The Invention of Printing.: A Collection of Facts and Opinions, Descriptive of Early Prints and Playing Cards, the Block-Books of the Fifteenth Century, the Legend of Lourens Janszoon Coster, of Haarlem, and the Work of John Gutenberg and His AssociatesDe Vinne, Theodore Low
History
The Invention of Printing.: A Collection of Facts and Opinions, Descriptive of Early Prints and Playing Cards, the Block-Books of the Fifteenth Century, the Legend of Lourens Janszoon Coster, of Haarlem, and the Work of John Gutenberg and His Associates
De Vinne, Theodore Low
Incunabula -- Bibliography; Printing -- History -- Origin and antecedents
Hans Schultheiss testified that Lorentz Beildick came one day to his
house with Claus Dritzehen, where this witness had conducted him. It
was at or about the time of the death of Andrew Dritzehen; Lorentz
Beildick said, “Your late brother, Andrew Dritzehen, has _four pieces
lying down in_ [or underneath] _a press_, and Gutenberg begs that you
will take them out and separate them, so that no one will be able
to see what _it_ is.” Claus Dritzehen searched for the pieces, but
could not find them. This witness heard, a long time ago, from Andrew
Dritzehen that the work had cost him more than 300 guilders.
It is obvious that these four pieces were not a part of the press.
Properly put together, they constituted one tool. Another witness
repeats the story, describing this tool as _it_.
Conrad Sahspach testified that Andrew Heilmann came to him one day
when he was in the market square and said: “Dear Conrad, Andrew
Dritzehen is dead, and as you are the man who made the press, and know
all about the matter, go there, and _take the pieces out of the press,
and separate them_, so that nobody can know what _it_ is.” But when
this witness went to look after the press (it was on St. Stephen’s day
last) the thing [it] had disappeared. This witness said that Andrew
Dritzehen had once borrowed money from him, which he used for the
work. He knew that he had mortgaged his property.
It does not appear that there was any secret about the construction of
the press. Sahspach, who was not one of the partners, was authorized,
not to disjoint the press, but to remove and disconnect the form of
four pieces in the press, which seems to have been the key to the
secret.
The poverty and the subsequent despondency of Andrew Dritzehen are
described by Hans Sidenneger, who testified that Andrew had mortgaged
all his property. His honesty is acknowledged by Werner Smalriem, who
testified that he had lent him money and had been repaid. His anxiety
about his debts, and his death, which seems to have been the result of
overwork, are briefly related by Mydehart Stocker.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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