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The earliest Printers' Marks of Scottish printers are not of the first importance, but they are sufficiently interesting to merit notice. Walter Chepman and Andro Myllar were granted a patent for the erection of a printing-press at Edinburgh on September 15, 1507, the former finding the money and the latter the knowledge. Each had his distinctive Mark, both of which are of French origin—atheory which is easily proved so far as Myllar's is concerned from the fact that it displays two small shields at the top corners, each charged with the fleur-de-lys. Myllar's device, in which we see a windmill with a miller ascending the outside ladder, carrying a sack of grain on his back, is an obvious pun on his name, and was, perhaps, suggested by the Mark of Jehan Moulin, Paris. Chepman's is a very close copy of that of Pigouchet, Paris, the male and female figures being carefully copied even to the small crosses on their knees; the initials W C are elegantly interlaced. Thomas Davidson is a very interesting figure in the early history of Scottish typography; he appears to have been the first king's printer of his country, and one of his earliest works is "Ad Serenissimum Scotorum Regem Jacobum Quintum de suscepto Regni Regimine a diis feliciter ominato Strena," circa 1525; about ten years later came a translation of the "Chronicles of Scotland," compiled by Boece, and "translatit be maister Johne Bellenden;" Davidson's Mark is of the same character as Chepman's, but is, if possible, even more roughly drawn and engraved; whilst Bassandyne copied the device of Crespin of Geneva, with the initials T.B. instead I.C. Arbuthnot's device of the Pelican, which he used in two sizes, and the Marks of Thomas Vautrollier, have been already referred to. Coming down to the last twenty years of the sixteenth century, we find the few books of Henry Charteris of considerable and varied interest, and his Mark, if by no means carefully drawn and engraved, has at all events the merit of being fairly original.
[Decoration]
SOME FRENCH PRINTERS' MARKS.
It is rather a curious fact, all things considered, that the introduction of the printing-press into Paris should have only antedated its appearance in this country by four years; such however is the case. It was at the commencement of the year 1470, the tenth of the reign of Louis XI., that Ulrich Gering, Martin Krantz, and Michel Friburger commenced printing in one of the rooms of the College Sorbonne. They had learnt their art at Mayence, and at the dispersal of the office of Fust and Schoeffer had settled down at Basel. They were induced to take up their residence at the Sorbonne by Jean Heinlin and Guillaume Fichet, two distinguished professors of that place. The first book printed at Paris was the "Letters" of Gasparin of Bergamo, 1470, which contains the following quatrain at the end of the work:
"Primos ecce libros quos hc industria finxit Francorum in terris dibus atque tuis; Michael, Udalrichus, Martinusque magister Hos impresserunt, ac facient alios."
By the end of 1472 the three companions had issued thirty works, apparently without indulging in the luxury of a Mark, but their patrons separating they had to leave the Sorbonne. Their new quarters were at the sign of the "Soleil d'Or" in the Rue St. Jacques—the Paternoster Row of Paris. Here they remained until 1477, when Gering was the sole proprietor. He was joined in 1480 by George Mainyal, and in 1494 by Bertholt Rembolt, and died in August, 1510. Within thirty years of the introduction of printing into Paris, there were nearly ninety printers, who issued nearly 800 works between 1470 and 1500. Rembolt, who succeeded Gering and preserved the sign of his office, was one of the earliest, if not the first to adopt a Mark, of which indeed he used four more or less distinct examples. We reproduce one of the rarest; his best known is a highly decorative picture, and has a shield (carrying a cross with the initials B.R. in the lower half of the circle which envelopes the foot of the cross) suspended from a vine tree and supported by two lions. Of this Mark there are at least two sizes; another of his Marks consisted of an enlarged form of the cross to which we have referred.
After Rembolt, the interest of the Printer's Mark in France diverges into a number of directions. The most prolific printer was, perhaps, Antoine Vrard, who, dying in 1530, issued books continuously for about forty-five years: he was also a calligrapher, an illuminator, and a bookseller; his Books of Hours led the way for the beautiful productions of Simon Vostre, whilst his chief "line" consisted of romances, of which there are over a hundred printed on vellum and ornamented with beautiful miniatures. He had two Marks, one of which, consisting simply of the two letters A.V., is accompanied by the lines:
"Pour proquer la grand' misricorde, A tous pescheurs faire grce et pardon, Antoine Vrard humblement te recorde."
Of the second we give an example on p.21. Among his publications may be mentioned "L'Art de bien Mourir," 1492, which Gilles Couteau and J.Menard printed for him, whilst the punning Mark of the former is reproduced in our first chapter (p.4). Franois Regnault, who printed a large number of books during the first half of the sixteenth century, had six Marks, chiefly variations on the one here given. He usually placed at the bottom of his books: "Parissis, ex officin honesti viri Francissi Regnault"; the accompanying reduced facsimile of one of his title-pages indicates the prominent position allotted at this early period to the printer's Mark. Avery remarkable and elaborate Mark of this family of printers was that of Pierre Regnault, who was putting forth books during nearly the whole of the first half of the sixteenth century. The Marchant family existed in Paris as printers for over 300 years (1481-1789). The first of the line, Guy, or Guyot, who printed books for Jehan Petit, Geoffrey De Marnef, and others, had as Mark four variations of the chant gaillard represented by two notes, sol, la, with one faith represented by two hands joined, in allusion to the words, "Sola fides sufficit," taken from the hymn, "Pange lingua." Beneath his Mark he placed the figures of Saints Crispin and Crispinian, patrons of the leather-dressers who prepared the leather for the binder, in which capacity Marchant acted on several occasions for Francis I.As was the case with his contemporaries, Marchant's earliest books possessed no mark, and one of the first of the publications in which it appeared was the "Compost et Calendrier des Bergiers," 1496. The De Marnef family also make a big show in the annals of French typography, particularly in the way of Marks, the various members using, between 1481 and 1554, nearly thirty examples, including duplicates, several of which were designed by Geoffrey Tory. Nearly all these Marks had the subject of the Pelican feeding her young as a centre piece. Jerome, however, used a Griffin among his several other examples, of which the two finest of the whole series are those numbered 746 and 812 in Silvestre, and are the work of Jean Cousin at his best. The founder of the family, Geoffrey, used the accompanying device in two sizes. The Janot family, of which the founder, Denys, was the most celebrated, were issuing books in Paris from the end of the fifteenth to the middle of the eighteenth century, and the more noticeable of their Marks contained the device: "Amor Dei omnia vincit—amour partout, tout par amour, partout amour, en tout bien" (see p.15). The Mac family, which makes a good show with eleven Marks, was also a long-lived one of over 200 years, many of the members residing at Caen, Rennes, and Rouen, besides Paris. The same may be said to some extent of the Dupr or Du Pr family, 1486-1775; the two first, Jean or Jehan and Galliot, were the most celebrated. Of the dozen Marks employed by this family, the most original, it being the evident pun on his name, has a Galiote, at the head of the mast of which is the motto, "Vogue la Guallee," or sometimes "Vogue la Gualee" (see p.5). Jehan Du Pr the Lyons printer, used the accompanying Mark formed of his initials. The first as well as the most noted member of the Le Rouge family of printers was Pierre, who resided at Chablis, Troyes, and Paris, and who was the first to take the title of "Libraire-Imprimeur du Roi," ceded to him by Charles VIII., and used in "La Mer des Histoires," 1488. Appropriately enough, Michel Le Noir, whose motto we have already quoted, may be here referred to. He issued a large number of books, the most notable, perhaps, being "Le Roman de la Rose," 1513. He was succeeded by his son Philippe in 1514, one of whose most noticeable publications was "Le Blazon des Hrtiques" (asatirical piece attributed to Pierre Gringoire), the figure or effigy at the head is signed with the monogram of G.Tory. The five Marks of father and son differed only in minor details, and the above example of Philippe will sufficiently indicate the character of the others. Philippe Pigouchet, who was an engraver as well as a bookseller and printer, contented himself apparently with one Mark. He is distinguished for the extreme care with which he turned out his books, particularly the Books of Hours which he undertook to produce in partnership with Simon Vostre; some of his works are freely copied by the publishers of to-day, and might with advantage be even more generally utilized than they are, for they possess all the attributes of beautiful books. Thielman Kerver, aGerman, was another printer who worked for Simon Vostre, one of his most important productions being a "Breviarium ad usum Ecclesi Parisiensis," 1500, in red and black. His shop was on the Pont St. Michel, at the sign of the Unicorn, which, as will be seen, he adopted as his Mark, and of which there are two, which differ from one another only in minor details. Of Simon Vostre himself, awhole book might be compiled. From about 1488 to 1528 he devoted himself exclusively to the publishing of books, and employed all the best printers: it was by his energy combined with Pigouchet's technical skill that the two produced, in April, 1488, the "Heures l'Usaige de Rome," an octavo finely decorated with ornaments and figures; the experiment was a complete success. It is generally assumed that the engraving was done in relief on metal, as the line in it is very fine, the background stippled, and the borders without scratches: wood could not have resisted the force of the impression, the reliefs would have been crushed, the borders rubbed and badly adjusted. The artistic connection of Pigouchet and Vostre lasted for eighteen years, and with them book production in France may be said to have attained its highest point. By the year 1520 Vostre had published more than 300 editions of the "Hours" for the use of different cities; he had two Marks, of which we give the larger example on p.103.
uilegio
F R FRANCOYS REGNAVLT
Ilz se vendent a Paris en la rue sainct Iaques a lenseigne sainct Claude.]
