u. -S THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES GIFT OF 'alter Hothman ORIGINTHE O F PRINTING. IN TWO ESSAYS: L The Subftance of Dr. Middle ton's DifTertation on the Origin of Printing in England. II. Mr. M eer man's Account of the Invention of the Art at Harleim, and its Progrefs to Mentz. WITH OCCASIONAL REMARKS; AND AN APPENDIX. THE SECOND EDITION: With Improvements. LONDON: Printed for W. BOWYER and J. NICHOLS, in Red-Lion- Paifage, Fleet-Street. M D C C L X X V I. z <?*- [ iii ] ADVERTISEMENT. E original intention of the Editors of this work THwas merely to have re-publifhed Dr. Middle- ton's Diflertation on Printing, with occafional Re- marks on fome Miftakes of that learned and ingenious Author. This leading into a wider field of enquiry, the plan was naturally extended : and the Doctor's Diflertation forms only the First Part; with obferva- tions on it in the form of Notes, to diftinguifh them from the paflages they are intended to illuftrate. The Second Essay, though not pretended to be a complete Hijiory of the Origin of the Art, they venture to aflfert, gives a clearer account of it than any book hitherto publifhed in this kingdom. It con- tains, in as concife a manner as poffible, the fubftance of the Origines Typographies of the very learned and ingenious Mr. Gerard Meerman, Penfionary of and be confidered as the outlines Rotterdam ; may of that curious publication, with fupplementary Notes on fome interefting particulars. Mr. Meerman very clearly fixes the firft rudiments of the arc toLAUREN- at Harleim the of it to tius, , improvement Geins- fleich fbrnor and his brother Gutenberg, Anglics Good-hill, (ailifted by the liberality of John Fust) at Mentz ; and the completion of the whole to Peter Schoef;-er, in the fame city. The claim of Strafburgh is confidered, and evidently overthrown. a 2 On iv ADVERTISEMENT. On the whole, they by no means agree with Dr. Middleton in the point of Caxton's priority to the Oxford Book, or in the arguments adduced by the in of his Doctor fupport opinion ; any more than in the other point, of the place where the art was firft invented and practifed abroad. They are of opi- nion, that the Oxford prefs was prior to Caxton's ; and think that thofe who have called Mr. Caxtojj " the firft printer in England," and Leland in par- ticular, meant that he was the firft who practifed the " art with fufile types, and confequently firft brought " it to perfection :" which is not inconfiftent with Corsellis's having printed earlier at Oxford with feparate cut types in wood, the only method he had learnt at Harleim. The fpeaking of Caxton, as the firft Printer in England, in this fenfe of the expreilion, is not irreconcileable with the ftory of Corsellis. But, the facts and opinions being laid before the Reader, he will judge for himfelf how far the former are fupported by evidence, and thence will determine what dep-reeO of aflent the latter are entitled to. Of the Appendix, they will only fay, that in the former edition the affiftance of two valuable Friends contributed to make it interefting : and though they have fince had reafon to lament the lofs of one of them, the prefent publication is benefited by frefh inftances of his learned labours. The communi- cations of feme other ingenious Gentlemen have been attended to anc not ; ; they hope, improperly mace ule cr. C O N- [ v ] CONTENTS. I. The Subftance of Dr. Middleton's Difler- tation on the Origin of Printing in England. P- '~55 Caxton conftantly fuppofed by our Hiitoiians to have intro- duced Printing into England. t This fuppofition rendered doubtful, by the appearance of a book at Oxford (Expojicio Sanfli Hicronymi in Symholum dated - Apiftolorum *), 1468. 2 The Oxford printer named Frederick Corsellis, proved a record Mr. Atkyxs on the from publifhed by f fubjec"r. 3 in A remarkable particular this record confirmed by Mr. Meermam. Dr. M. difputes its authenticity. 7 17 The Doctor's objections anfwered, in notes C. D. E. F. G. H.I. K.i ibid. Dr. M. fuppofes the Oxford book to have been printed with as feveral a wrong date, have been in other places, either by miftake or deiign. 22 24 A remarkable inlbnce of an erafure, in an edition of Bar- de tholom.Us proprietatibus rerum, detected bv Mr. Meerman. - 21 All books with an earlier date than 14^7 may be pronounced forgeries. 