The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-05-31
TIE PRINTERS DEVIL
Supposed Origin of Popular Expression
Nnxy in General Use.

Supposed Origin of "a Popular Expression
Now in General Use.
In the wear 1890 Aldo ManuziO, the
founder of the celebrated Aldine press.
settled in Venice, and began what prov
ed to be his life work, the gigantic task
of preserving the literature OF Greece
from accident, further than that which
had already befallen it in the Eastern
Empire by committing its chief mas
terpieces to type. To this scho arly
Italian, printer of the Holy Church
and the Droge of Venice" we owe our
printers devil.
Manuzio, or Manutius Gor he is more
familiar known by his Latin name) had
in his employ little negro boy. who
was accustomed to run errands and
make himself generally useful about
the establishment. Outsiders, with
whom he came in contact, and to whom
negro was an unfamiliar sight, re-
garded the boy with superstitious awe
that gradually deepened into terrified
belief that his color indicated an I'M
holy intimacy with the prince of dark
ness. The report was, therefore. cir
culated that Manutius was in league
with the devil.
Now this seems, on the surface, alb
surdly improbable, but when we re-
member the age and the superstition
with which the nation of Southern
Europe have from all time considered
an object of novelty, the case seems
most possible. Moreover. the ancient
monkish legends taught that the devil
had been known to assume the form
and color of negro, having appeared
in the previous century before st. Vim
cent Terrier in the guise of an EthiO-
plan who threatened him with war to
the death; and again, in like form, he
had tormented St. John of Egypt in
the desert, hooking and insulting h m
during a long fast. The association of
ideas was, therefore, in this case not a
new one.
To protect himself and the boy from
persecution, however, and to satisfy the
curious that his slave was not an ennis
sary of Satan, the printer made a
proclamation in church to the following
effect: 81, Adus Manutius, printer to
the Holy Church, have this day made
public exposure of the printers devil.
All who think he is not flesh and blood
may come and pinch him." And from
these circumstances arose in Venice the
somewhat unintelligible expression a
''printer's devil
This character" says a member OF
the press, speaking feelingly, lis al
most identical with the origin of the
art (of printing!, and we may consider
ourselves peculiarly fortunate in hav-
! ing a guardian exclusively assigned to
us, from whom, Notwithstanding his
generally reprehensible conduct to
other people, we have so little to ap-
/ prehend." MoXOn tells us that in for
mer times the duty of the printer s
devil was to stand by the tympan On
/ which the blank sheets of paper were
spread, and take them from the frame
as fast as they were printed; and he
adds that, in consequence of their
handling the fresh ink so constantly,
'they do commonly SO black and be.
daub themselves that the workmen dc
loosely call them devils"
Printers slang seemed to combine
the extremes of good and evil. From
the circumstance that CaXtOn's print.
ing press was set up in the Scriptorium
of Westminster Abbey, the association
with that place led the apprentices tc
designate black smears made by toe
muyh ink on the sheet, monks" while
a space unintentionally left blank was
known as "friar" Thus the good
fathers were forced to keep company
with the evil one without any voiitior
of their own.
Boswell says that one day, while
talking OF very respectable author
Dr. johnson related the fact that he
had married printer devil, at which
Sir Joshua Reynolds exclaimed: "a
printers devil, sir! Why, | thought 6
printers devil was creature with &
black face, and in rags" Yes, sir
replied johnson, "but suppose he hai
her face washed and put clean clothe.
on her." In this account neither Sil
Joshua, nor johnson, nor any of the
large company present expressed any
surprise at the existence of a female
printers devil; and there is reason tt
suppose that women were not infre
quently employed to assist in the work
of printing, since Stock, in his Life O
DIR. Beddoes," speaks of a woman.
nimble and delicate fingers as being
particularly well adapted to the offic.
OF compositor. 1t it to be hoped tina
in so anomalous a position she wa.
careful to mind her p's and q's."-
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