of 1468 (see testimony I), but with the addition that Mainz is the " impressorifle artis inventrix elimatrixque prima." (R) In 1478 an edition of the Fasciculus Temporum was issued at Cologne, in which it is stated under the year 1457 that the printers of books were multiplied on earth, deriving the origin of their art from Mainz. The earlier editions merely stated that the printers of books were multiplied on earth. (S) In 1483 Matthias Palmcrius of Pisa published at Venice the Chron. Euseb., in which under the year 1457 it is stated that students owe a great debt to Germany, where Johannes Guttenberg zum Jungen, knight of Mainz, invented the art of printing in 1440. (T) In the same year Jac. Phil. Foresta of Bergamo published Supplemcntum Chronicorum, in which he says under the year 1458 that the art of printing books was first dis covered in Germany, according to some by Guthimberg of Strasburg, according to others by Faust (see P), according to others by Nicolas Jenson (see N). (V) On 6th March 1492 Peter Schoeffer published the NiedersachsiscJie Chronik of Conrad Botho, saying in the colophon that it was " geprent . . . in . . . Mentz, die eyn auefangk is der prentery." From documentary evidence.(X) At the end of 1494 two Heidelberg professors, Adam Wernher and Joh. Herbst, composed some Latin verses in honour of Johannes Gensfleisch (a family name by which Gutenberg was known, and which was turned into the Latin Ansicarus), whom they called " primus librorum impressor" and "impressorise artis inventor primus."[1] (Y) In 1499 Jacobus Wimpheling (born at Schlettstadt 1450, died 1528) published (at Mainz, by P. Friedberg) an Oratio in Memoriam Marsilii ab Inghcn (d. 1396), in which he, on leaf 22a, praises Joannes Ansicarus in verse on account of his invention at Mainz. (Z) These verses are preceded by an epitaph on Joliann Gensfleisch, " artis impressorite inventor" and "repertor," written in Latin by Adam Gelthus, a relative of Gutenberg. (AA) In the same year Polydore Vergil (De Invcntoribus Serum, Venice, 1499, lib. ii. cap. 7) says that a certain Peter [Schoeffer?], a German, invented in 1442 the art of printing at Mainz in Germany, as he had heard from the latter's countryman; this statement was re peated in a Venice edition of 1503. In later editions " Peter" was altered to " Joh. Gutenberg." (BB) In the same year Koelhoff, printer at Cologne, published Cronica van der hilliger Stat ran C oelloi, in which on fol. 312b it is said: (1) The art of printing was found first of all in Germany at Mainz about the year 1440; (2) from that time till 1450 the art and what belonged to it were investigated; (3) and in 1450, when it was a golden year (jubilee), they began to print, and the first book that they printed was the Bible in Latin, in a large letter, resembling that with which at present missals are printed. (4) Although the art was found at Mainz in the manner in which it is generally employed now, yet the first preliguration was found in Holland from out the Donatiiscs which were printed there before that time, and from and out of them was taken the beginning of the aforesaid art, and it was found much more masterly and exact (subtilis) than that other manner was, and has become more and more artistic. (5) Omnibonus wrote in a preface to Quintilian, and in some other books too, that a Walloon from France, named Nicol. Jenson (see N), discovered this art; but that is untrue, for there are those still alive who testify that books were printed at Venice before Nicol. Jenson came there, and began to cut and make letters. (6) But the first inventor of printing was a citizen of Mainz, named Junker Johan Gudenburch. (7) From Mainz the art was introduced first of all into Cologne, then into Strasburg, and afterwards into Venice. (8) The origin and progress of the art were told to the writer verbally by Ulrich Zell of Hanau, still printer at Cologne (anno 1499), through whom the said art came to Cologne. (CC) In 1501 Jacob Wimpheling (see Y), who .stated in his Oratio Qucritlosa contra Invasores Saccrdotum, Flaminum, &c., published at Delft c. 1495, that chalcography had been invented at Mainz, published a work (Germania, Strasburg, Joh. Priiss, 1501) in which he says (on p. 43) that the invention was made at Strasburg by Johann Gutenberg of Strasburg, and that it was perfected at Mainz. (DD) In 1503 Johann Schoeffer (the son of Peter Schoeffer and the grandson of Johann Fust) published an edition of Hermes Trismegistus, in which he represents himself as one of the most distinguished citizens of Mainz, descended from the most fortunate race who invented the art of printing. (EE) In 1504 Ivo Wittig, who was a relative of Gutenberg, and a canon and the keeper of the seal of the St Victor cathedral near Mainz (of which Gutenberg had been a lay member), erected in the house " Zum Gutenberg " a memorial stone and an epitaph to Joh. Gutenberg of Mainz, "qui primus omnium litteras a-re imprimendas invenit." (FF) In 1505, in the German translation of Livy pub lished by Johanu Schoeffer (see KK), the dedication to the emperor Maximilian, which was probably written by Ivo Wittig (see EE), speaks of Johann Giittenbergk as inventor of printing (1450) and Johann Faust and Peter Schoeffer as improvers of the art. This work was reprinted six times (1514, 1523, 1533, 1551, 1553) with the same dedication; but in 1509 the Brcviarium Moguntinum says that it was printed at the expense and trouble of Joliann Schoeffer, whose grandfather (i.e., Johann Fust) was the first inventor and author of the art of printing (see DD). (GG) In 1505 Jacob Wimpheling, in isEpithoma