ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 77, 17 October 1874, Page 10

ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS.

We are indebted to the Italians for the idea of newspapers. The title of their gazettas was, perhaps, derived from gazzra, a magpie or chatterer ; or, more probably, from a farthing coin peculiar to the city of Tenice, called gazetta, which was the common price of the newspapers. Another etymologist is for deriving it from the Latin aaza, which would colloquially lengthen it into gazzetla, and signify a little treasury of news. Newspapers, then, took their birth in that principal land of modern politicians, Italy ; and under the government of that aristocratic republic, Venice. The first paper was a Venetian one, and only monthly ; but it was merely the newspaper of the Government. Other Governments afterwards adopted the Venetian plan of a newspaper with the Venetian name. So, from a solitary Government gazetta, an inundation of newspapers lias burst upon us. Mr G. Chalmers, in his " Lite of Ruddiman," gives a curious peculiarity of these Venetian gazettes : — " A jealous government did not allow a printed newspaper; and the Venetian gazetta continued long after the invention of printing, to the close of the sixteenth century, and even to our own days, to be distributed in mamiscrvpt." In the Magliabecirian Library, at Florence, are thirty volumes of Venetian gazettas all in manuscript. Those who first wrote newspapers were called by the Italians inenanti, because they intended by means of these papers to spread about defamntory reflection?, and were therefore prohibited in Italy by Gregory XIII. by a particular bull, under the name of menanies, from the Latin menanies, threatening. Some, however, derive it from ! menare, to lead or spread afar. We are indebted to Elizabeth and Burleigh for the first newspaper. In the British Museum are several newspapers printed while the Spanish Armuda wns in the English Channel during the year 1588. The earliest newspaper is entitled, • The English Mercuric,' which was " imprinted at London by Her Highness's printer, 1588." These were, however, but extraordinary eazettes, not regularly published. In this obscure origin they were skilfully directed by the polioY of Burlei°h, who, to inflame national feeling, gives an extract of" a letter from Madrid, which speaks of putting the Queen to death. The first newspaper in the collection in the British Museum is in Roman, not in black letters. It contains the usual articles of news, like the • London Gazette ' of the present day. In that envious paper there is news dated from Whitehall on the 23rd of July, 158 R. Periodical papers seam to have been more generally used by the -English during the civil wars of the usurper Cromwell ; to disseminate amongst the people sentiments of loyalty or rebellion, according as their authors were disposed. Hence we find some papers entitled • News rm!" Hll]l '' ' Trutba froTn York,' ' Warranted Tidir.gs from Ireland,' The So ots Dove,' opposite to ' The Parliament Kite," &c. At the Restoration, the proceedings of Parliament were interacted fo be published, unless by authority ; and the first daily paper after the Revolution took the popular title of J The Orange Intelligencer.' In the reign of Queen Anne there was but one daily paper ; the others were weekly. Some attempted to introduce literary subjects, and otier topics of more general speculation. Sir Richard Steele himself formed the plan of the 'Tattler.' But from the time of Addieon newspapers and Periodical literature became distinct works. De Saint Foix gives the origin of newspapers to France. Renaudot, a phyw Jin at Paris, to amuse his patients, was a great collector of news, and he found that by these means he was more sought after than his learned brethren. But es the seasons were not always sickly, nnd he had many hours not occupied with his patients, he reflected, after several years of assiduity given up to this singular employment, that he might turn it to a better account by giving every week to his patients — who, in this case, were the public at large— some fugitive Bheets which should contain the news of various countries. Ho obtained a privilege fot this purpose in 1632.— (Abridged from Isaac Disraeli's " Curiosities of Literature," vol. i.)