LAURENTIUS, one of the first printers, and, according to some, the inventor of the art, was born at Haerlem, about the year 1370, and filled several offices in the magistracy of that city. Those writers are mistaken who assign to him the surname of Coster, or assert that the office of ċEćZíÏMws was hereditary in his family. In a diploma of Albert of Bavaria in 1380, in which, amongst other citizens of Haerlem, Laurentius’s father is mentioned by the name of Joannes Laurentii filius, Beroldus, who was surely of another family, is called oedituus ; and in 1396 and 1398 Henricus a Lunen enjoyed that office, after whose resignation, Count Albert having conferred on the citizens the privilege of electing their cedituus, they soon afterwards fixed on Laurentius, who was subsequently called Coster from his office, and not from his family name, as he was descended from an illegitimate branch of the Gens Breder-odia. His office was very lucrative; and that he was a man of great property is testified by the elegance of his residence. That he was the inventor of printing, is asserted in the narrative of Junius. His first work was an Horarium, containing the Letters of the Alphabet, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, and two or three short Prayers; the next was the Speculum Salutis, in which he introduced pictures on wooden blocks; then he printed Donatus, in the larger size; and afterwards the same work in a less size. All these were printed on separate moveable wooden types, fastened together by threads. If it be thought improbable, that so ingenious a man should have proceeded no x arther than the invention of wooden types, it maybe answered, that he printed for profit, not for fame; and wooden .ypes were not only at that time made sooner and cheaper than metal could be, but were sufficiently durable for the small impressions of each book he must necessarily have printed. His press was nearly shaped like the common wine-presses. He printed some copies of all his books both on paper and vellum. It has been commonly supposed, though without reason, that he quitted the profession, and died broken hearted; but it is certain, that he did not live to see the art brought to perfection. He died in 1440, aged seventy; and was succeeded either by his son-in-law, Thomas Peter, who married his only daughter Lucia; or by their immediate descendants, Peter, Andrew, and Thomas, who were old enough to conduct the business, the eldest being at least twenty-two or twenty-three years of age. What books they printed it is not easy to determine, since, after the example of Laurentius, they added to their books, neither their names, nor the place where they were printed, nor the date of the year. Their first essays were new editions of Donatus and the Speculum. They afterwards reprinted the latter, with a Latin translation, in which they used their grandfather’s wooden pictures, and printed the book partly on wooden blocks, partly on wooden separate types, according to Mr Meerman, who has given an exact engraving of each sort, taken from different parts of the same book, which was published between the years 1442 and 1450. Nor did they stop here. They continued to print several editions of the Speculum, both in Latin and in Dutch; and many other works, particularly Historia Alexandri Magni ; Flavii Vedatii [Tor Vegetiι] Renati Epitome de Re Militari ; and Opera varia a Thomas Kempis. Of these Mr Mcerman has given an engraved specimen. They were all printed with separate wooden types, and, by their great neatness, are a proof that the descendants of Laurentius were industrious in improving his invention. Kempis was printed at Haerlem in 1472, and was the last known work of Laurentius’s descendants, who soon afterwards disposed of all their materials, and probably quitted the employment; the use of fusil types having about that time been universally diffused throughout Holland by the settling of Martens at Alost, where he pursued the art with reputation for upwards of sixty years. See Printing.