The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-03-24

Arc all for thec-Are all for thee
LoSGPERsoS.
Faust of Wittenberg and Fust of Mentz
1t were well if writers on the origin
oftypography would obey the injunction
of Sir Thomas Browne, who thought it
not inexpedicnt for those who seek to
enlighien mankind on any particular
subject, first to acquire some knowledge
thereof themselves, so that the labor Of
readers should not so generally be pro-
fitless. In an article by Bishop Nell
vane, and another IN Frazer's Magzlne,
by an anonymous contributor, the exer-
else Of necrOmancy is imputed to Fust,
the inventor or supposed inventor of
printing. Nine of every ten persons
who write anything on the subject fall in,
10 the same error: they have something
always 10 say Of Fust and the devil Gu
rious anecdotes 10 rehearse of the null
tiPlication Of copies Of the Scriptures in
Paris and elsewhere, spells and incan-
tations by the inventor of the " black
art to describe, &c. But this all induc-
ed by ignorance of the facts. John
Fust, the putative inventor Of printing,
was a shrewd silversmith, and we sus-
pect a knavish one, for without having
anything 10 do with the inccntion of the
art preservatve of arts" he managed
to9rob another of the credit and profit of
II. He was, however, never in Paris ;
he was never in his lifetime accused OF
the exercise of magical arts (; he simply
endcsvorcd TO make as much money as
he could in Germany by underseling the
copyisis in the book market. All stor-
les in which necromancy is attributed
TO him or 10 any other printer; all ac,
counts Of the opposition Of the priests
TO typography as an internal invention
in fine, the whole popular idea Of Faust
and the devil, is a modern contrivance
and originated in this manner: Some
bookmaker, about the year l5S0.under
took to write history Of printing he
had an indistinct recollection of Profess.
or Faustus Of the University of Wi,ten
berg, end in his book blended as many
of his adventures as he could remember
with the memoirs Of John Fust the prin
ter; and from that day succession n
ignorant chroniclers have considered two
men, living a, totally different times. a
one individual.
Fust,t The necromancer was born in th
duchy of Weimar in l49l, twenty>hv,
years after the printer, is understood I,
have died. He is mentioned by Melanc
thon, Wierus, aud many other coiempo
rary writer's, and was probably in hi
time not less distinguished as a magician
than Agrippa or AIbertus Magnus. |
is related Of him by Goodwin that he wa
in his youth adopted by an uncle, dwell
ing in the city of Willenberg, who hat
no children. Here he was sent 10 col
lege, and was soon distinguished by III,
greatness of his talents, and the rapic
progress he made in every species o
learning that was put before him. HI
was destined by his relatives to the pro
fession of theology. But he is said un
graciously 10 have set at naught his un
cle's pious intentions. He went througl
his examinations with applause, and car
ried off all the first prizes among sixteeI
competitors he therefore obtained III,
degree Of doctor in divinity but hi
success only made him proud and head
strong, He dsdained his iheologica a
eminence, and sighed for distinction a
a man of the world He took his degre,
as a doctor Of medicine, and aspired /,
celebrity as practitioner OF physic,- -
About the same time he fell in with Ger
tain contemporaries, OF tastes similar Il
his own, and associated with them in tn
study Of Chaldean, Greek, and Arab
scieLce, Of strange incan,aiions aud su
perna,ural influences, in short Of all tn
arts Of sorcercr.
Having made such progress as h
could by dint of study and intense appll
cation, he at length resolved to prose
cute his purposes still further by actual
ly raising The devil. lie happened on
evening to walk in thick, dark wood
within short distance from WittenLerg
when il occurred to him that that was
fit place for executing his design. II
stopped a, a solitary spot where fou
roads.met, and made use Of his wand Il
mark out large circle, and the tw