Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-06-11

b riIiancy which no ar. can fully initiate. II is
this, and no, any.phosphoresc property, that
causes it even to sparkle in the dark, OF which
so many fables are related in the A,dbian Tales.
In the deepest darkness there are always some
wandering rays-some stray pencils Of light to
render the" darkness visible" and these, how
few or small soever, Abe diamond collects 10
D oint, and flashes them back into the gloom.
The properly Of sparkling, therefore, is one
test by which agenuine diamond may be known
from Spurious limitations, or from the mole
splendent sorts Of rock crystal, and other gems
which are sometimes passed off for diamonds.
Il Verulam.
THE DEVIL AND DOCTOR FAUSTUS.
"In the tenth year Of this reign, (l47o, the
first book printed in France was executed, at
Paris, by Ubric Gering. The ar, Of printing,
which has had so powerful an influence on the
improvement, Of the human mind, and in the
reformation OF government and religion, known
to the Chinese, in rude though efficien, mode,
upwards of thousand years before, was re-
discovered, it is generally agreed, by Lauren
thus Roster, wealthy citizen Of Haerem, in
Holland, about The year 1880. Laurentius, it
is stated by an early writer on the discovery Of
printing, when walking in wood, picked ap
a small bougb Of a tree which had been broken
off by the wind. He then sat down and anus.
ed himself by cutting upon i, some letters,
and wrapped up, in piece OF paper, the
part of which he had thus engraved. He
afterwards fell asleep, and when he awoke,
he perceived that the paper having been
moistened by a shower Of rain, had received
an impression from the letlers-whicli induced
HIM to pursue the accidental discovery, until hi
applied it 10 the purpose Of printing. LAURENT
US, however, proceeded no further than the use
Of wooden blocks, on which were engraved the
words, in the manner OF stereotype. To this
incipienl mode, an improvement was made by
two brothers, named Geinsfleiche or Guttum.
burg, who had been in the employment o! Lau.
rentius, and after his death carried off part Of
his printing blocks, 10 Mentz, in Germany;
where they succeeded in forming separate me-
ta types with engraved faces. Blu, the art was
We, Far from being completed. II seems TO have
been brough, nearly to its present state Of per-
fiction by Peter Schoe fftr, Of the latter city;
who in the year 1856, cast fount OF type from
matrices, or mouIds, previously cut With the
several letters. With this invention, John Faus.
,us, now his partner, but formerly his employ
err, was so much pleased that he gave The ingen-
Gus artist his only daughter in marriage.
In the year 1850. Faustus, Cor Fus,, as he is
sometimes called,) aud his partner Schoeftr,
printed an edition Of the Bible. This was a
very expensive work, and was FIVE years in the
press. 1t was this edition as some authors re-
late, Of which Faus,us carried a number of CO.
pies 10 Paris; where he sold them, first Tor six
hundred, then for five hundred crowns each,
which were the prices commonly given to the
scribes, for very elegant copies OF the Scrip
lures. He afterwards, by degrees, reduced the
price to thirty crowns. 1t is SAID that the pur-
chasers were ignorant that these copies were
printed; and that il was the policy oil Faustus
to make The m believe that they were written.
They were an exact imitation Of the best man
uscripls AS he lowered his price, his sales
inc yeased, and people were astonished at his
producing copies as fast as they were wanted.
When he reduced the price to thirty crowns,
all Paris was amazed, both OH account OF their
uniformity and the quantity produced. 1t was
believed that he had made league with the
devil, aud he was accused Of being magician.
The Catholic clergy were alarmed, az they
feared the Scriptures would get INTO the HANDS
of laymen.. HIS lodgings were searched by the
officers OF police-several Bibles were found,
and the red ink with which the illuminators
had made the great capitals, al the beginning
Of each chapter, was pronounced to be his
blood. Faustus fled, and escaped the death
s,lion, and from This event originated the sto.
ry Of "thr Devil and Doctor Fauslus. '-Grim-
sha,cs History Of France.