. with one accomplice, fled to Amsterdam, thence to Cologne, and at last settled at Mentz. Here he remained in security, and, with his purloined tools, printed the Doctrinale' of Alexander Galius, and the Tracts' of Peter of Spain. Laurentius had now, instead of cutting into the tablets, cast the let ters by themselves, and placed them, by means of ligatures, on the page. Some historians assert that these letters were always of wood. A workman named Geinsfleich, also stole some of the type, and settled at Mentz, which accounts for the claim of that city: he was assisted there by one Fust, a wealthy person, who together with John Meidenbachius, had a share in the business, and in 1444 they were joined by Gutenburg from Strasbourg, who had gained all his information from Laurentius' men, thus at once showing that this city had no claim to originality. This party soon invented the cut metal types, and in 1450 the first edition of the bible came forth, having been nearly eight years in the completion. Soon after, Peter Schæffer rendered the art comparatively perfect, by finding out a mode of casting the letters in moulds or matrices, thus saving the labour of cutting them out of the solid metal: for which discovery Fust gave him his daughter in marriage. All the parties connected with these printers were sworn to secresy; but the sacking of Mentz, like the confusion of tongues at Babel, spread the art over the whole continent. The first book printed with the improved type was 'Durandi Rationale, in 1459: at which time, however, it seems they had only cast letters of a certain size, the larger ones being cut. Vellum, too, was more printed on than paper at first; but about 1470 the latter came into general use.From this period the art made a rapid progress in the principal towns of Europe. In 1490, it reached Constantinople; and by the middle of the next century it had extended to Africa and America. About 1560 it was introduced into Russia, where it was for political purposes speedily suppressed: and even now may be considered but in its cradle. With respect to England, it was a constant opinion, delivered down by our historians, that the art of printing was first practised by William Caxton, a mercer and citizen of London, who, by his travels, informed himself of the process, and established a press soon after 1471; but a book has been discovered, bearing the date of 1468, printed at Oxford, and now deposited in the public library at Cambridge, which has robbed Caxton of a glory he had long possessed, and Oxford has ever since carried the honour of the first press. It appears from an ancient record in Lambeth palace, that Henry the sixth sent Mr. Tumour, his master of the robes, with Mr. Caxton, to Haarlem, to induce one of Gutenburg's men secretly to come to England: one Corsellis was at length bribed, and conveyed from Holland forthwith to Oxford, where a military guard was put over him, that he might not effect his escape before he had fulfilled his agreement. So that printing began at Oxford: and this before there was either press or printer in France, Spain, Italy, or Germany, save in the city of Mentz. The king then set up a press at St. Alban's, and another at Westminster, his majesty himself having the emoluments arising from all the books in the kingdom printed. In the latter press, it seems, Mr. Caxton was engaged. Before 1465, the uniform character was the old Gothic or German, whence our black letfer was formed; but in that year an edition of Lactantius was published in a kind of semi-gothic, of great elegance for that day, and approaching nearly to the present Roman type; which last was first used at Rome in 1467. To wards 1500, Aldus invented the Italic character, but especially distinguished himself by the beauty of his Greek works; for, previously to his time, it was a common practice to mix up all such English letters with the type, as were similar to the characters of that language. From this period, up to the close of the last century, printing has gradually improved, especially in France and this country: but England bears the palm at the present moment; and we are now brought to speak of the rapid approach the art is making to perfection. The steam presses es tablished within the last few years by M. Koing, a German printer, have promised to effect all that science can desire; and it is with great pleasure we draw the attention of our readers to the one by which the Adventurer is printed; which is allowed by all conversant with the subject, to be one of the first of the few yet constructed, as regards its simplicity, its powers, and its execution. M. Koing, it appears, after applying in vam to the continental printers to support his project, came to this land, where real merit is rarely overlooked, and at last found a friend in Mr. Bensley. That gentleman, (the father of Mr. B. Bensley, the proprietor of the steam presses,) introduced him to Mr. R. Taylor; and this trio persevered amidst unforeseen perplexities, which were doubtless not diminished by the parties' deficiency in practical mechanical knowledge.