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CHAPTER 7

The New Typeface

      THE FIRST few months of 1454 passed quickly, and printed material seemed to pour out of the little shop. And Peter, energetic and intelligent, with a real gift for getting the work done, supervised it all.

      He hired more workers, and soon hundreds of copies of the Donnatus Latin Grammar were at the bookbinders. The work from the Pope that he had told his father about — The Letters of Indulgences from Rome — flowed through the press, accurate and perfect in every detail.

      What's more, they had begun on the Great Bible at last. It was beautiful work: two columns of 41 lines on each page, and each requiring more than two thousand individual pieces of type. Peter supervised the typesetting and read the first proofs as they came from the press to make certain that every word was accurate. He also met with the artists who were creating the splendid colored designs for the borders of the pages and the tall capital letters that began each new section.

      Then, in early spring, when over two hundred pages had been printed, the first delay occurred.

      Peter was taking an armload of freshly printed proofs to show to Gutenberg, and he found the printer busy in the casting room, assisted by Mentelin and Zell, as usual.

      The old man looked up. "Ah, Schoeffer, come in, I want you to see this new typeface we've developed. It's finer than anything we've done before — and by using it, we'll be able to set an extra line on every page! This is exactly what we need for our Bible!" As he spoke, Gutenberg offered Peter a tiny rectangle of lead.

      Peter put down his papers and examined it eagerly. The slug of type consisted of a narrow metal shaft with a delicately cast, raised letter "d" at one end. "How beautiful," he breathed. "It's smaller than any letters we've ever used, and yet it's perfect in every detail! Sir, you've outdone yourself!"

      Then he stopped, frowning with concern. "But we've already printed the Chapters of Genesis and Exodus, and the page forms are finished for the entire Book of Deuteronomy!"

      "Throw them away," the old man cried grandly. "Zell's going to start casting the letters we've already designed, and as soon as Mentelin and I finish the rest of this smaller alphabet, we'll start the printing over again!"

      Peter stared in dismay. "But Sir, we'd be discarding hundreds of perfect pages! What's more — it's already March, and we promised Fust that the Bible would be ready by the end of the year!"

      "Let him wait," Gutenberg snapped. "My work's too important to be limited by his deadlines!"

      "There's more than a deadline at stake," Peter persisted, "Think of the expense! We'll have to melt down all the cast type that's already been set, and we'll waste thousands of sheets of costly paper. To say nothing of the money we've paid the workmen and the artists so far this year! Even with what we earn from the Donnatus and the Pope's Letters, we can't afford to start again from the beginning!"

      "Can't afford it? Nonsense! You sound like a banker counting guilders," Gutenberg snorted.

      "Shame on you," added Ulrich Zell in the same angry tone. "The Boss isn't trying to get rich, here, Peter! We just want this work to be perfect!"

      "I know that. But I also know the work can't go on without money," Peter answered, holding his ground. "You and I would here for no pay at all — of course! But our workmen have families to support, and they need their wages. What's more, the metal foundry and the papermakers won't sell us their goods unless we pay for them!"

      "Then I'll borrow more money from Fust," the old man answered irritably. "Heaven knows he has enough to spare!"

      "I don't know," Peter returned steadily. "When I was there last week, showing Mr. Fust the latest proofs . . . he reminded me again that we have only until January — and then our time is up."

      "He always says that," Gutenberg shrugged. "You know how he is: he likes to complain and cry a little before he lets go of his gold."

      Mentelin spoke up for the first time. "Why not show him some of the new type, Peter? Explain to him how beautiful the work will be; that will convince him."

      "Yes, do that, Schoeffer," Gutenberg agreed. "Go over there and be persuasive. Promise him whatever you like, but make certain he understands that we're starting over — and using the new type!"

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