howeveruncharitabletheymayhavebeentous；wereitnotthattheeffortsofgeniusarealwaysimpededbydrivellersofthisdescription，andthatweoweittosuchmenasMr。KoenigandhisFriend，andallfuturepromulgatorsofbeneficialinventions，towarnthemthattheywillhavetocontendwitheverythingthatselfishnessandconceitedignorancecandeviseorsay；andifwecannotcleartheirwaybeforethem，wewouldatleastgivethemnoticetoprepareapanoplyagainstitsdirtandfilth。
“Thereisanotherclassofmenfromwhomwereceivedarkandanonymousthreatsofvengeanceifwepersevereintheuseofthismachine。ThesearethePressmen。Theywellknow，atleastshouldwellknow，thatsuchmenaceisthrownawayuponus。Thereisnothingthatwewillnotdotoassistandservethosewhomwehavedischarged。Theythemselvescanseethegreaterrapidityandprecisionwithwhichthepaperisprinted。Whatrighthavetheytomakeusprintitslowerandworsefortheirsupposedbenefit？
Alittlereflection，indeed，wouldshowthemthatitisneitherintheirpowernorinourstostopadiscoverynowmade，ifitisbeneficialtomankind；ortoforceitdownifitisuseless。
Theyhadbetter，therefore，acquiesceinaresultwhichtheycannotalter；moreespeciallyastherewillstillbeemploymentenoughfortheoldraceofpressmen，beforethenewmethodobtainsgeneraluse，andnonewonesneedbebroughtuptothebusiness；butwecautionthemseriouslyagainstinvolvingthemselvesandtheirfamiliesinruin，bybecomingamenabletothelawsoftheircountry。Ithasalwaysbeenmatterofgreatsatisfactiontoustoreflect，thatweencounteredandcrushedoneconspiracy；andweshouldbesorrytofindourworkhalfdone。
“Itispropertoundeceivetheworldinoneparticular；thatis，astothenumberofmendischarged。Weinfactemployonlyeightfewerworkmenthanformerly；whereasmorethanthreetimesthatnumberhavebeenemployedforayearandahalfinbuildingthemachine。“
Onthe8thofDecemberfollowing，Mr。Koenigaddressedanadvertisement“TothePublic“inthecolumnsofTheTimes，givinganaccountoftheoriginandprogressofhisinvention。Wehavealreadycitedseveralpassagesfromthestatement。Afterreferringtohistwolastpatents，hesays:“ThemachinesnowprintingTheTimesandMailareuponthesameprinciple；buttheyhavebeencontrivedfortheparticularpurposeofanewspaperofextensivecirculation，whereexpeditionisthegreatobject。
“Thepublicareundoubtedlyaware，thatnever，perhaps，wasanewinventionputtososevereatrialasthepresentone，bybeingusedonitsfirstpublicintroductionfortheprintingofnewspapers，andwill，Itrust，beindulgentwithrespecttothemanydefectsintheperformance，thoughnoneofthemareinherentintheprincipleofthemachine；andwehope，thatinlessthantwomonths，thewholewillbecorrectedbygreateradroitnessinthemanagementofit，sofaratleastasthehurryofnewspaperprintingwillatalladmit。
“Itwillappearfromtheforegoingnarrative，thatitwasincorrectlystatedinseveralnewspapers，thatIhadsoldmyinteresttotwootherforeigners；mypartnersinthisenterprisebeingatpresenttwoEnglishmen，Mr。BensleyandMr。Taylor；anditisgratifyingtomyfeelingstoavailmyselfofthisopportunitytothankthosegentlemenpubliclyfortheconfidencewhichtheyhavereposedinme，fortheaidoftheirpracticalskill，andfortheperseveringsupportwhichtheyhaveaffordedmeinlongandveryexpensiveexperiments；thusriskingtheirfortunesintheprosecutionofmyinvention。
“Thefirstintroductionoftheinventionwasconsideredbysomeasadifficultandevenhazardousstep。TheProprietorofTheTimeshavingmadethathistask，thepublicareawarethatitisingoodhands。“
OnewouldthinkthatKoenigwouldnowfeelhimselfinsmoothwater，andreceiveashareofthegoodfortunewhichhehadsolaboriouslypreparedforothers。Nothingofthekind！Hismeritsweredisputed；hisrightsweredenied；hispatentswereinfringed；andheneverreceivedanysolidadvantagesforhisinvention，untilbeleftthecountryandtookrefugeinGermany。
Itistrue，heremainedforafewyearslonger，inchargeofthemanufactoryinWhitecrossStreet，buttheywereyearstohimoftroubleandsorrow。
In1816，Koenigdesignedandsuperintendedtheconstructionofasinglecylinderregisteringmachineforbook-printing。ThiswassuppliedtoBensleyandSon，andturnedout1000sheets，printedonbothsides，inthehour。Blumenbach’s’Physiology’wasthefirstentirebookprintedbysteam，bythisnewmachine。Itwasafterwardsemployed，inl8l8，inworkingofftheLiteraryGazette。AmachineofthesamekindwassuppliedtoMr。RichardTaylorforthepurposeofprintingthe’PhilosophicalMagazine，’
