663. Shepard’s Church Membership. 4to. 50 pages.

1663. Shepard’s sLetter on the Church Membership of
Children and their Right to Baptisme. Printed by S. Green
and M. Johnson. ‘ rt
Certain Positions out of the Holy Scriptures, pre-
missed to the whole "ensuing Discourse. Printed at Cam-
bridge. 4to. 80 pages. [Year and printer’s name not men:-
tioned. ]

1663. Cotton’s [John] Discourse on Civil Government
in a New Plantation. Mo. 24 pages. Printed by S. Green
and M. Johnson. ’

1663. Higginson’ s [John] Cause of God and his People
‘in New England. An Election Sermon at Boston, 1663. .
4to. 28 pages. ‘

1664. Shepard’s Sincere Convert. l2mo.

-- 1664. Allin"s [Johnmf Dedh‘am] Anti-Synodalia Amer-
icana. M0. 100 pages. Second edition. Reprinted at Cam-
bridge by 'S..G. 8c M. J. for Hezekiah Usher of Boston.

1664. Animadversions upon the Anti~Synodalia Amer-
‘icana, a Treatise printed in Old England in the Name of the
Dissenting Brethren in the Synod held at Boston in Neweng‘
land 1662, and written by John Allin, Pastor of the Church in
Devi-ham. Mo. 86 pages. Printed by S. Green mid M. John- -
son.

 

1664. Defence of the Answers and Arguments of the .
Synod met at Boston in the yeare 1662. 4to. 150 pages.
Printed by S. Green 8: M. Johnson, for Hezekiah Usher of ‘ ‘
Boston.

1664,. Defence of the Synod by some of the Elders. 48, i
pages, small type. Printed by S. G. 8: M. J. for Hezekiah}
Usherof Boston. ,1

ammo STATES. 257'

1664. Baxter’s Call to the Unconverted. Translated
into the Indian Language by the Rev. John Eliot. Small SW.
130 pages. [1000 copies were printed]

1664. The Psalter. Translated into the Indian Lan-
" guage by the Rev. John Eliot. Small 8vo. 150 pages. [500
copies were printed.] ..

1664. Indian Grammar. About 60 pages. 4to. [No
' year is mentioned, as I ﬁnd is often the case with other print-
ers besides Green, but it must have been printed about 16.64.]

1664. Whiting’s [Samuel] Discourse on the Last Judg-
ment. 12mo. 170 pages. Printed by S. G. and M J.

1664. Chauncey’s [Israel] Almanack for 1664. Printed
by S. Green and M. Johnson. '

1665. Nowell’s [Alexahderj Almanack for 1665.

1665. Collection of the Testimonies of the Fathers of the
New England Churches respecting Baptism. 4to. 32 pages. ,
The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the
Old and New Testament, Faithfully Translated into English
Metre. For the Use, Ediﬁcation and Comfort of the Saints
in publick and private, especially in New England. Small
l2mo. 100 pages, two columns to each, in nonpareil. “ Cam-»
bridge. Printed for Hezekiah Usher of Boston.”

[This was, I believe, the third edition of the N ewengland
Version of the Psalms after it had been revised and improved
by president Dunster, 8m. and the ﬁfth, including all the .
former editions. [m] I have a complete copy of this edition,
but the name of the printer, and the year in which it was print-
ed, are not mentioned. It is calculated by being printed in a
small page, with'a very small type, to bind up with English
, editions of the pocket Bible; and, as the printing is executed
by a good workman, and is the best that I have seen from the
Cambridge press, Iconclude, therefore, it could not be printed.
by Green before the arrival of Marmaduke Johnson in 1660; I
have no doubt it was printed under J ohnspn’s care; and, prob-
ably, soon after the Indian Bible came from the press in 1663.
Johnson was a good punter, and so called by the corporation
in England, who engaged, and sent him over, to, assist
Green 1n printing that work. Although in this edition the

2 I

 

/

258 nxsronr or rnmrrnc.

typography far exceeds in neatness any work then printed in

the country, it is veryincorrect; but this mighthave been more

the fault of the corrector of the press, than of the printer. My ‘_
belief that it was published about the year 1664,01- 1665, is con- .
ﬁrmed by its being printed for Hezekiah Usher, the only book-

seller that I can ﬁnd an account of at that time, inNewengland.”
He dealt largely in merchandise, and was then agent to the
corporation in England, for propagating the gospel in New-
,‘en’gl’and. It is a curious fact, that nonpareil types were used _j
so early in this count ’; I have not 'seen them in any other '§
book printed either at Cambridge, onBoston, beibre the revs
'olution; even brevier types had been but seldom used in the
printing houses, in Boston, earlier than 1760. The nonpareﬂ
used forthe Psalms was new, and avery handsome faced letter. ]

1665. The Conditions for New Planters in the Territo-
ries* of his Royal Highness the Duke of York. Printed at
Cambridge, on the face of half a sheet.

1665. Practice of Piety. [Translated into the Indian
language] Small avo. about 160 pages.

1666. Whiting’s, [Samueh of Lynn] Meditations upon
Genesis xviii, from ver. 23 to the end of the chapter. 12mm

350 pages. “ Printed and Sold at Cambridge.” [No printer’s
name, but undoubtedly from Green’ s press]

1666. Flint’ s Uosiah] Almanack for 1666. «Magda, ,
after Flint’ 5 name.“ Printed Anno Dom.1666.”

1667. MitChell’s [Jonathan] Nehemiah upon the Wall.
An Election Sermon, May 1667. “ Printed at Cambridge."
[N o printer’ 5 name .] 1..

. 1667. Practice of Piety. Translated Into the Indian lan-
guage, by the Rev John Eliot. Second edition.
' 1667. Beakenbury’s [Samuel] Almanack for 1667.

1668. Dudley's [Joseph] Almanack for 1668.

1668. Elegy on the Rev. Thomas Shepard, Pastor of the
Church in Charlestown. By Urian Oakes. 4to.

1669. Moreton’s [Nathaniel] New England’s Memorial.
216 pages, 4to. Printed by S. G. Still. J. for John Usher of
Boston.

* Newyork.

\2

UNITED auras. . 259

1559-. An Almanack for 1669;, By J. 13. Printed by
8. G. a: M. J. ' o

1670. Danforth’s Election Sermon at Boston, 1670.. 4to.
14 pages. Printed by S. Green and M. Johnson.

1670. Stoughton’s [William] Election Sermon, 1679.
4to. \

1670. An Almanack for 16.70. By J. R. Printed by
S. G. 8: .M. J.

1670. Life and Death of that Reverend Man of God, Mr.
Richard Mather, Teacher of the Church in Dorchester, New-
England. .4to. 42 pages. Printed by S. Green and. M. John-
son. . ‘

1670. Walley’s [Thomas, of Boston] Balm of Gilead to
heal Sion’s Wounds. An Election Sermon, preached at N ew-
Plimouth, 1669. 20 pages. Ato. Printed by S. Green and

M. Johnson.

1570. Mather’s [Samuel] Testimony from the Scripture
against Idolatry and Superstition, preached in Dublin 1660.
4to. 80 pages. [Noprinter’s name] “Reprinted at Cam-
bridge.” , ' ,

1671. Mather’s [Eleazar., of Northampton] Exhortation
to the present and succeeding Generations. Mo. 32 pages.
Printed by S. G. 8: M J. .

M“. An Almanack for 1611, [Title page lost]

1672. An Artillery Election Sermon 1672. By the Rev.
Urian Oakes- etc. ‘

1672. Mather’s [Increase] Word to the present. and
succeeding Generations of New England, 4to. 3-6 pages.

1672. Eye Salve, or aWateh Word from our Lord Jesus
Christ unto his Churches, especially in the Colony of Masses-
ehusetts. An Election Sermon preached at Boston 1672,
By Thomas Shepard, of Charlestown. 4to. 56 pages.

1672. Allinfs [Johm of Dedham] Spouse of Christ com-
ing out of Afﬂiction, leaning upon her Beloved. 4m. 32
pages. “ Printed at Cambridge by Samuel Green, and are to
be Sold by John Tappan of.Boston-” .

1 672. ,The General Laws and Liberties oftlxe. Maaaaphne

setts Colony, Revised and alphabetically arranged. To which

260 HISTORY or PRINTING.

are added, “ Precedents and Forms of things frequently used.”
With a complete index to the whole. Re-printed by order of
the General Court Hol/den at Boston, May 15, 1672. Edward
Rawson, Secr. Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power, re“
sisteth the Ordinance of God ,- and they that resist shall receive
to themselves damnation. Rom. xiii. 2. Folio. 200 pages.
[Well printed. There is a small wooden cut of the colony
arms as a frontispiece opposite to the title page, indiﬁ'erently
executed, and a large handsome head piece cut on wodd at
the beginning? of the ﬁrst page of the laws. Printed by S.
Green, for John Usher of Boston. ]

167 2. The Book of the General Laws of the Inhabitants
of New Plimor'ith, collected out of the Rec0rds of theGeneral
Court. Published by the Authority of the General Court of
that Jurisdiction, held at Plimouth the 6th day of June 1671.
The following text of scripture is in the title page—Be subject
to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord’s sake. 1 Pet. ii. 13.
Folio. 50 pages.

y . 1672. Indian Logic Primer. By John Eliot.

1672. Several “ Laws and Orders” made at the General -I
Court at Boston, 1672. 8 pages. Folio.

1673. The Book of the General Laws for the People
within the J111 1sd1ctlon of Connecticut. Collected out of the .
Recoids of the General Court. Lately revised and published
by the Authority of the General Court of Connecticut, 1672.
Has a text from scripture in the title page, viz.—-Let as walk
honestly as in the Day, not in Rioting and Drunkenness ; not in.
Chambering and W'antonness ,- not in Strife and Envying. Rom.
xiii. 13. [There is a small wooden cut of the arms of Con-
necticut in the title page. The arms are ﬁfteen grape vines,
with a hand over them holding a scroll, on which 1s this motto
3—Sustinet qui transtulit, Folio. 76 pages.

167 3. New England Pleaded with, and pressed to Con-
sider the Things which concern her Peace. An Election
Sermon 167 3. By Urian Cakes. 4to. 64 pages.

1674. The Unconquera'ble, All-Conquering, and more
than Conquering Souldier, or the Successful Warre which a
Believer wageth with the Enemies of his Soul. An Artillery

UNIFIED STATES. v ' 261

Election Sermon, June, 1672. By Urian Oakes. 4to. '46
pages. - " .
1674. David Serving his Generation. An Election Seré
mon before the General Court of New Plimouth, June 1674.
By Samuel Arnold of Marshﬁeld. 4to. 24 pages. ~ Imjzrz'ma-
tur John Oxenbridge and Increase Mather.

' l 674. Several “ Laws and Orders,” made at the General
Court at Boston, 1674. 4 pages. Folio.

1674. Moody’s [Joshua] Souldiers Spiritualized, or the
Christian Souldier orderly and Strenuously engaged 1n the
Spiritual Warre, and so ﬁghting the Good Fight. A Ser-
mon preached at Boston on Artiller Election 167 4. 4to. 48
pages. ” -
1674.. Fitch’s [James, of Noerich] Holy Connexion.
.An Election Sermon at Hartford, Connecticut, 1674. - 4to.
24 pages. _.

167 5. Several “ Laws and Orders” made at the Sessions
of the General Court at Boston in 1675. Folio. 20 pages. A

1675. Mather’s [Increase] FirstPrinciples of New Eng-
land concerning the subject of Baptisme and Church Com—-
munion. 4to. 56 pages. ,,

167 5. Mather’ 3 [Increase] Discourse concerning the
'subject of Baptisme. 4to. 83 pages.

167 6. Heart Garrisoned ; or the Wisdome, and Care of
the Spiritual Souldier above all Things to Safeguard his Heart.
An Artillery Election Sermon. By Samuel Willard. 4to. ,
24 pages. ‘ . , .

1677. Several “ Laws and Orders,” made at the ﬁrst Ses-
sion of the General Court for Elections 1677, at Boston.
Folio. 4 pages.

1679 An Almanack for 167 9 By Philomath.

1682. Narrative of the Captivity and Restouration of Mrs.»
Mary Roulandson. 8vo.

1682. Oakes’ s [Urian] Fast Sermon, delivered at Cam-
bridge. 4to. 32 pages. .

1682. Ornaments for the Daughters of Zion; or the
Character and Happiness of a Virtuous Woman. By Cotton

.262 HISTORY or MINTING.
Mather. 1215110. 116 pages”; Printed by «S. G. & B. GAB;-
Samuel Phillips of Boston.

16.84.. An Almanaek for 1.684..

168.4... Dennistm’s [Daniel] Ircniewz; or aSalve for New
England’s Sore. ave. 50 pages.

1685. The New England Almanaek for 1686. “ Printed
at Cambridge by Samuel Green, sen. Printer to. Harvard Col.
A. D. 1685.”

1,685. The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament
and the New. Translated into the Indian Language, and or.
(bred to be printed by the Commissioners of the United Cele-
pics in NewEngland, &c. This was a second edition of Eliot’s
Indian Bible; and, like the ﬁrst, it had marginal notes, and an
Indian translation of the Newengland Version of the Psalms.
The rev. mr. Cotton, a great proﬁcient in the Indian language,
assisted mr. Eliot in revising and correcting this edition. . Both
editions had. title pages in English and Indian. The title in
the Indian language, is as follows, Mamusse Wunneetupana-
tamwe Up-Biblnm God naneeswe Nukkone-Testament kah
weak Wusku T estament. Nequoshinnumuk nashpe Wut-
tinneumak Christ noh asoowesit John Eliot. N ahohtoeu ante.-
hetoe Printewoomuk. Cambridge : Printeuoop nashpe Sam-
uel Green. Me. It was six years in the press. Two. thousand
copies were printed." It was not so expensive as the ﬁrst
edition. Mr. Eliot had the management of it ; and, in his let-
ters to the hon. Robert Boyle, president of the corporation for
propagating the gospel among the Indians in Newengland, he
acknowledges the reception of 9001. sterling, in three pay-
merits, for carrying it through the press.

1685. Manitowampae pomantamoonk samploshanau
Christianoh, l2mo.

1.686. The N ew- England Almanack for 1686.

1687'. Practice of Piety. [Translated into the Indian
language] Third edition. I

4* Letter from the rev. john Eliot to the hon. Robert Boyle in London.
Mr. Eliot gave a part of his salary toward printing the work. It went to
the press inlhe beginning of the year 1680, and' was not completed till the
_ beginning of 1686. Mr. Eliot lived till 1690.

  

A @em‘rin guinea? 49% 263
LYIQOU

1687. Eliot’s Catec sm. [In the Indian language.
This was a third or fourth edition printed at the expense of
the corporation. ]

1687. Primer,- in the Indian Language. [It had gone
' through several previous editions at the expense of the corpo-
ration.] .

i689. Sampwutteahae Quinnuppekompauaenin, Walm-r
womook oggnssemesuog Sampwutteabae Wumnnptamwae-
nuog, 8w. vNeh asoowesit Thomas Shepherd. This is Sheps
ard’s Sincere Convert, translated into Indian by the rev. John
Eliot, and was licensed to be printed by Grindal Rawson.
lﬂmo. 164 pages. '

1691. An Almanack. By John Tully. “ Cambridge.
Printed by Samuel Green and B. Green, and are to be sold
by Nicholas Buttolph at Gutteridge’ 9 Coffee House, in Bos~
ton, 1691.”

I691. Nashauanittue Meninnunk Watch. Mukkiesog’
Wassesémumun wutch Sogkodtunganash Nameswe Tests?-
mentsash; wutch Ukkesitchippooonganoo Ukketeahogkou-
nooh. Noh asoowésit John‘Cotton. [This is John Cotton’s
Spiritual Milk for American Babes. Translated by Grindal
Rawsonj 121110. 14 pages. I’ See old editions of the N ewa
England Primer.] Printeuoop nashpe Samuel Green kah Bar:-
”1010mm Green.

1691. Ornaments for the Daughters of Zion; or the
Character and Happiness of a Virtuous Woman. By Cotton
Mather. l2mo. 114 pages. lie-Printed by Samuel Green
and Bartholomew Green for Nicholas Buttolph, at Guttera
idge’s Coffee House, Boston.

1691. Things to be looked for. An Eleetimi Sermon. '
By Cotton Mather. lame. 84 pages. Reprinted by Samuel
Green and Bartholomew Green.

1692. Tully’s Almanack for 1699. Printed by Samuel
Green and Bartholomew Green for Samuel Phillips of Boston:

264 H‘Iszrsonr or PRINTING.

MARMADUKE JOHNSON.

JOHNSON was an Englishman; and had been
bred ,to- the printing business in London. The
corporation in England, for propagating the gospel
amOng the Indians, engaged, and sent him over to
America, in 1660, to assist in printing the Bible in
Indian.

In a letter dated, “ Cooper’s Hall in London,
April 28th, 1660,” and directed to the commission-
ers cfthe united colonies, who had the whole man-
agement of Indian aﬂ‘airs, the corporation writes,
‘5 Wee haue out of our desire to further a Worke of
soe great consernment, [printing the whole bible in
the Indian language] agreed with an able printer for
three yeares vpon the tearmes and conditions en-
closed.-—-Wee desire you at the earnest request of,
Mr. Johnson, the printer and for his incurrage-
ment in this undertaking of printing the bible in the
Indian language, his name may bee mentioned with
others as a printer and person that hath bine instru-t
mentall therin; for whose diet, lodging and wash-P
ing wee desire you to take care of.”

The commissioners in their answer to the cor-7f
poration, dated “\Newhaue‘n the 10th of September,
1660,” observe, “ Such order is taken by the ad'
- nice of Mr. Eliott Mr. Vsher Mr. Green and Mr.
Johnson that the Impression of the ould and New
Testament shalbee carryed on together which they

tmrrsn STATES. 265

have airedy begun and Resoiue to prosecute with
all diligence; a sheet of Geneses Wee have seen
Which wee have ordered shaibee Transmitted vnto'
_.;you the printers doubte not but to print a sheets
.1 euery Weeke and compute the Whole to amount to a
hundred and ﬁfty sheets. Mr. Johnson Wilbee
gratifyed With the honour of the Impression and
"'racomodated 1n other respects Wee h0pe to content.”
7 The commissioners this year, charged the cor.
poration With 11. 4 s. paid fOr “ the expenses of.
Johnson the printer att his ﬁrst arrivali before he
settled at Cambridge. ”

I In a letter dated,“ Boston Sept. 10th,1662 ’i
and addressed to the hon. Robert Boyle, governor
" of the corporation in England, the commissioners ,
’of the united colonies observe,“ The bible is now
about halfe done; and constant progresse therin 1s 9‘
made; the other halfe 15 like to bee ﬁnished In a yeare ,
the future charge is anertain; wee have beer with
sent twenty eoppies of the New Testament [in In. _-
dian] to bee disposed of as youer honors shall see
‘meet. The trust youer honors hath seen meet to re.

vi pose in vs for the manageing of this worke we shall 1
endeauor 1n all faithfulneSs to discharge. Wee crane
leave an present for the preue’nting of an objection '
that may arise concerning the particulars charged
or the printing Wherin' you Will ﬁnd 2 sheets att ”
{three pounds ten shillings a sheet, and the rest butt ,
istt 50 shillings a sheet, the reason Wherof iyes heer. '
flt pleased the honored corporation to Send ouer one
Marmeduke Johnson a printer to attend the worke
on condition as they will enforme you ; Whoe hath
Loaryed heer veryzvllclworthyly of which hee'hath bine

\

266' arsronr or PRINTING.

. openly Convicted and sencured in some of 0111' ,
Courts although as yett noe execution of sentence!
against him; peculiare fauor haueing bine showed .
him with respect to the corporation that sent him ‘
cuer; but notwithstanding all patience and lenitie
vsed t0wards him hee hath proued uery idle and .
nought and absented himselfe from the worke more
than halfe a yeare att one time; for want of whose

assistance the printer [Green] ”by his agreementwith

Vs was to haue the allowance of 21 lb. the which is
to bee defallcated out of his sallery 1n England by A
the honored Corporation there.”

The commissioners, in this letter to the corpo-
ration, mentioned some bad conduct of Johnson, of
which he was convicted, but they do not particular.

- ize his offence. I ﬁnd .in the records of the “‘ county

» court,” of Middlesex, for 1662, that, in April of that

year, Johnson was indicted for “ alluring the daugh-

‘ ter of Samuel Green, printer, and drawing aWay her;
affection without the consent of her father ;” this
was a direct breach of a law of the colony. Johnson
was convicted, ﬁned ﬁve pounds for that offence;
and, having a wife in England, was ordered “ to go
home to her,” on penalty of twenty pounds for
neglecting so to do. At the same court Johnson
was ﬁned twenty pounds, for threatening the life of
any man who should pay his addresses to Green’s
daughter. In October 1663, Johnson, not having
left the country, agreeably to his sentence, was ﬁned
twenty pounds, and ordered “ to be committed till
he gave security that he would depart home to Eng-
land to hiswife the ﬁrst opportunity.” Samuel Goﬁe
and John Bernard were his sureties that he should

VNI‘TRD MATH; 267
depart the country within six weeks, or in a vessel
then bound to England. Johnson, however, for
some cause that cannot be ascertained, [the records.
of the next county court being destroyed byﬁre]
was permitted to remain in the country. His. Wife
might have died; he had inﬂuential friends; and
made his peace with Green, with Whom‘he was af.
terwards concerned in printing several books. '

The commissioners received an answer to the,
letter last mentioned from the governor of the cor-
poration, dated “ London April 9th,- 1663,” at the
close of which the governor remarks, “‘ Conserning
Marmeduke J ohnsoh the printer wee are sorry hee
hath soe misearryed by which meanes the printing
of the bible hath bin retarded we are resolved to de-
fault the 21 lb. you mention out of his sallary.~ Mr. "
Elliott whose letter beares date three monthes after
youers, writes that Johnson is againe Returned in.—
to the worke whose brother alsoe hath bine with vs
and gives vs great assurance of his brothers Before
mation and following his busines diligently for the
time to come ; and hee being (as Mr. Elliott mites.)
an able and vsefull man in the presse we'haue thought
ﬁtt further to make tryall of him for one yeare long-
er and the rather because, vpon. ‘Mr. Elliotts motion
and the goodnes of the worke; wee have thought
£11 and ordered that the Psalmes of Dauid in meter
shallbee printed in the Indian language, and me wee
hope that the said Johnson performing his promiSe
of amendment for time to come may bee vsefuil in
the furthering of this worke which we soc much dc.
- site the ﬁnishing of: We haue. no more but com-'
end you, to the Lord. Signed «in. the name and by

/

$268 ‘_ Hrsronr‘or PRINTING.

the appointment cf the Corporation for the fpropm .;
gating of the Gospell 1n America.
' _ Per Robert Boyle Gouernor.”
The "commissioners wrote from Boston, Sept.
18th 1663, to the corporation, as was their annual
custom, rendering a particular account of their eon-
leerns, and of the eXpenditures of the mone of the
,corporatidn. Respecting Johnson, they observe,
' “ Some time after our last letter Marmeduke John-
son Returned to the Presse and hath carried (him--
selfe Indiﬁ'erently well since soe farr as wee know but
/ the bible being ﬁnished and little“ other Worke prea'
' senting; wee dismised him att the end of the tearme
you had contracted with him for; but vnderstanding
youer honorable Corporation hath agreed with him
' for another yeare; wee shall Indeavour to Imploy
him as wee can by printing the Psalmes and another
little TrEatise of , Mr. Baxters which Mr. Elliott lS
translateing into the Indian language which is thought
may bee vsefull and proﬁtable to the Indians , and yett
there will not bee full Imployment for him, and for
after times our owne printer Wilbee sufﬁciently able
to print of any other worke that Wilbee nessesary for
theire vse soe that att the yeares end hee may be dis-
mised; or sooner if hee please: and If there bee
occation further to Imploy' him It were much bet-
' ter to contract with him heer to print by the sheete
than by éalIOWing him standing wages : I Wee were
forced vpon his earnest Request to lett him ﬁue
7 pounds in 'parte of his wages to supply his present
nessesitie which must bee defaulted by youer honors
'with his brother: his last yeare by agreement with.
him begineth the 20th of August last from the end

UNITED s'rATrzs. 269

of his former contract till that time hee was out of
this Imployment and followed his own occacions.”

The corporation in their next letter to the com-p
missioners Write, “ concerning Marmeduke John-5
1 son the printer whose Demeanor hath not been suit.
able to what hee promised wee shall leave him to
youerselues to dismisse him as soone as his yeare is
expired if you soe think ﬁt.”

The next meeting of the Commissioners was at
Hartford, September 1,’ 1664; they then informed
the corporation in England, that they had “9 dis;
"mised Marnieduke Johnson the Printer att the end
.of his tearme agreed for hauing Improued him as
well as wee could for the yeare past by imploying
him with our owne printer to print such Indian
workes as could be prepared which hee was not
able to doe alone with such other English Trea-
tises which did present; fer which allowance "hath
bine made proportionable to his labourer; some
time hath bine lost for want of imployment but for
. after times wee hope to haue all books for the In-
dians vse printed Vpon ezier tearmes by our owne
printer especially if it please youer honers to ‘send
ouer a fonte of Pica letters Roman and Italian
which are much wanting for printeing the practice
’ of piety and other workes ;' and soe when the
Presses shallbee Improued fer the vse of the Eng-
lish wee shalbe careful] that due alowance be made
:to the Stocke for the same ; It seemed Mr. J ohn-
son ordered all his sallery to’ be receiued and dis-
' posed of in England which hath put him to some
straightes heer which forced vs to allow him ﬂue
“pounds formerly (as we Intimated in our last) and

270 , Hrsroxr or nmnnc.‘

since hce hath taken vp the some of four pound :3
which is to be accoumpted as parte of his Sallery
for the last years; ‘ the remainder wherof wee doubt
not youcr honors will satisfy there.” '
Before the Bible was ﬁnished, Johnson being In
' great want of money, applied to the commissioners
of the United Colonies, to pay him his wages here
_ instead of receiving them, agreeably to contract, in
England. Upon which the commissioners “ or-
4 tiered in Answare to the request of Marmeduke
Johnson for payment of his wages beer in New
England; notwithstanding his couenant with the
Corporation to receiue the same in England Which
, hce sayeth 18 detained from him; which yett not ap-
” ‘ peering to the comissioners they could not giue any
.. order for the payment of it beer; but vpon his
enmest request that there might bee some Impow.
ered to reliene him in case it could appeer before
, the next meeting of the Comissioners that 1106 pay-
ment was made to him 1n England the Comission-
cm of the Massachusetts Collonie is Impowered to
act therein according to theire Discretion.”-
V The rev. inrfEliot,ale who translated the Bible
into the Indian‘language, appears tohave been very
ﬁiendly to J ohnson- After he was dismissed from
employment at the press of the corporation, mr. El-
iot proposed to“ the commissioners in September,
1667, that Johnson should have “the font of letters
[types] which the Corporation sent over for their
vse by him, when he came from England,” and

* Mr. ,Eliot was by some :5th “ Apostolus nostrorum
‘ Temporum inter Indos Nov Anghae.” He died 1690, aged“.

vm'rzn STATIM‘ 271

which had been but little worn, "at the price they
cost in England, which was 311. 17 3. 8d. sterling;
to which proposal the commissioners assented. ,
These types he received in part payment of his‘
salary.

In 1670, April 28th, Johnson being released
by death or divorce, from his wife, in England,
married Ruth Cane of Cambridge, which is re-
corded in the Register of the town for that year. ,

x. In September 167 2, the commissioners ordered
3 ‘ their agent, Hezekiah Usher, to pay Johnson 61‘. .
“ for printing, stitching and Cutting of a thousand
Indian Logick Primers.” This 13 the last business
, I can ﬁnd performed by Johnson for the corporation.

Johnson’s name appeared after Green’s in the
imprint of the ﬁrst edition of the Indian translation.
of the Old and New Testament; and, to several
other books which were not printed for the corpo-
ration for prepagating the gospel among the. Indians.
It is not probable that they had any regular partner-
ship, but printed a book, in connexion, when con. ’
venient. '

I have seen no book with Johnson’s name in the
imprint after 1674.

He was “ constable of Cambridge” in 1673,
and perhaps some years preceding. In April, 167 41,
the cOunty court allowed him “ his bill of costs,
amounting to thnee shillings; and ten shillings and
six pence for journeys that were by law to be paid -
by the county treasurer.” It appears that he was
poor, and rather indolent. . He died in 1675, and
his wife departed this life soon after him.

, 272 HISTORY or PRINTING.

The following is an extract ,— from the MiddleSex-
recordsﬁ't. “ At. a County Court held at Charles-
t0wne June ,1 9, 167 7 .-—-Mr. John Hayward Attor-.-
ney 4 in behalfe of the Commissioners of the United
ColOney‘s pl’ﬁ against Jonathan Cane, Executor to

‘ the last will and testament of Ruth J ohnsom adminis-‘

, 'tratriX to the estate of her husband Marmaduke J ohn—

\ .SOn deceased, in an action of the case for deteyning-
‘ a, font of Letters, bought by the said Johnson with

. money y" he received for y" end and use of y“
Honourable Corporation in London constituted by
his Majestic for propagating of the gOSpell to gthe
Indians 1n New England, and also for deteynlng a ,
‘ Printers chase, and other implements that belong to
a Printing Presse, and is apperteyning to the said
Indian Stocke according to attachmt. dated 8, 4, 77.
Both parties appeared '8; joyned issue in the case.
The Jury having heard their respective pleas 8t evi-
dences 1n the case, brought 1n their verdict, ﬁnding
,for the pl’ve that the Defdt. shall deliver the wt. of-
Letters expressed 1n the attachment, with other ma. -
terials expressed in the attachment, or the value
thereof in money, which wee ﬁnd to be forty ’i
' pounds, with costs of court. The Defdt. made his
appeale to the next Court of Assistants.” ,

Beside the books printed by Green and him,
which appear in Green’s catalogue, I ﬁnd the fol«
lowing printed solely by Johnson, viz. '

‘Vol. iii. p. 176

. VNITED ’srarhs.’ . 973'

Catalogue of Baa/cs printed by Johnson“.

1665. Communion of Churches ; or, the Divine Manage!
ment of Gosjzel Churches by the Ordinance of Councils, consti‘
tuted in Order, according to the Scriptures. As also the Way
of bringing all Christian Parishes to be particular reforming
Congregational Churches : hu‘mbly ﬁrbltobed as a Way which
hath so muche light from the Scriptures of Truth, as that it
may be lawfully submitted unto by all; and may by the Bless-'
ing of the Lord be a means of uniteing those two Holy and
eminent Parties, the Pres-by “rims and the Congregational,-
z‘sz‘s—As also to prepare for the hoped-for Resurrection of the
Churches; and to propose a Way to. bring all Christian Na-
tions unto an Unity of the Faith and Order of the Gospel.
Written by John Eliot, Teacher of Roxbury in N. E. ‘Crown
8vo. 38 pages. The following is the Preface to the work.

“ Although a few Copies of this Small script are printed,
yet "it is not published, only committed privately to some godly
and able hands to be viewed, corrected, amended, or rejected,
as it shall be found to hold weight in the sanctuary ballance,
or not. And it is the humble request of the AuthOr, that
whatever objections, rectiﬁcations or emendations may oc-
curre, they may be conveyed unto him 3 who desireth nothing
may be accepted in the Churches, but what is according to the
will and minde of God, and tendeth' to holiness, peace, and
promotion of the holy kingdome of Jesus Christ. The pro.
curing of half so many copies written and correCted, Would be
more difﬁcult and chargeable than the printing of these few.
I beg the prayers as well as the pains of the precious Servants
of the Lord, that I may never have the least ﬁnger in doing
any thing that may be derogatory to the holiness and honour
of Jesus Christ and his churches. And to this I subscribe
myself, one of the least of the labourers in the Lord’s vineyard.

JOHN ELIOT.”

1668. The RiSe, Spring and Foundation of the Anabapé
tists : or the Re-Baptised of our Times. 58 pages. Quarto.

I 2 L

274 111310" or rnmrmc.

1668. God’s Terrible Voice'in the City of London, where-'6‘
in you have the Narration of the late dreadful Judgment of. -
' Plague and Fire; the former in the year 1665 andthe latter," .
in the year 1666. 32 pages. Quarto.
1668. ThekRighteous Man’s, Evidence of Heaven.- By
Timothy Rogers. Small Quarto. 1
' 1671‘ Cambridge Platform of Church Discipline. Sec-
and Edition. 40 pages. Quarto. ' ' .

1672. cc Indian Logick Primer.” .
1573- Wakeman’s Young Man’s Legacy to the Rising

Generation. A Sermon, preached on the Death of John Tap.

pin, cf Boston. 46 pages. Quarto. _

1673. Mather’s [Increase] Woe to Drunkards. Two
Sermons. 34 pages. Quarto. [Printed by Johnson] “ and
sold by Edmund Ranger, Book Binder, in Boston.” .

1674. Exhortation unto Reformation. An Election Ser- . '
man. By Samuel Torrey, of Weymouth. 50 pages. Quarto.

167 4. Cry of Sodom enquired into, upon occasionof the
Arraignment and Condemnation of Benjamin Goad, for his
' prodigious Villany. By S. D. Quarto. 30. pages.

'BARTHOLOMEW GREEN.

‘ Son of Samuel Green, by his second wife, was
in business a few years with his father at Cam-
bridge. In the year 1690, he removed to Boston,
and set up. his; press. The same year his printing ,,
house and materials. were destroyed by ﬁre, and he,
in consequence of his loss, returned to Cambridge,
and was again connected with his father. The few ' f
books which I" have seen, that were printed by his ﬂ
father and him in company, are taken notice of With
his father’s. He resumed business, in Boston, in
1692. [See printers. in Boston.)

vmrzn sun-as. 275

. BOSTON.

ABOUT forty ﬁve years from the beginning of
the settlement of Boston, a printing house was
opened, and the ﬁrst book I have found printed, in
this town, was by

JOHN FOSTER.

[Conductor of the Press.]

F0 sum was born in Dorchester, near Boston,
and educated at HarVard college, where he graduated
in 1667.

Printers at this time were considered as mere
agents to execute the typographic art; the presses
were the property of p the college, but all their .pro- .
ductions were under the control of licensers ap-
pointed by the government of the colony; that gov-
ernment had restricted printing, and conﬁned it
- solely to Cambridge, but it now authorized Foster
to set up a press in Boston. It does not appear that'
' he was bred to ”printing, or that he was acquainted
with the art ; the probability is, that he was not; but
having obtained permission to print, he employed-
workmen, carried on printing in his own name, and
was accountable to government for the productions
V of his press.

976 HISTORY or PRINTING. "

The general court, at the session in May, 1674:, "
passed the order followingm“ Whereas there is ii'
now granted that there may be a printing Presse
elsewhere than at Cambridge; for the better regu-
lation of the Presse it is ordered and Enacted that p
the Rev. Mr. Thomas Thatcher and Rev. Increase 9 I
Mather, of Boston, be added unto the former Li-
censors, and they are hereby impowered to act ac-
cordingly. ”

If Fosters printing equalled, it could not be said
to excel, that 'of Green or Johnson, either in neat- ,
ness or correctness. He printed a number of small
/ tracts for himself and others. , The earliest book
which I have seen from the press under his care,
Was published in 167 6, and the latest in 1680. He I
calculated and published Almanacks. To his Al- _
manack for 1681, he annexed an ingenious disserta- '
tion on comets, seen at Boston in November and
December 1680. 9*

He died at Dorchester, September 9, 1681, aged
thirty three years. His grave stone bears the fol.
lowing inscription, viz.

“ Astra colis vivens, moriens super athera Foster ‘
Scande precor, coelum metiri disce supremum ,
Metior atque meum est, emit mihi dives Jesus,
Nec tenior quicquam nisi grates solvere.”

In English thus,
Thou, 0 Foster, Who on earth didst study the
heavcmly bodies, now ascend above the ﬁrmament

" See Cpllections of Massachusetts Historical Society, vol
9 .--Ch10nological and topographical account of Dorchester,
«mitten by the rev. ".1 M. Harris.

UNITED suns. 277

and survey the highest heaven. -.I do survey and
inhabit this divine region. To its possessiOn I am
admitted through the grace of Jesus ; and to pay -
the debt of gratitude I hold the most sacred obli-
' . gationﬁ'e

Two poems on the death of FoSter'were printed
in 1681; one of them was written by Thomas Tile-
Stone, of Dorchester, and the other by Joseph Ca-
pen, afterwards minister of Topsﬁeld, Massachusetts.
The latter concluded with the following lines.

“ Thy body, which no activeness did lack,

N ow’s laid aside like an old Almanack;

But for the present only’s out of date,

’Twill have at length a far more active state.
Yea, though with dust thy body soiled be,

Yet at the resurrection we shall see

A fair Burton, and of matchless worth,

Free from ERRATAS, new in Heaven set forth;
’Tis but a word from G01), the great Creator,
It shall be dgne when he saith Nmpttmﬂm”

Whoever has read the celebrated epitaph, by
Franklin, on himself, will have some suspicion that
it was taken from this original.

* version. By a friend.
Foster, while living, starry orbs explor’d;
Dying, beyond their radiant‘éphere he soar’d ;
And, still admiring the Creator’s plan,
Learns the wide scope of highest heaven to scan.
Me, too, may Christ, by his rich grace, prepare
To follow, and be reunited there!

2‘78 Hrsrou or rnmrwc.‘

SAMUEL SEWALL.

[Conductor of the Press]

‘Wn E N Foster died, Boston was without the
beneﬁt of the press; but, a continuance of it in this I
place being thought necessary, Samuel Sewall, not I
a printer, but a magistrate, 8:0. a man much re.
spected, was selected as a proper person to manage _
the concerns of it, and, as such, was recommended
1 to the general court. In consequence of this rec-
ommendation the court, in October, 1681, gave
him liberty to carry on the business of printing in
Boston. The license is thus recorded.ale

“ Samuel Sewall, at the Instance of some Friends,
with respect to the accommodation of the Publick,
' being prevailed with to undertake the Management
of the Printing Presse in Boston, late under the
command of Mr. John Foster, deceased, liberty is
accordingly granted to him for the same by this
Court, and none may presume to set up any other '
Presse Without the like Liberty ﬁrst granted.” ’

Sewall became a bookseller. Books for himself
1 and others were printed at the press under his man-
agement; as were several acts and laws, with other
work for government. Samuel Green, jun. was his ‘ '
V printer. In 1682, an order passed the general court

3* Records of the Colony for 1681.

vmrnn "arms. _ , , 279

for the treasurer to pay Sewall ten pounds seventeen
shillings, for printing the election sermon, delivered
that year by the rev. mr. Torrey. I have seen sev-
eral books printed by the assignment of Sewall.

In 1684, Sewall, by some means, was unable to
conduct the press, and requested permission, of the
general court, to be released from his engagement;
this was granted; the record of his release is in the
Words following. . I V

“ Samuel Sewall, by the providence of God,
being unable to attend the press, 8:0. requested
leave to be freed from his obligations concerning it,
which was granted, with thanks for the liberty then
granted.”

In 1684, and for several subsequent years, the loss
of the charter occasioned great confusion and disor- .
der in the political concerns of the colony. Soon after
Sewall resigned his ofﬁce as conductor of the press
in Boston, he went to England ; whence he returned
in 1692. He was, undoubtedly, the same Samuel
Sewall, who, when a new charter was granted by
king William, was for many years one of the coun-
cil for the province ; .and who, in 1692, was ap-
pointed one of the judges of the superior court; in
' 1715, judge of probate; and, in 1718, chief justice
of Massachusetts. He died January 1, 1729-430,
aged seventy eight years.

280 Hrsronr or -- PRINTINc.

JAMES GLEN.

P1: I N n: n for, or by the assignment of Samuel ?
Sewall, to whom government had committed the-
management of the press after.K the death of Foster.
‘ He printed under Sewall less than two years. I”
have Seen only three or four works which bear his
name in the imprint, and these were printed for
Sewall. One was entitled,“ Covenant Keeping,
the Way to Blessedness. By Samuel Willard.”
121110. 240 pages. “ Boston: Printed by James
Glen, for S. Sewall, 1682.” I do not recollect the
titles of the others, which were pamphlets. .

" All the printing done by Glen was at Sewall’s
press} .

SAMUEL GREEN, Junior.

WAS the son, by his ﬁrst wife, of" Samuel
Green, who at that time printed at Cambridge. He
was taught the art in the printing house of his father.
His books, bear the next earliest dates to Foster’s
and Glen’s. In 1682, he printed at the press which,
by order of the general court, was under the man~ , ‘
agement of Sewall' and, for some time, by virtue of ;
an assignment from SeWall. He worked chieﬂy for
booksellers; many books printed for them are with-

UNITED STATES. ‘ 281

out the name of the printer, and some withOut date.are
After Sewall ceased to conduct the press, Green-
was permitted to continue printing, subject to the
control of the licensers.

John Dunton, a London bookseller, who visited
Boston While Green was, in business, 1n 1686, and,
after his return to England, published the history of
his oWn “ Life and Errors,” mentions Green in his
publication in the following manner.

' “ I contracted a great friendship for this man;
to name his trade, willa'convince the world he was a
man of good sense and understanding; he was so
facetious and obliging in his conversation, that I
took a great delight in his company, and made use
of his house to while away my melancholy hours.”1‘

' IDuntOn gives biographical sketches of a num-
ber of men and women whom he visited in Boston
in 1686 ; and, represents Green’s wife as a most
excellent woman, even as a model, from which to
draw “ the picture qf‘t/ze best ofwives.”i [71]

Green printed for government, and soon after
his death, the general court ordered the treasurer —to

Printers should insert in their imprints to books, newsq
papers, 8tc. not only their names, but the year, and mention
both the state and town where their presses are established.
Many towns in the United States bear the same name. Some
newspapers, and‘many books, have lately been published 1n
certain towns; and the state not being designated 1n the 1m-h
prints, in many instances it cannot be determined, especially

- by those at a distance, 1n which of the states they were printed:
tDunton’s Life and Errors. Printed at London, 1705. "P.

