MECHANICK EXERCISES:
Or, the Doctrine ofHandy-works.Applied to the Art ofPrinting.
PREFACE.
BEfore I begin withTypographie,I shall say somewhat of its Original Invention; I mean here inEurope,not of theirs inChinaand other Eastern Countries, who (by general assent) have had it for many hundreds of years, though their Invention is very different from ours; they Cutting their Letters upon Blocks in whole Pages or Forms, as among us our Wooden Pictures are Cut; ButPrintingwith single Letters Cast in Mettal, as with us here inEurope,is an Invention scarce above Two hundred and fifteen years old; and yet an undecidable Controversie about the original Contriver or Contrivers remains on foot,between theHarlemersofHolland,and those ofMentzinGermany:But because the difference cannot be determin’d for want of undeniable Authority, I shall only deliver both their Pleas to thisScientifick Invention.
TheHarlemersplead thatLawrensz Jansz Koster of Harlemwas the first Inventer ofPrinting,in the year of our Lord1430.but that in the Infancy of this Invention he used only Wooden Blocks(as inChina,&c. aforesaid)but after some time he left off Wood, and Cut single Letters in Steel, which he sunck into CopperMatrices,and fitting them to Iron Molds, Cast single Letters of Mettal in thoseMatrices.They say also, that his Companion, John Gutenberg,stole his Tools away while he was at Church, and with them went toMentzinGermany,and there set his Tools to work, and promoted His claim to the first Invention of this Art, beforeKosterdid His.
To prove this, they say thatRabbi Joseph (a Jew)in his Chronicle, mentions a Printed Book that he saw inVenice,in the year5188.according to the Jewish Account, and by ours the year1428.as may be read inPet. Scriverius.
They say much of a Book intituledDe Spiegel,Printed atHarleminDutchandLatin;which Book is yet there to be seen: and they alledge that Book the first that ever was Printed: But yet say not when this Book was Printed.
Notwithstanding this Plea, I do not find(perhaps because of their imperfect Proofs)but thatGutenbergofMentzis more generally accepted for the first Inventer ofPrinting,thanKosterofHarlem.
The Learned Dr.WallisofOxford,hath made an Inquiry into the original of this Invention, and hath in brief sum’d up the matter in these words.
About the year of our Lord 1460. The Art ofPrintingbegan to be invented and practised inGermany, whether first atMentzor first atHarlemit is not agreed: But it seems that those who had it in consideration before it was brought to perfection, disagreeing among themselves, did part Company; and some of them atHarlem, others atMentzpersued the design at the same time.
The Book which is commonly reputed to have been first Printed is, Tullies Offices,of which there be Copies extant (as a Rarity) in many Libraries; which in the close of it is said to be Printed atMentz,in the year of our Lord1465. (so says that Copy in theBodleyanLibrary)or1466. (so that in the Library ofCorpus Christi.)The words in the close of that inCorpus ChristiColledgeOxonare these,
PræsensMarcij TullijClarissimum opus,Johanes Hust, MoguntinusCivis, non Atrimento, plumali canna, neq; ærea, sed Arte quadam perpulchra,PetrimanuPetrideGeurshempueri mei, feliciter effeci, finitum Anno M CCCC LX VI quarto die MensisFebruarij.
The like in theBodleyanLibrary; save there the Date is only thus, Finitum Anno M CCCC LX V.In the same Book there are these written Notes subjoyned: Hic eft illeJohannes Faustus, coadjutorJohannes GutenbergijprimiTypographiæinventaris, Alter coadjuto eratPetrus Schœfer, i. Opilio. Quovix.
Cælando promptior alter erat, inquitJohan. Arnoldusin Libello de Chalcographiæ inventione,Schefferprimas finxit quas vocantMatrices. Hi tres exercuerunt artem primo in communi. mox rupto fœdere seorsim sibi quisq; privatim.
And again(in a later hand) Inventionem artisTypographicæad Annum 1453. aut exerciter referunt SabillicusEn.10.lib.6. &Monsterus. Alij ad Annum 1460. VidePolid. Virg.lib. 2. de Invent. Rerum,Theod. Bibland. de Ratione communis linguarum.cap. deChalcographia.
AtHarlemand some other places inHolland,they pretend to have Books Printed somewhat ancienter than this; but they are most of them(if not all)done by way of Carving whole Pages in Wood, not by single Letters Cast in Mettal, to be Composed and Distributed as occasion serves, as is now the manner.
The chief Inventer atHarlemis said to beLaurens Jansz Koster.
After these two places(MentzandHarlem)it seems next of all to have been practised atOxford:For by the care, and at the charge of KingHenrythe6th, and ofThomas Bourchierthen Arch-Bishop ofCanterbury (and Chancellour of the University ofOxford) Robert TurnerMaster of the Robe, andWilliam Caxtona Merchant ofLondonwere for that purpose sent toHarlem,at the charges partly of the King, partly of the Arch-Bishop, who then(because these ofHarlemwere very chary of this secret)prevailed privately with oneFrederick Corselesan under-Workman, for a sum of Money, to come over hither; who thereupon did atOxfordset up the Art ofPrinting,before it was exercised any where else inEngland,or inFrance, Italy, Venice, Germany,or any other place, except onlyMentzandHarlem (aforementioned):And there be several Copies yet extant (as one in the Archives of the University ofOxford,another in the Library of Dr.Tho. Barlow,now Bishop ofLincoln)of a Treatiseof St.Jerome (as it is there called(because found among St.Jerom’sWorks)or ratherRuffinusupon the Creed, in a broadOctavo)Printed atOxfordin the year1468.as appears by the words in the close of it.
