Excerpt from Typographical Antiquities: History, Origin, and Progress, of the Art of Printing, From Its First Invention in Germany to the End of the Seventeenth Century; And From Its Introduction Into England, by Caxton, to the Present Time
Before the invention of this Art, the efforts of literary inge unity were intirely confined within the very narrow limits of the pencil and the pen. Fifty years were fometimes employed to produce one hugle volume; an evidence of which lately occurred at the tale of the late Sir W. Burrel’s books, May I 796 among which, was a ms. Bible on vellum, beautifully written with a pen, and illuminated; which had taken upwards of half a centuryto perform the writer, guido DB jars, began it in his 4oth year, and did not finilh it until he had accomplilhed his 90th, anno 1294, in the reign of Philip the Fair; as ap peared by the writer’s own autograph at the front of the book and it is evident by the infpection of many mss. That a very conliderable length of time was necellai y to finilh what by this curious art is now multiplied in an altomlhing and rapid degree.
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