129. '
t Her maiden name was Elizabeth Sill. She was born in

Cambridge.
I 2 M

282 ' HISTORY or PRINTING.

pay his heirs [ 22 17, “ due him for his last print.
in 9,

g In 1690, Boston was visited with the small pox -,
before the practice of inoculation was, introduced,
this disease, at every visitation, ‘swept off a large
number of inhabitants. In July, of that year, Green .
fell a victim to that loathsome disease; he died
after an illness of three days; and, his amiable wife,
within a few days after her husband?”6 was carried
off by the same epidemic.

RICHARD PIERCE.

ON an examination of the books printed in B05-
ton before the year 1700, it appears that Richard
PierCe was the ﬁfth person. who carried on the
printing business in that place. Whether he had
been bred a printer in England, or had served an
apprenticeship with Green, at our Cambridge, . can.-

*- l am favored by Rosseter Cotton, esq. of Plymouth, with
an original letter, dated at. “ Plymouth, Aug. 5, 1690,” to his
great grandfather, the rev. John Cotton, then on a. visit to, ‘
Barnstable, from his son, which mentions, among other artior
cles of information from Boston, “ the small pox is as badas» 7
’ ever; Printer Green died, of it in Three days, his wive alsois
dead with it.” ’ Thisletter contains much news of the day; it.
states that, “ on saturday Evening about fourteen house-s, bes-
sides warehouses and Brue houses, were burnt at Boston,.from
the Mill Bridgh down half way to the Draw Bridgh.” By this,
it should seem, that at that time, there, was astreet along side
of the Mill Creek.

mu m “STATES. -% 283

not be determined. There was a printer, in Lon-
don, by the name of Richard Pierce, 111 1679; and,

it is not improbable, that he emigrated to this coun-
try, and set up his press in Boston. I have seen
some books printed by him on his own account,
and a number for bookseilers; they are mentioned
in the Catalogue of Books printed 1n America be-
fore the revolution. I have not found any thing
printed by him before 1684, or after 1690.

BARTHOLOMEW GREEN.

B. GREEN has been mentioned as a printer at
Cambridge, in connexion with his father. He be-
gan buSiness at Boston in 1690, immediately after
the death of his brother, with the best printing ap.
palatus then m the country. He was married the
same year; and, soon after, his printing house was
consumed, and his press and types entirely destroyed
by a 'ﬁre, which began in his neighborhood. This;
misfortune obliged him to return to Cambridge,
and he continued there two years, doing business in 1
company with, his father. Being again furnished
with a press and types, he reestablished himself in
Boston; and, opened a printing" house in Newbury
street. The 'imprint to several of the ﬁrst books
from his press, is, “ Boston : Printed by B. Green,
at the South End of the Town ”

In April, 1704, he began the publication of a
newspaper, entitled “ The Boston News-Letter.

284 HISTORY or PRINTING.

Published by Authority.” It was printed weekly; r
on Mondays, for John Campbell, postmaster, Who
was the proprietor. After - the ,News-Letter had-
been printed eighteen years for Campbell, Green ’
published it on his own account.

This newspaper was the. ﬁrst printed 1n the
British colonies of North America; and, had been
published ﬁfteen years, before any other work of- the
' kind made- its appearance. It was continued by '
Green, and his successors, until the year 17 7 6,
When the British troops evacuated Boston. [a]

After his father’s death, Bartholomew Green
printed'for the college; and he was, for nearly forty
years, printer to the governor and council of Massa-
chusetts. He was the .most distinguished printer
of that period, in this country; and did more busi-
ness than any other of the profession, but, he work.
ed chieﬂy for the booksellers.*

John Allen was concerned with Green 1n print.
ing many books, in the imprints of which both
their names appeared; there was not, however, a
regular partnership between them.['

Through the whole course of his life , Green
was distinguished for piety and benevolence , he
was highly respected; and, for many years, held

1* Although Green was printer to the governor and coun-
cil, yet, the acts and laws printed by him were done for a.
booksellel, Benjamin Elliot, from 1703 to 1729, as appears
from the imprints.

1' The books printed by him, and by him and Allen, will
appear in a Catalogue of Books printed in America before the ,
Revolution, now p1 eparing for the press,

UNITED STATES. 285

the oﬂice of ' a ‘deacon in the Old South churchin
Boston. He died December 28,1732. 1
The following character of him is extracted
from The Boston News-Letter, of January 4, 1733.
‘-‘ Bartholomew Green was a person generally
known and esteemed among us, as a very humble
and exemplary christian, one who had much Of that
primitive Christianity in him which has always been
the distinguishing glory of New-England. We
may further remember his eminency for a strict ob-
serving the Sabbath; his household piety , his keep-
ing close and diligent to the Work of his calling;
. his meek and peaceable spirit, his caution of pub-
lishing any thing offensive, light or hurtful; and
his tender sympathy to the poor and afﬂicted. He
always spoke of the wonderful spirit of piety that
prevailed in the land in his youth, with a singular
_ pleasure.” [See Hstory qf' Nmspapers in the '
second volume oft/m work. J

JOHN ALLEN.

. I HAVE not seen any book with his name in the”
* - imprint, published earlier than the year 1690. ‘ He
printed, sometimes in connexion with Bartholomew
Green, and sometimes with Benjamin Harris; but
was not in regular partnership with either. ' There
is no evidence that he had printing materials of his
own until 1707 ; at this time he opened a printing
house in Pudding lane, near the postoiﬁce, and did
' business on his own account. In November, of _

286 , HISTORY or PRINTING.

this year, he began printing The Boston NeWs-Let-
‘ter, for the proprietor, mr. Campbell, postmaster. ‘
Soon after this event he published the following ad-
vertisement, viz.

“ These are to give Notice, that there lately
came from London a Printing Press, with all sorts
- of good neW Letter, which IS now set up in Pudding
Lane near the Post-Ofﬁce in Boston for publick
Ilse: Where all persons that have any thing to print
may be served on reasonable terms.”

Allen printed The News-Letter four years ,
when a ﬁre, which consumed most of the buildings
in Cornhill, and many in King street, Queen street,
and the contiguous lanes, 18 supposed to have burnt
his printing house. The ﬁre broke out on the
evening of the 2d of October, 1711. [p] On the
preceding day he had printed The NEWS~L€ttCr;
but, on the next week, that paper was again printed
.by Green; or, as the imprint runs, “ Printed in
Newbury-Street, for John Campbell, Post-Master.”
I have seen a number of books, printed after this
time, by Allen alone, the last of which 15 Whitte-
more ’3 Almanack, bearing the date of 1724.

While he was connected with Green, and pre—
vious to 1708, the acts, laws, proclamations, &c. of
government, were printed by them, and Allen’s
name appeared with Green’s as “ Printers to the
'Governour and Council. ” . Allen printed no book, /
that I have seen, on his own account, all the busi- .‘
ness he eXecuted, in the line of his profession, Was
for booksellers. He was from England. There IS
in an ancient library 111 Boston, a copy of Increase .

UNITED s'rA'rss. . 1 \ 287

Mather’s Mystery of Israel’s Libation, printed in ‘
London, by John Allen, in 1669. It is supposed '
that he came to Boston by encouragement from the
Mathers.

BENJAMIN HARRIS.

Hrs printing house was, “ over against the Old .
Meeting House in Cornhill.”* He removed sev-
eral times; and, once sprinted “ at. the London
1' Coffee-House,” which I believe he kept, in King’s

street; at another time in C ornhill, “ over against
the Blew Anchor.” The last place of his residence-
I ﬁnd mentioned, was in Cornhill, “ at the Sign of
the Bible.”
He printed, principally, for booksellers, but he
did some work on his own account. He kept a
shop, and sold books. I have not met with any
~book of his. printing earlier than 1690, nor later
than 1694. In 1692 and 1693, he printed The
Acts and Laws of Massachusetts—they contained
about one hundred'and thirty pages, folio, to Which
the 'charter was preﬁxed. The imprint is, “ Boston :
Printedby Benjamin Harris, Printer to his Excel-
lency' the Governour and Council.” His commis‘
sion from governor Phips, to print them, is pub,-

* This church was burnt down in the great ﬁre of 1711 ;

but was soon rebuilt, on a new site, a number of rods to the

: south of the spot where the old building stood, and was, for
many years, known by the name of “the Old Brick ;” which,

‘* in 1808, was taken down, a new church having beenerected'
3 for the society in Summer street. 1 i

288 , HISTORY or rnrnrmc.

lished opposite to the title page of the volume 1n the
Words following.

. “ By his Excellency. ——-I order Benjamin Harris
to print the Acts and Laws made by the Great and
General Court, or Assembly of Their Maj esties
Province of Massachusetts-Bay in New- England,
that so the people may be informed thereof. .

WILLIAM PHIPS.
. “ Boston, December 16,1692. ”

In the title page of the laws, printed by him in
1693, is a handsome cut of their majestie‘s’varms.
This Was in the reign of William and Mary. ‘

.1 Harris was from London; he returned there
aboutthe year 1694. Before and after ‘his emigra-
tion to America, he owned a considerable bookstore
in that city. John Dunton’ s account of him is
thus.

“ He had been a brisk aSserter of English Lib-
erties, and once printed a Book with that very title.
He sold a protestant Petition in King Charles’s
Reign, for which he was ﬁned ﬁve Pounds , and he,
was once set in the Pillory, but his wife (like a kind.
Rib) stood by him to defend her Husband against
the Mob. After this (having a deal of Mercury In
his natural temper) he travelled to New-England,
where he followed Bookselling, and z then Coﬁ'ee-
selling, and then Printing, but continued Ben. Har- .
, ris still, 'and is now both Bookseller and Printer in
Grace Church Street, as we ﬁnd by his London
Post , so that his Conversation 15 general (but never ;
impertinent) and his Wit pliable to all inventions.
But yet his Vanity, if he has any, gives no alloy to
his tiVV it, and is no more than might justly spring -

mum: suns. .289

from conscious virtue, and I do him but justice 1n
this part of his Characterkfor 1n once travelling with
him from Bury- Fair, I found him to be the most
ingenious and innocent Companion, that I had ever
met with. ”9*

TIMOTHY GREEN.

WAs the son of Samuel Green, junior, of Bos~
. ton, and grandson 0f Samuel Green of Cambridge.
The earliest books, which I have met withof
his printing, bear date in 1700. He had a printing
house at the north part of the town, in Middle street,
nEar Cross street. He printed and sold some books
on his own account, but, as was customary, printed
principally for booksellers. The imprint to some
of his books is, “ Boston : Printed by Timothy
Green, at the North Part of the Town.” I have .
'seen other b00ks printed at the same time by his
uncle BartholOmeW, with this imprint,“ Boston .
Printed by B. Green, at the South Part of the
, .

~ *yDunton’s Life and Errors, printed in London, 1705.
Dunton was an‘ English bdokseller, who had been in Boston;
he was bred to this business by Thomas Parkhurst, who pub-
lished Mather’s Magnalia, and other books for Newengland
ministers. Dunton had a knowledge of the booksellers, in
England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, and Newengland; and ‘
published a sketch of their -.~characters. [See Booksellers,
Boston.) ’ ‘

I 2N.

290 His't'omr or mixture.

Tom.” Although several printers had succeeded .
each other, there had never been more than two
printing house‘s open at the same time 111 Boston ,
and, at this period, it does not appear that the num-
ber was encreased. ,
T. Green continued in business,’ at Boston,
until 1714. He then received encouragement from
.. the general assembly of Connecticut, and removed ‘ ‘
his press to Newlondon. [See printers in Comm-a.

' tic-uh]

_ JAMES PRINTER, ”alias Jams In}: PRINTER: 7'

TH 1 5 man was an Indian native; born at an
Indian town called Hossanamesitt, 9* now the town
‘of Grafton, 1n the county of Worcester, Massachu- '
V ' setts. His father was a deacon of the church of“
Indian ' Christians established in that place. ‘ James '
. had two brothers; the one, named Anaweakin, was
'4 their ruler; the other, named ‘TarkuppaWillin, was
their teacher; they were all esteemed on account of
- their piety, and considered as the principal persons
of that Indian village. 1‘
James, When a child, was taught at the Indian

, _ charity sChool, at Cambridge, to read and write the

English language, where, probably, he reoeived the
’Chrlstian name of James.

i “'2 Signifying 'a place of small stones.
1 Major Daniel Geokin’ s account of the Indians m N eWc
' england.

UNITED stunts 391.

In 1659, he was put apprentice to Samuel Green,
printer, in that place, which “gave” him the surname
of Printer. Green " instructed him in the art of
Printing; and, whilst his apprentice, employed him
as a pressman, 8:9. in, printing the ﬁrst edition of
the Indian B11313!

A war taking place between James’ s country-
men and the white people, James, ﬁred with a spark
of the amor— patrice, left his master secretly, and
joined his brethren 1n arm. A number of skir—
mishes were fought. in all * 'which the Indians were
repulsed with loss; they, in consequence, became ‘
disheartened; and, the associated tribes separated,
and retired to their respective places of residenoe;
at which time, 1676, the government of Massachu-
setts issued a proclamation, or, as Hubbard, in his _
Narrative of the Indian Wars, terms it,“ Put forth
a Declaration, that whatsoever Indians should With,-
in fourteen days next ensuing, some in to the Eng!-
lish, might hope for mercy. Amongst sundry who
came in, there was one named James the Printer, -
the superaclded Title distinguishing him [from others
of that name, who being a notorious dpostatt’, that
had learned so much of the English. as not 0111th -
' read. and write, but had attained some skill in print,- '
ing, and might have attained more, had he not like
a ﬂzlsc wllaz'n run away (from his Master before his
time was out; he having sew and read] the said

Declaration of the English, did venture himself
' upon the Truth thereof, and came to sue for his
life; he afﬁrmed with others that came. along with
him, that more Indians had died since the War he-
gall of-Vdiseases (such as at other times they used

292 HISTORY OF ”PRINTING.
not to be acquainted withal) than by the sword of
the English. ”9* '

In this War, the Narraganset Indians lost their
celebrated chief, king Philip, of Mount Hope; after
which the colony enjoyed great tranquillity. > _

James, it is supposed, remained in and near ,
Boston, till 1680; and, doubtless, worked at the-
printing business, either with his former master, at /
Cambridge, or with Foster, who had lately set ‘up a
I press, the ﬁrst established in Boston, and must have
well known James, who lived with Green when
Foster was at college.

i [In .1680, he was engaged with Green at Cam-
\ bridge in printing the second edition of the Indian
Bible. The rev. John Eliot, in a letter to the hon.
Robert Boyle at London, dated March, 1682—3,
observes reSpecting this second edition, “ I desire
to see it done before I die, and I am so deep 1n,
years, that I cannot expect to live long , besides,
we have but one man, viz. the Indian Printer, that '
‘ is able to compdSe the Sheets, and cOrreot the Press _
with understanding.” '

In another letter, dated “ Roxbury, April 22
' . 1684 ” to the hon. mr. Boyle, from the reverend
-.mr. Eliot, he mentions, “ We present your honours

"With one book, so far as we have gone in the work, ;
and humbly beseech that it may be acceptable till
the WhOle Bible 1s ﬁnished; and then the whole 1m- :
Lpress1on (WhiCh 13 two thousand) 1s at your honours

' Hubbard’s Narrative of the Troubles with the Indians' in
» Newangland, 8m. 4to. edition , “ printed by Authority ” at
'Bpston, 1677, p. 96 ‘ ' , '

UNITED srATns. _ 7 293

command. Our slow progress needeth an apology.
We have been much hindered by the sickness the
last year. Our workmen have been all sick, and we 1
have but few hands (at printing). ‘one Englishnian,”
and a boy, and one Indian ;* and many interrup. '
tions and diversions do befall us, and we ‘could do
but little this very hard Winter.” '

We hear no more of ”James until 1709, whenan
edition of the Psalter, in the Indian and English ,
languages, made its appearance with the following
imprint. ——-“ Boston, N. E. Printed by B. Green
and J. Printer, for the Honourable Company for the
Propagation of the -Gospel.amongst the Indians in
N ew—England ”-'-In Indian thus, l/Ibprz'nt/zonzune
neau B. Green, [ca/z J. Printer, wutc/ze qu/ziantamwe
Chapanukkeg wutclze onche/ctouunnat wunnaunc/z-
ummookaonk ut New-England. 1709. T

Some of James s descendants were not "long
since living in GraftOn , they bore the Surname of
Prz‘nter. -

“ Undoubtedly 1. Printer.

1' Bartholomew Green was the son‘ of James’s former mas-
ter; James was Well known among all the neighboring tribes ;‘
and, one motive for employing him in printing this Psalter,‘
might have been, to excite the greater attention among the
Indians, and give it a wider circulation; beside, his knowl-
edge of both languages, enabled him to expedite the work!
with more facility and correctness than any other person.

Several books were, about this’ time, translated into the
Indian language, and printed, which might have afforded em.
f ployment to James , but I have seen only the Psalter with his

name as the printer. ,

2% arsronr or - rnmrmc.

V THOMAS (FLEET.

. 'WAs born ' in England and there bred to the
Printing business. When young 'he took an ass,
I tive part in opposition to the high church party.
On some publick procession, probably that of (11‘.
Sacheverel, when many of the zealous members of
the high church decorated their doors and windows
with garlands, as the heads of their party passed in
the streets, Fleet is said to have hung out of his
window an ensign of contempt, which inﬂamed the
' resentment of his opponents to that degree, that he
was obliged to secrete himself from their rage, and

to embrace the ﬁrst opportunity to quit his country.
’ He arrived at Boston about the year 1712, and
V soon opened a printing house in Pudding Lane,
now Devonshire Street. The earliest book I have

seen of his printing, bears date 1713. He was a
good workman; was a book printer, and he and T.
Crump were concerned 1n printing some books tog
gether. '

But the principal performances of Fleet, until
he began the publication of a news paper, consisted
of pamphlets, for booksellers, small books for Chile
. dren and ballads. He made a proﬁt on the latter,
. which was sufﬁcient to support his family reputa-
bly. , He Owned several negroes, one of which
worked at the printing business, both at the press
and at setting types ; he was an ingenious man, and
cut, on, wooden blocks, all the pictures which deco-

, own-11:11 smut. - ' 29$

rated the ballads and smail‘booksofhis manner;
Fleet had also two negro hoysbom in his home;
5011’s, I believe, to the man just mentioned, Whom
he brought up to work ,at press and case; one 11am.
ed Pompey and the other Cesar ; they were " young
when their master died; but, they remained in the
family and eondnued to iabor regulaﬂy in the print-
.ing house with the sons of mr. Fleet, who succeeded
their father, until the constitution of Massachusetts,
adopted 111 1780, made them freemen.

Fleet continued printing, in Pudding 1m, till
early 1n .1731, he then hired a handsome housein
C ornhili, on the north comer of Water street, Which
he afterward purchased; and occupied it through
the residue of his life. He erected a sign of the
Heart and Crown, which he never aitered; but after
his death, when crowns became unpopular, his son's
changed the (hem for a Bible, and let the Heart
remafm. Fieet’s new house was spacious and con.
tained "sufﬁcient room, for the accommodation of his
famiiymnd "the prosecution of his printing business,
beside a convenient shap, and a good chamber for
an auction room. He held his vendues 1n the eve»
ning, and sold books, household goods, &c. as ap-
pears by the following advertisement which he in-j
selted m the Boston Weekly NeWs-Letter, March
,7th, 1731. ’

“ This is to give Notice to ail Gentlemen,
Merchants, Shopkeepers and others, that Thomas
Fleet of Boston, Printer, (Who formerly kept his

Printing House 1n Pudding Lane but is nowlre-~
moved into ComhiI-l at the sign of the Heart 8:
Crown, near the lower end of Schbol Street,) is

298 HIsronY or PRINTING.

willing to undertake the Sale of Books, Household
Goods, Wearing Apparel, or any other} Merchan’a
dize, by Vendue, or Auction. The said Fleet hav-
-ing a large 8t cOmmodious Front Chamber ﬁt for
this Busmess, and a Talent well known and ap-
,. Cproved, doubts not of giving entire Satisfaction to 55
I such as may employ him In it; he hereby engaging
»- to make it appear that this Service may be per-;.
formed with more Convenience and less Charge at a 1
private House well situated, than ata Tavern. And, _
for further Encouragement, said Fleet promises to i
make up Accompts with the Owners of the Goods?
. _ Sold by him, 1n a few Days after the sale thereof.”
In‘ September 1731, a new periodical paper was
published in Boston, entitled,’ “ The Weekly Re-
hearsal ;” intended, principally, to contain Essays,
-Moral, Political and Commercial)‘6 John Draper
. was ﬁrst employedto print the Rehearsal fOr the ed.
' itor, but soon relinquished it, and Fleet succeeded
. him as the printer of it; and, in April, 1733, he
published the Rehearsal on his own account. It
‘ was then, and had, in fact, from the beginning,
been no more than a weekly newspaper; but, while
' in the management of Fleet, it was the best paper at:
that time published in Newengland. In August,
” 1735, Fleet changed The Weekly Rehear'sal into
. The Boston Evening Post. The last number of the
, Rehearsal was 201, and the ﬁrst number of the Eve-
Ding ’Post was 202, which shews that the Evening
Post was then intended to be a continuation of the

‘ See Rehearsal, in the History of Newspapers in this
work. , , .

- . 1.1mm]: srarrs. ._ VI 297

r Rehearsal but the next Boston Evening Post Was
numbered 2, and became a new hebdomadal paper,
which was published every Monday evening. ' ..
« , Fleet was industrious and economical, cfree
frbm superstition; and, posseSsed a fund of wit and
humor, Which were often displayed in his para- '
"graphs and advertisements. The members of F leet’s
family, although they were very worthy, good peo.
ple, were not, all of them, remarkable for the pleas“-
antness of their countenances ; on which account he
would, sometimes, indulge himself. in jokes which
were-rather coarse, at their expense. He once in.
vited an intimate friend to dine with him on Pam‘s 3
..a kind of ﬁsh of which the gentleman was remar .1
bly fond. When dinner appeared, the guest re.-
'marked that the pouts Were wanting.“ 0 :no, ”
said Fleet, “ only look at my wife and daughters.”

The following is an advertisement of Fleet, for
the sale of a negro woman—wit is short and pithy,
viz.-—-——“ To, be sold by the Printer of this paper, the
.very best Negro Woman in this Town, who has
had the small pox and the measles ; is as hearty as
a Horse, as brisk as a Bird, and will work like a
Beaver. Aug.23,1742.”

In number 56 of The Boston Evening Post, .
, Fleet published the following paragraph, under the
1 Boston head. —-—“ We have lately received from an
:1 intelligent and worthy Friend 111 a neighboring Gov- ‘
“if ernment, to the Southward of us, the following re-
9 markable Piece of NeWs, which we beg our Read-
-: ers Patience to hear, viz. That the printer there
gets a great. deal of Money, has Twen ty Mailings

j for every Advertisement published 1n his N ews-Pa- '
s 1 '2 O

 

\

298 HISTORY or mmrnrc.

per, calls Us F 0015 for working for nothing, and has
lately purchased an Estate of Fourteen Hundred
Pounds Value} We should be heartily glad (had
we Cause for it) to return our Friend a like surpriz--
ing Account of the Printers. Prosperity here. But
alas! the reverse of our Brother’s Circumstances
seems hereditary to Us .- It is well known we are
the most. humble, self-denying Set. of Mortals (we
wish we could say Men) breathing; for where thEre
is "a Penny to be got, we readily resign it up to
those who are no Ways related to the Business, nor
have any Pretence or Claim to the Advantages
of it.1' And whoever has observ’d our Conduct
hitherto, has Reason endugh to think, that we hold
it a mortal Crime to make any other Use of our
Brains and Hands, than barely to help us
“ To. purchase homely Fare, and fresh small Beer

(Hard Fate indeed, we can’t have b‘étter Cheer!)
And buy anew Blue Apron once a year.t

' “ But as we propose in a short Time 'to publish a
Dissertation upon the mean and humble state of the '-‘
Printers of this Town, we shall Say no more at pres-

* This friend, it is supposed, was James Franklin,
nephew to" dr. Benjamin Franklin, who was established in
Rhodeisland; and, ,at that time, the paper currency of that
colony was greatly depreciated.

1 Two or three of the Boston newspapers were then
printed for postmastcrs, or past postmasters; and printing in
general was done for booksellers. Master printers had but a
little more proﬁt on their labor than journeymen.

1 It was usual then, and for many years after, for printers,
when at work, to wear blue or green cloth aprons; and it
would have been well if this practice- had‘ not been laid aside.

vmrw suns 29-9,

ent uptm this important Subject,'.and humblyask
Pardon for so large a Digression. Only We would.
inform, that in this most necessary Work, we are
promised the Assistance of a worthy Friend and
able Casuist, who says he doubts not but that he
shall easily make it appear, even to the Satisfaction
of the Printers themselves, that they may be as good
Christians,ale as useful Neighbors, and as loyal Sub-
jects, altho’ they should sometimes feed upon Beef

and Pudding, as they have hitherto approved them- .
selves by their most rigid abstemious way Of living.” >

In February 1744, a comet made its appearanbe
and excited much alarm. Fleet on this occasion
published the following remarks. '

“ The Comet now rises about ﬁve o’Clock in
the Morning, and appears very large and bright, '
and of late it has been seen (with its lucid Train) in
the Day-Time, notwithstanding the Luster of the
Sun. This uncommon Appearance gives much
Uneasiness to timorous People, especially PVomen,
Who will needs have it, that it portends some dread.
ful Judgments to this our Land : And if, from the
Apprehension of deserved Judgments, we should be. ,
induced to abate of our present Pride and Extrava-
gance, 8m. and should become more humble, peace-
able and charitable, honest and just, industrious and -
frugal, there will be Reason to think, that the Com-
et is the most proﬁtable Itinerant Preachert and .

3' Most of the printers" in Boston, at that time, were mem-
bers of the Church; to which Circumstance Fleet, probably,
alluded. ‘

t Preachers of this Class, who with their adherents were vul-
gar-1y called New Lights, were then frequent in and about Boston.

800 Hrsronv or PRINTING.

friendly New Light that has yet appeared among us.” 1,
[Even. Port. No 446. J F
Fleet had often occasion to complain of the de-"
linquency of his customers in making payment for
The Evening Post; and, in reminding them of their '
deﬁciency, he sometimes indulged himself in seVer—
ity of remark, that men of great religious professions
and service, should neglect to pay him his just de-
mands. One of his dunning advertisements is as
1, follows, .
“ It will be happy for many People, if Injustice,
ExtOrtion and Oppression are found not to be '
Crimes at the last; which seems now by their
Practice to be their settled ’Opinion: And it "would
be "wéll for the Publisher of this Paper, if - a great .
. many of his Customers were not of the same Senti- ,
ments. Every one, almost, thinks he has a Right
to read NeWs ; but few ﬁnd themselves inclin’d to
pay for it. ’T 1s great pity a Soil that will bear [’2'- .
ety so well, should not produce a tolerable Crop of .
, Common Honesty.” [Even Post. No. 690. Oct.
1748. ]
h The preceding eXtracts from The Evening Post,
are sufﬁcient to enable our readers to form some ac- '
quaintance with the publisher of that paper , and, ‘
When they consider the time when the extracts were
published, they will be the more pleased with his
independence of cha1 acter. * .
Fleet published The Evening Post until his
death and his sons continued it till the memorable
battle at Lexington, 111 17 75, the commencement of- _
the revolutionaiy war, when its publication ceaSed. ‘1
He was printer to the house, of representatives in .

. UNITED STATES»; , i 301

1729,1730. and.1731. ' He died in July 1758;251ng
seventy three years ;' was possessed [of a hand-
some property,'an‘d left a Widow, three sons and two
daughters. One of the sons, and the two daugh-
ters were never married.

TCRUMP

THE ﬁrst book I have seen with Crump s name
in it, was printed 111 1716 by T. Fleet and him.
Fleet and Crump printed several bOOks together,
but never, I believe, formed a regular partnership.
It seems to have been the custom With master- print-
ers in Boston, at that time, when their business was
on a very small scale, instead of hiring those who
had served a regular apprenticeship to the trade, as
journeymen, to admit them as temporary partners
in work, and to draw a proportion of the proﬁt.
For example—a—two printers agreed to a joint agency
in printing a book, and their names appeared in the
imprint; if One of them was destitute of types, he
allowed the other ’for the use of his printing mate-
rials, the service of apprentices, 81c. ”and when the
book came from the press, the bdokseller [most _
books were then printed for booksellers] paid each
’of the printers the sum due for his proportion of the
work ; and the connexion ceased until a contract
was formed for a new job. This method accounts
for facts of which. many haVe taken 110tiC’e, viz.
books appear to have been ‘printedthe same year by

302 HISTORY or PRINTING.

T. Fleet and T. Crump, and by T. Fleet separate}
1y ; and. so of others.-—-This was the case with:
Samuel Green andMarmaduke Johnson, at Cam.
bridge. Their names appear together in the im.
print of a book, and in the same year the name of
S. Green appears alone. The same thing took
place with Bartholomew Green and John Allen, and
with Benjamin Harris and. John Allen: Allen’s
name often appeared with 'Green’s, and sometimes
withHarris’s; but still oftener the names of Green
and 'Harris appear alone in the books issued from
their respeCtive printing houses. I can recollect
that, when a lad, I knew several instances of this
kindof partnership.

Crump, after his connexion with Fleet, printed
~ some books, in which his name only appears in the
imprints. He did but little business. I have not
seen any thing printed by him after the year 1718.

SAMUEL KNEEL‘AN D.

BEGAN- business about the year 1718. His
printing house was in Prison lane,* the corner of
Dorset’s alley. i This building was occupied for
eighty years as a printing house by Kneeland and
those who succeeded him; but it is now ﬁlled with
oﬂices occupied by gentlemen of the law.

He was born in Boston, and served an appren-
ticeship with Bartholomew Green. He had res-

* Now Court Street.

mnrzn swarms. - 303

pectabie friends, Who, soon after he became of age,
furnished him with means to procure printing ma-
terials.

Kneeland was a good workman, industrious in
his business, and punctual to his engagements.
Many books issued from his press for himself and
for booksellers, before and during his partnership
with Timothy Green, the second printer of that
name.

William Brooker, being appointed postmaster
at Boston, he, on Monday, December 21st,1719,_
began the publication of another newspaper in that
place. This was the second published 1n the Brit-
ish colonies, in North America, and was entitled
“ The Boston Gazette.” James Franklin was
originally employed as the printer of this paper; '
but, in two or three months after the publication
commenced, Philip Musgrave was appointed post-
master, and became the proprietor of it. He took
the printing of it from Franklin, and gave it to
Kneeland.

In 1727, a new postmaster became proprietor of
the Gazette, and the printer of it was again changed.
Soon after this event, in the same year, Kneeland
commenced the "publication of a fourth newspaperﬁ‘
entitled, “ The New-England Journal.” This was
the second newspaper in Newengland published by
a printer on his own account. In four months af.
ter the establishment of this paper, Kneeland form-

“ The New-England Courant had been printed several
years before, but at this time was discontinued. .

I304 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

ed a partnership with Green already mentioned, mm
of that) TimothyGreen who, some years before, m»
movedto N evVlondbn. The ﬁrm was

Ezeeland and Green.

When this partnership took place, Kneeland '
Opened a bookshop in King, now State street, on his f”
own account, and Green managed the business of -
the printing, house for their mutual interest. After
attending to bookselling, for four or\ ﬁve years,
Kneeland gave up his shop, returned to the printing”
house, and took an active part in all its concerns. “

.They continued the publication of The New;
. Englanvaournal, near ﬁfteen years; when, on the
decease of the proprietor of the Boston Gazette, his
heirs, for a small consideration, resigned that paper.
to Kneeland and Green. They united the two paf
pers under the title of “ The Boston Gazette, and,
weekly Journal” '

The partnership of Kneeland and Green was
continued for tWenty ﬁve years. In 1752, in con- .1
sequence of the father of Green, in Newlondon, hav-;_;
ing become aged and inﬁrm, the partnership was;
dissolved, and Green removed to that place, Where ,

he assumed his father’ 3 business.

The concerns of the printing house were, after};
Green Went to Connecticut, continued by Kneelandf
with his accustomed energy. Soon after the disso-Zggji
lutiOn of their, partnership, The Boston Gazette and
Weekly Journal was discontinued; and Kneeland,
when a few months had elapsed, began another papen '

UNITED suns.- .806

entitled, “ The Boston Gazette, or Weekly Adver~
tiser. 9*

The booksellers of this time were. enterprising.
Kneeland and Green printed, principally for Daniel
.Henchman,an edition of the Bible in small 4to.
This was the ﬁrst Bible printed, in the English lan.
guage, in America. It was carried through the press
as privately as possible, and had the London imprint
of the copy from which it was reprinted, viz. “ Lone-
don: Printed by Mark Baskett, Printer to the King’s
Most Excellent Maj esty,” in order to prevent a pros-
ecution from those, 1n England and Scotland, who
published the Bible by a patent from the crown, or,
.Cum privilegio, as did the English universities of
Oxford and Cambridge. When I was 'an apprenu
tice, I often heard those who had assisted at the case
and press in printing this Bible, make mention of
the fact. The late governor Hancock was related
to Henchman, and knew the particulars of the trans-
action. He possessed a copy of this impression.
'As it' has a London imprint, at this day it can be
distinguished from an English. edition, of the same
date, only .by those who are acquainted with the
niceties of typography. - This Bible issued fmm
the press about the time that the partnership of
Kneeland and Green expired. The edition was not
large; I have been informed that it did not exceed .
seven or eight hundred copies.

_ Not long after the time that this 1mpression of the
Bible came from the press, an edition of the New
Testament, in duodecimo, was printed by Rogers

' See Newspapers. .
I 2 P,

306 HISTORY or PRINTING.

and Fowle, for those, at whose expense the Bible ~
issued. Both the Bible and the Testament were
Well executed. These were heavy undertakings for
that day, but Henchman was a man of property;
and, it is said, that several other principal booksel-
lers, in Boston, were concerned with him in this.
business. The credit of this edition of the Testa-
ment was, for the reason I have mentioned, trans. ‘
ferred to the king’s printer, in London, by the in-
sertion of his imprint. \

Kneeland was, for a great length of time, printer
to the governor and council, and during several '
years he printed the acts, laws and journals of the .
housdf of representatives. He was diligent, and
worked at case when far advanced in years. The
books he published were chieﬂy on religious sub-
jects; he printed some political pamphlets. He
was independent in his circumstances; a mem.
ber of the Old South church; and, was a pious,
friendly, and benevolent man. He left four sons,
all of whom were printers; two of them, whose
names were Daniel and John, set up a press, in part
nership, before their father’s death; but the other
two neverwere in business on their own account.

He died December 14th, 1769, aged seventy
three years. The following is extracted from the
Evening Post of December 18th, 1769.

“ Last Thursday died, after a long indisposition,
Mr. Samuel Kneeland, formerly, for many years,
an eminent Printer in this Town. He sustained
the character of an upright man and a good Chris.
tian, and as such was universally esteemed. He
continued in business till through age and bodily

UNITED s-rA'res. 307

Inﬁrmities he was obliged to quit it. His Funeral
was very respectfully attended on Saturday Evening
last‘ 2’

JAMES FRANKLIN.

WA 3 the brother of the celebrated .dr. Benjamin
Franklin. He was born in Boston, Where his father,
who was a respectable man, carried on the business ,
of a tallow chandler, at the Blue Ball, corner of
Union street. With this brother dr. Franklin liv-
ed several years, as an apprentice, and learned the
art of Printing. I have been informed that James
Franklin served an apprenticeship with a printer in
England, Where his father was b01 n, and had con-
nexions.

In March, 17%,?“ J. Franklin came from London
with a press and types, and began business in Bos-
ton. At ﬁrst he printed a few pamphlets for book,
sellers. In 1719, a postmaster was appointed, who

* Before the new stile took place in 17 52, there was much
confusion respecting dates, particularly in regard to the months
of January'and February. Some writers began the year in
January, and others ‘in March. The difﬁculty was to deter-
mine whether January and February closed an 0ch year, or
began a new one. It became necessary to have some medc,‘
by which it might be known to what. year January and February
belonged, wherever these months were mentioned. For this
purpose the following method was adopted—During January,-
February, and to the 22d of March, the ”year was thus marked,
1716-17, or 17%, meaning, that by the ancient mode of cedar

3.08 HISTORY or nmrmc.

established a second newspaper; for until this time
The Boston N ews-Letter was the only paper which
had been published in British America. The title
of the new paper was, “ The Boston Gazette,” and
J. Franklin was employed to print it ;* but, within
'seven months, Philip Musgrave, being appointed to
the postoﬂice, became the pr0prietor of the Gazette,
and employed another printer; and Franklin oth-
erwise employed his press until August 6, 1721;
when, encouraged by a number of respectable char.
acters, who were desirous of having a paper of a dif-~
ferent cast from those then published, he began the '

ublication, at his oWn risk, of a third newspaper,
entitled, “ The New-England Courant.” Frank-
lin’s father and many of his friends were inimical to
this undertaking. They supposed that one newspa-
per was enough for the whole continent; and they

lating, the month mentioned belonged to; the year 1716; but,
by the new calculation, to the year 1717. After the 22d of
March there was no difficulty; for by both calculations, the
succeeding months were included in the new year.

'1 Dr. Franklin, in writing his life, was incorrect in assert-
‘ ing, that the Courant was the second newspaper published in
America. There were three papers published at that time, viz...
ﬁrst, The. Boston News-Letter ; secondly, The Boston Ga.
zette ;. and, the third was The American Mercury, published
at Philadelphia; of course the Courant was the fourth. The
doctor probably fell into this mistake, from his knowledge that
his brother ﬁrst printed the Gazette, which, in fact, was the. =
second paper published in Boston. The doctor seems to have
mentioned the events of his youth from recollection only;
therefore, we cannot wonder if he erred in respect to some
circumstances of minor importance. In more, material COD! ‘
gems, he was substantially correct. ‘ '

UNITED STATES. 309

apprehended that another must occasion absolute
ruin to the printer. Franklin, notwithstanding their
remonstrances, proceeded.

This weekly publication, like the others issued
in Boston, contained only a foolscap half sheet, but
occasionally was enlarged to a whole sheet. The
patrons of this paper formed themselves 1nto a club,
and furnished it with short original essays, generally
one for each week, in imitation of the Spectator and
other periodical publications of that class. These
essays soon brought the Courant into notice, the
rigid puritans warmly opposed it; but men of dif-
ferent sentiments supported it. Among others, the
rev. Increase Mather, who was one of F ranklin’s
ﬁrst subscribers, very soon denounced The Cour.
ant, by an advertisement in The Boston Gazette,
N o. 1 14. *6

The Courant contained very little news, and but
few advertisements. It took a decided part against
the advocates of inoculation for the small pox,
which was then beginning to be introduced—-it was,
hostile to the clergy, and to some of the most inﬂu-
ential men in civil government; and, it attacked
some of the religious opinions of the day , in con-
sequence, frequent assaults were made upon its
writers, and, in their defence, they abounded more
in severe, and not always the most reﬁned, satire,
than in argument. While, therefore, the Courant I
gained a currency with one part of the community, 1
it excited the resentment of another, and soon at-
tracted the notice of government. I

__l

* For this advertisement, see History of Newspaper»...
Boston.

310 Elston-r or PRINTING.

Franklin had not published The New England
Courant twelve months, before he was taken into
custody, publicly censured, and imprisoned four
weeks, by the government, for publishing What
were called “ Scandalous Libels,” 8m. 9*

Being released from his conﬁnement, he con-
tinued the publication of the Courant until Jan-,-
nary 14, 1723, when an order of council, in which
the house of representatives concurred, directed,
“That James Franklin be strictly forbidden by this
Court to Print or Publish the New England Cour.
ant, or any Pamphlet or Paper of the like Nature,
except it be ﬁrst supervised by the Secretary of
this Province”? This order, this stride of despo-
am, could, it seems, at that time, be carried into
eﬁ'ect; but, at this day, a similar attempt would
excite indignation, or. a contemptuous smile.

Franklin was not inclined to subject his paper
to licensers of the press, and he was." unwilling to
stop the publication of it; but, he dared not pro.
wed in deﬁance of the order of the legislature.
‘ The club wished for the continuance of the paper ;
and, a consultation on the subject was holden in
Franklin’s. printing house, the result of which was,
that to evade the order of the legislature, the New
England Courant should, in future, be published
by Benjamin Franklin, then an apprentice to James.
Accordingly, the next , C ourant had the following
knprint, “ Boston, printed and sold by Benjamin

*See resolve of council, July 5th, 1722, in History of
Ne‘Wspapers.

1‘ For this Act of the Legislature see Newspapers.

1111111an swans. 311

Franklin, in Queen- Street, where advertisements
are taken in.” About a year afterward, I. Franklin
removed his printing house to Union street. '

The Courant was published in the name of Ben.
jamin Franklin, for more than three years ; [g] and,
probably, until its publication ceased; but it appears
from dr. Franklin’ 3 Life, that he did not remain for
a long time with his brother after the Courant began
to be printed 1n his name.

- J. Franklin remained 1n Boston for several years.
He continued to publish the Courant, and printed
several small works” He had a brother, by the ~
name of John, who was married and settled at N cw.
port in the business of a tallow chandler. " Not sat:
isﬁed with his situation in Boston, and receiving an
invitation from his brother and other persons in
RhOdeisland, he removed to Newport, and set up
the ﬁrst printing p1ess in that colony , and, in the
latter part of September, 17 32, he published the
ﬁrst number of “ The Rhode-Island Gazette. ”—-
[Sce Rhodeislana’. J

James Franklin had learned, in England, the art
‘ of calico printing, and did something at the busi-
ness, both in Boston and Newport. The Boston
Gazette of April 25th,1720, then printed by him
for the postmaster, contains the following advertise-
ment.

