batis Vrsp. it is recorded this facultie to be found. an. 1446.MarginaliaDe Typographia per Matteum Iuditem. Auentinus and Zieglerus do say, an. 1450. The first inuētour therof (as most agree) is thought to be a Germaine dwellyng first in Argentine, afterward Citizen of Mentz, named Iohn Faustus, a goldsmith. The occasiō of this inuention first was by engrauyng the letters of the Alphabet in metall: who then laying blacke incke vpon the mettall, gaue the forme of the letters in paper. The man beyng industrious, and actiue, perceauyng that, thought to procede further, and to proue whether it would frame as well in wordes, and in whole sentences, as it did in letters. Which when he perceaued to come well to passe, he made certeine other of his cousaile, one Iohn Guttemberge, and Peter Schafferd, byndyng them by their othe, to keepe silence, for a season. After x. yeares, Iohn Guttemberge compartener w^t Faustus, began then first to broch the matter at Strausbrough. The Arte beyng yet but rude, in processe of tyme, was set forward by inuentiue wittes, addyng more & more to the perfection therof. In the nūber of whom, Iohn Mētell, Iohn Prus, Adolphus Ruschius, were great helpers. Vlrichus Han, in Latine called Gallus, first brought it to Rome. Wherof the Epigramme was made.

MarginaliaCarmen Aut. Campani.
Anser Tarpeij custos, vigilando quòd alis
Constreperes, Gallus decidit: vltor adest
Vlricus Gallus, ne quem poscantur in vsum,
Edocuit pennis nil opus esse tuis.  

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An epigram on Ulricus Han (Gallus)

Foxe text Latin

Anser Tarpeii custos ... opus esse tuis.

Translation

J. Barrie Hall

Because the geese which were guardians of the Tarpeian rock kept watch and made a din with their wings, the Gaul fell. The avenger is at hand. Ulricus Gallus, lest they should be called upon for any service, taught that there was no need of your quills.

MarginaliaPrinting came of God. Notwithstandyng, what man soeuer was the instrument, without all doubt GOD himselfe was the ordainer and disposer therof, no otherwise, then he was of the gift of tongues, & that for a singular purpose.MarginaliaPrinting likened to the giftes of tounges. And well may this gift of Printing be resembled to the gift of toūgues: for like as God then spake with many tongues, and yet all that would not turne the Iewes, so now, when the holy Ghost speaketh to þ^e aduersaries in innumerable sortes of bookes, yet they will not be conuerted: nor turne to the Gospell.

Now to consider to what ende and purpose the Lorde hath geuen this gift of Printyng to the earth, and to what great vtilitie and necessitie it serueth, it is not hard to iudge, who so wisely perpendeth both the tyme of the sendyng, and the sequele which therof ensueth.

MarginaliaThe tyme considred whē Printing was founde. And first, touchyng the tyme of this facultie geuen to the vse of man, this is to be marked: that when as the Byshop of Rome, with all the whole & ful consent of his Cardinals, Patriarches, Archbyshops, Bishops, Abbots, Priours, Lawyers, Doctours, Prouostes, Deanes, Archdeacons, assembled together in the Councell of Constance, had condemned poore Iohn Hus, & Hierome of Prage to death for heresie, notwithstandyng they were no heretickes, and after they had subdued the Bohemians, and all the whole world vnder the supreme authoritie of the Romish sea: and had made all Christen people obediēciaries and vassals vnto the same, hauyng (as one would say) all þ^e world at their will, so that the matter now was past not onely the power of all men, but the hope also of any man to be recouered: In this very tyme so daungerous and desperate, where mans power could do no more, there the blessed wisedome and omnipotent power of the Lord begā to worke for his Church, not with sword and tergate to subdue his exalted aduersary, but with Printyng, writyng, and readyng, to conuince darkenes by light, errour by truth, ignoraunce by learnyng:MarginaliaDouble confusiō vpon the Pope by printing. So that by this meanes of printyng, the secret operation of God hath heaped vpon that proude kingdome a double confusion. For where as the Byshop of Rome, had burned Iohn Hus before, and Hierome of Prage, who neither denyed his transubstantiation, nor his supremacie, nor yet hys Popish Masse, but sayd Masse, and heard Masse themselues, neither spake agaynst his Purgatory, nor any other great matter of his Popish doctrine, but onely exclamed agaynst his excessiue and pompous pride, hys vnchristian, or rather Antichristian abhomination of lyfe: thus, while he could not abyde his wickednes onely of lyfe to be touched, but made it heresie, or at least matter of death, what soeuer was spoken agaynst his detestable conuersation, and maners: God of his secret iudgement, seyng tyme to helpe his Church, hath found a way by this facultie of printyng, not onely to confound his lyfe, and conuersation, whiche before, he could not abyde to be touched, but also to cast downe the foundation of his standyng, that is, to examine, confute, and detect his doctrine, lawes, and institution most detestable, in such sort, that though hys lyfe were neuer so pure: yet his doctrine stādyng, as it doth, no man is so blynd, but may see, that either the Pope is Antichrist, or els that Antichrist is neare cosine to the pope: And all this doth, and will hereafter more and more appeare by Printyng.

