,,in ,,quest ,,of ,,the ,,perfect ,,book ,a book is a portion of the eternal mind caught in its progress through the world stamped in an instant1 and preserved for eternity4--,lord ,houghton 7#ahji-ahhe7 ,illustration3 ,,queen ,,mary',s ,,psalter1 ,english1 #adth ,century ,the ,last ,judgement 7,brit4 ,mus4 ,royal ,,ms4 #b;,b vii1 #aa #g inches7 ,,in ,,quest ,,of ,,the ,,perfect ,,book ,,reminiscences ,,reflections ,,of ,a ,,bookman ,,william ,,dana ,,orcutt ,illustration3 ,william ,dana ,orcutt's printer's mark ,,published ,,mcmxxvi ,,boston ,,little1 ,,brown ,,company ,copyright1 #aibf1 by ,little1 ,brown and ,company ,all rights reserved 4 ,printed in the ,united ,states of ,america ,published ,september1 #aibf 4 ,reprinted ,october1 #aibf ,reprinted ,november1 #aibf ,,the ,,author is indebted to the ,atlantic ,monthly for permission to reprint as the first chapter of this volume an essay which originally appeared in that magazine2 to the ,christian ,science ,monitor for permission to use1 in quite different form1 certain material which has been drawn upon in literary editorials written by him for its columns2 to ,alban ,dobson1 ,esq41 ,g4 ,bernard ,shaw1 ,esq41 ,henry ,james1 ,esq41 ,mrs4 ,anne ,cobden-,sanderson1 and others1 for permission to print personal letters and photographs4 ,to ,,italy ,that great ,country whose ,master-,spirits in ,art1 ,typography1 and ,literature have contributed most toward ,,the ,,perfect ,,book this ,volume is ,dedicated ,,foreword ,,to ,,the ,,third ,,edition ,years ago1 ,i prepared what seemed to me a splendid ,foreword to my first novel1 and was much chagrined when ,i was urged to leave it out4 ,at the time1 the comment that came with the advice seemed a bit brutal3 8,a ,foreword is an admission on the part of an author that he has failed to tell his story1 or is an insult to the intelligence of his readers40 ,since then my own feelings have come in such complete accord that the request of my publishers for a ,foreword to this ,third ,edition comes as a surprise4 ,but1 after all1 this is not my story1 but the story of the ,book1 so1 as recorder1 ,i must recognize my responsibility4 ,i have claimed that this story was ,romance1 but since writing it1 ,romance has allied itself to ,drama1 for the ,gutenberg ,bible1 a copy of which sold in ,february for a record price of #abj1jjj1 in ,september achieved the stupendous value of #cje1jjj6 ,surely the ,book has come into its own6 ,after devoting a lifetime to printing as an art1 ,i have naturally been gratified to discover that so large and friendly an army of readers exists to whom books mean something more than paper and type and binders' boards4 ,to many of my readers1 the ideas advanced in this volume apparently have been novel1 but appealing3 8,i have been over the books in my library10 writes one1 8and find many that now take on new significance40 ,another says1 8,i feel that ,i have missed much1 all these years1 in not knowing how fascinating the story of the ,book itself really is40 ,then there are those who are good enough to say that the story of my adventures has helped to place the art of printing where it rightfully belongs4 ,some of my reviewers and some correspondents seem seriously to think that ,i believe the ,quest to be ended4 ,think of the tragedy of having so alluring an adventure become an accomplished fact1--even granting that it were possible6 ,where is the ,perfect ,book to be found8 ,in the words of the author or in the heart of the reader8 ,in the design of a type or in the skill of the typographer or the binder8 ,in the charm of the paper or in the beauty of the illumination or illustration8 ,it must1 of course1 be in the harmonious combination of all of these1 but the words of an author which find a place in one reader's heart fail to interest another2 the design of a type that is appropriate to one book is not equally expressive in all4 ,the word perfection has no place in our language except as an incentive4 ,to search for it is an absorbing adventure1 for it quickens our senses to perceive much that would otherwise be lost4 ,if perfection could become commonplace1 the ,quest would end1--and ,god pity the world6 ,until then each of us will define the ,perfect ,book in his own words1 each of us will seek it in his own way4 ,a writer may be born who combines the wisdom of ,solomon1 the power of analysis of ,henry ,james1 the understanding of ,plato1 the philosophy of ,emerson1 and the style of ,montaigne4 ,this manuscript may be transformed into a book by a printer who can look beyond his cases of type1 and interpret what ,aldus1 and ,jenson1 and ,etienne1 and ,plantin saw1 with the artistic temperament of ,william ,morris and the restraint of ,cobden-,sanderson4 ,there may be a binding that represents the apotheosis of ,italian1 ,french1 and ,english elegance4 ,a reader may be developed through the evolution of the ages competent to appreciate the contents and the physical format of such a volume1 8for what we really seek is a comparison of experiences40 ,until then the ,quest will continue1 going constantly onward and upward4 ,its lure will keep us from slipping back upon false satisfaction and a placid but--shall ,i say8--a dangerous contemplation of the humanistic idyll4 ,william ,dana ,orcutt ,,contents ,i4 ,,in ,,quest ,,of ,,the ,,perfect ,,book #a ,gutenberg ,aldus ,manutius ,guido ,biagi ,ceriani ,pope ,pius ,,xi ,sir ,sidney ,colvin ,,ii4 ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,books #ce ,eugene ,field ,john ,wilson ,mary ,baker ,eddy ,bernard ,shaw ,,iii4 ,,friends ,,through ,,type #gc ,horace ,fletcher ,henry ,james ,william ,james ,theodore ,roosevelt ,t4 ,j4 ,cobden-,sanderson ,,iv4 ,,the ,,lure ,,of ,,illumination #aji ,byzantine ,psalter ,lindisfarne ,gospels ,alcuin ,bible ,golden ,gospels of ,st4 ,mdard ,psalter of ,st4 ,louis ,queen ,mary's ,psalter ,bedford ,book of ,hours ,grimani ,breviary ,antiquities of the ,jews ,hours of ,francesco d',antonio ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany ,v4 ,,friends ,,through ,,the ,,pen #aea ,maurice ,hewlett ,austin ,dobson ,richard ,garnett ,mark ,twain ,charles ,eliot ,norton ,william ,dean ,howells ,,vi4 ,,triumphs ,,of ,,typography #aia ,the ,beginnings4 ,germany--,the ,gutenberg ,bible ,supremacy of ,italy ,nicolas ,jenson3 ,augustinus3 ,de ,civitate ,dei ,aldus ,manutius3 ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili ,supremacy of ,france ,robert tienne3 ,the ,royal ,greeks ,supremacy of the ,netherlands ,christophe ,plantin3 ,the ,biblia ,polyglotta ,the ,elzevirs3 ,terence ,supremacy of ,england ,john ,baskerville3 ,virgil ,supremacy of ,france 7second7 ,the ,didots3 ,racine ,supremacy of ,england 7second7 ,william ,morris3 ,the ,kelmscott ,chaucer ,cobden-,sanderson3 ,the ,doves ,bible ,,vii4 ,,the ,,spell of the ,,laurenziana #bga ,,index #cja ,,illustrations ,english ,illumination1 #adth ,century4 ,from ,queen ,mary's ,psalter1 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,royal ,,ms4 #b;,b vii 7in colors and gold7 ,frontis4 ,john ,gutenberg4 ,from ,engraving by ,alphonse ,descaves4 ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris page #f ,aldus ,manutius4 ,from ,engraving at the ,british ,museum #aj ,dott4 ,comm4 ,guido ,biagi4 ,seated at one of the plutei in the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence 7#aijf7 #ad ,hand-written ,humanistic ,characters4 ,from ,sinibaldi's ,virgil1 #adhe4 ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence #af ,specimen ,page of proposed ,edition of ,dante4 ,to be printed by ,bertieri1 of ,milan1 in ,humanistic ,type #ai ,jenson's ,roman ,type4 ,from ,cicero3 ,rhetorica1 ,venice1 #adgj #bb ,emery ,walker's ,doves ,type4 ,from ,paradise ,regained1 ,london1 #aije #bc ,autograph ,letter from ,charles ,eliot ,norton #ca ,illuminated ,page of ,petrarch's ,triumphs4 ,set in ,humanistic ,type designed by the ,author #cb ,autograph ,page of ,eugene ,field ,manuscript4 ,from ,second ,book of ,verse1 ,new ,york1 #ahib #ci ,autograph ,verse in ,field's own ,copy of ,trumpet and ,drum #da ,john ,wilson in #ahia4 ,master-,printer #db ,page of ,horace ,fletcher ,manuscript #gg ,giambattista ,bodoni4 ,from ,engraving at the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris #gh ,the ,bodoni ,letter compared with the ,didot ,letter #ha ,horace ,fletcher in #aiae #hb ,autograph ,letter from ,henry ,james to ,horace ,fletcher #hg ,mirror ,title4 ,from ,augustinus3 ,opera4 #adhe4 ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence #id ,t4 ,j4 ,cobden-,sanderson4 ,from ,etching by ,alphonse ,legros1 #ahic #if ,carved ,ivory ,binding1 ,jeweled with ,rubies and ,turquoises4 ,from ,psalter 7#abth ,century74 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,eger4 ,,ms4 #aaci #aab ,byzantine ,illumination 7#aath ,century74 ,psalter in ,greek4 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,add4 ,,ms4 #aiceb #aah ,celtic ,illumination 7#hth ,century74 ,lindisfarne ,gospels4 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,cotton ,,ms4 ,nero ,d4 iv #abd ,carolingian ,handwriting 7#ith ,century74 ,alcuin ,bible4 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,add4 ,,ms4 #ajedf #abf ,carolingian ,illumination 7#ith ,century74 ,golden ,gospels of ,st4 ,mdard4 ,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #hhej #abh ,gothic ,illumination 7#acth ,century74 ,miniature ,page from the ,psalter of ,st4 ,louis4 ,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #ajebe #acj ,gothic ,illumination 7#acth ,century74 ,text ,page from the ,psalter of ,st4 ,louis4 ,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #ajebe #acb ,english ,illumination 7#adth ,century74 ,queen ,mary's ,psalter4 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,royal ,,ms4 #b;,b4 vii #acd ,french ,illumination 7#aeth ,century74 ,bedford ,book of ,hours4 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,add4 ,,ms4 #ahhej #acf ,french ,renaissance ,illumination 7#aeth ,century74 ,antiquities of the ,jews4 ,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,franais #bdg #ach ,flemish ,illumination 7#aeth ,century74 ,miniature ,page from the ,grimani ,breviary4 ,bibl4 ,s4 ,marco1 ,venice #adb ,flemish ,illumination 7#aeth ,century74 ,text ,page from the ,grimani ,breviary4 ,bibl4 ,s4 ,marco1 ,venice #add ,italian ,illumination 7#aeth ,century74 ,book of ,hours1 by ,francesco d',antonio4 ,r4 ,lau4 ,bibl4 ,ashb4 #ahgd #adf ,french ,illumination 7#afth ,century74 ,miniature from ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany4 ,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #idgd #adh ,french ,illumination 7#afth ,century74 ,text ,page from ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany4 ,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #idgd #aej ,order for ,payment of #ajej livres tournois to ,jean ,bourdichon for the ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany1 #aejh #aeb ,autograph ,letter from ,maurice ,hewlett #afa ,autograph ,poem by ,austin ,dobson #afg ,mark ,twain4 ,at the ,villa di ,quarto1 ,florence1 #aijd4 ,from a ,snap-shot #agj ,autograph ,letter from ,mark ,twain4 ,with ,snap-shot of ,villa di ,quarto #agb ,autograph ,letter from ,william ,dean ,howells #ahe ,part of a ,page from the ,vellum ,copy of the ,gutenberg ,bible4 ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris #aie ,rubricator's ,mark at end of ,first ,volume of a ,defective ,copy of the ,gutenberg ,bible1 ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris #aif ,rubricator's ,mark at end of ,second ,volume of a ,defective ,copy of the ,gutenberg ,bible1 ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris #aig ,gutenberg1 ,fust1 ,coster1 ,aldus ,manutius1 ,froben4 ,from ,engraving by ,jacob ,houbraken 7#afih-aghj7 #aih ,john ,fust4 ,from an ,old ,engraving #aii ,device and ,explicit of ,nicolas ,jenson #bjc ,jenson's ,gothic ,type4 ,from ,augustinus3 ,de ,civitate ,dei1 ,venice1 #adge #bje ,device of ,aldus ,manutius #bjh ,grolier in the ,printing ,office of ,aldus4 ,after ,painting by ,franois ,flameng4 ,through ,courtesy the ,grolier ,club1 ,new ,york ,city #bjh ,text ,page from ,aldus' ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili1 ,venice1 #adii #baa ,illustrated ,page from ,aldus' ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili1 ,venice1 #adii #bab ,grolier ,binding4 ,castiglione3 ,cortegiano4 ,aldine ,press1 #aeah4 ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence #bab ,grolier ,binding4 ,capella3 ,l',anthropologia4 ,aldine ,press1 #aecc4 ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence #bad ,robert tienne4 ,from ,engraving by tienne ,johandier ,desrochers 7c4 #affa-agda7 #bag ,title ,page showing tienne's ,royal ,greeks1 ,paris1 #aeej #bbj ,text ,page ,showing tienne's ,roman ,face #bbb ,text ,page showing tienne's ,royal ,greeks1 from ,novum ,jesu ,christi ,d4 ,n4 ,testamentum1 ,paris1 #aeej #bbb ,christophe ,plantin4 ,from ,engraving by ,edme de ,boulonois 7c4 #aeej7 #bbe ,title ,page of ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh #bbh ,page of ,preface of ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh #bbi ,text ,pages of ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh #bcj ,second ,page of ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh #bcb ,device of ,christophe ,plantin #bcf ,title ,page of ,elzevir's ,terence1 ,leyden1 #afce #bda ,text ,pages of ,elzevir's ,terence1 ,leyden1 #afce #bdb ,john ,baskerville #bdd ,title ,page of ,baskerville's ,virgil1 ,birmingham1 #ageg #bdg ,text ,page of ,baskerville's ,virgil1 ,birmingham1 #ageg #bdi ,engraving from ,didot's ,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja4 ,by ,prud'hon #bec ,title ,page of ,didot's ,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja #bec ,opening ,page of ,didot's ,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja #bee ,text ,page of ,didot's ,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja #bef ,firmin ,didot4 ,from ,engraving by ,pierre ,gustave ,eugne ,staal 7#ahag-ahhb7 #bef ,william ,morris4 ,from ,portrait by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4 ,a41 in the ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 ,london4 ,painted in #ahhj #beh ,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones1 ,bart4 ,from a ,photograph at the ,british ,museum #bfj ,text ,page of ,kelmscott ,chaucer1 #ahif #bfb ,title ,page of ,doves ,bible1 ,london1 #aije #bfe ,text ,page of ,doves ,bible1 ,london1 #aije #bfg ,the ,sala ,michelangiolo1 in the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence #bgf ,dott4 ,comm4 ,guido ,biagi1 in #aibd #bgh ,vestibule of the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence #bhj ,miniature ,page from the ,biblia ,amiatina1 ,r4 ,lau4 ,bibl4 ,cod4 ,amiatinus ,i #bhh ,antonio ,magliabecchi #bic ,library ,slips used by ,george ,eliot while working on ,romola in ,magliabecchian ,library1 ,florence #bif ,i ,,in ,,quest ,,of ,,the ,,perfect ,,book 8,here is a fine volume10 a friend remarked1 handing me a copy of ,the ,ideal ,book1 written and printed by ,cobden-,sanderson at the ,doves ,press4 8,it is10 ,i assented readily1 turning the leaves1 and enjoying the composite beauty of the careful typography1 and the perfect impression upon the soft1 handmade paper with the satisfaction one always feels when face to face with a work of art4 8,have you read it80 8,why--no10 he answered4 8,i picked it up in ,london1 and they told me it was a rare volume4 ,you don't necessarily read rare books1 do you80 ,my friend is a cultivated man1 and his attitude toward his latest acquisition irritated me2 yet after thirty years of similar disappointments ,i should not have been surprised4 ,how few1 even among those interested in books1 recognize the fine1 artistic touches that constitute the difference between the commonplace and the distinguished6 ,the volume under discussion was written by an authority foremost in the art of bookmaking2 its producer was one of the few great master-printers and binders in the history of the world2 yet the only significance it possessed to its owner was the fact that some one in whom he had confidence had told him it was rare6 ,being rare1 he coveted the treasure1 and acquired it with no greater understanding than if it had been a piece of ,chinese jade4 8,what makes you think this is a fine book80 ,i inquired1 deliberately changing the approach4 ,he laughed consciously4 8,it cost me nine guineas--and ,i like the looks of it40 ,restraint was required not to say something that might have affected our friendship unpleasantly1 and friendship is a precious thing4 8,do something for me10 ,i asked quietly4 8,that is a short book4 ,read it through1 even though it is rare1 and then let us continue this conversation we have just begun40 ,a few days later he invited me to dine with him at his club4 8,i asked you here10 he said1 8because ,i don't want any one1 even my family1 to hear what ,i am going to admit to you4 ,i have read that book1 and ,i'd rather not know what you thought of my consummate ignorance of what really enters into the building of a well-made volume--the choice of type1 the use of decoration1 the arrangement of margins4 ,why1 bookmaking is an art6 ,perhaps ,i should have known that1 but ,i never stopped to think about it40 ,one does have to stop and think about a well-made book in order to comprehend the difference between printing that is merely printing and that which is based upon art in its broadest sense and upon centuries of precedent4 ,it does require more than a gleam of intelligence to grasp the idea that the basis of every volume ought to be the thought expressed by the writer2 that the type1 the illustrations1 the decorations1 the paper1 the binding1 simply combine to form the vehicle to convey that expression to the reader4 ,when1 however1 this fact is once absorbed1 one cannot fail to understand that if these various parts1 which compositely comprise the whole1 fail to harmonize with the subject and with each other1 then the vehicle does not perform its full and proper function4 ,i wondered afterward if ,i had not been a bit too superior in my attitude toward my friend4 ,as a matter of fact1 printing as an art has returned to its own only within the last quarter-century4 ,looking back to #ahia1 when ,i began to serve my apprenticeship under ,john ,wilson at the old ,university ,press in ,cambridge1 ,massachusetts1 the broadness of the profession that ,i was adopting as my life's work had not as yet unfolded its unlimited possibilities4 ,at that time the three great ,american printers were ,john ,wilson1 ,theodore ,l4 ,de ,vinne1 and ,henry ,o4 ,houghton4 ,the volumes produced under their supervision were perfect examples of the best bookmaking of the period1 yet no one of these three men looked upon printing as an art4 ,it was ,william ,morris who in modern times first joined these two words together by the publication of his magnificent ,kelmscott volumes4 ,such type1 such decorations1 such presswork1 such sheer1 composite beauty6 ,this was in #ahie4 ,morris1 in one leap1 became the most famous printer in the world4 ,every one tried to produce similar volumes1 and the resulting productions1 made without appreciating the significance of decoration combined with type1 were about as bad as they could be4 ,i doubt if1 at the present moment1 there exists a single one of these sham ,kelmscotts made in ,america that the printer or the publisher cares to have recalled to him4 ,when the first flair of ,morris' popularity passed away1 and his volumes were judged on the basis of real bookmaking1 they were classified as marvelously beautiful objets d'art rather than books--composites of ,burne-,jones1 the designer1 and ,william ,morris1 the decorator-printer1 co-workers in sister arts2 but from the very beginning ,morris' innovations showed the world that printing still belonged among the fine arts4 ,the ,kelmscott books awoke in me an overwhelming desire to put myself into the volumes ,i produced4 ,i realized that no man can give of himself beyond what he possesses1 and that to make my ambition worth accomplishing ,i must absorb and make a part of myself the beauty of the ancient manuscripts and the early printed books4 ,this led me to take up an exhaustive study of the history of printing4 ,illustration3 ,,john ,,gutenberg1 c4 #adjj-adfh ,from ,engraving by ,alphonse ,descaves ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris ,until then ,gutenberg's name1 in my mind1 had been preminent4 ,as ,i proceeded1 however1 ,i came to know that he was not really the 8inventor0 of printing1 as ,i had always thought him to be2 that he was the one who first foresaw the wonderful power of movable types as a material expression of the thought of man1 rather than the creator of anything previously unknown4 ,i discovered that the ,greeks and the ,romans had printed from stamps centuries earlier1 and that the ,chinese and the ,koreans had cut individual characters in metal4 ,i well remember the thrill ,i experienced when ,i first realized--and at the time thought my discovery was original6--that1 had the ,chinese or the ,saracens possessed ,gutenberg's wit to join these letters together into words1 the art of printing must have found its way to ,constantinople1 which would have thus become the center of culture and learning in the fifteenth century4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from this point on1 my quest seemed a part of an ,arabian ,nights' tale4 ,cautiously opening a door1 ,i would find myself in a room containing treasures of absorbing interest4 ,from this room there were doors leading in different directions into other rooms even more richly filled2 and thus onward1 with seemingly no end1 to the fascinating rewards that came through effort and perseverance4 ,germany1 although it had produced ,gutenberg1 was not sufficiently developed as a nation to make his work complete4 ,the open door led me away from ,germany into ,italy1 where literary zeal was at its height4 ,the life and customs of the ,italian people of the fifteenth century were spread out before me4 ,in my imagination ,i could see the velvet-gowned agents of the wealthy patrons of the arts searching out old manuscripts and giving commissions to the scribes to prepare hand-lettered copies for their masters' libraries4 ,i could mingle with the masses and discover how eager they were to learn the truth