"At this time, in the city of Mainz on the Rhine in Germany, and not in Italy, as some have erroneously written, that wonderful and then unheard-of art of printing and characterising books was invented and devised by John Gutenberg, a citizen of Mainz, who having expended almost the whole of his property in the invention of this art, and on account of the difficulties which he experienced on all sides, was about to abandon it altogether, when, by the advice, and through the means, of John Fust, likewise a citizen of Mainz, he succeeded in bringing it to perfection. At first they formed [engraved) the characters or letters in written ordor ou blocks of wood, and ire this manner they printed the vocabulary called a 'Catholleon.' But with these forms [blocks] they could print nothing else, because the characters could not be transposed in these tablets, hut were engraved thereon, as we have said. To this invention succeeded a more subtle one, for they found out the means of cutting the forms of all the letters of the alphabet, which they called matrices, from which again they cast characters of copper or tin of sufficient hardness to resist the necessary pressure, which they had before engraved by baud. And truly, as I learned thirty years since from Peter Upilio (SehofFer) do Gernsheitn, citizen of Mainz, who was the son-in-law of the first inventor of this art, great difficulties were experienced after the first invention of this art of printing, for iu printing the Bible, before they had completed the third quaternion (or gathering of four sheets), 4000 florins were expended. This Peter Sehoffer, whom we have above mentioned, first servaut and afterwards son-in-law to the first inventor, John Fust, as we have said, an ingenious and sagacious man, discovered the more easy method of casting the types, and thus the art was reduced to the complete state in which it now is. These three kept this method of printing secret for some time, until it was divulged by some of their workmen, without whose aid this art could not have been exercised ; it was first developed at Strasburg, and soon became known to other nations." The account of the woodblock printing may refer to Gutenberg's earliest attempts. The ' CAtholicon Joanuis Januensis' did not appear till 1460, is certainly not from wooden types or blocks, and is supposed to have been produced by Gutenberg after quitting Mainz : of such a 'Catholicon' as that spoken of there is no trace.
1'ho partnership was brought to an end in 1455 by a law-suit commenced by Fust against Gutenberg for advances of money. Tho decision of the judges was pronounced on November 6, 1455. From the claim of Fust there scarcely seems to have been a partnership. He first advances 800 florius, at 6 par cent. interest, to purchase
utensils for printing, and which were assigned to him for security; there is a second advance of 800 florins; and the 2020 florins claimed is made up of compound interest and charges for raising the money. Gutenberg's defence was, that he was not liable for the interest, and that the stoney was not advanced at the periods agreed upon. The judges decided that Fust was to be repaid so much of the money advanced as had not been expended on materials; and Gutenberg, unable to raise the money, was forced to resign the printing-materials, and of course the invention, to Fust, who, with Schoffer, carried on the business. [Fuse.] Gutenberg however remained in Mainz, and continued to print. This is proved by a deed, dated July 20, 1459, in the possession of the University of Main; by which Gutenberg, in conjunction with his brother and three cousins, gives to the library of the convent of St. Clare, in which his sister was a nun, "all such books required for pious use and the service of God,—whether for reading, or singing, or for use, according to the rules of the order,—as I, the above-named John, have printed, or shall hereafter print," to remain for ever in the said library. There are no remains of this donation, nor is any book known to exist with Gutenberg a imprint; but the 'Catholicon Jeannie Januensis; as we have already mentioned, has been attributed to Lim. His merit was not altogether unacknowledged in his lifetime. In 1465 the archbishop elector of Mainz appointed him one of his courtiers, with the like allowance of clothing as to other nobles; and it could scarcely be on any other account than that of his invention. It is said that he became blind about this time, and resigned his printing materials to Bechtermunze and Spiess, who certainly printed some works with a type exactly similar to that used in the Catholicon ; one of these works, a vocabulary, appeared in 1467. On the other hand, a deed exists of a Dr. Conrad Homery, who was a creditor, dated the Friday after St. Matthias's day 1468, acknowledging the receipt of certain property "belonging to printing," left by John Gutenberg deceased. This date answers to February 19, 1463. The usual date given as that of his death is 1468, but it was probably towards the close of 1467. Ile was interred in the church of the Recolleta at Mainz.
Posterity has endeavoured in some degree to make amends for the ill success of Gutenberg during his life. In 1837 a splendid monu ment in bronze, from the design of Baron von Lausitz, was erected to his memory in Mainz. The Gutenberg Society, to which the writers of the Rhenish provinces belong, hold a yearly meeting also in Mahn to honour his memory and to celebrate his discovery.