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Story of Books, The

<h2>CHAPTER XII EARLY PRINTING IN SCOTLAND</h2> Scotland was one of the last of the countries of Europe to appreciate the advantages of typography so far as to possess herself of a printing-press. She was also, as we have pointed out in a previous chapter, the only one, save England, and possibly Holland, to have the art of printing brought to her by one of her own sons and not by a foreigner. The first Scottish printer was Andrew Myllar, an Edinburgh bookseller, who imported books from England and from France, and who, in the latter country, learned how to print. Two books are extant which were printed for him on the continent, probably at Rouen by Laurence Hostingue, and these are worth noticing. The first may speak for itself, through its colophon, of which the following is a translation:—“The Book of certain ‘Words Equivocal,’ in alphabetical order, along with an interpretation in the English tongue, has been happily finished. Which <ins title="Androw">Andrew</ins> Myllar, a Scotsman, has been solicitous should be printed, with admirable art and corrected with diligent care, both in orthographic style, according to the ability available, and cleared from obscurity. In the year of the Christian Redemption, One thousand five hundred and fifth.” The second book is an <cite lang="la" xml:lang="la">Expositio Sequentiarum</cite>, or Book of Sequences, of the Salisbury use, printed in 1506. <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/p0132-image.jpg" width-obs="417" height-obs="544" alt="" title="" /> <div class="caption">MYLLAR'S DEVICE.</div> </div> In 1507 Myllar was taken into partnership by Walter Chepman, and fortified by a royal privilege these two set up the first Scottish printing-press, with plant and types and workmen brought by Myllar from France. Chepman furnished the capital and Myllar the knowledge. Their press was situated at the foot of Blackfriars Wynd in the Southgate in Edinburgh. The privilege sets forth that Myllar and Chepman have “at our instance and request, for our plesour, the honour and proffit of our Realme and Liegis, takin on thame to furnis and bring hame ane prent, with all stuff belangand tharto, and expert men to use the sammyn for imprenting within our Realme the bukis of our Lawis, actis of parliament, cronicles, mess bukis,” etc. It is believed that the favour and encouragement shown to Myllar and Chepman by the King was the result of the influence of William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen, who had prepared a Breviary, <cite lang="la" xml:lang="la">Breviarum Aberdonense</cite>, which he wished to be used by his countrymen to the exclusion of the Salisbury Missal, and that the real purpose of the promotion of the first printing-press in Scotland was the printing of this work. For the privilege goes on to say: “And alis it is divisit and thocht expedient be us and our consall, that in tyme cuming mess bukis, efter our awin scottis use, and with legendis of Scottis sanctis, as is now gaderit and ekit be ane Reverend fader in God, and our traist consalour Williame bischope of abirdene and utheris, be usit generaly within al our Realme alssone as the sammyn may be imprentit and providet, and that na maner of sic bukis of Salusbery use be brocht to be sauld within our Realme in tym cuming.” Anyone infringing this decree was to be punished and the books forfeited. But the earliest work of the Southgate press consisted of literature of a lighter sort, and, when dated at all, is dated 1508, while the Breviary did not make its appearance till later. These early productions, which survive only in fragments, included <cite>The Porteous of Noblenes</cite>, <cite>The Knightly Tale of Golagros and Gawane</cite>, <cite>Sir Eglamoure of Artoys</cite>, <cite>The Maying or Disport</cite> of Chaucer, and several others. <cite>The Maying or Disport</cite> of Chaucer is the most perfect specimen remaining, and its exact date can be ascertained from its colophon, which reads as follows:— <blockquote class="black-letter"> Heir endis the maying and disport of Chaucer. Imprētit in the southgait of Edinburgh be Walter chepman and Androw myllar the fourth day of <ins title="apile">aprile</ins> the yhere of God M.CCCCC. and viii yheris. </blockquote> The <cite>Maying and Disport</cite> is better known as the <cite>Complaynt of a Lover's Life</cite>, or the <cite>Complaynt of the Black Knight</cite>. <hr class="vertical-space"/> Strange to say, we hear no more of Myllar after this. But Chepman comes forward again in connection with the Breviary (though it is uncertain whether he was its printer), and probably printed some other books which have been lost. The Breviary is a small octavo in two volumes, the first of which appeared in 1509 and the other in 1510. It is printed in red and black Gothic characters. The conclusion of the Latin colophon to the second volume may be rendered as follows:— “Printed in the town of Edinburgh, by the command and at the charge of the honourable gentleman Walter Chepman, merchant in the said town, on the fourth day of June in the year of our Lord 1510.” The next Scottish printer, so far as is known, was a certain John Story, though only an <cite>Office of Our Lady of Pity</cite>, accompanied by a legend on the subject of the relics of St Andrew, remains to testify to us of his existence. It was printed “by command of Charles Steele,” and Dr Dickson dates it at (perhaps) about 1520. Rather more than twenty years later, Thomas Davidson became King's Printer in Edinburgh. His only dated work was <cite>The Nevv Actis And Constitvtionis of