The Lake Charles echo., 1882-05-20
The Antiquity Of EsrIn.,nr.
From the Atheneum. !

| From the AthenGum.l
At the last meeting Of the Asi,ti.
Society Of Japan, Mr.. L. Satuw rcsS
paper "On the Early History J,
Printing in Japan" The art Os
printing on wooden blocks in Chin
seems to be due to the accident ~
some one desiring to obtain a fao
similG of an inscription on stono
monument, in the first instance hv
rubbing with coluring matter pysr
the paper, and subsequently by cny.
ering the stone with India ink plac.
ing the paper against it and rubbing
1t was probably long before the plan
of engraving and composition for
the express purpose Of taking copiea
was thought of In IFS, A. D.. tbr
text Of the Chinese classics was cut
on tablets which were erected out,
side the university, and of these in.
prcssiOns were taken, some of which
are said to be still in existence
Printing from wooden blocks seems
to be no older than the end of tbp
sixth century. 1t was not until tho
tenth century was well advanced
that printed books became common
In Japan the earliest example Of
block printing dates from the middle
of the eighth century. Before that
stone Inscriptions and seals with en-
gravGd characters were III use. Tbp
early Japanese prints were chiefly
reproductions of the Chinese Budi.
hists and classical works, the absence
of native literature apparently re-
tarding the adoption of the. art Of
printing. The first really national
work printed in Japan was the mi
hUu-gl," at the very end of the six.
teenth century. Printed slips Con.
tanning Dharina out of the Buddhist
Scripture were distributed throughout
Japan to the number of 1000, 1000 in
765-77O; these were apparently
printed from cast copper Or bronze
blocks rather than from wooden Ones.
The earliest Japanese printed books
were of considerably Y later date Of
those which have come down to
modern times; the oldest was printed
about 1900 Printing received Il
great impulse from the expeditions
Of llidcyOshi against Korea, when Il
number Of books were brought back
by the victors, and the Japanese
learned what had been achieved by
people whom they had considered
vastly their interiors. Among these
were some books printed with NOV
| able type, a CuntrlvanCC which found
Immediate favor with the japanese,
for nearly all the books printed for
the next 30 or 40 years were printed
with movable type The use of
movable type was said to date in
China from the middle of the eleventh
century, but the author had not been
able to corruburatc this statement.
Movable copper type was used in
Korea at the beginning OF the ti!-
teGnth century, and even earlier,
indeed, one book ST printed appeared
to date from the year 1917 and 1924.
AnG even il it were not after all 80
old as it seemed to be, there were
Others dating unquestiUnably ante
rior to the date of invention of print,
ing by movable type i'll Europe. The
invention reached Japan from Korea,
and there Was "a distinct mention Of
Korean types produced by casting
and mouding about 1920, A. u. Al
though illustrated books were ex-
tremcIy common in more recent
Japanese literature, the earliest Mr.
Sat"w knew bore the date 1910.
Previous to this, however, there were
wood cuts on large scale represent
ing the popular gods, and to some Of
these a very great age was attrib-
uted. One Of them dated from 1917,
and another was engraved by Nichi-
rcn, who died in 12O2.