The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-01-31

sss0l- ons. Manuscript I.eIies OF tse alden
Time


sssol One ssa'au-erip, IssIIes OF tee alden
Eislae.
Dr. stouSnton's "oar EpgIsA Blbis.',
Among the relics Of lhar ogaen time
there are preserved biblical culiosities
which deserve passing notice. we
remember examining many years ago.
IN Corpus Cheisti college, Cambridee, a
hne specimen c the Bjblis Pauperuha, ;,
Of which a lew copies only are to be
found in the present day in very rare
collsctions It consist OF rude plates
representing scfipture figures and in
ci6sp.E, with a few Latin sentences ex
planaEety ot the subjects. The 9ork IL
psintedilrolusHooien blocks in the way
il which plAying-eards Were manufsc-
tured-a curior= art. which was applied
70 tassE.epag gctlsfe. baoks Of relieiors
charaFfr 50. -. - -.
-rfufffars Sc Salvatonis." These block
books, Mr.. Hallam considers, were exc
cuted in the low countries, but probably
some of them found their way iato Eng
land at an esrly period. They belong to
the first half of the fifteenth century.
and We're precursors of nobltr pro
ductions, whose appearance in the
latter half of the same century
mark memorable era in the
history Of mankind. Mr. Horne, in his
IS Introduction" deserted the Biblia
Pauperum as deriving It's name from
its being a cateohism OF the bible for the
common people, who were enabled to
obtain it for low price; but it could
be of LITTLE use to such persons, who can
not be supposed to have been sble to
read Latin when so few could read their
own language. It seems much more
likely that the volume took its name
from the Franciscan friars the chier
preachers of the day, who styled them~
selves paupers, the volume probably
being 3 sort OF Textbook to aid the N in
their miuistratious These imper ect
specimens of printing were soon sue
ceeded by productions which filed he
world with wonder
Let the rea Ter imagine himself in the
city of Mentz. in the middle OF the &
teenth century. That thoughtful man
now pacing the banks of the Rhine, sud
then entering his own habitatiou in some
obscure street, tolls in secret apartment
where no one save sn assistant at mis- un-
known craft is allowed TO enter. He
perseveres until volumes appear, al
marvelously alike, displaying grace .ul.y- |
formed letters such rs rival the fairest /
specimens Of penmsnship. Tne msgic /
manuscripts increase in number. No
scriptorium could multiply them so fast
Men marvel and think there mus. be /
witchersf5 in this bus:n8Ss - work !
s-.an is 6tutveuberg, s.7I-f--s1 Is ms /
first printing Office. The whole af a |
portion OF the scriptures was certainly /
the first book of a considerable size which |
issued from the press The earliest
bearing s date, IS the beautiful pssller
by Fust & Soh3fer, in 1857 OF which a
sumptuous copy, printed on vellum,
adorns the royal library at Windsor
But Lstin bible, with the prologue 4
st. jerome, printed probably by Gut
tenberg at Mentz between 1850 ana
1855. and commonly called the Msztrin
blble, on the very slight ground Of copy
having been found in Cardinal Mszarin's
library, Is considered the earliest offspring
OF the noble invention; and we may
see" exclaims Mr.. Hallsm, 90 this vener-
able ana splendid volume leading u the
crowded myriads Of It's followers and i'm
ploring, as it were, a blessing on the new
art by dedicsting its fruits to the ser
vice of Heaven" As was natural, early
types for printing were formed on the
model OF writing characters, and hence
the earliest bibles and psalters in German
presented letters such ss had been used
by scribes in missals and other religious
books; but when German printers went
to reside at the famous monastery o.
Subisco, near Rome, they cut punches
in imitation OF the letters used in Italy.
Thus printed books so much resembled
manuscripts that they were sometimes
mistaken Tor them and even until very
lately a copy OF the Mazarin or Gutten
berg bible. preserved al Lambeth palace,
passed as the WORK OF scribe instead OF
the work OF printer.