Primeira origem da arte de imprimir dada à luz pelo primeiros characteres

The work opens with a passionate appeal to the Portuguese crown, where João de Villeneuve explains his mission to bring the fledgling art of printing to Lisbon. He describes the painstaking process of forging new type, the challenges of adapting Greek, Hebrew and Arabic scripts, and his hope that the king’s patronage will allow these characters to spread across the empire. The dedication paints a vivid picture of a creator eager to replace imported, worn‑out types with a home‑grown press that can immortalize learning and monuments alike.

From there, the author steps back to contemplate the murky origins of printing itself, noting competing claims from Holland, Italy and elsewhere. He reflects on how inventions often emerge in obscurity, their true birth hidden beneath layers of legend and national pride. The narrative stays within the first act, offering listeners a glimpse of early modern ambition, scholarly rivalry, and the cultural significance of a technology that would soon reshape the world.