“ The Printer hereof prints Linens, Calicoes,
Silks, 8m. in good Figures, very lively and durable
colours, and without the offensive smell which com-
! monly attends the Linens printed here.”

312 HISTORY or PRINTING.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

WE L L known and highly celebrated in this
country and in Europe, was born in BOSton, J anuary
17th, 170%. His father was an Englishman, and
Served an apprenticeship with a silk dyer in North-
amptonshire. He came to Boston with his wife
and three children ; and, after his arrival in America,
he" had four other children by. the same Wife. She
dying, he married a native of Newengland, by whom
he had ten children ; two daughters excepted, Ben-
jamin was the youngest child by the second wifeﬁl

Franklin’s father settled in Boston; but, ﬁnding

the business to which he had been bred insuﬂiciem
to afford him a maintenance, he relinquished it, and
assumed that of a soap boiler and tallow chandler,
in which occupations, Benjamin was employed from
the tenth to the twelfth year of his life.

Franklin was dissatisﬁed with the business of his
father, and felt a strong inclination for a seafaring
life. ‘ His father was extremely averse to that plan,

, and through fear that Benjamin might, in a clandes-
tine manner, get to sea, he concluded to bind him
apprentice to his nephew, who was settled in Bos-
ton, as a cutler; but not agreeing with his nephew,
on conditions, and Benjamin expressing a wish to
be a printer, his father consented to gratify this in-

‘* Franklin’s Life, ﬁrst London edition, l2mo. from which
I have taken most of the particulars respecting him.

, UNITED STATES. 313

elination. At this time, 1717, James Franklin real
turned from England with printing materials, and
commenced. business in Boston; and Benjamin, at
the age of twelve years, signed indentures, and be-
came his apprentice.

Pleased with his new employment, Franklin
soon became useful to his brother. He borrowed
books, and read them with avidity and proﬁt.
At an early age, he wrote stanzas on the capture of
Black Beard, a noted pirate; and, on other occur-
rences. These Verses, he observes,“ were misera-,
ble ditties,” but his brother printed them, and sent
Benjamin about the town to sell them. One of
these compositions, he remarks, “ had a prodigious
run, beeause the event was recent, and had made a
great noise.”

When his brother printed a newspaper, Benja-
min felt increased satisfaction with his business ;‘
and, he soon began, privately, to cemPose short
essays, which he artfully introduced for publication
Without exciting suspicion of his being the author.
These were examined and approved by the club of
writers for the Courant, to the great gratiﬁcation of

' - the writer, who, eventually, made himself known.

It has already been stated, in the account given
of James Franklin, that he was forbidden by the
general court to proceed in the publication of the
Courant, except on certain conditions. With the.
terms dictated, James determined that he would not
comply , and, With a View to evade the injunctions
of the government, the name of his brother Benjaa
min was substituted in the place of his own, and
the publication was continued.“ To avoid the,

I. 2 Q

314a Hrsronr or Pamrme.

censure of the general assembly, who might charge
James Franklin with still printing the paper under
the name-"of his apprentice, it was resolved that Ben~
jamin’s indentuies should be given up to him, with
a full and entire discharge written on the back, in
order to be produced on any emergency; but that
to secure to James the service of Benjamin, it was
agreed, the latter Should sign a new contract, which
should be kept secret during the remainder of the
term ” ' This, Benjamin observes, 1n his Life, was
a very shallow arrangement, but it was put into im.
mediate execution. Though the paper was still
issued in Benjamin’s name, he did not remain with
his brother long after this arrangement was made.
They disagreed, and in the eighteenth year of his
age he privately quitted James, and took. passage
in a vessel forNewyork. At this time there was
but one printer in Newyork, and from him Franklin
could obtain no employment; but he gave our ad.
venturer encouragement, that his son, who printed
in Philadelphia, would furnish him with work. In
pursuit of this object, he entered. a ferry boat on
his Way to Philadelphia; and, after a very disagree-
able passage, reached Amboy. From that place he
travelled on foot to Burlington, where he was hos-
pitably' entertained, for several days, by an aged
woman. who sold gingerbread. When an oppor-
tunity presented to take passage in a- boat, he em-
_ braced it, and reached Philadelphia in safety.

As Franklin afterwards obtained the highest
ofﬁces 1n civil government, and was greatly cele.
brated as a statesman and a philosopher, the particu-
lars of this apparently Inauspicious period of his life

tmrrsn ‘s’nrxs‘. . 815

are singularly interesting; I will, therEfore, give his
own narrative of his entrance into the capital of
Pennsylvania, of which he was destined to becOme
the governor.

“ On my arrival at Philadelphia, I was in my
Working dress, my best clothes being to come by
sea. I was covered with dirt; my pockets were
ﬁlled with shirts and stockings , I Was unacquainted
With a single soul in the place, and knew not where,
to seek for a lodging. , Fatigued with walking, row-
ing, and having past the night without sleep, I was
extremely hungry, and all my money consisted of a
Dutch dollar, and about a shilling’s worth cf cop-
pers, which I gave to the boat‘m‘en for my passage.
As I had assisted them in rowing, they refused it at
ﬁrst; but I insisted on their taking "it. ‘A man is
sometimes more generous when he has little, than
when he has mttch money; probably, because, in
the ﬁrst case, he 18 desirous of concealing his pov-
erty. I walked towards the top of the street, look-
ing eagerly on both sides, till I came to Market
street, where I met a child with a loaf of bread.
Often had I made my dinner on dry bread. I en-
quired where he had bought it, and went straight
to the baker’s shop, which he pointed out to me. I
asked for some biscuits, expecting to ﬁnd such as
we had at Boston; but they made, it Seems, none
of that sort in Philadelphia. I then asked for a
threepenny ‘loaf. They made no loaves of that
price. Finding myself ignorant of the prices, as
well as the different kinds of bread, I desired him to
let me have three penny worth of bread of some
kind or other. He gave me three large rolls. It

r ' 81106.

p 316 HISTORY or PRINTING.“

was surprized at receiving so much '; I took them,
however, and having no room in my pockets, I
walked on with a roll under each arm, eating the
third. In this manner I went through Market street
to Fourth street, and passed the house of mr. Read,
the father of my future wife. She was [standing at
the door, observed me, and thought, with reason,
that I made a very singular and grotesque appear.

“ I then turned the corner, and went through
Chesnut street, eating my roll all the way; and,
having made this round, I found myself again on ,
Market‘street-‘wharf, near the boat in which I had
arrived. I stepped into it to take a draught of the
river water; and, ﬁnding myself satisﬁed With my
ﬁrst roll, I gave the other two to a woman and her
child, who had come down the river with us in the
boat, and was waiting to continue her journey.
Thus refreshed, I regained the street, which was
' now full of well dressed people, all going the same
way. Ijoined them, and was thus led to a large
' Quakers? meetinghouse, near the market place. I
sat down with the rest, and after looking round me.
for some time, hearing nothing said, and being
drowsy from my last night’s labor and want of rest,
’I’fel-l into a sound sleep. In this state I continued .
till the assembly dispersed, when one of the congres-
gation had the goodness to wake me. This was
consequently the ﬁrst house I entered, or, in which
I slept, at Philadelphia.

“ I began again to walk along the street by the
river side, and looking attentively in the face of
every one Imet, I at length perceived a young

UNITED STATES. ' 317

quaker, Whose countenance pleased me. . I accosted
him, and begged him to inform me Where a stran-
ger might ﬁnd a lodging. We were then near the
sign of the Three-Mariners. They receive travel--
lers here, said he, but it is not a house that bears a
good character; if you Will go with me I will shew
you a better one. He conducted Inc to the Crooked
Billet, in Water street. There I ordered something
for dinner, and during my meal a number of curi-
ous questions were put to me; my youth and ap-
pearance exciting the suspicion that I. was a runa.‘
way. After dinner, my drowsiness returned, and I-
threw myself on a bed Without taking off my clothes,
and. slept till six o’clock in the evening, when I
was called to supper. I afterward went to bed at
a very early hour, and did not awake till the next
morning. , ,
“ As soon as I got up I put myself 1n as decent
a trim as I could, and went to. the house of Andrew
Bradford the printer. g I found his father in the
shop, Whom I had seen at Newyork. Having trav-
elled on horseback, he had arrived at Philadelphia
before me. He introduced me to his son, who re-
ceived me with civility, and gave me some break.
fast .; but, told me he had nooccasion at present
for a journeyman, having lately procured one. He
added, that there was another printer newly settled
in the town, of the name of Keimer, who might,
perhaps, employ me; and, that in case of a refusal,
I should be welcome to lodge at his house, and he,
would give me a little work now and then, till some;

thing better should offer.

318 parsroar 'or PRINTING.

“. The old man oﬁ'erEd to introduce me to the!
new printer. When we were. at his house, ' ‘ Neighi .
bor,’ said he, ‘ I bring you a young man in the
printing business; perhaps you may have need of
his .fservices Keimer asked me some questions,
put a composing stick in my hand to see how I ,
Could work, and then said, that at present he had
nothing for me to do, but that he should soon be
able to employ me. At the same time, taking. old
Bradfbrd for an inhabitant of the town well disposed '
towards him, he communicated his project to him, >
and the prospecthe had of success. Bradfordwas
careful not to discover- that he was the father of the
other printer; and from what Keimer had said, that
he hoped shortly to be in possession of the greater
part of the business of the town, led him by artful
questions, and by starting some difﬁculties,- to dis,
close all his views; what his h0pes' were founded
upon, and how he intended to proceed. I was pres.
cut, and heard it all. I instantly saw that one of the
two was a cunning old fox, and the other a perfect
novice. Bradford left me with Keimer, who was
strangely surprised when I informed him who the
old man was.”

Keimer encouraged Franklin with the hope of
employment in a short time, and he returned to
Bradford’s. In a few days after he began to work
for Keimer, but continued to board with Bradford.
This was not agreeable to Keimer, and be procured
a lodging for him at mr. Reed’s, who has been
already mentioned. “- -My trunk and effects being
now arrived,” says Franklin, “ I thought of mak- V
‘ ,ing, in the eyes of miss Reed, a more respectable

vmrsn srnrss. ' 319;

appearance than when chance exhibited me to her
view, eating my rolls and wandering in the streets.”

Franklin remained about seven months in Phi-
ladelphia, worked for Keimer, and formed many
acquaintances ; some of them very respectable.
Accident procured him an interview with goVernor
Keith, who made him great promises of friendship
and patronage; persuaded him to visit his father,
which he accordingly did, ,and was bearer- of a letter
the governor wrote to him, mentioning the son in the
most ﬂattering terms; and, recommending his es-
tablishment as a printer at Philadelphia, under assur-
ances of success. Franklin was at this time only in
a the, nineteenth year of his age, and his father declin-
ed to assist in establiShing him in business on ac;
count of his youth and inexperience; but, he an-
swered governor Keith’s letter; thanking him for
the attentions and patronage he had exercised toward
his son. Franklin determined to return to Phila-
delphia. At Newyork, on his way, he received
some attentions from the governor of that colony)”-
On his arrival at Philadelphia he presented his fath-
er’s letter to governor Keith. The governor disap-
proved of the caution of his father; still urged the
prosecution of the scheme ; promised himself to be
at all the expense of procuring printing materials;
and advised Franklin to make a voyage to England,
and select the types, under his own eye, at the
foundry. To this plan Franklin agreed, and it was
settled that the design should be kept secret, until
an opportunity presented for his taking passage for

3 Burnet, who was soon after governor of Massachusetts.

320 ‘ HISTORY or PRINTING.

London. In the mean time he continued to work
for Keimer. /

When a vessel was about to sail”, the governor
, promised from day to day to give Franklin letters
of credit upon his correspondent in LOndon; and,
when he was called on board ship, the governor told
him, that he would send his letters to him on board.
At the moment of sailing, letters were brought from
the governor and put into the ship’s letter bag ;
among which, Franklin supposed were those, that
had been promised him. But when he reached his
port, he found, on investigation, that he had neither
letters of credit nor introduction. The governor
had deceived him, and he landed a stranger in a
strange country.

Destitute and friendless, Franklin’s Only means
of support consisted in his capacity to labor. He
immediately applied to a printer for employment as
a journeyman, and obtained it. In this situation he
continued for eighteen months, and gained inuch
knOwledge in the art of Printing. He then formed
, a connexion with a mercantile friend, whom he as-
sisted as a clerk ; and, with him, he returned to
Philadelphia. This friend soon died, and Franklin
relinquished the plan of mercantile pursuits. Hen
returned to the business of a printer as a journey—
man; but, soon- after, opened a printing house
of his own in Philadelphia. [See Philadelphia
~ Printers.] ’

mural) STATES. 321

TIMOTHY GREEN, JUN.

' H1: was the son of Timothy Green, who re-
moved from Boston to N ewlondon in 1714; and '
great grandson of Samuel Green, of Cambridge.

I have seen no printing with his name before
17 26. One or two pamphlets Were then printed by
S. Kneeland and T. Green. Several small publica-
tions appeared afterwards with Kneeland’s name
only.

In 17 27 , a regular partnership took place be.
tween them, under the ﬁrm of “ S. Kneeland and
‘T. Green.” This partnership, as has been men— ,
tioned, continued till 1752, when he removed to
Newlondon, and succeeded his father. [Sec 1613:.
[and and Green, andprz‘ntcrs in Connecticutg

BARTHOLOMEW GREEN ,' JUN.

WAS the son of Bartholomew Green, printer
of The Boston News..Let'ter, grandson to Samuel
Green, who printed at Cambridge, and served an
apprenticeship with his father,

The earliest works I have seen printed by Bar,
tholomew Green, Jun. are, a small book published
in 1726, and The Boston Gazette, for the postmas.
ter, Henry Marshall, in 17 27

I - 2 R

322 Hisrbiw or Pami‘mc.‘ ,

He made use of his press and types in the print- '
ing house of his father, till 1 7 34 and was, occa-
sionally, connected with John Draper, his brother
in law, in printing pamphlets, 8m. Draper suc- .
_ ceeded to. the business of B. Green the elder- in
- 1732, in "the same house. On the night of the 80th-
ofrJanilz‘i‘ify, i7 311, this house, with the greatest part ,

of its contents, was destroyed by ﬁre. After this
misfortune, B. icen jun. formed a copart'nérship
With John Bushell and Bezoune Allen. The ﬁrm
‘ ofthis company was, .. ’ . \

Green, Bus/zell and Allen.

They printed a number if small books for the
trade, which Were very well executed. They used
handsome types, and printed on good paper. How
long this partnership Continued, I cannot say , it
was dissolved befOre 17 51 -

In September 175 1, Green, with his printing
materials, removed to Halifax, Novascotia, intend-
ing to establish a press in that place, but, he died
in about ﬁve Weeks after his arrival there, at the age

\ of ﬁfty two years. On his decease, his late partner
Bu‘shell, went to Halifax, and commenced busi-
. ness With Green’s press. ~ ;

V Green left several children, and two of his sons
were printers. Barthel-omew, the eldest of them,
never had a press of his 15%. The following pecu-
liarity in his character introduced him to a partiCu- .
lar intercourse With the merchants. of the town; he
made himself so well;,.ac;t1uainted with every vessel
which sailed out of the port of Boston, as to know “

IINITED STAIﬁﬁ . 3523

each a; sight. Perpetually on the watch, as soon as
a vessel could be discovered With a spyglaSS' 111 the
‘ harbor, he knew it, and gave immﬁdiagte informa-
tion to the owner; and, by the small fees for this
kind of information, he principally maintained him-
self for several years. AfterWard he had some of-
lice in the custom house. John, another $911, will
be mentioned hereafter.

One of the daughters of Green, Is the mother of
mr Joseph Dennie, formerly editor of The Farmer’s
Museum, at Walpole, Newhampshlre, and now ed;
itor of The Port Folio, published at Philadelphia.
Mr. Dennie 1s reckoned among the ﬁrst scholars 1n
the Belles Lettres, which our country has produced.

GAMALIEL ROGERS.

$333751) his apprenticeship with Bartholomew
Green, the elder. . About the year 1729, he began
business in a printing house, near the Mil-l Bridge.
' He printed for the booksellers. In 1742, he com-
menced a partnership with Daniel Fowle, under the
ﬁrm of

Rogers and F 01016

They opened a printing house 1n Prison lane,
for some time called Queen street, and now named
Court street.

For those times, they entered largely, into busi-
ness, and the books they printed, in magnitude and

324‘ nrsronv or PRINTING.

[Variety, exceeded the usual works of the country.
' A number of octavo and duodecimo volumes issued
frOm their house; and, their printing was executed
with accuracy and 'neatness. Several of these
books were printed on their oWn account.

In 11743, they issued The American Magazine.
It was published in numbers, monthly ; printed in
a handsome manner, l and, in its execution, deemed
equal to any work of the kind then published in
London. Several respectable booksellers Were in-
terested in this magazine. It was continued for
three years. ' '

In the beginning of the year 1748, they com-
menced the publication of a newspaper, entitled
The Independent Advertiser. A number of able
Writers supported and enlivened this publication.
Its prominent features were. political. In 1750,
they closed the business of the ﬁrm, and the Inde-
pendent Advertiser was then discontinued.

During the partnership of Rogers and Fowle,
they printed an edition of about two thousand copies
of the New Testament, 12mo. for D. Henchman
and two or three other principal booksellers, as has
been already observed.

\ This impression of the Testament, the ﬁrst in
the English language printed in this country, was,
as I have been informed, completed at the press, be-
fore Kneeland and Green began the edition of the
Bible Which has been mentioned.

Zechariah Fowle, with whom I served my ap-Iv
prenticeship, as well as several others, repeatedly
mentioned to me this edition of the Testament.
He was, at the time, a journeyman with Rogers and

UNITED sures. 325

Fowle, and Worked at the press. He informed me,
that on account of the weakness of his constitution,
he greatly injured his health by the performance.
Privacy in the business was necessary , and as few
hands Were intrusted With the secret, the press work
Was, as he thought, very laborious. I mention these _
‘ minute circumstances in proof that an edition of the
Testament did issue from the oﬂice of Rogers and.
Fowle, because I have heard that the fact has been
disputed. '
Rogers and F owle were correct printers. They
used good types, paper, and excellent ink of their
own manufacture. They were the only printers, I
believe, Who at that time, could make good ink.
The printing ink used in this \country, untiLlately,
was chieﬂy imported from Europe. In the ﬁrst
stages of printing, printers made their own ink and
types; but, the manufacture of types and ink soon
became separate branches of business. Most of
the bad printing in the United States, particularly,
in Newengland, during the revolutionary war, was -
occasioned by the" wretched ink, and more wretched '
paper, which printers were then under the necessity
of using. ,
After the dissolution of the partnership of Rog-
ers and Fowle, Rogers removed to the west part
of the town, then called New Boston; and there
opened a printing house. For two or three years
he did a little business in this place, when his
printing house was, unfortunately, burnt down.
By this accident he was deprived of his press, and
the principal part of his types. Having lost most
of his property, he did no more business as a

326 nrsronr or rn'mrmc.’

printer. His spirits were broken, and he appeared
dejected. At an advanced period of life, he opened
a small shop opposite to the Old South church,
‘ where he supported his family, by retailing ar-
dent spirits in small quantities, triﬂing articles of
grocery, and by vending a few pamphlets, the
remnant of his stock. I went myself frequently to
his Shep, when a minor. He knew that I lived
with a printer, and for this, or some other reason,
was very kind to me; he gave me some books of
his printing; and, what was of more value to me,
, good advice. He admonished me diligently to at—‘
tend to my business, that I might become a reputa-
ble printer. I held him in high veneration; and,
often recollected his instructions, which, on many
occasions, proved beneﬁcial to me.

Rogers was industrious, and an excellent work-
man; an amiable, sensible man, and a good christian.

In 1775, soon after the battle at Bunker’s Hill,
when Boston was wholly in possession of the British
troops, and besieged by the provincials, Rogers was
among a number of the inﬁrm and invalid inhabit-
ants of that town who obtained permission from the
British general, to leave it. He sought an asylum
at Ipswich; removed there, and died at that place
in the autumn of that year, aged 70. ‘

He left several daughters, but no sons; two of
his daughters married clergymen ; one of them was
, the wife of the rev. Elijah Parsons of Easthaddam,
in Connecticut, .and the other the second wife of the
reverend mr. Dana of Ipswich.

umrzo stuns. £827

Jon's DRAPER.

Was the sen of Richard Draper, a trader in
Boston. He served his apprenticeship with Bar-
tholomew Green, senior, whose daughter he mar~
tied; and, at the decease of his father, in law, occu-
pied his printing house in Newbury street.

In September, 1731, Draper commenced the
publiCation of a political paper, entitled, The Week-
ly Rehearsal. It was printed, according to the cus-
tom of those times, on a half sheet cf small paper;
and was carried on at the expense of some gentle-
men Who formed themselves into a political or lite-
rary club, and wrote for it. At the head of this
club was the late celebrated Jeremy Gridley, esq. 9*
who was the real editor of the paper. The re-
ceipts for The Rehearsal never amounted to more
than enough to defray “the expense of publication.
Draper printed this paper only about a year and a
half, and at the expiration of about fOur years it was ‘
discontinued. ' .

On the 28th of December, 1732, Bartholomew
Green died, and Draper succeeded him in his bu-
sines‘s; particularly as publisher of The Boston
Weekly N ews-Letter In 1734, he printed the

* Mr. Gridley was afterward attorney general of the prov-
ince of Massachusetts, grand master of the society of free ma.
son-s, president of the marine society, and a member-0f the
general court. He died in September, 1767.

328 HISTQRY or ’PRINTINC.

laws of the province. He was afterward appointed
printer'to the governor and council, and was honoiu
ed with that mark of conﬁdence and favor as long as
he lived.

Draper not only succeeded Bartholomew Green
in his business, but he was heir to his calamities
" also. On thenight of the 30th of January, 17 34,
the ﬂames were seen to burst from his printing
house, but too late for any effectual assistance to be
afforded. The ﬁre had kindled 1n the interior part
of the building, which was burnt to the ground;
and, nearly the whole of the printing materials were
destroyed. This loss was in some measure repaired
by the friendship of his brethren of the type, who
loaned to him a press, and several founts of letters,
till he could replace those articles by a new printing
apparatus from England.

He printed a number of books for the trade ,
but published only a few small pamphlets for his
own sales. He annually printed Ames’ s famous
Almanack, for himself and for booksellers ; of
which about sixty thousand c0pies were annually
sold in the Newengland colonies.

Draper owned the house in which he resided.
It was in Cornhill, the east corner of the short alley
leading to the church in Brattle street. He was an
industrious and useful member of society, and Was
held in estimation by his friends and acquaintances.

He died November 29th, 1762, and was suc-
ceeded in business by his son.

‘ The following character of Draper is extracted
from The Boston Evening Post of December 6,

1762.

UNITED STATES. 329

“ On Monday Evening last departed this Life‘
after a slow and hectic Disorder, having just entered
the olst Year of his Age, Mr. John Draper, Printer,
who for a long Time has been the Publisher of a
N ews-Paper in this ToWn; and by his, Industry,
Fidelity and Prudence in his Business; rendered
himself very agreeable to the Public. --.-His Charity
and Benevolence, his pleasant and sociable Turn
of Mind; his tender Affection as a Husband and __
Parent; his Piety and Devotion to his Maker, has
made his Death as sensibly felt by his Friends and
Relations, as his Life 15 worthy Imitation.”

JOHN BUSH‘ELL.

WA 5 born in Boston, where he served an ap-
prenticeship. He began business about the year
17 34; and, as I have been informed, printed The
Boston Weekly Post BOy, during a short period,
for Ellis Huske, postmaster. ' 'He was afterWard
of the ﬁrm of Green, BuShell and Allen. They did
but little business While together, and the connex“
ion was dissolved about 17 50 Upon the termination
. ,of the partnership, Green, as has been mentioned,
removed to Halifax, Novascotia; and, as he died a -
few weeks after his arrival, Bushell went to Halifax,
and with Green’s apparatus established a press 1n
that place. He was the ﬁrst who printed m that
province. [See Novascotz'a. ]

I 2s

330' nxsrear- ér' p—niicrmc.‘

, BEZOUNE ALLEN.

WA 3, probably, the ‘son of John Allen. He
entered 0n business, according to report, about the
year 1734; and was, for several years, of the ﬁrm of
‘ Green, Bushell and Allen. This cepannership was

‘ formed, I believe, in 1736. I have seen books
printed by thenr' as late as 1745 ; but, I have not
discovered that any thing Was printed by Allen. sep-_
arately. They never were in extensive business;
and, [What they did consisted, principally, in small
Works for the booksellers. ’

JONAS GREEN. '

Was the son of the elder Timothy Green,- who
removed from Boston and settled at Newlon‘don, in
1714, and great grandson of Samuel Green, printer
_ at Cambridge. He was born at Boston, and served
his apprenticeship with his father in Newlondon.
When of age, he came to Boston, and was several
years in the prmting house of his brother, who was '
then the partner of S. Kneelan’dt '

' I have seen but one book printed by Jonas
Green, in Boston, viz.- “ A Grammar of, the He.
brew Tongue, by Judah Monis, professor of the y
Hebrew language, at Harvard college,” in Cam-

UNI TzE-d) STATES. 331,

bridge, Masmhuactts. . . Good judges pronounced
this. work to be cmeeﬂy’ printed. I have seen a
copy ‘of it in the Theological library in Boston,
where *the‘orig‘inal manuscript is preserved. The
Hebrew types were a cast ‘ belonging to the college,
which have since been used 'm printing professor
Sewall’s Hebrew Grammar, and, I suppose, are
now in the museum of the university.

Green resided several years in Philadelphia };
and, duringthat time was employed in the printing
houses of Bradford and Franklin. .

In 173 9, as there was not a printer'in Maryland, .
the legislature of that province employed an agent
to procure one. ' Green, being well recommended
by his employers, made application to the agent,
and obtained the place of printer to that goVernment.
In consequence of the liberal encouragement he re-
ceived, he opened sprinting house-at Annapolis
in 1740. {Seewimers in .‘Marylandj .

EBENEZER LOVE.

I say E not been able to obtain much informa-
tion respecting Love. He was born in, or near
Boston, and served his apprenticeship in that town.

I have seen nothing of his printing; but, he was
known in Boston as a printer; indeed, I recollect,
myself, that. “when a lad, I heard mention [made of
him; but I cannot ascertain that he Was at» any
time actively engaged in the printing business.

3‘32 AntsronY‘ or PRINTING.

. \ In The Boston Evening Post of May 14th, 7.
1770, under the Bostﬁn head, is the following para.:
graph, viz.

“ We hear from New-Providenee, that on the
' 23d of January last, died there after a few days“
illness ef a Bilious Cholic, Ebenezer Love, Esq.
formerly of this town, Printer For a number of
years past, he had resided at that Island, and carried
on Merchandize; was well esteemed by the Gen-
tlemen there, and elected a member of their House
of Assembly.”

DANIEL FOWLE.

WAS born in Charlestown, near Boston, and
served his apprenticeship with Samuel Kneeland.

He began printing, on his own acCount, in
1740,“ north side of King street, opposite the
town house.”

In 17 42, he, and Gamaliel Rogers, formed a
partnership, in business, under the ﬁrm of Rogers
, [and Fowle. 9* A brother of Fowle, named John,

C was a silent partner in this ﬁrm. They opened a
printing house in Prison lane, the house next but
(me to the old stone gaol, 011 the site of which the
court house now stands. In the account given of
Regers, I have mentioned the works done by this
Company“; and, particularly, the New Testament,
the AmeriCan Magazine, and the newspaper, enti—

f See Rogers and Fowle.

UNITED STATES. 33,3 ‘

tled, The Independent Advertiser. In taking no-
tice of F owle, therefore, I shall begin with the
period at which the partnership was dissolved, that
is, in 1750.

Soon after that event,Fow1e opened a printing
house on the south side of Anne street, not far from
the Flat Conduit, so Called, which at that time ‘
stood in Union, street. At the same place, he also
opened a shop, and kept ,a small ' ,collectiOn of
books for sale.- ‘ Here, he printed. a number of
works, chieﬂy pamphlets, most of whichWere for
his own Sales. «

In October, 17 54 F owle, While at dinner, was
arrested, by virtue of an order of the house of rep—
resentatives, signed by Thomas Hubbard, their
speaker, and taken before that house, on suspicion
of having printeda pamphlet, which reﬂected upon
some of the members. , It was entitled, “g The Man-
ster of ﬁlonsters ——By Tom Thumb, Esq.” After
an hour’s conﬁnement 1n the lobby, he was brought"
before the house. The speaker, holding a copy of
the pamphlet in his hand, asked him, “ Do you
know any thing of the printing of this Book?”
Fowle requested to see it; and, it was given him.
After examination, he said, that it was not of his
printing , and, that he had not such types in his
printing heuse. The speaker then asked, “Do you 1
know anything relating to the said Book '2?” Fowle
requested the decision. of the house, whether he was
bound to answer the question. ' No vote was taken,
but a few members ansWered, “ Yes!” He then
observed, that he had “ bought some copies,and

' 334 nisroar or ramrmc. _

had sold . them at his shop.” — This observation Oct
\ caeioned‘the ‘folI'oWing questions and answers, vizﬁ,

Question. [By the speaker.] Who did you
buy them of. 9 ,

Answer. They were, I believe, sent by a young
man, but I cannot tell his name. '

Q. Who did 7he live with ?

[Fowle again desired the decision of the house,
Whether he was obliged to give the required inform-
ation, and a number of individual members again
replied,“ Yes. ‘” ---Upon which Fowle answered] '

The young man, I believe, lives with Royall
Tyler.

Q. Did you have any conversation with him
” [Tyler] about them ?

‘ A. I believe I might, in the some manner I
had with many others; not that I thought him the
author. It was never offered me to print.

Q. Did any ofyour hands assist in doing it ?

A. I believe my negro might, as be some

times worked {hr my brotherd‘ —
Q Has your brother any help. 9
A. No.

*Vide “ Total Eclipse of liberty,“ apamphlet written ‘
mdpublished by D. Fowle, containing a full account of this
arbitrary procedure.

1 This negro was named Primes. He was an African. I
Well remember him; he worked at press with or without an
assimnt; he continued to do press work, until prevented by
me. He went to Portsmouth with hisimaster, and there died,
being more than ninety years of age , about ﬁfty of which he l
was a presSman.

nun» stares; -- 33:5

\ Q. ' Didyousee any ofit Whilst printing?
A; Yes.~ ’ ‘ ~ ; - .
-., Q. 'Whosehouse wash in?
A.- I think it was my brother’s. -
Q. Where does he live ‘? '
A. .“Down by Cross street.
Q. What is his name ?
A. 'Zeehariah;

One of the members then said to Bowie, ‘.‘ You
do not know when you lie. "’ Fowle replied, “ Beg-
ging your pardon, sir, I know when I lie, and what
a lie is as well as yourself. ” ’ .-

After this examination, F owle Was again conﬁn.
ed for several hours in the lobby , and, from thence,
about ten o’clock at night, was, by order of the
house, taken to the “ common gaol,” and there
closely conﬁndd “ among thieves and murderers-”*3,
> He was demed the sight of his Wife, although she,
with tears, petitioned to see him; no friend was
permitted to speak to him; and he was (16me
the use of pen, ink and paper.

Royall Tyler, esq. was arrested, and carried be.
fore the house. When intox'rogated, he claimed
the right of silence-“ Nemo tenetur sapsum accu-
sare,” was the only answer he made. He was com-
mitted for contempt ; but, was soon released, on a
promise that he would be forth coming when re-
quired. ' '

*‘ Fowle was conﬁned in the same room with a thief and a
notorious cheat; and, in the next cell, was one Wyer, then
Under sentence of death fer murder, and was soon, after excd
cuted. [Vid. Fowle’s Total Eclzyzse qf Liberty/.1 ‘

336' HISTORY or PRINTING:

The house ordered their messenger to take
Fowle’ s brother Zechariah into custody, with some
others; but his physician gave 'a certiﬁcate of his
indisposition, and by this mean he escaped 1mpris-
onment.

After two days close conﬁnement, D. Fowle
was taken to the keeper’s house, and told, that,“ He
might.5 0'0 , ” but, he refused; observing, that as he
was Conﬁned at midnight uncondemned by the law,
he desired thatthe authority which conﬁned, shOuld
liberate him, and not thrust him out privily. He
remained with the gaoler three days longer; when
learning from a respectable physician, that his wife
was seriously i11disposed-—-that her life was endana'
gered by her anxiety on account of his conﬁnes
ment-w—and, his friends joining their persuasion to
this call upon his tenderness, Fow1e was induced to
asltv for his liberation. He was accordingly dis;
‘ missed; and, here the prosecution" ended. He en-p
deavored to obtain some satisfaction for the depriva-
.- tion of his liberty, but he did not succeed 1n the
attempt. '

Disgusted with the government of Massachu-
setts by this treatment, and being invited by a num-
ber of respectable gentlemen in Newhampshire to
remove into that colony, he accepted their invitaa
tion; and, at the close of the following year, estab-w
lished his press at Portsmouth. He was the ﬁrst
printer who settled 1n that province; and, in 1756,
he began the publication of The N ew-Hampshne
Gazette.

D. Fowle was, I believe, the third person whom?
the legislature of Massachusetts imprisoned for print.

. - UNITED :STATESL 337

ing What was deemed a libel on that body, or on some
of its members, or for publishing heretical opin-
ions, 8m.

Living in the family of Daniel Fowle’ s brother,
I early became minutely acquainted with the
Whole transaction, and deep impressions were then
made upon my mind in favor of the liberty of
the press. For this liberty I am now an advocate,
but I still, as I ever did, hold the Opinion, thatila
line should be drawn between the liberty, and the
licentiousness of the press. We seem to havelpass-
ed from one extreme to the other; and, it is now
difﬁcult, I confess, to mark the proper boundary
[See Navhamps/zz’re.]

ZECHARIAH FOWLE.

HE was born at Charlestown, near Boston, of
'very respectable parents, and served his, appren-
ticeship with his brother Daniel, who Was, at that
period, in partnership with Gamaliel Rogers.

The ﬁrst book which bears the name of Z.
F owle as printer, was begun by Rogers and F owle,
Viz. Pomfret’s Poems, on a new small pica; "\On
the dissolution of that ﬁrm, they assigned this book
over to Z. F owle, who completed it, and sold the
greater part of the c0pie$, "in sheets, to booksellers.

He soon after opened a printing house, and a
small shop, in Middle street, near Cross street,
where he printed and sold ballads and small pams

phlets.
I .‘2 T

338 ‘ Hrsr’onr or / PRINTING.

Not being much known as a printer, and living
in a street Where but little business was transacted,
he was selected by a number of gentlemen, who
were in opposition. to the measures of the general
count, and particularly to an excise act, to, printa
pamphlet emitted, "‘ The Monster. of Monsters,’ ’
satirizing this act, and bearing with some severity
upon individual members of the court. D. FoWle
Was prevailed upon to: assist his brother in carrying
this Work through the press.- Joseph Russell, his
‘ «apprentice, then nearly of age, Worked at the case,
and a5 negro man at the press. 'The pamphlet was
‘ small, and appeared without the name of the
printer.

It was the custom of that day to hawk about the
streets every new publication. Select hawkers were
engaged to sell this work; and, were directed what
answers to give 'to enquiries into its origin—whet
printed it, See. The general court was at the time
in session. The hawkers appeared on the Ex.
change with the pamphlet, bawling out, “ The Mom-
ster qf' Monsters. ”’ Curiosity was reused, and the
book sold. The purchasers inquired of the hawk-
ers, where, the Monster came from ?—-—all the reply
was, “_‘ It dropped ﬂom the moon!” ' Several mem-
hers of the general court bought the pamphlet. Its
contents ,. soon excited the attention of the house.
Daniel Fowle, who was suspected to he the printer,
was brought before the house of representatives and
examined, as has been observed. * Z. F owle was
\ then ordered into custody, and Russell who assisted

5* Vid. Daniel Fowler.

UNITED STATES. 339

him. Russell was brought before the house, ex.
ammed and released. '

Z F owle hearing, that his brother and RuSsell
were arrested, and that the oﬂicer was in search of
him, was instantly seized with a violent ﬁt of the
cholic. His illness was not feigned, he possess-
ed a slender constitution, Was often subject. to this
complaint; and, at this time, it; was brought on by
the fear of an arrest. When, the ofﬁcer appear-
ed, the attending physician certiﬁed that he was
dangerously ill. With this certiﬁcate the ofﬁcer
departed, and F oWle escaped imprisonmentmthe
punishment which his brother unjustly experienced.

When Daniel Fowle removed to Portsmouth,
Zechariah took the printing house, Which he had
occupied, in Anne street.

Until the year 1757, Z. Fowle printed little else
than ballads , he then began an edltion of the Psal-
ter for the booksellers. In this work he was aided i
' by two young printers just freed from their inden-
tures, and to Whom Fowle allowed a proportionate
part of the proﬁts of the impression. One of these,
Samuel Draper, a very worthy young man, became
a partner With Fowle after the Psalter was printed.
The, ﬁrm was

Fowle and Draper.

They took a house in Marlborough street, op-
posite the Founder’s Arms; here they printed, and
opened a shop. They kept a great supply of bal-
lads, and small pamphlets for book pedlars, 40f Whom
there were many at that time. They printed seva

.340 HISTORY or PRINTING.

era] works of higher consequence, viz. an ‘edition
consisting of twenty thousand Copies of The Youth’s
InstructOr 1n the English Tongue, commonly called
the Newengland Spelling Book; this school book
was in great repute, and in general use for many
years.—-Janeway’s. Heaven upon Earth, octave-—
Watts’s Psalms, and several smaller duodecimo
volumes——-all for the trade. They printed, also,
many pamphlets of various sizes on their own ac-
count; and, had full employment for themselves
and two lads. Draper was a diligent man, and gave
unremitted attendance in the printing house. F owle
was bred to the business, but he was an indifferent
hand at the press, and much worse at the case. He
was never in the printing house when he could ﬁnd
a pretence for being absent.

7 After the death of John Draper, Richard, his
son, took his, kinsman Samuel, as a partner, and
Fowle again printed by himself. The business in
\his printing house was then principally managed by
a young lad, his only apprentice.

Soon after he separated from Draper, he remov-
ed to Back street, where he continued printing and
vending ballads and small books until 1770; - at
'which time .Isaiah Thomas became his partner.
This, connexion was dissolved in less than three
months, and Thomas purchased his press and
_ types. -

Fowle, having on hand a considerable stock of
the small articles he usually sold, continued his
shop till 1775. Boston being then a garrison tOWn
in the possession of the British troops, he obtained
a permit to leave it, and removed to Portsmouth,

UNITED STATES. '. * 341

Newhampshire. While in this place he —, resided
With-his brother, andrdied in his house in 17 7 6. 7

, F owle was a singular- man, very irritable and ef~
feminate, and better skilled in the domestic work
of females, than in the business of a printing house.
His ' ﬁrst wife died in 175 9—--he married a second ;
but had no children by either. Fowle could not be
called an industrious man; yet, injustice to his
character, it ought to be mentioned, that. he did
business enough -- to give himself and family a decent
maintenance. Although he did not acquire prop-
erty, he took care not to be involved in debt. He
wag honest in his dealings, and punctual to his en.

gagements.

BENJAMIN auras.

WAS born in Charlestown,’ near Boston. " He
began business with John Gill, in the year 1755,
under the ﬁrm of

Edes and Gill.

‘ They continued in partnership until the com-
mencement of the revolutionary war.

Their printing house, for a time, was in King
street, now State street; they afterward occupied
the printing house formerly kept by Rogers and
Fowler, the second house west of the present court
house in Court street. After the death of Samuel

342- 'Hrsronr or PRINTING.

Kneeland, they removed to the printing house,
which he, for about forty years, occupied, and there,
they“ remained until hostilities commenced between '
the parent state, and the colonies.

Two newspapers had been published, entitled
.The Boston Gazette, and were, in succession, dis.
‘ continued- Edes and Gill began a new paper under;
the title 0 “ The Boston Gazette; and Country
Journal ;” which soon gained an establishment, and,
became distinguished for the spirited political essays
which appeared in it. . I ,

They published many political pamphlets, and,
for a number of years were appointed printers to the
general court. They did some business for book-1
sellers, A small number of octavo and duodecimo
volumes were occasionally issued from their press;
but, their principal, business consisted in the publi.
cation of the Gazette. When the dispute, between
Greatbritain and her colonies assumed a serious as-,
pect, ’this paper arrested the public attention, from
the part its able writers took in the Cause of liberty
and their country , and, it gained a very extensive
circulation. Edes was a warm and a ﬁrm patriot,

' and Gill was an honest Whig. ‘

SoOn after the revolutionary war began, the Brita /.
ish troops closed the avenues between Boston and,
the country ; but Edes fortunately made his escape
by night, in a boat, with a press and a few types.

He opened a printing house in Watertown, .-
where he continued the Gazette, and printed for the
provincial congress of Massachusetts, Here he
found full employment, and his zeal in the cause-

Umr‘sn STATES. . 343
of his country animated him ' to redoubled dili-
gence. ' ‘ ' .
\ The printing he executed at Watertown, did not, -
‘ indeed, do much credit to the art; but the work, at
this time, done at other presses, was not greatly su—
, perior. The war broke out suddenly, and few of -
any profession were prepared for the event. All
kinds of printing materials had usually been import-
ed from England; even ink for printers had not, in
any great quantity, been made in America; This re.
. source was, by the war, cut 0E; and, ‘a great scan-
city of these articles, soon ensued. ' . p

' At that. time, there were but three small paper

mills in 'Massachusetts; in N ewhampshire, there
were none; and, Rhodeisland contained Only one,
which was out of repair- The paper which these
mills could make, fell far short of the necessary sup.
ply. Paper, of course, was extremely scarce, and
what could be procured was badly manufactured,
not having more" than half the requisite labor be-
stowed upon it. It was often taken from the mill wet,
and unsized. People had not been in the habit of
saving rags, and stock for the manufacture of paper
was obtained with great diﬂiculty. Every thing
like rags was ground up together to make a sub.
stitute for paper. This, with wretched ink, and
worn out types, produced miserable printing.