Parliament Maid Be The Rycht Excellent Prince Iames The Fift Kyng of Scottis 1540</cite>. The title-page of this book consists of a large woodcut of the Scottish arms, above which is the title in four lines printed in Roman capitals. This book also displays all three forms of type—black letter, Roman, and Italic. Its colophon, which is printed in Italics, is as follows:— Imprentit in Edinburgh, be Thomas Davidson, dweling abone the nether bow, on the north syde of the gait, the aucht day of Februarii, the zeir of God. 1541. zeris. But there is some of Davidson's undated work which is earlier than this, though it is not known for certain when he began to print. Of these undated publications, <cite lang="la" xml:lang="la">Ad Serenissimum Scotorum Regem Iacobum Quintum de suscepto Regni Regimine a diis feliciter ominato Strena</cite> is notable as affording the earliest example of the use of Roman type by a Scottish printer, for its title is printed in these characters. Only one copy is known, and that is in the British Museum. Opinions differ as to its date, but the majority assign it to the year 1528. Davidson's most important production, however, was his beautiful folio edition of Bellenden's translation of Hector Boece's work, <cite>The hystory and croniklis of Scotland</cite>. This, says Dr Dickson, is “an almost unrivalled specimen of early British typography. It is one of those gems which the earlier period of the art so frequently produced, but which no future efforts of the press have surpassed or even equalled.” It has a title-page similar to that of the <cite>Nevv Actis</cite>, but the title itself is printed in handsome red Gothic characters. Dr Dickson, to whose learned <cite>Annals of Scottish Printing</cite> (completed, on account of the author's ill-health, by Mr J. P. Edmond) I am indebted for the details of early Scottish typography given above, assigns this book to the year 1542. Having seen the printing-press fairly set to work in Scotland, it will not be necessary here to notice its later productions. But before closing the chapter it will be interesting to observe that Edinburgh was the place of publication of the first work printed in the Gaelic language. This was Bishop Carswell's translation of the Scottish Prayer-Book, which was printed in 1567 by Roibeard (Robert) Lekprevik. It is in the form of Gaelic common at that time to both Scotland and Ireland, and therefore as regards language it forestalls the <cite>Irish Alphabet and Catechism</cite>, Dublin, 1571, to which reference is made below. The type of Carswell's Prayer-Book, however, is Roman. The following is a translation of its title-page, made by Dr M'Lauchlan:— <blockquote> FORMS OF Prayer and administration of the sacraments and catechism of the Christian faith, here below. According as they are practised in the churches of Scotland which have loved and accepted the faithful gospel of God, on having put away the false faith, turned from the Latin and English into Gaelic by Mr John Carswell Minister of the Church of God in the bounds of Argyll, whose other name is Bishop of the Isles. No other foundation can any man lay save that which is laid even Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3. </blockquote> Printed in d�n Edin whose other name is D�n monaidh the 24th day of April 1567, By Roibeard Lekprevik. Lekprevik, whose first work, so far as is known, was produced in 1561, printed not only in Edinburgh, but also in Stirling and St Andrews, at different times. <h2>CHAPTER XIII EARLY PRINTING IN IRELAND</h2> In heading a chapter “Early Printing in Ireland,” one is somewhat reminded of the celebrated chapter on snakes. As a matter of fact, however, there is no real analogy. Ireland was very slow to adopt the printing-press, and made little use of it when she did adopt it, yet it would not be quite accurate to say that there was no early printing in Ireland. But it can truthfully be said that Ireland's early printing was late—late, that is, compared with that of other countries. The first typographical work known to have been produced in Ireland is the Book of Common Prayer—the First Prayer-Book of Edward VI.—which was printed in Dublin in 1551 by Humfrey Powell. Powell was a printer in Holborn Conduit in 1548, and in 1551 went to Dublin and set up as King's Printer. A “Proclamation … against the rebels of the O'Conors.… Imprynted at Dublyn, by Humfrey Powell, 16th August, 1564,” seems to be the only other known specimen of his Dublin printing. The colophon of the first book printed on Irish ground is as follows:— <blockquote> Imprinted by Humfrey Powell, Printer to the Kynges Maiestie, in his hyghnesse realme of Ireland, dwellyng in the citee of Dublin in the great toure by the Crane. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Anno Domini M.D.LI. </blockquote> This Prayer-book is exceedingly rare. The British Museum possesses no copy, but has to content itself with photographs showing the title, colophon, etc., of that in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. Emanuel College, Cambridge, has one which formerly belonged to Archbishop Sancroft. Cotton, in his <cite>Typographical Gazetteer</cite>, says that Powell's Prayer-book is most creditable to the early Irish press. It is in the English language, and printed in black letter. The first book printed in the Gaelic language, though in Roman type, has already been spoken of. The first Gaelic type was exhibited to the world in a tiny volume of fifty-four pages printed at Dublin in 1571, and entitled <cite>Irish Alphabet and Catechism</cite>. This was compiled by John O'Kearney, and contained the elements of the Irish language, the Catechism, some prayers, and Archbishop Parker's articles of the Christian rule. The following is a facsimile of the title-page to which a translation is added:— <blockquote> Irish Alphabet and Catechism. Precept or instruction of a Christian, together with certain articles of the Christian rule, which are proper for everyone to adopt who would be submissive to the ordinance of God and of the Queen in this Kingdom; translated from Latin and English into Irish by John O'Kearney. <div class="poem" style="width: 18em;"> <div class="stanza"> Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever. <div class="right">Ps. xliv. ver. 23.