In many respects Jean or Jehan Petit is one of the most remarkable of the early French printers, whilst from the time he started to the final extinction of his descendants as printers covers a space of 336 years—arecord which is probably unrivalled in the history of typography. Jehan Petit kept fifteen presses fully employed, and found a great deal of work for fifteen others. The family as a whole makes a good show with their marks, in which the founder is more extravagant than any of the others, having used, at one time or another, at least half-a-dozen more or less different examples. In addition to reproducing one of the finest, we give, on p.9, also a reduced facsimile of a title-page of a book, the joint venture of Petit and Kerver; the combination of the two names on one title-page is distinctly novel and curious. He was on several occasions associated with others in producing a book, his connection with Josse Bade extending from 1501 to 1536. Of Bade or Badius it will be necessary to give a few particulars. He was born at Asche, near Brussels, and was a scholar and a poet as well as a printer. About 1495-7 he was engaged as a corrector of the press for Treschel and De Vingle at Lyons. He left about 1500 for Paris, where he started a press in 1502, which he called "Prelum Ascensianum." In reference to this term, "the Ascension Press," the word "prelum" was applied to the ancient wine presses, after which, in fact, the earliest printing presses were modelled. His Mark, which he first used in 1507, is the earliest picture of a printing-press. Thirteen years after, he adopted another device with the same subject, but differing in many important particulars. In the second, the composing-stick used by the figure in the act of setting type is changed from the right to the left hand; the press shows improved mechanical construction, indicating greater solidity and strength. In the latter example also the figure sitting at the case on the right side of the engraving is intended to represent a woman, instead of a man as in the earlier illustration. Contemporary with both Petit and Bade, Gilles or Gillet Hardouyn, 1491-1521, was both a printer and a bookseller, and used two Marks, of which we give the more striking. Germain Hardouyn, possibly a son of the preceding, confined himself more particularly to selling books during the first forty years of the sixteenth century.
Geoffrey Tory resembled many others of the early printers in being also a scholar; but he was also an artist and an engraver, taking up and carrying on the great work inaugurated by Vostre and Vrard. He was born at Bourges in 1480, and one of his earliest works, which was published by Petit and printed by Gilles De Gourmont, was an edition of the "Geography" of Pomponius Mela, 1507, and between this time and his death he produced a number of Books of Hours, the decoration of which can only be described as marvellous. One of the most beautiful is undoubtedly the "Heures de la Vierge," executed for Simon De Colines. What interests us most, however, is the Mark which he adopted when he entered into business as a printer and bookseller; it is perhaps the most elegant that had been up to that time designed. This Mark of the broken pitcher, with the motto "Non plus," first appeared at the end of a Latin poem issued in 1524, is regarded as a memento of the death of his little daughter in 1522, and is thus explained: the broken pitcher symbolizes her career cut short; the book with clasps her literary studies; the little winged figure her soul; and the motto "Non plus," "Je ne tiens plus rien." He gives his own interpretation of this Mark, however, in that curious medley of poetry and philosophy which he called "Champfleury," 1529. It may be mentioned that on some of the bindings of his quarto volumes the broken pitcher is transversed by the wimble or toret—an obvious pun on his name.
The Estienne or Etienne family is probably the most important and interesting of the sixteenth century printers of Paris. Silvestre reproduces twenty Marks which one or other of the Estiennes employed, and a description of these might very well form a distinct chapter. But a condensed review of the family as a whole must suffice. Henry, the first of the name and chief of the family, was born at Paris about 1470; he started in 1502 a printing and bookselling business in the Rue du Clos-Bruneau, near the Ecoles de Droit; he adopted the device, "Plus olei quam vini"; and twenty-eight works are catalogued as having been printed by him. He died in 1521, leaving a widow and three children—Franois, Robert, and Charles. Franois I. continued the profession in company with Simon De Colines, who had been associated with his father, and who married the widow of Henry: his Mark is given as an initial to this chapter. Robert I., the second son of Henry, was born in 1503, and is probably more generally known as a Greek, Latin, and Hebrew scholar than as a printer. For several years he, like his brother, was associated with De Colines; he married Ptronille, daughter of Badius "Ascensius," and was a Protestant; in 1526 he established a printing-press in the Rue St. Jean-de-Beauvois at the sign of the Olive. His editions of the Greek and Latin classics were enriched with useful notes, and promises of reward were offered to those who pointed out mistakes. He used the types of his father and De Colines until about 1532, when he obtained a more elegant fount with which he printed his beautiful Latin Bible. In 1552 he retired to Geneva, when he printed, with his brother-in-law, the New Testament in French. He established here another printing-press, and issued a number of good books, which usually carried the motto: "Oliva Roberti Stephani." His Marks are at least ten in number, of which seven are variations of the Olive device, and three (in as many sizes) of the serpent on a rod intertwined with a branch of a climbing plant. With the exception of Franois the other members of the family used the Olive mark, sometimes however altering the motto, and adding in some instances an overhead decoration of a hand issuing from the clouds and holding a sickle or reaping hook. He died in 1559. The third son of the founder, Charles, after receiving his diplomas as a doctor of medicine, travelled in Germany and Italy, returning to Paris in 1553, and started in business as a printer. Among the ninety-two works which he printed, special mention may be made of the "Dictionarium historicum ac poeticum, omnia gentium, hominum, locorum," etc., Paris, 1553, reprinted at Geneva in 1556, at Oxford in 1671, and London, 1686. He possessed the opposite attributes of being the best printer and of having the worst temper of the family, and he alienated himself from all his friends and relations; he was confined in the Chatelet in Paris, and died there after two years in 1564. Henry II., son of Robert I., was born in Paris in 1528; after leaving college he travelled on the continent and visited England. He returned to Paris in 1552, when his father was leaving for Geneva. In 1554 he started a printing-press; in 1566 he published a translation of Herodotus by Valla, revised and corrected, defending, in the preface, the Father of History against the reproach of credulity. Charles, brother of Robert I., established a printing-press in 1551, and died crippled with debts in 1564. Robert II., second son of Robert I., was born in 1530, and, refusing to adopt the new religion, was disinherited by his father; he started a printing-press on his own account when his father retired to Geneva, and issued forty-eight books, some of which possessed the mark of the Olive; he was the royal printer in 1561, and died in 1575. Franois II., third son of Robert I., printed in Geneva from about 1562 to 1582. Robert III., elder son of Robert II., died in 1629. Paul, son of Henry II., was born in 1566, and, after a brilliant scholastic career, travelled on the continent, and started a printing-press at Geneva in 1599, where he issued twenty-six editions of the classics which were particularly notable for their correctness and notes. He died in 1627, and his son Antoine, born 1594, established himself at twenty-six years of age as a printer in Paris, reverted to Roman Catholicism, was appointed printer to the king and to the clergy, dying at the Hotel Dieu in 1674. The number of editions which this celebrated family, starting in 1502 and finishing in 1673, issued, reaches the very large number of 1590, thus classified: theology, 239; jurisprudence, 79; science and arts, 152; belles lettres, 823; and history, 297. Of the eleven members of this family, one died in exile, five in misery, one in a debtor's prison, and two in the hospital—"Lecteur, que vous faut-il de plus?"
Although in France, as elsewhere, we have to look to the printers of the fifteenth century for originality and decorative beauty, some exceedingly interesting Marks occur in the sixteenth, and are well worth studying. We have only space for the enumeration of a few of the more important. Of these, Pierre Vidoue comes well in the first rank. He was one of the most distinguished of the early Parisian Greek typographers, besides being a person of learning and eminence, and was issuing books up to the year 1544; his edition of Aristophanes, 1582, published by Gilles De Gourmont, is described as "asingularly curious impression," whilst ten years later he printed Guillaume Postel's "Linguarum XII. characteribus differentium Alphabetum," which is described by La Caille as the "first book printed in oriental character," astatement, however, which is incorrect so far as relates to the Hebrew. He had at least three Marks, all more or less similar, in one of which, however, the motto "ardentes juvo," is supplemented by "par sit fortuna labori." Of the six Roffets who were printing or publishing books in Paris during the sixteenth century, the most notable is perhaps Pierre, whose name frequently occurs in the bookbinding accounts of Francis I.; of their seven Marks, nearly all more or less of the same "rustic" character, the most decorative is that of Jacques (see p.30). In their separate ways, the Marks of Mathurin Breuille, 1562-83 (p.33), and Louis Cyaneus, 1529-46, each possesses a pleasing originality, the latter of which is inscribed with the motto "Tecum Habita." The two Wchels, Andr and Chrestien, were among the most eminent of the sixteenth century Parisian printers, and between them employed over a dozen marks. All those of Andr were variations of one type, namely, two hands holding a caduceus between two horns of plenty surmounted by Pegasus. This had also been used by Chrestien, of whose other Mark a reproduction is here given, and of which there were several variations. Regnault Chaudire's shop was in the Rue St. Jacques, at the sign of "L'homme Sauvage," which he adopted for his Mark: this he appears to have changed for one emblematical of Time when he took his son into partnership, and which, Maittaire thinks, he may have borrowed of Simon De Colines, whose daughter (and only child) he married. We give the largest of the examples used by Guillaume Chaudire, 1564-98 on p.28. Sbastien Nivelle, who was working during the latter half of the sixteenth century until the third year of the seventeenth century, is a very interesting figure in the typographical annals of Paris. He was, at the time of his death at the age of eighty years, the doyen of the trade. His books were, for the most part, beautifully printed. His shop was in the Rue St. Jacques at the sign of the Two Storks, which he adopted for his exceedingly beautiful Mark, the four medallions representing scenes of filial piety. His daughter was the mother of Sbastien Cramoisy, "typographus regius," who inherited the establishment of his grandfather. Of the somewhat crudely drawn Mark—an evident pun on his surname—used in or about 1504, by Guillaume Du Puys, the sign of the shop being the Samaritan, amuch more decorative example was used, in various sizes, by Jacques Du Puys (p.10), who was a bookseller, 1549-91, rather than a printer. Equally fine in another way is the tripartite example, given on page 130, used by Guillaume Merlin in partnership with Guillaume Desboys and Sbastien Nivelle, in 1559, and also with the latter in 1571. The Mark is the interpretation of the four lines:
"Veniet tempus meissionis. Non oderis laboriosa opera. Homo nascitur ad laborem, Vade, piger, ad formicam."
