Mr. Curzon thus recurs to the subject:[22]

"Though none of the early block-books have dates affixed to them, many
of them are with reason supposed to be more ancient than any books
printed with moveable types. Their resemblance to Chinese block-books is
so exact, that they would almost seem to be copied from the books
commonly used in China. _The impressions are taken off on one side of
the paper only, and in binding, both the Chinese, and ancient German, or
Dutch block-books, the blank sides of the pages are placed opposite each
other_, and sometimes pasted together.... The impressions are not taken
off with printer's ink, but _with a brown paint or colour, of a much
thinner description, more in the nature of Indian ink, as we call it,
which is used in printing Chinese books_. Altogether the German and
Oriental block-books are so precisely alike, in almost every respect,
that ... we must suppose that the process of printing then must have
been copied from ancient Chinese specimens, brought from that country by
some early travellers, whose names have not been handed down to our
times."

The writer then refers to the tradition about _Guttemberg_ (so it is
stated on this occasion, not Faust) having learned Castaldi's art, etc.,
mentioning a circumstance which he supposes to indicate that Guttemberg
had relations with Venice; and appears to assent to the probability of the
story of the art having been founded on specimens brought home by Marco
Polo.

This story was in recent years diligently propagated in Northern Italy,
and resulted in the erection at Feltre of a public statue of Panfilo
Castaldi, bearing this inscription (besides others of like tenor):--

"_To Panfilo Castaldi the illustrious Inventor of Movable Printing
Types, Italy renders this Tribute of Honour, too long deferred._"

In the first edition of this book I devoted a special note to the exposure
of the worthlessness of the evidence for this story.[23] This note was,
with the present Essay, translated and published at Venice by Comm.
Berchet, but this challenge to the supporters of the patriotic romance, so
far as I have heard, brought none of them into the lists in its defence.

But since Castaldi has got his statue from the printers of Lombardy, would
it not be mere equity that the mariners of Spain should set up a statue at
Huelva to the Pilot Alonzo Sanchez of that port, who, according to Spanish
historians, aft