_The_ Harlemers _plead that_ Lawrensz Jansz Koster of Harlem _was the first Inventer of_ Printing, _in the year of our Lord_ 1430. _but that in the Infancy of this Invention he used only Wooden Blocks_ (_as in_ China, _&c. aforesaid_) _but after some time he left off Wood, and Cut single Letters in Steel, which he sunck into Copper_ Matrices, _and fitting them to Iron Molds, Cast single Letters of Mettal in those_ Matrices. _They say also, that his Companion_, John Gutenberg, _stole his Tools away while he was at Church, and with them went to_ Mentz _in_ Germany, _and there set his Tools to work, and promoted His claim to the first Invention of this Art, before_ Koster _did His_. _To prove this, they say that_ Rabbi Joseph (_a Jew_) _in his Chronicle, mentions a Printed Book that he saw in_ Venice, _in the year_ 5188. _according to the Jewish Account, and by ours the year_ 1428. _as may be read in_ Pet. Scriverius. _They say much of a Book intituled_ De Spiegel, _Printed at_ Harlem _in_ Dutch _and_ Latin; _which Book is yet there to be seen: and they alledge that Book the first that ever was Printed: But yet say not when this Book was Printed_. _Notwithstanding this Plea, I do not find_ (_perhaps because of their imperfect Proofs_) _but that_ Gutenberg _of_ Mentz _is more generally accepted for the first Inventer of_ Printing, _than_ Koster _of_ Harlem. _The Learned Dr._ Wallis _of_ Oxford, _hath made an Inquiry into the original of this Invention, and hath in brief sum’d up the matter in these words_. About the year of our Lord 1460. The Art of _Printing_ began to be invented and practised in _Germany_, whether first at _Mentz_ or first at _Harlem_ it is not agreed: But it seems that those who had it in consideration before it was brought to perfection, disagreeing among themselves, did part Company; and some of them at _Harlem_, others at _Mentz_ persued the design at the same time. _The Book which is commonly reputed to have been first Printed is_, Tullies Offices, _of which there be Copies extant (as a Rarity) in many Libraries; which in the close of it is said to be Printed at_ Mentz, _in the year of our Lord_ 1465. (_so says that Copy in the_ Bodleyan _Library_) _or_ 1466. (_so that in the Library of_ Corpus Christi.) _The words in the close of that in_ Corpus Christi _Colledge_ Oxon _are these_, Præsens _Marcij Tullij_ Clarissimum opus, _Johanes Hust, Moguntinus_ Civis, non Atrimento, plumali canna, neq; ærea, sed Arte quadam perpulchra, _Petri_ manu _Petri_ de _Geurshem_ pueri mei, feliciter effeci, finitum Anno M CCCC LX VI quarto die Mensis _Februarij_. _The like in the_ Bodleyan _Library; save there the Date is only thus_, Finitum Anno M CCCC LX V. _In the same Book there are these written Notes subjoyned_: Hic eft ille _Johannes Faustus_, coadjutor _Johannes Gutenbergij_ primi _Typographiæ_ inventaris, Alter coadjuto erat _Petrus Schœfer_, i. Opilio. Quovix.