Chapter XV: Appendix

A pleasant and memorable chapter in the history of the Ballantyne Press is its connection with the Edinburgh International Exhibition of 1886, held in the West Meadows. The position occupied by Paul’s Work relative to the literary history of Edinburgh since the beginning of last century, as well as other considerations, induced the firm to make an exhibit of ancient printing materials and of Early Bibles and other books in the Old Edinburgh buildings of that Exhibition; and to show a working model, so to speak, of an early printing-house. This was considered to be a very attractive feature of the Exhibition, and the following account of it appeared in the Scotsman of September 15, 1886.

“THE BALLANTYNE PRESS IN ‘OLD EDINBURGH’

“Passing through the Nether Bow Port, and keeping to the left,
visitors to the Exhibition will come upon the reproduction
of an old house in Dickson’s Close, now improved away, and
supposed to have been originally the work of Robert Mylne,
the builder of the modern portion of Holyrood, and peculiar
from its upper storeys and open galleries projecting for
several feet beyond the basement—a not uncommon feature of the
architecture of olden times. This house, or a near neighbour
to it in the same ‘land,’ was at one time the abode of David
Allan, the Scottish Hogarth. Above the door is an old-fashioned
swinging signboard showing ‘Ye Ballantyne Presse, 1796,’ while
the windows are adorned with stained glass. Here Messrs.
Ballantyne, Hanson & Co., Paul’s Work, have gathered together a
goodly display of the old implements of the ‘prenters,’ ancient
Bibles and other books, as well as a number of other curios.

“Prominent among the typographical antiquities is a venerable
wooden hand-press, nearly two centuries old, and substantially
identical with those used in the early stages of the art.
This press is worked by a genial and chatty representative of
Caxton, in a neat sixteenth-century costume. He is engaged
printing off sundry jobs, using the old-fashioned hand-balls
or ‘dabbers’ for putting the ink on the types, a method of
inking which came in with the art, and which was superseded
by the modern ‘roller’ only about fifty years ago. Within the
cases on the counter of this old curiosity shop are to be seen
ancient composing-sticks, type moulds, punches, matrices, &c.,
for casting types. In the cases are also a number of relative
curiosities, lent for exhibition by the Oxford University
Press, and originally the property of the celebrated Dr. Fell.
Among these is a small quarto book, printed in 1700, containing
the Lord’s Prayer in upwards of 200 languages. Here also is a
parcel of Icelandic type, given to the Oxford Press by Francis
Junius about 1677, and some music type of the seventeenth
century.

“In one case is a proof-sheet of the ‘Life of Napoleon,’ by Sir
Walter Scott, with the author’s corrections. One page of this
proof-sheet, which is the property of the Earl of Rosebery,
has a characteristic remark by James Ballantyne, the printer,
in reference to one of Sir Walter’s footnotes. It was to be
expected from the connection the Ballantynes had with Scott
that some relics of the author of the Waverley Novels would be
shown, and here are to be seen the chair and desk reserved for
his use in Paul’s Work when he came to correct his proofs or
transact business.

“Around the walls are also to be seen a number of pictures,
among these being a copy by Maris of Raeburn’s portrait of
Scott; a proof copy of the well-known engraving of Scott and
his contemporaries; Caxton in Westminster Abbey; old views
of Edinburgh, one of them dated 1579, &c. A remarkably fine
etching shows the bookselling shop of Jacob van Liesvelt at
Antwerp in the sixteenth century. Liesvelt was condemned and
beheaded at Antwerp, because in the annotations of a Bible he
had edited and printed, it was said that ‘the salvation of
mankind proceeds from Christ alone!’ A number of old playbills
also adorn the walls, some of these having portraits framed
along with them, such as that of Mackay as Bailie Nicol Jarvie,
Mrs. Siddons as Lady Randolph, and Mr. Liston as Dominie
Sampson. One old playbill is shown of the Kelso Theatre,
printed by Ballantyne at the Border Press, before Scott induced
him to remove his printing-office to Paul’s Work, Edinburgh.

“There are here a number of old newspapers—the _Kingdom’s
Intelligencer_, the _Perfect Diurnal_, the _Courant_,
_Caledonian Mercury_, &c. One of the _Diurnals_ contains a
despatch of General Monk, dated from his headquarters at
Dalkeith in August 1654; and a _Caledonian Mercury_ of August
26, 1822, contains a subscription list for the National
Monument on Calton Hill, and the _menu_ for the banquet given
by the municipality of Edinburgh to George IV. in Parliament
House. There is also an early number of the _Scotsman_, of
1855, shown by way of contrast to the present issues of the
journal.

