Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-03-03
HIS MAJESTY, THE DEVIL
Serious History of the Most Trifl-
ing Character Connected With
Letters.

Letters.
The ministering imps Of the Press
we're credited with an Internal origin
at a very early stage in the history of
printing. According to the absurd
old story, which still crops up occa-
sionally, Johann Fust, of Mentz, one
of the earliest German printers, was
the original OF DR.. Faustus in the
legend immortalized by Goethe.
Fust kept his knowledge of the art of
printing secret; but when people
found him offering books at a price
scripts, and supplying copies with
miraculous rapidity, they at once
came to the conclusion that such
wonders could only be wrought by d.
abolical agency, and to give local col
or to the suggestion they pointed to
to the boys who ran his errands, and
who. like their successors, were liber-
ally BACKED, and called them his
devils. The upshot of the matter
was the printer, to save his life, was
obliged to reveal the new process, and
so, Of course, lose his chance of ex-
elusive profit. 1t is not very probable
however, that this comical history of
Johann Fust had anything to do with
the tragical history of DR.. faustus.
To another of the early printers is
sometimes adjudged the honor of orig
mating the "devil." The famous
Aldus Manutius, the founder of the
great Venetian printing house, is said
to have employed a black slave who
was thought by the ignorant to be an
imp; so Aldus issued the following
proclamation, which, by the way, is
probably apocryphal: 81 Aldus Man
utius, printer to the Doge, have this
day made public exposure of the
printers devil. All who think he is
not flesh and blood may come and
pinch him"-a an offer doubtless much
appreciated by the unlucky black.
But apart from these somewhat
mythical origins. the name of prin-
ter's devil, derived from the black
ness eDgendered by the nature OF his
occupation, was certainly in existence
at an early period in the history OF
the press. . A seventeenth century
writer, Randle Holme, in his ''Acad-
envy of Armory," gives explanations
of a large number of the terms and
instruments that were then in use in
various arts and trades, and his no
tices of printers term are particular
ly full. He does not forget the at
tendant imp of the press, for these
BOYS, he remarks, s'do in a printing
house commonly black and bedaub
themselves, whence the workmen do
loosely call them devils and some
times spirits, and sometimes flies"
Foote, in his farce of "The Author"
speaks of a printers prime minister,
called a DEVIL" but this is undue and
unwarranted promotion. The name
was formerly applied to boys who took
the printed sheets from the tympan
of the press, but the title is now en-
joyed by errand boys Of printers es-
adjustments. Punch once defined an
authors paradise as a "place where
there are nc printers devils" since it
is the "devil' who vexes the souls of
the luckleSs writer's behindhand with
their copy" and who carry the proofs
to and fro.
A hundred years ago it seems to
have been not uncommon for female
"devils'' to attend the press. In Bos-
wells johnson" there is a record OF
a conversation in the presence of the
Doctor and Sir Joshua Reynolds,
when a certain respectable author
was spoken of as having married a
''printer's devil" GA printers devil,
sir!'' cried Sir Joshua. "Why, l
thought a printers devil was a Great
ure with a black face and in rags"
"Yes, SIR" replied Johnson; "but l
suppose he had her face washed and
put clean clothes on her. "-Barnhart
Flyer.