about 1548, in which year he put forth a folio and quarto edition of the New Testament.

a

§ 11. 1570. NORWICH.-The art of printing was introduced into this city, according to Blomefield', in 1570, by Antony Solen3, Fleming); which was so well approved of by the city, that he was presented with his freedom: but in the seventh volume of the "Harleian Miscellany," it is asserted that Francis Burges was the first printer who carried the art to Norwich. He published (Sept. 27, 1701,) an octavo pamphlet of seventeen pages, intituled "Some Observations on the use and original of the noble art and mystery of printing; "" in order to vindicate himself from the charge of having brought an additional expense to the city, and injuring the trading interest, &c. As Blomefield quotes the antient Book of the Freemen's Admissions, it is most probable that the art was introduced in 1570, but had been discontinued, and was re-introduced by Burges in 1701.

S 12. (1587) WALES.-John Thackwell is said to have printed in Wales, about the year 1587; but, of the place where he exercised his

* Blomefield's History of Norfolk, vol. iii. p. 295. (octavo edit.)

2

Anthony de Solempne is noticed, as a printer at Norwich, in the Appendix to Leland's Collectanca, Part II. vol. vi. p. 41. 3 This tract is reprinted, in vol. vii. of the Harl. Misc. pp. 148-151 (first edit.).

art, and of the title of the book or books printed by him, nothing certain can be ascertained'.

SECTION III.

Progress of Printing in Scotland and Ireland.

As few remains of the early productions of the Scottish press have been discovered, it is not improbable that they perished in the almost total destruction of the Cathedral and Monastic Libraries at the Reformation. Edinburgh and Aberdeen are the only two cities, of whose early typography any specimens have been recorded.

§ 1. 1509. EDINBURGH.-A Breviary (in Latin) for the use of the church of Aberdeen, was printed here, in 8vo. (The second part bears the date of 1510.) The printer's name is not annexed; but from the close connexion, which at that time subsisted between the courts of Scotland and France, it is most probable that both the printer and types were imported from the latter country 3.

§ 2. 1552. ABERDEEN.

'Herbert, vol. iii. p. 1466.

The Catechism of

2 From a patent of king James IV. discovered a few years since by Mr. Robertson, keeper of the records in Scotland, it appears that a printing-press was first established at Edinburgh during the year 1507.

John Hamilton, archbishop of St. Andrew's, and primate of the Scottish church, is the first production of the Aberdeen press it contains 205 leaves, in quarto, without any printer's

name.

IRELAND was one of the last European states into which printing was introduced. It does not appear that any work was executed in this country, prior to 1551; when a black letter edition of the Book of Common Prayer was printed by Humphrey Powel, at Dublin, "cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum, Anno Domini 1551." Before, and even after, this date, Irish authors caused their works to be printed abroad: even so late as 1700 very few books were printed in Ireland; whatever was written there, being generally sent to London. Till within a few years the printing business in Ireland consisted in little more than reprinting London books in smaller sizes than they are executed in England; and for which a ready sale was obtained abroad.

SECTION IV.

Printing in China.

Or the antiquity of printing in China, no doubt can be entertained; yet the Chinese have

never proceeded beyond a wooden block. The nature, indeed, of their characters is such, that moveable types would scarcely be practicable. It is true (Mr. Barrow remarks) the component parts of the characters are sufficiently few and simple in number, but the difficulty of putting them together upon the frame, into the multitude of forms of which they are capable, is perhaps not to be surmounted. Mr. Astle considers printing as a Chinese and not an European invention: but the process of the former differs so much from European printing, that the claims of the latter will not be affected by his ingenious reasoning'.

The following is the process of Chinese printing:-They first write, or draw, a fair copy of the work intended to be printed, which is given to the carver, who glues the leaves of the manuscript upon a piece of hard board or plank, properly prepared. On this he traces over the strokes of the writing, with a suitable instrument, carves out the characters in relief, and cuts down the intermediate parts of the wood; consequently, the beauty of the letters depends on the dexterity of the person who writes the copy. The adroitness of the carver is such, that he copies every stroke exactly; and his work is sometimes executed with such neatness,

Astle on Writing, pp. 214, 215. (fol. edit.)

that it becomes difficult to distinguish a printed book from a MS. The board, thus carved or engraved, generally contains the characters for two pages.

When the work of the carver is completed, the printer fixes it in a level position: then, being provided with two brushes, he dips the hardest into the ink, and lays it on the carved block in such a manner as to leave a quantity, which will be exactly sufficient for four or five impressions, as he does not ink the board for every impression. When the board has received a proper supply of ink, he lays on the paper; and with the other brush, which is of an oblong figure and softer than the first, he presses the paper upon the board, by gently gently drawing the brush over it, with a force, which is a little increased with each impression, until the paper has taken off the whole of the ink from the letters. By this process, one man is able to take several thousand copies in a day.

After an edition of a work is printed, the plates or carved boards are collected together; and it is generally stated in the preface, where they are deposited, in case a second edition should be required.

As the printing paper used by the Chinese is not sized by any glutinous liquid, it is too thin and weak to receive distinct impressions on