CHAPTER II.--Date of the Origin of Typography in Europe.--Alleged Early Engravings.--Playing Cards.--Block-books.--Mr. F. Holt’s Hypothesis.--Evidence of Costume.--German “Brief-malers.”--Decree of Government of Venice.--State of Europe in the Middle Ages.--Cultivation of Classical Literature at the close of the Fourteenth and commencement of the Fifteenth Century. 35 CHAPTER III.--John Gutenberg.--First attempts at Typography in Strasburg.--Difficulties.--Invention of the Press.--Lawsuit.--Return to Mentz.--Connection with Faust.--Success.--Mazarin Bible the first Book printed from Separable Metal Types.--Second Lawsuit.--Forfeiture of Plant to Faust.--Peter Schœffer.--Invention of Type-founding.--Faust and Schœffer.--The Gutenberg “Printing-house.”--Gutenberg attached to the Court of the Elector of Mentz.--His Death. 68 CHAPTER IV.--The claims of Coster and Haarlem considered, as opposed to those of Gutenberg and Mentz.--Claims based upon Tradition.--No Contemporary Authorities in their favor.--Abundance of such testimony in favor of Gutenberg and Mentz.--Probable Origin of Tradition.--Block-books.--Speculum Humanæ Salvationis.--Evidence of the Types: wood or metal; cut or cast?--Books “Jettez en molle.”--Age of the Paper.--Date of Costume.--Fraternity of Brethren and Clerks of the Common Life. 201 CHAPTER V.--The works of Faust and Schœffer.--Legend of the Printer’s Devil.--Monuments in Germany to Gutenberg, Faust and Schœffer.--Separable Letters first invented in China.--Characteristics of Ancient Printed Books.--The “Composing-stick” and “Setting-rule.”--Early Bindings. 349 APPENDIX. I.--Account of the Origin of Printing, by J. F. Faust of Aschaffenberg 393 II.------------------------------by Hadrian Junius 404 III.--Dr. Van Der Linde’s Haarlem-Coster-Legend 408 IV.--Cut Wooden, _versus_ Cast Metal Types 415 ERRATA 424 PREFACE.