On the opposite page we reproduce the Mark Nivelle used for the books which he produced alone.
After Paris, the next most important town in France, so far as printers and their Marks are concerned, is Lyons. The first book printed in this city is presumed to be "Cardinalis Lotharii Tractatus quinque," "Lugduni, Bartholomus Buyerius," 1473 (in quarto). The same printer also published the first French translation of the Bible, by Julian Macho and Pierre Ferget, which was executed between 1473 and 1474, from which date the art of printing in Lyons increased by leaps and bounds. Panzer notices over 250 works executed (by nearly forty printers) here during the quarter of a century which followed. The most notable among these is perhaps Josse Bade, to whom we have already referred. The former of the two "honestes homes Michelet topie de pymont: & Iaques heremberck dalemaigne," possessed a Mark which may be regarded as one of the earliest, if not actually the first, employed at Lyons. Topie and Heremberk printed the first edition of the "Chronique Scandaleuse," about 1488, and Breydenbach's "Voyage Jerusalem," of about the same period—the latter of which contains the first examples of copper-plate engraving in France, the panorama of Venice alone being sixty-four inches in length. Contemporary with these, Johannes or Jehan Treschel deserves notice not only as an eminent printer, but also as the father-in-law of one still more eminent—Bade. Treschel's illustrated edition of Terence, 1493, is described as forming "the most striking and artistic work of illustration produced by the early French school." The most generally known of all the Lyonese printers is Etienne Dolet, who, born at Orleans in 1509, distinguished himself not only as a printer, but as a Latin scholar, apoet, and an orator; he was burnt as an atheist in August, 1546. Dolet, as Mr. Chancellor Christie tells us in his exhaustive monograph, adopted a Mark and motto which are to be found in all or nearly all the productions of his press. The Mark and the motto are equally allusive: the former is an axe of the kind known as doloire, held in a hand which is issuing out of a cloud. Below is a portion of a trunk of a tree; it is usually surrounded by the motto, "Scabra et impolita ad amussim dolo atque perfolia"; it is often also surrounded by an ornamental woodcut border, as in the accompanying illustration; and in some cases the words "scabra dolo" are printed on the axe.
Two contemporary Lyonese firms of printers, the De Tournes and De la Portes, appear to have rivalled one another in the number of their Marks. Jean De Tournes, 1542-50, himself had no less than eleven Marks, several of which are exceedingly graceful, one of the largest and best of which represents a sower, and serves as an excellent pendant to the reaper of Jacques Roffet, both of which appear in our first chapter. The seven or eight members of the De la Porte family used at least half a score Marks between them. The family, beginning with Aym De la Porte in the last decade of the fifteenth century, and ending with Sibylle De la Porte, were in business first as printers, then as booksellers, for just a century; and the punning device apparently originated, not with the first member of the family, but with Jehan, who started a business in Paris about 1508, and in his Mark the shield bears a castellated doorway; the picture of the biblical Samson carrying off the gates was apparently first used by Hugues De la Porte, who was a bookseller at Lyons from 1530; this was superseded for the more pictorial and considerably smaller example, here given, when he entered into partnership with Antoine Vincent about 1559. Although the Du Prs were Parisian printers, Jehan of that family issued several books at Lyons during the last few years of the fifteenth century, and one of his three Marks is given on p.108. Sbastien Gryphe, or Gryphius, who printed and published a large number of works during the second quarter of the sixteenth century, was also extravagant in the way of Marks, of which there are at least eight, all, however, of one common type—the Griffin, sometimes quite without any sort of decorative attributes or motto, and sometimes as in the example here given.
So far as regards the French cities and towns, we have only space to refer briefly to a few of the more important. After Paris and Lyons, Toulouse was one of the earliest places in France in which aprinting-press was set up. Although not the first, Jacques Colomies was one of the first, as he was one of the most prolific of the early printers of Toulouse, working from 1530 to 1572. Printing was established at Caen in 1480; but Pierre Chandelier, whose punning Mark we give, did not start work until eighty years after its first introduction. Apunning device (p.7), also is that of Jehan Lecoq, who was printing at Troyes from about 1509 to 1530. The only Rouen printer to whom we shall refer is Martin Morin, who appears to have been at work here as a printer from about 1484 to 1518, and of his Marks we give one example; another is formed of a large initial M, decorated with a variety of grotesque heads, with the surname Morin on the two central strokes of the letter.
[Decoration]
PRINTERS' MARKS OF GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND.
Although the early history of the Printer's Mark in Germany is neither extensive in variety nor startling in surprises, there are still very many features of general interest. And if the Printer's Mark, as we have already seen, had its origin in Mainz, its development is certainly due to the Strassburg craftsmen. As no other city in Germany can show such a varied collection of beautiful Marks, examples of the Strasburg printers will preponderate in this chapter. It is now generally accepted that the art of printing was carried on in Strassburg (Argentina, Argent-oratum), either in 1459 or 1460, by Johan Mentelin, who appears to have continued in the business until 1476; and about six years after he had started, Heinrich Eggestein commenced, and continued until about 1478. Accepting the arrangement of Herr Paul Heitz and Dr. Karl August Barack in their very elaborate "Elsssische Bchermarken bis Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts," the first Strasburg printer to use a Mark was Johann Grninger, who, after working at Basel for a year or two, took up his residence in Strassburg at the end of 1482. One of his first Marks appeared in Brant's "Narrenschiff," 1494, and of this our example is an elaboration. By the year 1525 he employed no less than five distinct examples, the last of which, in Ptolemus, "Geographic Enarrationes," 1525, differs completely from all the others, the single letter G occupying the centre of the masonic compass and rule. Grninger, it may be noted, was the printer of "Cosmographie Introductio," 1509; the second edition of the famous book in which the name America was proposed and used for the first time. He is further noted for the number of misprints which occur in the books issued by him. The last book which bears his imprint is apparently "Geberi philosophi ac alchimist maximi, de Alchimia, libri tres," March, 1529. Martin Schott's distinct device is found in at least three books of the date 1498, including Matheolus' "Ars memorativa," and was used by him until 1517. It was also used by his son, Johann Schott, about 1541, the same printer using seven or eight other Marks, all more or less distinct, at different periods. The first book bearing Martin Schott's name is dated 1491, and he continued printing until 1499; while his son was in business from 1500 to 1545. Equally distinct is the accompanying example—one of several—used by Johann Knoblouch, which is found in the majority of the books printed by him from about 1521 to 1526, notably several works by Erasmus (e.g. "Mori Encomium," 1522, and the "Novum Testamentum," 1523). The father started in 1497, and was succeeded by his son, who continued the business until 1558. The Mark, it may be mentioned, is a somewhat atrocious pun on the owner's name, which is the German for "garlic," with the seed pods of which the figure emblematically representing Ignorance ascending from darkness into light is encircled; this Mark is generally surrounded by mottoes in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin.
Although Reinhard, or Renatus, Beck was only in business for about eleven years, 1511-1522, he had several Marks, which differed chiefly in their extraneous ornament, as will be seen from the accompanying examples. Two books, sine nota, which Mr. Quaritch assigns to Beck's press, of the date 1490, are remarkable for the large number of woodcuts which they contain, relating principally to plants, animals, gardening operations, rural architecture, so that the Mark of "ein wilder Mann" is so far in keeping with the nature of his publications. Fourteen or fifteen Marks, several of which are only variations of one type, have been identified as having been used by Wolfgang Kpfel (whose surname sometimes appears in its Greek translation of Cephalus) between 1522 and 1554: the most remarkable, of which we give a reproduction, appears to have been used very rarely, notably in "Zehn Sermones" of Luther, 1523; amuch commoner type is the smaller example, which appeared in various books issued between 1526-1554. Georg Ullricher von Andlau, 1529-36, confined himself to one type (see p.1), that of the Cornucopia or Horn of Plenty, of which there are seven variants. The more elaborate of the two Marks of Matthias Biener, or Apiarius, 1533-36, appears in Oecolampadius' "Commentarius" on the Prophet Ezekiel, 1534, and is an evident pun on the printer's surname. Several of the dozen Marks used by Craft Mller, or Crato Mylius, 1536-62, are exceedingly bold and picturesque, although, with the exception of the Ceres, they are all variants of the leonine type: the Ceres was apparently used only in his first book, "Auslegung oder Postilla des heil. Zmaragdi," 1536.
