The object of the royal donor was further realised in 1602, when there appeared from the press of John Francke, William O’Donnell’s (or Daniel’s) Irish New Testament,[347] the first version of that or any portion of the Holy Scriptures in the native character. In dedicating the translation to James I, Daniel thus refers to the royal origin of the types:—“And notwithstanding that our late dreade Soveraigne Elzabeth . . . provided the Irish characters and other instrumentes for the presse in the hope that God in mercy would raise up some to translate the Newe Testament into their native tongue, yet hath Sathan hitherto prevailed, and still they remain Lo-ruchama Lo-ammi, etc.”
The type did further service in 1608, when Daniel’s Common Prayer[348] was printed by Francke, a well-executed work, with engraved title and beautiful {188} ornamented initials, each page being enclosed in a rule border. After the appearance of this book nearly a quarter of a century elapsed before the type reappeared in Bishop Bedell’s A B C, or English and Irish Catechism, printed by the Stationers’ Company at Dublin in 1631.[349] This Catechism, with additional matter, was republished by Godfrey Daniel in 1652, also in Dublin,[350] after which the Irish type of Queen Elizabeth disappeared in Ireland, and reappeared only in occasional words occurring in Sir James Ware’s books, printed in London by Tyler, in 1656 and 1658.
There seems no reason for believing, as some state, that it was secured by the Jesuits and taken abroad.[351] Not only is it not to be found in any Irish work printed abroad, but the Irish Seminary at Louvain possessed a fount of its own, which, between 1616 and 1663, was in constant use.
After 1602 no serious attempt had been made to complete the translation of the Scriptures into Irish until Dr. Bedell, Bishop of Kilmore, undertook the task about 1630. For this purpose, being then at the age of 57, he devoted himself to the study of the language, and having secured the assistance of Mr. King and the Rev. Denis Sheridan, both eminent Irish scholars, the translation of the Old Testament was completed in 1640. Bedell, we are informed “determined to publish the version immediately at his own expense and in his own house, and made an agreement with a person who undertook to print it: the types were even sent for to Holland.”[352] But the troubles and persecutions of the ensuing year, followed closely by the death of the Bishop, hindered the design, and the manuscript lay neglected for forty years.[353] {189}
In the year 1680, the New Testament of 1602 being then entirely out of print,[354] and no Irish types being available, the illustrious Robert Boyle determined on republishing it at his own expense. To this end he caused a fount of Irish type to be cut and cast in London, and had an able printer instructed in the language for the purpose of printing it.
Moxon was the founder selected to produce the types, and the result was the curious Irish fount of which the matrices formed part of his foundry. With this type Boyle is said to have had the Church Catechism, with the Elements of the Irish Language, printed in 1680,[355] and in the following year was issued in London, with a preface in Irish and English, the new edition of Daniel’s Irish New Testament.[356]
45. Moxon’s Irish fount, from the original punches.
“God hath raised up,” says this preface, “the generous Spirit of Robert Boyle, Esq., son to the Right Honourable Richard, Earl of Cork, Lord High Treasurer of Ireland, renowned for his Piety and Learning, who hath caused the same Book of the New Testament to be Reprinted at his proper Cost; And as well for that purpose, as for Printing the Old Testament, and what other Pious Books shall be thought convenient to be published in the Irish Tongue, has caused a New Set of fair Irish Characters to be Cast in London, and an able Printer to be instructed in the way of Printing this Language.”
The printer was Robert Everingham,[357] at the Seven Stars, in Ave Maria Lane, who in 1685 was further employed by Boyle to print, in the same Irish {190} types,[358] Bishop Bedell’s translation of the Old Testament,[359] the manuscript of which had fortunately been preserved. The whole Bible being thus complete, it was issued in two 4to volumes, and in 1690 was reprinted in Roman characters at Everingham’s press for the use of the Highlanders.[360]