In 1776, Edes returned to Boston, on the evaC«
nation of the town by the British army.

Gill had remained recluse in Boston during the
siege. They now dissolved their connexion, and
divided their printing materials. Edes continued
to print for the state several years.

34.4 nrsronv or PRINTING '

In 177 9 he took his two sons Benjamin and
Peter into partnership , their ﬁrm was . .

Benjamin Edes and Sons

About three years after this event, Peter begait
business for himself in Boston, but was not success-
, ful. Benjamin continued with his father sOme'timie
longer, and then set up a press, and printed a news.-
paper in Haverhill, Massachusetts , but, he was not .
more fortunate than his brother. ; ~

The father continued the business alone, and la-
bored along With The Boston Gazette. This pa- "

per had had its day, and it now languished for want
of that support it derived from the splendid talents
. of its former writers—~some‘ of whom were dead, ~
' some were gone abroad, and others were employed
' in affairs of state. _ It was further depressed and pars
alized by the establishment of other newspapers;
and, by the exertions 30f another class of writers,
'who enlivened the Columns of these new journals,
With their literary productions.

Edes was a man of great industry. At the be; ,
ginning of the revolutionary war, he had accumua .
lated a very decent property, which Was not lessened
when he returned to Boston, in 1776. At that
time, he took a good house in Cornhill, part of
which fo.r1ned the alley leading to Brattle street , it .
was next to that formerly owned by John Draper ,
but, some years before his death, he moved into a V
bonse,whichhe then owned, in Temple street, and ‘_ '
hired a chamber over the shop of a tinplate worker- V
in Kilby Street, where he erected ”his press. '

1- 1111111111 sums: 845

The rapid depreciation “of paper money proved
fatal to the property of Edes, as well as to that of
many others. He had a large family to support;
and, he continued to work, as had been his cuSa
tom, at ease and press, until the inﬁrmities of age
compelled him to cease from labor. In the ad-‘
vanced period of his life, competence and ease
forsook him, and he was oppressed by poverty and
sickness.

He died in December, 1808, at the age of eighty
years. His second son, Peter Edes, 18 now a printer
at Augusta, in the district of Maine.

Edes began the Boston Gazette and Country
Journal, and with him 'it ended. N 0 publisher of a
newspaper felt a greater interest in the establishment
of the independence of the United States than Ben-
jamin Edes; and, no newspaper was more instrus- '
mental in bringing forward this important event
than The Boston Gazette. [See Nmspapem]

JOHN GILL. .

T112 partner of Benjamin Edes, and the junior
publisher of The Boston Gazette and Country Jour-
nal, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, serv-
ed his apprenticeship with Samuel Kneeland, and 1'
married one of his daughters. Gill was a scund
Whig, but did not possess the political energy of his
partner. He was industrious , constantly in the
printing house, and there worked at ease or press,
as occasion required

I - ‘ 2 U

346 Hrsronv or snmrmc.

His partnership With Edes continued for twenty
years. They separated at the commencement ot‘
hostilities by the British, in 17 7 5 . Gill remained
in Boston during the siege; he. did no business, and
thought it prudent to conﬁne himself to his own
house. He had, fortunately, acquired a. competency
for the shpport of his family under that trial.

After the evacuation of Boston, his connexion
with Edes ended. They divided their stock, and
settled their concerns. Edes continued the publica-
tion of the Gazette; and; Gill issued another paper,
entitled, “ The Continental Journal.” Having pub-
lished this paper several years, he sold the right of
it, in 1785, with his printing materials, to. James D.
Griﬂith ,

Gill was brother to the hon. Moses Gill who,
suhSequcnt to the revolution, was, for several years,
lieutenant governor of the commonwealth of Mas-
sachusetts

He died August 25, 1785, and left several chil-
dren.

The Continental Journal, which announced to
the public the death of Gill, contains the following
observations respecting him, viz.

‘t Capt. John, Gill, for dissemisuting principles
desttustive of tyranny, suffered, during the siege. of
this town in 1775., what many other printers. were
threatened with, 0 02¢an mprisonmemh . He, how-4
ever, was so fortunate as to. survive the conﬂict 7;
but had, the :mortiﬁcation, lately, of seeing the press
ready to be shackled by a. stamp act, fabricated. in
his native- state g he, thexefore,,vresigned his business,
not choosing to submit .to a measure which Britain

UNITED swims.” 347

artfully adopted as the foundation of her intended
tyranny in. America. His remains were very res-
pectfully entomb’d last Monday afternoon.” [See
_ Edes.—~B(2st. Gaz.] -

JOHN GREEN.

WAS the son of Bartholomew Green, jun. who
died at Halifax, and the great grandson of Samuel
Green of Cambridge. He was born in Boston,
served an apprenticeship with John Draper, and
married his daughter.

J. Green began business with Joseph Russell. in
the year 1755. The ﬁrm was

Green and Russell.

Their press was established in Tremont street,
in a house which was taken doWn to make room for
Scollay’s buildings.

In August, 1757, they issued from their press, a
newspaper, entitled, “ The Boston Weekly Adver-
tiser.” They repeatedly altered: the title of this
paper,ale but continued, its publication until 17 73,
when they sold their right in it, to Mills and Hicks.

In 1758 they removed, and opened a printing,
house in Queen street, in the brick building
which makes the east corner of Dorset’s alley, and
nearly opposite; to the court house ;. this building

* See Newspapers.

848 11151011? or pnmrmc.

has ever since been occupied as a printing house."
~ They printed for some time the journals of the
house of representatives, and the laws of the govern.
ment. They also did the printing of the custom
house, and published a number of pamphlets; but,
. they never engaged largely in book work.

A few years after this partnership was formed,
Russell opened an’auction ofﬁce, the proﬁts of which
were shared by the ﬁrm. Green managed the print.
ing house, and Russell the auction room. They
continued together until 1775, and by their atten-
tion to business acquired a handsome property. ‘

Green remained in Boston during the siege, and
when the British troops left the town, he became
, interested in the Independent Chronicle, then pub.
lished by Powers and Willis, but his name did not
appear He was a man of steady habits, true to his
engagements, and well respected.

He died November, 1787, aged sixty years. He
had no children. He was, I believe, the last of the
_ descendants of Samuel Green of Cambridge, who
printed 1n this state,

JOSEPH RUSSELL.

Was born in Boston, served an apprenticeship
" with Daniel Fowle, and entered into partnership
’ with John Green, 1n 1755. 9*

1* Russell lived with Daniel Fowle, at the time Fowle was
. imprisoned on suspicion of printing “ The Monster of M011:
eters.” Vid. Zechariah Fowle,.

vmrsn suns. 349

Russell was a good Workman in the printing
business; but his talents were more particularly
adapted to the duties of an auctioneer.’ When
Green and Russell united auctioneering with print- _
ing, Russell took the sole management of the wen.» .
due room; he soon arrived to celebrity in this line,
and had more employment 1n it than any other per.
son in Boston. ‘

When his partnership with Green was dissolv.
ed, he formed a connexion with Samuel Clap , and
this company, under the ﬁrm of Russell and Clap,
continued the business of auctiOneers till the death
of Russell. -

Russell was full of life, very facetious and witty ,
but attentive to his concerns. Few men had more
friends, or were more esteemed. In all companies
he rendered himself agreeable. He acquired con-
siderable property, but did not hoard up his wealth,
for benevolence was one of his virtues. He was a
worthy citizen, and a friend to his country. ,

He died at the end of November, 1795, aged
sixty one years.

BENJAMIN MECOM.

WA 3 a native of Boston. - His mother was the
sister of James and 'of‘ the celebrated Benjamin
Franklin. Mecom served his apprenticeship with
his uncle B. Franklin, at Philadelphia.

When of age, having received some assistance
from his uncle, he went to Antigua, and there print-

350 Hrsroxr or PRINTING.

ed a newspaper; but, in 1756, he quitted that island,
and returned to Boston. .

, In 175 7, he opened a printing house in Comhill,
nearly opposite to the Old Brick church. At the
same place he kept a shop and sold books. His
ﬁrst work was a large edition, thirty thousand cop.-
ies, of the Psalter, for the booksellers. He printed
them on terms so low, that his p'roﬁts did not amOHnt
to joumeymen’ s wages. This edition was two years
worrying through his press.

' After the Psalter, Mecom began to print and
publish, on his own account, a periodical work,
which he intended should appear monthly. It was
entitled, “ The New-England Magazine of Knowl-
, edge and Pleasure.” It contained about ﬁfty pages
lame. but he published only three or four numbers.
These were issued in 17 58 ; but no date either of
month or year appeared in the title page, or in the
imprint. In this Magazine were inserted several
articles, under the head of “ Queer Nations.” Each
/ number, when published, was sent about town for
sale, by haWkers; but few copies were tended, and
the work, of course, was discontinued.

His business was not extensive ; he printed sev-
eral pamphlets for his own sale, and a few for that
of others. He remained in Boston for a number of
years; but when James Parker and Co. who printed ’
at Newhaven, removed to Newyork, Meeom suc—
"eeeded them. Soon after dr. Franklin procured
Meeom the ofﬁce of postmaster for N ewhaven.

He married m Newjersey, before he set up his
press in Boston. He possessed good. printingmate-

antral) swans. 351
rials; but, there was something singular in his

w,ork as well as in himself.

He was in Boston several months before the
arrival of his press and types from Antigua, and had .1
much leisure. During this interval, he frequently
came to the house where I was an apprentice. He
was handsomely dressed, wore a powdered bob wig,
ruﬂles and gloves, gentlemanlike appendages which
the printers of that day did not assume-4md, thus ap-
parelled, would often assist, for an hour, at the press.

An edition of The New-England Primerbeing
wanted by the booksellers, Z. F owle consulted with
Mecom on the subject, who consented to assist in
the impression, on condition that he might print a
certain number for himself. To this proposal F cwle
consented, and made his contract with the booksel-
lers.‘ Fowle had no help but myself, then a lad in
my eighth year. The impression consisted of ten
thousand copies. The form was a small sixteens,
on foolscap paper. The ﬁrst form of the Primer
being set up, while it was winked at the press, I
was put to case to set the types for the second.
Having completed this, and set up the Whole cast of
types employed in the work, and the ﬁrst form being '
still at press, I was employed as a ﬂy; that is, to
take off the sheets from the tympan as they were
printed, and pile them in a heap ;---this expedited the
work. -While.I was engaged in this business, I—
viewed Mecom at the press with admiration. He
indeed put on an apron to save his clothes from
blacking, and guarded his rufﬂes; but, he wore his
coat, his wig, his hat and his gloves, whilst working
at press; and, at ease, laid aside his apron. When

352 ﬁrsronv or PRINTING.

he published his Magazine with “ Queer Notions,”
this singularity, and some adienda, known to the
trade, induced them to give him the appellation of
“ Queer Notions.”

Mecom was, however, a gentleman in his ap-
pearance and manners , had been well educated to
his business; and, if “ queer,” w‘as honest and sen-
sible; and called a correct and good printer. [ Sec
-New/zaven-—Philadelplzia——Antigua. ]

THOMAS FLEET, gun.

JOHN FLEET;

_ TH E Y were brothers, and having learned front
their father the art of Printing, succeeded him in
business at his house in Cornhill, in 1758. I mend
tion them together, because they commenced print.
ing in partnership, and continued in connexion un-
til separated by death.

They carried on the publication of The Boston
Evening Post until the commencement of the revo-
lutionary war; when they suspended the publication
of that newspaper, and it was never after resumed.
The impartiality with which ‘this paper was con-
? ducted, in those most critical times, the authenticity
of its news, and the judicious selections of its pub-l
lishers, gained them great and deserved reputation.

‘ Both brothers were born in Boston, Their fath-
er gave them a good school education; they were
, correct printers, very attentive to their concerns,

trump srnrns. . _ .353

punctual 1n their dealings, good Citizens,an and much
respected.

They printed several works 1n octavo, and some
volumes 1n duodecimo, on, their own account; and,
some in connexion with other printers. Their shop
was always supplied with smaller articles for. the
beneﬁt of their sisters, who were never married.

They remained in Boston during the siege;
and, afterward, revived the publication 0f the MaSa
sachusetts Register, which. originated with Mein
and Fleming some years before, and had been con-
tinued by Mills and Hicks.

_ Thomas died a bachelor, March 2,1797, aged

sixty ﬁve years John was married; he died March
‘18, 1806, aged seventy one, and left several chil-
dren; one of whom, by the name of Thomas, is
now a printer in Boston, at the same house in
Which his grandfaher began The Boston Evening
Post.

RICHARD DRAPER.

HE was the son of John Draper, the successor
of Bartholomew Green, proprietor and printer of
The Boston News-Letter.

R. Draper was brought up a printer by his fath.
er; continued with him after he became of age , and,
for some years before his father’s death, was a silent
partner with him. On the death of his father,

Richard continued the News Letter.
1 ' 2 W

354 Hrs'ron‘r or PRINTING.

- He was early appointed to the ofﬁce of printer
to the governor and council, which he retained dur-
ing life. His paper was devoted to the govern-
ment ‘; and, in the controversy between Greatbritain
and the American eoionies, strongiy supported the
royal cause. He added, “' The Massachusetts Ga-
zette,” to‘the ”title of "‘ The Boston News-Lena,”
and decorated it with the 1king’s amsﬁ

Many abie adveeates for the government ﬁtted
the columns of the New-s Later, but the opposition
papers were sat-ppm tiny Waiters at team equallly

powerful, and more numerals.
‘ Theeont‘it‘itntion of R. Diaper was very feeble,
and he was often termed ’by isiokness. Soon after
his W‘s 'Mt’i‘}, he- took this kinman, Samuel
Draper, Who was connected with Z. Fowle, into
partnemhip, underth’e ﬁrm of

R. and S. Draper. '

Samuel was not permitted to share in the honor
of printing for the governor :and 'council. In all
the work done for them, Richard’s name alone ap-
peared as printer. Samuel Draper died a few years
‘ after this cennexion ‘was ~fottmed.

R. Draper, havingbeen-sucoessful min inefbttsi-
ness, erected a [handsome brisk ‘ house, eon-.atconwen-

* It~ had-become afashionabie, manyyears .befoneitherev-
olution, among publishers of newspapers, especially those
whose titles embraced the word Gazette,to ornament the titles

{With'this'ensi‘gn ofr‘oya‘lty. ‘But‘the printers ' in ’Boston had
not followed this ﬁshion.

Miran smug. 855,

ient spot in front of the old printing house in New-
bury street, in which he resided. He was attentive
to his affairs, and was esteemed the best compiler of
news of his day. His character was amiable, and
his friends were numerous and respectable.

He (Had June 6., 1774, aged forty seven years.
He left no chicken, hand was succeeded by his
Draper, alone, did very little book printing;
but he was cone-tamed with Edges and Gill, and the
F leets, in publishing several volumes of sermons, :&c.

One month preceding his death, he «commencai
a limited Copartnership with John Boyle. BoyIE’S -'
name appeared in the Gazette with Draper’s; Whose
ill health 'nender‘ing him unable to attend closely to
business, Boyle undertook the chief care and mam
agementof it.

The following sketch of the -.character of R.
ﬁrm, is taken from the Evening Post .of June
13, 1774. “ He was a man remarkable for the
amiable delioacy ef his mind, and gentleness of his
warmers. A habit enfeebded and emaciated by re»
morseless disease, and .unremitted distress, ‘could
never banish the smile from his countenance. A
well founded conﬁdence in the mercies of his God,
and the happy consciousness 0f .31 life well, spent,
smoothed the pillow of anguish, and irradiated the
gloom of death, with the promise .af succeeding
joy; in every relation he sustained in life, his en-
dearing manners and inﬂexible integrity rendered
him truly exemplary.”

356 ' nrsronv or PRINTING.

SAMUEL DRAPER.

WAS the nephew and apprentice of John --Dra-
per. He was born at Martha’s Vineyard. - .»

In 1758, soon after he became of age, he went
into trade with Zechariah Fowle, who stood in
much need of a partner like Draper. "Their con.
nexion was mutually advantageous. Fowle had
been in business seven years; but had made no
progress in the advancement of his fortune.

Draper was more enterprising, but had no capi.
tal to establish himself as a printer. He was a young .
man of correct habits, and handsome abilities. He
was industrious; and, for those times, a good work-
man. Draper was an important acquisition to his
partner, although Fowle did not appear to be highly
' Sensible of it.

The connexiOn continued ﬁve years; during
which time, they printed, as has been remarked,
three or four volumes of some magnitude, a large
edition of the 'Youth’s Instructor in the English
Tongue, another of the Psalter; also, a variety of
pamphlets, chapmens’ small. books, and ballads.
They so far succeeded in trade, as to keep free of
debt, to obtain a good livelihood, and increase their
stock. Their printing house was in Marlborough
street ; - it was taken down several years since, and a
new house built on its site, which now makes the
south corner of Franklin street, at the entrance from
Marlborough street.

umrzn srnrzs. 357

The articles of copartnership contemplated a
continuance of the connexion of Fowle and Draper, '
for sevenyears; but, on the death of John Draper,
Richard, his son, succeeded to his business. Rich-
ard was often , conﬁned to his house by ill health,
and wanted an assistant; he, therefore, made liberal
proposals to Samuel, which were accepted; and
they entered into partnership. -

In pursuance of this new. arrangement, the con.
nexion between Fowle and Draper was dissolved;
and Draper recommenced business with a more
active and enterprising partner. ,

S. Draper continued with his kinsman until his
death, which happened March 15,1767 at the age
of thirty years.

While he was in partnership with Fowle, he
married an agreeable young lady, of a respectable
family, by whom he had two daughters. His widow
is yet living. -

He had two brothers who’ were printers; the
eldest of whom, named Richard, died several years
ago. The other, Whose name was Edward, with a
partner, published, for some time during the late "
war, a newspaper in Boston. ‘

DANIEL KNEEL'AND.

WA 3 the son of Samuel Kneeland, and served
his apprenticeship with his father. He began trade
as a bookbinder, in plain work, having been bred
to binding, as well as printing.

358‘ msronr ~ or rut-nuns.

A, dispute had arisen between the printers and
booksellers respectmg .Ames’s Ahnanack, the par-
ticulars of which Ido not fully recoliect; but, in
substance-,- it is as follows. John Draper and his
predecessor Bartholomew Green, had always pur.
oilseed the e0py of that Almanack, and printed it on
their own account; but, they had supplied the
booksellers, in sheets, by the hundred, the thousand,
or any quantity wanted. About the year 1759, this
Almanac]: was enlarged, from sixteen pages on a
foolscap sheet, to three half sheets. Draper form-
ed a connexion with Green and Russell, and T. and
1-. Fleet, in its publication. A half sheet was print-
ed at each of their printing houses; and, they were
not disposed to supply booksellers as formerly.
The boat-sellers, immediately on the publication of
the Almmmck, had it reprinted; and soon after a
number of the principal of them set up a printing
house for themselves; and, they engaged Daniel
Kneeland, and John his brother, to conduct it for
them, under the ﬁrm of

D. and J. Kneelanti -

The Kneelands continued to print for these
booksellers several years, in part of the building
occupied by their father as a printing house; after
whiCh some difﬁculty arising, the booksellers put
a stop to their press, and divided among them
the printing materials. Daniel Kneeland then dis-
solved his connexion with his brother John; and,
being furnished with the press, and a part of the
types, which had been owned by the booksellers,

mnTID STA'TESo i 359

he engaged in printing on his own assault, but
Worked chieﬂy for the trade.

About the year 1772, Daniel took, as a partner,
a young man by the name of Nathaniel Davis. The
ﬁrm was ‘

Kneeland and Davis.

This company'ms, in ﬁle moose dawn an“ thaw
years, dissolved by the death of Davis.

Kneeland’s business before the revolutionary
war was inconsiderable, and it afterward became
still more contracted.

He died in May, 1789, aged sixty eight years.

JOHN KNEELAND.

Was another sonqef Samuel Kneelaaad, and he
was taughtthe art by his father.

Heéhegan. printing, a; connexion withhisibrother
Daniel, for the book-sellers; .th ‘iW-th they‘lwworked
duringrtheirwpamtnership, as has beenrelated. When
the connexion between the brothers ,was dissolved,
John :entened Linto partnership with Seth Adams,
under the ﬁrm of

Kneeland and ﬂdams.

They opened a printing house in Milk street,
at the earner ~of1the alley "which 1>leads~to Tmity

360 . HISTORY or PRINTING. '

church; this building has been taken dOWn to maka
room for a livery stable. '

The principal work of Kneeland and Adams,
was Psalters, Spelling Books, and Psalm Books, for ‘
booksellers. Their partnership continued only ,a
few years. Adams quitted printing, and became a
postrider.

J. Kneeland did little, if any, business, after the
commencement of the revolutionary war. He died
’ in March, 17 95, aged sixty two years.

WILLIAM MACALPIN E.

WAS-a native of Scotland, Where he .was bred
to bookbinding. He came to Boston early in life,
and set up the trade of a binder; and, afterward,
opened'a shop, for the sale of a few common books,
in Marlborough street, Opposite to the Old South
church. His business was soon enlarged by sup.
plies of books from Glasgow. He removed several ,
times to houses In the same street.

. A disagreement taking place between the book-
sellers and the printers of Ames’s Almanack, the
principal booksellers Set up a press for themselves,
and reprinted this Almanack ;* but, they refused
to furnish Macalpine with copies either of their
Almanack, or of any books printed at their press.
Macalpine, being thus denied a supply of Ames’s v'

' Copy rights were not then secured by law in the colonies.

. UNITED STATES. 361

' Almanack, bOth by the original printers of it,-
and by the booksellers who reprinted it, sent to
Edinburgh for a press and, types, and for afore-
man to superintend a printing house. In 1762
he commenCed printing , and, annually, furnished
himself with Ames’s A,lmanack and other books
for his own sales.

John Fleming, previOUS to his connexion With
John Mein, was one or two years concerned with
Macalpine 1n printing.

Macalpine continued 1n business until the com-
mencement of the revolutionary War, “ he was a
royalist, and remained in Boston during the siege;
but he quitted, the town with the British army.

He died at Glasgow, ScOtland, in 1788.

' JOHN FLEMING.

WAS from Scotland, where he was brought up
to printing. He came to Boston in 1764; and was,
for a short time, connected with his countryman
William Macalpine.

Mein, a bookseller, from Edinburgh, having
opened a very large collection of books for sale,
Fleming separated from Macalpine, and formed a
partnership With Mein.

Fleming made a voyage to Scotland, there pur.
chased printing materials for. the ﬁrm, hired three or
four journeymen printers—~and, accompanied by
them, he returned to Boston. .

I. . 9 X i

362 HISTORY or PRINTING.

The company then Opened a printing house in
Wing’s lane,* and began printing under the ﬁrm of

Mein and. Fleming;

Fleming was not concerned with Mein in book-
selling. Several books were printed at their house
for Mein, ,it being an object with him to supply his
own sales; none of them, however, were of great
magnitude. Some of these boOks had a false im-
print, and were palmed upon the public for London
"editions, because. Mein apprehended that books
printed in London, however executed, sold better
than those WhiCh were printed in America; and,
at that time, many purchasers sanctioned his
Opinion.

In less than two years after the establishment of
i this company, they removed their printing materials
to Newbury street.

In December 1767, they began the publication of
a Weekly newspaper, entitled,“ The Boston Chron-
icle.” This paper was printed on demy, in quarto,
imitating, in its form, The London Chronicle.

The Boston Chronicle obtained reputation; but
Mein, Who edited the paper, soon devoted it zeal-
ously to the support. of the measures of the British
administration against the colonies ; and, in conse.
, quence, the publishers, and particularly Mein, incur-
red the displeasure and the resentment of the Whigs,
who were warm advocates for American liberty.
The publishers were threatened with the effects of

‘ Now Elm street.

vnrnn swans. - 5.63

popular resentment. Mein, .accordingto’his deserts,
experienced some specimens of it. The Chrcn.
icle was discontinued in May, 1770, and Mein ne-
tumed to Europe. - ,

Fleming was less obnoxious. He remained in
Boston; and, as the Chronicle had been diséontin.
ued, the popular resentment soon subsided. He
married a young‘lady of a respectable family inBos.
ton; and, soon after his late partner went to Europe,
he opened a printing house in King street, and
printed books 011 his own account.

He issued proposals for publishing'Clank’s Fam-
ily Bible in folio,--but did not meet withzenccurage- ‘
ment. ' '

Fleming continued in Boston until 17 73 when
he sold his printing materials to Mills and Hicks,
and went to England with his family.

He more than once visited this country after
1790, as an agent for a commercial house in Eu"-
rope ; and, . subsequently, resided some time in
France, Where he died a few years since.

A JOHN MEIN‘.

Of the ﬁrm of Mein and Fleming, was born in
Scotland, and there bred to the business of a book-
seller. He had received a good education, was en-
terprising, and possessed handsome literary talents.

He arrived at Boston, from ”Glasgow, in N o-
vember, 1764, in company With Mr. Robert Sande-

364 , ursronr or PRINTING.

man,”6 a kinsman of mr.‘ Sandeman of the same
christian name, who for a’short time was the partner
of Mein, and a number of other Scotchmen, on a
visit to this country with a view of settling here.

’ Mein brought with him a good assortment of
books; a quantity of Irish linens and other goods,
and opened a shop in Marlborough street, in con-
nexion with lSandeman. Their shop was the old -
wooden. building at the north comer of the entrance
to what is now called Franklin street, and is, at this
time, occupied as a bOOkstore. Their ﬁrm was
Mein and Sandeman. ‘

They continued 1n company only a few months;
and, when they separated, Mein took a house in
King streetyat the corner of the alley leading to the
_ market, and there opened a large bookstore, and cir-

culating library.

‘ He was connected with a bookseller in Scot-
land, who was extensively 1n trade ; and, by this
“mean, he was supplied, as he wanted, with both
, , Scotch and English editions of the most saleable
boOks. '

He soon found that a concern in printing would
be convenient and proﬁtable. His countryman,
John Fleming, who was a good printer, was then 1n
Boston; and, with him he formed a connexion in a
printing establiShment. Fleming went to Scotland,
and procured printing materials, workmen, 8:0. On
his return, they, in 1766, opened a printing house,

* Mr. Sandeman was the author of the then celebrated let-_
ters on the rev. mr. Herve-’y s Theron and Aspasio. A type
ﬂounder by the name of Mitchelson, I believe, arrived in the
ﬂame vessel with Mein and Sandeman.

. UNITED STATES. 365

and printed a number of‘ books for Mein’ s sales, and
published The Boston Chronicle, as has been already -
InenuOned.

The Chronicle was printed on a larger sheet
than other Boston newspapers of that day, but did
not exceed them in price. , For a time it was well,
ﬁlled with news, entertaining and useful extracts
from the best European publications, and some in-.
teresting original essays. Mein was doing business
to great advantage, but he soon took a decided part
in favor of the obnoxious measures of the British
administration, against the colonies, and the Chron-
icle became a vehicle for the most bitter pieces, ca-
lumniating and vilifying some of those characters
in Whom the people of Massachusetts placed high
conﬁdence; and, in consequence, it lost its credit
as rapidly ,as it had gained it. Mein, its editor,
became extremely odious, and to avoid the effects
of popular resentment, he secreted himself until an
opportunity presented for a passage to England,
which he embraced; and, left this country, to which
he never returned.

Mein had unquestionably been encouraged, in
Boston, as a partizan and an advocatefor the meas— _
- ures of government. I11 London, he engaged him-
self, under the pay of the ministry, as a writer against
the colonies, but, after the war commenced, he
sought other employment.

366 ursronr or PRINTING.

,SETH ADAMS.

Ssnvnn his apprenticeship with Samuel Knee.-
land. He began printing in Queen street, with
John Kneeland; they afterwards occupied a printing
house in Milk street, atthe corner . of Boarded alley,
now known by the name of Hawley street. ' They
were three or four years in business, and printed
chieﬂy for the booksellers.

Adams’ s father 1n law was the ﬁrst postrider
between Boston and Hartford. When he died, Ad-
ams quitted printing, and continued the occupation
of his father 1n law.

He died a few years after.

EZEKIEL RUSSELL.

WA 3 born in Boston, and served an apprentice-
ship with his brother Joseph Russell, the partner of ‘
'John Green.

In 1765, he began printing with Thomas Fur-
zbﬂ, at Portsmouth, N ewhampshue, under the ﬁrm
of Furber and Russell
Not succeeding 1n business, they dissolved their
,1 partnership, and Russell returned to Boston. He
worked with various printers until 1769 when he
procured a press and a few types. With these
be printed on his own account, in a house near-
Concert hall He afterward removed to Union

: 9.3. w-v/

business; and, not only assisted her husband in the " . .

nun-n ‘ suns. . 351

street, and in addition to the business of printing,

added that of an auctioneer, which he soon quitted,
and adhered to printing. Excepting an edition of
Watts’s Psalms, he published nothing of more con-
sequence than pamphlets, most of which were small. x
In November, 1771-, he began a political publi- ‘
cation, entitled, “ The Censor.” This paper 'was
supported during the short period of its existence,
by those who were in the interest of the British
government. ‘

Russell afterward removed to Salem, and it» "

 

. tempted the publication of a newspaper, but did not

succeed. He again removed, and went to Danvers,
and printed in a house known by the name of the -
Bell tavern. Ina few years he returned once more to.
Boston; and, ﬁnally, took his stand, in Essex street,
near the spot on which grew the great elms, one of
which was then standing, and was called “ Liberty
tree.” Here he printed and sold ballads, and publish-

ed whole and half sheet pamphlets for pedlers. In

these small articles, his trade principally consisted,
and afforded him a very decent support.

The wife of Russell was indeed an “ help meet
for him.” She was a Very industrious, active wo«
man; she made herself acquainted with the printing .

:printing house, but she sometimes invoked her

?: muse, and wrote ballads on recent tragical events, .
Which being immediately printed, and set off with
wooden cuts of cofﬁns, 8w. had frequently “ a con-
'1; aiderable run.”

Russell died September,‘ 1796, aged ﬁfty two

‘fxears. His wife continued the business.

~ , 368 HISTORY or PRINTING.

ISAIAH THOMAS.

DESCENDED from a “respectable family which
had settled near Boston not many years after that
town was founded. His grandfather carried on bu-
siness in that place, in a store which he owned, on
the Town dock; and died in the year 17 46, leaving
n four sons and two daughters, who were all arrived at
' _ the age of maturity. His second son, MoSes, lived
’ some time on Longisland, where he married and had
two children; ‘ after which he returned to Boston,
and had three more children; the youngest of whom
is the subject of this memoir.

Moses Thomas, having expended nearly all his
patrimony,w went abroad, and died 1n Northcarolina ,
leaving his widow, in narrow circumstances, with
ﬁve dependent children. Her friends in Long-
island took the charge of providing for the two who
were born there, and had been left 1n their care; the
others she supported by the proﬁts of a small shop
she kept in Boston. Her diligence and prudent
management ensured success; insomuch that beside
making provision for her family, she was enabled to
purchase a small estate in Cambridge. This place
she afterward unfortunately lost; for being fully
possessed with the idea that the continental paper
money, issued during the revolutionary war, would,-
ultimately, be paid in specie, and having what she
thought a very advantageous offer for her house and
land in that kind of security, she sold the same, and

wuss stuns. ‘ 359.

became one among the number of nnfottunate Pena.
1316 Who lost nearly the Whole of their property, from
a misplaced conﬁdence in the paper currency of: the
day-

When her son, Isaiah, was six years of age, he
was apprenticed by his mother to Zechariah Fowle y
who, as has been already remarked, principally made
Use of his press in printing ballads; and bvahom
he was soon employed to set types-wfor which. putt
pose he was mounted on a bench eighteﬁn inehes
high, and the whole length of a double frame, whieh
contained cases of: both Roman, and Italic. , His
ﬁrst essay with the composing stick, _was on a ha],
lad, entitled, “ The Lawyer’s Pedigree ;” which
was set in types of the size of double pica,

He remained eleven years With Fowle; after
which period they separated, in eonsequenoe of a
disagreement. on quitting Fowle he went to Nova»
scotia, widx a View to go from thence to England, \
in order to acquire a more perfect knowledge of his
business.

He found typography in a miserable state in that
province; and, so far was he from obtaining the
means of going to England, that he soon discovered
that the only printer in Halifax could hardly pre-
cure, by his business, a decent livelihood. How-
ever, he remained there seven months , during
which time the memorable British stamp act took
place in N ovascotia, which, in the other colonies,
met with .a spirited and successful opposition.

The Halifax Gazette was printed by a Dutch-
man, whose name was Henry. He was a good na-
tured, pleasant man, who in common cnncems did

I 2 x

3'70 HISTORY-OF 11111111th.

not-'w'aht’ T61 ingenuity and capacity , but he might,
With pfopriety, be called a Very unskilful printer.
To his 1va11tbf knoWledg'e or abilities in his profeSS-
ion, he added indolence; and, as is too often the case,
left his business to be transacted by boys or jOurney-
men, lhs’ﬁead cf attending to it himself. His print-
in'g aHairs‘ Were on a very contracted scale; and he
made libeHorts to render them more extensive. As
he hadth apprentices, he Was not in want of assist-
.a11ce in his prlntmg l1‘ouse‘; but Thomas accepted
an offer (if bdard for his} services; and the sole 1112m-
J agernent of the GaZette Was immediately left to
him. ' ‘Hé ﬂew modelled the Gazette according to
the best of his Judgment and aS‘lfar as the worn on:
printing materials Wonid admit It Was 'SOOH after
printed 1511 stampEd paper, made for the pnrpoSe in
England 'To the use of this paper,- “ the young
Newenglandman ” as lie was Called, Was opposed
and, to the stamp act he Was extremely hoStile.

‘ A paragraph appeared 111 theGazette purport;
ing that. the people of Novascotia were, generally,
‘ disgusted with the stamp act This paragraph gave
great Offence to the oHicers of government, who
called Henry to aCcOunt for publishing What they
termed sedition Henry had not so much as Seen
’the Gazette in Which the offensive article had ap-
peared consequently he pleaded ignorance; and,
in answer to their interrogatories, informed them
that the paperwas, in his absence, conduCt'ed by his
Journeyman He was reprimanded and admoniSh-
ed that he would be deprived of the work cf g0vern-
'ment should he in future, suHer any thing of the
~erl‘c‘ind té‘appear 1n the Gazette? It was not long be-/

. '- 4‘

~ ~.:U1~I~rr11:n _srA'r,ns. ' ‘ 371

fore Henrywas ~agai'rl'sent«for, out-account of ,. another

offence 1- of 1a _€'similar-~ nature ;. however,- 1 he 5 escaped
the: consequences . he might haveapprehended, zby
aSsu‘ring. the ofﬁcers of government. that he had. been
conﬁned, by :. sickness ;. ‘2-and1heiapplogiz.ed .in a satis-
factory-manner for the appearance of the obnoxious
pubhoatlon But, his journeyman was summoned
to appears before the seeretary of the province-1;. to
Whose ofﬁce he accordingly Wen1;.. He was, proba-
bly, ;. not .known- to mr.._:seeretary; Who sternly de.
manded of him, What-he Wanted? . .

A. Nothing, sir.
-- Q. .‘ Why came you here. 9
. . A. , BeCaUSe I was sent for.
.. Q. : 'What is your name 9:
1 A. Isaiah Thon1as..
Q. Are you the young NeWenglandman who
prints for Henry? .
A.. Yes, sir.

Q. HOW dare you publish 1n the Gazette that _
the people of Novascotia are displeased With the
stamp act. 9 , ,. '

_A. I thought it was true. 1 _ 1 .

See. You have no right to think so. --If you
publish any thing more of such stuff, you shall be
punished. -—--You may go; but, remember you are ~
not in Newengland. ., 1 .

A. . I will, Sil. 1

Not long. after this adventure: occurred, a vessel
arrived at Halifax, from Philadelphia, and brought
some of the newspapers published, in that city.

The Pennsylvania Journal, published the '1 day
preceding that on Which the stamp act was to take

3742 mam“ or PhINmNG.

place, was in full rimming. Thick black lines sur—
rounded the pages, and were placed between the
columns; a death’s head and cross bones were sun.
Mounted ever the "title; and, at the bottom of the
iast page was‘a large ﬁgure of aeofﬁn, hemathwlhich
wes printed the age of thepep‘er; maﬁa aecountof
its having died of a disorder called. the mags out.
A death’s bead, 8:0. as a “substitute {for Vasstamp, "was
placed at the end of the last column on the that,
page. Thomas had a strong‘desire to decorate The
Halifax Gazette in the same manner; Ebut he dated
not do it, on account of his apprehensions vof the
displeasure of the ofﬁcers of govern-mom. However,
an expedient was tbought of to obviate that difﬁ.
culty, which was to insert in the Gazette an article
' of the following import—4‘“ We are desired by a
member of :our headers, "to give :a description of the
extraordinary appearance of the Pennsylvania Jour-
nal of the 30th of October lastw[’1?65.]——We can
Jinnoibetter wayecomply with ’this request, than by
*the exempliﬁcation we have givenfof that Journal in
this day’s Gazette.” As near a repre‘eentationéas
possible, was made of the several ﬁgures, emblems
-’ of mortality, and tmourning columns :; all which,
accompanied by the qualifying paragraph, appeared
i together in 'ThefHalifaerazgette, and made- no triﬂing
bustle 1n the place.

Soon after this event, the eﬂigy of the stamp.
Imaster was hung on the gallows near the citadel;
tend ‘other'i tokens: of “hostility—to the :Stampxaet were
exhibited. These disloyal transactions were done
*SSiiently andiseeretlyi ; but; they created some—«alarm ;
«via captaiﬁis iguard ‘Jwas «continually stationed “at

tnnrsn srmru. 873

the house of the starmprnastet', to protect him from
those injuries which mere expected to befai him.
It is supposed the apprehensions entertained onhis
account,» were entirely gmndlesm
The ofﬁcers of govemment had prided them.-
selves in the loyalty of the people of mint province,
in not having sham any 'IoHnosition to ﬂu: stamp
~—““ These things were against them 3"" :and a
facetious oﬂieer was heard to repeat to some of his
friends, the old Eogiish Iprmafbn-I“ We have not
saved our dawn.”
A11 'Iophtion prevailed, that Thom not only
ilenew the parties Iconcerned in these wansactions,
but hadia hand in them himself; m1 which account,
a fewIdays after the exhibition of the Imampmasterh
efﬁgy, a sheriff went to the printing house, and {m-
‘forrmed Thomas that he had a precept against him ;
and, intended to take :him to prison, unless he would
give hrfomnation respecting the persons zoomed
in making and-exposing the eﬂigy of the stampmas...
Iter. He mentioned, that some oimumstances had
produced a IconIvictio-n in his mind, that Thomas
was one of those Who had been engaged m tim
seditious proceedings. The sheriff receiving no sat-
isfactory answer to his inquiries, ordered Thomas
to go With him before a magistrate; and he, haying
no person toeonsult, or to give him Iadv-ice,.:in the
.honeSt simplicity of his heart ,. was going to obey the
“orders of this terrihieralguazi‘l -; but, being suddenhr
struck With the idea, that IthisI proceeding might be
intended merely to alarm him into an acknowledg
merit of his Iprivit-y to the transactions in question,
he told the sheriff he did not know him; and $-

3.74 HISTORY or PRINTING.

manded information respecting the authority by
.which- heacted. The sheriﬁ' answered, that ’he: had
JSHHicie’nt: authority"; but, .on being requested to 'ex-
" hibit it, the ofﬁcer was, evidently, disconcerted, and
.shewed some symptoms ‘of his not acting a under
“ the king’s-authority"-—-hoWever, he answered, that
:he would shew his authority when it was necessary;
and again ordered this “ printer of sedition’ ’. .. to go
with him. Thomas answered, he would not obey
him , unless he produced a precept, or ' proper author..-
ity for taking him prisoner. A After. further. parley
the sheriff- left him, with an assurance that he would
soon return; but Thomas saw him no more; and
he, afterward, learned that this was a plan can-
e’erted for the purpose of surprising him into a
confession.
A short time before the exhibition of the efﬁgy
of the stampmaster, Henry had received from the
stampoﬂice, the whole stock of paper that was sent
ready stamped from England, for the use of the Ga-
zette. The quantity did not exceed six or eight
“reams , but as only three quires were wanted
aweekly for the newspaper, it would have been sufﬁ-
.cient, for the purpose intended, twelve months. It
was'not many weeks after the sheriﬂ‘, already men.
tioned, made his exit from the printing'house, when
it was discovered that this paper was divested of the
stamps; not one remained; they had been cut off,
and destroyed. On this occasion, an article appear.-
ed in the Gazette, announcing that “ all the stamped .
paper for the Gazette was used, and as no more
could be had, it would, in future, be published with.
out. stamps.” -

UNITED STATES. . 375‘

In March, 1767, Thomas quitted Halifax, and
went to Newhampshire , where he worked, for
some time, in the printing houses of Daniel F owle,
and Furber and Russell In July following he re-
turned to Boston. There 1 he v.mmained several
months, in the employ of his. old master, Z. FoWle.

Receiving an » invitation from the. captain of a
vessel to go to Wilmington, in Northcarolina, where
he was. assured a printer was wanted, he arranged
his affairs with Fowle, again left him, by agreement,
and went to Newport; where he waited on. Martin
Howard, "esq. chief justice of N orthcarolina, who
was-then .at that place, and was departing 'for2Wila
mid-gm- -To this gentleman he made. known his
intention of going to Northcarolina, and received
encouragement from the judge, who gave him as-
surances of his inﬂuence 1n procuring business for
him at Capefear , for which place they sailed 1n the
same Vessel.