Wendelin Rihel was the founder of one of the longest-lived dynasties of Strassburg printers, who were issuing books from 1535 to 1639; their eighteen Marks have all the same subject, awinged figure of Sophrosyne, holding in one hand a rule, and in the other a bridle and halter. Of Thiebold Berger, who appears to have been in business from 1551-1584, very little is known, either of his books or his personality; his Mark is, however, pretty, and unique, so far as Strassburg is concerned. Lazarus Zetzner and his successors, whose works date from 1586 to 1648, and whose Marks number nearly thirty, all variants of the example here given: it is a bust of Minerva supported on a short square pedestal, on which is inscribed the words "Scientia immutabilis." This family printed a large number of works, from a Lutheran Bible to Aretini's "Histori Florentin." As an example of a rare and distinct Mark we give one of two employed by Conrad Scher, 1603-31, which was subsequently used by Johannes Reppius, also of Strassburg. Curiosity is the only feature of the solitary example of David Hauth, 1635.
But of all the Strassburg printers, there can be no doubt that, from a strictly pictorial point of view, the Marks of Johann Reinhold Dulssecker, 1696-1737, are by far the most beautiful. Indeed, in many respects they are the most charming examples to be found among the devices of any time or country. In some instances they partake much more of the character of a vignette than a tradesman's mark. His earliest device is composed of his monogram; and his first decorative Mark is the very beautiful little picture of an English garden, in the central pathway of which occurs his initials. This Mark appears to have been used in only one book, "M.Fabii Quinctiliani Declamationes ... ex recensione Ulrici Obrechti," 1698. Atype of Mark very frequently used by him occurs in Schilter's "Scriptores Rerum Germanicarum," 1702, with his motto of "Dominus providebit," and of this Mark we give an excessively rare variant on p.47. He had eleven Marks, his list includes books of all kinds, in Latin, German, and French.
Of the other Alsatian printers we have only room to refer to two examples. Thomas Anshelm (or Anshelmi Badensis) is perhaps the most eminent of the early Hagenau printers, his books dating from 1488 to 1522, the earliest of which, however, were not printed at this place. His Marks all carry the initials T A B, the Hebrew letters in the accompanying example representing the name Jehovah; in his most elegant Mark the same word is supported on a scroll by a cherub, whilst another cherub is supporting a second scroll on which is inscribed the word Jesus in Greek characters. The style and workmanship of this woodcut suggest the hand of Hans Schaufelein, and it is worth noting that in 1516 Anshelm produced "Doctrina Vita et Passio Jesu Christi," some of the illustrations of which were by Schaufelein. Anshelm issued a large number of books, including the works of Pliny, Melancthon, Erasmus, Cicero, etc. Valentin Kobian, 1532-42, inserted an exceedingly original and striking Mark in the edition of Erasmus' "Heroicum Carmen," 1536, the Peacock with one foot on a Cock and the other on a crouching Lion being highly effective.
viro. do Gherardo de schueren Ccellario Illustrissimi ducis Cli uensis ex diuersorum terministar[um] voluminibus contexta. propriis[que] eiusdem manibus labore ingenti c{~o} scripta ac correcta Colonie per me Arnold{~u} ther hoen{~e} diligentissime impressa. finita sub annis domini. M.cccc.lxxvij. die vltimo mensis maij. De quo cristo marie filio sit laus et gloria per seculorum secula Amen.]
Printing had not established itself at Cologne until four years later than at Strassburg. Ulric Zell, at the dispersal of the Mainz printers, settled himself in this city, where he was printing from about 1463 to nearly the end of the fifteenth century. He was clearly not an innovator, for he never printed a book in German, and did not adopt any of the improvements of his confrres who had settled themselves in Italy; he "rigidly adhered to the severe style of Schoeffer, printing all his books from three sizes of a rude face of a round gothic type." It is not to him therefore that we can look for anything in the way of Printers' Marks, the earliest Cologne printer to adopt which was apparently Arnold Ther Hoernen, whose colophons, of which we give an example, were often printed in red. His Mark is a triangle of which the two upright sides are prolonged with a crosslet; in the centre a star, and on either side the gothic letters T H, the whole being on a very small shield hanging from a broken stump. Herman Bumgart, one of whose books bears the subscription "Gedruckt in Coelne up den Alden Mart tzo dem wilden manne," and who was in Cologne at the latter end of the fifteenth century, has a special interest to us from the probability that he was in some way connected with the early Scottish printers.
Colonie sup[er] antiqu{~u} for[um] in Siluestri viro.]
Once started, the idea of the Mark was quickly taken up. Johann Koelhoff, 1470-1500, the first printer to use printed signatures (in his edition of Nyder, "Preceptorium divin legis," 1472), came out with a large but roughly drawn example, the arms of Cologne, consisting of a knight's helmet, with peacock feathers, crest, and elaborate mantles, surmounting a shield with the three crowns in chief, the rest of the escutcheon blank, and rabbits in the foreground. Koelhoff (who describes himself "de Lubeck") was the printer of the "Cologne Chronicle," 1499, and of an edition of "Bartholomus de Proprietatibus Rerum," 1481. Several interesting Cologne Marks of the first years of the sixteenth century may be noted. For instance, Eucharius Cervicornus, 1517-36, used a caduceus on an ornamented shield, and printed among other books what is believed to be the earliest edition of Maximilianus Transylvanus' "De Moluccis Insulis," 1523, in which the discoveries of Ferdinand Magellan and the earliest circumnavigation of the globe were announced. Like Koelhoff, Nicolas Csar, or Kaiser, who was established as a printer at Cologne in 1518, used the Cologne arms as a Mark, which is sufficiently distinct from the earlier example to be quoted here. Johann Soter, 1518-36, is another exceedingly interesting personality in the early history of Cologne printing. We give the more elaborate of the two marks used by him and reproduced by Berjeau: the shield contains the Rosicrucian triple triangle on the threshold of a Renaissance door. During the latter end of his career at Cologne, Soter had also an establishment at Solingen, where he printed "several works of a description which rendered too hazardous their publication in the former city." Arnold Birckmann and his successors, 1562-92, used the accompanying Mark of a hen under a tree. After Gnther Zainer, 1468-77, who introduced printing into Augsburg, the most notable typographer of this city is perhaps Erhart Ratdolt, to whom reference is made in the chapter on Italian Marks. We give the rather striking Mark—awhite fleur-de-lis on black ground springing from a globe—of Erhart Oglin, Augsburg, 1505-16, one of whose productions, by Conrad Reitter, 1508, is remarkable as having a series of Death-Dance pictures; Hans Holbein was eight years of age when it appeared, and was then living in his native town of Augsburg.
For typographical purposes Switzerland may be regarded as an integral portion of Germany, and it was to Basle that Berthold Rodt of Hanau, one of Fust's workmen, is assumed to have brought the art about the year 1467. One of the first Basle printers to adopt a Mark was Jacobus De Pfortzheim, 1488-1518, who used two very distinct examples, of which we give the more spirited, the left shield carrying the arms of the city in which he was working. It appears for the first time in "Grammatica P.Francisci nigri A.Veneti sacerdoti oratoris," etc., 1500. The second Mark is emblematical of the Swiss warrior. The most eminent of the Basle printers was however Johann Froben, 1490-1527, who numbered among his "readers" such men as Wolfgang Lachner, Heiland, Musculus, Oecolampadius, and Erasmus. Very few, if any, German works were printed by him; the first edition of the New Testament in Greek was printed by him in 1516, Erasmus being the editor. Froben's device (to which lengthy reference has already been made, and into a discussion of the extremely numerous variants of which we need not enter here) led Erasmus to think that his learned friend did indeed unite the wisdom of the serpent to the simplicity of the dove (see p.43). Two other early Basle printers, Michael Furter, 1490-1517, and Nicholas Lamparter, 1505-19, used Marks one shield of each of which carried the arms of Basle. Henricpetri was a celebrated printer of Basle, 1523-78, and had a Mark of quite a unique character, representing Thor's hammer, held by a hand issuing from the clouds, striking fire on the rock, while a head, symbolizing wind, blows upon it. To yet another distinguished Basle printer, Cratander, reference is made, and his Mark given, in the second chapter.
