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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A26138 The original and growth of printing Atkyns, Richard, 1615-1677. 1660 (1660) Wing A4134; ESTC R30711 3,851 1

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The Original and Growth of PRINTING COncerning the Time of bringing this Excellent ART into England and by whose Expence and Procurement it was brought Modern Writers of good Reputation do most Erroniously agree together Mr. Stow in his Survey of London speaking of the 37th year of Henry the sixth his Reign which was in 1459. saith That the Noble Science of PRINTING was about this time found in Germany at Mentz by John Guttenberg a Knight And that William Caxton of London Mercer brought it into England about 1471. And first practised the same in the Abby of St. Peter at Westminster With whom Sir Rich. Baker in his Chronicle agrees throughout And Mr. Howell in his Historical Discourse of London and Westminster agrees with both the former in the Time Person and Place in general but more particularly declares the place in Westminster to be the Almory there And that Islip Abbot of Westminster set up the first Press of Book-Printing that ever was in England These three famous Historians having filled the World with the supposed truth of this Assertion Although possibly it might arise through the mistake of the first Writer only whose Memory I perfectly honour makes it the harder Task upon me to undeceive the World again Nor would I undertake this Work but under a double notion As I am a Friend to Truth and so it is unfit to suffer one Man to be intituled to the worthy Achievements of another And as a Friend to my self not to lose one of my best Arguments of Intituling the King to this ART in his private Capacity Historians must of necessity take many things upon trust they cannot with their own but with the Eyes of others see what things were done before they themselves were Bernardus non videt omnia 'T is not then impossible they should mistake I shall now make it appear they have done so from their Own as well as from other Arguments Mr. Stows Expressions are very dubious and the matter exprest very Improbable He saith PRINTING was found in Mentz which presupposes it was practised some where else before and lost And further That 't was found in the Reign of Henry the sixth in 1450. and not brought into England till Eleven years in the succeeding Reign of Edward the Fourth being twelve years after as if it had been lost again If this be true there was as little Rarity as Expedition in obtaining it the age of twelve years time having intervened and so indeed it might be the Act of a Mercer rather than a more eminent Person But when I consider what great advantage the Kingdom in general receives by it I could not but think a publick Person and a publick Purse must needs be concerned in so publick a Good The more I Considered of this the more inquisitive I was to find out the truth of it At last a Book came to my hands Printed at Oxford in 1468. which was three years before any of the recited Authors would allow it to be in England which gave me some reward for my Curiosity and encouragement to proceed further And in prosecution of this Discovery the same most worthy Person who trusted me with the aforesaid Book did also present me with the Copy of a Record and Manuscript in Lambeth-House heretofore in his Custody belonging to the See and not to any particular Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Substance whereof was this though I hope for publick satisfaction the Record it self in its due time will appear Thomas Bourchier Arch-Bishop of Canterbury moved the then King Henry the Sixth to use all possible means for procuring a Printing-Mold for so 't was there called to be brought into this Kingdom the King a good Man and much given to Works of this Nature readily hearkned to the Motion and taking private Advice how to effect His Design concluded it could not be brought about without great Secrecy and a considerable Sum of Money given to such Person or Persons as would draw off some of the Work-men from Harlem in Holland where John Guttenberg had newly invented it and was himself personally at Work 'T was Resolv'd that less then one Thousand Marks would not produce the desir'd Effect Towards which Sum the said Arch-Bishop presented the King with Three Hundred Marks The Money being now prepared the Management of the Design was committed to Mr. Robert Turnour who then was of the Robes to the King and a Person most in Favour with Him of any of his Condition Mr. Turnour took to his Assistance Mr. Caxton a Citizen of good Abilities who Trading much into Holland might be a Creditable Pretence as well for his going as stay in the Low-Countries Mr. Turnour was in Disguise his Beard and Hair shaven quite off but Mr. Caxton appeared known and publick They having received the said Sum of One Thousand Marks went first to Amsterdam then to Leyden not daring to enter Harlem it self for the Town was very jealous having imprisoned and apprehended divers Persons who came from other Parts for the same purpose They staid till they had spent the whole One Thousand Marks in Gifts and Expences So as the King was fain to send Five Hundred Marks more Mr. Turnour having written to the King that he had almost done his Work a Bargain as he said being struck betwixt him and two Hollanders for bringing off one of the Work-Men who should sufficiently Discover and Teach this New Art At last with much ado they got off one of the Under-Workmen whose Name was Frederick Corsellis who late one Night stole from his Fellows in Disguise into a Vessel prepared for that purpose and so the Wind favouring the Design brought him safe to London 'T was not thought so prudent to set him on Work at London but by the Arch-Bishops means who had been Vice-Chancellor and afterwards Chancellor of the University of Oxford Corsellis was carryed with a Guard to Oxford which Guard constantly watch'd to prevent Corsellis from any possible Escape till he had made good his promise in Teaching how to Print So that at Oxford Printing was first set up in England which was before there was any Printing-Press or Printer in France Spain Italy or Germany except the City of Mentz which claims Seniority ●s to Printing even of Harlem itself calling her City Vrbem Moguntinam Artis Typographicae Inventricem primam though 't is known to be otherwise that City gaining that Art by the Brother of one of the Workmen of Harlem who had learnt it at Home of his Brother and after set up for himself at Mentz This Press at Oxford was at least ten years before there was any Printing in Europe except at Harlem and Mentz where also it was but new born This Press at Oxford was afterwards found inconvenient to be the sole Printing-place of England as being too far from London and the Sea Whereupon the King set up a Press at St. Albans and another in the Abby of Westminster where they Printed