A gentleman at NewPort, also, favored him with
a letter of recommendation to Robert Wells, printer,
in Charleston, .Southcarolina.

When he arrived at Wilmington, he, in pursu-
ance of advice from judge Howard, and several oth-
er gentlemen, waited on- governor Tryon, then at
that place. The governor encouraged him to settle
there; and ﬂattered him that he Would be favored
with a part of the printing for government. But
as a printer he labored under no inconsiderable dif-
ﬁculty, that IS, he had neither press, nor types, nor
money to purchase them. ,

It happened that Andrew Steuart, a printer, was
then at Wilmington, who had a press with two or

376. HISTORY or PRINTING.

three very small fonnts of letters, for sale. He had
printed a newspaper; and, as some work Was given»
him. by the government, he called himself “ king’s
printer ;;”. but, at this period, he was without busi.
mess, having given great oﬁ‘énce to the governor
and the principal gentlemen at Capefear. , For this
reason he was desirous to sell .the materials he had
then in that place, and to return to Philadelphia,
Miere he had another small printing establishment.
Pursuant to the advice of seVeral gentlemen,
Thomas applied to Steuart, to purchase the press,
8116. but Steuart, knowing he could not easily be ac.-
commodated with these articles elsewhere, took ad.
vantage of his situation, and demanded about three
times as much for them as they cost when new. Af-
ter some debate, Steuart lowered his price to about
double the value. Several gentlemen of Wilmingo
ton oﬁ'ered to advance money, on a generous credit,
to enable Thomas to make the purchase. When
Steuart found the money could be raised, he refused
to let the types go Without an appendage of a negro
woman and her child, Whom he wished to sell be-
fore he quitted the place. An argument ensued;
but Steuart persisted in his refusal to part with the
printing materials, unless the negroes were included
in the sale. Thomas, after advising with friends,
agreed to take them, ﬁnding he could dispose of
them for nearly the price he was to give for them.
He then thought the bargain was concluded; but
Steuart threw a new difﬁculty in the Way. He had
a quantity of common household furniture, not the '
better for wear, which he also wanted to dispose of;
and would not part with the other articles unless the

UNITED STATES ‘ “377

purchaser would take these also. The furniture was
entirely out of Thomas’ s line of business; and he had
no use for it. He, therefore, declared himself oﬁ‘
the bargain; and, afterWard, when Steuart retracted,

respecting the sale of the furniture, Thomas began .
to be discouraged by the prospects the place afford.
ed; _ he was not pleased with the appearance of the
country; his money was all gone ; and his inclinaa
tion to visit England was renewed. For these rea-
sons he renounced all thoughts of tsettling'at Cape-
fear at that time ; although a merchant there, oﬁ'ered
to send to England, by the ﬁrst opportunity, for a
printing apparatus, which he would engage Thomas
Should have on a long credit.

With a view to go to England, he enteredhim-
self as steward on board a ship bound to the VVest-
indies ; eXpecting when he arrived there, he should
easily ﬁnd an opportunity to go to London. He
did duty on board the vessel ten days , but, imbib-
ing a dislike to the captain, who was often intox-
icated, and attempted to reduce him into a mere
cabin boy, and to employ him about the most ser.
vile and menial oﬂices, he revolted at these indigni-
ties, and procured his discharge.

On this occasion he remembered the )recom-
mendation he had received at Newport to a printer
at Charleston ; and, ﬁnding a packet bound there,
he quitted a very kind friend he had gained at Wil.
. mington, and after a long passage, in which he met
with many. adventures, beside that lamentable one of ‘
spending his last shilling, he arrived at Charleston.

When he presented the letter of recommendation

to Wells, the printer, he had the mortiﬁcation to
I ' 2 Z ‘ ‘

378 H'rsronr : or PRINTING.

learn he was not in Want of. ‘a journeyman. ‘ How.‘
ever, Wells civilly emfﬂoyed him at low wages, and
Soon put him into full pay. 'He continued at
Charleston two years; and had nearly completed

. a contract go and settle in the Westindies; but
, hishealth declining, he returned to Boston in 1770,
after having visited several of the southern colonies.
He "fomn‘ed a connexion with‘Zechariah F owle, and
began business by publishing The Massachusetts
Spy, a small newspaper printed three times in a week.

Thomas’ s partnership with his former: master
Fowle, continued but three months; he then pur-
chased the printing materials Which Fowle had in
his possession, and gave this security to F owle’s cred-
itor for the payment. F owle had, during nineteen
years, been 1n pessession of his press and types, and
had not paid for them. The creditor was a near rela-
tiOn by marriage, and had exacted only the payment
of the annual interest of the debt.

, Thoma-s continued the Spy, but altered the pub-
licatiOn of it from three times to twice a Week. _
Each publication contained a" half sheet. After
having published it three months, in the new form,
in December 1770-, he discontinued it. On the 5th
of March 1771, he began another paper With the
same title, which was published weekly, on a large
sheet folio.

It Was at ﬁrst the determination of Thomas
that his paper should be free to both parties which
then agitated the country, and, impartially, lay
before the public their respective communications;
but he soon found that this ground could not be

-maintained. “ The dispute between Britain and her

UNITED sﬁrarns. » - 379

American colonies became ‘more and more serious,
and deeply interested every class of men in‘ the
community. The parties in the dispute took the.
names of Whigs and Tories ; the tories were, the.
warm supporters of the measures of the British eabej
inet, and the Whigs the animated advocates «for
American liberty. The tories soon discontinued
their subscriptions for the Spy; and, the publisher
'Was convinced that to produce an abiding and salu.
tary eﬁ'ect, his paper must have a ﬁxed character.
He was in principle attached to the party which op.-
posed the measures of the BritiSh ,ministry; and
he, therefore, announced that the Spy would be dee-
voted to the support of the Whig interest.

Some overtures had been previously made by the
friends; of the British government to induce him, ‘th .
have the "Spy conducted wholly on, their side ' of thﬂ,
question ; and, these having been rejected, an attempt
was made to force a compliance, or todeprive him
of his press and types. It was known that he was
in debt for these articles, and that his creditor W6§
an oﬂicer of government, appointed by the .0“)an
This oﬂicer, notwithstanding .he was a rivery, WQfe
thy man, was pushed on to make .a demand .of pay.-
ment, contrary to his verbal. agreement, under the
apprehension that the money could not be raised.
When Thomas assumed the debt of F owle, he gave
his bond, payable in one year, under an assurance,
that the capital might lay as it had done, if the inter.-
est annually due should be punctually paid; and
when, contrary to stipulation, the capital was de-
manded, he borrowed money, and paid; one debt by ,
contracting another.

380 HISTORY or PRINTING.

An essay, published in the Spy, N ovember
1771, under the signature of Mucius Scaevola, at-
tracted the attention of the executive of the prov-
ince. Governor Hutchinson assembled his council
on the occasion ; and, after consultation, the beard
determined, that the printer should be ordered be.
fore them. In pursuance of this resolution, their
, messenger was sent to inform Thomas, that his at-
V tendance was, required in the council chamber. To
this message he replied, “ that he was busily em-
ployed in- his‘ ofﬁce, and could not wait upon his ex-
cellency and their honors.” The messenger re-.
turned to the council with this answer, and, in an
hour after, again came into Thomas’s printing
house, and informed him, that the governor and
council waited for his attendance ; and, by their di-
rection, inquired, Whether he was ready to appear
before them .9 (Thomas answered, that he was not.
The messenger went to make his report to the
council, and Thomas to ask advice of a distinguished
law character. He was instructed to persist in his b
refusal to appear before the council, as they had no
legal right to summon him before them; but, should
a warrant issue from the proper authority, he must
then submit to the sheriff who should serve such a
process upon him. This was a critical moment;
the affair had taken air, and the public took an in-
terest in the event. The council proceeded with
caution, for the principle was at issue, whether they
possessed authority, arbitrarily to summon whom
they pleased before their board, to answer, to them
’ for their conduct. The messenger was, however,

UNITED STATES. ~ 381

the third time sent to Thomas, and brought him
this verbal order.

Mess. The governor and council order your
immediate attendance before them in the council.
chamber.

T. I will not go. .

.Me'ss. You do not give this answer with an
intention that .1 should report it to the governor and.
council '2?

T. Have you any thing written, by Which to ’
shew the authority under which you act. 9

Mess. I have delivered to you the order of
the governor and council, as it wasgiven to me.

T. If I understand you, the governor and
council order my immediate attendance before”
them. 9 ’ '

ﬁless. They do. ,

T. Have you the order in writing ?

Mess. No.

T. Then, sir, with all due respect to the
governor and council, I am engaged 1n my own con-
,cerns, and shall not attend.

Mess. Will . you commit your. answer to
writing? - '

T. No, Sir.

’l/Iess. You had better go, you may repent your
refusal to comply with the order of the council.

' T. I must abide by the result.*

The messenger carried the refusal to the coun-

cil. The board for several hours. debated the ques‘

* This conversation with the messenger is taken from a
memorandum made at the time. ‘-

382 HISTORY or PRINTING.

tion, Whether they should commit Thomas for can.
tempt; but, it was suggested by some member
' that he, cou1d not legally be committed unless he had
appeared before them , in that case, his answers
might have been construed into a contempt of their
body, and been made the ground of commitment.
It was also suggested that they had not authority to
‘. compel his appearance before them to answer for
any supposed crime or misdemeanor, punishable by
law, as particular tribunals had the exclusive cogni-
zance of such oﬁ'ences. \ The supposed want of au-
thority was, indeed, the reason why a compulsory
process had not been adopted in the ﬁrst instance.
There were not now, as formerly, licensers of the
press.

The council, being defeated m the design to get
the printer before them, ordered the attorney general
to prosecute him at, common law. A prosecution
was accordingly soon attempted, and great efforts
made to effect his conviction. The chief justice, at
the following term of the supreme court in Boston,
in his charge to the grand jury, dwelt largely on the
doctrine of libels; on the present licentiousness of
the press; and, on the necessity of restraining it.
The attorney general presented a bill of indictment
tothe grand inquest against Isaiah Thomas for pub-
lishing an obnoxious libel. The court house was
crowded from day to day to learn the issue. The
grand jury returned this bill, Ignoramus. Foiled
by the grand jury in this mode of prosecution, the
attorney general was directed to adopt a different
process; and to ﬁle an information against Thomas.
This direction of the court "was soon known to the

umrsn stares. - 383

writers in the Opposition, who attacked it with so
much warmth and animation, and oﬁ'eled such co-
gent arguments to prove that it infringed the rights
and liberties of the subject, that the court thonght
proper to drop the measure. Unable to convict the
printer either by indictment or information in Sui?-
folk, a proposal was made to prosecute him in some
other county, under the following pretext-The
printers of newspapers circulate them through the”
province; and, of course, publish them as exten. ,-
sively as they are circulated. Thomas, for in-
stance, circulates the Spy in the county of Essex,
and as truly publishes the libel in that county, as in
Suﬁ'olk where the paper is printed. The fallacy of
this argu ment was made apparent; the measure was
not adopted, and government, for that time, gave
over the prosecution; but, on a subsequent occa-
sion, some attempts of that kind were renew-
ed. 9*

It became at length apparent to all reﬂecting
men, that hostilities must soon take place between
Greatbritain and her American colonies. Thomas '
had rendered himself very obnoxious to the friends
of the British administration; and, in consequence,
the tories, and some of the British soldiery in the
town, openly threatened him with the effects of their
resentment. -

For these and other reasons, he was induced to
pack up, privately, a press and ’types, and to send
them, in the night, over Charles river, to Charles-

* On account of some essays addressed to the King, pub...
lished inthe Spy in September 17 7 2, and at other periods.

384 HISTORY or PRINTING.

town, whence they were conveyed to Worcester.
This was only a few days before the affair at Lex~
ington“.

The press and types constituted the whole of
the property he saved from the proceeds of ﬁve years
labor; the remainder was destroyed, or carried off
by the followers and adherents of the royal army,
when it quitted Boston.

On the night of April 18, 1775, it was discover-
ed that a considerable number of British troops were
embarking in boats on the river near the common,
iwith the manifest design to destroy the stores col-
lected by the provincials, at Concord, eighteen miles
from Boston; and he was concerned, with others,
in giving the alarm. At day break, the next morn-
ing, he crossed over to Charlestown, went to Lex-
ington, and joined the provincial militia in opposing
the King’s troops. On the 20th, he went to Wor-
cester, opened a printing house, and soon after re~
Commenced the publication of his newspaper.ale

‘ The provincial congress assembled at Water-
town proposed that Thomas’s press should be re-
mOved to that place ; but, as all concerns of a pub-
lic nature were then in a state of derangement, it
was ﬁnally determined, that his press should remain
at Worcester; and, that postriders should be estab- .
lished to facilitate an intercourse between that place,
watertown and Cambridge ; and, at .Worcester

* The publication of the Spy ceased for three weeks. It
appeared from the press in Worcester, May 3d, 17 7 5., This '
was the ﬁrst printing done in any inland town in Newengland.

UNITED STATES. 385

he c‘ontinUed to print for Congress until a press Was
established at Cambridge and at Watertown.

During the time he had been in business at Bos-
ton, e hadpublished a number of pamphlets, but
11 i-lmany books of more consequence.

a Having made an addition to his printing mate—
rials, in 1773, he sent a press and types to New-
buryportﬁ'e and committed the management of the (
same to a young printer, Whom he soon after took
into partnership in his concerns in that place rand,
in December of the same year, he began the publi*
cation of a newspaper in that town. , His partner
managed their affairs imprudently, and involved the
. company in debt ; in consequence of which Thomas
sold out at considerable loss. ‘

In January 17 74, he began, in Boston, the pub-
lication of The Royal American Magazine ; but the
general distress and commotion in the town, occa-
sioned by the operation of the act of the British par-
liament to blockade the port of Boston, obliged him
to discontinue it, before the expiration of the year,
much to the injury of his pecuniary interest. [See
Worcester—Newspapers, 29%.]

JOHN BOYLE.

SERVED an apprenticeship with Green and
Russell.- He. purchased the types of Fletcher of
Halifax, and began business as a printer and books

* This was the ﬁrst press set up in Newburyport.
——I 3 A

3’85 Hrsranr or PRINTING.

seller, In Marlborough street in 1771, and printed a
few books on his own account.

, In May, 1774, Boyle formed a partnership with
Richard. Draper, publisher of The Massachusetts Ga-
zette, or Boston News Letter. Draper died the fol-
lowing month, and his widow continued the newspa-
per, 810. Boyle was in partnership with the Widew
until August following; they then dissolved their
connexion, and Boyle returned to his former stand.

In 1775, Boyle sold his printing materials,- but
retained his bookstore, which he now, 1810, keeps
in the same place.

NATHANIEL DAVIS.

SERVED his apprenticeship With Daniel Kneel-
' and; and, during the year 1772 and 1773, was in
partnership with him ;———soon after which he died.
‘ They had a small printing house, as has been ob-
. served, where Seollay’s Buildings now stand, at the \
head of Court street. 1

They published a number of pamphlets, and did
some work for booksellers. [See Daniel Kneeland.]

NATHANIEL MILLS.

HE was born Within a few miles of Boston, and
served his apprenticeship with John Fleming.

UNITED- stares. _ 8'37

Mills had just completed his time of service,
when Fleming quitted business. John Hicks and
Mills were nearly of an age, and they formed a co.
partnership under the ﬁrm of , .

Mags and Hicks. .,

The controversy between Britain and her Amer:
ican colonies, at this period, aSSumed a very serious
aspect, and government Was disposed to iniist the
press in support of the measures of the British
miniStry. Mills and Hicks were urged by the par-
tizans of government to purchase Fleming’ 3 print-'-
ing materials, and the right which Green and Russell
had in the newspaper, entitled The Massachusetts
Gazette, and Boston Post Boy, 8w. They pursued
the advice given them, and being by this purchase,
furnished With types and with a newspaper, they -
opened a printing house in April 1773, in School-
street, nearly opposite to the small church, erected
for the use of the French protestants.* ‘

The British party handsomely Supported the
paper of Mills and Hicks, and afforded peCuniary
aid to the printers. . Several able writers defended
the British administration from the attacks of their
American opponents; and the selection of articles
in support of government for this paper, as Well as
its foreign and domestic intelligence, displayed the‘
discernment and assiduity of the compilers.

* A number of separatists afterward purchased this
church, and settled as their minister the rev. Andrew Cros-
Well. It was taken down a few years since.

888 Hrsr0nr‘or, PRINTING.

Mills Was a sensible, genteel young man, and a
good printer; he had the principal management of
the printing house. The newspaper was their chief
concern; besides this, they printed, during the two
years they were in Boston, onlya few political pam—
phlets, and the Massachusetts Register. The com-
mencement of hostilities, in April 17 7 5. put an end
to the publication of their Gazette. \

Soon after the war began, Mills came out of
Boston, and resided a few weeks at Cambridge; he
then returned to Boston, where he and his partner
remained until the town was evacuated by the Brit—
ish troops. They, with others who had been in op.
position to the country, removed with the British
" army to Halifax, and from thence to Greatbritain.
After two years residence 1n England, they removed
to Newyork, then 1n possession of the B1 itish troops.

' , In Newyork they Opened a stationary store, and
did some printing for the royal army and navy. They
~ afterwards formed a partnership with Alexander and
James Robertson, who published the Royal Ameri-
can Gazette in that city. The ﬁrm was Robertsons,
M113 and Hairs.

. This ﬁrm continued until peace took place 1n
1783. Mills and Hicks then returned to Halifax,
Novascotia; but their partnership was soon after
dissolved, and Mills went and resided at Shelburne,
‘in that province,

mural). sra'rns. ~. ‘ 389

JOHN HICKS.

Was born in- Cambridge, near Boston, and
served an apprenticeship with Green and Russell.
He was the partner of Nathaniel Mills. [For par-
ticulars respecting this company, we Nathaniel
[Willa] ' ~ ‘ ‘

Hicks, previous to his entering into partnership
with Mills, was supposed to be a zealous young
Whig. ’He was reputed to have” been one of the
young men, who had an aﬂray with some British
soldiers, and which led to the \memorable masSacre
in King street, Boston, on the 5th of March, 17 70.

Interest too often biasses the human mind. . The
ofﬁcers and friends of government at that time, un.
questionably, gave encouragement to the few prints
ers, who enlisted themselves for the support of the '
British parliament. Draper’s MaSsachuSetts Ga;
zette and Boston Weekly News-Letter, was the
only paper in Boston, when, and for SOme time be.
fore, Mills and Hicks began printing, which discov-'
ered the least appearance of zeal in supporting‘the -
measures of the British administration against the.
colonies—and Draper: was the printer to the gov,
ernor and council.

The Massachusetts Gazette and Post-Boy, 8:0.
printed by Green and Russell, was rather a dull
recorder of common occurrences; its publishers,
although encouraged by printing for the custom

390 HISTORY or rnmrmc.

house, and by other proﬁtable work for government,
did not appear to take an active part in its favor.
The dispute with the parent country daily became
more and more important“; and it evidently appear-
ed, that the administration deemed it necessary that
. there should be a greater number of newspapers zeal-
ously devoted to the support of the cause of Great-
britain. It was therefore decided that Green and
Russell should resign the printing of their Gazette
to Mills and Hicks; and they were animated by
extraordinary encouragement, to carry it on with
spirit and energy in support of the royal cause. \A
number of writers, some of them said to be ofﬁcers
of the British army, were engaged to give new life
and spirit to this, Gazette. Mills and Hicks man-
aged the paper to the satisfaction of their employers,
until the. commencement of the revolutiOnary war,
which took place in two years after they began
printing. - ,
The father of Hicks was one of the .ﬁrst who
fell in this war. When a detachment of the British
troops marched to Concord to destroy the public
stores collected there, by order of the provincial
congress, Hicks’s father was among the most for...
ward. to ﬂy to arms, in order to attack this detach.
ment‘ on its return to Boston, after having killed a
number of Americans at Lexington, and partially
executed the design of the expedition to Concord .;
and, in the defence of his country, he lost his life.
Notwithstanding this sacriﬁce of his father on
the altar of liberty, Hicks still adhered to the Brit-;
ish, and remained with the royal army, supporting,
as a printer, their cause, until a peace was conclud-

UNITED s'r‘A'rns. 391

ed, By the acknowledgment of the Independence of
the United States.

When the British army quitted Newyork, Hicks, - ~

with many other American loyalists, went with them
to Halifax. After remaining there a few years, he
returned to Boston. Having acquired a very con- .
siderable property by his business during the war,
he purchased a handsome estate at Newtown, (on
which he resided until his death.

JOSEPH GREENLEAF.

WAS a justice of the peace for the county of
Plymouth, and lived at Abington, ' Massachusetts.

He possessed some talents as a popular writer;
and, in consequence, was advised in 1771, to re-
move into Boston, and write, occasionally, on the
side of the patriots. He furnished a number of
pieces for the Massachusetts Spy. These display-
ed an ardent zeal in the cause of American libert ;
and, in the then state of the popular mind, amidst
many pungent, and some more elegantly written
communications, they produced a salutary effect. '

Not long after he came to Boston, a piece under
the signature of Mucius Scaevola, as has been al-
ready mentioned, appeared in the Massachusetts
Spy, which attracted the attention of the governor
and council of Massachusetts; they sent for Thomas,
the printer, but he did not appear before them.
Greenleaf, who was suspected of being concerned

39,2 HISTORY or PRINTING.-

in the publication of that paper, was also required
to attend in the council Chamber; but, he did not
make his appearance before this board.- The coun-
cil then advised the governor to take from Green-
leaf his commission of a justice of the peace, as he
“ was generally reputed to be concerned with Isaiah
Thomas in printing and publishing a newspaper
called the Massachusetts Spy.” Greenleaf was ac-
cordingly dismissed as a magistrate.

In 1773, Greenleaf purchased a press and types,
and opened a printing house in Hanover street, near
Concert hall. He printed several pamphlets, and
“ An Abridgment of Burn’s JuStice of the Peace.”

In August, 1774, he continued the publication
of The Royal American Magazine, , begun by
Thomas. The revolutionary war closed his print-
ing business. _

Greenleaf was not bred a printer; he had but
little property, and set up a press at an advanced
period of his life, as the mean of procuring a liveli-
hood. A son of his, nearly of age, had learned
printing of Thomas; this son* managed his fath-
er’s printing house, during the short time he car-
.ried on business.

He is now living, and is the oldest magistrate in

Boston.

* Thomas Greenleaf, afterward the publisher of a news:
paper in Newyork. '

UNITED swarms. 393'

MARGARET DRAPER.

WA 3' the widow of Richard Draper. She pub;
lished the Massachusetts "Gazette and Boston NeWs
Letter, after his death. Boyle, who had been con.
nected with her husband a short. time before he
died, continued the management of her printing
house for about four months; and, during that
time, his name appeared after Margaret Draper’s in"
the imprint of the Gazette. At the expiration of
this period, their partnership Was dissolved. '

Margaret Draper conducted the concerns of the
printing house for several months, and then formed ’
a connexion with John Howe, w ho managed the
business of the company, agreeably to the advice of
her friends, Whilst she remained 111 Boston.

M. Draper printed for the governor and coun-
cil ;" but the newspaper was the principal work done
in her printing house. '

A few weeks after the revolutionary war com-
menced, and Boston was besieged, all the newspa-
pers, excepting her’s, ceased to be published; and,
but one of them“, the Boston Gazette, was revived
after the British evacuated the town. It is remark-
able that The News Letter was the ﬁrst and the last
neWspaper which was published in‘Boston, prior to
the declaration of independence. ‘

Margaret Draper left Boston with the British

army, and went to Halifax ; from thence, she soon
I 8 B

3‘94 HISTORY or ”mm.

took passage, with a number of her friends, for
England. She received a pension from the British
government, and remained 1n England until her
death, which took place a few years since.

‘ JOHN HOWE.

WAS born in Boston, and there served a regular
apprenticeship at the printing business. His father
I was a reputable ‘tradesman in Marshall’s lane.

In the- account given of _Margaret Draper, men-
tion was made that Howe became connected with
her in publishing her Gazette, 81c. , ‘

Howe had recently become of age, and was a
sober, discreet young man; M. Draper, therefore,
Was induced, a short time before the commence-
ment of the war, to take him into partnership ,
but his name did not appear in the imprint of the
Massachusetts Gazette till Boston was besieged by
the continental army.

. Howe remained with his partner until they were
obliged to leave Boston, in consequence of the evac-
uation of the tovVn by the British troops in March
17 76 He then went to Halifax, where he publish.
ed a newspaper, and printed for the government of
Novascotia. He 18 still 1n business at Halifax.

mums .s-T 4-133. 5.81.915

SALEM

Was the third place in the province of Massa-
chusetts, in which a press was established. The
ﬁrst printing house was opened 1.11 1768, by

SAMUEL HALL.

HE was born in Medford, Massachusetts,
served an apprenticeship with his uncle, Daniel
Fowle, of Portsmouth, and ﬁrst began business in
Newport, in 1763, in company with Anne Franklin.

He left NeWport in March, 176,8 opened a
printing house in Salem 1n April following, and
began the publication of The Essex Gazette, in,
August of that year. In three or four years after
he settled 1n this town, he admitted his brother,
Ebenezer Hall, as a partner. Their ﬁrm was I

‘Samuel and Ebenezer .Hall.

They remained in Salem until 1775. Soon ,
after the commencement of the war, to accommo-
date the state convention and the army, they remov-
ed to Cambridge, and printed in Stoughton hall, one
of‘ the buildings belonging to Harvard university.

596. Hrsronr or PRINTING.

‘ In February, 17 7 6, Ebenezer Hall died, aged
tWenty seven years; he was an amiable young man‘,
, and a good printer; he was born in Medford, and
was taught the art of Printing by his brother.

In 1 776, on the evacuation of Boston by the
British troops, Samuel Hall removed into that town,
and remained there until 17 81, when he returned to
Salem. He continued in Salem until November,
1785; at which time he again went to BoSton, and
opened a printing house, and a book and stationary
store, in Cornhill. '

In April, 1789, he began printing, in the French
language, a newspaper, entitled, Courier dc Bos-
ton. This was a weekly paper, printed on a sheet
of crown in quarto, for J. N ancrede, a Frenchman,
Who then taught the language of his nation at the
university , and, was afterward a bookseller 1n Bos-
ton; but his name did not appear in the imprint of
the paper.“ Courier de Boston,” was published
only six months.

After Hall relinquished the publication of a
newspaper, he printed a few octavo and duodecimo
volumes, a variety of small books with cuts, for
children, and many pamphlets, particularly sermons.

Hall was a correct printer, and judicious editor.
He was industrious, faithful to his engagements,a
respectable citizen, and a ﬁrm friend to his country.

He died October 30, 1807, aged sixty seven
years.

UNITED STATES. , 397

EZEKIEL RUSSELL.

HAS been already mentioned- He removed
from Boston to Salem in 1774, and opened, in Ruck
street, the second printing house established in this
place. i

In the same year, he began the publication of a
newspaper, but did not meet with success. .He
printed ballads and small books. '

Having remained about tWo years in Salem, he -
removed to Danvers, and Opened a printing house;
from thence, about the year 1778, he returned with a
his press to Boston. [See Boston—Portsm0ut/z,£9’c.

JOHN ROGERS.

WA St born in Boston, and served an apprentice-
ship there, with William Macalpine. He began the
publication of a newspaper in Salem, at the printing
house of Russell, who was interested in the paper;
but it was printed only a few weeks.

After this failure in the attempt to establish a
pap er, I do not recollect to have seen Rogers’s name
to any publication, He did not own either press 0
types. \ -

393 Hrsronr or ram TING.

MARY CROUCH.

, TH E Widow of Charles Crouch, of Charleston,
Sawthoarolina. .

She left Charleston in 17 80 a short time More
ﬁat City was surrendered to the British troops; and
she brought with her the press and types of her lat;
husband. She opened a printing house in Salem,
mar the east church, Where she published .a news-
paper for a short time. When she sold her press,
ﬁe. she removed to Providence, Rhodeisland, the
mime of .hernativity, .and there resided.

NEWBURYPORT.

AT the request of several «gentlemen, particu-
' Early the late rev. Jonathan Parsons, 'a press was
' ﬁrst established in-this (town, in 1773,1by

iSAIAH THOMAS.

HR "0de a printing house in "King street,
Newburyport, opposite to the Presbyterian church. 3
This town was settled at an early period. In point 1
of magnitude it holds the third rank, and it was the ,

mum}: sue-as: .. 399',

fourth, where the press was establihlrcd, m the col-
ony’. Thomas took as a partner, Henry’iWalter
Tinges; the ﬁrm was ‘

Thomas and Tinges. '

Thomas continued his business In Boston, and
Tinges had the principal management of the con. ’
cerns at Newburyport. They here printed a news—
paper, and in this Work the press was principally.
employed. '

Before the close of a year, ThoInas seld the
printing materials to Ezra Lunt, the proprietOr of a
stage, who was unacquainted With printing , but he
took Tinges as a partner, and the ﬁrm Of this com-
pany was

Lunt and Tinges.

”T hey continued their connexion until the coun-
try became involved in the revolutionary war, soon
after Which Lunt transferred the press, and his con-
cern in printing, to John Mycall. Tinges now be-
came the partner of Mycall.

Mycall and ﬁnger.

This partnership ended in six months. The.
business was then conducted by Mycall, Who soon
became so well acquainted With it, as to carry it on,
and continue it on a respectable footing, for about
twenty years; When he .quitted printing, and retired
to a farm at HarVard, in the county of Worcester,
from whence he lately removed, and now resides In
Cambridgeport.

40.0 HISTORY or PRINTING.-

Tinges‘ Was born in Boston, his parents Were.
Hollanders ; he served part of his apprenticeship
with Fleming, and the-residue with Thomas. He
went from N ewburyport to Baltimore, and from
thence to sea, but never returned. ~

Lunt joined the American army, and ﬁnally
removed to Marietta; he was a native of Newbu-
ryport. -
.Mycall was not brought up to printing, but he
was a man of great ingenuity. He was born at
Worcester, in England; and was a schoolmaster at
Almsbury, at the time he purchased of Lunt. Some
years after he began print' mg, his printing house
and all his printing materials were consumed by
ﬁre. Those materials were soon replaced by a very
valuable printing apparatus.

WORCESTER.

TH 13- was the ﬁfth town in Massachusetts in
which the press was established.~

In 17 74,,a number of gentlemen in the county of
Worcester, zealously engaged in the cause of the V
country, were, from the then appearance of public
affairs, desirous to have a press established in Wor— ¥
cester, the shire town of the county. In December
of that year, they applied to a printer in Boston,
who engaged to open a printing house, and to pub-
lish a newspaper there, 1n the course of the ensuing

sprlng.

twirl-:1) warns. - 40.1

ISAIAH THOMAS.

IN consequence of an agreement with the gen-:- ‘
tlemen as before related, to send a press, with a
suitable person to manage the concerns of it, to this
town, he, in February 17 75, issued a proposal for
publishing a neWspaper, to be entitled, “ The Wor-
cester Gazette; or, American Oracle of Liberty.”
The war commencing sooner than was expected, he
was obliged to leave Boston, came himself to Wora
cester, opened a printing house, and On the 3d of May,
1775, executed the ﬁrst printing done inthis tom.

Thomas remained at Worcester until 17 76, when
he let a part of his printing apparatus, and his news-
paper, to two gentlemen of the bar, William Steams "
and Daniel Bigelow, and with the other part remov-
ed to Salem, with an intention to commence busi-
ness in that place; but, many obstructions to the
plan arising in consequence of the war, he sold the.
printing materials which he carried to that town;
and, in 1778, returned to Worcester, took into pos-
session the press which he had left, there, and re-
sumed the publication of the Spy.

He received his types worn down, and found
paper, wretchedly as it was then manufactured, dif-
ﬁcult to be obtained; but, in a few months, he was
fortunate enough to purchase some new types which
were taken in a vessel from London. After some
time, he also procured paper, which was superior in
quality to what was generally manufactured at that

I _3 C

@022 mm” or rnmrmc.

period; and, thus he was enabled to keep his print-
ing business alive whilst the war continued.

1 During tWo or three years he was concerned
with Joseph Trumbull in a mEdicinal store.

On the establishment of peace, an intercourse
'was opened with Eurqye, land he procured a liberal
supply of new printing materials, and engaged in
book printing; Opened {a bookstore, and united the
two branches. of printing audbook'selling. .

In September, 17 88, he recommenoed printing;
in Boston, . and at the same time opened a boob
store there.- At ﬁrst, the business was managed by
three partners, under the ﬁrm of 1. Thomas and C”?-
wbut one of the partners leaving the company,
Thomas ‘ formed a copartnErship with the other,
Ebenezer. T; Andrews, who had served hisapp'ren-
ticeship' With him, and the house took the ﬁrm of
3710mm; and Andrews, which still continues. , ‘

.In 17 93,1he set Up a press, and opened a book.
store, at .Walpole, Newhampshire, where he began
the publication of a newspaper, entitled, The Farrm
er’ s Museum. This paper is still published- '

In 1794, he opened another printing house and a
bookstore at Brookﬁeld, Massachusetts.

All these concerns were managed by partners, '
and distinct fromhis business 1n Worcester; where
he continued to reside, and to carry on printing and
booksellin‘g On his; sole account; At WOrcester, he
also erected a papermill, and set up a bindery; and
was“ thus enabled to go through the whole process
of manufacturmg books. '

In 1794, he and his partner at Boston extended
a branch of their bookselling business to Baltimore.

8

Wimp STATES—c . 403

The house there establisbed was known by the ﬁrm
of Thomas. 472mg and Butler 1 and, In 17:96»
- they. established another brenCh..0f their bueineeh. at
Albany, under the ﬁrm of Thames, Andrew: em!
Penniman, and there Opened. a printing house and
bookstore.

The hockey-inter! by himat Worcester, and by
him and his partners in other places, form a very
considerable catalogue. At one time they had six- .
teen presses in use; seven of them at his printing
house in Worcester, and ﬁve at the company’s print-
ing house in Boston. They printed three newspa-
pers in the country,land a magazine in Boston ; and
they had ﬁve bookstores 1n Massachusetts, one in
N ewhampshire, one at Albany, and one at Bal-
timore. ‘

‘ Among the books which issued from Thomas’ 5

press at Worcester, were, in 1791, an edition of the
Bible, in folio, with copperplates; and, an edition,
in royal quarto, with a concordance. In 1793, a
large edition of the Bible in octavo, and in 1797, the
Bible in 'duodecimo. Of this last size, several edi-
tions were printed, as the types, complete for the
work, were kept standing. In 1802, he printed at
second edition of the octavo Bible.

,Among the books printed by the company in
Boston, were, The MassaChusetts Magazine, pub-
lished monthly, in numbers, for ﬁve years, contain-
ing ﬁve octavo volumes; ﬁve editions of The Uni-
versal Geography in two volumes octavo, and sev-
eral other heavy Works; also, the Bible in 12mo.
numerous editions; the types for which were re.
moved from Worcester to Boston. .

404» HISTORY or PRINTING.

In 1802, Thomas resigned the printing at War.
ceSter to his son Isaiah Thomas, jun. and, soon
after, transferred to him the management of the
Massachusetts Spy; His son continues the publi-
cation of that paper, and carries on printing and
bookselling.

[See Boston~Newburyport~Hsh quewspa-
pars, in vol. ii.]

CONNECTICUT. .

THERE was no press in this colony until 1709;
and, I believe, not more than four printing houses
in it before 17 75.

NEWLONDOM

THE ﬁrst printing done in Connecticut was in
this town; forty ﬁve years before a press was estab.
lished elsewhere in the colony.

THOMAS SHORT.

WAS the ﬁrst who printed in Connecticut. He
set up his press in the town of Newlondon in 1709.
He was recommended by Bartholomew Green, who
at that time printed in Boston, and from whom he,
probably, learned the ‘art of Printing.

406 HISTORY or PRINTING.

In the year 1 710,, he printed an original work,
well known in Newengland, by the title of “ ' ‘he
Saybrook Platform of Church Discipline.” This
is said to be the ﬁrst book printed in the colony.
After the Platform he printed a number of sermons,
and sundry pamphlets. on religious subjects, and I
was employed by the governor and company to do
the work for the colony.

He died at Newlondon, three or four years after
his settlement there.

— TIMOTHY GREEN.

Hr. has already been taken notice of, as the son
of Samuel Green, jun. of Boston, and grandson of
Samuel Green, senior, of Cambridge. He con-
ducted a press in Boston thirteen years. Receiving
an invitation from the council and assembly of Con-
necticut colony, in the. year 1714, he removed to
. Newlondon, and was appointed printer to the gov;-
ernor and company, on a salary of ﬁfty pounds per
annum.ale It was stipulated that for this sum he
ishould print the election sermons, proclamations,
and the laws which should be enacted at the several
sessions of the assembly.

Beside the work of government Green printed
a number of pamphlets on religious subjects, par-
ticularly sermons. It has been said of him, that
Whenever he heard a" sermon Which he highly ap-

* Trumbull’s History of Connecticut-

‘tmrr-zn trans“. 407 ‘

proved, he Would solicit a copy of the anther, and
print it for his own sales. This honest anal in the
cause of religion often proved injurimis to: his his
terest. * Large quantities of these sermons lay on
hand as dead stock; and, after his deeease, they
were put into baskets, appraised by the bushel,
and sold under the value of common waste paper.

He printed a revised edition of the laWs, entitled,
-“1 Acts and Laws of his Majestie’s Colony of Con.
hecticut in New- England.” Imprint-m“ NeWa-Lon-
don, Reprinted by Timothy Green, Prin‘bér to his
Honour the Governour and Company. 1715.” He
published, also, ’an edition of the laws from 1715
to 1750. ' _

As early as 1727,1113 printed Robert Treat’s AL
manack. The celestial signs for which were rudeiy .

cut on em quadrates, and raised to the height of " '. V

the letter.

Some years before his death, he resigned his

printing house and business to his son Timothy,
who at the time was a printer in Boston, and the
partner of Samuel Kneeland.
' Green Was a deacon of the church in Nervlon-
don; and, as a christian, was held 111 high estinia-
tion. His piety was free from the gloominess and
asperity of the bigot; he was benetrolent in his
heart, and virtuous in his life. He was of a very
facetiou's disposition, and many Of his anecdotes are
handed dOWn to the present time. '

He died May 5, 17 5 7 aged seventy eight years.
He left six sons, and one daughter; the daughter -
died in Easthaddatn in 1808; three of his Sons
were printers; the eldest, as before mentioned, sne-

408 HISTORY or PRINTING.

ceeded him; the second settled at Annapolis, in
Maryland; and, the third was connected with his .
father; but died before him.

SAMUEL GREEN.

THIRD son of Timothy Green, was born in
Boston two years before his father left that town.
He was taught printing by his father, and was for
several years in partnership with him.

He died in May, 1752, at forty years of age ,
leaving three sons, who were printers, and of whom
due notice will be taken in course.

TIMOTHY GREEN, JUN.

WAS born in Boston, and came to this place
with his father, who instructed him in the art. He " I
began printing in Boston, and was for twenty ﬁve
years the partner of Samuel Kneeland, as has been
related.

On the death of his brother Samuel, his father
being aged, and unable to manage the concerns of
the printing house, he closed his partnership with ,;
Kneeland; and, in compliance with his father’s re. '
quest, removed to Newlondon. The whole busi. '
ness was resigned to him. He succeeded his father

UNITED s'rA'rns. ' 409

as printer of / the colony , and, at this time, there
was not anOther printing house in Connecticut.

On the 8th of August, 1758, he published a
newspaper. This was the second establishment of
the kind in the colony.

After a life of industry, he died October 3, 1763,
aged sixty years. He was amiable in his manners,
and 'much esteemed by his friends and acquaint-
ances. [See Boston—Newspapers] ‘

TIMOTHY GREEN, third oft/mt name.

WAS the son of Samuel Green, and nephew to .
the last mentioned Timothy. He was born 1n New-
london, and was taught the art by his uncle, to I
whose business he succeeded.

The newspaper begun by his uncle was discon-
tinued, and he established another, which is now-
published by his son.

In 1773, he set up a press in NorWich, in com-
pany with his brother 1n law; this press was after-
ward removed to Vermont.

Green was printer to the colony. In his profess-
ion, and as a citizen, he was respectable; a ﬁrm and
honest Whig, and he was attached to the federal
constitution of the United States. .

He died on the 10th of March, 1796, aged ﬁfty
nine years. He had eleven children, eight sons, and
three daughters; two sons were printers, one Of

whom, Samuel, succeeded his father, and is now a
I 3 D ’ ‘ "' "

410 Hrsronr'or PRINTING.

/ printer in 'Newlondon; the other settled at Freder.
icksburgh, Virginia, and, in 17 87, ﬁrst printed
“ The Virginia Herald.” Two sons, by the name of
Thomas and John, were booksellers and binders;
another son, by the name of William, was an epis'
copal clergyman, who is now dead.

NE WHA m

THE second printing house, established in Con-
necticut, was in this town. .

JAMES PARKER AND COMPANY.

. AT the commencement of the war between
England and France, in 1754, ' Benjamin Franklin
and w James Hunter were joint deputy postmaster-s
general for America. As the principal seat of the
war With France, in this country, was to the north-
'ward, the establishment of a postoﬂice’ in Newhaven
“became an object of ' some consequence. James
Parker, in,1_75.4, obtained from Franklin the ﬁrst
appointment of postmaster in this place, associated
With John Holt, who had been unfortunate 1n his
commercial business, and was brother in law to
Hunter.‘ '

trump STATESJ 411

Having secured the postolﬁce, Parker; who was
then the principal printer at .NeWyork, sent a "press
to Newhaven at the close of the year 1754. The
ﬁrst werk. from his press was the laws of Yale cola
lege, in Latin.‘ On the ﬁrst of January, 1755, he
published a newspaper.

