ARGUMENT. Progress of Printing in Germany and Italy continued. Rise and Progress of Printing in France; at Paris; at Rouen; at Lyons; at Antwerp, and other Places in the Low Countries. Progress of Printing at Venice: the Aldine Press, the Presses of the Giunti, the Sessa, and Gioliti, &c. The Presses of Froben, Oporinus, &c. at Basil. Portraits of Printers. Introduction of Title-Pages; simple and decorative. ET us now resume our typographical journey. Symptoms of ennui were however occasionally manifested, on the part of the ladies, during the discourse of yesterday; and I thought I more than once discovered an inclination, on the part of Lisardo, to break the chain of enquiry and research. His impatience will, I trust, be somewhat regulated and subdued during the discussion of to-day; for we have a world of variety to unfold-and I should be loth to let the effect of my exertions be lost by any premature effort to give them an improper direction. So prepare, my worthy friends, to hear of learned and laborious printers, who filled the world with their praises as well as their books; who devoted even their midnight vigils to give permanency to their works; and who, discarding the filthy attractions of mere lucre, directed all their energies as well for the benefit of mankind as of their families. Yes, brave spirits of the immortal dead!.. of ALDUS, of FROBEN, of OPORINUS, of the STEPHENS, and of PLANTIN !—methinks I see you, (tho' it be day-light— and Addison never heard of a morning ghost) hovering over me at this instant, and encouraging me with smiles of more than mortal expression! I see the adamantine column to which your eyes and hands are occasionally directed, and where your names are inscribed upon scrolls wrought in porphyry which defies decay! . . . I obey with promptitude your high behest LISARDO. If this be not bibliographical inspiration, tell me, I pray, in what that species of inspiration consists? I crave pardon for past impatience, and will cease to interrupt in future. But remember Devices*. . the Devices of those remember Devices.] The unknowing in the learning of devices, may read with pleasure and instruction the little quarto volume of Spoerlius, published in 1730, under the title of Introductio in Notitiam Insignium Typographicorum.' Was it, or was it not, preceded by Draudius's ' Discursus typographicus experimentalis, &c. cum insignibus præcipuorum typographorum, quæ frontispiciis librorum imprimere consueverunt,' Francof. 1625. 8vo.? Spoerlius denies its existence; and thinks the glory of having first collected the devices of printers,' is due to RothScholtzius-not forgetting, however, the specimens of this kind, few in number, which were exhibited in Orlandi's feeble performance, entitled Origine e Progressi della Stampa o sia dell' Arte Impressoria,' 1722, 4to. Baillet had only described a few of them without fac-similes; and it must be remembered that the fac-similes both of Orlandi and of Scholtz are on a reduced scale. Spoerlius notices the extra ordinary collection of this kind which was in the possession of a Nuremberg physician of the name of Roctenbecius; and we may plume ourselves on the not less extensive similar collection of John Bagford in the British Museum. 'Multum (says Spoerlius, not untruly) juvat hominem literis deditum, libros quoscunque hujus vel illius officinae a se invicem dignoscere posse. Itaque notas variarum officinarum nosse opus est... Cum itaque typographi peculiares notas sui characteristicas operibus suis imprimi curaverint, testor heic omnes ingenuos homines, annon ii laudem et bonam gratiam mereantur, qui colligendis his notis tempus suum studiumque commodant? maxime cum nonnisi summo cum labore ex innumeris codicibus colligi possint,' p. 13-15. I may here borrow the emphatic invocation of Spoerlius. Huc ergo adeste, qui notitiæ librorum studetis acquirendæ, et opes ingeniorum in tot diversissima typographical heroes with whom you have just held such aerial converse -- LYSANDER. Your words betray or misinterpret your intentions. Here is an interruption at the very outset. But I can forgive you. Yes, Lisardo shall have all his devices, and shields, and symbols, and the decorative accompaniments of the art of printing... at least, he shall have a reasonable measure of such ornaments-for an Atlas folio would not contain them all. LISARDO. "Tis well. I obey; and anticipate with delight all the marvellous intelligence which you are about to unfold. BELINDA. Whatever symptoms of ennui might have been discoverable yesterday, on the part of our frail sex, I can pretty safely affirm, for Almansa as well as myself, that the sight of all those shields, or marks, or devices, which is promised us by my well-beloved husband, will fully prevent the occurrence of the least portion of nonchalance to day. So pray proceed, my dearest Lysander. Our thankfulness shall keep pace with your endeavours to amuse and instruct. LYSANDER. Such encouragement is irresistible, and I proceed to do my best. If I remember rightly, we concluded with giving the finish to an account of early printing in Germany and in Italy; yet I can almost reproach myself for having omitted to notice two very rare and very ancient German printers, who worked in partnership, and with volumina dispersas, et bonorum librorum characteres, uno quasi oculi obtutu dignoscere addiscite. Quod vinum vendibile sit, ex hedera appensa . . . jam intelligere potestis,' p. 15: and further observe-what I believe is not applicable to the labours of my predecessors-that the FAC-SIMILES OF THE DEVICES, which the reader is here about to see, are, in truth, conformable to the exact meaning and application of the foregoing appellation: in other words, they are, in every respect, CONFORMABLE TO THEIR ORIGINALS. |