OF PRINTING. 399 



The European blocks were carved upon beech, pear-tree, and 

 other soft woods, which soon failed, and the letters frequently- 

 broke; this put them upon the method of repairing the block, by 

 carving new letters, and gluing them in, which necessity, seems to 

 have suggested the hint of moveable types of metal ; these were 

 not so liable to break as the soft European woods, which had been 

 before used. 



One great and obvious advantage of moveable types was, that 

 by separating them they would serve for any other work ; whereas 

 the blocks of wood served only for one work : though the use of 

 moveable metal types was a very fortunate discovery, yet they de. 

 rived their origin rather from the imperfection or unfitness of our 

 woods for printing blocks, than from any great ingenuity of those 

 who first used them. In short, necessity, the mother of all arts, 

 introduced moveable types. 



It has been a matter of contest, who first practised the art of 

 printing in Europe. Faust or Fust of Mentz, Guttenberg of Stras- 

 burgh, and Coster of Haerlem, have each their advocates. The 

 pretensions in favour of Fust seem to be best supported ; but we 

 shall not trespass upon the patience of our readers by entering into 

 a discussion of this matter, because such a discussion would, in our 

 opinion, be of little importance, it having been generally agreed, 

 that printing with moveable types was not practised till after the 

 middle of the fifteenth century, although prints from blocks of 

 wood are traced as far hack as the year 1423. 



It seems probable, that the art of printing might have been in. 

 troduced into Europe by some European who had travelled into 

 China, and had seen some of their printing tablets, as it is known 

 that several Europeans had been over-land into China before this 

 time ; and what strengthens this probability is, the Europeans first 

 printed on one side of the paper only, in the same manner as 

 the Chinese do at present; but however this may be, the progres* 

 of the art was as follows : 



First, pictures from blocks of wood without text. 

 Secondly, pictures with text. 



Thirdly, whole pages of text cut on blocks of wood, come, 

 times for the explanation of prints which acconi; And, 



Fourthly, moveable typr-i. Sper.iiiu.-ns of all which are given in 

 the Idee generate dos Kstampes. 



There are several ancient blocks extant which were wsed in the 



