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310
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
We hare aleady noticed the mode of pvnctn- ation used by die early printers, (see p. 167, ante) and also the improvements which Aldus Manu- tius bestowed upon it. The following statement will show the further progress which was made in these helps to reading ! —
In Bale's Acts of English Votaries,h\ack letter, printed in 1550, is the first appearance of the colon : and so warily put in by the printer, that it is conjectured that it was not in common use. But in an edition of the Governor, by sir Thomas Elyot, printed 1580, the colon is as frequently introduced as any other stop ; but there is neither semicolon or admiration.
In the Catechism set forth by Edward VI. and printed by John Day, in 1553, is a note of ad- miration as follows ; " Master, oh the unthank- fulness of men ! but what hope had our first parents, and from thenceforth the rest whereby they were relieved." There is no other stop of the like kind in the book.
In Hackluyt's Voyages, printed in 1599, is the first appearance of Uie semicolon ; and, as if the editors did not fully apprehend the propriety of its general admission, it is but sparingly in- troduced — but no admiration.
1650. GuALTER, or Walter Lynne, was a scholar, an author, and a printer, he dwelt on Sommer's Key, near Billingsgate -, it is said that he also kept a shop at the Eagle, next St. Paul's school. He continued in business &om 1548 to 1650, and executed fourteen different works. Lynne's device consisted of the annexed figures.
1550. Richard Charlton practised the art- John Wyer lived in Fleet-street, a little above the conduit, and whose only work appears to have been Ymage of both churches, 1550, 8vo. 1650. The first edition of the whole bible in the Danish language was printed at Copenhagen, by Ludowich Dietz, of Rostock, who had render- ed himself celebrated by his ma.sterly execution of Luther's bible, in the Low Saxon language. There had, indeed, been a printing office estab- lished at Copenhagen as early as 1493 ; Gothe- fridus de Ghemen was the printer. And though the Copenhagen press had received several im- provements and enlargements subsequent to its first erection, it was, nevertheless, found to be inadequate to so stupendous a work as that of printing the whole bible. In 1546, the paper destined for the work arrived, (most probably from Holland) at Elsinore, and in order to meet the expenses of it, together with those connected with the printing, a tax of two rix-dollars was levied on every church in Denmark. In was not, however, till 1650, that the bible was com-
pleted. The title of the bible is, Bibla, deter den gantske, j-c. Bibla, i.e. the whole of the Sacred Scripture translated into Danish. " The Word of God abideth for ever." Isaiah xl. Printed in Copenhagen, by Ludowich Dietz, 1650. Some have supposed that Dietz was sent for at the instance of Bugenhagen, but in the appendix to the Low Saxon new testament, which he printed in 1553, be mentions Dr. Macchabgeus* as his particular friend and patron. It also appears from the same appendix, that Dietz was well rewarded by the king, for his pains, for which he thete thanks him, and praises his laudable un- dertaking.f
1550. The first English Concordance of the whole Bible was the production of John Mer- becke, organist to the royal chapel at Windsor, printed with this title : A Concordance, that it to saie a worke wherein by the ordere of the letters A. B. C. ye maie redely finde any worde con- tagned in the whole BiMe, so often as it is there expressed or mentioned, folio, black letter. It was dedicated to Edward VI. The account which Merbecke gave of his undertaking, to the bishops and others who summoned him before them, and condemned him, is so interesting, and exhibits him as a shining instance of indefatigable dili- gence, that we shall give it nearly in his own words. " When Thomas Matthewes bible came out first in print, I was much desirous to have one of them ; and being a poor man not able to buy one of them^ determined within myself to borrow one amongst my friends, and to write it forth. And when I hiid written the five books of Moses in fair great paper, and was entered into the book of Joshua, my friend master Tur- ner chanced to steal upon me unawares, and seeing me writing out of the bible, asked me
- John Hacchabieiu, or M'Bee, was t native of Scotland,
and descended from an ancient and noble famUy. Histrae name was Macalpine, of the celebrated clan Alpine. UavlnK embraced the principles of the reformation, he was obliged, in 1532, to flee Into England, where he was entertained by bishop Shaxton, and also gained the esteem of lord Crom- well. He married Agnes Machlson, who was of Scotch extraction. From England he passed over to the continent, and for some time resided at Wittemberg, where he formed an intimate friendship with Luther and Melancthon. the latter of whom gave him the name of Macehabieust front the simUaritybetween his character and circ umstaacea. and those of the ancient Jewish champions. Cliristian III. in. vitedhim to Denmarli, and made him professor in the uni- versity of Copenhagen. His general character for piety and learning, occasioned his appointment as one of the tranfjators of the Danish bible. Alter lalx)nring for many years in the cause of truth, he was called to his etemid reward, December 6, 1567. He left a son. Christian, who became president of the college of Sora, in Zealand, and canon and archdeacon of Lunden. Macctiabvus and Miles Coverdale were brothers-in-law.
t The nnml>er of copies printed of the Danish bilde, amounted to three tkoutand. When they were ready, a boolcbinder was procured f^om Lubeck, who engaged to deliver two thonsand copies bound in whole leather, with clasps, within a year and a day, for (too marAu Danish per copy, beside lodging, as appears from a royal brief given at the royal palace, Copenhagen, the 8th of Jnly, 1550. The price at which copies were sold was three rix-dollars each. It forms a middle sized folio, consisting of logo paices, and is tolerably well printed on good strong paper.— Tlie Drat Danish version of the New Tettammt was made by Hans Miltkelson, who is sometimes called John MickaelU. At the end there is a notification stating it to have been printed at Leipsic, by Melchior Lotther, the Monday pre- ceding St. Bartholoinew't day, A. D. I5M.
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