The most famous, as he was one of the earliest, if not actually the first, printers of Nuremberg, or Nrnberg, Anthony Koberger, does not appear to have used a Mark. Indeed, the Printers' Marks of Nrnberg generally do not make anything like so good a show as those of Cologne and other large German cities. The earliest Mark of all is probably that of Wilhelm Moritz Endter's daughter, which represents a rocky landscape, with a town in the background lighted by the sun. Endter's books, it may be mentioned, are excessively rare. Amuch better known printer of this place is Johann Weissenburger, who started here in 1503, and continued until 1513, when he removed to Landshut, and remained there until 1531. He used the accompanying Mark at both places,—the precise signification of the letters H H on one side of the globe is not known. Mr. Quaritch describes a book of Jacobus Locher, published by this printer in 1506, which is remarkable as containing a number of woodcuts "which, in their style and spirit, draw the book into close connexion with the 'Ship of Fools.'"
Several of the Marks of the early printers of Leipzig, into which printing was introduced in 1480, are of great interest and possess quite a character of their own. One of the earliest, for example, is that of Melchior Lotter, who issued a large number of books from 1491 to 1536. The word "Lotter" is equivalent to "vagabond" in English, and the Mark herewith consists of an emblem of a mendicant in a half-suppliant posture. Melchior Lotter junior was printing at Wittenberg from 1520 to 1524, where he printed anonymously the first edition of Luther's Bible, with illustrations by Lucas Cranach, 1522, which an enthusiastic bibliopole has described as "one of the great works of the world." Valentin Schumann, 1502-34 (and probably much later), is another eminent Leipzig printer, being the first to attempt printing in Hebrew characters in a Hebrew grammar, 1520. The initials L D on his Mark are taken to signify "Lipsiensis Demander" or Damander, arude Latinization of Schumann which he sometimes used. Sufficiently quaint also is the Mark of Jacobus Thanner, 1501-21, which forms the initial to the present chapter. By 1500 printing had reached to Olmtz, where Conrad Baumgarten was issuing until 1502 works chiefly levelled against the Church of Rome; from 1503 to 1505 the same printer had established himself in Breslau, which he again changed for Frankfort-am-Oder, 1507-14, removing again in the latter year to Leipzig. The W on one of the shields of his Mark is the initial of Wratislau, the Polish name of Breslau, and the female saint on the other shows the arms of the town. It appears to be uncertain whether printing was introduced into Frankfort-am-Main in 1511 or 1530; but the only Mark which we need quote is that of Johann Feyrabendt, whose chief interest to posterity lies in the fact that he printed Jost Ammon's "Knstliche wohlgerissene neu Figuren von allerley Jagtkunst," 1592: his Mark is emblematical of Fame, winged, blowing a German horn, and enclosed in a cartouche. Andreas Wechel was printing at Frankfort from 1573 to 1581, his Mark being the well-known one of the Pegasus. Although Jacob Stadelberger, Heidelberg, was not by any means an eminent printer, his Mark is well worthy of note: it consists of three shields, the right of which bears the arms of Bavaria, the left a lion rampant, the arms of Heidelberg, and that of the middle is supposed to represent the arms of Zurich.
Adam Steinschawer is said to be the printer of the first book issued at Geneva, in 1479; soon after him came Guerbin, 1482, whose Mark we give after Bouchot. From about 1537 to 1554 Jehan Girard, or Gerard, was busy printing books here; the Mark herewith comes from one of Calvin's books, 1545, the Latin motto being anglicized thus: "Icame not to send peace, but a sword," avery proper motto indeed for such an author. Girard used three other Marks of this type. The position of Geneva in literature is French rather than German, and this also holds good with regard to its typographical annals. The accompanying Mark of Jean Rivery, Geneva, 1556-64, is distinct of its kind, and is the smaller of the two examples used by this printer; in the larger one, the same motto appears, but in roman type, not italic; there are also only two trees, both nearly leafless; the hand holding an axe occurs in both examples. Many French printers, for various reasons, and at different times, "retired" to Geneva, as, for example, the Estiennes; the Marks of several Franco-Genevan printers therefore will be found dealt with in the previous chapter. Although printing appears to have been introduced into Zurich in 1508, books executed at this place prior to 1523 are excessively rare. Christopherus Froschover, 1523-48, was by far the most eminent and prolific of the early Zurich printers; to him has been attributed the production of the first English Bible. His Mark is a punning one, Frosch being German for "frog;" it is emblematical of a gigantic frog ridden by a child under atree, the "larger growth" being surrounded by several of the normal size. Of other Swiss printers whose Marks we reproduce, but to whom we can make no further reference, are Nicolas Brylinger, Basle, 1536-65 (the accompanying example is taken from the title-page of "Pantalonis Henrici, Prosopographi Heroum atque illustrium Virorum totius Germani," 1565, afolio of three volumes, full of fancifully drawn portraits, the same portrait being often used for several men), and F.Le Preux, of Lausanne, Morges, and Berne.
[Decoration]
SOME DUTCH AND FLEMISH PRINTERS' MARKS.
The introduction of the art of printing into the Low Countries, and the rival claim of Coster and Gutenberg, have proved a highly fruitful source of literary quarrels and disputations. It is not worth our while to enter, even briefly, into the merits of the arguments either for or against; and it will suffice for our present purpose to regard Johann Veldener, 1473-7, as the first printer. He was probably a pupil of Ulric Zell, and, like many others of the early Netherland printers, he does not appear to have remained long at one place. For example, he was at Louvain from 1473-7, at Utrecht 1478-81, and at Culemberg, 1482-4. His only Mark appears to be that given herewith, in which his name in an abbreviated form occurs between the two shields, on the right one of which appears the arms of Louvain. His most notable publications were two quarto editions of the "Speculum" in the Dutch language, one of which contained 116 and the other 128 illustrations, "printed from the woodcuts that had been previously used in the four notable editions; to make these broad woodcuts, which had been designed for pages in folio, Veldener cut away the architectural framework surrounding each illustration and then sawed each block in two pieces." He received from the University the honorary title of Master of Printing, an honour which was also conferred on his more distinguished contemporary, Johann of Westphalia, 1474-96, for whom in fact is claimed the priority of the introduction of printing into Louvain. The first of the large number of books produced by the latter is by Petrus de Crescentiis, "Incipit liber rurali{~u} c{~o}modor{~u}," 1474, its colophon being printed in red. The accompanying exceedingly curious "souscription," with portrait of the printer, is given from Lambinet's "Recherches." Thierry Martens, or Mertens, or Martin d'Alost (Theodoricus Martinus), may be regarded either as an early printer of Louvain, Antwerp, or Alost, for it is stated that he had presses working simultaneously at the three places; but Alost has the first claims, and it is said that he was printing here in 1473, although as a matter of fact he was only twenty years of age at this period. He was a distinguished scholar, and the friend of Barland and Erasmus, the latter making the following reference to the accompanying Mark, "l'ancre sacre," in the epitaph he wrote as a memorial of his friend:
"Hic Theodoricus jaceo, prognatus Alosto: Ars erat impressis scripta referre typis. Fratribus, uxori, soboli, notisque superstes, Octavam vegetus prterii decadem. Anchora sacra manet, grat notissima pubi: Christe! precor nunc sis anchora sacra mihi."
Colard Mansion, 1474-84, the first printer who worked at Bruges, for an exhaustive account of whose connection with William Caxton the reader is referred to Mr. Blades's monograph, used several Marks, printed in red and black, and similar to the example here given.
In many respects the "Clercs ou Frres de la vie Commune" (Fratres vit communis), who were printing at Brussels from 1476 to 1487, form one of the most interesting features in the early history of printing in the Low Countries. The types which they used resemble very much those of Arnold Ther Hoernen, Cologne; and the only book, "diligentia impresse in famosa civitate Bruxellen," to which they put their name, is entitled "Legend Sanctorum Henrici Imperatoris et Kunegundis Imperatricis," etc., 1484, and this is their only illustrated book. "Their productions illustrate the stage of transition between the ancient scribe and printer by showing how naturally one succeeded to the other." Afull bibliographical account of the Brothers will be found in M.Madden's "Lettres d'un Bibliophile." The Mark here given is reproduced from the above-named work: it consists of an Eagle crowned and displayed, supporting a shield with the arms of Brabant quarterly, with river in bend, and star. The first Deventer printer was Richard Paffroed (the surname has about thirty variations) in 1477, who was either a pupil of Ulric Zell or Ther Hoernen, and who continued there until the first year of the sixteenth century, and was apparently succeeded by his youngest son Albertus, who was printing there up to about 1530, and whose Mark we give.
