New Friends.--The Nun.--Gutenberg at Work again.--Printing of the
“Balbus de Janua.”--Other Works.--A Curious Record.--Death of the
Great Inventor.--Fadeless Laurels.
Was the art for which Gutenberg had toiled all his life, forever to
be torn from him, and his rivals alone garner the fruits? In his
despondency Anna was hopeful. She would often say to him,--
“There will be a way of deliverance. Thou has wintered with misfortunes
ere this, and camest forth unharmed; and now, even if everything is
taken, God can change the hearts of those who have wronged thee, and
incline others to enlist in thy behalf.”
“Those are noble sentiments,” Gutenberg would reply; “and if all things
else are adverse, my Anna is true, and gives me good counsel.”
Genuine faith is never unrewarded; and as if to encourage Anna, about
this time Friele Gutenberg, having returned from Venice, where he had
spent some years, visited his brother at the Zum Jungen. Gutenberg told
him the story of his art, and how, when he had nearly completed the
Bible, he was overwhelmed by a lawsuit, being unjustly required to pay
money to Faust before he could raise anything from the sales.
Friele was shocked at the recital; and at his request Gutenberg
conducted him to the printing rooms, and showed him copies of the Bible.
“Why,” exclaimed Friele, “this is indeed wonderful! It is the most
beautiful book I ever beheld. And is the issuing of it entirely taken
out of thy hands, my brother?”
“It is even so,” was the reply. “I have been constrained to retire from
the firm, and have no means to prosecute the art which has been the
study of my life.”
“But yours is a success,” said Friele. “You ought to be encouraged. I
will aid you to the extent of my ability, and influence my friends to
do something for you. There is also something due you from our father’s
estate, which will soon be settled; and this, with other sums, will
establish you in business under favorable auspices.”
This was so unexpected that Gutenberg, overcome, could only press his
brother’s hand in grateful silence.
Friele’s sympathies were indeed earnestly enlisted in his brother’s
cause. The injustice and ingratitude of Faust and Schoeffer stirred
his indignation, and he resolved that the true inventor should
again engage in his chosen vocation. He soon sought out his sister
Hebele, who, although a nun in the St. Claire Convent, was not wholly
inaccessible to her brothers. She retained her old affection for her
favorite John, and, on hearing Friele’s rehearsal of his successful
invention and subsequent losses, voluntarily offered to loan him the
sixty florins which was soon to be paid her from the estate of her
father.
“My noble Hebele!” exclaimed Friele enthusiastically, “that is so like
thyself! How it will encourage John! I will do as much on my part, and
I doubt not we shall soon have the gratification of again seeing him
prosperously printing.”
Friele was a man of standing and influence in the city, and lost no
time in conferring with his friend, Conrad Humery, Syndic of Mentz.
This good dignitary became so deeply interested in Friele’s accounts
of his brother John’s struggles, triumphs, and wrongs, that he begged
at once to be introduced to him. Friele accordingly accompanied him to
the Zum Jungen, where they found John Gutenberg in a back room, busy
polishing gems, and Anna diligent at her embroidery frame.
The Syndic was past middle age, affable and easy, the goodness of his
heart beaming in his expressive eye and fine countenance. Gutenberg
felt acquainted with him almost intuitively, and, in answer to his
kind inquiries, briefly related the history of his long experiments and
checkered experiences.
“That last lawsuit was most scandalous!” said the Syndic; “such a thing
ought not to be tolerated in Mentz! Would that I had known of thy trial
at the time; I doubt not the case might have been adjudged differently.
I will, however, do what I can for thee.”
He was as good as his word. Fully appreciating Gutenberg’s estimable
qualities, he even offered to lend him money, again to commence in
business, and would, if desired, become a silent partner.
This was most welcome to Gutenberg, and he cordially accepted his
generous proposals.