andbooksgenerally。Thiswasafterwardsalteredtoadoublemachine，andemployedforprintingtheWeeklyDispatch。
ButwhataboutKoenig’spatents？Theyprovedoflittleusetohim。Theyonlyproclaimedhismethods，andenabledotheringeniousmechanicstoborrowhisadaptations。Nowthathehadsucceededinmakingmachinesthatwouldwork，thewaywasclearforeverybodyelsetofollowhisfootsteps。Ithadtakenhimmorethansixyearstoinventandconstructasuccessfulsteamprintingpress；butanyclevermechanic，bymerelystudyinghisspecification，andexamininghismachineatwork，mightarriveatthesameresultsinlessthanaweek。
Thepatentsdidnotprotecthim。Newspecifications，embodyingsomemodificationoralterationindetail，werelodgedbyotherinventorsandnewpatentstakenout。Newprintingmachineswereconstructedindefianceofhissupposedlegalrights；andhefoundhimselfstrippedoftherewardthathehadbeenlabouringforduringsomanylongandtoilsomeyears。Hecouldnotgotolaw，andincreasehisownvexationandloss。HemightgetintoChanceryeasyenough；butwhenwouldhegetoutofit，andinwhatcondition？
Itmustalsobeadded，thatKoenigwasunfortunateinhispartnerBensley。Whiletheinventorwastakingstepstopushthesaleofhisbook-printingmachinesamongtheLondonprinters，Bensley，whowashimselfabook-printer，washinderinghimineverywayinhisnegotiations。KoenigwasofopinionthatBensleywishedtoretaintheexclusiveadvantagewhichthepossessionofhisregisteringbookmachinegavehimovertheotherprinters，byenablinghimtoprintmorequicklyandcorrectlythantheycould，andthusgivehimanadvantageovertheminhisprintingcontracts。
WhenKoenig，indespairathisposition，consultedcounselastotheinfringementofhispatent，hewastoldthathemightinstituteproceedingswiththebestprospectofsuccess；buttothisendaperfectagreementbythepartnerswasessential。
When，however，KoenigaskedBensleytoconcurwithhimintakingproceedingsindefenceofthepatentright，thelatterpositivelyrefusedtodoso。Indeed，Koenigwasundertheimpressionthathispartnerhadevenenteredintoanarrangementwiththeinfringersofthepatenttosharewiththemtheproceedsoftheirpiracy。
Underthesecircumstances，itappearedtoKoenigthatonlytwoalternativesremainedforhimtoadopt。Onewastocommenceanexpensive，anditmightbeaprotracted，suitinChancery，indefenceofhispatentrights，withpossiblyhispartner，Bensley，againsthim；andtheother，toabandonhisinventioninEnglandwithoutfurtherstruggle，andsettleabroad。Hechosethelatteralternative，andleftEnglandfinallyinAugust，1817。
Mr。RichardTaylor，theotherpartnerinthepatent，wasanhonourableman；buthecouldnotcontroltheproceedingsofBensley。Inamemoirpublishedbyhiminthe’PhilosophicalMagazine，’“OntheInventionandFirstIntroductionofMr。
Koenig’sPrintingMachine，“inwhichhehonestlyattributestohimthesolemeritoftheinvention，hesays，“Mr。KoenigleftEngland，suddenly，indisgustatthetreacherousconductofBensley，alwaysshabbyandoverreaching，andwhomhefoundtobelayingaschemefordefraudinghispartnersinthepatentsofalltheadvantagestoarisefromthem。Bensley，however，whilehedestroyedtheprospectsofhispartners，outwittedhimself，andgraspingatall，lostall，becomingbankruptinfortuneaswellasincharacter。“[6]
Koenigwasbadlyusedthroughout。Hismeritsasaninventorweredenied。Onthe3rdofJanuary，1818，afterhehadleftEngland，BensleypublishedaletterintheLiteraryGazette，inwhichhespeaksoftheprintingmachineashisown，withoutmentioningawordofKoenig。The’BritishEncyclopaedia，’indescribingtheinventorsoftheprintingmachine，omittedthenameofKoenigaltogether。The’MechanicsMagazine，’forSeptember，1847，attributedtheinventiontotheProprietorsofTheTimes，thoughMr。Walterhimselfhadsaidthathisshareintheeventhadbeen“onlytheapplicationofthediscovery；“andthelateMr。BennetWoodcroft，usuallyafairman，inhisintroductorychapterto’PatentsforInventionsinPrinting，’attributesthemerittoWilliamNicholson’spatentNo。1748，which，hesaid，“producedanentirerevolutioninthemechanismoftheart。“Inotherpublications，theclaimsofBaconandDonkinwereputforward，whilethoseoftherealinventorwereignored。ThememoirofKoenigbyMr。RichardTaylor，inthe’PhilosophicalMagazine，’
