}

FIRST INVENTION IN GERMANY
TO THE END OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY;
and from

IT'S INTRODUCTION INTO ENGLAND,
BY CAXTON, TO THE PRESENT TIME;
Including, Among a Variety of curious and interefting Matter,
ITS PROGRESS IN THE PROVINCES;

with chronological Lifts of EMINENT PRINTERS

In ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, and IRELAND:

TOGETHER

With Anecdotes of feveral eminent and literary CHARACTERS, who have honoured the ART by their Attention to its IMPROVEMENT:

ALSO A PARTICULAR AND COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE

WALPOLEAN PRESS,

ESTABLISHED AT STRAWBERRY HILL; With an accurate Lift of every PUBLICATION iflued therefrom, and the exact Number printed thereof.

AT THE CONCLUSION IS GIVEN

A CURIOUS DISSERTATION ON THE

ORIGIN OF THE USE OF PAPER; Alfo, a complete HISTORY of the ART of WOOD-CUTTING AND ENGRAVING ON COPPER, From its firft Invention in ITALY to its lateft Improvement IN GREAT BRITAIN;

concluding with the Adjudication of LITERARY PROPERTY;

Or the LAWS and TERMS to which Authors, Defigners, and Publishers, are feparately fubject.

With a Catalogue of remarkable BIBLES and COMMON PRAYERBOOKS, from the Infancy of Printing to the prefent time.

EXTRACTED FROM THE BEST AUTHORITIES,

BY HENRY LEMOINE, BIBLIOP. LOND.

LONDON, 1797: ·

Printed and Sold by S. FISHER, No. 10, St. John's Lane Clerkenwell; alfo fold by Lee and Hurst, No. 32, Paternofter Row,

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PREFACE.

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THE idea purfued in the following pages is the fame as that which runs through WATSON'S HIStory of PrinTING; to give a fuccinct and exact account of the most famous Printers, from the invention of the Art to the prefent time. For this purpofe, every material work upon the fubject has been examined; but thofe principally followed are MAITTAIRE, MALINKROT, CHEVILLIER, FOURNIER, and ORLANDI, an Italian author, whofe works upon the Origin o Printing came out in 4to. at Rome in 1759, and cannot be too well known. These are the chief authorities for the foreign part. PALMER, MEERMAN, MIDDLETON, AMES, by HERBERT, E. R. MORES, the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, LIFE OF BOWYER, and the BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY, have furnifhed the materials for the English part; in which will be found many anecdotes not hitherto noticed, or but fightly paffed over. Some attention has also been paid to the progrefs of Founderies at home; for wich purpofe, Mr. Mores' Anecdotes of that ingenious Art have been particularly confulted. The Progress of Printing in Scotland and Ireland is alfo duly recorded, as well as in the provinces, and the books of the earliest date carefully noted.

Should the work appear diminutive in the eyes of fome, it fhould be noticed that the print is fmail and clofe alfo, and the matter contained is equal to what spreads over the sheets of a fix fhilling volume. But profit was not fo much confulted in this place as concifenefs and cheapnefs, and to deliver to the world the fubftance of many works without their tedious and controverfial prolixity.