The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-09-23

as it hath been, and that age creepcth On me
daily and fcebleth all the body: and also be-
cause | have promised to divers gentlemen,
and to my friends to address to them as hasti-
! ly as might this said book Therefore
! have piactised and learned at my great charge
and dispense to ordan this said book in print
after the manner and form as ye may here
see. And it) is not written with pen and
ink as other books be, to the end that every
man may haze them at once. For all the
books of this story. named the ''Recu!c of the
Histories of Troycs," thus imprinted as you
here see. were begun in one day, and also fin
ished in one day"
Here he expressed very quantity the supc-
riority Of printing over the old method of
transcribing books. The "wcary hand and
the dim eye" Of the transcrber could not
crafty divers gentlemen" by producing the
book hastily" and SO that every man might
''have them at once" The transcribcr would
have to labor for years to produce the num-
bers ofthis small edition. which ''werc begun
i'll one day, and also finished in one day"
lie required some assurance Of II rcasona-
bic sale of his works before printing, for he
says: Il have submyscd (submttcdl N.Y.
self to translate into English the Legend of
the Saints" and William, Fail of Arundel
quantity of thcnl-and sent me n worshipfu
gentleman. promising that my said lord
should daring my life give and grant to me q
yearly fee, that is to note, buck in summer
and doe in winter" Caxton with his re-
marlablc sale, and his summer and winter
rcnison was more fortunate than others of his
brethren who spcculated on public demand
Swcynheim and Pannartz who settled at
Ram. onl mi rtr1 ,non, beautiful ,I;,;,,,.
Of the Latin classics, presented petition to
the Pope in l47l. with the following passage ::
1--WE were the first of the Germans who in
troduced this art with vast labor and cost.
into your holiness territories in the time Of
your predecessor: and encouraged BY our cx-
ample other printers to do the same. If YOU
perusc the catalogue of the works printed by
us, you will admire how and where we could
procure sufficient quantity of paper or even
rags, for such number of volumes. The to-
tai of these books amounts to l2475,--a pro-
disious hcap-and intolerabc to US your no.
Illness printers, by reason Of those unsold.
We are no longer able TO bear the great eX-
pcnsc OF house keeping for want of buyers; Of
which their cannot be Il more fragrant proof,
than that our hose, though otherwise spa
cious enough, is full of qucrc books, but void
OF every necessary of life. y
1t required time to increase the demand,
and afford n sufficient number of purchasers
for large edition of printed works. As in
the infancy OF mechanic arts, q long time
was required to produce complete machinery
better tools had to be manufactured by the
and Of the inferior ones in use. With these,
good ones could not lie made at once, but a
better article was made, and with this bet
ter, until by degrees machinery acquired its
present state Of superiority. And so with
school systems. Those who have not cn Joy
cd nor appreciated the advantages of educa-
ton, feel hut little interest in the general diff
fusion OF knowledge among the masses Of
mankind and it is emily by degrees that man
kind have become enlightened and complete
school systems are appreciated and sustained.
For as the complete eng inc manufactures the
perfect instrument for carrying out other USE
ful purposes, so the more perfect schools pre-
pare the minds Of youth for approaching and
extending systems of greater usefulness This
was also true Of the art Of printing in its i'll
fancy. The early publishers failed because
there was yot sufficient demand for books
to justify large edition, and small editions
would not pay the cost Of producing them.
But this art, 'prcscrvative Of all arts" was
destined to extend itself-it placed the means
of information before the multitude. and
thence more enlightened public opinion
grew up, and spread its quickening influence
through all the ramiications of human socie-
ty. Science and art extended themselves and
made increasing demand for the productions
Of the press, until the vast amount of capital
and labor now required to furnish n sufGcicn-
cy of printed works for the public demand is
truly astonishing. ZlMRI.