Gcrmanorum (Strasburg, 1505), asserts (on leaf xxxviii b. and xxxix a.) that in 1440 Johann Guten berg of Strasburg invented there the art of printing. And in 1507, in his Catal. Episcoponim Argent. (Strasburg, 1507), he says that the art was invented, though in an imperfect manner, by a certain Strasburger, who afterwards went to Mainz and joined others work ing and trying the same art, where it was, tinder the guidance of Johanu Gensfleisch, perfected in the house " boni mentis " (Guten berg). This -he repeated in 1515. (HH) About 1506 Johannes Trithemius wrote his Chronicon of Spanheim, published at Frank fort in 1601, in which he says (p. 366) that the art of printing books was discovered afresh at Mainz by Johan Gutenberg, who, after having spent all his property in accomplishing the new invention, perfected it by the advice and assistance of Johann Fust. The first propagator of the new art was, after the inventor, Peter Schoeffer. (II) In 1515 Johann Schoeffer published Joh. Trithemius's Compendium sive Brevianum Histories, Francorum, and said in the colophon that the book was published at Mainz, the first inventress of the art of printing, by Johann Schoeffer, grand son of the late Johann Fust, the first author of the said art, who finally from his own genius commenced to excogitate and to investigate the art in 1450, and in 1452 perfected it and commenced printing, assisted by many necessary inventions of Peter Schoefler von Gernsheim, his servant and adopted son. Johann Fust and Peter Schoeffer kept this art secret, binding all their servants and domestics by oath never to reveal it; but in 1462 it was spread by the same domestics into divers countries. (KK) On 9th December 1518 the emperor Maximilian accorded to Johann Schoeffer the privilege of printing Livy (1518-1519), and says in it that "he has learned and been advised on the faith of worthy testimonies that the ingenious invention of chalcography was effected by the printer's grandfather." (LL) In 1519 Joh. Thunnayer Aventinus (1474-1534) wrote that "in 1450 Joannes Faustus, a German, a citizen of Mainz, invented a new kind of writing, called chalcography, and completed it in two years; it was kept secret by him and Peter Schoeffer, his son-in-law, but divulged in Germany ten years afterwards by Faust's servant, Johannes Guttenberger, a Strasburger." (MM) In a pedigree of Lourens Janszoon Coster of Haarlem and his descendants, drawn up not later than 1520, it is asserted that in 1446 "he brought the first print into the world." This document, of which the date 1446 seems to have been altered into 1440, is preserved in the Haarlem town library. (NN) In 1520 Johan Sehott, a printer at Strasburg and grandson of Johan Mentelin, the fiist printer of that town, published an edition of Ptolemy, at the end of which he printed the arms of his grandfather with the following legend: "Insigne Schottorum Familia: ab Friderico Rom. Imp. III. Joan. Mentelio primo Typographic Inventori ac suis concessum: Anno Christi 1466." Apart from the assertion that Mentelin was the inventor of printing, we may remark that the emperor Frederick III. raised Mentelin to the rank of a nobleman in 1466 and granted him new arms. (00) About 1533 the Neapolitan Mariangelo Accorso, who had resided at the court of Charles V., wrote on an edition of Donatus (in the possession of Aldus Manutius, jun.) that "Joh. Faust of Mainz first discovered the art of printing with metal types, which afterwards he made of lead; his son Peter Schoeffer added afterwards much to polish the said art. This Donatus and Coiifcs&ionalia were printed first of all in 1450. Faust derived the suggestion from a Donatus printed before in Holland from an engraved block." This paragraph is found on p. 411 of the Billioth. Apost. Vaticana of Angelo Koccha (Rome, 1591). Some consider its latter part to have been derived from the Cologne Chronicle (EE), and it seems probable that it was a mixture of some of the above testimonies. (PP) In 1536 Johan Schott (see NN) published Historien Handt-Buchlcin (Strasburg, 1536), in which (on leaf b 1 and lr) he says that "Hans Mentlin of Strasburg in vented the art, which, through infidelity, was brought to Mainz." On the strength of this and other statements (CC, GG, NN) the bicentenary of the Strasburg invention was celebrated there in 1640. (QQ) In 1541 Joh. Arnold (Bergel or) Bergellanus, who had settled as press -reader at Mainz two years previously, published his Encomium Chalcoqrapldx (Mainz, Fr. Behem, 1541, 4to), in which the lawsuit between Fust and Gutenberg (A) is alluded to for the first time. Bergel had read Tritheim's books (HH), in which the invention is ascribed to Johann Gutenberg with two coadjutors, Joliann Faust and Peter Schoeffer, which he (Bergel) had heard confirmed in conversations with Mainz citizens; he had also seen some old tools prepared for the work by the originators which were still in existence. Gutenberg invented it in 1450. (RR) About 1561 Jan Van Zuren (born at Haarlem in 1517) and Dirk Volkerts Coornhert (born at Amsterdam in 1522) established a printing office at Haarlem. Of the former it is alleged that he had compiled a work on the invention of printing, which is presumed to have been lost during the siege of Haarlem in 1573. It was not publicly spoken of till 1628, when Peter Scriverius published his Laurecranz voor Laurens Coster. Scriverius had only found the
- ↑ These verses were not published at the time, but in the 19th century by F. J. Mone, Quellensamml. der bad. Landesgesch., iii. 163, from the contemporary MS. of Adam Wernher, preserved in the archives of Carlsruhe.