“To many visitors, however, the interest in the Ballantyne
Press exhibits will centre in the fine collection of Ancient
Bibles and other books which have been gathered together. The
gem of this collection is a copy of the very rare ‘Mentelin’
Bible, printed about 1466—one of the earliest printed by the
aid of movable type, in fine condition, with initial letters
filled in by the hand, of beautiful design and colouring. The
table of contents extends to eighteen pages, and is all in
MS. of various colours. Another rare Bible is the Hans Lufft,
or first edition of Luther’s Bible in two volumes, printed in
1534. This Bible is in its original binding of wood with brass
mountings, and has a great number of woodcuts printed along
with the text, which in this copy were afterwards coloured
by hand expressly for the Prince Protector. The existence of
this Bible was frequently denied by learned men of Germany,
owing to its great rarity, caused by the destruction of most
copies by the Roman Catholics. John George of Saxony was unable
to obtain it for himself, and was obliged to be contented
with the sight of one, then supposed to be unique. A copy of
this work sold at a very high price at Lord Holland’s sale
in 1860. The engravings throughout the work, and especially
in the Revelation of St. John, are curious and full of
anachronisms—the patriarchs and prophets being clad in the
German costume of the sixteenth century. Another Lutheran
Bible here is one printed at Nurnberg, in 1720, by Andrea
Enolters. This is said to be one of the finest of all the
ancient German Bibles, and has, besides a number of beautiful
engravings of Biblical scenes, several portraits of well-known
German princes. It is also in its original binding with metal
ornaments. A copy of the first edition of the Paris printer
Robert Stephens’ valuable Greek Testament, in two volumes,
published in 1546, may also be seen. A former possessor has
enriched the margins of this copy with a copious supply of
Latin notes and comments in very small MS. There were other
editions of this book published in 1549, 1550, and 1551. That
of 1551, published at Geneva, was divided into verses as we
have the Bible now, a plan which the printer Stephens was the
first to put into actual use.

“Of a more purely local interest, however, is a copy of
another Bible we find here, that of the first one printed
in Scotland, with the date of 1576. This work, printed by
Alexander Arbuthnot and Thomas Bassendyne, has a history of
its own. It was put in type from the Genevan version, and
has the well-known ‘breeches’ translation of Genesis iii.
7, and contains also the side-notes, to which King James
is said afterwards to have strongly objected as ‘partial,
untrue, and seditious,’ when arrangements were being made for
the Authorised translation of 1611. Besides being connected
with the first Bible printed in Scotland, Bassendyne’s
printing-office, which was situated in a close nearly opposite
John Knox’s house, is repeatedly referred to in the evidence
of the accomplices of the Earl of Bothwell in the murder of
Darnley, an event which took place in the lifetime of the old
printer. In the deposition of George Dalgleish, one of those
who were executed for their share in that crime, it is stated
that, ‘efter thay enterit within the Nether Bow Port, thai zeid
up abone Bassyntine’s house, on the south side of the gait, and
knockit at ane dur beneth the sword slippers, and callit for
the Laird of Ormestounes, and one within answerit he was not
thare; and thai passit down a cloiss beneth Frier Wynd, and
enterit in at the zet of the Black Friers.’ This reference
clearly indicates that Bassendyne’s workshop was situated near
the Nether Bow, whence was issued the folio Bible which is here
shown.

“Another Genevan or ‘breeches’ version, printed by Christopher
Barker in 1586, is also in the collection, this one having the
Book of Common Prayer at the beginning. There is here, too,
King James’s own copy of the first edition of the Authorised
Version of 1611, printed by Robert Barker in black letter.
It is in fine condition, with the Royal arms on the massive
outside boards, and contains the well-known and curiously
elaborate genealogical tables by John Speed. Taking thought
for the common people, King James is said to have given orders
that a smaller and cheaper edition of the Authorised Version
in Roman type should be prepared in quarto size. This was also
printed by Robert Barker, and published in 1614, and is to be
seen here, along with many other Bibles, some with curious
bindings, and others with music to the Psalms. Several of the
more important of the Bibles above mentioned have been lent for
exhibition by the Rev. Dr. Ginsburg of London.

