Faust was very much pleased. Now that he understood Gutenberg's invention he realized how great a thing it was destined to become, and was anxious to help its progress in every way he could. One day Gutenberg told him that they needed a good man to cut the designs for the engravings. "Dost thou know of one?" asked Faust. "Of only one," was the answer. "He is Peter Schoeffer, a youth who helped me before. He is now a teacher of penmanship in Paris."
So Gutenberg sent for Schoeffer, and the printing staff was increased to five.
Schoeffer had considerable reputation as a scholar, and soon after he had joined them Gutenberg asked him what he thought was the most important book in the world. Schoeffer replied that he was not sufficiently learned to answer the question.
"But to the best of thy knowledge," persisted Gutenberg.
"I remember that when I was in the Cathedral school," said Schoeffer, "Father Melchior showed us the Gothic Gospels, or Silver Book, and said that more art and expense had been spent on the Bible than on any other book he knew. I believe therefore that it is the most useful and important book in the world."
"So I believe," agreed Gutenberg, "and I intend to print it in the best style possible to my art."
"But what a tremendous undertaking, to print the whole Bible!" exclaimed Schoeffer.
"Yes, a stupendous work," Gutenberg agreed. "And so I want to start upon it at once."
Schoeffer was amazed when Gutenberg showed him the new press he had built at the Zum Jungen. He watched the master dab the type with ink, slide them under the platen, and having pressed it down, take out the printed page.
"It is wonderful!" said he. "How many impressions canst thou take from the press in a day?"
"Then books will indeed multiply! What would the plodding copyists say to this!"
When they began printing with the lead type they soon found that the metal was too soft. The nicest skill had to be used in turning the screw of the press, and only Gutenberg seemed able to succeed with it. Schoeffer suggested that they should try iron.
"We have," said Gutenberg, "but it pierced the paper so that it could not be used."
Schoeffer was used to experimenting in metals, and the next day he brought to the workroom an alloy which he thought might serve. It was a mixture of regulus of antimony and lead. They tried it, and found it was precisely the right substance for their use. Gutenberg and Faust were both delighted, and very soon afterward made Peter Schoeffer a partner in the firm.