</div> </div></div> <hr class="small-line"/> Printed in Irish in the town of the Ford of the Hurdles, at the cost of Master John Usher, alderman, at the head of the Bridge, the 20th day of June 1571. With the privilege of the great Queen. <hr class="small-line"/> 1571 </blockquote> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/p0140-image.jpg" width-obs="415" height-obs="674" alt="" title="" /> <div class="caption">title-page of <ins title="OKearney's">O'Kearney's</ins> Irish alphabet and catechism (slightly reduced)</div> </div> This book was produced by John O'Kearney, sometime treasurer of St Patrick's Cathedral, and his friend Nicholas Walsh, chancellor of St Patrick's and afterwards Bishop of Ossory, and the John Usher who defrayed the expense was then Collector of Customs of the port of Dublin. Its appearance was considered a momentous event by those concerned with it, for great benefits were anticipated for the Irish people as soon as “their national tongue and its own dear alphabet” were reduced to print, as O'Kearney states at some length in the preface. He also tells us that the types from which this volume was printed were provided “at the cost of the high, pious, great, and mighty prince Elizabeth.” In this connection it is worth while to notice two extant records, one among the State Papers (Irish Series) and the other among the Acts of the Privy Council. From the first, made some time in December 1567, we gather that Queen Elizabeth had already paid �66. 13s. 4d. “for the making of carecters for the testament in irishe,” and that this Testament was not yet in the press. The second (August 1587) states that the New Testament was translated into Irish by Walsh and O'Kearney, but “never imprynted, partlie for want of proper characters and men of that nacion and language skillful in the mystery of pryntyng,” and partly on account of the cost. I can find no other record of the provision of a fount of Irish types at the Queen's expense, and having no more definite information at hand on this point, and taking into consideration the contents of the book—an Irish alphabet, and directions for reading Irish, and a catechism, etc. (by way of exercise?)—its diminutive size and the imperfection of its print, I venture the suggestion that O'Kearney's work was printed as a trial of the new types given by the Queen and intended for printing the New Testament. This view is supported by the first words of the preface: “Here, O reader, you have the first value and fruit of that great instructive work, which I have been producing and devising for you for a long time, that is, the faithful and perfect type of the Gaelic tongue.” The conclusion seems to be that the types were inadequate for the larger work, and that for some reason there was a difficulty about supplying more or finding anyone to undertake the printing. The preface further says, after requesting corrections and amendments as regards the typography: “And it is not alone that I am asking you to give this kind friendly correction to the printing, but also to the translation or rendering made of this catechism put forth as far back as 1563 of the age of the Lord and [which] is now more correct and complete, with the principal articles of the Christian faith associated therewith.” This has led some to think that there was an earlier edition of the <cite>Alphabet and Catechism</cite>. But it seems plain that O'Kearney refers to the Catechism only, not to the whole book, and equally plain that the 1563 work, whatever it was, was not printed in Irish type, or there would have been no special occasion to glorify the 1571 <cite>Alphabet and Catechism</cite>. Since nothing is known of the <cite>Catechism</cite> of 1563, it is very possible that it existed only in manuscript and never went to press. I have gone into this matter of the <cite>Irish Alphabet and Catechism</cite> of 1571 somewhat at length, because I am not aware that it has ever yet received detailed attention. The quotations I have given from the preface are from an anonymous manuscript translation inserted in the British Museum copy. O'Kearney's <cite>Irish Alphabet and Catechism</cite> is so rare that only three copies are known to exist: one being in the British Museum, one in the Bodleian Library, and one in the library of Lincoln Cathedral. The fount of types from which it was printed was not quite correct; for instance, the small Roman “a” is used, and an “H” is introduced, a letter foreign to the Gaelic alphabet. During the seventeenth century, and even later, most of the Irish books were sent to be printed on the continent or in England. Several books by Irish authors, chiefly catechisms, works on the language, and dictionaries, bear the names of Louvain, Antwerp, Rome or Paris, such as the <cite>Catechism</cite> of Bonaventure Hussey, printed at Louvain in 1608, and reprinted at Antwerp in 1611 and 1618. <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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