So far as Gouda is concerned, Gheraert or Gerard Leeu and early printing are synonymous. He was a native of this place, and established himself here as a printer in 1477 and continued up to 1484, when he removed his presses to Antwerp, where he was printing until the year of his death, 1493. His "Dialogus Creaturarum," the first edition of which appeared in 1480, had run into over a dozen editions, in Latin or Dutch, by the first year of the sixteenth century. Whilst at Gouda Leeu used several marks, of which the smaller, given on p.39, was printed in red and black; at Antwerp he used a much more ambitious example, consisting of the arms of the Castle of Antwerp: abattlement and a turreted gate, with two smaller ones on either side; the two large flags bear the arms of the German Empire and of the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. Nicolas Leeu, who was printing at Antwerp in 1487-8, was possibly the brother of the more famous typographer, and his Mark consists of the lion (apun on his surname, which is equivalent to lion) in a Gothic window holding two shields, with the arms of Antwerp on the left and the monogram of Gheraert Leeu on the right. Like Leeu and so many of the other early Dutch printers, the first Delft typographer, Jacob Jacobzoon Van der Meer, 1477-87, employed the arms of the town in which he printed on his Mark, the right shield in the present instance carrying three water-lily leaves. In 1477 he issued an edition of the Dutch Bible, and three years later the first edition of the Psalter, "Die Duytsche Souter," which had been omitted from the Bible. The only other Delft printer to whom we need refer is Christian Snellaert, 1495-7, the only book to which he has placed both his name and his Mark being "Theobaldus Physiologus de naturis duodecim animalium," 1495. His most remarkable production, however, is a "Missale secundum Ordinarium Trajactense," issued about 1497; this Mark, given on p.35, was also used by Henri Eckert van Hombergh, who was printing at Antwerp from 1500 to 1519: the shield carries the arms of Antwerp; in the arms of Snellaert this shield is blank, and this constitutes the only difference between the two Marks.
If it could be proved that "Het boeck van Tondalus visioen" was, as has been stated, printed at Antwerp in 1472, by Mathias Van der Goes, the claim of Antwerp to be regarded as the first place in the Low Countries in which printing was introduced would be irrefutable. Unfortunately there is very little doubt but that the date is an error, although Goes is still rightly regarded as having introduced printing into Antwerp, where he was issuing books from 1482 to about 1494 in Dutch and Latin. He had two large Marks, one of which was a ship, apparently emblematical of Progress or commercial enterprise, and the other, asavage brandishing a club and bearing arms of Brabant,—the latter, from "Sermones Quatuor Novissimorum," 1487, is here given. Rolant Van den Dorp, 1494-1500, whose chief claim to fame is that he printed the "Cronyke van Brabant," folio, Antwerp, 1497, had as his most ambitious Mark a charming picture of Roland blowing his horn; on one of the shields (suspended from the branch of a tree) is the arms of Antwerp, which he sometimes used separately as his device. Contemporaneously with Van den Dorp, 1493-1500, we have Godefroy Back, abinder who, on November 19, 1492, married the widow of Van der Goes, and continued the printing-office of his predecessor. His house was called the Vogehuis, and had for its sign the Birdcage, which he adopted as his Mark; this he modified several times, notably in 1496, when the monogram of Van der Goes was replaced by his own. In the accompanying example (apparently broken during the printing) the letter M is surmounted by the Burgundy device—awand upholding a St. Andrew's cross. We give also a small example of the two other Marks used by this printer. Arnoldus Csaris, l'Empereur, or De Keysere, according as his name happened to be spelt in Latin, French, or Flemish, is another of the early Antwerp printers whose mark is sufficiently distinct to merit insertion here. His first book is dated 1480, "Hermanni de Petra Sermones super orationem dominicam." Michael Hellenius, 1514-36, is a printer of this city who has a special interest to Englishmen from the fact that "in 1531 he printed at Antwerp an anti-Protestant work for Henry Pepwell, who could find no printer in London with sufficient courage to undertake it." Hellenius' Mark is emblematical of Time, in which the figure is standing on clouds, with a sickle in one hand and a serpent coiled in a circle on the left. The Mark of Jan Steels, Antwerp (p.19), 1533-75, is regarded by some bibliographers as the emblem of an altar, but "from the entire absence of any ritual accessories, and the introduction of incongruous figures (which no medival artist would have thought of representing), it would appear to be merely a stone table." Jacobus Bellaert, 1483-86, was the first Haarlem printer, one of his earliest works being "Dat liden ende die passie ons Heeren Jesu Christi," which is dated December 10, 1483. Bellaert's name does not appear in it, but his Mark at the end permits of an easy identification, it being the same as that which appears in his Dutch edition of "Glanvilla de Proprietatibus Rerum," 1485: the arms above the Griffin are those of the city of Haarlem. One of the most famous printing localities of the Low Countries was Leyden (Lugdunum Batavorum), where the art was practised so early as 1483, Heynricus Henrici, 1483-4, being one of the earliest, his Mark carrying two shields, one of which bears the cross keys of Leyden. The Pelican is an exceedingly rare element in Dutch and Flemish Printers' Marks, one of the very few exceptions being that of J.Destresius, Ypres, 1553, the motto on the border reading "Sine sanguinis effusione non fit remissio."
It will be convenient to group together in this place a few of the more representative examples of the Marks of the Dutch and Flemish printers of the sixteenth century. Of Thomas Van der Noot, who was printing at Brussels from about 1508 to 1517, there is very little of general interest to state, but his large Mark is well worthy of a place here. Picturesque in another way also is the Mark of J.Grapheus, Antwerp, 1520-61; the example we give is a distinct improvement on a very roughly drawn Mark which this printer sometimes used, which is identical in every respect to this, except that it has no borders. It is one of the few purely pictorial, as distinct from armorial, Marks which we find used at Antwerp in the earlier half of the sixteenth century. One of this printer's most notable publications is "Le Nouueau Testament de nostre Sauflueur Iesu Christ trslate selon le vray text en franchois," 1532, aduodecimo of xviii and 354 folios, arare impression of Le Fvre d'Etaples' Testament as it had been issued by L'Empereur, in 1530, who had obtained the licence of the Emperor and the Inquisition for this impression. Henri Van den Keere, abook-seller and printer of Ghent, 1549-58, had four Marks, all of which resemble more or less closely the rather striking and certainly distinct example here given. Of the Bruges printers of the sixteenth century, Huber or Hubert Goltz, 1563-79, is perhaps the most eminent, not so much on account of the typographical phase of his career, as because of his works as an author and artist. The "Fasti Magistratum et Triumphorum Romanorum," is one of his books best known to scholars, whilst to students of numismatics his work on the medals from the time of Julius Csar to that of the Emperor Ferdinand, in Latin, of which a very rare French edition appeared at Antwerp in 1561, is well known, and the original edition of his works in this respect is still highly esteemed, although, as Brunet points out, Goltz has suffered a good deal in reputation since Eckel has demonstrated that he included a number of spurious examples, whilst some others are incorrectly copied. His interesting typographical Mark is given on p.51. J.Waesberghe, of Antwerp and Rotterdam, had at least three Marks, of which we give the largest example, and all of which are of a nautical character, the centre being occupied by a mermaid carrying a horn of plenty; in the smaller example of the accompanying Mark, the background is taken up by a serpent forming a circle. The Mark of M.De Hamont, aprinter and bookseller of Brussels, 1569-77, is worth quoting as one of the very few instances in which the subject of St. George and the Dragon is utilized in this particular by a printer of the Low Countries. Rutger Velpius appears to have had all the wandering proclivities of the early printers; for instance, we find him at Louvain from 1553 to 1580, at Mons from 1580 to 1585, and Brussels from 1585 to 1614: he had three Marks, of which we give the largest. Of the Liege printers, we have only space to mention J.Mathi Hovii, whose shop was "Ad insigne Paradisi Terrestris" during the latter half of the seventeenth century, and whose Mark is of rather striking originality and boldness of design.
PARIV[N]T]
The two most distinguished names in the annals of Dutch and Flemish printing are unquestionably Plantin and the Elzevirs. Afull description of the various Marks used by Christophe Plantin alone would fill a small volume, as the number is not only very great, but the varieties somewhat conflicting in their resemblance to one another; all of them, however, are distinctly traceable to three common types. Some are engraved by Godefroid Ballain, Pierre Huys, and other distinguished craftsmen. His first Mark appeared in the second book which he printed, the "Flores de L.Anneo Seneca," 1555. His second Mark was first used in the following year, and bears the monogram of Arnaud Nicola. Of each of these examples we give reproductions, as also of the fine example designed for Plantin's successors either by Rubens or by Erasme Quellin, and engraved by Jean Christophe Jegher, 1639, Plantin having died in 1589. The most famous of all Plantin's Marks is of course that with the compass and the motto "Labor et Constantia," which he first used in 1557. Plantin explains in the preface to his Polyglot Bible the signification of this Mark, and states that the compass is a symbolical representation of his device: the point of the compass turning round signifies work, and the stationary point constancy. One of the most curious combinations of Printers' Marks may be here alluded to: in 1573, Plantin, Steels and Nutius projected an edition of the "Decretals," and the Mark on this is made up of the three used by these printers, and was designed by Pierre Van der Borcht.
Nearly every volume admittedly printed by the Elzevir family possessed a Mark, of which this family, from Louis, in 1583, to Daniel, 1680, used four distinct examples. The founder of the dynasty, Louis (1583-1617), adopted as his sign or mark an Eagle on a cippus with a bundle of arrows, accompanied with the motto, "Concordia res parv crescunt"—the emblem of the device of the Batavian Republic—and as the year 1595 occurs on the primitive type of this Mark, it might be concluded to date from that period. But Willems points out that no book published by Louis in the years 1595 and 1596 carries this Mark, which (he says) figures for the first time on the Meursius, "Ad Theocriti idyllia Spicelegium," 1597. In 1612 Louis Elzevir reduced this Mark, and suppressed the date above mentioned. For some time Isaac continued the use of the sign of his grandfather, and even after 1620, when he adopted a new Mark—that of the Sage or Hermit—he did not completely repudiate it. Bonaventure and Abraham scarcely ever used it except for their catalogues.
