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
That the work on which Dritzehen was engaged was of a novel nature may
be inferred from the fact that his visitors could not give names to his
tools or his workmanship. They speak of _it_, _that thing_, _the nice
things_, _the form of four pieces_, etc. Madame Zabern is surprised
at the cost of that thing; Reimboldt wonders what he intends to do
with these nice things. It is obvious that this mysterious work is not
that of polishing stones or gems, nor the making of mirrors, for it
cannot be supposed that these witnesses, and one of them a woman, would
be ignorant of the purpose of a mirror, or would grossly underrate
the value of gems, or polished stones. But there is one witness who
testifies that Dritzehen said his enterprise was that of making
mirrors. [p387]
Hans Niger von Bischoviszheim testified that Andrew Dritzehen came to
him and told him that he was in great need of money, for he was deep
in an enterprise which taxed his resources to the utmost. Witness
asked him what he was doing. Dritzehen then informed him that _he was
making mirrors_. When witness threshed his grain, he took it to market
at Molsheim and Ehenheim, and sold it, and gave Dritzehen the money.
This witness also corroborated the testimony of Reimboldt as to the
giving of wine to John Gutenberg. He took the wine in his own cart to
Gutenberg, who was then at Saint Arbogastus.
It may be inferred from this testimony that Dritzehen was still
deriving some profit from the old work of making mirrors.
Fritz von Seckingen testified that Gutenberg had borrowed money of
him, and that Anthony Heilmann was on his bond. Andrew Dritzehen, who
should have done so, evaded this obligation, and never signed the bond
at all. Gutenberg paid up the entire sum at the time of the last fair
during Mid-Lent.
Gutenberg’s partner gives some curious details about the partnership,
and intimates that the _forms_ were of metal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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