washonestandsatisfactory；andshouldhavesetthequestionatrest。
ItmayfurtherbementionedthatWilliamNicholson，——whowasapatentagent，andagreattakeroutofpatents，bothinhisownnameandinthenamesofothers，——wasthepersonemployedbyKoenigashisagenttotaketherequisitestepsforregisteringhisinvention。WhenKoenigconsultedhimonthesubject，Nicholsonobservedthat“seventeenyearsbeforehehadtakenoutapatentformachineprinting，buthehadabandonedit，thinkingthatitwouldn’tdo；andhadnevertakenitupagain。“Indeed，thetwomachineswereondifferentprinciples。NordidNicholsonhimselfevermakeanyclaimtopriorityofinvention，whenthesuccessofKoenig’smachinewaspubliclyproclaimedbyMr。WalterofTheTimessomesevenyearslater。
WhenKoenig，nowsettledabroad，heardoftheattemptsmadeinEnglandtodenyhismeritsasaninventor，hemerelyobservedtohisfriendBauer，“Itisreallytoobadthatthesepeople，whohavealreadyrobbedmeofmyinvention，shouldnowtrytorobmeofmyreputation。“Hadhemadeanyreplytothechargesagainsthim，itmighthavebeencomprisedinaveryfewwords:“WhenI
arrivedinEngland，nosteamprintingmachinehadeverbeforebeenseen；whenIleftit，theonlyprintingmachinesinactualworkwerethosewhichIhadconstructed。“ButKoenignevertookthetroubletodefendtheoriginalityofhisinventioninEngland，nowthathehadfinallyabandonedthefieldtoothers。
TherecanbenoquestionastothegreatimprovementsintroducedintheprintingmachinebyMr。ApplegathandMr。Cowper；byMessrs。HoeandSons，ofNewYork；andstilllaterbythepresentMr。WalterofTheTimes，whichhavebroughttheartofmachineprintingtoanextraordinarydegreeofperfectionandspeed。Buttheoriginalmeritsofaninventionarenottobedeterminedbyacomparisonofthefirstmachineofthekindevermadewiththelast，aftersomesixtyyears’experienceandskillhavebeenappliedinbringingittoperfection。WerethefirstcondensingenginemadeatSoho——nowtobeseenattheMuseuminSouthKensington——inlikemannertobecomparedwiththelastimprovedpumping-enginemadeyesterday，eventhegreatJamesWattmightbemadeouttohavebeenaverypoorcontriver。ItwouldbemuchfairertocompareKoenig’ssteam-printingmachinewiththehand-pressnewspaperprintingmachinewhichitsuperseded。
ThoughthereweresteamenginesbeforeWatt，andsteamboatsbeforeFulton，andsteamlocomotivesbeforeStephenson，therewerenosteamprintingpressesbeforeKoenigwithwhichtocomparethem，Koenig’swasundoubtedlythefirst，andstoodunequalledandalone。
TherestofKoenig’slife，afterheretiredtoGermany，wasspentinindustry，ifnotinpeaceandquietness。HecouldnotfailtobecastdownbytheutterfailureofhisEnglishpartnership，andthelossofthefruitsofhisingeniouslabours。Butinsteadofbroodingoverhistroubles，hedeterminedtobreakawayfromthem，andbegintheworldanew。Hewasonlyforty-threewhenheleftEngland，andhemightyetbeabletoestablishhimselfprosperouslyinlife。Hehadhisownheadandhandstohelphim。
ThoughEnglandwasvirtuallyclosedagainsthim，thewholecontinentofEuropewasopentohim，andpresentedawidefieldforthesaleofhisprintingmachines。
WhileresidinginEngland，KoenighadreceivedmanycommunicationsfrominfluentialprintersinGermany。JohannSpencerandGeorgeDeckerwrotetohimin1815，askingforparticularsabouthisinvention；butfindinghismachinetooexpensive，[7]thelattercommissionedKoenigtosendhimaStanhopeprintingpress——thefirsteverintroducedintoGermany——thepriceofwhichwas95L。Koenigdidthisserviceforhisfriend，foralthoughhestoodbythesuperiormeritsofhisowninvention，hewassufficientlyliberaltorecognisethemeritsoftheinventionsofothers。NowthathewasabouttosettleinGermany，hewasabletosupplyhisfriendsandpatronsonthespot。
Thequestionarose，wherewashetosettle？HemadeenquiriesaboutsitesalongtheRhine，theNeckar，andtheMain。AtlasthewasattractedbyaspeciallyinterestingspotatOberzellontheMain，nearWurzburg。ItwasanolddisusedconventofthePraemonstratensianmonks。Theplacewasconvenientlysituatedforbusiness，beingnearlyinthecentreofGermany。TheBavarianGovernment，desirousofgivingencouragementtosousefulagenius，grantedKoenigtheuseofthesecularisedmonasteryoneasyterms；andthereaccordinglyhebeganhisoperationsinthecourseofthefollowingyear。Bauersoonjoinedhim，withanorderfromMr。WalterforanimprovedTimesmachine；andthetwomenenteredintoapartnershipwhichlastedforlife。