The second Mark, which Isaac (1617-25) adopted in 1620, it occurring for the first time in the "Acta Synodi Nationalis," is known as the Solitaire and sometimes as the Hermit or Sage. It represents an elm around the trunk of which a vine, carrying bunches of grapes, is twined; the Solitaire and the motto "Non solus." The explanation of this Mark is obvious, and may be summed up in the one word "Concord;" the solitary individual is symbolical of the preference of the wise for solitude—"Je suis seul en ce lieu tre solitaire." This Mark was the principal one of the Leyden office, and was in constant use from 1620 to 1712, long after the Elzevirs had ceased to print.
The third Elzevir Mark consists of a Palm with the motto "Assurgo pressa." It was the Mark of Erpenius, professor of oriental languages at the University of Leyden, who had established a printing-press which he superintended himself in his own house. At his death the Elzevirs acquired his material, with the Mark, which occurs on the Elmacinus, "Historia Saracenica," and on the Syriac Psalter of 1625, on the "Meursii arboretum sacrum," 1642, and on about seven other volumes.
The fourth important Elzevir Mark is the Minerva with her attributes, the breastplate, the olive tree, and the owl, and the motto "Ne extra solus," which is from a passage in the "Frogs" of Aristophanes. It was one of the principal Marks of the Amsterdam office, and was used for the first time by Louis Elzevir in 1642. After Daniel's death this Mark became the property of Henry Wetstein, who used it on some of his books. It was also used by Thiboust at Paris and Theodoric van Ackersdyck at Utrecht.
In addition to the foregoing, a number of other Marks were employed by this firm of printers, the most important of the minor examples being the Sphere, which occurs for the first time on "Sphra Johannis de Sacro-Bosco," 1626, printed by Bonaventure and Abraham; and from this time to the end of the period of the operations of the Elzevirs, the Sphere and the Minerva appear to have equally shared the honour of appearing on their title-pages. Among the other Marks which we must be content to enumerate are the following: ahand with the device of "qvabilitate," an angel with a book, and a book of music opened, each of which was used occasionally by the first Elzevir; and one in which two hands are holding a cornucopia, of Isaac; the arms of the Leyden University formed also occasionally the Mark of the Elzevirs established in that city.
The Mark of Guislain Janssens, a bookseller and printer of Antwerp, at the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century, is both distinct and pretty, and is worth notice if only from the fact that artistic examples are by no means common with the printers of this city.
[Decoration]
PRINTERS' MARKS IN ITALY AND SPAIN.[1]
The incunabula of Italy offer very little interest so far as regards the Marks of their printers, and the adoption of these devices did not become at all general until the early years of the sixteenth century. Conrad Sweynheim and Arnold Pannartz, who were the first to introduce printing from Germany into Italy, first at the monastery of Subiaco, near Rome, in 1465, and to that city in 1467, appear to have had no Mark; and the same may be said of several of their successors. We give the earliest Roman example with which we are acquainted, namely, that of Sixtus Riessinger, and George Herolt, aGerman, who printed in partnership at Rome in 1481 and 1483. One of the books produced by this partnership was the "Tractatus sollemnis et utilis," etc., which contains "full-page figures of the Sybils, fine initials, and an interlaced border to the first page of text, all executed in wood engraving." The next Roman typographers who used a Mark were, like Herolt, "Almanos" or Germans, for as such Johann Besicken (1484-1506) and Martens of Amsterdam describe themselves in the colophon of "Mirabilia Rom," a24mo. of 63 leaves, 1500. This work contains ten woodcuts, of which that on "the reverse of leaf 36 has at the bottom the words 'Mar' and 'De Amstdam' in black letters on white scrolls, and 'ER' immediately beneath the latter, in white letters on a black ground, showing that Martin of Amsterdam, one of the printers, was also the engraver. On the woodcut on the reverse of leaf 25 also, there is a shield with the initials of both printers, 'I' and 'M' interlaced, in both large and small letters." Andreas Fritag de Argentina (or Strassburg), 1492-96, is another early Roman printer who used a Mark. The four foregoing Marks are given on the authority of J.J. Audiffredi, "Catalogus ... Romanorum Editionum saeculi XVI.," 1783. Among the early sixteenth century printers of Rome, one of the most distinguished was Zacharias Kalliergos of Crete, 1509-23, who had started printing at Venice in 1499, and of whom Beloe has given an interesting account in the fifth volume of his "Anecdotes of Literature." Aminiature of his device is given at the end of this chapter.
[Footnote 1: The reader will find on page 25 a series of thirty reduced reproductions of Marks used for the most part by the Italian printers. These are given after Orlandi ("Origine e Progressi della Stampa," 1722) and Horne ("Introduction to the Study of Bibliography," 1814), but several of the names are open to question from the fact that the former author has given no account either of the places at which they worked, or of the books which they printed.]
DAM T A M]
Printing was introduced into Venice by Johannes de Spira in 1469, and, as showing the extent to which it was quickly carried, Panzer reckons that up to the end of the fifteenth century, no fewer than 189 printers had established themselves here, and had issued close upon 3,000 works. From 1469 to 1480, over sixty master printers were found within the precincts of the city. The first of the superb series of early printed books produced here is the folio edition of Cicero, "Epistol ad Familiares," 1469, although the honour of being the most magnificent production appears to be equally divided between the Livy and the Virgil, 1470, executed by John of Spira's brother and successor Vindelinus. So far as we know, neither of the two brothers, nor Nicolas Jenson, 1470-88, many of whose beautiful books rivalled the De Spiras', used a Mark.
Erhardus Ratdolt may be regarded as one of the earliest, if not actually the first Venetian printer to adopt a Mark. From 1476 to 1478 he was in partnership with Bernardus Pictor and Petrus Loslein de Langencen, but from the latter year to 1485 he was exercising the art alone. (It is not altogether foreign to our subject to mention that this firm printed the "Calendar" of John de Monteregio, 1476, which has the first ornamental title known.) In 1487, Ratdolt was at Augsburg, and perhaps his claims as a printer are German rather than Venetian, but as his best work was executed during his sojourn in Venice, it will be more convenient to include him in the present chapter. Like so many others of the early printers, he regarded his own performances with no little self-complacency, for in his colophons he describes himself, "Vir solertissimus, imprimendi arte nominatissimus, artis impressori magister apprim famosus, perpolitus opifex, vir sub orbe notus," and so forth. To him is attributed the credit of having invented ink of a golden colour; and he was the first to employ the "flourishes," ("liter florentes") or initial letters formed of floral scrolls and ornaments borrowed from the Italian manuscripts, and sometimes printed in red and sometimes in black. Joannes and Gregorius de Gregoriis, 1480-1516, and Gregorius alone, 1516-28, make a very good show in the way of printed books, one of the most notable being the first quarto edition of Boccaccio, 1516, and another the "Deutsch Rmisch Brevier," 1518, which is printed in black and red Gothic letter with numerous full-page woodcuts and borders. Contemporary with these two brothers and also famous as a prolific printer comes Ottaviano Scotto, "Civis Modoeti{~e}sis," 1480-1500, and his heirs, 1500-31, of whose Mark we give an exact reproduction. Baptista de Tortis, 1481-1514, also issued a number of interesting books, more particularly folio editions of the classics, copies of which are still frequently met with, and of whose Mark we give a reduced example on p.25; and the same may be said of Bernardinus Stagninus, 1483-1536. The Mark, also, of Bernardinus de Vitalibus, 1494-1500, is sufficiently distinct to justify a reduced example. Bartholomeus de Zanis, 1486-1500, was not only a prolific printer on his own account, but also for Scotto, to whom reference is made above. The Marks, on a greatly reduced scale of Dionysius Bertochus, 1480; of Laurentius Rubeus de Valentia, 1482; of Nicholas de Francfordia, 1473-1500; and of Peregrino de Pasqualibus, 1483-94, who was for a short time in partnership with Dionysius de Bertochus, are all interesting as more or less distinct variations of one common type (see p.25). Of Petrus Liechtenstein, 1497-1522, who describes himself as "Coloniensis," and whose very fine Mark in red and black forms the frontispiece to the present volume, it will be only necessary to refer to one of his books, the "Biblij Czeska," 1506, which is the first edition for the use of the Hussites. Of this exceedingly rare edition, only about four copies are known. It is remarkable in not having been suppressed by the Church, for one example of its numerous woodcuts (which are coloured) at once betrays its character, viz., the engraving to the sixth chapter of the Apocalypse, in which the Pope appears lying in hell. As illustrative of some of the more elaborate and pictorial Marks which one finds in the books of the Venetian printers during the sixteenth century, we give a couple of very distinct examples, the first being one of the Marks of the Sessa family, whose works date from 1501 to 1588; and the second example distinguishing the books of the brothers Paulum and Antonium Meietos, who were printing books in 1570.
