Cowper; by Messrs. Hoe and
Sons, of New York; and still later by the present Mr. Walter of The
Times, which have brought the art of machine printing to an
extraordinary degree of perfection and speed. But the original merits
of an invention are not to be determined by a comparison of the first
machine of the kind ever made with the last, after some sixty years'
experience and skill have been applied in bringing it to perfection.
Were the first condensing engine made at Soho--now to be seen at the
Museum in South Kensington--in like manner to be compared with the last
improved pumping-engine made yesterday, even the great James Watt might
be made out to have been a very poor contriver. It would be much
fairer to compare Koenig's steam-printing machine with the hand-press
newspaper printing machine which it superseded. Though there were steam
engines before Watt, and steamboats before Fulton, and steam
locomotives before Stephenson, there were no steam printing presses
before Koenig with which to compare them, Koenig's was undoubtedly the
first, and stood unequalled and alone.

The rest of Koenig's life, after he retired to Germany, was spent in
industry, if not in peace and quietness. He could not fail to be cast
down by the utter failure of his English partnership, and the loss of
the fruits of his ingenious labours. But instead of brooding over his
troubles, he determined to break away from them, and begin the world
anew. He was only forty-three when he left England, and he might yet
be able to establish himself prosperously in life. He had his own head
and hands to help him.

Though England was virtually closed against him, the whole continent of
Europe was open to him, and presented a wide field for the sale of his
printing machines.

While residing in England, Koenig had received many communications from
influential printers in Germany. Johann Spencer and George Decker
wrote to him in 1815, asking for particulars about his invention; but
finding his machine too expensive,[7] the latter commissioned Koenig to
send him a Stanhope printing press--the first ever introduced into
Germany--the price of which was 95L. Koenig did this service for his
friend, for although he stood by the superior merits of his own
invention, he was sufficiently liberal to recognise the merits of the
inventions of others. Now that he was about to settle in Germany, he
was able to supply his friends and patrons on the spot.

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