The Irish standard., 1904-01-16

presses had been established in Italy.
By the same date Spain reckoned
thirty printers, whom the Spanish poet,
Lope de Vego, elegantly entitled "the
armourcrs Of civilization" The art
reached Buda- Pest i'll 1873, London in
1477, Oxford i'll I47S Denmark in 14Se,
Stockholm i'll 1883 (the year OF Lutf-
er's birth, Constantinople in 14oo.
Those early printers who went forth
from the birthplace OF the new art to
propagate it i'll various lands, were
lokcd upon by their contemporaries
almost with vcncration, as new mis-
slonaries and apostles Of the truth CAS-
formerly the missionaries OF Christian
lty." writes the bcforc-quoted VIM
pheiling, so now the disciples of the
holy art go forth from Germany into
all lands, and these printed books be-
come, as it were, hcralds OF the gospel,
preachers OF the truth and OF knowl-
edge GLOW much all classes of hu-
man society,"" wrote in 1887, Adolf
Deco, physician to the bishop OF Augs-
burg. "now-a-days owe 90 the art OF
printing, which, through the mercy of
Almighty God, has been made known
forth to meet her bridegroom, for lie
hath endowed her to OVERLOOKING with
books OF heavenly wisdom"
What, it may be asked, was the view
of the Church, and what part did
she practically take i'll the art OF print
ing? The materials for an answer to
this question are abundant indeed.
Bishops, like Rudolf OF Schcrcnbcrg,
and Lorenz OF Wurzburg. granted i'll
dulgcnces for the sale and disscmina-
ton OF printed books. Bartlold, arch
bishop OF Mainz, speaks of the "di-
vine art Of printing" The following
letter from Andrea dc Bossi, bishop of
Alaria, in Corsica, was written in I46S,
TO Pope Paul IL:
"In your time, by the grace OF God,
has this gift been bestowed upon the
Christian world, that even the poorest,
in Our time, any sensible man can cas-
lily judge for himself But whilst all
are under obligations to it, it is in an
especial degree the bride OF Christ, the
Catholic Church, who hath been new
ly glorified by means OF this art, and
who now, more richly adorned, goctll
for few coins, can obtain for them
selves a number Of books. Is it not a
great glory for your holiness that vol
umcs, which formerly could scarcely
be bought for hundred ducats, at
present may be had for twenty gold
pieces, or less, and are no longer full
of errors, as they used to be? And
that books which the reader formerly
bought with difficulty for twenty du-
cats, can now be had for much lcss?"
1t was not only, however, by their
praise and their blessing that the
clergy encouraged the art OF printing;
they themselves, and especially the re-
ligious orders, took an active part in
the work of the printing press. The
Brothers Of the Common Life, we'll
known as the congregation to which
Thomas A. Kempis belonged, set UP a
printing press in their house at Ros
took and issued their first printed
book as early as 1476, i'll which they
speak Of the art Of printing as: "Thc
mistress Of all arts for the benefit OF
the Church." and style themselves:
preachers not by word, but by writ
ing" One is reminded irrcsistibly by
these words of the maxim of Cardinal
Vaughan" This is the age of the
Apostolatc Of the Press" and of the
saying attributed, I think, to an Amer
lean ccclcsiastic, that, if St. Paul were
living now, he would not be preach
or, but the editor of newspaper.
But to return. 1t was not only in
Rostock that the Brothers Of the Com
mon Life practiccd the art of printing
in their converts. Very early they scs
up we'll appointed printing press in
their convent of Nazareth at Brussels,
where we find them busily at work
between 1916 and 1884. Seventeen
works published at their press are
known. Several Of these bear the i'm
print in famous civitatc Bruxellensi
per frates com. vitae in Nazareth. The
Groto solitos sivc Speculum Conscien-
tiae OF Arnold OF Gheihoven was the
first book printed in Brussels. In their
convent at Hem, near Schoonhoven,
they announced in 14o5 that they print
books in both Latin and German.
In addition to the monastcrics the
monks themselves worked at the press,
quite long list could be given of
other converts, both men and women.