-Cylindrical printing was at length thought of, and, after some two or three years, a small machine was brought forth, by which, instead of the printing being produced by a flat impression, as in the common press, the sheet passed between a large roller, and the types, still flat: while in the place of the old balls which were beat upon the type to give it ink, skins were strained round smaller rollers, over which the ink spread itself, and under which the form (or frame in which the letters are fixed) passed to the printing cylinder. This led to two much im proved and larger machines, by which the Times newspaper is printed: these, as well as the one before named, could print only one side of the paper at a time. Soon after, one was erected for Messrs. Bensley, much improved in its construction, and printing both sides by one passage through the machine; it merely requiring the sheet to be put into the feeder, from which it is carried along and delivered to the receiver perfected! This machine, though still complex, had other advantages than those stated; among which may be mentioned what is termed registering, or causing the pages to fall precisely on the back of each other. The inking rollers were now to be improved, and instead of having the strained skins over them, they not presenting a sur face sufficiently smooth, an elastic preparation of glue, &c. was tried upon them, and eventually succeeded. A yet superior press having been finished by Mr. Dryden, the engineer, the inking apparatus was applied to Mr. Bensley's machine, by which no less than forty wheels were removed: thus simplified it was used till the destruction of the establishment by fire in 1819. This comparatively massive and complicated erection has, however, been succeeded by a large and highly superior machine, built on the most improved plan; and whereas the last described contained upwards of an hundred wheels, the one by which the Adventurer is printed, has in it only ten, and accomplishes with that reduced number, in point of quantity, exactly the same object, and in re gard to quality far exceeds any former productions of steam presses. The last mentioned machine throws off from 800 to 1000 sheets, printed on both sides, within the hour.-Mr. Bensley has other presses, by one of which the Morning Chronicle and other newspapers are printed: it strikes but one side of the paper at a time, at the rate of from 1600 to 2000 per hour, and is adapted to newspapers, which always, to save time, have one side worked off while the other is preparing. Thus have we watched the progress of the art which, we repeat, hath been so fertile in both good and evil; which hath not only had so large a share in promoting the happiness and misery of man here, but also in giving birth to that moral excellence and defection, which have reference to another mode of existence for reward and punishment. We have seen it struggling into being in the bark of a tree, as if nature had been willing to release man from his responsibility: we observe man, daring and free-willed man, scorning the tender offer, and taking again the burden on his own shoulders. We have witnessed its gradual approach to what may be termed perfection, through a period of four centuries: and since it is now a far easier task to print books than to write them, it surely behoves those intrusted with the welfare and happiness of millions, so to watch over this powerful instrument of good and evil, that its liberty degenerate not into licentiousness, and that while advancing the interests of literature and of science, it overlook not those of religion and virtue. An accurate engraving of the above press may be seen at the office of the Evening Post. From the same. The Boa Constrictor. WE lately copied an article from the Salem Gazette, which mentioned that the skin of a young serpent of the species of Boa, six feet four inches in length, had been deposited in the East-India museum in that town. When this reptile arrives at its full growth, it sometimes measures upwards of thirty feet in length, and is said to be a favourite food with the natives of some countries. A living one was lately exhibited in London,which measured about eighteen feet. In the narrative of the wreck of the British frigate Alcaste, by M'Leod, the surgeon of that vessel, is an account of a Boa Constrictor of great interest. This Boa was a native of Borneo, and had been sent to Batavia, where he was embarked. "He was brought on board shut up in a wooden crib or cage, the bars of which were sufficiently close to prevent his