Holt directed the concerns of the printing house
and postoﬂice, in behalf of James Parker and Co.
Parker remained at NeWyork. Postriders were es-
tablished- for the army, and considerable business
was done at the postoﬁice and printing house during
the— war. .

Parker had a partner, named Weym'an, in New.

. york, who managed their aﬁ'airs In that city until
the year 17 5 9 When the partnership was dissolved.
This event made it necessary that a new arrange-
ment should take place. Holt Went to Newyork in
1760 took the direction of Parker’s printing house
in that city; and conducted its concerns.
_ The press and postoﬁice in this place were left
to the agency of Thomas Green. Parker and Co.
still remahaing proprietors, and continuing their ﬁrm
to the Gazette till 1 764, when they resigned the
business to Benjamm Mesom.

BENJAMIN MECOM.

W11 0 has been mentioned ”as a printer, ﬁrst at
Antigua, and afterward in Boston, removed to New.
haven in 1764, and succeeded Parker and Co.
Franklin appointed him postmaster. He revived

4.12 HISTORY or PRINTING.

the Gazette which had been discontinued, but did
very little other printing.‘

He remained m this city until 1767, and then re- 7
moved to Philadelphia. [See Philadelphia, 89%.]

SAMUEL GREEN.

Was the third son of Samuel Green, and grand-
son of the ﬁrst Timothy Green, both printers in
Newlondon, where he was born. He was taught
printing by his uncle Timothy, who succeeded his
father and grandfather, In N ewlondon

Samuel Green was the successor of Mecom, at
Newhaven In 1767. He was joined by his brother
Thomas, from Hartford, and they became partners, ~
under the ﬁrm of

Thomas and Samuel Green.

The newspaper, which was begun by Parker
- and Co. and continued by Mecom, had again been
discontinued. These brOthers established another.

\Their partnership remained until dissolved by
‘ the death of Samuel, one of the parties, in February
1799, aged ﬁfty six years.

After the death of Samuel, the son of Thomas
became a partner with his father, under the ﬁrm of

Thomas Green and Son.

This son was also named Thomas. The es-
tablishment continued ten years.

UNITED STATES. - ' 413

In 1809, a nephew of Richard Draper, Thomas
Collier, who had been a printer at Litchﬁeld, was
connected with Green and his son; but the same
year, Thomas Green, the father, retired from busi-
ness. On this occasion he published a very affec-
tionate and pathetic address to the public.

The newspaper established in this place, by . -

Thomas and Samuel Green, is now printed by Eli
HudsOn.

HAR TFORD.

IT 1s only forty six years since printing was ﬁrst
introduced into Hartford.

- THOMAS GREEN.

WH 0 has been recently mentioned as the part-
ner of Samuel Green in Newhaven, was born at
N ewlondon. He was the eldest son of Samuel
Green, printer, in that place. His father dying, -
during the early part of his life, he was instructed 1n
printing by his uncle.

Green ﬁrst commenced printing in Hartford, in
'17 64. Until this time Newlondon and Newhaven

were the only places in the colony, in which presses

414 HISTORY or rnmrmc.

had been established. He began the publication of
a newspaper which Was the third printed in Con:
necticut ; he remained in this town till 1767, then
removed to Newhaven, and there went into a parts
nership with his brother. Previous to his leaving
this town, he formed a connexion with Ebenezer
Watson, who conducted the press two years under
the ﬁrm of

Green and Watson.

Thomas Green is now, 1810, living in Newha-
ven, aged about 71 ; he is a great, great grandson of
Samuel Green who printed at Cambridge, Massa-
chusetts. - ,

Frederick Green, printer of the Maryland Ga-
zette, at Annapolis, is from the same stock, and is
also a great, great grandson of the same ' Samuel
Green. - ~ .
Samuel Green, printer of the ’ C-ormectieut Ga:
zette at Newlondon, and Thomas Green, jun. late
one of the publishers of the Connecticut Journal, at
Newhaven, are of the sixth generation of the name
of Green, who have been printers in this country,
being great, great, great grandsons of Samuel Green
of cambridge. ' .

EBENEZER WATSON.

Soc C an n r. a Thomas~ Green, in Hartford, from .
whom he learned printing. He continued the news.
paper established by Green. Publishingthis paper

tmnn suns. , 415

was his principal employment, and he became its
proprietor at the close of the year 17 69

It does not appear that Watson was a thorough
taught printer, although he practised the art ten
years.

He died September 16, 1777, aged thirty three
years. He was remarkable for his humanity, mm
ious for the safety of his country, then centending
for its independence, and devoted his press to
her cause. He was an ensign in the govenwr’s
company of cadets. This company attended his
funeral; and he was buried with military honors.

Watson’- s widow continued the Connecticut
Courant in company with George Geodwin, until
she married B. Hudson.

Goodwin served his apprenticeship with Wat-7
son, and is a correct printer. Hudson was not bred
a printer, but came into the business by marrying the
Widow of Watson. Goodwin became the partner
of Hudson, and they are now very respectable print-

ers under the ﬁrm of Hadson and Gmdwin.

NORWICH.

Tins is the fourth town in Connecticut WERE
a press was established before the revolution. Two
printing houses were opened in this place in the
same year.

416 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

GREEN and SPOONER.

TIMOTHY GREEN the third, printed in New-
london. Judah Paddock Spooner was his brother
' in law, and served his apprenticeship with him.

‘ ~~Green took Spooner into partnership, furnished .-

press and types, and they opened a printing house
in Norwich in 1773. Spooner, by agreement,
managed the concerns of the ﬁrm. ‘ Their business
not answering their expectations, after the trial of a
few years, they removed their press to Westminster
in Vermont. ‘

ROBERTSONS and TRUMBULL.

ALEXANDER and JAMES ROBERTSON were
sons of a respectable printer in Scotland. I have
mentioned them at Albany, where they began and
prosecuted printing for several years.

, JOHN TRUMBULL was, I believe, born in

Charlestown, Massachusetts ; he served an appren-
ticeship with Samuel Kneeland in Boston. Trum.
bull entered into partnership with the Robertsons,
and in 1773, they opened a second printing house
in Norwich, and soon aftervpublished a newspaper.

This company was not dissolved until the. Brit.
ish troops took possession-of the city Of Newyork
in 1776. The Robertsons were roy'alists; and,

UNITED STATES.- , 417 .

soon after that event, they left Norwich, and went
to Newyork. .

.Trumbull remained at Norwich, and continued
printing. He differed in his politics with his part«
ners, one of whom, James, had been 1n the political
school of Mein and Fleming of Boston for whom
he Worked two or three years as a journeyman; but,
politics apart, James was a Worthy man, and a very
good printer. Of Alexander I had no knowledge ,
but I have been informed that he was, unfortunately,
deprived of the use of his limbs, and incapacitated
for ; labor}- ‘_ He was, however, intelligent, Well edu-
cated, and possessed some abilities as a writer.

‘ Trumbull was. an honest, well meaning man,
and attached to his country. His printing ~Was
chieﬂy conﬁned to his newspaper, and small articles
with which he supplied country chapmen. He died
in August 1802, at the age of ﬁfty‘ two years.

118 Hrsrom or nmrmc.

RHODEISLAND. ,

PRINTING Was introduced into Connecticut
about twenty two years before a press was estab;
lished in Rhodeisland. There were but three print-I
ing houses in the colony before 1775, and only two
newspapers. ‘

Gregory Dexter, a printer in London, was the
correspondent of the celebrated Roger Williams the
founder of Providence. Dexter printed, in England,
in 1643, Williams’s “ Key to the Language of the In-
dian Natives of Narraganset,” and the ﬁrst “ Alma-
nack for Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
‘ in New England.” Soon after, Dexter quitted print-
ing, left his native country, and joined Williams in
Providence, where he became a distinguished char-
acter in the colony. He was one of the parties
named in the charter, and for a number of years
one of the assistants; under the authority granted
by that charter. He was one of the ﬁrst town
clerks, and wrote an uncommonly good hand ; pos—
» sessed handsome talents; and had been well edu-
cated. From him descended the respectable fam~
ily of the Dexters in Rhodeisland.

nuns runs: 419

It is said that after Samuel Green began print-
ing at Cambridge, Dexter went there, annually, for
several years, to assist him in printing an almanackﬁ’6

“1*.”-

NE WPORT-

TH E press was ﬁrst established in this town in
the year 1732 ; and was the only one in the colony-
till 1762'.

JAMES FRANKLIN.

IT has been stated that Franklin was the pub-
lisher of The New-England Courant. Soon after
that paper was discontinued, he removed from Bos-
ton, with his printing materials, to Newport, and
there set up his press in a room ?‘ under the Town
School-House.” He did some printing for govern-
ment, published a newspaper a few months, and an
Almanack annually.

He was the ﬁrst who printed in Rhodeisland;
but only published a few pamphlets and other small
articles, beside those mentioned above. , He died in
February, 1735. [See Bantam]

* MS. papers of the late president Stiles, of N ewhaven.

420 11151011? or PRINTING.

ANNE ‘ FRANKLIN.

TH 1:" widow. of James Franklin succeeded her
husband. She printed for the colony, supplied
blanks for the public oﬂices, and published, pam~
phlets, &c.

In 1745, she printed, for government, an edition
of the laws, containing three hundred and forty
pages folio. She Was aided in her printing by ‘her
two daughters, and afterward by her son, when he
attained to a competent age. Her daughters were -«
c0rrect and quick compositors at case; they were
instructed by their father whom they assisted. A
gentleman who was acquainted with Anne Franklin
' and her family, informed me, that he had often seen
her daughters at work in the printing house, and
that they were sensible and amiable women.

" JAMES FRANKLIN, JUN.

' THE 3011 of James and Anne Franklin, was born
in" NeWport; as soon as he was of age, he became
the partner of his mother, and conducted their con- - '
oerns in his own name.

_ i , He began printing about the year 1754, published
The Mercury 1n 1758, and died Aughst 22,1762

Aftel his death, his mother resumed the busi-
ness , but. soon resigned the management of it . to

UNITED STATES.“ . 421

Samuel Hall, with Whom she formed a partnership,
under the ﬁrm of A \

' Franklin and Hall.*

This ﬁrm was of short’ duration , it was dis-
solved by the death of Anne Franklin, April 19,
. 1763, at the age of sixty eight.

They printed an edition of the IaWs, in folio,
which was completed about the time that Anne
Franklin died. ' ~

SAMUEL HALL.

AFTER the death of his partner, Hall printed 1n
his Own name.

An aCcount of him has already been given. among
the printers of Massachusetts. He remained here
ﬁve years, continued the publication of the Mercury,
and found considerable employment for his press.

In March, 1768, he resigned the printing house
in NeWport to Solomon Southwick, and removed
to Salem, Massachusetts. [836 Sale-772.]

‘* Anne Franklin’s brother in law, the celebrated Benjamin '
Franklin, Who then printed in Philadelphia, had, at that time, a
partner by the name of Hall; and the ﬁrm in Philadelphia was
likewise Franklin and Hall.

422 Hrsronv or nature.

SOLOMON SOUTHW-ICK.

WAs born in NewPort, but not brought up
to the business of. printing. He was the son. Of a
ﬁsherman;and, when a lad, assisted hisfather in.
selling ﬁsh in the market place. The attention he
paid to that employment; the comeliness of his per.
son, and the evidences he gave of a sprightly gen-
ius, attracted the notice of the worthy Henry Col-
,. lins, who, at that time, was said to be the most
wealthy citizen in NewP0rt, one of the ﬁrst mercan-
tile characters in Newengland, and greatly distin-
guished in the colony of Rhodeisland for philan-
thropy and benevolence. Mr. Collins took a nuns-
hterof lliterate boys, whose parents were poor under
onage; and, gave each an education suited
to Shis capacity , several of whom became men dis—
tinguished in the learned professions. Among the
objects of his care and liberality was young South-
wick, who was placed at the academy in Philadel-
phia, and there provided for till he had completed
his studies. Mr. Collins then established him, as a
' madam, witha partner by the name of Clarke. .
Sonthwiek and Clarke did bnsmess on an-
extensive scale; they bUilt several vessels, were
engaged in a trade to London and elsewhere; but,
eventually, they became bankrupts, and their part-C
nership was dissolved.

vnrrzn star”. 423

After this misfortune, Southwick married a
daughter of colonel John Gardner, who for several
years had been governor of the colony , and, by
this marriage, he became possessed of a handsome .
estate.

About this time Samuel Hall, who had a desire
to leave NewPort and remove to Salem, oﬂ‘ered his
printing establishment for sale. Southwick became
the purchaser in March, 17 68, and succeeded to the
business of Hall; he continued the publication of,
the N ewPort Mercury, and made some attempts at
book printing. He published, for. his own sales,
several small volumes ; but, the turbulence of
the times checked his progress in this branch of
printing.

Southwick discovered a sincere and warm at;
tachment to the interest of the country; he was a
ﬁrm Whig; a sensible and spirited writer; and, in
other respects was qualiﬁed to be the editor of a
newspaper, and the conductor of a press in times of »
revolutionary commotion.

The Severity of the British government, to the
province of Massachusetts particularly, was mani-
fested by several acts of parliament Which were
passed in 17 7 4. By one of these acts, the people
were deprived of many of their chartered rights and
privileges. By another, the port of Boston was
shut, and the transaction of every kind of commer-
cial business on the waters of this harbor, was inter-
dicted. These arbitrary edicts -. aroused the indig- ’
nation of the people in all the colonies. They loudly
expressed their resentment in various ways; and,

. 424 HISTORY or 2PRiNTING.

the press became the organ through which their
sentiments were energetically announcedﬁ't ' .
Southwick was among the number of printers,
who were not backward to blow the trumpet in our
Zion, and to sound an alarm in the holy mountain of
our liberties. {He wrote and printed - an address to
theaapeople of Rhodeisland, which «was. headed with
:thev..motto-'—“ JOIN or DI'E l” This motto had ap
peared in several of the newspapers, as will be men"-
.tioned hereafter. In this appeal Boston was rep-
resented as in a state of siege; which was actually
true , for the harbor was completely blockaded
' by ships of. War, and a large number of troops were
quartered in the town. It was also further stated,
that these measures of the British government were
a“- direct hostile 1nvasion of all the colonies.” ’ The
address was concluded by observing, that “ the gen.-
erals of despotism are now drawing the lines of cir-
cumvallation around our bulwarks of liberty, and
nothing but ’unity, resolution and perseverance, can
save ourselves and posterity from what _ is worse
than death—Slavery.”
Southwick, by his publications and exertions in
' the cause oﬁ the country, became very obnoxious ,
, to those Who were of the opposite party ; and he, With
other zealous Whigs, were marked as objects for
punishment. When the British ﬂeet and army took
possession of NewPort in 1776, he barely eluded

. * The history of those times has been ably delineated by
our historians, Ramsay, Marshall, Bancroft, Gordon, Warren, -
‘ Sec. to whose writings I refer the reader , as a hiStory ofpo-
litical events does not come within the scope or plan of this
work.

Mir-ED STATES. 425
' thexthreatened evil. "As soon as a part of , the army

had landed, detachments of both horse and foot ' '

A were ’sent into all parts of the town to arrest the pat- .-
riots, who were endeavoring to effect an escape.- “
Southwick, his wife, with a child 1n her arms, and
some other persons, had got on board an open boat, .

‘ and were just putting off from the shore, into a very-

rough sea, occasioned by a high Wind, when a party '

of soldiers who were in pursuit of. them, came in

sight. Southwick’s wife had a brother who was a

royalist; and, as such, was known to the British ' ‘

ofﬁcers ; he, however, Wished to secure the" re-
treat of his sister and her husband. Aware of their
danger, this brother put himself in the way of
their pursuers; and, for a few moments, arrested
their attention, by giving them information of the ‘
several parts of the town whence the proscribed ‘
Whigs would probably attempt to make their re« ‘1
treat, Ste. This friendly interference gave South-
Wick and his friends time to get a few rods from the
shore befOre the party arrived at the spot they had
just quitted. The boat was yet Within reach of. .
their shot. The soldiers ﬁred at them, but without .
effect. The passengers fortunately received no in-
jury," and were soon Wafted to a place of safety.
Southwick was, at this time, a member of the
general assembly of Rhodeisland. He owned two
new houses 1n Newport; these, with other property w
which he left at that place, were destroyed. He
sought an 'asylum in Attleborough, on the frontier
of Massachusetts, and there erected a press, but

being soon after appointed commissary general of I
I 1. 3 F . '

\

1‘26 * msranr or rnrNrrNG.
' issues for the state of RhOdeisland, he removed to '
Providence. .

As soon as the British troops evacuated New.
_ port, he returned to that mm, and resumed the
publication of his newspaper. which he continued
till- the year 1787, when, by ill health, and- embar-
rassed circumstances, he Was obliged to relinquiSh
business, and to place the Mercury m other hands.

His pecuniary concerns were greatly impaired by;
the rapid depreciation of the paper currency, before
the establishment of peace. ‘ He, like many others,
cheriShed a belief that the nominal sum, speciﬁed in
A the. bills, would eventually be made good in specie.
r{he impracticability of the thing was not consider‘,
ed, even when one hundred dollars in paper would
purchase but one of silver. The delusion was not
‘ discovered by some till they found themselves in.
valved, In ruin. The government of the union were
indebted to Southwick both for his services and for
, money loaned . This debt, like others of the kind,

‘ - was liquidated by notes known by [the name of ﬁnal

settlement. _, In the course of sonic months aftef
they were issued, they were sold. in the market for A
one eighth part of their nominal value. To this de.
preciated state was national paper reduced, before
the assﬁmption of the public debt by the new gov-
' eminent w; and, when it was in. that state, Southwick
was compelled to sell his ﬁnal settlement notes, for
the support of inmself and family. He was. engaged
in the cause of his country, in the times of her ad.
varsity and danger, but he had no portion of the
beneﬁts, resulting from her prosperity. Assailed by ’_

poverty, and home down by inﬁrmity, he lived in ‘

vans—n srarzs- I127

obscurity, from ahont the year 1788 to the time of
his death; and, being unable to provide for his chil.
dren, he left them to make their own way in the

World.
He lost his wife, who was an excellent Woman,

in 1783; and, he “ went the way of all the earth ’7

December 23, 1797, aged sixty six years.
His son, who bears his name, settled at Albany.

He has for many years been the publisher of The
Albany Register; and, was lately the sheriff of the
“ city of Albany‘hnd the colonie. ” .

PROVIDENCE.

: Fox many‘ years, the principal part of] the trade“ ‘
of the colony was carried on at Newport; at length ,
Providence rose to eminence and became the. suc-
cessful rival of NeWport. Printing Was introduced ‘
here 111 I762. . ‘

WILLIAM GODDARD.

TH E. son of doctor Giles Goddard. postmaster at '
Newlondon, in Connecticut, was the ﬁrst who estab:
lished a printing press in Providence.

428' , Hrsro‘nY or PRINTING. ’

Goddard served his apprenticeship with James
Parker, printer in N ewyork He opened a print...
ing house 1n this place 1n 1762, and soon after pub»
'lished a newspaper, there was at that time but one
other paper printed 1n the colony, viz. at Newport,

_ yet, after at trial of several years, Goddard did not
vmeet‘ with such encouragement as to induce him to
”continue his Gazette. He left his printing hOuse,
&c. in the care of his mother, and sought for him.
self a more favorable place of residence.

1 On leaving Providence, he was for a short time
concerned with Holt, in Newyork, in publishing
Parker’ 5 Gazette and Post-Boy , and, as a silent
partner, drew a share of the proﬁts. After the repeal
of the stamp act, in l 766, he went to Philadelphia,
and there printed a newspaper, 81c. '

I shall have occasion again to mention Goddard,
who was in business several years in Philadelphia,
and, afterward, at Baltimore where he ﬁnished his.
* professional labors. .

. " As a‘ printer he was ingenious and enterprising ,
he made several strong efforts to acquire property,
as well as reputation; but, by some means, his
plans of business frequently failed of success. _ He
_ was most fortunate in his concerns for a few years
.' after the termination of the war, At length, he
supposed that he had become possessed of a compe-
' tency to carry him through life, “ without hard rub.

I - hing. ”' In this apprehensiOn, he quitted business,

returned to Newengland, and resided several years
, (on a large farm near PrOvidence, of which he 1‘s?
the proPrietor, r

UNITED STATES. v .i 429

He now lives in Providence, on themeans fur-
nished him by his former enterprises.

Major general Charles Lee, an ofﬁcer in the
American army during the revolutionary war, own-
ed a landed estate in Berkeley county, Virginia,
and left by will one third part of this estate to God-
dard and Eleazar Oswald, to whom he professed
himself to have been under obligations.

Few could conduct a newspaper better than God-
dard; he was a capable editor, and his talents were
often drawn into requisition. He, like many others, ,
was a laborious agent in the cause ,of his country,
and in many instances Where he had neither honor
nor proﬁt for his reward. When the loaves and.
ﬁshes were to be divided, aspiring, interested, nom-
inal patriots, crowded him into the back ground,
and his services were in a great measure forgotten. »

Goddard, however, received from the postmas-
ter general the appointment of comptroller of post!
roads; and, in this instance, fared better than many
others, whose public services were never rewarded
by any ofﬁce whatever, either of proﬁt or honor.
This is agreeable to the German «proverb, QEinet.
want-get Den baum, 111m Mt 811M” “38$ Die
acpﬁ‘c —“ one plants the ‘tree, and another eats the,
apple.” There is always a host who stand ready to
push after and receive the beneﬁts of an enterprise,
' who never, partook of the dangers by which it was
effected,

[See P/ziladeébhia—BaltimorewNewspapers.]

‘30 msroar or rnmfrmc.

SARAH GODDARD. -

Txr mother‘ of William Goddard, was the
daughter of Lodowick Updike, whose ancestors
were among the ﬁrst settlers of Rhodeisland, and
her brother was for some years attorney general of
the colony. She received a good education; ac.
quited an acquaintance with several branches of
useful and polite learning, and married doctor Giles
Goddard of Newlondon, who left her a widow. ‘

After. her son/"had been a few years in business,
she bazaame his partner; he left the management of
the printing house and newspaper to her, and she
ctmducted them with much ability for about two
years, when John Carter supplied the place of her
son; the ﬁrm was then , ‘

Sarah Goddard and Company.

She resigned the business to Carter in 1769, re.
moved to Philadelphia the same year, and died
there in January, 1 770. [See Newsﬁapers in vol. ﬁt]

_ JOHN CARTER.

WAS born in Philadelphia, and served his ap-
prenticeship .with Franklin and Hall, in that city.
He was the partner of Sarah Goddard from 17 66, to V

unnzn starts. 43.!

1768 inclusive; and, in 1769, he became the suc-
cessor of William and Sarah Goddard, and pr0prie—
tor of the Providence Gazette.

For more than twenty years his printing house
was “ at Shakespeare’s Head, opposite to the Court
House.” ,

He was postmaster before the revOlution, and
for many years subsequent to it. He is well ac-
quainted ”with the art which he practiSes, and the
. productions of his press exhibit evidence of a good
and correct workman.

He was a staunch supporter of the cause of Our ,
country, before its independence , and, since this
important event tbok place, he has not lost sight of
her best interests. His printing house isnow‘near
the bridge, and opposite to the market, where he
prosecutes printing, in the same accurate manner,
for which he has been remarkable more than forty
years.

JOHN WATERMAN.

Was bred a seamen, and became the master of
a vessel. Breferring the mechanic arts, he left the
pursuits of commerce, and built a paper mill two
miles from Providence, which probably was the ﬁrst
erected m the colony.

In 1769, he purchased the press and types
which were, for many years, Owned and used by
Samuel Kneeland of Boston; with these he opened.
a printing house near his paper mill, but made little
use of them.

432 ‘ 111311031730? *Pinnirmc.‘

I NEWHAMPSHIRE.

. THE printing for this colony was executed
in Boston, Massachusetts, until 1756. Only two
printing houSes were opened 1n N ewhampshire, bc- 1 a

fore the year 1775, and one of these had, for several "

1 years, been shut. The productions of the press ‘

were few; the largest work printed was, the laws ‘

" oi the province,

P012 TSMoU-m

Atrnoucn this place Was the capital of the col- .
~ ony, and had been settled a long time; yet, no

'- a ‘means had been used to introduce printing into it,

until about the year 1755, when several of the inﬂu-

, ential inhabitants exerted themselves for this pur-

. pose; and, in the year following, the press was es-

_ j tablished here, at which was eitecuted the ﬁrst
printing done 1n Newhampshireq ,

Winn sraras. , _ 433

DANIEL FOWLE.

Wu 0 had been arrested and imprisoned in‘Boss
ton, on a charge of having published a libel against
the government of Massachusetts, was, as has been
stated, solicited by several gentlemen in Portsmouth,
and, afterward, encouraged by the government, to »
set up a press in that town. He~ accOrdingly re-
moved from Boston to Portsmouth in July 1756,

and soon after published a neWspaper.
' Fowle did but little at book printing, his princi-
pal business consisted 1n publishing the newspaper.
He was appointed printer to the government, and
the laws, Ste. were issued from his press.

In September 17 64, he took his nephew,’ Robert
Fowle, as his partner. The ﬁrm of the company was

Daniel and Roam Fowle.

- They remained together until 17 7 4, when they -
separated, and Robert soon after removed to Exeter.
D. Fowle continued in business until his death,
but he did not acquire much property. He married
into a very respectable family in ‘BostOn, some years
before he removed from that town, but he had no
children. He received the commission of a magis-
trate a short time after he settled at Portsmouth.

He was a correct printer, and industrious. In
his disposition he was paciﬁc, agreeable in his man-
ners, liberal in his sentiments, and #2112th to the ‘

cause of his country.
I 3 G

434- HISTORY or PRINTING.

He died in June 1787, aged 72 years. [See
Bostonwfﬁst. Newsp]

THOMAS FURBER.

WAS born in Portsmouth, and served his ap-
prenticeship with D. Fowle.

Some zealous Whigs, who thought the Fowles.
were too timid in the cause of liberty, or their press
too much under the inﬂuence of the oﬂicers of the
crown, encouraged Furber to set up a second press
in the province ; he, in consequence opened a print.
ing house in Portsmouth, toward the end of 1764,.
and soon after published a newspaper. In 1765,
he received as a partner Ezekiel Russell. Their
ﬁrm was .

F urber and Russell.

Excepting the newspaper, they printed only a
few , hand bills and blanks. The company became
embarrassed; and, in less than a year, its concerns
terminated; and the partnership was dissolved.

Upon the dissolution of the ﬁrm, the press
and types were purchased by the Fowles. Furber
became their journeyman, and Russell went to
.Boston.

_ Furber had been taught plain binding; he un-
dertook to connect it with printing ; and, although
' he was not very skilful, either as a printer or as a
binder, he began the world under favorable circum
stances; and, had he been attentive to his affairs,

mu no sraus.‘ 435

hermight have been successful; he was good. . na-
turd and .frimdly, but naturally indolent; and, like
too many others, gave himself up to the enjoyment
of a companion, when he should have been attend-
ing to his business. '

He died in Portsmouth many years since, and
left a widow and several children.

-—I" QH- *—
EXE TER.

A DIFFERENCE inthe political sentiments of
D. and B. Fowle, printers and copartners at Ports-
mouth, was the cause of their separation in 1774;
and, probably, the means of the establishment of
a press in'Exeter. '

ROBERT FOWLE.

Was the son of John Fowle, who was several
years a silent partner with Rogers and Fowle in
Boston, and, afterward, an episcopal clergyman at
Norwalk in Connecticut. / .

He served his apprenticeship with his uncle, at
Portsmouth; arid, when of age, became his partner,
as has been mentioned. This copartnership being

436 . Hrsronrvor PRINTING.

, ended, they divided their printing materials; Rob.
_ ert, who was neither a skilful nor a correct printer, ’
. took the press and types which had been used by
Furber, and settled at Exeter.

He did some work for the old government; and,
in 1775, some fOr the new. He made several at-
tempts ,to establish a newspaper , and, in 1776, be.
gan one, which he published more than a year. .

The new paper currency of Newhampshire had
been printed by Fowle, and it was counterfeited;
suspicion rested on him as having been concerned
in this criminal act; he was a royalist, and ﬂed
within the British lines in Newyork. By this step
the suspicion which might not have been well
founded, was conﬁrmed. Thus ended the typo-
graphical career of Robert Fowle.

/ With other refugees from the United States, .he
”was placed upon ‘ the British pension list. Some-
time after the establishment of peace, he returned _
to this country, , married the widow of his younger -
brother, who had succeeded him at Exeter, and
resided in Newhampshire until he died. Robert.
Fowle had very respectable connexions. -

TO‘ VOLUME 1.

[a] Page 63‘.

THIS Bible is now in a good state of preservation ;' there
is, not a leaf lost or torn; and it is, Ibelieve,in its original plain
binding; the covering is leather over thick boards of hard
wood, shaped to the work. By a written certiﬁcate on a Spare
lea'f at the end of the volume, it appears that this copy was
sold to a clergyman ninety six years after it was printed. The
certiﬁcate was probably made by the son and apprentice of a
bookseller, named Sadler, and is as follows—“ I that have
written my name hereunder sold this booke to Edmund Reeve,
Clerke, for 183 and I warrant unto him, that it is perfect, but
if hes ﬁndeth that any leafe 1s wanting, I will either supply it, '
or retume the 183. March 15th,1636. [Signed] George Sad.
ler, servant to Laurence Sadler. " .

[b] Page 89.

CODEX ARGENT EUS Th1s title signiﬁesthe silver,
or silv‘ered, book. The work which bears this name is consid-
ered} as one of the greatest curiosities in Europe. It exhibits
a degree of perfection inthe operations of the scribes, which,
when we consider the remoteness of the period wherein the

work was executed, cannot fail to inspire us' with admiration ‘ '

and surprise. Many of the greatest literary characters are of
opinion, that it is about fourteen hundred and ﬁfty years old.
Those who contend for its'being a later production, admit that
it may justly claim an antiquity of twelve hundred and thrty
years. It was discovered anno 1597, in the Benedictine abbey

.438 ‘ HISTORY or PRINTING.

of Werden, and afterwards carried to Prague. Count Koo
nigsmark, who took Prague In 1648, discovered this work, and
sent it, among the literary spoils, and other plunder, of that
city, to the queen of Sweden. To those who have not seen
any account of these ancient remnants of the Bible, the follow-
ing extract from Re‘es’s Cyclopedia will be interesting. '

“ Codex Argenteus, in biblical history, is so called, from
its silver letters , it is a manuscript of the four gospels, and is
supposed to be a copy of the Gothieversion made by Ulphilas,
the apostle of the Goths, In the fourth century. It 13 of a quarto
size , the leaves, which are vellum, parchment or papyrus, are
stained with a violet colour; and on this ground, the letters
which are all capitals, were afterward painted in silver; ex~
cept the initial characters, and a few passages in gold. Mr.
Gone, from a close inspection, was convinced that each letter
was painted, and not formed, as some have asserted, ’byla hot
iron upon leaves of gold and silver. , Most of the silver letters
- are'become green by time; but the golden letters are stillin
\ good preservation. This codex is mutilated in severalplaees;
but what remains is, for the most. part, perfectly legible; It
was ﬁrst discovered in 1597, in the library of the Benedictine ,

abbey of Warden, in Westphalia, whence it was brought to
Prague, and at the capture of this city in 1648., sent as a value;-
ble present to Christina of Sweden. It afterward came into
the hands of Isaac Vossius, either by stealth, or as a present
from the queen; and on the death of Vossius, it was purchas-
ed by Count Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie. for two hundred
‘ and ﬁfty pounds, and presented, to the university of Upsal,
where it now remains. Three editions of it have beengiven to
the public; the ﬁrst was issued, at Dort, in 1665, by T. Junius,
who borrowed the MS. from Vossius; and accompanied with
‘Obs‘ervations and a glossary, by Thomas Marshall. That print-v.
ed at Amst‘erdam’in 'l 67 2, is the same with this, having onlya.
new title page, date and plate of Impression. The second
edition, published at Stockholm, in 1672, by the learned
Stiernhelm, differs from that of Junius, by having the text in
Latin, and not in Gothic characters. Benzelius, ﬁrst librarian ,

of the university of Upsal, and. afterwards archbishop, collate

nous. ‘. 439

ed the M88. rectiﬁed mistakes, and made a literal translation
into the Latin tongue. ~ These collations and translations, to-
gether with various observations, were transmitted to mr Ed-
ward Lye, of Oxford, who published a third edition 111 1750,
from the Clarendon press , this is esteemed by those who
have compared it with the original codex, a complete work.
Two opinions have divided the learned concerning the orig.
inal tongue of the codex argenteus' , the ﬁrst opinion, that it is
written in the language and character used in the fourth sen.
tury by the Goths of Mcesia, ancestors of the present Swedes,
and is a true copy of the version made by Ulphilas, is strongly
supported by Junius, Stiernhelm, David Wilkins, Benzelius
and Lye. The second opiniOn, viz. that it is a translation in
the Frankish idiom, 1s as warmly defended by Hickes, la Croce,
Wetstein, and Michaelis. Mr. Coxe inclines to the former.
~opinion, which 13 Conﬁrmed m an ingenious treattse of Ihre ,,
by which it appears, that several specimens of the Ostrogothic
tongue have been lately discovered in Italy, which perfectly ‘
resemble both the characters and language of the version in
the codex argenteus. However this be, as the Gothic and
Frankish idioms were dialects of the Teutonic orGerman,this
MS. must be considered as the most ancient specimen extant
of that language. Those who attribute the version to Ulphi-
las, refer its date to the fourth century; and those who deem
it to be a Frankish translation, allow it to have been copied in
the reign of Childeric, between 564 and 587. Beside-s, its
high antiquity is proved from . the doxology at the end of the
Lord’s prayer, Matth. vi. 13, which is not found in any of the
most ancient versions; and, also, from the interpretation »-of
manyipassages in a similar manner with several of the Latin
translations which are antecedent to the vulgate of St. Jerome.
Another fragment of this curious MS. containing a few chap~
ters of St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans, was found at Wolfen—
ibuttle, and is now preserved in the library of . that town. 0f . .
this fragment Ihre published a new and important edition at
Upsal, in 1763.” Cyclo. vol. 2.—See also, Michaelis's Intro-
duction to the New Testament, byiMarsh. vol. ii. p. 133—153.
~00xe’s Travels, vol. 4.--Carr’s Northern Summer. '

440 HISTORY or PRINTING.

[c] Page 120. _'

IT is commonly expected that writers should give deﬁnia
tions of their terms, 'orexplain the etymology of' words which
relate to any art or science of which they may treat; but etya
mology is One of the, most difﬁcult of all the branches of litera—
ture—and although the term 3131'!an is; comparatively, mod-
ern, it is not more easily explained than many other words
Which have an older root, or a much higher origin. The si-
lence of authors respecting the etymology of the term mum“
me, induced me to attempt discovering whence it arose. I
cannot ﬁnd that it was used in the English, or any other Ian-
guage, in the precise sensewe use it now; though the idea of
marked, or spotted, or having marks imprinted on any thing
may be contained in the English word “ ysjzrez'nt,” used by
Chaucer, and other old authors, who wrote before the inven-
tion of printing. The Germans, Dutch, Italians, French, Ste.
frequently used words derived from the Greek verb xagéamn,
signifying that the book was. impressed. One of the oldest
printed books in my possession, dated in 147 6, expresses the
operation by which it was made thus, “ Eszlz'cz’t biblia im-
ﬂresaa,” 8m. The Dutch verb 113mm, which seems to have
been adopted into the English language, was, probably, deriv-r
ed from the Latin verb ﬁremo, to press. Among the Greeks
the word ”game appears to have been formed from the verb
xagéaam, and signiﬁed inscul/zere to engrave or impress; nota
imfzressa vel inscul/zta aut inscrijzta. The Greek xagaio'a-u, also
stands for scul/zo,gimjzrimo. It is certain from the writings of
Moses, and other ancient records,~that the art of engraving was
known in the earliest or most remote ages of antiquity. We
read 'of the signet of Judah,- [Gem xxxviii. 18, 25] before the
time of Moses; and, it is easy to trace through the successive
ages of the world, the custom of using signets, seals, or rings,
to make particular impressions in wax, which rendered the
writings of men in authority valid and binding, in the same
manner as the hands and seals of those who now make con:
tracts are set to their writings. We may, therefore, conclude
that the ancients had words to convey the ideas which these

Thomas. , « . 4'41
acts created. ’ Although what isnow emphatically called prinui
ing was not known to them, they could make impressions, or
marks, or prints of various descriptions '; and, notwithstanding,
the word translated “ﬁrinted,” in Job xix, '23, was not intend-
ed to convey the idea we, now receive from it; yet, perhaps,
the kind-of impression, there alluded to‘, could not be better
expressed than by our word ﬁrintcd. Thus " the Romans by
the participle [tressus conveyed the idea of imprinted, or'mark--
ed, as is evident from the Eterna res ea ﬁressa nota of Ovid.
The participle imjzressus, means the same thing, as is evident .
from Virgil, Cratera imjzressum signis; and the verb.active
im/zrimo, is found in Horace, Im/zrimat his, cum, Mecenas signa.
tabellis. The verb imfressio, may also be found 1n Cicero’ s
imjzressionem sensere, 8cc. Here we ﬁnd nearly all the tech«
nical terms in the Greek and Latin languages; ‘7 and we may
perceive, to go no higher, that the Dutch verb manna. and
ours to print, are derived from the Latin im/zrimo.

While on the subject of etymology, I will remark, that our
words type, typography, and graying, are wholly derived from
the Greek sum}; a seal, or-stamp, and vyga’tcpu, or ﬂuid/sq, to grave,
or imprint. The stylus scrijztarius, grajzhium, or graving tool,
they called ygacpsi'or, or new). The Greeks used the terms
yga¢ebg, yga¢ai, ygattpé'maar, ygé¢291, yga¢si;, yga¢uc§¢, 7ga¢iq, 8:0.
which are descriptive of the various branches of writing, grav-
ing, &c. The implements the ancients used in writing are
,mentioned I er. xvii. l. The sin of Judah is written With a
PEN or IRON, and with the pomr or A DIAMOND , it is GRAV-
mv ujzon the table of their heart, and ujzon the horns of your
altars.

[d] Page 132.

IT is worthy of observation that this workman was sent for -
from Holland, during the time that the civil war. raged in
England, between the houses of York and LanCaster. ”The
whole kingdom was engaged in this dreadful contest frOm
1459 to 1471, during whichperiod the arts could neither
ﬂourish or be attended to. It may be supposed, that king
Henry and the archbishop had matters of more importance to

I 3 H

442' nrsronr Or rn‘rnrmc.

attend to than printing ; and the story ofthe king’s sending
for a “ Printing Mould,” though not impossible, is, on this ac.
count, rendered more improbable. During this sanguinary
War, Henry VI and Edward IV, were twice Crowned and twice
dethroned, and peace was not resmred until the murder of
Henry in 1471. What became of the printer is not known,
as no accotn’it is given of him after he was sent to” Oxford. .
Probably he left the country before the War ended, or hemight
have been put to death by the rabble; among whom the art of
. Printing does not appear to have been popular when it ﬁrst
. “became publicly known; for Shakespeare, in his Henry VI, ‘
part second, scene seventh, introduces the rebel, John Cade,as
thus upbraiding the. lord treasurer Say—s“ Thou hast most

1. traitorously corrupted the youth “of the realm, in creating a

grammar school; and Whereas before, cur fathers had no book
but the score and tally, thou hast caused rnm'rme to be used ,
~ and, contrary to the king, his crew): and dignity, thou hast
built a paper mill."

Even admitting that a book was printed at Oxford, as stat-'-
,ed in what is called the Lambeth- House record, Without the
name of the printer, who . is acknowledged to have been no
more than a servant to the archbishop, yet CaXton may still be
called “ the Fathcr of the English Press. ” He,With much dif-
ﬁculty and address, procured that printer and sent him to Eng— 1'
land; he, afterward, became acquainted with the new method
of printing with metal types, provided himself with a printing
apparatus, and when the civil war subsided, Went to England,
and publicly established his press at Westminster. ﬁe printed
. in. his own name, under the patronage, not only of the abbot
of that diocess, but of the royal family. At that time there
was no other printer in England, nor had there been any who
printed with metal types. If the historians of that day, and
those who sudceeded them, can be credited, Caxton was the
ﬁrst printer known in England; as they all acknowledge him
to have been the ﬁrst person who practised printing in that
country. .

mm- ‘ 4.43..

[e] Page 180.

- AS the account given by the (reverend‘dr). Buchanan, in
the appendix to his sermon, entitled, The Star in the East, Of
the discovery lately made in the interior of India, of” 200,000 N
Christians, among whom Were found engravings and manu-
scripts of very ancient date—is highly interesting, I have
made from it the following extract, viz.

