PRINTING!.

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Meutz, with whom Gutteznberg might probably have con-curred. The period of this invention must have been about1442 or 1443; because John Geinsfleisch, sen. came to Mentzin 1441. The Latin Bible , with metallic types, came out in1450, which must have occupied seven or eight years.

The letters were invented and made by, or by the direc-tion of, P. Schoefier, Faust’s partner and son-in-law, whosettled at Mentz, in 1449 or 1450; and having acquiredunder the two Geinsfleischs the art of cutting types, reme-died the inconvenience of this method by casting them,which must have been anterior to 1449. The partnershipsubsisting between Geinsfleisch and Faust, and the relation-ship between the latter and Schoett'er, have probably pro-duced the confused conception of ascribing to either one ofthese parties the joint productions of the whole of them.The books previously referred to in Naude’s account, are—1st. The Codex Psalmorum, printed in 1457, the most ancientbook known to be printed with a date or inscription; it islodged in the Emperor ’s library at Vienna. 2d. The Ratio-nale Divinorum Officiorum of William Durand , in theEarl of Pembroke’s library, Malinkrot has erroneouslysupposed this to be the first printed book. 3d. CatholiconJanuensis, of 1460, now in the King’s library. Faust’sname is not to this, but it is quite like the following oneswhere it is. The first printers did not subjoin their namesand inscriptions to the end of books before the year 1457.They continued to do this after this period, till Faust diedor declined business. 4th. The Latin Bible , of 1462, beingthe second edition, now in the French King’s library. 5th.Tullys Offices, in 4to. the rest being all folios, in anno 1465and 1466, for there are copies in the Bodleian , and CorpusChristi College, Oxon , of both these dates. Some haveasserted this to be the first printed book. 6th. Other Biblesof 1471. 7th. St. Augustine 's Ciostate Dei, in 1503. 8th.Mercurius Trismegistus de Potestate Dei, in 1503. 9th.Titus Livium, 1518, &c.

It may be added to this, that at the end of Livy is aprivilege granted by the Emperor Maximilian to Schoeft'er,grandson of Faust, for the sole power of printing that authorfor ten years; and for six years to all the other books heshould print thereafter; in consideration of Fault’s havinginvented the art of printing. This privilege is dated 1518,and signed Jac. Spigel.

It is observed, that Erasmus , "in the epistle after thatprivilege, does not positively aver thp fact; he only observes,that the first, or chief inventor of that art, is held to be