The Aldine family come at the head of the Venetian printers, not only in the extreme beauty of their typographical work, but also in the matter of Marks. The first (and rarest) production of the founder of the dynasty, Aldus Manutius, 1494-1515, was "Musi Opusculum de Herone & Leandro," 1494, asmall quarto, and his life's work as a printer is seen in about 126 editions which are known to have been issued by him. "Ihave made a vow," writes Aldus, in his preface to the "Greek Grammar" of Lascaris, "to devote my life to the public service, and God is my witness that such is my most ardent desire. To a life of ease and quiet I have preferred one of restless labour. Man is not born for pleasure, which is unworthy of the truly generous mind, but for honourable labour. Let us leave to the vile herd the existence of the brutes. Cato has compared the life of man to the tool of iron: use it well, it shines, cease to use it and it rusts." It was not until 1502 that Aldus adopted a Mark, the well-known anchor, and this appears for the first time in "Le Terze Rime di Dante" (1502), which, being a duodecimo, is the first edition of Dante in portable form. This Mark, and one or two others with very slight alterations which naturally occurred in the process of being re-engraved, was used up to the year 1546. In 1515 the original Aldus died, and as his son Paolo or Paulus was only three years of age, Andrea Torresano, adistinguished printer of Asola, into whose possession the "plant" of Jenson had passed in 1481, and whose daughter married the first Aldus, carried on the business of his deceased son-in-law, the imprint running, "In dibus Aldi et Andre Asulani soceri." In 1540 Paulus Manutius took over the entire charge of the business founded by his father. The Anchor, known as the "Ancora grassa," which he used from 1540 to 1546, is more carefully engraved but less characteristic than that of his father; whilst that which he used from 1546 to 1554 was usually but not invariably surrounded by the decorative square indicated in the accompanying reproduction; then he again modified his Mark, or more particularly its border. Paulus Manutius died in April 1574. Aldus "the younger," 1574-98, the son of Paulus and the last representative of the house, also used the anchor, the effect of which is to a great extent destroyed by the elaborate coat-of-arms granted to the family by the Emperor Maximilian. Aldus "the younger," was a precocious scholar, of the pedant type, and under him the traditions of the family rapidly fell. He married into the eminent Giunta family of printers, and died at the age of 49. The famous Mark of the anchor had been suggested by the reverse of the beautiful silver medal of Vespasian, aspecimen of which had been presented to Aldus by his friend Cardinal Bembo, the eminent printer, adding the Augustan motto, "Festina lente." The Mark of the dolphin anchor was used by many other printers in Italy, France, Holland (Martens, Erasmus' printer, among the number), whilst the "Britannia" of Camden, 1586, printed by Newbery, bearing this distinctive Mark, which was likewise employed by Pickering in the early part of the century; and, as will be seen from the next chapter, is still employed by more than one printer.
The Giunta or Junta family, members of which were printing at Florence and Venice from 1480 to 1598, may be conveniently referred to here. One of the earliest books in which the founder of the family, Filippo, used a Mark, is "Apuleii Metamorphoseos," Florence, 1512; our example, which is identical with that in Apuleius, is taken from Oppianou Halieutikn (Oppiani de natura seu venatione piscium), Florence, 1515, which was edited by Musurus. From a typographical and artistic point of view the books of Lucantonio Junta (or Zonta) are infinitely superior to those of Filippo. He was both printer and engraver, and many of the illustrations which appear in the books he printed were executed by him. His Mark appeared as early as 1495 in red at the end of an edition of Livy which he appears to have executed for Philippus Pincius, Venice, and again in red, this time on the title-page, in another edition of the same author, done for Bartholomeus de Zanis de Portesio, Venice, 1511. Each of these productions contained a large number of beautiful woodcuts. Early in the sixteenth century those "vero honesti viri" (as they modestly described themselves), Jacobi and Francisci, were printing at Florence ("et sociorum eius"), the accompanying mark being taken from a commentary on Thomas Aquinas, 1531. It will be noticed that in the three marks of different members of the family the fleur-de-lys appears. Among the Venetian printers of the beginning of the sixteenth century Johannes de Sabio et Fratres may be mentioned, if only on account of their Mark which is given herewith. Its explanation is certainly not obvious; and Bigmore and Wyman's suggestion that it is a punning device is not a correct one, whilst the statement that the cabbage is of the "Savoy" variety is also erroneous, for this variety has scarcely any stalks; for "Brasica" we should read "Brassica." In 1534, "M.Iwan Antonio de Nicolini de Sabio" printed "Alas espesas de M.Zuan Batista Pedrean," arare and beautiful edition with woodcuts, and, in small folio, of "Primaleon" in Spanish; and in 1535 Stephano da Sabio issued a translation of "La Conquesta del Peru," etc., of Francesco de Xeres.
Although not the first printer either at Cremona, where he started in 1492, or at Brescia, where he was printing from 1492 to 1502, Bernardino de Missintis deserves mention among the typographers of the fifteenth century. So far as regards the latter place, the Mark of Giammaria Rizzardi, who was established in this city during the latter half of the last century, is one of the most distinct, and was probably designed by Turbini. Bonino de Boninis of Ragusa, was printing at Venice, 1478-1480, at Verona, 1481-3, and afterwards removed to Brescia, where he was printing until about 1491. The earliest known book printed at Modena (or Mutine) is an edition of Virgil, executed by Johannes Vurster de Campidon, 1475; but one of the best known printers of this city is Dominico Rocociolo, or Richizola, 1481-1504, who was in partnership with Antonio Miscomini, 1487-89.
Printing was introduced into Milan (Mediolanum) in 1469 or in the year following, and from the numerous presses established in this city before the end of the fifteenth century very many beautiful books were issued. Gian Giacomo di Legnano and his brothers, whose highly decorative Mark we reproduce, were working in this city from 1503-33; one of their most interesting books is a Latin translation of the first edition (Vicenza, 1507) of the "Paesi novamente retrovati, et Novo Mondo da Alberico Vesputio Florentino intitulato." Bologna was also a busy printing centre from 1470 onwards; but it must suffice us to give the monograms of three of the more noteworthy, namely, Hercules Nanni, 1492-4; Giovanni Antonio de Benedetti (or Johannes Antonius Platonides de Benedictis), 1499, and Justinian de Ruberia, 1495-9 (see p.25).
The Printers' Marks of Spain (including Portugal) need not detain us long. They cannot in any case be described as other than archaic, and they are for the most part striking on account of the coarseness of their design. Afew examples are given in Fray Francisco Mendez's "Tipografica Espaola," of which the first and only volume appeared at Madrid in 1796; and of which a second edition, corrected and enlarged by Dionisio Hidalgo, was published at the same city in 1861. As the latter writer clearly points out "los del siglo XV., yaun hasta la mitad del XVI. los mas eran estranjeros, como lo demuestran sus nombres y apellidos, yalgunos lo declaran espresamente en sus notas y escudos." These "estranjeros" were almost without exception Germans.
Valencia (or Valentia Edetanorum) was the first place in Spain into which the art of printing was introduced; the earliest printers being Alfonso Fernandez de Cordova and Lambert Palomar (or Palmart) aGerman, whose names however do not appear on any publication (according to Cotton) antecedent to the year 1478. Although not the earliest of the Seville printers the four "alemanes, ycompaeros," Paulo de Colonia, Juan Pegnicer de Nuremberga, Magno y Thomas, their composite Mark is one of the first which appears on books printed in Spain. It is of the cross type, with two circles, one within another, the smaller divided into four compartments, each of which encircles the initials of the four printers, "P" (the lower part of which is continued so as to form an "L"), "IM T." Among other books which they printed is the "Vidas de los Varones ilustres de Plutarco." In 1495, Paulo de Colonia appears to have left the partnership, for the Mark appeared with its inner circle divided into three compartments in which the initials "IM" and "T" only appear. This firm continued printing at Seville until the commencement of the sixteenth century. Federico de Basilea (or, as his name appears in the imprints of his books, Fadrique Aleman de Basilea) was busy printing books at Burgos from the end of the fourteenth to the second decade of the fifteenth century; his Mark, across resting on a V-shaped ground, is a poor one, the motto being "sine causa nihil." "En mushos libros de los que imprimi puso su escudo," observes Mendez; this printer possesses an historic interest from the fact that he issued the first edition the unabridged "Chronicle of the Cid," 1512—"Cronica del Famoso Cauallero Cid Ruy Diez Campeador," abook of the greatest rarity. One of the early printers of Barcelona, Pedro Miguel, had a Mark, also of the cross type, the circle surrounding the bottom of which is divided into three compartments, in two of which occur his initials "PM."
One of the most noteworthy names in the early annals of Spanish printing is that of Juan de Rosembach de Haydellerich, who printed books in Barcelona, 1493-8, and again at the beginning of the sixteenth century; in Perpignan, 1500; in Tarragona, 1490, and in Montserrat. In 1499 he printed at Tarragona the famous "Missal de aquel Arzobispado," which Mendez declares to be "muy recomendable por varias circumstancias." At Barcelona he printed in 1526 an edition of the "Oficias de Cicero." The Marks of this printer vary considerably, but the example here reproduced may be regarded as a representative one. Of the early Lisbon printers, Valentin Fernandez "de la Provincia de Moravia" was probably the first to use a Mark (here reproduced), one of his publications being the "Glosa sobre las Coplas" of Jorge Manrique, 1501. |
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