22 * be feen in A fpecimen of the tvpesmay Ames, p. 437. f Mr. Granger, contrary to his ufual accuracy, has confounded this of Atky.ns with Palmer's of Sec publication Hiitory Printing. vol. iv. 8vo. p. 75. t This point i^ a^ain treated of, p. 163, 164. The vi CONTENTS. * The Chinefe mode of Printing invented in 930. ty Dr. M. fupports his opinion by the miftake of a numeral iri - a book printed at Cambridge in 1734. 24 " Curious remarks on that paffage, from The Weekly Mif- " cellany." ibid. Account of the firft ufe of Signatures. 27 In which Dr. M. is miftaken. - - ibid. Dr. M. fuppofes further, that the date of the Oxford book is a falfe one, as no other appeared from that prefs for eleven years. 29 This interval probably accounted for. ibid. A lift of books printed at Oxford before 1500. 30 The date of one by Theodoric Rood, computed by Olympiads. 31 Dr. M's remarks on the Olympiads and Luftrums of the Romans. 32 in which he is miftaken. ibid. As he is alfo in the interpretation or part of the colophon in this book. 36 38 Two Printers in London mueh earlier than our writers have imagined. 39 Printing very early practifed by the School-mailer of St. Alban'sf. 40 A mif- ;;i " An Enquiry into the Origin of Printing in Europe, by a Lover "of Art, 1751," Svo. relates principally to the Wooden Blocks ufed in Linen and to an in printing ; improvement made that branch by Mr. Jackson of Batterfea, who had ftuclied at Venice the works of the mofl: celebrated Artifts. f In Palmer's Hiftory of Printing, p. 327, mention is made of a Book in the full leaf is of Mijcellanies ; of which an account of two hooks the printed at St. Alban's, viz. Book in which the obfeivarions arc writ- ten and the Bohs and deferibed ; of Haukjng Huntyng, hereafter, p. 42. Thefe observation, Mr. Palmer has printed; and adds at the end, * Thus far we have copied from my Lord's manufcrint notes." Mr. J. remarks " MEERMAN (vol. p. 142.) on this parage, Re penitus " varia examinata, funt, quae eandem narrationem plufquam fufpecfam^ " iino falfam reedant. Primum eft, quod ipfa annotatio evincar, earn " deberi non peritiliimo Fcmbroki/e Comiti, ut perfuaderc Lctoribus a " Palmerius CONTENTS.. vii A miftake of Mr. Strype's pointed out by Dr. M. 41 the flrft Printer Further proofs of Caxton's being in Eng- land. 4* This not irreconcileable with the ftory of Corsellis. 43 Caxton's firft book was the Recule of the Hi/iorics of Trqye. 47 He is fuppofed to have been an affiftant in the printing of de rerum at in BARTHOLOMiEus proprictatibus Cologn The date in this book a falfe one. ibid. - He was an apprentice to a mercer. 50 ibid. Spent 30 years beyond feas in merchandizing. Employed in a public capacity by Edward IV. ibid. His books were printed in Wellminfter Abbey, under the patronage of Abbot M/lli ng, not (as has been fuppofed) of Islip. " 52 Mr. M.accufesEcHARD of a miftake, in fixing the beginning of Edward the Firft's reign. ^3 The Hiitorian vindicated. ibid. Caxton laid to have purfued bufinefs till 1494. 54 No longer than 1 49 1 . ibid. he for Edward and VII it Though printed IV, Henry ; does not appear that he was a fworn fervant and printer to the - crown. 5 In the year 1504, however, we find that title aUlimcd-by Pynson. ibid. As it had before been by William Fanque. ibid. " Palmerius voluit, fed alii cuidam anonymo (quippc tamper in tertiu " a <le Comite e. as peifon Pembroke loquitur, g. may be feen in my " Lord's books, itemque the nuhich my Lord alio has), quern ego ipfum '* Palmerium, infignem, dum viverct, impoftorem, inque axlibus Pem- " brokianis familiarem faille fufpicor." 1 have been informed that an afiiftant with Palmer in this work was Psalmanazar, an impoftor by his own cor.fcfiion. That he had connexions with Palmer, appears the from particulars of his Life, written by himfeif, and printed fince his death. W. B. 1766. II. Mr. VI11 CONTENTS. II. Mr. Meerman's Account of the the Firft Inven^ tion of the Art at Harleim, and its Progrefs to Mentz, &c. all accounts of its The obfcurity attending former origin. 56 Whence it arifes. ' ibid. The honour of the invention claimed by Harleim, Mentz, and Strafburgh. 7 ibid. To be afcribed, in fome meafure, to each. The Teitimony of Hadrian Junius. ibid. Some account of Nicolaus Galius andQuiRi nius Ta- les ius, from whom Junius learned what he has related, ibid. Critical obfervations on the name of Faustus. 9 Account of the two famous editions of Tully's Offices. ibid. An error of Sen Mini us pointed out. 60 Another of Mai tt aire's, with Dr, Taylor's remarks on it. 61 A remarkable particular in Duke Lauderdale's Bible. ibid. M. De Bure's account of thefe editions of Tully.