But to work manually
at the printer's "case," was not Koenig's object in coming to
England. His idea of a printing machine was always uppermost in
his mind, and he lost no opportunity of bringing the subject
under the notice of master printers likely to take it up. He
worked for a time in the printing office of Richard Taylor, Shoe
Lane, Fleet Street, and mentioned the matter to him. Taylor
would not undertake the invention himself, but he furnished
Koenig with an introduction to Thomas Bensley, the well-known
printer of Bolt Court, Fleet Street. On the 11th of March, 1807,
Bensley invited Koenig to meet him on the subject of their recent
conversation about "the discovery;" and on the 31st of the same
month, the following agreement was entered into between Koenig
and Bensley:-
"Mr. Koenig, having discovered an entire new Method of Printing
by Machinery, agrees to communicate the same to Mr. Bensley under
the following conditions:--
that, if Mr. Bensley shall be satisfied the Invention will answer
all the purposes Mr. Koenig has stated in the Particulars he has
delivered to Mr. Bensley, signed with his name, he shall enter
into a legal Engagement to purchase the Secret from Mr. Koenig,
or enter into such other agreement as may be deemed mutually
beneficial to both parties; or, should Mr. Bensley wish to
decline having any concern with the said Invention, then he
engages not to make any use of the Machinery, or to communicate
the Secret to any person whatsoever, until it is proved that the
Invention is made use of by any one without restriction of
Patent, or other particular agreement on the part of Mr.
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