in the matter of religion1 and the cause and the remedies of moral and material evils by which they felt themselves oppressed4 ,i could share with them their expectant enthusiasm and confidence that the advent of the printing press would afford opportunity to study description and argument where previously they had merely gazed at pictorial design4 ,i could sense the desire of the people for books1 not to place in cabinets1 but to read in order to know2 and ,i could understand why workmen who had served apprenticeships in ,germany so quickly sought out ,italy1 the country where princes would naturally become patrons of the new art1 where manuscripts were ready for copy1 and where a public existed eager to purchase their products4 ,while striving to sense the significance of the conflicting elements ,i felt around me1 ,i found much of interest in watching the scribes fulfilling their commissions to prepare copies of original manuscripts1 becoming familiar for the first time with the primitive methods of book manufacture and distribution4 ,a monastery possessed an original manuscript of value4 ,in its scriptorium 7the writing office7 one might find perhaps twenty or thirty monks seated at desks1 each with a sheet of parchment spread out before him1 upon which he inscribed the words that came to him in the droning1 singsong voice of the reader selected for the duty because of his familiarity with the subject matter of the volume4 ,the number of desks the scriptorium could accommodate determined the size of this early 8edition40 ,when these copies were completed1 exchanges were made with other monasteries that possessed other original manuscripts1 of which copies had been made in a similar manner4 ,i was even more interested in the work of the secular scribes1 usually executed at their homes1 for it was to these men that the commissions were given for the beautiful humanistic volumes4 ,as they had taken up the art of hand lettering from choice or natural aptitude instead of as a part of monastic routine1 they were greater artists and produced volumes of surpassing beauty4 ,a still greater interest in studying this art of hand lettering lay in the knowledge that it soon must become a lost art1 for no one could doubt that the printing press had come to stay4 ,then1 turning to the office of ,aldus1 ,i pause for a moment to read the legend placed conspicuously over the door3 ,whoever thou art1 thou art earnestly requested by ,aldus to state thy business briefly and to take thy departure promptly4 ,in this way thou mayest be of service even as was ,hercules to the weary ,atlas1 for this is a place of work for all who may enter ,illustration3 ,,aldus ,,manutius1 #adej-aeae ,from ,engraving at the ,british ,museum ,but inside the printing office ,i find ,aldus and his associates talking of other things than the books in process of manufacture4 ,they are discussing the sudden change of attitude on the part of the wealthy patrons of the arts who1 after welcoming the invention of printing1 soon became alarmed by the enthusiasm of the people1 and promptly reversed their position4 ,no wonder that ,aldus should be concerned as to the outcome6 ,the patrons of the arts represented the culture and wealth and political power of ,italy1 and they now discovered in the new invention an actual menace4 ,to them the magnificent illuminated volumes of the fifteenth century were not merely examples of decoration1 but they represented the tribute that this cultured class paid to the thought conveyed1 through the medium of the written page1 from the author to the world4 ,this jewel of thought they considered more valuable than any costly gem4 ,they perpetuated it by having it written out on parchment by the most accomplished scribes2 they enriched it by illuminated embellishments executed by the most famous artists2 they protected it with bindings in which they actually inlaid gold and silver and jewels4 ,to have this thought cheapened by reproduction through the commonplace medium of mechanical printing wounded their sthetic sense4 ,it was an expression of real love of the book that prompted ,bisticci1 the agent of so powerful a patron as the ,duke of ,urbino1 to write of the ,duke's splendid collection in the latter part of the fifteenth century3 ,in that library the books are all beautiful in a superlative degree1 and all written by the pen4 ,there is not a single one of them printed1 for it would have been a shame to have one of that sort4 ,aldus is not alarmed by the solicitude of the patrons for the beauty of the book4 ,he has always known that in order to exist at all the printed book must compete with the written volume2 and he has demonstrated that1 by supplying to the accomplished illuminators sheets carefully printed on parchment1 he can produce volumes of exquisite beauty1 of which no collector need be ashamed4 ,aldus knows that there are other reasons behind the change of front on the part of the patrons4 ,libraries made up of priceless manuscript volumes are symbols of wealth1 and through wealth comes power4 ,with the multiplication of printed books this prestige will be lessened1 as the masses will be enabled to possess the same gems of thought in less extravagant and expensive form4 ,if1 moreover1 the people are enabled to read1 criticism1 the sole property of the scholars1 will come into their hands1 and when they once learn self-reliance from their new intellectual development they are certain to attack dogma and political oppression1 even at the risk of martyrdom4 ,the princes and patrons of ,italy are intelligent enough to know that their self-centered political power is doomed if the new art of printing secures a firm foothold4 ,what a relief to such a man as ,aldus when it became fully demonstrated that the desire on the part of the people to secure books in order to learn was too great to be overcome by official mandate or insidious propaganda6 ,with what silent satisfaction did he settle back to continue his splendid work6 ,the patrons1 in order to show what a poor thing the printed book really was1 gave orders to the scribes and the illuminators to prepare volumes for them in such quantities that the art of hand lettering received a powerful impetus1 as a result of which the hand letters themselves attained their highest point of perfection4 ,this final struggle on the part of the wealthy overlords resulted only in redoubling the efforts of the artist master-printers to match the beauty of the written volumes with the products from their presses4 ,these ,arabian ,nights' experiences occupied me from #ahie1 when ,morris demonstrated the unlimited possibilities of printing as an art1 until #aija1 when ,i first visited ,italy and gave myself an opportunity to become personally acquainted with the historical landmarks of printing1 which previously ,i had known only from study4 ,in ,florence it was my great good fortune to become intimately acquainted with the late ,doctor ,guido ,biagi1 at that time librarian of the ,laurenziana and the ,riccardi libraries1 and the custodian of the ,medici1 the ,michelangelo1 and the da ,vinci archives4 ,i like to think of him as ,i first saw him then1 sitting on a bench in front of one of the carved plutei designed by ,michelangelo1 in the wonderful ,sala di ,michelangiolo in the ,laurenziana ,library1 studying a beautifully illuminated volume resting before him1 which was fastened to the desk by one of the famous old chains4 ,he greeted me with an old-school courtesy4 ,when he discovered my genuine interest in the books he loved1 and realized that ,i came as a student eager to listen to the master's word1 his face lighted up and we were at once friends4 ,illustration3 ,dott4 ,comm4 ,,guido ,,biagi ,seated at one of the plutei in the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence 7#aijf7 ,in the quarter of a century which passed from this meeting until his death we were fellow-students1 and during that period ,i never succeeded in exhausting the vast store of knowledge he possessed1 even though he gave of it with the freest generosity4 ,from him ,i learned for the first time of the far-reaching influence of the humanistic movement upon everything that had to do with the litter humaniores1 and this new knowledge enabled me to crystallize much that previously had been fugitive4 8,the humanist10 ,doctor ,biagi explained to me1 8whether ancient or modern1 is one who holds himself open to receive ,truth1 unprejudiced as to its source1 and--what is more important--after having received ,truth realizes his obligation to the world to give it out again1 made richer by his personal interpretation40 ,this humanistic movement was the forerunner and the essence of the ,renaissance1 being in reality a revolt against the barrenness of medivalism4 ,until then ignorance1 superstition1 and tradition had confined intellectual life on all sides1 but the little band of humanists1 headed by ,petrarch1 put forth a claim for the mental freedom of man and for the full development of his being4 ,as a part of this claim they demanded the recognition of the rich humanities of ,greece and ,rome1 which were proscribed by the ,church4 ,if this claim had been postponed another fifty years1 the actual manuscripts of many of the present standard classics would have been lost to the world4 ,the significance of the humanistic movement in its bearing upon the ,quest of the ,perfect ,book is that the invention of printing fitted exactly into the ,petrarchian scheme by making it possible for the people to secure volumes that previously1 in their manuscript form1 could be owned only by the wealthy patrons4 ,this was the point at which ,doctor ,biagi's revelation and my previous study met4 ,the ,laurenziana ,library contains more copies of the so-called humanistic manuscripts1 produced in response to the final efforts on the part of patrons to thwart the increasing popularity of the new art of printing1 than any other single library4 ,doctor ,biagi proudly showed me some of these treasures1 notably ,antonio ,sinibaldi's ,virgil4 ,the contrast between the hand lettering in these volumes and the best ,i had ever seen before was startling4 ,here was a hand letter1 developed under the most romantic and dramatic conditions1 which represented the apotheosis of the art4 ,the thought flashed through my mind that all the types in existence up to this point had been based upon previous hand lettering less beautiful and not so perfect in execution4 8,why is it10 ,i demanded excitedly1 8that no type has ever been designed based upon this hand lettering at its highest point of perfection80 ,illustration3 ,,hand-,,written ,,humanistic ,,characters ,from ,sinibaldi's ,virgil1 #adhe ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence 7#ab #h inches7 ,doctor ,biagi looked at me and shrugged his shoulders4 8,this1 my friend10 he answered1 smiling1 8is your opportunity40 ,at this point began one of the most fascinating and absorbing adventures in which any one interested in books could possibly engage4 ,at some time1 ,i suppose1 in the life of every typographer comes the ambition to design a special type1 so it was natural that the idea contained in ,doctor ,biagi's remark should suggest