Comment by Geldner:
FUST'S COMPLAINT (Lines 22-37)
With reference to the "Written Agreement" - which Rudolf BLUM has convincingly interpreted as a preliminary loan contract - Johann Fust raises the following charge against Johann Gutenberg: he loaned J. Gutenberg 800 golden guilders to carry out the work - it being of no concern whether the work cost more or less than this sum - on which Gutenberg was to pay 6 percent interest. Fust claims to have borrowed the 800 gulders himself against interest, which interest now amount to the sum of 250 guilders. But since Gutenberg was not satisfied with the 800 guilders, he loaned him a further 800 guilders, on which he was to pay 140 guilders interest. Since Gutenberg never paid this interest, Fust had to pay it himself, resulting in compound interest to the sum of 36 guilders, so that Gutenberg now owed him a total of 2020 guilders. According to Fust's version, there were two loans of 800 guilders each, both subject to 6 percent interest - the different amounts of interest payable being due to the different periods of the loans (see below). He claims the printing equipment was pledged him as collateral and denies any partnership in a joint undertaking.