[96] This fact is much overlooked by writers who invariably refer to Zell as a German authority. Hainault is a province adjoining South Brabant and West Flanders, in which provinces are situated the towns of Haarlem and Bruges, where Coster and Caxton resided. Along with Holland, Hainault was forcibly annexed by Philip of Burgundy in 1426. No doubt many of the families opposed to the annexation sought safety in flight, and among these may be included that of the Zells. But it is hardly to be credited that Ulric’s love of Fatherland was extinguished by his expatriation; or that he would give to Germany and Mentz, the honor that rightly belonged to Holland and Haarlem. All that he says, amounts to the statement, that Block-book Donatuses were printed in Holland, before printing, _in the way it is commonly used_, was invented at Mentz. If, as Costerians contend, “printing in the way it is commonly used” was known and practised by Laurent Janssoen in Haarlem from 1428 to 1440, both Caxton and Zell must have known of it; and would have stated it as a fact. The only inference therefore that can be drawn from what they say, as well as from what they do not say on the subject, is, that Typography was invented at Mentz, and was not known at Haarlem until after the advent of the first printer there in 1483. [97] “Admiranda ars typographica ab ingenioso Johanne Guttenbergio, anno a nativitate Christi, Domini nostri, 1450, inventa, et posthac studio, sumtu et labore Johannis Fust et Petri Schœfferi Moguntiæ, emendata et ad posteros propagata est.” [98] Hic ubi postremo descendit gurgite Moenus, Excipit et socias littore Rhenus aquas Hanc peperit captis antiqua Moguntia muris Horrida dum tristis fata canebat avis. * * * * * Sæcula bis septem numerabant ordine fati Christigenæ, hinc illis lustra decemque dabant, Tertius ac orbis Fridericus frena regebat, * * * * * Clarus Joannes en Gutenbergius hic est, A quo, ceu vivo flumine, manat opus. Hic est Aonidum custos fidissimus, hic est, Qui referat latices, quos pede fudit equus, Quam veteres nobis Argenti voce notarunt, A puero fertur sustinuisse virum; Illa sed huic civi largita est munera grata, Cui clarum nomen Mogus habere dedit. Primitias illic coepit formare laboris, Ast hic maturum protulit artis opus. Stemmate præstabat; vicit virtute sed illud; Dicitur hinc veræ nobilitatis Eques. _Annulis in digitis erat illi occasio prima_, Palladium ut caelo sollicitaret opus. Illum tentabat molli committere ceræ, Redderet ut nomen littera sculpta suum. Respicit archetypos, auri vestigia lustrans, Et secum tacitus talia verba refert: Quam belle pandit certas hæc orbita voces, Monstrat et exactis apta reperta libris. Quid, si nunc justos, æris ratione reducta, Tentarem libros cudere mille modis?--v.v. 19-66.