“ About the middle of November, 1805, Dr. Buchanan
proceeded from the sea coast into the interior of the country,
northeast from Quilon, to visit the ancient Syrian churches,
situated amongst the low hills at the bottom of the high
Ghauts,which divide the Carnatic from Malayala. 'The face '
of the country in general, in the vicinity of the mountains, ‘exé
hibits a varied scene of hill and dale, and winding streams.
These streams fall from the mountains, and preserve the val-
lies in perpetual verdure. The woods preduce pepper, car" ,
damems, and cassia, or wild~ cinnamon; also frankincense and
other aromatic gums. What adds much to the grandeur of
the scenery in this country is, that the adjacent mountains of
Travancore are not barren, but are covered with. teak forests,
producing the largest timber in the world ~

“ The ﬁrst view of the Christian churches, 1n this seques-
tered region of Hindostan, connected with the idea of their
tranquil duration for so many ages, cannot fail to exCite pleasa
ing emotions in the mind of the beholder. ' The lbrm of the
. oldest buildings is not unlike that of some of the oldpa‘rish .
churches in England; the style of building in both being of
Saracenic origin. They have sloping roofs, pointed arch
windows, and buttresses supporting the walls. The beams of
the roof being exposed to view, are ornamented, and the
ceiling of the choir and altar is circular and fretted. In the
cathedral churches, the shrines of the deceased-bishops are
placed on each side of the altar. Most of the churches are
built of a reddish stone, squared and polished at the quarry ;‘
and are of durable construction, the front wall of the largest
ediﬁces being six feet thick. The bells of the churches are
cast in the foundries of Travancore. Some of them are of

4-44 ' nxsr’onr or PRINTING.

large dimensions, and have inscriptions in Syriac and Malaya
alim. In approaching a mum in the evening, the sound of the '
bells may be heard at a distance amongst the hills , a circum-
stance which causes the British traveller to forget for a mo-
ment that he is in Hindostan, and reminds, him of another
country. 'When dr. Buchanan arrived at the remote church-
133, he was informed by the inhabitants that no European had,
to their knowledge, visited the place before. The Romish
priests do not travel thither, there being no church of their
communion in that quarter. ~ -

4“ The number of Syrian churches is greater than has
been supposed. There are, at this time, ﬁfty ﬁve churches 1n
Malayala, acknowledging the Patriarch of Antioch. The.
church was erected by the present bishop, in 1793.

“ The Syrian Christians are not N estorlans. Formerly,

indeed, they had bishops of that communion , but the liturgy
of the present church 18 derived from that of the early church
of Antioch, called Liturgia Jacobi Ajzostolz'. They are usually
denominated Jacobi-ta»; but they differ in ceremonial from the ,
. church of that name in Syria, and indeed from any existing
church in the world. Their proper designation, and that
which is sanctioned'by their own use, is Syrian Christians, or
The Syrian Church ofMdlayala.
‘ ‘ “ The doctrines of the Syrian church are contained in a.
very few articles; and are not at varianCe in essentials, with
the d‘Octrines of the church of England. Their bishops and
metropolitan, after conferring with his clergy on the subject, ”
delivered the following opinion: “ That an union with the
English church, or at least such a Connexion as should appear
to both churches practicable and expedient, Would be a happy
event, and favorable to the advancement of religion.” It is in
, contemplation to send to England some of the Syrian yOuth,
for eduCation and ordination.

“ The present bishop, Mar Dionysius, is a native of Mas
layala, but of Syrian extraction. He 13 a man of respectable
‘character 1n his nation, and exercrseshimself in the pious dis-.
charge of the duties of his high ofﬁce. He is now seventy eight,
years Of age, and Possesscs a. venerable aspect: his White beard '

NOTES." " ' 1‘ ” I 445 '

descending low to his girdle. ' On public occasions, he; wears
the episcopal mitre ; _, and is robed. in a white vestm‘ent, which.
covers long garments or red silk; and, in his hand he holds .
the pastoral staff. The ﬁrst native bishop was ordained by
the Romish church 1n 1663; but he was of the Romish com.-
munion. Since that period, the old Syrians have continued, ‘
till lately, to receive their bishops from Antioch; but that an- i,
cient patriarchate being now nearly extinct, and incompetent
to the appointment of learned men, the Christian church m
Malayala looks henceforth to Britain for the cont1nuance of
that light which has shone so long in this dark region of the;
world. .

“ From information given by the Syrian ~ Christians, it I
would appear that ’ the churches of Mesopotamia and Syria, '
(215 innumber) with which they are cannected, are strugu‘
gling with ‘great difﬁculties, and merely owe their existence
to some deference of their antiquity. There are two circum-
stances which invite us to turn our eyes to the country of “the
ﬁrst generation, of men.” The tolerant spirit of the Waha-r
bian Mahomedans, is a fair prognostic; and promises to aid V
our endeavors to restore to an ancient community of Christians
the blessings of knowledge and religious liberty.“ Another "
favorable circumstance is, that some of the churches in Meso-
potamia, in one of which the Patriarch of Antioch [now‘ re-
sides, are said still to remain in their pristine state, and to have
preserved their archives and ancient manuscript libraries. A.
domestic priest of the patriarch, now in Cochin, vouches for"
the truth of this fact. We knew, from authentic history, that
the churches between the rivers escaped the general desola-
tion of the Mahomedan conquest, in the seventh century, by .1
joining arms with the Mahomedans against the Greek Christ-
ians, who had been their oppressors. The (revival of religion .
and letters in that once highly favored land, in the heart of the.
ancient world, would be, in the present circumStances of man—
kind, an auspicious event.

“ The SyrianCliristians 1n Malayal'a still use the Syriac
language in their churches; but the Malayalim, or proper
Malabar, (a dialect distinct from the Tamul) is the vernacular

446 HISTORY or PRINTING.

tongue. They have made some attempts, t5 translate the
Syriac scripmres into Malayalim; but have not hitherto had
the suitable means of effecting it, When a proposal was
made of sending a Malayalim translation to each of their ﬁfty
ﬁve churches, as a Standard book, on condition that they would
transcribe it, and circulate the copies among the people-4119
elder replied, That so great was the desire of the people in
general, to have the Bible in the vulgar tongue, that it mlght
be expected that every man who could write, would make a
copy an alias, (palm leaves) for his own family. »

“ It ought to be mentioned, to the praise of the present -
bishop of the Romish church on the coast of Malabar, that he
‘ has consented to the. circulation of the Scriptures throughout
his diocess. The Malayalim translation acquires, from this
circumstance, an increased iinportanee, since there will be .
now upwards of 20,000 Christians in Malayala who are ready
to receive it. The translation of the New Testament; (Which
it is proposed to print ﬁrst) has already commenced, under the
superintendence of the Syrian bishop The true cause, of the
low state of religion amongst the Romish churches on the sea
coast and' in Ceylon, is their want of the Bible. All who are
well acquainted with the natives, know that instruction by book; ‘
' lsbcst suited to them. They are in general a contemplative
. people, and patient in their inquiries; curious also to know-
what it can be that 1s of importance enough to he writtenv—at
the same time that they regard written precept with respect.
If they possess a book in a language which they understand, it
A will not be left long unread. In Tanjore, and other places
where the Bible is freely given, the Protestant religion ﬂour-
lobes; and produces the happiest effects on the character of
the people In Tanjore, the Christian virtues will be fmmd
in exercise by the feeble minded Hindoo, in a vigor and puppy
which will surprise those who have never known the native
character but under the greatest disadvantages, 0n the Suns-
day, the people, habited in their host apparel,-repair to the
parish ,church, where the solemnity of their devotion in ac-
companying the public prayers, is truly impressive. They
Sing the old Psalm tunes well 3 and the voice of the full con- ~

no r1: 3. ‘ _ 447
" gregatio‘n may be heahd at a distance. Payee: being ended,"
they listen to the sermon, evidently with deep adoration; nor
have they any difﬁculty m understanding it, for they almost
all, both men and woolen, can read their Bible. Many of I
them take down the discourse on alias, that they may read it
afterwards to their families at horns. As soon as the minis-
ter has pronounced the text, the sound of the 5an style on the
palm leaf is heard throughout the congregation. Even on
boys of the schools have their atlas In their hands; and may
be seen after divine service reading them to their mothers, as
they pass over the ﬁelds homewards.

“ When the Syrian Christians understood that the propos-
ed Malayalan translation was to accord with the English Bible,
they desired to know on what authorities our translation had
been made; alleging, that they themselves possessed a ver.
sion of undoubted antiquity, namely, that used by the ﬁrst
Christians at Antioch; and that they could not depart hem
the reading of that version. This observation led to the in.
vestigatiOn of the ancient Syria Chaldaic manuscripts in Ma—
layala , and the inquiry has been successful beyond any ex— '
pectation that could have been fornied. ’ ‘

“ It had been commonly supposed, that all the syriac
manuscripts had been burned by the Romish church at the
Synod of Udiamper, near Cochin, in 1599, but It now appears
that the most valuable manuscripts were not destroyed. The
inquisitors Condemned many books to the ﬂames; but they
saved the Bible. They were content with Ordering that the
Syriac scriptures should be amended agreeably to the reading
of the Vulgate of Rome; and these emendations now appear
in black ink, and of modern appearance, though made in 1599.
But many Bibles, and many other books were not produced at
all; andthe churches in the mountains remained but a short
time subject to Romish dominion, (if indeed they can be said
to have been at any time subject to it) for the native govern-

’ It is well known that the natives of Taojore and Tra'V'ancore‘ can write
down what is spoken deliberately, without losing one Word» Theyscldom
look at their alias while writing, and can. write in the dark with ﬂuency.

448 HISTORY or PRINTING.

ments have ever formed a barrier between the inquisition at
Goa and the Christians 1n the mountains. ’

“ In the acts of the council at Nice, it is recorded that Jo.
annus, Bishop of f India, signed his name at that council, A. D.
325. This date corresponds with the Syrian year 6.36; for
the primitive Syrian church does not compute time from the
Christian aera, ’ but. from Alexander the Great. The Syriac
version of the scriptures was brought to India, according to
the belief of the Syrians, before the year 636; and they allege
that their copies have ever been exact transcripts of that ver-f
Sion‘ without known error, through every age, down to this
day. There is no tradition among them of the churches in
the southern mountains having ever been destroyed, or even.

’molested. , Some of their present copies are certainly of an- ,
cient date. . Though written on a strong thick paper, like
that of some MSS. in the British Museum, commonly called
Eastern ﬁaﬁer, the ink has, in several places, eaten through
the material in the exact form of the letter. In other copies, .
» where the ink had less of the corroding quality, it has fallen
off, and left a dark vestige of the letter, faint indeed, but not,
in general, illegible. There is one volume found in a remote
church of the mountains, which merits particular description.
It contains the Old and New Testaments, engrossed on strong '
vellum in large folio, having three columns in the page; and
is written with beautiful accuracy. The character is Estrano
’gelo Syriac ; and the words of every book are numbered.
This volume is illuminated; but not after the European man-
ner, the initial letters having no ornament. Preﬁxed to each
book there are‘ ﬁgures of principal scripture characters (not
rudely drawn) the colors of which are distinguishable; and in
some places, the enamel of the gilding' is preserved; but the
volume has suffered injury from time or neglect, some of the-
leaves being almost entirely decayed. In certain places the
ink has been totally obliterated from the page, and has left
the parchment in its natural whiteness; but the letters can, in
general, be distinctly traced from the impress of the pen, or
from the partial corrosion of the ink. The Syrian church as-
signs to this manuscript a high antiquity; and alleges that it

. . NOTES. . 449

has been for some centuries in the possession of [their bishs
ops; and, that it was industriously concealed from the; Roman
inquisition in 1599.1 But its true age can only be ascertained '
by a comparison with old manuscripts in Europe ofa similar
kind. » On the margin of the drawing are some old Roman
and Greek letters, the form of which may lead to a conjecture
respecting the age in which they were written. This copy of
the scriptures has admitted as canonical the epistle of Clem-
ent, in which respect it resembles the Alexandrian manu—
script. But it has omittedthe Rev elations—that book hav-
ing been accounted apochryphal’ by some churchesduring a
certain period in the early ages. The order of the books in
the Old and New Testament differs from that of the European
copies—this copy adhering less to unity of subject in the ar-
rangement, than to chronological order. The very ﬁrst
emendation of the Hebrew text proposed by Dr. Kennicott,
Gen. iv.‘8. is to be found in this manuscript. The disputed
passage in 1 John, v. 7, is not to be found in it; that verse is
interpolated 1n some other copies in black ink, by the Romish
church, m 1599. . '

“ Thus it appears that during the dark ages of Europe,
while ignorance and superstition in a manner denied the
Scriptures to the rest of the world, the Bible found an asylum
in the mountains of Malayala; where it Was revealed and
freely read by upwards of 100 churches; , and, that it has been
handed down to the present time under circumstancesso
highly favorable to accurate preservation, as may justly“ enti-
tle it to respect, in the collation of doubtful readings in the sa-
cred text. ,

“ There are many old Syriac manuscripts besides themBi-
ble, which have been well preserved; for theSynod of Udi‘
amper destroyed no volumes but those which treated ofrelig-
ious doctrine or church supremacy. Two diﬁ‘erent characters
of writing appear ever to have been in use among the Syrian
Christians—the common Syriac and the Estrangelo. The
oldest manuscripts are in the Estrangelo.

“ But there are other ancient documents in Malayala, not
less interesting than the Syrian manuscripts. The, old Por-

I s I

45-0 HISTORY or immune.

tuguese historians relate, that soon after the arrival of their
countrymen in India, about three hundred years ago, the Syr‘
ian archbishop of Angamalee, by name Mar Jacob, deposited
in the fort of Cochin for safe custody, certain tablets of brass;
on which were engraven rights of nobility and other privi-
leges, granted to the Christians by a prince of a former age;
and that while these tablets were under the charge of the Por-
tuguese, they had been unaccountably lost, and had never after
been heard of: The loss of the tablets was deeply regretted
by the Christians; and the Portuguese writer, Gourea, as-
eribes their subsequent oppressions by the native powers, to
the circumstance of their being no longer able to produce
their charter. It is not generally known that, at a former pe-
riod, the Christians possessed regal power in Malayala. The
name of their last king was 'Beliarte. He died without issue ;
and his kingdom descended, by the custom of the country, to
the king of Cochin. When Vasco do Gama was at Cochin,
in 1503, he saw the sceptre of the Christian king.

“ It is further recorded by the same historians, that be-
sides the documents deposited with the Portuguese, the
Christians possessed three other tablets, containing ancient
grants, which they kept in their own custody; and that these
were exhibited to the Romish Archbishop Mcnezes, at the
church of Tevelecar, near the mountains, in 1599—4he inhab-
itants having ﬁrst exacted an oath from the archbishop that he
would not remove them. Since that period little has been
heard of the tablets. Though they are often referred to in
the Syrian writings, the translation itself has been lost. It has
been said that they were seen about forty years ago; but Ad:
rian Moons, a governor 'of Cochin, in 1770, who published
some account of the Jews of Malabar, informs us, that he used
every mean in his power for many years to obtain a sight of
the Christian plates; and was at length satisﬁed they were
irrecoverybly lost; or rather, he adds, that they never existed.

“ The learned world will be. gratiﬁed to know, that all
these ancient tablets, not only the three last mentioned exhib
ited in 1599, but those also (as is supposed) delivered by the
Syrian archbishop to the Portuguese, on their arrival in India,

a

nor: a. 451:

which are the most meient, have been recently recovered by
the exertions of Lieutenant Colonel Macauley, the British
resident in Travancore ; and. are now ofﬁcially deposited with
that ofﬁcer.

“ The plates are six in number. They are composed of a
mixed metal. The engraved page on the largest plate is
thirteen inches long ‘3’ about four broad. They are closely
written; four of them on both sides of the plate, making in all
eleven pages. On the plate reputed to be the oldest, there is
writing perspicuously engraved. in nail headed, or triangular
headed letters, resembling the Persepolitan or Babylonish.
On the same plate there is Writing in another character,
which has no afﬁnity with any existing character in Hindos-
tan. The grant on this plate appears to be witnessed by four
Jews of rank, whose names are distinctly written» in an old.
Hebrew character, resembling the alphabet, called The Pal-
myrem ,- and to each name is preﬁxed the title of .Magcn;
that is, Chief.

“ It may be deubted, whether there exists in the world an-
other document of equal antiquity, which is, at the same time,
of so great a length, md in such faultless preservation as the
Christian Tablets in Malayalam The Jen's o£ Cochin, indeed,
contest the palm of antiquity and of preservation; for they
also. produce tablets, containing privileges granted at a remote
period. The Jewish tablets are two in number. The Jews
were long in possession. of a third plate, which now appearsto
be the property of the Christians. The Jews commonly show
an ancient Hebrew translation of their plates. Dr. Leyden
made another translation; which differs from the Hebrew :
And there has lately been found among the old Dutch records
at Cochin, a third translation, whieh approaches? nearer to Dr.
Leyden’s than to the Hebrew. In a Hebrew manuscript,
which will shortly be published, it is recorded that a grant, on
brass tablets, was given to the Jews, 'm A. D. 379.

“ As it is apprehended that there may be some diﬁiculty in
obtaining an accurate translation of all these tablets, it. is pro-
(posed to print a copperplate ﬁre aimile of the whole, and to
transmit copies. to the learned "societies inrﬁindostaai and in

4'52 HISTORY OF PRINTING.

Europe ;" :for this purpose an engraver is now employed on
the plates, at Cochin}. The Christian and Jewish plates to«'
gether will make fourteen pages? "A copy has been Sent, in
the ﬁrst instance, to the Pundits of the Shanscrit College, at
Trichiur, by direction of the Rajah of Cochin.

. I “ When the White Jews of Cochin were questioned res-
pecting the ancient copies of their Scriptures, they answered,
that it had been usual to bury the old copy read in the syna-
gogue, when decayed by time and use. This does not, how-
ever, appear to have been the practice of the Black Jews, who
were the ﬁrst settlers ; for in the reCord chests of their synau-
g‘ogues, old copies of the law have been discovered; some of
which are complete; and, for the most part, legible. Neither
could the Jews of Cochin produce any historical manuscripts
of consequence, their vicinity to the sea coast having exposed
their community to frequent revolution; but many old wri-
tings have been found at the remote synagogues of their an-
cient enemies, the black Jews, situated at T ritooa, Paroor,
Chenotta, and Maleh ; the last of which places is near "the
mountains. Amongst these writings are some of great length,
in'Rabbinical Hebrew; but in so ancient and uncommon a.
character, that it Will require much time and labor to ascer-
tain their contents. There is one manuscript written in a
character resembling the Palmyrene Hebrew, on the brass
plates; but it is in a decayed state; and the leaves adhere so
closely to each other, that it is doubtful whether it will be pos-
sible to unfold them, and preserve the reading. It is sufﬁ-
ciently'established by the concurring evidence of written rec-
0rd "and Jewish tradition, that the black Jews had colonized on
the coasts of India, long before the Christian era. There
was another colony at Rajapoor, in the Mahratta territory,
which is not yet extinct; and there are, at this time, Jewish
soldiers, and Jewish native ofﬁcers in the British service.
That these are a remnant of the Jews of the ﬁrst dispersion-
at the Babylonish captivity, seems {highly probable. There
are many other tribes settled in- Persia, Arabia, Northern
India, T artary and China, whose respective places of residence
may be easily discovered. The places which have been ab

Nous. - - p 453.

ready ascertained, are sixty ﬁve' in number. These tribes

have in general, (particularly those who have" passed the 111-,
clus) assimilated much to the customs of the countries in

which theylive; and may sometimes be seen by a traveller,

without being recognized as Jews. ‘The very imperfect re.
semblance of their countenance to the Jews of Europe, indi-

cates that they have been detached from the, parent stock in
Judea, many ages before, the race of Jews in the west. A

fact corroborative of this is, that certain of these tribes do not

call themselves Jews, but Berti-Israel, or Israelites ; for the

name Jew is derived from Judah; whereas the ancestors of
these tribes were not subject to the kings ;of Judah, but to the

kings of Israel. They have, in most places, the book of the

Law, the book of Job, and the Psalms; but know little of the

prophets. Some of them have even lost the book of the law ;

and only knOw that they are Israelites from tradition, and from.

their observance of peculiar rites. .

5‘ A copy of the Scriptures, belonging to the Jews of the .,
east, who might be supposed to have no communication with
the Jews in the west, has been long a desideratum With He—i
brew scholars. In the coffer of . a synagogue of the black ’- \
Jews, in the interior of Malayala, there has been found ‘an old
copy of 'the law, Written on aural] of leather. ' The skinsare
sewed together, and the roll is about ﬁfty feet in length. ‘ It
is in some places worn out, and the holes have been patched
with pieces of parchment.

“ Some of the Jews suppose that this roll came originally ,
from Senna, 1n Arabia; others have heard that it was brought
from Cashmir. The Cabul Jews, who travel annually into
the interior of China, say, that 1n some synagogues, the law is
still found written on a roll of leather; not on vellum, but on a
soft ﬂexible leather, made of goat skins, and dyed red; which
agrees with the description of the roll abov e mentioned.

“ Such of the Syriac and Jewish manuscripts as may, on.
examination, he found to be valuable, will be depOsited 1n the
public libraries of the British universities.

“ The princes of the Deccan have manifested a liberal re-
gard for the extension of Shanscrit learning, by furnishing

454 Hxsronr or PRINTING.

lists of the backs in their tembles for the college of Fort Wil-
liam, in Bengal. ‘

‘4 His Excellency the Rajah of Tanjore was pleased to not
the example, by giving the voluminous catalogue of the an—
cient library of the kings of Tanjore ;. and. his example has
been followed 55: the Ronny of Ram. patroness of the colon
mated. temple of Ramisseram, near Adam’s Bridge; by his
Highness the Rajah of T ravaneorc, who has given- lists of all
the books in the Travaneore country; and by the Regalia!
Cocking‘patron of the ancient Shmscrit college, at. the temple
of Trichiur. It is mderstoodvthat a copy of any book in those
analogues will be given when. required. The. Examine of
vaancore consider that their manuscripts are likely to have
m- joot a claim to high antiquity, or at least to accurate press
oration, as those in the temples in the north; and for the
mo reason that the Christian and Jewish records have been
so well preserved; which is, that the cmmtry of Travancare,
defended by mountains, has never, according to- tradition, been

,‘mbjugamd by investors ﬁrom the. north of Hindustan.

"‘ The design of investigating the history and literatmeoﬁ
the Christians and Jews in the East, was submitted to the
Marquis» Wellesley, before he leﬁ; India. His lordship judg-
ing it to be of importance that the actual relation of the Swim
, Christians to our own church should be ascertained, and am»
giving something inert-sting to the republic of letters, from
the investigation of the Syriac and Jewish antiquities, was
pleased to give orders that public aid. should be aﬂbrded to Dr.
Bnchanan, in the prosecution of his inquiriea, wherever it.
might be practicable. To the operation. of these orders, it is:
owing that the propmerl researches, of which some slight 1m-
ticcsare given above, have not been made in vain.”

ff} Page 199’.

Extracts from M. de St. Mcry’s History of St. Domingo.
“ Columbus died at Valladolid, on the 20th 0E May, 1506.
His body“ was carried to Seville, and there deposited; and not
in the CQBYCRE of the Carthosians, on the Other side of the Gua-

sores. 455

dalquiver, as some authors, and especially Oviedo "and Zuniqua p
have asserted. It was placed before the choir, in thecathe-
dral, under a stone, on which were engraven these miserable.
verses, in Castillian, and which are still legible.

A Castilla y Arrogon,

Otro Mondo Dio Colon.

“ The historians tell us, that from this place it was con-
veyed to Santo Domingo, and there lodged in the cathedral;
but they do not mention the date of the removal. The pro-
ceedings of a synod held in 1683, of which there are still some
copies existing, in speaking of the cathedral church of Same
Domingo, remark, that on the outside of the steps of the great
altar, repose, in two leaden cofﬁns, one on the right hand side,
the other on the left, the remains of Christopher Columbus,
and his brother. .,

4“ As whatever rel-ates to Columbus, must nemwily be in
the highest degree interesting, and especially to those who
write on the island of Saint Domingo, I was extremely anxious
to procure certain information concerning his sepulchre in
this cathedral; and for this purpose I applied to Don Joseph
Solano, admiral in the Spanish service, and commanding the
ﬂeet then lying at Cape Francois. The ohliging disposition
of the admiral, the particular proofs 1 had before received or
his inclination to serve me, his having lately been president of
the Spanish part, and his intimate connexion with Don Isidore
Peralta, who had succeeded him'in the presidency, all seemed
to promise me an efﬁcacious and successful recommendation.
In cmsequence of my application, Don Joseph Solano, wrote
in the most pressing manner, and I shall here transcribe the
answer of the president Don Isidore Peralta.

“ Santa Domingo, 39th March, 1783.
" My Dearest Friend and Patron,

“ I received your Lordship’ s kind letter of the 18th ‘metant,
the answer to which I have kept back till now, in order to have
time to get the desired inﬁarmation relative to the sepulchre
of Christopher Columbus, and to enjoy the pleasing satisfac—
tion of serving your lordship to the best of my power, and to
enable you to experience on your part, that of obligmg the
friend who has roguested you to collect this information.

456 Hrsroaror PRINTING.

“‘ With respect to Christopher Coltlmbus, though the in:
sects destroy the paper in such a manner that the archives are
full of holes, I hope that I'now send your lordship sufﬁcient
proof that the remains of Christépher Columbus are enclosed
in a leaden cofﬁn, surrounded with a case of stone, which is
buried on the gospel side of the sanctuary; and that those of
Don Bartholomew, his brother, are interred in the. same man-v
nor, on the epistle side of the sanctuary. Those of Christo-
pher Columbus were brought hither from Seville, where they
had been deposited in the family vault of the dukes of Alcala,
after being conveyed from Valladolid, and where they remain-
ed till removed to the cathedral where they now are.

“ About two months ago, as some repairs were making in

the church, a piece of thick wall was taken ‘down, and built up

again immediately after. This accidental event was the oc-
casion of ﬁnding the stone case above mentioned; and which,
though without inscription, was known from uninterrupted
and invariable tradition, to contain the remains of Columbus.
Besides this, I caused search to be made, to see if there was
not, in the ecclesiastical archives,‘or in those of the govern-
ment, some document, capable of throwing'light on the sub-
ject; and, in consequence, the canons have upon examination
‘ found that the bones were in great part reduced to ashes; but.
‘that the principal bone of the arms had been distinguished. ‘

“ I send your lOrdship also, the list of all the bishops that
have ever belonged to this island, which is a more valuable
curiosity, than that of the presidents; for, as I am well assur-
ed, the former is complete, while in the latter there are sev- ,
eral chasms, produced by the insects already mentioned, which
are more destructive to some papers than to others.

“ As to the ediﬁces, the churches, the beauty of the streets,
the motives that led to the removal of the capital to the west-
ern batik of the river, that forms its port, I also send you some
interesting particulars; but with respect to the [21cm asked for
iii the note, there is an insurmountable difﬁculty; which is,
that as governor, I am forbidden to communicate it. The suc
perior understanding of your lordship will at once perceive
the reason. 2

won: 9. 457

“ The following certiﬁcates sent by Don Isidore Peralta,
are now in my possession, perfect in all their forms. ‘

“ I, Don Joseph Nunez, de Caseres, doctor of divinity in
the p‘ontiﬁcal and royal university of the Angelic St. Thomas
Aquinus, dean dignitary of this holy church metropolitan and
primatial of the Indies; do certify that, the sanctuary of (this
holy cathedral church, being taken down on the 30th of Janu-
ary last, in order to be rebuilt, there was found on the side of
the choir, where the gospel is sung, and near the door which
opens on the stairs, leading to the capitular chamber, a stone
case, hollow, of a cubic form, and about a vare" 1n depth, en-
closing a leaden urn a little damaged, which contained several,
human bones. I also certify that some years ago, on a like
occasion, there was found on the epistle side, another stone
case, resembling the one above described; and that, according
to the tradition handed down, and communicated by the old
men of the country, and by a chapter of the synod of this holy
cathedral church, the case found on the gospel side,is reputed
to contain the remains of admiral Christopher Columbus, and
that feund on the epistle side, thoSe of his brother; not being
able to verify, hoWever, whether the latter be really the re-
mains of his brother Don Bartholomew, or of Don’ Diego, 3011
of the admiral. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my .
hand. Done at Santa Demingo, this 20th day of April, I 7 83.

(Signed) D. JOSEPH NUNEZ or. Casnnns.”

“ I, Don Manuel Sanchez, Canon, Dignitary, and Chanter
of this holy cathedral church, do certify, Ste. [word for word
as in the ﬁreceding certiﬁcate. ] Done at Santo Domingo,
this 26th day of April, 17 83

(Signed) MANUEL SANCHEZ.”

“ I, Don Pedro de Galvez, Preceptor, Canon, Dignitary,
of this cathedral church, Primate of the Indies; do certify
that the sanctuary being taken down, in order to be rebuilt,
there was found on the side of the choir, where the gospel is
sung, a stone case, with a leaden urn, in the inside of it, a little
damaged, which contained several human bones; also, that it

* About two feet eight inches, English measure.
I 3 K

458 HISTORY or PRINTING.

is remembered that there is another of the same description
on the epistle side; also, that according to'a tradition handed
down through the old people of the country, and a chapter of
the synod of this holy cathedral church, the case found on the
gospel side, contains the remains of admiral Christopher Co-
lumbu's, and that found on the epistle side, those of his brother
Bartholomew. In witness whereof, ,I have hereunto setkmy
hand, this 26th day of April, 17 83.
(Signed) Don Panno DE GALVEZ.”

“ I must, however, observe here, that Don Antonio (1'
Aloedo assures us in his entertaining and useful dictionary,
under the word America, that the following epitaph was placed
in some part of the cathedral:

‘ Hie locus abscondit prxclari membra Columbi
Cujus nomen ad astra volat. .
NOn satis unus erat sibi mundus notus, at orbem
~Ignotum priscis omnibus ipse dedit;
Divitias summas terras dispersit in omnes ;
Atque animas coelo tradidit innumeras ;‘
Invenis campos divinis legibus aptos,
Regibus et nostris prospera re gna dedit.’
But this epitaph does not now exist, and it is even forgotten in
the colony.

“A synod, held an hundred and forty three years after the,
perfection of the metropolitan church, makes mention, indeed,
of the remains of Christopher Columbus being deposited in
that ediﬁce ;. but without entering on any explanation, al-
though it ought to have been recollected that the pillage of
Drake, forty seven years before, had caused the destruction of
the archives, and that the insects alone might have annihilated

many important pieces.”
[3‘] Page 226'.

At a County Court held at Cambridge, April 1, £65 61.
Jn°' Glover“ Gent. Plant. against Mr. Henry' Dunster
Deﬁ‘t° in an actiin of the case foran acct. of an estate of houses.

* He studied physio, became a practitioner, married, and settled in Boston. .

NOTES. . 459

Lands, gobds, and chattels,'debts, Legacies, and gifts, or other
estate, together with the deeds, leases, and other manusscripts,
and evidences thereof, w“? by any manner of wayes or means,
eyther have been (or at prSent bee) in the possession of the said
Henry, or under his rule, costody or dispose. And of right
due and belonging unto the said Jn°° Glover, by the last will
and testament of his father Mr. J osse Glover deceased, or
Elizabeth his wife, or their, or eyther of their gifts, or by the
last will of W‘“ Harris deceased or otherwise to him the said
J n°' Glover appteyning and of right due and belonging by any
manner of wayes or means whatsoever, and, also for debteyn-
ing and with-holding the same, vii" both the account and
estate, with the effects and proﬂits thereof and damages to the
said In“ Glover thereby susteyned.

The Plantiﬁ‘e appeared by his Attomeyes Edw. Goffe, and
Thomas Danforth, The Del’f‘b appeared personally and plead-
ed to the case, The Court having heard the Pl’t’s demands
and the proffe thereof, and Mr. Dunster’s acknowledgm“ and
Answ" web are upon ﬁle with the Records of this Court, the
Jury ﬁndes for the plantiﬁ‘e, as appeareth by their verdict
given into Court in writeing (web is also upon y° ﬁle) theis
following p’tic'“

 

Imp" The Inventory as it is brought in 140 00 00
It. The Presse and the p’ﬁttof it 040 00 00
It. The prise of Mr. Dayes house 030 00 00
It. Debts received by Mr. Dunster 143 00 00
It. More debts received by Mr. Dunster 015 00 00
It. Rec" of Mr. Humpheries 080 00 00
It. The plate mentioned in the Inventory 448 00 00

It. more acknowledged in the Court by Mr.
Dunster one silver tankard, and one tipt Jug, '
and a silver plate.
It. one watch.
It. acknowledged by Mr. Dunster 12 Rheam of .
refuse paper. .
The proﬂit of the houses and lands in Ca: -
bridge ‘ v 177 10 00

It

460 HISTORY or PRINTING.

 

 

It.‘ Given by Mr. Harris , 040 00 001
It. Household stuse at Sudbur‘y " ‘ 005 00 00
It. The h'ouse 1n Boston sould to Theodore At- ' .
kinSon . . 200 00 ,00
It. Rent received for the farme at sudbury six
years 060 00 00
It. the Rent of the stocke of 15 Kine ' 067 10 00
It. the prise of eight steers and bulls and ﬁften ' -
kine 118 .16 00
It. for the rent received for the farme at Sud-u , .
bury seaven yeares 042 90 0.0
It. the rent of meadow - 010 00 00
It. two swine . ~ 002 00 00
It. Lead pans 7‘22 16 00
448 00 00
1170 16 00
It. the farme that Robert Wilson now occupieth to be Mr.
Glover’s.

It. all the Bookes of Mr. Glover’s that came to Mr. Dunster,
whereof he promised to give in a Cattologue.
It. the farme that Goodman Rice now occupieth to be Mr.
' Glover’ s.
It. that Mr. Dunster shall give to the Court, an account ac-
cording to the attachmt when the Honoured Court shall
. require it. '
Charles Chadwicke in the name of "the rest.
Execution granted June 17', 1656.
The Court orders that Mr. Dunster shall bring 1n his full
account to the Court the 9th of May- next.
[Mdd. Records, V 01. 1.12. 77, £76.]

At a second Sessions of the County Court held at Cambridge,
9th (3) mo. 1656.

In the case between Jn° Glover Plant. against Mr. Henry
Dunster Deli"t entered at the last sessions of this Cou1 t, Mr.
Henry Dunster presented his answ‘ to the Juries verdict in
writeing, containing his account under his hand, also a Catto-. i

‘ , NOTES. ' 461»

.logue of the bookes, with some other testimonies in reﬂ‘erence

to the case, all wch are upon ﬁle with the Reccords of the last
Court, whereupon‘ the Plantiﬁ‘e not being sattisﬁed' with the
accounts presented, The Court advised both parties to endeav-'
our a peaceable composure of the whole buissines, eytherbe-

tWeen themselves or by able men Indiﬁ‘erently chosen between

them. [Midd. Records, Vol. 1,12. 83.]

At a County Court held at Charles-Towne June 19th, 1656.

Mr. Henry Dunster Pl. against Mr. Jn°' Glover Defl‘t. in '-
an action of Review of the suite upon attachm“ to the vallue
of two thousand pounds comenced and prosecuted. in the last
County Court holden at Cambridge, by the said J n°° or his at-
torneyes for accounts and estate pretended to be with-held by
the said Henry from the said Jn°' As also for the auditing
the accounts, according to the advice of the Honoured M agis-
trates, and for the ballancing, setling, and sattisfy ing what up-
on the said Accounts is right and just to be done, according to ‘
attachmt dated 12th 4th mo. 1656.

The Jury found a non liquet. ,

[Midd. Records, Vol. I. [2. 83. 3
At a County Court held at Cambridge, by adjournment, June
24th, 1555.

Mr. Henry Dunster [sometimes husband to Elizabeth the
relict Widow of Josse Glover deceased] Plant. rag" In“ Glover
Gent. Deﬂ‘t' In an action of the case for debt upon accounts,
and for rights and interests in any wise appertayneing to the
said Henry from the estate now claimed by the said Jn°° Glov-
er by vertue- of the last will of his father Josse Glover deceased.

The Plantive and Defft' appearing in-Court legally, They
mutually agreed to referre this case to the Hearing and deter-
inination of the honoured Bench of Magistrates. The Courts
determination and judgm‘in the said case is as followeth.

Whereas there hath been some actions and suites of debt,
account, and review, in this Court, between Jn°'.Glover Gent.
And Henry Dunster his father in Law and Guardian, concern-
ing the estate, under his managemt' belonging to the said .
John Glover by the will of his father Josse Glover deceased,

The premises considered, and the parties consenting to issue.

4-62 HISTORY or PRINTING.

the whole case, included In the former actions, and judgmt'to
the determination of this Court. The Court having taken
«paynes to examine all matters explicitly In reﬁ‘erence to the
whole case, doe ﬁnd the estate of Jesse Glover Is Creditor,
One thousand fo’ure hundred forty and seaven pounds, nine
shillings and nine pence, and a silver tankard in kinde, also Mr.
Glover’s bookes according to Cattologue given in to the Court,
,, to be delivered in kinde, also the price of a house at Hing-
ham that was received of Payntree at ﬁfteen pounds.

And the estate, is also justly debtor, one thousand thre
hundred and thirty pounds, one shilling and seven pence, the
particulars whereof are expressed in an account hereunto an-
nexed.

The Court therefore do ﬁnd for John Glover, one hundred
and seventen pounds, eight shillings and two pence, due from
Henry Dunster, according to the account, leaving some debts
eXplicitly expressed in the account to the vallue of ﬁfty seaven
pdunds eleven shillings foure pence to be further cleared by
the said Henry before any credit be given him for it.

Also we ﬁnd for Mr. Henry Dunster the lands In Sudbury
bounds, purchased by the said Henry called the farme now in
the occupation of Wilson.

1656. June 25. The Account in'reﬂ'erence to the afore-
named case, being drawn up and examined by the Honoured
Court is as followeth.

Mr. Henry Dunster is debitor ,5. .9. d.
Imp" T 0 plate 030 12 03
To a tipt Jugg and a watch 006 06 06
To rents of land in Cambrge whiles in Blower’s

hands 040 00 00
To rents recd of John Stedman for ditto 070 00 00
To rent of ditto recd of Richard French 012 00 00
T 0 rent recd for marsh land all the time 015 15 00
To rent of the slate house “all the time 019 14 04
To the house and land at Boston sold Mr. Atkin-

$011 214 00 00

‘To a Legacy given Jn°' Glover by his uncle
Harris . 040 00 oo

NOTES.

j To utensils at Sudbury‘ﬁve pounds

To rent of fourten Cowes six yeares, at 15s pr. how

To rent of seaven oxen 6 yeares at 20" pr. ox

To the stocke fourten cowes and seven oxen

To rent for meadow

To two swine

To one lead pan sould for

To sale of Bookes

To so much recd of Mr. Thos Fowle

To rents from Boston and Cambridge

To advance upon the Inventory

To advance upon plate

To so much disbursed in building and other
things upon Henry Dunster’s land in Sud-
bury bounds

To the Inventory in Goodes

To printing presse and paper

To Mr. Dayes house sold for

To debts ree‘1 of severall persons £ 7 3 and of Pea-
cock and Sill £8

To so much received of Mr. Humphery

To plate and other things that I had vies ct maé
dies, by gift of my wife, not vallued .

To plate and bedding for Mr. Harris and Simon
Smith

To paper—16 Rheams

To 2 oxen and one cow killed for the family

To proﬁts of ﬁstocke and crop the ﬁrst yeare of ,

his marriage with Mrs. Glover, not yet ac-
counted for, abating for Servants wages and
diet

To a silver tankard in kind.

To all Mr. Glover’s bobkes unsold, to be delivered

according to Cattologue.
To a house at Hingham of Panteryes, the value
to be made good

042
118
010
002
001
026
099
049

_ 020

002

050
140
050
030

081
071

073
025

002
020

463

005 oo do
053 00 oo

00
16
00
00
02
10
l l

05,

00
17

00
00
00

00
04

00

00
00
00
00
06
00
04
08
00
OS

00

00

00

09

ll

00

ll
0.9

01500 00

 

1447 09. 09

464 HISTORY or PRINTING.

Mr. Henry Dunster creditor
Imp" By lands in Sudbury bounds purchased by
the said Dunster, called the farme now in the
occupation of Wilson, found in kind to belong
to the Plantiffe
By the diet, apparell and education of Roger and

Jn°° Glover two yeares two 172164 after their;

mother’s mariage with the said Dunster till
her death at £20. '

By disbursemts for the maintenance of Mi‘s.
Glover for diet and apparrell in sicknes and
health two yeares and two months, after her
marriage with Mr. Dunster, until her death,
with a mayd to attend her at £30 pr. annum

By a bill for physicke payd Mr. Ayres

By funerall charges expended for Mrs. Glover

By disbursements for the diet and appIl of Mrs.
Eliza“ Glover 7 m°° with her mariage feast,ale
being maried to Mr. Adam Winthrop

By diet and apparrall for Mrs. Sarah and Mrs.
Priscilla Glover, during their mother’s life,
being two yeares 2 m°° a peece at £10 pr.
annum ,

By diet and expences of Mr. Richard Harris two
years and two monthes, it being due from the
estate to him for the interest of £ 250. of his
in the estate at £20 pr. annum

By maintenance of the children after the death
of their mother, viz.

By Jn°' Glover’s liberall education for diet, ap—
parell and schooleing mostly at the Colledge
for seven years and two months at £20 pr.
anm'

5.2.6.

086 06 08

065 00 00
015 00-00
:010 00 00
030 00 00

069 06 03

043 03 O4

143 03 O4

* The three Miss Glovers (not Mrs.) viz. Elizabeth, and Sarah and Pris-
cilla Glover mentioned in the next article of charge, were the three daughters
of Mr. Jesse, or Josse, Glover deceased. Priscilla married John Appleton,
who also commenced in 1655, an action againSt Dunster for 1001. left to his
wife by her father, and detained by Dunster, which sum Appleton recovered‘

"Norssv

By diet, apparrell of Mrs. Sarah Glover ﬁve years
at sixten pounds pr. annum

By so much recovered out of the estate by Mr.
Appleton, for his wife Mrs. Priscilla Glover,
her maintenance after her mother’s death,
and before marriage with him ,

By so much paid for extraordinary expences by
Mr. M“ Glover, as by note of particulars

By charges disbursed concerning nine arbitra-
tions, and p4 for writeings to scriven" Ste.
{:2 in all

' 9“ By debts paid by Mr. Dunster which were due
from the estate, in Mr. Josse Glover’s life
time

By debts made by Mrs. Glover in the time of her

widowhood, payd by Mr. Dunster clerely '

proved

By losses and damages befalling the estate at
Sudbury, payd for fencing on John Glover’s
farme at Sudbury I ,

By expences, rates and suites concerning lands

, at Cambrge

By disbursemts for reparations of the house at
Cambridge 1n Mrs. Glover’s life

By repaires of the said house after her death

By cattle added to the estate, viz‘. three cowes,
one calf, 2 oxen at

By rates payd to the meeting house

By so much payd to Mr. Haris for redeeming
a tankard, and a porringer of silver, payd

465

080 00

088 00

. 006 15

007 00
334 12
183 15

034 19

045 19.