escape; and it had a sliding door, for the purpose of admitting the articles on which it was to subsist: the dimensions of the crib were about four feet high, and about five feet square, a space sufficiently large to allow him to coil himself round the cage. The live stock for his use during the passage, consisting of six goats of an ordinary size, were sent with him on board, five being considered as a full allowance for as many months. At an early period of the voyage we had an exhibition of his talent in the way of eating, which was publicly performed on the quarter-deck, upon which he was brought. The sliding-door being opened, one of the goats was thrust in, and the door of the cage shut. The poor goat, as if instantly aware of all the horrors of its perilous situation, immediately began to utter the most piercing and distressing cries, butting instinctively, at the same time, with its head towards the serpent, in self-defence. VOL. VII. "The snake, which at first appeared scarcely to notice the poor animal, soon' began to stir a little, and, turning his head in the direction of the goat, it at length fixed a deadly and malignant eye on the trembling victim, whose agony and terror seemed to increase; for previous to the snake seizing its prey, it shook in every limb, but still continuing its unavailing show of attack, by butting at the serpent, who now became sufficiently animated to prepare for the banquet. The first operation was that of darting out his forked tongue, and at the same time rearing a little his head; then suddenly seizing the goat by the fore leg with his mouth, and throwing him down, he was encircled in an instant in his horrid folds. So quick, indeed, and so instantaneous was the act, that it was impossible for the eye to follow the rapid convolution of his elongated body. It was not a regular screwlike turn that was formed, but resembling rather a knot, one part of the body overlaying the other, as if to add weight to the muscular pressure, the more effectually to crush his object. During this time he continued to grasp with his mouth, though it appeared an unnecessary precaution, that part of the animal which he had first seized. The poor goat, in the mean time, continued its feeble and half-stifled cries for some minutes, but they soon became more and more faint, and at last it expired. The snake, however, retained it for a considerable time in its grasp, after it was apparently motionless. He then began slowly and cautiously to unfold himself, till the goat fell dead from his monstrous embrace, when he began to prepare himself for the feast. Placing his mouth in front of the head of the dead animal, he commenced by lubricating with his saliva that part of the goat; and then taking its muzzle into his mouth, which had, and indeed always has, the appearance of a raw la cerated wound, he sucked it in, as far as the horns would allow. These protuberances opposed some little difficulty, not so much from their extent, as from their points; however, they also, in a very short time, disappeared; that is to say, externally; but their progress was still to be traced very distinctly on 48 the outside, threatening every moment to protrude through the skin. The vic tim had now descended as far as the shoulders; and it was an astonishing sight to observe the extraordinary action of the snake's muscles when stretched to such an unnatural extent; an extent which must have utterly destroyed all muscular power in any animal that was not, like itself, endowed with very peculiar faculties of expansion and action at the same time. When his head and neck had no other appearance than that of a serpent's skin, stuffed almost to bursting, still the workings of the muscles were evident, and his power of suction, as it is erroneously called, unabated; it was, in fact, the effect of a contractile muscular power, assisted by two rows of strong hooked teeth. With all this, he must be so formed, as to be able to suspend, for a time, his respiration; for it is impossible to conceive that the process of breathing could be carried on while the mouth and throat were so completely stuffed and expanded by the body of the goat, and the lungs themselves (admitting the trachea to be ever so hard) compressed, as they must have been, by its passage downwards, "The whole operation of completely. gorging the goat, occupied about two hours and twenty minutes; at the end of which time the tumefaction was confined to the middle part of the body, or stomach, the superior parts, which had been so much distended, having resumed their natural dimensions. He now coiled himself up again, and laid quietly in his usual torpid state for about three weeks or a month, when, his last meal appearing to be completely digested and dissolved, he was presented with another goat, which he devoured with