MarginaliaThe fruit and profite of printing. The reason wherof is this: for that hereby toūgues are knowen, knowledge groweth, iudgemēt increaseth, bookes are dispersed, the Scripture is sene, the Doctours be read, storyes be opened, tymes compared, truth decerned, falsehode detected, and with finger poynted, and all (as I sayd) thorough the benefite of printyng. Wherfore I suppose that either the Pope must abolishe Printyng, or he must seeke a new world to reigne ouer: for els, as this world standeth, printyng doubtles will abolish hym. Both the Pope, & all his Colledge of Cardinals, must this vnderstand, that thorough the light of Printyng, the world begynneth now to haue eyes to see, and heades to iudge. He can not walke so iniuisible in a net, but he will be spyed. And although thorough might he stopped the mouth of Iohn Hus before, & of Hierome, that they might not preach, thinkyng to make his kyngdome sure: yet in stede of Iohn Hus & other, God hath opened the presse to preach, whose voyce the Pope is neuer able to stop with all the puissance of his triple crowne. By this Printyng, as by the gift of toūgues, and as by the singulare organe of the holy Ghost, the doctrine of the Gospell soundeth to all nations and countreys vnder heauen: & what God reueleth to one man, is dispersed to many, and what is knowen in one nation, is opened to all.

MarginaliaGood counsayle to the pope. The first and best were for the Byshop of Rome, by the benefite of Printyng, to learne and know the truth. If he will not, let him well vnderstand that Printyng is not set vp for naught. To striue agaynst the streame, it auayleth not. What the Pope hath lost, since Printyng and the presse began to preach, let hym cast his counters. First when Erasmus wrote, and Frobenius Printed, what a blow therby was geuen to all Friers & Monkes in the world? And who seeth not, that the penne of Luther folowyng after Erasmus and set forward by Printyng, hath set the triple crowne so awrye on the Popes head, that it is lyke neuer to be set streight agayne.

Briefly, if their were no other demōstration to lead, yet by this one argument of Printyng, the Byshop of Rome might vnderstand the counsayle and purpose of the Lord to worke agaynst him, hauyng prouided such away in earth, that almost how many Printyng presses there be in the world, so many blockhouses there be agaynst the high castle of S. Angell. So that either the Pope must abolish knowledge and Printyng, or Printyng at length will roote hym out.MarginaliaSo preached the vicar of Croyden in K. Henry the 8. dayes, at Paules crosse, saying that either we must roote out printing, or els printing will roote out vs. For if a man wisely consider the hold and standyng of the pope, thus he may repute with himselfe, that as nothing made the Pope strong in time past, but lacke of knowledge, and ignoraunce of simple Christians: so contrarywise now nothyng doth debilitate and shake the high spire of his Papacie so much as reading, preachyng, knowledge and iudgement, that is to say, the fruit of Printyng: Wherof some experience we see already, and more is lyke (the Lord before) to folow. For although, through outward force and violent cruelty, toūgues dare not speake, yet the hartes of men dayly (no doubt) be instructed through this benefite of Printyng. And though the Pope both now by cruelty, and in times past by ignoraunce, had all vnder his possessiō: yet neither must he thinke, that violence will alwayes continue, neither must he hope for that now, which he had then: for so much as in those former dayes, bookes thē were scarse, and also of such excessiue price, that few could attayne to the buying, fewer to the readyng & studyng therof: which bookes now by the meanes of this Arte, are made easie vnto all mē. Ye heard before, pag. 642. how Nicolas Belward, bought a new Testament in those dayes for foure markes and. xl. pence, where as now the same price will serue well. xl. persons with so many bookes.

Moreouer in the, pag. 407. col. I. it was noted and declared by the testimony of Armachanus, how for defect of bookes and good authours, both vniuersities were decayed, and good wittes kept in ignoraūce, while beggyng Friers, scrapyng all the wealth from other Priestes, heaped vp all bookes that could be gotten, into their owne Libraryes: where either they dyd not diligently apply them, or els dyd not rightly vse them, or at least kept them frō such as more frutefully would haue perused them.

In this then so great raritie, and also dearth of good bookes, whē neither they which could haue bookes, would well vse them, nor they that would, could haue them to vse, what maruell if the gredynes of a few Prelates did abuse the blyndnes of those dayes, to the aduauncement of themselues? Wherfore, almightie God of his mercyfull prouidence, seyng both what lacked in the Church, and how also to remedy the same, for the aduauncement of his glory, gaue the vnderstandyng of this excellent Arte or science of Printyng,MarginaliaTriple cōmoditie by printyng. wherby three singular commodities at one tyme came to the world. First, the price of all bookes diminished. Se-