016 O4
016 .01

031 16
002 00

1309 03

, 005 18

0,0

00
00
00
00

O9

03
04

00
041

11
06

or

00

 

' 1315 0,1

him in part of his debt
'1' To Mr. Harris . 0250 00 00
To Mr. Turner 0076 12 Do
To Cotton Slacke 0008 00 00
0334 12 00

I 3L

0%

466 ' _HISTORY or PnINTINc.

By account of some debts contracted by Mm:
Glover In her widowhood, w“ Mr. Dunner ~
alleadgeth he hath payd; not allowed at pres-
ent for want of cieare proof ﬁat. . - ‘

By Mr. King ofLe’x. 66 12 I”
By so much to Mr. Morecroft ‘25 00 00-
By so much to Skidmore Smith 08 00 do
By so much to Mr. Harris 12 19 00

By so much pd. Major Boume . 05 00 00

 

, 57 11 04
By so much p‘“ to Capt. Kaine being a debt due _
before marriage as appears by bill oats 00 06

 

’ 11330 01 07
Mr. Beilingham declared his dissent from this account and
departed out of Court before the Court’s determination and

judgmt was dmwne up.
[Mdd.RscoMs Vol. 141.87, {57:3

[[1] Page 232

PARTICULAR circumstances respecting the first print- '
ed book In this country may be interesting to some , I there-
{Ole mention the following.

It had been customary to sing a prose translation of the
Psalms , and, for this purpose, the psalms were marked for
singing In lines to suit the tunes. To accommodate common
‘ metre tunes, two syllables In every other line were printed 111
black letter, which were to be omitted when tunes of this
metre were sung The minister or the deacon, who read the
psalm line by line as it was sung, usually- announced that the
syllables in black, were, or were not, to be omitted.E

This practice may, in some measure, account for the sin-
gular version of the Psalms used by our forefathers. It was
their aim in this. version to keep as near the original Hebrew
as possible, and they did not even allow themselves any po-
etic license to favor the rhyme. Ainsworth had long been
celebrated as a musician. He had arranged the Psalms in a

news. 467

manner to favor the singing of them, and had composed tunes. _

for that purpose. His psalms and tunes wer e brought to this
country by our ancestors, and were used by them until the
synod published a version of the Psalms in conformity to their
apprehension. of the original; in several churches, however,

Ainsworthk Psalms were preferred to this version, and Were r

comitmed in use for many years. An edition of Psalms, inti— ,

tied, Psalterium lmericanum, in which lines of eight syllables

were marked out, as before mentioned, by a H for singing,

was printed at Boston as late as 1717.

‘ The synod’ s version of the Psalms was Called in Newsag—
land for many years, The Bay Psalm. Book. But afterwards
it was more generally designated, The New England Psalm
Beak. Early jealousies and controversies existed between
the synod and the church in Salem; and these, for a long
time, prevented this church from adopting the Bay Psalm
Book according to the recommendation of that reverend body.
This version was not, in tact, used in Salem church, till 1667 ,

as appears from the following vote, extracted fi‘bm the rear.

ords of said church, viz.
“ The pastor having formerly propounded and given rea-
son for the use of the Bay Psalm Book in regard of the difﬁ-

culty of the. tunes, and that we could not sing” them so well as '

formerly, and that there was a singularity in our using Ains-
worth’s tunes; but especially because we had not the liberty
of singing all the Scripture Psalms according to 3 Coloss. 16.
He did new again propound the same, and a‘fter several breth-
ren had spoken thereto, at last, a unanimous consent with res-
pect to the last reason mentioned, that the Bay Psalms should
be used together with Ainsworth’ s to supply the defects
of it. " r

[i] Page 234.

THE author of “ Wonder Working Providence,” page
205, gives the fellowing account of this edition of the laws.
“ This year [1646] the General Court appointed a Committee
of diverse persons to draw up a Body of Laws for the well or-
dering this little Commonwealth; and to the end» that they

’

468 HISTORY or PRINTING.

might be most agreeable with the rule of Scripture, in every
County there was appointed two Magistrates, two Ministers,
and two able persons from atnong the people, who having
provided such a. competent number as was meet, together
with the former that were enacted newly amended, they pre-
sented them to the General Court, where they were again pe-
rused and amended; and then another Committee chosen to
bring them into form, and present them to the Court again,"
who the year following pas’sed an act of conﬁrmation upon
them, and so committed them to the press, and in the year
1648, they were printed, and now are to be seen of all men, to
the end that none may plead ignorance, and that all Who intend:
to transport themselves hither may know that this is no place
cf licentious liberty, nor will this people suﬂ'er any to trample
down this vineyard of the Lord, but with diligent execution
.will cut off from the city of the Lord, the Wicked doers, and if
any man can shew wherein any of them derogate from the E
word of God, very willingly will they accept thereof, and
amend their imperfections (the Lord assisting) but let not any
ill affected persons 'ﬁnd fault with them, because they suit not
withtheir own humour, or because they meddle with matters
of religion, for it is no wrong to any man, that a people who
have spent their estates, many of them, and ventured their
lives for to keep faith and' 'a pure conscience, to use all means
that.the word of God allows for maintenance and continuance
of the same, especially they have taken up a desolate wilder-
ness to be their habitation, and not deluded any by keeping
their profession in huggermug, but print and, proclaim to all
the way and course they intend, God willing, to walk in. If any
will yet notwithstanding seek to justle them out of their own
right, let them not wonder if they meet with all the opposi—
tion a people put to their greatest straits can make, as in all
their undertaking their chiefest aim hath been to promote the
ordinances of Christ, so also in contriving their Laws, Liber-
ties and Privileges, they have not been wanting, which hath
caused many to malign their civil government, and more es-
pecially for punishing any by a law, that walk contrary to the
rule. of the. gospel which they profess, but to them it seems

norss. ‘ ' 469

unreasonable, and savours too much of hypocrisie, that any
people should pray unto the Lord for the speedy accomplish- ’
ment of his werd in the overthrow of Antichrist, and in the
mean time become a patron to sinful opinions and damnable'
errors that oppose the truths of Christ, admit it be butin‘the
bare permission of them.”

[k] Page 255. .

THE New Testament was translated into the Indian lan-
guage by the rev. John Eliot, then pastor of the church in
Roxbury. Mr. .Eliot’ was called the 'Ajzosﬂe of the Indians,
and he truly was so. He also translated the Old Testament.
into their language, and gave them a version of the Psalms.
They were all completed at the press in 1663, and Were bound
together. The rev. Cotton Mather, in 'hls Magnalia, men-
tions that mr. Elliot wrote the whole of this great work with
one pen , 1f so, we may presume that his pen was not made of
a goose quill, but of metal. * After mr. Eliot had acquired
the Indian language, he taught English to the Indians, and
formed an English Grammar. He went among them and
preached the gospel, instituted schools, and formed Churches.

[1] Page 255.

THE colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut
and N ewhaven,1‘ in 1643, entered into articles of confedera- ‘5
tion for their mutual safety and support. Each colony was
annually to choose two commissioners, who were to meet --
yearly and alternately in the severalcolonies. TheSe commits?
sioners had the power to manage all concerns, in which the .'
colonies were generally interested ; comprising those of war
as well as peace, and each colony retained the directiOn of its
own internal polity. ' The commissioners were chosen by the

'* I have been informed that Edward Gibbon, the celebrated author of
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, wrote the twelve volumes of
which that work consists with one pen; which he presented to the beautiful
dutchess of Devonshire, and it was by her preserved in a silver shrine.

+ Ncwhaven was at that time a distinct colony from Connecticut.

'

470 HISTORY or PRINTING.

general court, or assembly 0f the'respective colonies, and were

called the, Commissioners of the United Colonies; to this Of?-

ﬂee, men of the most respectable talents were elected, and, not
unﬁ‘equently, the governors of the colonies.

By the agency of Massachusetts, a society had been form-
ed m London, for propagating the gospel among the Indians
in N ewengland. Some time after the confederation of the
colonies took place, the society in England for propagating the
gospel was incorporated by act of parliament; by which act,
the commissioners of the United Colonies were appointed the
agents of the society, to manage its concerns, and to dispose
of the property which might be forwarded to America, in such
manner as might prombte, in the most useful degree, the de-
sign of the institution. In time, the funds of the Corporation"
enabled them to send missionaries among the Indians, to in'-
struct them in the Christian faith, and to build a number of
small meeting houses, in which the Christianized Indians
might assemble for public Worship. An addition was made
to the college at the expense of the corporation, to make
room for the education of Indian youth. Several small books.
were written, and others translated into the Indian language -,
and, eventually, the design was conceived of translating the
whole of the Holy Scriptures int-o Indian, and to print the
translation. For this great undertaking the corporation sup-
plied the means, and the commissioners of the United Colo-
nies attended toits execution.

‘ Before the New Testament was ﬁnished at the press, the
corporation in England was, at the restoration of king Charles
II, for some reason, deprived of their charter; but after some
time it- was restored and conﬁrmed by the king? Before the

* The society. in England fer propagating the gospel among the Indians
was so called .

' + After the charter was restored, the corporation sent over to the commis-
sioners by their request, as a remittance toward printing the Bible,and in other
ways promoting the propagation of the gospel, a quantity of pieces cf eight,
to be recoined here; which is taken netice of in the following manner in a
letter from the corporation to the commissioners-“ We have thought good.
in pursuance of. the trust committed to vs and for the Improvement of that.

Norris; I71
charter was restored, the New Testament was completed, and
the commissioners here, and the late members of the corpoo
ration inEnglend, judged it good policy to present to the king
one of the ﬁrst copies of this work; and to make it accepta-
ble to his majesty, a dedication was written, printed and pro.
ﬁxed to the few Copies of the Testan‘nent which were sent to
England. This measure had the effect desired, and the king
became interested in the restoration of the charter. ’ The
copy for the king and nineteen copies more were forwarded
in sheets to the members of the late corporation in England,
with a letter from the commissioners of the United Colonies,
an extract from which as recorded, follows, viz.

‘_‘ The New Testament is alreddy ﬁnished, and of all the
old the ﬁve hookes of Moses; wee have heerwith sent you
20 peeces [copies] of the NewTestament which wee desire
may bee thus disposed viz: that two of the speciall being uery
well bound vp the one may bee presented to his Majestic m
the ﬁrst place, the other to the Lord Chancellor , and that ﬁve
more may he presented to Doctor Reynolds Mr. Carr-ill Mr.
Baxter and the two vischancellors of the‘Vniuersities whee
wee understand have greatly Incurraged the worke; the rest
to bee disposed of as you shall see cause.”

The dedication is recorded among the proceedings of the
commissioners of the United Colonies, and‘ is there prefaced
in the following manner.

“ Vpon the enforrnation of the Desolation of the Corporao
don, andintimation of hopes that his Majestic would [renew

little use have to send you ouer 433 paces of eight, which cost vs one hun-
dred pounds hm, liaising obtained this priviledge in our Charter that what
wee shall send ouer shal be without any charge or custom pay’d for the same,
and that the coyning thereof into youer coyne, and according to youer stand-
ard will make a considerable aduance for your supply,” &c.

The emission", September 18, 1663, in answer to the corporation
observe, i‘ Yooor honoree; accepting our bill of ﬁne hundred ”unsigned
sending cost a supply'of an hundred pounds in peeces of eight Wee humbly
acknowledge, andghaue Improved the said peeces to the vttermost wee could,
whereof by 'minting or otherwise is 117 1b. o s. 07 d. by which youer hon-
ores may see what adnance there may be made to the abocke by sending of
such pecans.” (Record: ﬁfth: United Colonies]

472 HISTORY or PRINTING. \

and] ' confeirme the same, Sue. The Comissioners thought
meet to present his Majestic with the New Testament print. ‘
ed 1n the Indian language with these presents following, 8m.

, The dedication as printed in the few copies of the Testac
ment sent to England, 1s in the following words.

“ To the High and M ghty Prince, Charles the Second, by the
Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ir:-
land, Defender of the Faith, We.

“ The Commissioners of the United Colonies in New-Bugs

land, wish increase of all happiness, 8m. >

_ “ Most Dread Soveraign,

“ If our weak apprehensions have not misled “ us, ”"this
Work will be no unacceptable Present to Your Majesty, as
having a greater Interest therein, than we believe 13 generally
understood: which (upon this Occasion) we conceive it our
Duty to declare. '

“ The People of these four Colonies (Confederated for Mu- ‘
tual Defence,: 1n the time of the late Distractions of our dear
Native Country) Your Maj esties natural born 'Subjects,“ by” the a
Favour and Grant of .YourRoyal Father and Grandfather of
Famous Memory, put themselves upon this great and hazard- ‘
‘ ous Undertaking, of Planting themselves at their own Charge
in] these remote ends of the Earth, that without .oﬁ'ence or
provocation to our dear Brethren and Countrymen, we might
enjoy that liberty to Worship God, which our own Consciences 7
informed us, was not onely our Right, but Duty: As also that
we might (if .it so pleased God) be instrumental to spread the
light of the Gospel, the knowledg of the Son of God our Sav- .
iour, to the poor barbarous Heathen, which by His late Maj-i
esty, in some of our Patents, is declared to be His principal
aim.

“ These honest and Pious Intentions, have, through the
grace and goodness of God and our Kings, been seconded with
proportionable success: for, omitting the Immunities indulg-
ed us by Your Highness Royal Predecessors, we have been -
greatly encouraged by Your Majesties gracious expressions
of Favour and Approbation signiﬁed, unto the Address made
by the principal of our Colonies, to. which the rest do most

J NOTES. 473

cordially .Subﬁpribei though wanting the like seasbnable op&
portunity, they have been (till now) deprived of the means to
congratulate Your Majesties happy Restitution, after Your
long suffering, which we implore may yet be graciously ac-
cepted,'that we may be equal partakers of Your Royal Favour
and Moderation; which hath been so Illustrious that (to ads
miration) the animosities and different Perswasions of men
have been so soon Composed, and so much cause of hope, that i
(unless the sins of the Nation prevent) a blessed Calm will
snagged the late horrid Confusions of Church and State. And
Shell notwe (Dread Sovergzz’gn) your Subjects of these Colo-
nies, of the same Faith and Belief in all Points of Doctrine-
with our Countrymen, and the other Reformed Churches,
(though perhaps not alike perswaded in some matters of Or-
der, which in outward respects hath been unhappy for us)
promise and assure our selves of all just favour and indul-
gence from ..a Prince so happily and graciously endowed?

“ The other part of our Errand hither, hath been attended
with Endexours and Blessing; manyof the Wilde Indians being
taught, and understanding the DQQHfine of the Christian Re-
ligion, and with much affection attending such Preachers as
are sent to teach them, many of their Children are instructed
to Write and Reade, and some of :them have proceeded fur-
ther, to attain the knowledge of the Latine and Greek Tongues,
and are brought up with our English youth in University-
learning : There are divers of them that can and do reade
some parts of the Scripture, and some Catechisms, which for.-
merly have been Translated into their own Language, which
hath occasioned the undertaking of a greater Work, viz : The
Printing of the whole Bible, which (being Translated by a
painful Labourer amongst them, who was desirous to see the
Work accomplished in his dayes) hath already proceeded to
the ﬁnishing of the New TeStament, which we here humbly
present to Your Majesty, as the ﬁrst fruits and accomplish-
ment .of the Pious Design of your Royal Ancestors. ‘ The
Old Testament is now under the Press, wanting and craving
your Royal Favour and Assistance for the perfecting thereof.

I ' 3 M ‘

474 HISTORY OF” PRINTING“.

“ We may not conceal, that though this Worklhath‘ beenI
begun and prosecuted by such Instruments as God hath raised
up here, yet the chief Charge and Cost, which hath-supported
and carried it thus far, hath been from the Charity and Piety‘
of divers of our‘well-affected Countrymen in England; who
being sensible of our inability in that respect, and studious to
promote so good a- Work, contributed large Sums of Money,
which were to be improved according to the Direction and
Order of the then-«prevailing Powers, which hath been faith;
fully and religiously attended both there and here, according
to the pious intentions of the Benefactors. And we do most
humbly beseech your Majesty, that a matter of so much Dee
votion and Piety, tending so much to the Honour of God, may
suffer no disappointment through any Legal defect (without
the fault of the Donors, or the poor Indians, who onely receive
the beneﬁt) but. that your Majesty be graciously pleased to-
EstabliSh and Conﬁrm the same, being contrived and done (as
we conceive) in the ﬁrst year of your Majesties Reign, as this
Bhok was begun and now ﬁnished in the ﬁrst year of your Es-
tablishment; which doth not onely presage the happy success
of your Highness Government, but will be a perpetual monu-e
ment, that by your Majesties Favour the Gospel of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ, was ﬁrst made-known to the Indians:
An. Honour whereof (we are assured) your Majesty will not“
a little esteem.

“ SIR, The shines of Your Royal Favour uﬁon these Vndera
takings, will make these tender Plants to ﬂourish, notwithstand--
ing any malevolent ﬂsjzect from those that bear evil will to this
Sion, and render Your Majesty more Illustrious and Glorious
to after Generations.

“ The God of Heaven long ﬁreserve and bless» Your Majesty

with many hajzfzy Dayes, to- his Glory, the good and com-
fort qf his. Church and Peolee. Amen."

In 1663, when, the whole Bible, and a version of the N ew«-
england' Psalms, translated into the language of the abo-
rigines of Newengland, were completed from the press,- a
copy, elegantly bound, was presented. to the king with another
address, or dedication. This address, and that presented to

\

NOTES. i 475

his majesty with the New Testament, were printed together
and preﬁxed to those complete copies of the whole work,
which were sent to England as presents. Few of the copies
which were circulated in this country contained those ad—
dresses. 1 recollect to have seen, many years since, a copy
that contained them; that which I possess is without them, as
are all others which I have lately examined. The rev. Thaddeus
M. Harris, some time since, fortunately discovered 1n abarber 5
shop, a mutilated copy of the Indian Bible, which the barber
was using for waste paper. In this copy the addresses to king.
Charles are entire. He transcribed the addresses, and after-
ward published them in Vol. 7, of the Collections of the His-
torical Society. I have extracted them from that volume,
ﬁnding them exactly to agree with the copies on the Records
of the Commissioners of the United Colonies, in every thing
’but the spelling, which on the records is in a mode more ob-
solete and incorrect, but doubtless conformable to the origin-
als, which we may well suppose were carefully corrected before
they were printed and preﬁxed to the Bible.
The Second Address, or Dedication, is as follows.

f‘ To the High and [Mighty Prince, Charles the Second, by the
Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ir:-
land, Defender of the Faith, t‘J’c.

“ The Commissioners of the United Colonies in New-Eng-

land, wish all happiness, Stc.
“ Most Dread Soveraign,

“ As our former Presentation 'of the New Testament was
Graciously Accepted by Your Majesty; so with all Humble
Thankfulness for that Royal Favour, and with the like hope,
We are bold now to Present the WHOLE BIBLE, Trans.
lated into the Language of the Natives of this Country, by .4
Painful Labourer in that Work, and now Printed and Finished,
by means of the Pious Beneﬁcence of Your Majesties Subjects
in England: which also by Your Special Favour hath been
Continued and Conﬁrmed to the intended Use and Advance-
ment of so G1 eat and Good 9. Work, as is the Projzagation of
the Gas/zel to these floor Barbarians In this (Ere-Whﬂe) Un—
known World.

476'“ HISTORY or PRINTING.

“ Translations of Holy Scripture, The, Word qfthc King qf
Kings, have ever been deemed not unworthy of the most-
Princely DedicatiOns: Examples Whereof are extant in divers
Languages. But Your Majesty is the First that hath Receiv-
ed one in this Language, or from this American World,- or
from any Parts so Remote from Euroﬁe as these are, for ought
that ever we heard of. .

“ Publications also of these Sacred Writings to the Sons
of Men (who here, and here onely, have ihe Mysteries of their
Eternal Salvation revealed to them by the God of Heaven) is
a Work that the Greatest Princes have Honoured themselves
by. But to Publish and Communicate the same to a Lest
People, as remote from Knowledge ‘and Civility, much more
from Christianity, as they were from all Knowing, Civil and
Christian Nations; a People without Law, without Letters,
without Riches, or Meansto procure any such thing ;. a Peo-
ple that sate as deeft in Darkness, and in the situation) Q/‘Dea'tﬁ,
as (We think) any since the Creation: This puts a Lustre up-

on it that is Superlative; and to have given Royal Patronage
and Countenance to such aPubli'cation, or to the Means there-
of, will stand among the Marks of Lasting Honour in the eyes
of all that are Considerate, even unto After-Generations.

“ And though there be in this Western World many Col-
onies of other Europaean Nations, yet we humbly conceive, no
Prince hath' had a Return of such a Work as this; which
may be some Token of the Success of Your Majesties Planta-
tion of New-England, Undertaken and Setled under the En-
couragement and Security of Grants from Your Royal Father
and Grandfather, of Famous Memory, and Cherished with late.
Gracious Aspects from Your Majesty. Though indeed, the
present Poverty of these Plantations could not have Accom-
plished this Work, had not the forementioned Bounty of Eng-
land lent Relief; Nor could that have Continued to stand us
in stead, without the Inﬂuence of Your Royal Favour and Au-
thority, whereby the Corjzoratz'on there, For Projzagatz'ng the
Gas/tel among these Natives, hath been Established and En-
couraged (whose Labour of Love, Care, and Faithfulness in
that Trust, must ever be remembred with Honour.) Yea,

NOTES. ’ 477

when priVate persons, for their private Ends, have of late
sought Advantages to deprive the said Corporation of Half the
Possessions that had been, by Liberal Contributions, obtained
for so Religious Ends , We understand, That by an Honour—
able and Righteous Decision inYour Majesties Court ch/zan-r
eery, their Hopes have been defeated, and the Thing Settled
Where it was and is. For which great FaVOur, and Illustrious
Fruit of Your Majesties Government, we cannot but return
our most Humble Thanks in this Publick Manner: And, as
the Result, of the joynt Endeavours of Your Majesties Subs-
jects there and here, acting under Your Royal Inﬂuence, We
Present You with this Work, which upon sundry ascounts is
to be called Yours.

“ The Southern Colonies of the S/zam‘slz Nation have sent
home from this ﬂmerz’can Continent, much Gold and Silver,
as the Fruit and End of their Discoveries and Transplanta-
tions : That (We confess) is a scarce Commodity in this Colder
Climate. But (sutable to the Ends of our Undertaking) we
Present this, and other Concomitant Fruits of our poor Ens
deavors to Plant and Propagate the Gospel here; which, upon
a true account, is as much better than Gold, as the Souls of
men are more worth than the whole World. This is a No-
bler Fruit (and indeed, in the Counsels of All-Disposing Prov—
idence, was an higher intended End) of Columbus his Adven-
ture. And though by his Brother’s being hindred from a
seasonable Application, your Famous Predecessour and An-
cestor, King Henry the Seventh, missed of being sole Owner
of that ﬁrst Discovery, and of the Riches thereof; yet, if the
Honour of ﬁrst Discovering the True and Saving Knowledge
of the Gospel unto the poor ﬂmerz’cans, and of Erecting the
Kingdome of JESUS CHRIST among them, be Reserved
f01, and do Redound unto your Majesty, and the English Na-
tion, Afterwages will not reckon this Inferiour to the other.
Religion is the End and Glory of Mankinde: and as it was the
Professed End of this Plantation ; so we desire ever to keep
it in ou1 Eye as our main design (both as to ourselves, and the
Natives about us) and that our Products may be answerable
thereunto. Give us therefore leave (Dread Soveraz‘gn) yet

4.78 HISTORY or PRINTING.

again humbly to Beg the Continuance of your Royal Favour,
and of the Inﬂuences thereof, upon this poor Plantation, The
United Colonies of N EW-EN GLAND, for the Securing and
Establishment of our Civil‘Priviledges, and Religious Liber-
ties hitherto Enjoyed; and, upon this Good Work of Propa-
gating Religion to these Natives, that the Supports and En-
couragements thereof from England may be still countenanced
and Conﬁrmed. May this Nursling still suck the Breast of
Kings, and be fostered by your Majesty, as it hath been by
your Royal Predecessors, unto the Preservation of its main
Concernments; It shall thrive and prosper to the Glory of God,
and the Honour of your Majesty: Neither will it be any loss or
grief unto our Lord the King, to have the Blessing of the Poor
to comeupon Him, and that from these Ends of the Earth.

“ The God by whom Kings Reign, and Princes Decree Jus-
tice, Bless Your Majesty, dnd Establish your Throne in
Righteousness, in Mercy, and in Truth, to the Glory of
112’s Name, the Good of 112's Peojzle, and to Your own
Comfort and Rejoycing, not in this onely, but in another.

World.”

Specimen of the Language of the Indians of Newengland,
taken from the ﬁrst edition of the rev. mr. Eliot’s translation
of the Bible. Printed at Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1661.

The Lonn’s PRAYER.

Nooshun kesukqut, qut-

Mat. vi, 9, we.
Our Father which art in

tianatamunach koowesuonk.
Peyaumooutch kukketassoo-
tamoonk, kuttenantamoonk
ne n nach ohkeit neane ke-_
sukqut. Nummeetsuongash
asekesukokish assamaiinean
yeuyeu kesukod. Kah ah-
quontam aiinnean nummatch-
eSeongash, neane matchene-
hukqueagig nutahquontam-L
ounnonog. Ahque sagkom-
pagunaiinnean en qutehhuao-j

heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy
Will be done in earth, as it is
in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive
us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors. And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver

,us from evil: For thine is the

kingdom, the power, and the.
glory forever. 1 Amen.

norrs. .479

onganit', 'Webe pohquohwus- ,
’ sinnean wutch matchitut.
N ewutche kutahtaun ketas-
sootamonk, kah menuhkesu-
onk, kah Sohsumoonk mich-
eme. Amen.

Some writers have mentioned that the second edition of
the Bible in the Indian language was published after the death
of the translator, and, that it was revised and corrected by
the rev. J‘b‘hn Cotton, of Plymouth. Others observe, that to
_ the second edition an Indian Grammar was added by mr. Cot-
ton. They must have been misinformed, as appears by the
statement of mr. Eliot. In a letter dated Roxbury, Nov. 4,
1680, to the hon. Robert Boyle, president of the corporation
for propagating the gospel in N ewengland, mr. Eliot men-
tions, “ We are now at, the 19th chap. of the Acts; and when" ‘
We have impressed the New Testament, our commissioners
approve of my preparing and 1mpressing also the old.” Nov.
27, 1683, mr. Eliot in another letter to the same person,
writes, “ The work [second edition of the Bible, which had
then been more than three years in the press] goeth on now
with more comfort, though we have had many impediments,
Ste. They [the Indians] have still fragments of their old Bi-
bles [ﬁrst edition] which they make constant use of.” Aug.
29, 1686, mr. Eliot informs the hon. Robert Boyle, “ the Bi-
ble is come forth; many hundreds bound up, and disposed to
the Indians, Whose thankfulness I intimate and testify to your
honour.” And in another letter of July, 1688, he requests
that 101. may be given to the rev. John Cotton, “who has
helped him much in the second edition of the Bible ’-’* It
appears, as has been elsewhere observed, that the second‘edi-
tion was six years in the press. Mr. Eliot died two years after
this edition was published; according to Mathern‘ in‘1‘690,
aged 86. The Newengland Version of the PSalms was print-
ed with the Bible; but I cannot ﬁnd that the Indian Grammar

* See the letters at large, His; Col. Vol. 3. p. 177. et seq. ,
‘l' Magnalia.—Life of Eliot.

480 HISTORY or PRINTING;

was published with either of the editions. It accompanied
some copies of the Psalter ; i. e. they were occasionally bound
together in one volume small octavo.

[m] Page 257.

THE following is given as a specimen of the Newengland
version of the Psalms; ﬁrst, as they were originally printed;
and, secondly, as they appeared after being revised and cor-
rected by president Dunster and mr. Lyon. The ﬁrst psalm
of each edition is selected for the purpose.

[No. I—By Eliot and others.]

THE PSA LMES ’
In Metre
PSALME I
Blessed man, that in th‘advice
of wicked doeth not walk:
nor stand in sinner’s way, nor sit
in chayre of scornfull folk.
2 But in the law of Iehovah, ‘
is his longing delight:
and in his law doth meditate,
. by day and etke 'by night.
63 And heshall be like to a tree
planted by water-rivers: I
that in his season yeilds his fruit,
7 and his leafe never withers.
4- And all he doth, shall prosper well,
.the wicked are not so:
{but they are like vnto the chaﬂ-‘e,
which winde drives to and fro.
5 Therefore shall not ungodly men,
rise to stand in the doome,
nor shall the sinners with the just,
in their assemblie come.
6 For of the righteous men, the Lord
acknowledgeth the way:
but the way of vngodly men,
shall vtterly decay.

NOTES; I 48.

mo. II—gg-C'orrected by Dunsier (ind Lyongj

THE
BOOK of PSALMS;
PSAL. I.
Blessed man that walks not in
th’ advice of wicked men
Nor standeth 1n the sinners way
nor scorners seat sits in.
2 But he upon Jehdvah’s law
doth set his Whole delight;
And in his law doth meditate
Both in the day and night.
3 He shall be like a planted tree -
by water brboks , which shall
in his due season yield his fruiti
whose leaf shallﬂnet'fer fall :
And all he doth shall prosper well:
4 The wicked are not sb: ‘
But they are like unto the ehaff.
which wind driVed to and fro.
5 Therefore shall no ungodly men
in judgement stand upright .
Nor in th'assembly of the just
shall stand the sinfull Wight;
6 For of y? righteous men , yc LORD
acknoWledgeth the way:
Whereas the way of wicked men
shall utterly decay.

[a] Page an,

AS no newspapers, or other periodical works were printed
in this country till 1704, seventy ﬁve years after Boston began
to be settled, it is difficult to ascertain facts respecting persons
in private life who died previously to the commencement of
such publications; and, as it was not usual to publish charac-'
tiers of the dead who had not been in some degree eminent in

I 3 N

4182 ' HISTORY or. PRINTING

church or state till within the last ﬁfty years, it is remarkable
that We should meet With any thing: respecting the private life
of a punter in Boston, from an English writer who ﬂourished
more than a century past; but it is more so, that the charac-
ter of the wife of a printer in Beston should be found 1n a
British publication of a remote periOd. Every thing respect-
ing our ﬁrst punters, or their families, will in some degree,
be interesting to our brethren of the type at the present day ,-
especially, of a printel ’5 wife who was selected, by an English
author, to draw from real life “i the Picture of the best of
Wives} ‘ I will, therefore,- carefully copy this picture from
John Dunton’s original ;* it will give the reader an idea of the
standing of Green and his. wife in society; a glance of their
' family and its character, 81c. and cannot, I think, fail of—being
read with pleasure by the wives and daughters of modern
printers.

“ The person whose character I am going to give, is Mrs. '
Green, a printer’s wife, 1n Boston. AWife 1s the nextChange
that a Virgin can lawfully make, and draws many other Rela-
‘ tions after it: Which Airs. Green was sensible of, For I have

heard her say, T hat when she married MLG reen, she es-
poused his Obligations also . and where-ever her Husband,

either by Tyes of Nature, or Squeezing of Wax, ow’d either
Money or Love, she esteem’d her self to be no less a Debtor.
She knew her Marriage was an Ado/ztz’on into his family, and
therefore paid to every Branch of it, what their respective sta-
tions requir’d. She is sensible that the Duty of her place has
several Aspects; .First, As it - relates to her Husband’s Per-
son, and next to his Relations, and thirdly to his} Fortune. .ds
to his Person, she well enough knew that the great Duty of a
\Vife. is Love: Love was the reason that she marry ’d him, for
,she knew Where Love is wanting, ’tis but the Carcase of a Mar-
riage 5. it was her study therefOre, to preserve this Flame of

" Danton: “ Life and E"°Y31" 13.139. Danton arrived at Boston in
March, 1686;11e was a bookseller of extensive trade 1n London. He brought
with him to Boston, a quantity of books for sale; remained there some
months, and visited the governor, the principal magistrates, and _ all the.
clergy, &c. in and near that town.

No TE 5. t 483

Love, that like the'Vestal fire; it: might never go out} and
therefore she took? care to'guard it from all those things” that
mightEx'tinguish it. ” Mrs. Green knew very well how fatal
Jealousie had been _..to many; and therefore as she took Care
never to harbour it in her m Breast, so she was nicely care-
ful never to give her Husband the least 'umbrage for it; she
knew, shou’d she giVe way to Jealousie, she shou’d not only
lose her Ease, but run the Hazard of parting also with some-
what of. her Innocence ; for J ealousie is very apt to muster up
the Forces of our .irascible part to abet its quarrel. Another
Debt'that Mrs. Green was sensible she ow’d, and was careful
to pay'to her Husband, was Fidelity: "She knew that as‘she
had espous’d his Interest, so she ought to be true to ’em, keep
all his Secrets, inform him of his Dangers, and in a mild and
gentle manner admonish him of his Faults. And this she
knew,”(how ill soever many take it) is one ‘of the most genuine
Acts quaz'tﬁfulness ,- and to be wanting in it wou’d be a Fail-
ure in her Duty; And she was sensible that if she did not do
it, she shou’d be unfaithful to herself, aswell knowing nothing
does so much secure the Happiness of a Wife, as the Vertue
and Piety Of her Husband. But Matrimonial Fidelity, has a.
special Relation to the- Marriage Bed, and in this Mrs. Green
was so severely scrupulous, that she wou’d never suffer any
light Expressions, or wanton Discourse in her Company, and
this was so remarkable in, her, that there being an invitation
of several Persons to a Gentleman’s House in Boston, and
some that were invited, resolving to be very merry; one of
the Company made this an Objection, that Mrs. Green wou’d
lee there, which wou’d 8120:? their Mrtlz: To which another
wild Spark in the Company reply’d, T219 but sfzeakz'ng two or
three wards qu—s-y, and she’ll be gone presently. ‘ Another
thing that was very remarkable in Mrs. Green, was her 06e-
dz'ence to her Husband; to whose will she was so exactly ob-A
servant, that he cou’d net be more ready to Command, than she
waste obey; and when some of his Commands seem’d not to
be kind, she would obey ’em, and wisely dissemble the Unkind-
ness of them; as knowing, where Men have not wholly put of?
humanity, there is a native compassion to ameek suﬂ‘erer. She '

.4284 . HISTORY or PRINTING.-

Was also extremely tender of her Husband’s Reputation; tseté
ting his Worth 1n the clearest Light, putting his Inﬁrm1ties
(for where’s the Man Who lives withOut ’em) in the Shade.
And as she was tender of his Reputation, so she v'ras also in
another respect more particularly relating to herself : F on
knowing that the misibeha-viour of the Wife reﬂects upon the
Husband, ‘she took care to abstain even from all appearance of
evil, and resolved to be (what Cesar desired of his Wife) not
only free frdm Fault, but from all suspicion of it. But Mrs.
Green was not only aLo-ving, a Faithful, and an Obedient Wife,
but an Industrious Wife too; managing that part of his Busi-s
ness which he had deputed to her, with so much ﬂjzjzlieation
and Dexterity,- as if she had never come into the Heuse ; and
yet so managed her, House, as if she had never gone into the

' \Vareihousel—The Emperorﬂugustus himself, scarce wore ‘
any thing, but What was the Manufacture of his Wife, his
Sister, his Daughter, or his Meees ,- shou’d our gay English

Ladies, those Lilies of our Fields, which neither sow nor sizing
nor gather into Barns, be exempted from furnishing others,-

and only left to Cloath themselves, ’tis to be doubted they
wou’d~ reverse Our Saviour’s Parallel of Solomon’s Glories,
and no Beggar in all his Rags, w‘ou’d be arrayed like one of
these.—‘-‘éB-ut Mrs; Green followed the Example of Solomon’s
Vertuous Wife, who riseth while it is yet Night, giving Meat
to her Household, and a Portion to her” Maidens. —And as she
is a good Wife to her Husband, so she is also a good Mother to
her Children, Whom she brings up with that Sweetness and
Facility as is admirable; . Qt. keeping them at too great a dis—1
tance, (as some do) thereby I discouraging their good parts;
nor by an OvereFondneSS, (a fault most Mothers are guilty.
of) betraying ‘em into a thousand Incenveniencies, which oft-
entimes. proves fatal to ’em‘. In brief, she, takes care of their
Education, and whatever else belongs to "em, so that Mr. Green
enjoys the comfortof his Children, without knowing any thing.
of the trouble" of them .—-Nor is she less a good Mistress than
a good Mother; Treating her Servants with that Love and
Gentleness, as if she were their Mother, taking care both of'
their Souls and Bodies, and~ not letting them want any thing:

works. 483

necessary for either .-—I One day told her, That Ioelie'v’d she
was an extraordinary W ﬁe, but JVIr. Green was so good a Man
she could not be well otherwise. To which she answered, that
she had so good a Husband 'was her Mercy ;‘ but had her Hus-
band been as bad a Man as any in the World, her Duty wou’d
have been the same, and so she ho/z‘d her Practice should have
been too—Which as it is a great Truth, it Wants to be more
known and Practic’d. ”

[o] Page 2842

BARTHOLOMEW GREEN hegan the printing ot‘rhs
Boston N ewsJLetter, in Newbury street, in a small wooded
building, to which another room was annexed some years af-i
ter, for the accommodation of his.son. This building was
burnt down in January, 1734 , it was previously occ‘upied as a
printing house both by young Green and John Draper, who
did business independently of each other. Another hohse of
like dimensions was built on the same spot by John. Draper,
the. successor hi the elder B. Green. This building was oc-‘i
cupied as a printing house, until the British troops evacuated
Boston in 1776. At that place began and ended the printing
of The Boston NewssLetter. Part of the building 18 now
standing, back of No. 56, N ewbury street. That house was
built and occupied by Richard, the son and successor of John-
Draper;

[[1] Page 286.

THE following is the account of the ﬁre in Boston on the
2d of October, 1711., taken from the News Letter of October”
8, 1711. “ Boston. On Tuesday the second of October,
about 8 0’ Clock 1n the Evening, a ﬁre broke out in an old
Tenement within a back Yard 1n Cornhill, near to the First
Meeting-House, occasioned by the carelessness of a poor Scot-
tish Woman, by using Fire near to a parcel of Ocum, Chips, and \
other combustible Rubbish, which soon raised a great Flame,
and being a time of great drought, and the Buildings very dry,
the Flames took hold ofthe Neighbouring Houses, which Were

486- 'HISTORY or PRINTING. J

high and contiguous in that part, notwithstanding all applies?
tion and diligence .to extinguish and prevent. the spreading
thereof by throwing of Water, and blowing up of Houses-sq
The Fire made its progress throughout Corn/ﬁll onboth sides
of the Street, and on" both sides of the upper parts ofKing and
Queen-Street;- The Town House and the Meetingsﬁouse,
with many. fair Buildingswere Consumed, and several persons;—
hill‘d and burn’d.”

[g] Page 311.

I IN. the Life of Dr. Franklin, written by himself, little at-
tention seems to have been paid to dates, particularly in nar—
rating events which took place during his minority. He in-
forms us, that he washer}: in Boston, but does not mention the
month nor the year ; he, however, observes,” that his broth-v
er returned frOm England in 1717, with a press and types 3'
and, that his father determined to make him a printer, and'was'
anxious that he should be ﬁxed with his brother. He also 011-;
serves, that he himself held back for. some time, but suffered
himself to be persuaded, and signed his indentures. By the
manner in which he mentions these circumstances, we may”
sapposethat they‘took place within a short period, and assoon
as his brother began business, which was, within a few weeks .
after he returned from London. The doctor mentions that:

‘When he signed his indentures, he was only twelve years of
age; this was in 1717. The NewaEngland Courant was not
published till August, 1721 ; at this time Benjamin Franklin
must have been in his seventeenth year. The ﬁrst Courant
published by Benjamin Franklin, after his brother- was ordered
to print it no longer, is No. 80, dated February II, 1723, of
course Benjamin must then have been advanced in his eigh-
teenth year. I have seen a ﬁle of the Courant from the time
it began to be. published in the name of Benjamin, Franklin
to the middle of the year 17 26,? the whole. of which was pub-

*‘ In the London tzmo. editi of 179.3, p. 2-9.
1" This ﬁle is in the Historical Library at Boston.

NOTES. " 487

iished "in the name of Benjamin Franklin.- The \doctbr does
not mention how long the paper was published in his name;
he only observes, it was for “ some months.” From the doc-
tor's manner of relating this part of his history, we may con-f-
elude that he did not leave his brother short of one year after
the Courant was printed in his, Benjamin’s, name; and, if
so, he must have been nearly nineteen years of age , but, if he
remained with his brother till the year 1726, he. would then
have been twenty one years old: Yet the doctor mentions,
page 53, after he left his brother, “ he found himself at New-
york, nearly three hundred miles from his home, at the age
only of seventeen years.” It is evident from the doctor’s ac-
count of himself after he left his brother, that he did not re-
main with him so long as the Courant was published in the
name of Benjamin Franklin, lbr he gives an account «of his
return to Boston, remaining there some time, his going again.
to Philadelphia, working with Keimer, and afterward making
a voyage to London, where he was near two years a journey,
man, and returning back to America, and again arriving in
Philadelphia in October, 1726. It is difficult to reconcile all
these events with the few dates which the doctor has men,
tioned. But I leave them with those who are inclined to
make further investigation.

END OF VOL. 1..