“One of the most curious black-letter books in the Ballantyne
collection, and with an interesting history, is a copy of the
first complete Concordance to the English Bible, written by
John Marbek (or Merbecke), and printed by Richard Grafton,
in 1550. This John Marbek was organist to the Royal Chapel
at Windsor, and his book bears the following title: ‘A
Concordance, that is to saie a worke wherein by the ordere of
the letters A. B. C. ye maie redely finde any worde conteigned
in the whole Bible, so often as it is there expressed or
mentioned.’ Marbek, after various difficulties, had gone on
with his Concordance as far as the letter L, when all his
papers were seized, and he was apprehended and imprisoned. ‘He
was arraigned, for that he had with his own hand gathered out
of divers men’s writings certain things that were expressly
against both the mass and the sacrament of the altar. He was
arraigned and condemned with three others—namely, Anthony
Persone, priest; Robert Testwood, singing-man; and Henry
Filmer, tailor; on account of the Six Articles in the year
1544; the three last were burned at Windsor, but the innocence
of Marbek gained him the King’s pardon.’

“When he was set at liberty, as his papers were not restored
to him, he had his Concordance to begin again; and this, when
completed, he showed to a friend, who promised to assist him in
having it presented to the King, in order to have it published
by his authority; but Henry VIII. died before that could be
brought about, and it was accordingly dedicated to Edward VI.
This folio black-letter Concordance gives a good specimen of
the printer Grafton’s rebus or monogram, a _graft_ inserted
into a _tun_.

“A number of other interesting curiosities, and a library of
ancient books, too numerous to be detailed here, are in various
cabinets and bookcases in this shop of Old Edinburgh. Many
of the volumes are over 300 years old; several are in their
original bindings; and all are in fair condition. Classics
from the printing-presses of the Elzevirs, Stephens, Gryphius,
Foulis, Ruddiman, and other printers whose names are now
historical, are all to be seen, besides a goodly array of fine
art and other books, the more recent productions of Messrs.
Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.”—W. T. D.

THE END

FOOTNOTES

[1] “I remember it was a thing of daily occurrence, that after he had made himself master of his own lesson, I, alas! being still sadly to seek in mine, he used to whisper to me, ‘Come, slink over beside me, Jamie, and I’ll tell you a story.’”—James Ballantyne’s “Memorandum.”

[2] Afterwards published in 1801, and coldly received.

[3] Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” ii. 42, 43.

[4] The Count was a native of Russian Poland, and was in early life patronised by a Polish lady, with whom he visited various countries of Europe. He resided for some time in Paris, but quitting it shortly before the Revolution came over to this country. He exhibited himself at fairs, and was a favourite with the public, to whom he recommended himself not only by his diminutive stature, but by his intelligence and genial disposition. He eventually realised enough to enable him to spend the last thirty years of his life in comfort. The Count’s height was exactly 35½ inches, and his person was a model of symmetry. His remains were interred in Durham Cathedral, near those of his intimate friend, Stephen Kemble.

[5] This and the view of Kelso market-place in 1797, at page 3, are also given through the courtesy of the present proprietor of the _Mail_.

[6] Endorsed by Professor Saintsbury (“Sir Walter Scott,” Famous Scots Series): “The earliest form of the ‘Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border’ is a very pretty book: it deservedly established the fame of Ballantyne as a printer.”

[7] “A History of Accounting and Accountants” (T. C. and E. C. Jack, 1904).

[8] The following note gives the residents in the little street in James Ballantyne’s time:—

No. 1, the old street guardian.

No. 2, Mr. Ewart and two sons, officials in the Chancery Office.

No. 3, Dr. Brunton, Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages, Edinburgh University, and Mrs. Brunton, authoress of some religious novels, which had considerable popularity in their day.

No. 4, Mr. Phillips, Commissioner of Customs.

No. 5, Mr. Alexander Cowan, the well-known papermaker.

No. 6, Mr. Andrew Bogle, Secretary Royal Bank of Scotland.

No. 7, Mrs. McLeod, widow of McLeod of St. Kilda, with a large family of daughters and one son, who rose to the rank of General in the Indian Army.

No. 8, The Countess of Hyndford.

No. 9, Miss Suttie, an old lady from East Lothian.

No. 10, Mr. James Ballantyne.

No. 13, Mr. Speid, W.S., laird of Ardovie, Forfarshire.

No. 14, Mr. Andrew Ramsay, Advocate; and, later on, Mr. Alexander Ballantyne.

No. 15, Mr. Trotter, the laird of Morton Hall.

—_Derived from_ Mr. Charles Cowan’s “Reminiscences” (1878).

[9] “The Book-Fancier” (1886), p. 80.

[10] Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” iii. 120, 121.

[11] Lockhart’s “Life of Scott,” v. 218.

[12] “James Ballantyne has taken his brother Sandy into the house, I mean the firm.”—“Scott’s Journal,” Feb. 21, 1829.

[13] See also James Ballantyne’s suggestions as to the “Field of Waterloo,” given on p. 67; and a fuller treatment of this topic in