equal facility. It would appear that almost all he swallows is converted into nutrition, for a small quantity of calcareous matter, (and that perhaps not a tenth part of the bones of the animal,) with occasionally some of the hairs, seemed to compose his general fæces; and this may account for these animals being able to remain so long without a supply of food. He had more difficulty in killing a fowl than a larger animal, the former being too small for his grasp. "As the ship approached the Cape of Good Hope, this animal began to droop, as was then supposed, from the increasing coldness of the weather, which may probably have had its influence, and he refused to kill some fowls which were offered to him. Be tween the Cape and St. Helena, he was found dead in his cage; and, on dissection, the coats of his stomach were discovered to be excoriated and perforated by worms. Nothing remained of the goat except one of the horns, every other part being dissolved.” Theological Seminary. The annual address on occasion of the re-opening, after vacation of the general theological seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, was delivered in Trinity church, in this city, on Thursday evening, the 13th of November, by the Rev Bird Wilson, P. D. professor of systematic divinity. The evening prayer was read by the Rev. John C. Rudd, D. D. rector of St. John's church, Elizabeth-Town, New-Jersey. We are happy to learn that a copy of the address has been re quested, and is given for publication. Height of Mountains. The memoirs of the academy of Turin contains details of the ascent of two Italians to the top of Mont Rosa, which M. Saussure, after many fruitless attempis to reach it, declared to be inaccessible. The result is, that Mont Rosa has been ascertained to be the highest mountain in Europe, its summit being 15,600 feet above the level of the sea, Formerly Mont Blanc, rising 14,793 feet, was considered the highest-NewYork Evening Post, Remarkable Occurrence, The Quebec Gazette contains an ar ticle under date of Three Rivers, Sep. 2, stating, that" on the 28th of last month, about three o'clock in the afternoon, the inhabitants of the village of Hayotte, in the parish of Champlain, were alarmed by the following extraordinary occur rence: A tract of land, containing a superfices of 207 arpents, was suddenly moved five or six arpents (about 360 yards) from the water's edge, and pre cipitated into the river Champlain, overwhelming in its progress barns, houses, trees, and whatever else lay in its course. The earth thus removed dammed up the river for a distance of 26 arpents. The effect was instantaneous, and accompanied by an appalling sound; a dense vapour, as of pitch and sulphur, filled the atmosphere, op pressing those who witnessed this awful convulsion almost to suffocation. A man named Dube, who was on the ground at the time, was removed with it to a considerable distance, and buried up to the neck; he was extricated without receiving any serious injury. The course of the river being thus obstruct ed, the waters swelled to a great height. -The above named Dube has lost an island which he had on the river. Another inhabitant, named Hamelin, has also suffered a loss of land, wheat, and hay; and a third, named Francis Gossett, has had his hay and grain destroyed. The investigation of this singular phenomenon may well engage the attention of the philosophic inquirer. Various causes are at present assigned for it, such as the effect of a volcanic eruption, or an earthquake; and by ethers it is supposed to have been produced by the water having insinuated itself between the strata of clay and the subjacent bed of sand." The new Pope. Cardinal Della Genga was elected Pope on the 27th of Sept and has taken the title of Leo XII. He is an Italian. He was nuncio during 14 years in the electorates of the Rhine. At the period of the persecutions exercised by Bonaparte, he was obliged to quit Rome, with the other prelates and cardinals borne out of the states which remained. to the sovereign pontiff. At the epoch of the restoration, he was sent by the late Pope (Pius VII.) to congratulate Louis XVIII. on his return, and he was afflicted at Paris with a long illness, In 1815 he was reinstated with the pur ple. At the moment of his nomination he was cardinal vicar, that is, administrator, as regards spiritual affairs, of the diocese of Rome, He is, it is said, a man of great learning, accustomed to business, and of irreproachable morals. For the Christian Journal. "Our Father, who art in Heaven," &c. And, as in heaven, before thy throne, For thine the sceptre is, and throne, For the Christian Journal. Thy virgins droop with sickening grief, His little arms, and cries for bread-→→ My fading eyes with tears o'erflows Nor sleep my aching heart can know, Arise! and cry aloud to GOD: |