possibilities which filled me with enthusiasm4 ,i was familiar with the history of the best special faces1 and had learned how difficult each ambitious designer had found the task of translating drawings into so rigid a medium as metal2 so ,i reverted soberly and with deep respect to the subject of type design from the beginning4 ,in studying the early fonts of type1 ,i found them exact counterfeits of the best existing forms of hand lettering at that time employed by the scribes4 ,the first ,italic font cut by ,aldus1 for instance1 is said to be based upon the thin1 inclined handwriting of ,petrarch4 ,the contrast between these slavish copies of hand-lettered models and the mechanical precision of characters turned out by modern type founders made a deep impression4 ,of the two ,i preferred the freedom of the earliest types1 but appreciated how ill adapted these models were to the requirements of typography4 ,a hand-lettered page1 even with the inevitable irregularities1 is pleasing because the scribe makes a slight variation in forming the various characters4 ,when1 however1 an imperfect letter is cut in metal1 and repeated many times upon the same page1 the irregularity forces itself unpleasantly upon the eye4 ,nicolas ,jenson was the first to realize this1 and in his famous ,roman type he made an exact interpretation of what the scribe intended to accomplish in each of the letters1 instead of copying any single hand letter1 or making a composite of many hand designs of the same character4 ,for this reason the ,jenson type has not only served as the basis of the best standard ,roman fonts down to the present time1 but has also proved the inspiration for later designs of distinctive type faces1 such as ,william ,morris' ,golden type1 and ,emery ,walker's ,doves type4 ,illustration3 ,specimen ,page of proposed ,edition of ,dante4 ,to be printed by ,bertieri1 of ,milan1 in ,humanistic ,type 7#h #f7 ,william ,morris' experience is an excellent illustration of the difficulties a designer experiences4 ,he has left a record of how he studied the ,jenson type with great care1 enlarging it by photography1 and redrawing it over and over again before he began designing his own letter4 ,when he actually produced his ,golden type the design was far too much inclined to the ,gothic to resemble the model he selected4 ,his ,troy and ,chaucer types that followed showed the strong effect of the ,german influence that the types of ,schoeffer1 ,mentelin1 and ,gunther ,zainer made upon him4 ,the ,doves type is based flatly upon the ,jenson model2 yet it is an absolutely original face1 retaining all the charm of the model1 to which is added the artistic genius of the designer4 ,each receives its personality from the understanding and interpretation of the creator 7pages #bb1 #bc74 ,illustration3 ,jenson's ,roman ,type4 ,from ,cicero3 ,rhetorica1 ,venice1 #adgj 7,exact size7 ,illustration3 ,emery ,walker's ,doves ,type4 ,from ,paradise ,regained1 ,london1 #aije 7,exact size7 ,from this ,i came to realize that it is no more necessary for a type designer to express his individuality by adding or subtracting from his model than for a portrait painter to change the features of his subject because some other artist has previously painted it4 ,wordsworth once said that the true portrait of a man shows him1 not as he looks at any one moment of his life1 but as he really looks all the time4 ,this is equally true of a hand letter1 and explains the vast differences in the cut of the same type face by various foundries and for the typesetting machines4 ,all this convinced me that1 if ,i were to make the humanistic letters the model for my new type1 ,i must follow the example of ,emery ,walker rather than that of ,william ,morris4 99 99 99 99 99 ,during the days spent in the small1 cell-like alcove which had been turned over for my use in the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,i came so wholly under the influence of the peculiar atmosphere of antiquity that ,i felt myself under an obsession of which ,i have not been conscious before or since4 ,my enthusiasm was abnormal1 my efforts tireless4 ,the world outside seemed very far away1 the past seemed very near1 and ,i was indifferent to everything except the task before me4 ,this curious experience was perhaps an explanation of how the monks had been able to apply themselves so unceasingly to their prodigious labors1 which seem beyond the bounds of human endurance4 ,my work at first was confined to a study of the humanistic volumes in the ,laurenziana ,library1 and the selection of the best examples to be taken as final models for the various letters4 ,from photographed reproductions of selected manuscript pages1 ,i took out fifty examples of each letter4 ,of these fifty1 perhaps a half-dozen would be almost identical1 and from these ,i learned the exact design the scribe endeavored to repeat4 ,i also decided to introduce the innovation of having several characters for certain letters that repeated most frequently1 in order to preserve the individuality of the hand lettering1 and still keep my design within the rigid limitations of type4 ,of the letter e1 for instance1 eight different designs were finally selected2 there were five a's1 two m's1 and so on 7see illustration at page #cb74 ,after becoming familiar with the individual letters as shown in the ,laurenziana humanistic volumes1 ,i went on to ,milan and the ,ambrosiana ,library1 with a letter from ,doctor ,biagi addressed to the librarian1 ,monsignor ,ceriani1 explaining the work upon which ,i was engaged1 and seeking his co-operation4 ,it would be impossible to estimate ,ceriani's age at that time1 but he was very old4 ,he was above middle height1 his frame was slight1 his eyes penetrating and burning with a fire that showed at a glance how affected he was by the influence to which ,i have already referred4 ,his skin resembled in color and texture the very parchment of the volumes he handled with such affection1 and in his religious habit he seemed the embodiment of ancient learning4 ,after expressing his deep interest in my undertaking1 he turned to a publication upon which he himself was engaged1 the reproduction in facsimile of the earliest known manuscript of ,homer's ,iliad4 ,the actual work on this1 he explained1 was being carried on by his assistant1 a younger priest whom he desired to have me meet4 ,his own contribution to the work was an introduction1 upon which he was then engaged1 and which1 he said1 was to be his swan song1 the final message from his soul to the world4 8,this1 ,i suppose1 is to be in ,italian80 ,i inquired4 ,he looked at me reproachfully4 8,no1 my son10 he answered1 with deep impressiveness2 8,i am writing my introduction in ,latin1 which1 though called a dead language1 will be living long after the present living languages are dead40 ,ceriani placed at my disposal the humanistic volumes in the ,ambrosiana1 and introduced me to his assistant1 whose co-operation was of the utmost value in my work4 ,i was particularly struck by the personality of this younger priest4 ,he was in close touch with affairs outside the ,church1 and asked searching questions regarding conditions in ,america4 ,he spoke several languages with the same facility with which he spoke his own ,italian4 ,his knowledge of books and of bookmaking1 past and present1 surprised me4 ,all in all1 ,i found him one of the most charming men ,i have ever met4 ,his name was ,achille ,ratti1 and when he became ,bishop of ,milan in #aiba1 and was elevated to the ,college of ,cardinals two months later1 ,i realized how far that wonderful personality was taking him4 ,one could scarcely have foreseen1 however1 that in less than a year from this time he would become ,pope ,pius ,,xi4 ,when1 after my drawings were completed1 ,i returned to ,america1 ,i took up the matter of the type design with ,charles ,eliot ,norton1 my old art professor at ,harvard1 then emeritus4 ,professor ,norton was genuinely interested in the whole undertaking1 and as the proofs of the various punches later came into my hands he became more and more enthusiastic4 ,i had arranged to use this type in a series of volumes to be published in ,london by ,john ,murray1 and in ,america by ,little1 ,brown and ,company4 ,an important question arose as to what should be the first title1 and after careful consideration ,i decided that as ,petrarch was the father of humanism his ,trionfi would obviously be an ideal selection4 ,the volume was to be printed in ,english rather than in the original ,italian1 and ,i settled upon ,henry ,boyd's translation as the most distinguished4 ,upon investigation it developed that the original edition of this book was long out of print and copies were exceedingly rare4 ,the only one ,i could locate was in the ,petrarch collection of the late ,willard ,fiske4 ,i entered into correspondence with him1 and he invited me to be his guest at his villa in ,florence4 ,with the type completed1 and with proofs in my possession1 ,i undertook my second humanistic ,odyssey1 making ,florence my first objective4 ,professor ,fiske welcomed me cordially1 and in him ,i found a most sympathetic personality1 eager to contribute in every way to the success of the undertaking4 ,he placed the volume of ,boyd's translation in my hands1 and asked that ,i take it with me for use until my edition was completed4 8,this book is unique1 and so precious that you certainly could not permit it to go out of your possession10 ,i protested4 ,his answer was characteristic4 8,your love of books10 he said1 8is such that this volume is as safe in your hands as it is in mine4 ,take it from me1 and return it when it has served its purpose40 ,then came the matter of illustrations4 ,in ,london ,i had a conference with ,sir ,sidney ,colvin1 then ,keeper of ,prints and ,drawings at the ,british ,museum4 ,colvin had been made familiar with the undertaking by ,john ,murray1 who had shown him and ,alfred ,w4 ,pollard some of the earliest proofs of the punches that ,i had sent to ,england4 ,after a careful examination of these1 both men suggested to ,mr4 ,murray that his ,american friend was playing a joke upon him1 declaring that the proofs were hand-lettered and not taken from metal originals6 8,there is a fate about this10 ,colvin said1 after ,i had explained my mission4 8,we have here in the ,museum six original drawings of ,petrarch's ,triumphs1 attributed by some to ,fra ,filippo ,lippi and certainly belonging to his school1 which have never been reproduced4 ,they are exactly the right size for the format which you have determined upon1 and if you can have the reproductions made here at the ,museum the drawings are at your disposal40 ,i made arrangements with ,emery ,walker1 the designer of the ,doves type and justly famous as an engraver1 to etch these plates on steel1 and the reproductions of the originals were extraordinarily exact4 ,those ,walker made for the parchment edition looked as if drawn on ivory4 ,parchment was required for the specially illuminated copies which were to form a feature of the edition1 and before leaving ,america ,i had been told that the ,roman grade was the best4 ,i naturally assumed that ,i should find this in ,rome1 but my