Dix — Printing in the City of Kilkenny, Seventeenth Century. 127 



Incidentally the name of the principal printer of the Order is mentioned, 

 namely, Brother Nicholas Sarrazin. The facts of the matter appear to have 

 been made clear to the Nuncio ultimately. 



The interesting part of this record, and one throwing light on the matter 

 of printing, is this, that it shows that not only was there a press at 

 Waterford, but that the Jesuit Order had its own printing-press, and that 

 it was taken over bodily by the Supreme Council, and used, in part at least, 

 for their own printing in Kilkenny. 



Now, in some of the extant printed pamphlets published in Kilkenny, 

 there is undoubtedly some difference of type. My attention was drawn 

 to this fact some time ago (before I knew of this second press) by 

 Mr. Eobert Steele, the eminent bibliographer. Therefore, there seem to have 

 been two presses used by the Supreme Council at Kilkenny, or one at 

 Waterford and another at Kilkenny. The press at Waterford was ultimately 

 seized by the Cromwellian party when they obtained possession of the town 

 in August, 1649. 



The total number of items given in the subjoined list is forty-four. 

 Some of them are merely reprints of documents originally printed in 

 England or elsewhere. Others, conversely, are only known by the existence 

 of a reprint in London of the Kilkenny-printed pamphlet. For some no 

 place of printing is given ; but troni the type and ornaments or date, or from 

 the nature of the contents, it seems almost certain that these were printed 

 there. The first two items in the list are uncertain. The third item is of 

 great interest, being a political drama in verse, and one of the very earliest 

 pieces of dramatic printing in Ireland. Some of the items are of a religious 

 nature, and more are political. 



The fact that there was a press in Kilkenny in use by the Jesuits 

 suggests that the first few items were printed at it, and not at Bourke's press. 

 The last imprint with Bourke's name is dated 1646, at Waterford. 



I was fortunate enough to secure some of these very rare pamphlets at a 

 sale a couple of years ago, a volume of them being sold in Dublin at an 

 auction of books from the County of Waterford or Cork — I am not quite sure 

 which now. And I think that the copies in my possession are probably 

 unique. Two or three I presented to the Academy as specimens of printing, 

 and they are now in a glass case in this room. Some of these pamphlets are 

 in Latin, and many are included in the " Carte " collection in the Bodleian 

 Library, Oxford. Others are known by references to them in histories and 

 other similar works. 



At the end of the decade (1649) when the Marquess of Ormonde had, on 

 behalf of the King, again obtained possession, and the work of the Supreme 



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