The limited time at our disposal this evening will only permit a brief sketch of the history of music printing.

I need not expatiate on the benefits conferred on mankind by the invention of printing—the art which has done more for the advancement of civilisation than even the steam engine or the electric telegraph. Printing was practised in the East many centuries before the Christian era. The British Museum library possesses a roll from Japan which must have been printed in the early part of the eighth century. It is probable that the art was introduced into Europe by the Venetians, who traded largely with China. The Chinese and Japanese printed from wood blocks, as they do to this day. This block printing was adopted by the Venetians, who carried the art into Germany, where it was undoubtedly practised early in the fourteenth century.