research developed the fact that ,roman parchment is prepared in ,florence4 ,following this lead1 ,i examined the skins sold by ,florentine dealers1 but ,doctor ,biagi assured me that the best grade was not ,roman but ,florentine1 and that ,florentine parchment is produced in ,issoudun1 ,france4 ,it seemed a far cry to seek out ,italian skins in ,france1 but to ,issoudun ,i went4 ,in the meantime ,i learned that there was a still better grade prepared in ,brentford1 ,england--this1 in fact1 being where ,william ,morris procured the parchment for his ,kelmscott publications4 ,at ,brentford ,i secured my skins2 and here ,i learned something that interested me exceedingly4 ,owing to the oil which remains in the parchment after it has been prepared for use1 the difficulty in printing is almost as great as if on glass4 ,to obviate this1 the concern at ,brentford1 in preparing parchment for the ,kelmscott volumes1 filled in the pores of the skins with chalk1 producing an artificial surface4 ,the process of time must operate adversely upon this extraneous substance1 and the question naturally arises as to whether eventually1 in the ,kelmscott parchment volumes1 the chalk surface will flake off in spots1 producing blemishes which can never be repaired4 ,for my own purposes ,i purchased the skins without the artificial surface1 and overcame the difficulty in printing by a treatment of the ink which1 after much experiment1 enabled me to secure as fine results upon the parchment as if printing upon handmade paper4 ,the volumes were to be printed in the two humanistic colors1 black and blue4 ,in the original manuscript volumes this blue is a most unusual shade1 the hand letterer having prepared his own ink by grinding lapis lazuli1 in which there is no red4 ,by artificial light the lines written in blue can scarcely be distinguished from the black4 ,to reproduce the same effect in the printed volume ,i secured in ,florence a limited quantity of lapis lazuli1 and by special arrangement with the ,italian ,government had it crushed into powder at the ,royal mint4 ,this powder ,i took home to ,america1 and arranged with a leading manufacturer to produce what ,i believe to be the first printing ink mixed exactly as the scribes of the fifteenth century used to prepare their pigments4 ,the months required to produce the ,triumphs represented a period alternating in anxiety and satisfaction4 ,the greatest difficulty came in pressing upon the typesetter the fact that the various characters of these letters could not be used with mathematical precision1 but that the change should come only when he felt his hand would naturally alter the design if he were writing the line instead of setting the type4 ,the experiments required to perfect an ink that should successfully print on the oily parchment were not completed without disappointments and misgivings2 the scrupulous care required in reading proofs and perfecting the spacing1 was laborious and monotonous2 the scrutinizing of the sheets as they came from the press was made happier when the success of the lapis lazuli ink was assured4 ,illustration3 ,a ,page from an ,autograph ,letter from ,charles ,eliot ,norton ,the rewards came when ,professor ,norton gave the volume his unqualified approval--8so interesting and original in its typography and in its illustrations1 so admirable in its presswork1 its paper1 its binding1 and its minor accessories1 444 a noble and exemplary work of the printers' art02 when ,george ,w4 ,jones1 ,england's artist-printer1 pronounced the ,humanistic type 8the most beautiful face in the world10 and promised to use it in what he hopes to be his masterpiece1 an edition of ,shakespeare's ,sonnets2 when the jury appointed by the ,italian ,government to select 8the most beautiful and most appropriate type face to perpetuate the divine ,dante0 chose the ,humanistic type1 and placed the important commission of producing the definitive edition of the great poet1 to commemorate his sexcentenary1 in the hands of that splendid printer1 ,bertieri1 at ,milan4 ,such rewards are not compliments1 but justification4 ,such beauty as the ,humanistic type possesses lies in the artistic ability and the marvelous skill in execution of the scribes4 ,my part was simply seizing the development of a period apparently overlooked1 and undertaking the laborious task of translating a beautiful thing from one medium to another4 ,illustration3 ,,petrarch',s ,,triumphs ,illuminated ,page 7#aj #f inches7 ,set in ,humanistic ,type designed by the ,author ,the ,quest of the ,perfect ,book must necessarily lead the seeker into far varying roads1 the greatest rewards being found in straying from the main street into the fascinating bypaths4 ,my quest has resulted in giving me greater appreciation of the accomplishments of those who successfully withstood opposition and persecution in order to make the printed book a living vehicle to convey the gems of thought from great minds to the masses1 never forgetful of the value of beauty in its outward aspect4 ,i believe it possible today to perpetuate the basic principles of the early artist master-printers by applying beauty to low-cost books as well as to limited editions de luxe4 ,the story of the printed book itself is greater than that contained between the covers of any single volume1 for without it the history of the world would show the masses still plodding on1 swathed in theological and encyclopdic bonds1 while the few would still be jealously hoarding their limited knowledge ,,ii ,,the ,,kingdom ,,of ,,books ,a paraphrase of1 8,would that mine adversary had written a book10 might well be1 8,would that mine enemy had printed a book02 for the building of books has always yielded smaller financial returns for the given amount of labor and ability than is offered in any other line of intelligent human effort4 8,are all the workmen in your establishment blank fools80 an irate publisher demanded of a printer after a particularly aggravating error4 8,if they were not10 was the patient rejoinder1 8they would not be engaged in making books60 ,there is an intangible lure that keeps all those associated with the book under subjection4 ,there is a mysterious fascination in being a party to the perpetuation of a human thought that yields something in addition to pecuniary returns4 ,to the author1 the inestimable gratification of conveying a message to the world makes him forget the tedious hours of application required before that message can be adequately expressed4 ,to the publisher1 the satisfaction of offering the opportunity for occasional genius to come into its own more than balances the frequent disappointments4 ,to the book architect1 the privilege of supplying the vehicle for thought1 and of creating the physical form of its expression1 yields returns not altogether measurable in coin of the realm4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in #ahia1 during my apprenticeship at the old ,university ,press1 in ,cambridge1 ,massachusetts1 ,john ,wilson1 its famous head1 permitted me to sit in at a conference with ,eugene ,field and his friend and admirer1 ,francis ,wilson1 the actor1 booklover1 and collector4 ,the subject under discussion was the manufacture of a volume of ,field's poems1 then called ,a ,new ,book of ,verses1 which later became famous under the title of ,second ,book of ,verse4 ,field's personal appearance made a deep impression that first time ,i saw him4 ,i was then an undergraduate at ,harvard1 and this was a live author at close range6 ,he entered the office with a peculiar1 ambling walk2 his clothes were ill-fitting1 accentuating his long legs and arms2 his hands were delicate1 with tapering fingers1 like a woman's2 his face was pallid2 his eyes blue1 with a curiously child-like expression4 ,i remember my feeling of respect1 tinged somewhat with awe1 as ,i saw the pages of manuscript spread out upon the table1 and listened eagerly to the three-cornered conversation4 ,illustration3 ,autograph ,page of ,eugene ,field ,manuscript ,from ,second ,book of ,verse1 ,new ,york1 #ahib ,in considering the manufacture of his book1 ,eugene ,field had clearly defined ideas of the typographical effect he wished to gain2 ,john ,wilson possessed the technical knowledge that enabled him to translate those ideas into terms of type4 ,the examination of the various faces of type1 the consideration of the proportions of the page1 the selection of the paper1 the plan for the design of the cover and the binding1--all came into the discussion4 ,as ,i listened1 ,i was conscious of receiving new impressions which gave me a fuller but still incomplete understanding4 ,until that moment ,i had found little of interest in the adventure of making books4 ,now came a realization that the building of a book1 like the designing of a house1 offered opportunity for creative work4 ,this possibility removed the disturbing doubts1 and ,i undertook to discover for myself how that creative element could be crystallized4 ,years later came an unexpected echo to the ,field episode4 ,after the publication of the ,second ,book of ,verse1 the manuscript was returned to ,field1 who had it bound in half leather and placed it in his library4 ,upon his death many of his books went by bequest to his life-long friend1 ,horace ,fletcher1 the genial philosopher and famous apostle of dietetics4 ,when ,fletcher died1 he bequeathed ,field's personal volumes to me4 ,by this curious chain of circumstances1 thirty-three years after ,i had seen the manuscript spread out upon the table at the ,university ,press1 it came into my possession1 bearing the identical memoranda of instruction made upon it by ,john ,wilson1 whose large1 flowing hand contrasted sharply with the small1 copper-plate characters of the author's handwriting4 ,illustration3 ,autograph ,verse in ,eugene ,field's ,own ,copy of ,trumpet and ,drum ,the present generation of booklovers would think themselves transported back ages rather than decades were they to glance into a great book-printing office of thirty-five years ago4 ,the old ,university ,press at that time acknowledged competition only from the ,riverside and the ,de ,vinne ,presses1 and conditions that obtained there were typical of the times4 ,the business office was called the 8counting-room02 the bookkeeper and the head-clerk were perched up on stools at high1 sloping desks1 and wore long1 linen dusters and black skull caps4 ,john ,wilson sat at a low table desk1 and his partner1 who was the financial executive1 was the proud possessor of the only roll-top desk in the establishment4 ,near him1 perhaps because of its value as a novelty and thus entitled to the same super-care as the cash1 was installed the telephone4 ,most of the letters were written by ,mr4 ,wilson in his own hand4 ,one of my first responsibilities was to copy these letters on the wetted tissue pages of the copy-book with the turn-screw press4 ,illustration3 ,,john ,,wilson ,,in #ahia ,master-,printer ,there was no particular system in effect1 and scientific management was unknown4 ,mr4 ,wilson used to make out his orders on fragments of paper1--whatever came to hand4 ,when the telephone was first installed he refused to use it1 as he considered this