THE BOX. 



171 



published before the invention of printing from 

 moveable types, for the use of those who either 

 were unable to read, or could not afford to pur- 

 chase a manuscript copy of the Scriptures. The 

 most important of these is the Bihlia Pauperum, 

 or Poor Preacher's Bible, a collection of histori- 

 cal subjects from the Old and New Testament, 

 accompanied by explanatory inscriptions in Latin. 

 This appears to have been a most popular book, 

 for not only are there many copies of it, struck 

 from different blocks, but it was repeatedly 

 printed, long after the introduction of printing 

 with moveable types. Another work of the same 

 kind. The Apocalypse, or History of St. John, was 

 published about 1434. Of this there are six dif- 

 ferent editions, and the execution of some of the 

 wood-engravings evinces considerable abihty. 



The history of the art here divides into two 

 branches, with one of which, the art of printing, 

 properly so called, I must leave my readers to 

 acquaint themselves from other sources. In the 

 fifteenth century we find the two combined in 

 the Psalter, published by Faust and Schasffer at 

 Muntz. The initial letters, engraved in wood, 

 are executed in the most beautiful style of the 

 art. This custom soon became general, and was 

 introduced into England by Caxton, in 1476. 

 Not long after this, Mair in Germany published 

 prints, the dark parts of which were produced by 

 an impression from a copper-plate engraving, the 

 lighter from a wooden block, but of course by 

 two distinct operations. About the same time, 

 Carpi, in Italy, produced wood-cuts by the tedious 

 process of printing on the same paper from three 



