June 25 Monday – Sam’s notebook: “TEA. H. of C T. / Penley, Grt. Queen St theatre? / Plasmon 12? / TEA with Provand M.P. See 27th. / MacMillan 52 Cadogan Place (8—then theatre ” [NB 43 TS 18]. Note: Alexander Dryburgh Provand (1839–1915), Scottish Liberal Party politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow Blackfriars and Hutchesontown (1886-1900).

Sam’s letter (undated) to the Committee of the Gutenberg Celebration in Mainz, Germany ran in several U.S. newspapers—in the New York Journal and Advertiser as “Tribute to Gutenberg” [Camfield’s Bibliog.]. See Apr. 5 and Apr. 7 entries. Here is the reprint from the Marietta (Ohio) Daily Leader of July 18, 1900 p.3:

Dear Sir—Your request to have me contribute my mite to the Gutenberg celebration is both a pleasure and an honor. The world at large unhesitatingly admits that Gutenberg’s invention is the grandest event in profane history. It helped to create not only a new world, but also a new hell, both of which for nearly five centuries it has annually provided with new experiences, new ideas and new wonders. It found Truth erring about the world and gave it wings—but Lie was also roaming and managed to appropriate two sets of wings. It found Science persecuted and hiding in dark corners, but it gave it freedom on land and sea an din the heavens, and made it the welcome sum of human study. It found but little art and industry, but it added to them year by year. It made its inventor, who was shunned and despised, great, and gave him the mastery of the globe. It transformed religion, which was then the all-powerful ruler, into a friend and benefactress of mankind. War was then comparatively cheap, but of restricted effect; now it is very expensive, but gives more satisfactory results. It has brought freedom to some peoples and thrown others into slavery. It is the founder and protector of human liberty and yet it has fostered despotism where formerly it was impossible.

Whatever the world is today, good or bad, it has become through Gutenberg’s invention, which is at the bottom of it. And yet we offer him our homage, for what he said in his dreams to the angel of wrath has been fulfilled, and the evil caused by his grand discovery has been a thousandfold balanced by the good with which it has blessed humanity. Very truly yours.

MARK TWAIN

Note: The Daily Leader credited the Mainzer Zeitang newspaper for the article. Mainz (Mayence) Germany was celebrating the 500th anniversary of Johann Gutenberg’s birth. His actual birthday is unknown (because it couldn’t be printed in the newspaper until he invented the printing press!)