method of conducting business as 8sloppy0 and even discourteous4 ,to employ a stenographer would have been an evidence of a lazy disposition1 and a dictated letter was an offence against dignity and decorum4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a week's work at that time consisted of fifty-nine hours instead of the present forty-eight4 ,hand composition and electrotyping were figured together as one process and charged at from #hj cents to #a per thousand ems4 ,changes required in the type by authors cost #ej cents an hour4 ,an author could afford in those days to rewrite his book after it was in type1 but today1 with alterations costing five times as much1 it is a different proposition6 ,the wages were as ridiculously low as the prices charged to customers4 ,the girls in the composing room made from #i to #ab a week1 and those receiving the maximum considered themselves potential ,hetty ,greens4 ,today1 receiving #dj to #de a week1 they find difficulty in making both ends meet4 ,the make-up man1 with the 8fat0 he received in addition to his wage of #af1 actually earned about #bj a week1 as against #ej to #fj a week now4 ,the foreman of the composing room1 with more than two hundred employees under him1 received a weekly return of #bc1 as against #ge to #ajj now4 ,typesetting1 thirty-five years ago1 was almost entirely by hand1 as this was before the day of the linotype and the monotype4 ,thorne typesetting machines1 which then seemed marvels of mechanical ingenuity1 failed to prove economical because they required two operatives and so easily got out of order4 ,the composing room itself was laid out with its main avenues and side streets like a well-ordered town1 divisions being marked by the frames bearing the cases of type in various faces and sizes4 ,the correcting stones ran down the center4 ,the foreman of the composing room was the king of his domain and a power unto himself4 ,each side street was an 8alley10 in which from four to eight typesetters worked1 back to back4 ,these were sometimes boys or men1 but usually girls or women4 ,the 8crew0 in each alley was in charge of an experienced typesetter4 ,it was he who received from the foreman the manuscript to be put into type2 who distributed the copy1 a few pages at a time to each of his subordinates2 who supervised the work1 and arranged for the galleys to be collated in their proper order for proofing2 and who was generally responsible for the product of his alley4 ,as was characteristic of the times in well-conducted industrial plants1 the workers in this department1 as in the others1 were simply a large family presided over by the foreman1 who interpreted the instructions from the management2 and by the heads of the crews1 who carried out the detailed instructions of the foreman4 ,there was a pride in workmanship that is mostly lacking in manufacturing plants today1 due largely to the introduction of labor-saving machinery1 and again to the introduction of efficiency methods4 ,both were inevitable1 but the price paid for the gain in production was high4 ,i am old-fashioned enough to hope that modern ideas of efficiency will never be applied in the printing industry to the extent of robbing the workman of his individuality4 ,books are such personal things6 ,i am in full sympathy with that efficiency which cuts out duplication of effort4 ,i believe in studying methods of performing each operation to discover which one is the most economical in time and effort4 ,i realize that in great manufacturing plants1 where machines have replaced so largely the work of the human hand1 it is obviously necessary for workmen to spend their days manufacturing only a part of the complete article2 but when the organization of any business goes so far as to substitute numbers for names ,i feel that something has been destroyed1 and that in taking away his individuality from the workman the work suffers the same loss4 ,i have even asked myself whether the greatest underlying cause of strikes and labor disturbances during the past ten years has not been the unrest that has come to the workman because he can no longer take actual pride in the product of his hand4 ,years ago1 after the death of one of my oldest employees1 ,i called upon his widow1 and in the simple 8parlor0 of the house where he had lived1 prominently placed on a marble-top table as the chief ornament in the room1 lay a copy of ,wentworth's 8,geometry40 ,when ,i picked it up the widow said proudly1 8,jim set every page of that book with his own hands40 ,it was a priceless heirloom in which the workman's family took continued and justifiable pride4 ,the old ,university ,press family was not only happy but loyal4 ,when the business found itself in financial difficulties1 owing to outside speculations by ,mr4 ,wilson's partner1 the workmen brought their bankbooks1 with deposits amounting to over twenty thousand dollars1 and laid them on ,mr4 ,wilson's desk1 asking him to use these funds in whatever way he chose4 ,the sum involved was infinitesimal compared to the necessities1 but the proffer was a human gesture not calculable in financial digits4 99 99 99 99 99 ,proofreading was an art in the eighteen-nineties instead of an annoying necessity1 as it now seems to be considered4 ,the chief readers were highly educated men and women1 some having been clergymen or schoolteachers4 ,one proofreader at the ,university ,press at that time could read fourteen languages1 and all the readers were competent to discuss with the authors points that came up in the proof4 ,the proof was read1 not only to discover typographical errors1 but also to query dates1 quotations1 and even statements of fact4 ,well-known authors were constantly running in and out of the ,press1 frequently going directly to the proofreaders1 and sometimes even to the compositors themselves1 without coming in touch with the counting-room4 ,mr4 ,wilson looked upon the authors and publishers as members of his big family1 and 8,no ,admittance0 signs were conspicuous by their absence4 ,the modern practice of proofreading cannot produce as perfect volumes as resulted from the deliberate1 painstaking1 and time-consuming consideration which the old-time proofreaders gave to every book passing through their hands4 ,today the proof is read once1 and then revised and sent out to the author4 ,when made up into page form and sent to foundry it is again revised1 but not re-read4 ,no proof used to go out from a first-class printing office without a first and a second reading by copy4 ,it was then read a third time by a careful foundry reader before being made into plates4 ,unfortunately1 with labor at its present cost1 no publisher could produce a volume at a price that the public would pay1 if the old-time care were devoted to its manufacture4 99 99 99 99 99 ,time was when a reputation for careful proofreading was an asset to a ,press4 ,one day the office boy came to my private office and said that there was a man downstairs who insisted upon seeing me personally1 but who declined to give his name4 ,from the expression on the boy's face ,i concluded that the visitor must be a somewhat unique character1 and ,i was not disappointed4 ,as he came into my office he had every aspect of having stepped off the vaudeville stage4 ,he had on the loose garments of a farmer1 with the broad hat that is donned only on state occasions4 ,he wore leather boots over which were rubbers1 and carried a huge1 green umbrella4 ,he nodded pleasantly as he came in1 and sat down with great deliberation4 ,before making any remarks he laid his umbrella on the floor and placed his hat carefully over it1 then he somewhat painfully removed his rubbers4 ,this done1 he turned to me with a broad smile of greeting1 and said1 8,i don't know as you know who ,i am40 ,when ,i confirmed him in his suspicions1 he remarked1 8,well1 ,i am ,jasper ,p4 ,smith1 and ,i come from ,randolph1 ,new ,hampshire40 7,the names and places mentioned are1 for obvious reasons1 not correct47 ,i returned his smile of greeting and asked what ,i could do for him4 8,well10 he said1 8my home town of ,randolph1 ,new ,hampshire1 has decided to get out a town history1 and ,i want to have you do the printin' of it4 ,the selectmen thought it could be printed at ----1 but ,i says to them1 #8,if it's worth doin' at all it's worth doin' right1 and ,i want the book to be made at the ,university ,press in ,cambridge4'0 ,i thanked ,mr4 ,smith for his confidence1 and expressed my satisfaction that our reputation had reached ,randolph1 ,new ,hampshire4 8,well10 he said1 chuckling to himself1 8you see1 it was this way4 ,you made the history of ,rumford1 and ,i was the feller who wrote the genealogies4 ,that's what ,i am1 a genealogy feller4 ,nobody in ,new ,hampshire can write a town history without comin' to me for genealogies40 ,after pausing for a moment he continued1 8,it was your proofreadin' that caught me4 ,on that ,rumford book your proofreader was a smart one1 she was1 but ,i got back at her in good style40 ,his memory seemed to cause him considerable amusement1 and ,i waited expectantly4 8,it was in one of the genealogies10 he went on finally4 8,i gave the date of the marriage as so and so1 and the date of the birth of the first child as two months later4 ,did she let that go by8 ,i should say not4 ,she drew a line right out into the margin and made a darned big question mark4 ,but ,i got back at her6 ,i just left that question mark where it was1 and wrote underneath1 #8,morally incorrect1 historically correct6'0 99 99 99 99 99 ,when the first ,adams flat-bed press was installed at the ,university ,press1 ,president ,felton of ,harvard ,college insisted that no book of his should ever be printed upon this modern monstrosity4 ,here was history repeating itself1 for booklovers of the fifteenth century in ,italy for a long time refused to admit that a printed volume had its place in a gentleman's library4 ,in the eighteen-nineties one whole department at the ,university ,press consisted of these flat-bed presses1 which today can scarcely be found outside of museums4 ,if a modern publisher were to stray into the old loft where the wetted sheets from these presses were hung over wooden rafters to dry1 he would rub his eyes and wonder in what age he was living4 ,the paper had been passed through tubs of water1 perhaps half a quire at a time1 and partially dried before being run through the press4 ,the old ,adams presses made an impression that could have been read by the blind1 and all this embossing1 together with the wrinkling of the sheet from the moisture1 had to be taken out under hydraulic pressure4 ,today wetted sheets and the use of hydraulic presses for bookwork are practically obsolete4 ,the cylinder presses1 that run twice as fast1 produce work of equal quality at lower cost4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in those days the relations between publishers and their printers were much more intimate4 ,scales of prices were established from time to time1 but a publisher usually sent all his work to the same printer4 ,it was also far more customary for a publisher to send an author to the printer to discuss questions of typography with the actual maker of the book1 