At Friele’s suggestion, he lost no time in removing into the mansion
formerly occupied by his father, where his brother now lived. It was
a fine old edifice, roomy, baronial, and substantial, dating back
hundreds of years. It was in no sense inferior to the Zum Jungen; and
the inventor had a comfortable suite of family apartments, as well as
convenient printing rooms.
Previous to his removal, as he was making preparations to leave, Dr.
Faust called on him, and, extending his hand, said,--
“I owe you many apologies, master, for my unjust treatment in the
matter of the lawsuit. It costs me an effort to admit this; but I feel
that I have injured you, and must seek to make amends. I have been to
Paris, engaged in the sale of Bibles, and have seen your connection
with the art of printing as never before. Success has softened and
removed my prejudices; and I shall have no peace of mind until you
pardon me, and take your place in the firm.”
Gutenberg was both surprised and indignant. He had been foully wronged
by Faust and Schoeffer, and it seemed like adding insult to injury
for them so late in the day to make amends by bald apologies. He had
been too much hurt by their unkindness to think of resuming his former
position as partner.
“Moreover,” urged Friele, to whom he confided the matter, “you cannot
think of accepting merely nominal concessions. They do not frankly
confess how cruelly they have wronged you. And were you to join the
firm again without as public a confession as the insult they gave you,
you would be wanting in self-respect. And what guarantee can you have
that they will not treat you ill a second time? I counsel you to remove
to the homestead, where you can have ample facilities for prosecuting
your chosen employment.”
We can only conjecture the motives which influenced Faust in his
apologies to Gutenberg. Perhaps, now that his pecuniary trial was over,
he felt sincerely to regret the separation from the distinguished man
who he must fain acknowledge was the originator of the art which had
brought fame and money to himself and partner. Or it may be that he
dreaded his influence as a rival.
Waiving Faust’s proposal, Gutenberg hastened to establish himself in
the mansion of his ancestors.
In resuming printing, he found much delay from the necessity of
making everything anew. He had irrecoverably lost the labor of years.
He must construct more presses, another set of punches, and new
type. The presses were manufactured in as good style as those he had
relinquished; but sadly he missed the nice execution of Schoeffer in
getting up the punches and type.
He was, it is true, aided by two of his old office workmen,--Martin
and Hanau; but his _stucke_ was nevertheless inferior in finish to
that which Schoeffer devised. He would not, however, relinquish his
enterprise on that account, but proceeded to print the “Balbus de
Janua.”
“Why not print more Bibles?” asked Martin Duttlinger in 1457, after
they had issued the “Balbus de Janua.”
“My Bibles are being printed by others!” replied the inventor, sadly.
“This care is taken from me; but I have the satisfaction of knowing
that it will be done as I planned it. I selected the vellum. How many
journeys I made to the manufacturer to insure a good article! How I
criticised and experimented with it until I succeeded in getting a
smooth, fine texture! The ink, too, what a labor it cost me! And the
regularity of setting up the page,--it was long before we attained it.
The cutting of the type occupied us a long time until we found the
method of casting it; and now, with the help of punches, we can make
the same elegant type. Why should I seek to issue another edition of
the Bible, when my own is publishing? I cannot compete as a salesman
with Faust; and the present Bible which is printing is as really my own
as another could be.”
“But will you not at least publish a Psalter?”
“Not at present,” replied Gutenberg; “this which Faust and Schoeffer
are issuing has been in press four years. When they thrust me from
the firm, the type was in readiness, and a portion of it was set up.
Two years and a half we had lavished skill and money upon it. This
also I must consider mainly my own, as I planned to issue it, and
superintended the work. Others reap my harvest; but they cannot destroy
the peace and satisfaction I enjoy in the consciousness of having been
the instrument of doing good.” Thus did the truly great man put by all
selfish considerations.
However, he continued to print various other works, among which were
the “Donatus,” the “Catholicon,” “Speculum Sacerdotum,” “Celebratio
Missarum,” and others.
There is on record a curious deed, or grant of property, which gives
quite an inkling of his affairs in 1459, when his brother Friele was
associated with him as a successful publisher.