Explicit expositio SanctiJeronimiin sembolo Apostolorum ad papam Laurentium ImpressiOxonie& finita Anno Domini M CCCC LX VIII. xvij dieDecembris.
Which is but three years later than that ofTullies OfficesatMentz,in1465.and was perhaps one of the first Books Printed on Paper; (that ofTullybeing on Vellom.)And there the excercise ofPrintinghath continued successively to this day.
Soon afterWilliam Caxton (the same I suppose who first brought it toOxford)promoted it toLondonalso, whichBakerin his Chronicle(and some others)say to have been about the year1471.but we have scarce any Copies of Books there Printed remaining(that I have seen)earlier than the year1480.And by that time, or soon after, it began to be received inVenice, Italy, Germany,and other places, as appears by Books yet extant, Printed at divers places in those Times. Thus far Dr.Wallis.
But whoever were the Inventers of this Art, or(as some Authors will have it)Science; nay, Science of Sciences(say they)certain it is, that in all its Branches it can be deemed little less than a Science: And I hope I say not to much ofTypographie:For Dr.Dee,in his Mathematical Preface toEuclids Elements of Geometrie,hath worthily taken pains to makeArchitecturea Mathematical Science; and as a vertual Proof of his own Learned Plea, quotes two Authentique Authors,viz.VitruviusandLeo Baptista,who both give their descriptions and applause ofArchitecture:His Arguments are somewhat copious, and the Original easily procurable in the English Tongue; therefore instead of transcribing it, I shall refer my Reader to the Text it self.
Upon the consideration of what he has said in behalf ofArchitecture,I find that aTypographerought to be equally qualified with all the Sciences that becomes anArchitect,and then I think no doubt remains thatTypographieis not also a Mathematical Science.
For my own part, I weighed it well in my thoughts, and find all the accomplishments, and some more of anArchitectnecessary in aTypographer:and though my business be not Argumentation, yet my Reader, by perusing the following discourse, may perhaps satisfie himself, that aTypographerought to be a man of Sciences.
By aTypographer,I do not mean aPrinter,as he is Vulgarly accounted, any more than Dr.Deemeans aCarpenterorMasonto be anArchitect:But by aTypographer,I mean such a one, who by his own Judgement, from solid reasoning with himself, can either perform, or direct others to perform from the beginning to the end, all the Handy-works and Physical Operations relating toTypographie.
Such aScientifickman was doubtless he who was the first Inventer ofTypographie;but I think few have succeeded him in Science, though the number ofFoundersandPrintersbe grown very many: Insomuch that for the more easie managing ofTypographie,the Operators have found it necessary to devide it into several Trades, each of which (in the strictest sence) stand nonearer related toTypographie,thanCarpentryorMasonry,&c. are toArchitecture.The several devisions that are made, are,
FirstTheMaster-Printer,who is as the Soul ofPrinting;and all the Work-men as members of the Body governed by that Soul subserveient to him; for theLetter-Cutterwould Cut no Letters, theFoundernot sinck theMatrices,or Cast and Dress the Letters, theSmithandJoynernot make thePressand other Utensils forPrinting,theCompositernot Compose the Letters, theCorrecternot read Proves, thePress-mannot work the Forms off at thePress,or theInck-makermakeInckto work them with, but by Orders from theMaster-Printer.
ADVERTISEMENT.
Thecontinuation of my setting forthMechanick Exerciseshaving been obstructed by the breaking out of the Plot, which took off the minds of my few Customers from buying them, as formerly; And being of late much importun’d by many worthy Persons to continue them; I have promised to go on again, upon Condition, That a competent number of them may be taken off my hand by Subscribers, soon after the publication of them in theGazet, or posting up Titles, or by theMercurius Librarius, &c.
Therefore such Gentlemen or others as are willing to promote the coming forth of theseExercises, are desired to Subscribe their Names and place of abode: That so such Persons as live about this City may have them sent so soon as they come forth: Quick Sale being the best encouragement.
Some Gentlemen (to whom they are very acceptable) tell me they will take them when allTradesare finish’t, which cannot reasonably be expected from me (my Years considered) in my life-time; which implies they will be Customers when I’me dead, or perhaps by that time some of themselves.
The price of these Books will be 2d.for each Printed Sheet. And 2d.for every Print taken off of Copper Cuts.
There are three reasons why this price cannot be thought dear.
1. The Writing is all new matter, not Collected, or Translated from any other Authors: and the drafts of the Cuts all drawn from the Tools and Machines used in each respective Trade.
2. I Print but 500 on each Sheet, And those upon good Paper: which makes the charge of Printing dear, proportionable to great numbers.
3. Some Trades are particularly affected by some Customers, (who desire not the rest,) and consequently sooner sold off, which renders the remainder of the un-soldExercisesunperfect, and therefore not acceptable to such as desire all: so that they will remain as waste-Paper on my hands.
JOSEPH MOXON.