or to argue some technical or structural point in his manuscript with the head proofreader4 ,the headreader in a large printing establishment at that time was a distinct personality1 quite competent to meet authors upon their own ground4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one of my earliest and pleasantest responsibilities was to act as ,mr4 ,wilson's representative in his business relations with ,mrs4 ,mary ,baker ,eddy1 which required frequent trips to 8,pleasant ,view0 at ,concord1 ,new ,hampshire4 ,mrs4 ,eddy always felt under deep obligation to ,mr4 ,wilson for his interest in the manuscript of ,science and ,health when she first took it to him with a view to publication1 and any message from him always received immediate and friendly consideration4 ,in the past there have been suggestions made that the ,rev4 ,james ,henry ,wiggin1 a retired ,unitarian clergyman and long a proofreader at the ,university ,press1 rewrote ,science and ,health4 ,mr4 ,wiggin was still proofreader when ,i entered the ,press1 and he always manifested great pride in having been associated with ,mrs4 ,eddy in the revision of this famous book4 ,i often heard the matter referred to1 both by him and by ,john ,wilson1 but there never was the slightest intimation that ,mr4 ,wiggin's services passed beyond those of an experienced editor4 ,i have no doubt that many of his suggestions1 in his editorial capacity1 were of value and possibly accepted by the author1--in fact1 unless they had been1 he would not have exercised his proper function2 but had he contributed to the new edition what some have claimed1 he would certainly have given intimation of it in his conversations with me4 ,the characteristic about ,mrs4 ,eddy that impressed me the first time ,i met her was her motherliness4 ,she gave every one the impression of deepest interest and concern in what he said1 and was sympathetic in everything that touched on his personal affairs4 ,when ,i told her of ,john ,wilson's financial calamity1 she seemed to regard it as a misfortune of her own4 ,before ,i left her that day she drew a check for a substantial sum and offered it to me4 8,please hand that to my old friend10 she said1 8and tell him to be of good cheer4 ,what he has given of himself to others all these years will now return to him a thousand-fold40 ,at first one might have been deceived by her quiet manner into thinking that she was easily influenced4 ,there was no suggestion to which she did not hold herself open4 ,if she approved1 she accepted it promptly2 if it did not appeal1 she dismissed it with a graciousness that left no mark2 but it was always settled once and for all4 ,there was no wavering and no uncertainty4 ,after ,mrs4 ,eddy moved from ,concord to ,boston1 her affairs were administered by her ,trustees1 so ,i saw her less frequently4 ,to many her name suggests a great religious movement1 but when ,i think of her ,i seem to see acres of green grass1 a placid little lake1 a silver strip of river1 and a boundary line of hills2 and within the unpretentious house a slight1 unassuming woman1--very real1 very human1 very appealing1 supremely content in the self-knowledge that1 no matter what others might think1 she was delivering her message to the world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by this time1 ,i had discovered what was the matter with ,american bookmaking4 ,it was a contracting business1 and books were conceived and made by the combined efforts of the publisher1 the manufacturing man1 the artist1 the decorator1 the paper mills' agent1 and1 last of all1 the printer and the binder4 ,this was not the way the old-time printers had planned their books4 ,with all their mechanical limitations1 they had followed architectural lines kept consistent and harmonious because controlled by a single mind1 while the finished volume of the eighteen-nineties was a composite production of many minds1 with no architectural plan4 ,no wonder that the volumes manufactured1 even in the most famous ,presses1 failed to compare with those produced in ,venice by ,jenson and ,aldus four centuries earlier6 ,when ,i succeeded ,john ,wilson as head of the ,university ,press in #ahie1 ,i determined to carry out the resolution ,i had formed four years earlier1 while sitting in on the ,eugene ,field conference1 of following the example of the early master-printers so far as this could be done amidst modern conditions4 ,some of my publisher friends were partially convinced by my contention that if the printer properly fulfilled his function he must know how to express his clients' mental conception of the physical attributes of prospective volumes in terms of type1 paper1 presswork1 and binding better than they could do it themselves4 ,the ,kelmscott publications1 which appeared at this time1 were of great value in emphasizing my contention1 for ,william ,morris placed printing back among the fine arts after it had lapsed into a trade4 ,i had no idea1 when ,i presented my plan1 of persuading my friends to produce typographical monuments4 ,no demand has ever existed for volumes of this type adequate to the excessive cost involved by the perfection of materials1 the accuracy of editorial detail1 the supreme excellence of typography and presswork1 and the glory of the binding4 ,sweynheim and ,pannartz1 ,gutenberg's successors1 were ruined by their experiments in ,greek2 the ,aldine ,press in ,venice was saved only by the intervention of ,jean ,grolier2 ,henri tienne was ruined by his famous ,thesaurus1 and ,christophe ,plantin would have been bankrupted by his ,polyglot ,bible had he not retrieved his fortunes by later and meaner publications4 ,nor was ,i unmindful of similar examples that might have been cited from more modern efforts1 made by ambitious publishers and printers4 ,what ,i wanted to do was to build low-cost volumes upon the same principles as de luxe editions1 eliminating the expensive materials but retaining the harmony and consistency that come from designing the book from an architectural standpoint4 ,it adds little to the expense to select a type that properly expresses the thought which the author wishes to convey2 or to have the presses touch the letters into the paper in such a way as to become a part of it1 without that heavy impression which makes the reverse side appear like an example of ,braille2 or to find a paper 7even made by machine67 soft to the feel and grateful to the eye1 on which the page is placed with well-considered margins2 or to use illustrations or decorations1 if warranted at all1 in such a way as to assist the imagination of the reader rather than to divert him from the text2 to plan a title page which1 like the door to a house1 invites the reader to open it and proceed1 its type lines carefully balanced with the blank2 or to bind 7even in cloth67 with trig squares and with design or lettering in keeping with the printing inside4 ,by degrees the publishers began to realize that this could be done1 and when once established1 the idea of treating the making of books as a manufacturing problem instead of as a series of contracts with different concerns1 no one of which knew what the others were doing1 found favor4 ,the authors also preferred it1 for their literary children now went forth to the world in more becoming dress4 ,thus serving in the capacity of book architect and typographical advisor1 instead of merely as a contrasting printer1 these years have been lived in a veritable ,kingdom of ,books1 in company with interesting people1--authors and artists as well as publishers1--in a delightfully intimate way because ,i have been permitted to be a part of the great adventure4 99 99 99 99 99 ,during these years ,i have seen dramatic changes4 ,wages were somewhat advanced between #ahia and the outbreak of the ,world ,war1 but even at this latter date the cost of manufacturing books was less than half of what it is now4 ,this is the great problem which publishers have to face today4 ,when the cost of everything doubled after the ,world ,war1 the public accepted the necessity of paying twice the price for a theater ticket as a matter of course2 but when the retail price of books was advanced in proportion to the cost of manufacture1 there was a great outcry among buyers that authors1 publishers1 and booksellers were opportunists1 demanding an unwarranted profit4 ,as a matter of fact1 the novel which used to sell at #a4ce per copy should now sell at #b4ej if the increased costs were properly apportioned4 ,the publisher today is forced to decline many promising first novels because the small margin of profit demands a comparatively large first edition4 ,unless a publisher can sell #e1jjj copies as a minimum it is impossible for him to make any profit upon a novel4 ,taking this as a basis1 and a novel as containing #cbj pages1 suppose we see how the #b4jj retail price distributes itself4 ,the cost of manufacture1 including the typesetting1 electrotype plates1 cover design1 jacket1 brass dies1 presswork1 paper1 and binding1 amounts to #db cents per copy 7in ,england1 about #cg cents74 ,the publisher's cost of running his office1 which he calls 8overhead10 is #cf cents per copy4 ,the minimum royalty received by an author is #aj per cent4 of the retail price1 which would give him #bj cents4 ,this makes a total cost of #ih cents a copy1 without advertising4 ,but a book must be advertised4 ,every fifty dollars spent in advertising on a five thousand edition adds a cent to the publisher's cost4 ,the free copies distributed for press reviews represent no trifling item4 ,a thousand dollars is not a large amount to be spent for advertising1 and this means #bj cents a copy on a #ejjj edition1 making a total cost of #a4ah per copy and reducing the publisher's profit to #b cents1 since he sells a two-dollar book to the retail bookseller for #a4bj4 ,the bookseller figures that his cost of doing business is one-third the amount of his sales1 or1 on a two-dollar book1 #fg cents4 ,this then shows a net profit to the retail bookseller of #ac cents1 to the publisher of #b cents1 and to the author of #bj cents a copy4 ,beyond this1 there is an additional expense to both bookseller and publisher which the buyer of books is likely to overlook4 ,it is impossible to know just when the demand for a book will cease1 and this means that the publisher and the bookseller are frequently left with copies on hand which have to be disposed of at a price below cost4 ,this is an expense that has to be included in the book business just as much as in handling fruit1 flowers1 or other perishable goods4 ,when a publisher is able to figure on a large demand for the first edition1 he can cut down the cost of manufacture materially2 but1 on the other hand1 this is at least partially offset by the fact that authors whose books warrant large first editions demand considerably more than #aj per cent4 royalty1 and the advertising item on a big seller runs into large figures4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i wish ,i might say that ,i had seen a dramatic change in the methods employed in the retail bookstores6 ,there still exists1 with a few notable exceptions1 the same lack of realization that familiarity with the