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 fifteenth century, no method of multiplying copies of the works of the learned, or of communicating past and present events, should have been practised, except by the slow operation of the pen of the scribe, the pencil of the painter, or the chisel of the sculptor; especially, as China, where the art of Printing has been practised for a thousand years, was not unknown to Europe. Bacon says, Homo naturæ minister et interpres, tantum facit et intelligit, quantum de naturæ ordine, re, vel mente observaverit: nec amplius scit, aut potest. 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. 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 copperplate 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 counterfeit, as it was the substitute of writing;" being the fac simile 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 Bezaleel, and Aholiab an engraver and a cunning workman-wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold; GRAVEN AS SIGNETS ARE GRAVEN, with the names of the children of Israel.* We further find, that they were in the habit of engraving the sardius, topaz, carbuncle, emerald, sapphire, ligure, agate, amethyst, beryl, jasper; and, the diamond, * Exodus, xxxix. 6. 14. (which, it seems, no one can now engrave;) for it is said, that these stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes. 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 engravings in metal, it is next to impossible that he could have given a description, so exact in all its proportions, 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 moon-the signs of the zodiac-with several of the constellations. Round that picture he describes twelve others, in twelve separate compartments, representing, first, á 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 vintage; 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. took their images from the labors of the painters, sculptors, &c. we may conclude Homer did the same. Indeed, from his own words it amounts to a certainty; for he acknowledges, that his representation of the dance, on the shield, is similar to one made at Gnossus, by the renowned Dædalus, 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 although Maso Finiguerra, and the other Florentine engravers, made some innovations and improve ments in the art, they were, by no means, the inven 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 characters, which were called the Moso Gothic; and into that language he translated the Bible. A large part of this identical version of Ulphilas, was found, many years ago, in the abbey of Werden, in Westphalia. 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 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 manner 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, probably, was the fact; although, it is not impossible that types, of some sort, were known in the days of Ulphilas; but, in the dark ages which succeeded, that knowledge might have been obscured, or extinguished. [6] We cannot, however, be certain that the Dutch and German printers, to whom we ascribe the merit of the invention, had not a knowledge of this work of Ulphilas; or even of the existence of some kind of types; and, of the Chinese method of printing, which had existed from 500 to 700 years at least, before the time of Laurentius 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 impossible 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, |