goods one has to sell is as necessary in merchandizing books as with any other commodity4 ,salesmen in many otherwise well-organized retail bookstores are still painfully ignorant of their proper functions and indifferent to the legitimate requirements of their prospective customers4 ,some years ago1 when one of my novels was having its run1 ,i happened to be in ,new ,york at a time when a friend was sailing for ,europe4 ,he had announced his intention of purchasing a copy of my book to read on the steamer1 and ,i asked him to permit me to send it to him with the author's compliments4 ,lest any reader be astonished to learn that an author ever buys a copy of his own book1 let me record the fact that except for the twelve which form a part of his contract with the publisher1 he pays cash for every copy he gives away4 ,mark ,twain dedicated the first edition of ,the ,jumping ,frog to 8,john ,smith40 ,in the second edition he omitted the dedication1 explaining that in dedicating the volume as he did1 he had felt sure that at least all the ,john ,smiths would buy books4 ,to his consternation he found that they all expected complimentary copies1 and he was hoist by his own petard6 ,with the idea of carrying out my promise to my friend1 ,i stepped into one of the largest bookstores in ,new ,york1 and approached a clerk1 asking him for the book by title4 ,my pride was somewhat hurt to find that even the name was entirely unfamiliar to him4 ,he ran over various volumes upon the counter1 and then turned to me1 saying1 8,we don't carry that book1 but we have several others here which ,i am sure you would like better40 8,undoubtedly you have10 ,i agreed with him2 8but that is beside the point4 ,i am the author of the book ,i asked for1 and ,i wish to secure a copy to give to a friend4 ,i am surprised that a store like this does not carry it40 ,leaning nonchalantly on a large1 circular pile of books near him1 the clerk took upon himself the education of the author4 8,it would require a store much larger than this to carry every book that is published1 wouldn't it80 he asked cheerfully4 8,of course each author naturally thinks his book should have the place of honor on the bookstalls1 but we have to be governed by the demand40 ,it was humiliating to learn the real reason why this house failed to carry my book4 ,i had to say something to explain my presumption even in assuming that ,i might find it there1 so in my confusion ,i stammered1 8,but ,i understood from the publishers that the book was selling very well40 8,oh1 yes10 the clerk replied indulgently2 8they have to say that to their authors to keep them satisfied60 ,with the matter thus definitely settled1 nothing remained but to make my escape as gracefully as circumstances would permit4 ,as ,i started to leave1 the clerk resumed his standing position1 and my eye happened to rest on the pile of perhaps two hundred books upon which he had been half-reclining4 ,the jacket was strikingly familiar4 ,turning to the clerk ,i said severely1 8,would you mind glancing at that pile of books from which you have just risen80 8,oh60 he exclaimed1 smiling and handing me a copy1 8that is the very book we were looking for1 isn't it80 ,it seemed my opportunity to become the educator1 and ,i seized it4 8,young man10 ,i said1 8if you would discontinue the practice of letting my books support you1 and sell a few copies so that they might support me1 it would be a whole lot better for both of us40 8,ha1 ha60 he laughed1 graciously pleased with my sally2 8that's a good line1 isn't it8 ,i really must read your book60 99 99 99 99 99 ,the old-time publisher is passing1 and the author is largely to blame4 ,i have seen the close association--in many cases the profound friendship--between author and publisher broken by the commercialism fostered by some literary agents and completed by competitive bids made by one publishing house to beguile a popular author away from another4 ,there was a time when a writer was proud to be classified as a 8,macmillan10 or a 8,harper0 author4 ,he felt himself a part of the publisher's organization1 and had no hesitation in taking his literary problems to the editorial advisor of the house whose imprint appeared upon the title pages of his volumes4 ,a celebrated ,boston authoress once found herself absolutely at a standstill on a partially completed novel4 ,she confided her dilemma to her publisher1 who immediately sent one of his editorial staff to the rescue4 ,they spent two weeks working together over the manuscript1 solved the problems1 and the novel1 when published1 was the most successful of the season4 ,several publishers have acknowledged to me that in offering unusually high royalties to authors they have no expectation of breaking even1 but that to have a popular title upon their list increases the sales of their entire line4 ,the publisher from whom the popular writer is filched has usually done his share in helping him attain his popularity4 ,the royalty he pays is a fair division of the profits4 ,he cannot1 in justice to his other authors1 pay him a further premium4 ,ethics1 perhaps1 has no place in business1 but the relation between author and publisher seems to me to be beyond a business covenant4 ,a publisher may deliberately add an author to his list at a loss in order to accomplish a specific purpose1 but this practice cannot be continued indefinitely4 ,a far-sighted author will consider the matter seriously before he becomes an opportunist4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,england this questionable practice has been of much slower growth4 ,the ,house of ,murray1 in ,london1 is one of those still conducted on the old-time basis4 ,john ,murray ,,iv1 the present head of the business1 has no interest in any author who comes to him for any reason other than a desire to have the ,murray imprint upon his book4 ,it is more than a business4 ,the publishing offices at #ej;a1 ,albemarle ,street adjoin and open out of the ,murray home4 ,in the library is still shown the fireplace where ,john ,murray ,,iii burned ,byron's ,memoirs1 after purchasing them at an enormous price1 because he deemed that their publication would do injury to the reputation of the writer and of the ,house itself4 ,john ,murray ,,ii was one of the publishers of ,scott's ,marmion4 ,in those days it was customary for publishers to share their contracts4 ,constable had purchased from ,scott for #a1jjj the copyright of ,marmion without having seen a single line1 and the honorarium was paid the author before the poem was completed or the manuscript delivered4 ,constable1 however1 promptly disposed of a one-fourth interest to ,mr4 ,miller of ,albemarle ,street1 and another one fourth to ,john ,murray1 then of ,fleet ,street4 ,by #ahbi ,scott had succeeded in getting into his own hands nearly all his copyrights1 one of the outstanding items being this one-quarter interest in ,marmion held by ,mr4 ,murray4 ,longmans and ,constable had tried in vain to purchase it4 ,when1 however1 ,scott himself approached ,murray through ,lockhart1 the following letter from ,mr4 ,murray was the result3 ,so highly do ,i estimate the honour of being even in so small a degree the publisher of the author of the poem that no pecuniary consideration whatever can induce me to part with it4 ,but there is a consideration of another kind that would make it painful to me if ,i were to retain it a moment longer4 ,i mean the knowledge of its being required by the author1 into whose hands it was spontaneously resigned at the same instant that ,i read the request4 ,there has always been a vast difference in authors in the attitude they assume toward the transformation of their manuscripts into printed books4 ,most of them leave every detail to their publishers1 but a few take a deep and intelligent personal interest4 ,bernard ,shaw is to be included in the latter group4 ,a leading ,boston publisher once telephoned me that an unknown ,english author had submitted a manuscript for publication1 but that it was too socialistic in its nature to be acceptable4 ,then the publisher added that the author had asked1 in case this house did not care to publish the volume1 that arrangements be made to have the book printed in this country in order to secure ,american copyright4 8,we don't care to have anything to do with it10 was the statement2 8but ,i thought perhaps you might like to manufacture the book40 8,who is the author80 ,i inquired4 8,it's a man named ,shaw40 8,what is the rest of his name80 8,wait a minute and ,i'll find out40 ,leaving the telephone for a moment1 the publisher returned and said1 8,his name is ,g4 ,bernard ,shaw4 ,did you ever hear of him80 8,yes10 ,i replied2 8,i met him last summer in ,london through ,cobden-,sanderson1 and ,i should be glad to undertake the manufacture of the book for ,mr4 ,shaw40 8,all right10 came the answer4 8,have your boy call for the manuscript40 ,this manuscript was ,man and ,superman4 ,from that day and for many years1 ,shaw and ,i carried on a desultory correspondence1 his letters proving most original and diverting4 ,on one occasion he took me severely to task for having used two sizes of type upon a title page4 ,he wrote four pages to prove what poor taste and workmanship this represented1 and then ended the letter with these words1 8,but1 after all1 any other printer would have used sixteen instead of two1 so ,i bless you for your restraint60 ,we had another lengthy discussion on the use of apostrophes in printing4 8,i have made no attempt to deal with the apostrophes you introduce10 he wrote2 8but my own usage is carefully considered and the inconsistencies are only apparent4 ,for instance1 ,ive1 youve1 lets1 thats1 are quite unmistakable1 but ,ill1 hell1 shell1 for ,i'll1 he'll1 she'll1 are impossible without a phonetic alphabet to distinguish between long and short e4 ,in such cases ,i retain the apostrophe1 in all others ,i discard it4 ,now you may ask me why ,i discard it4 ,solely because it spoils the printing4 ,if you print a ,bible you can make a handsome job of it because there are no apostrophes or inverted commas to break up the letterpress with holes and dots4 ,until people are forced to have some consideration for a book as something to look at as well as something to read1 we shall never get rid of these senseless disfigurements that have destroyed all the old sense of beauty in printing40 8,ninety-nine per cent4 of the secret of good printing10 ,shaw continued1 8is not to have patches of white or trickling rivers of it trailing down a page1 like rain-drops on a window4 ,horrible6 ,white is the enemy of the printer4 ,black1 rich1 fat1 even black1 without gray patches1 is1 or should be1 his pride4 ,leads and quads and displays of different kinds of type should be reserved for insurance prospectuses and advertisements of lost dogs44440 ,his enthusiasm for ,william ,morris' leaf ornaments is not shared by all booklovers4 ,glance at any of the ,kelmscott volumes1 and you will find these glorified oak leaves scattered over the type page in absolutely unrelated fashion1--a greater blemish1 to some eyes1 than occasional variation in spacing4 ,shaw writes3 ,if you look at one of the books printed by ,william ,morris1 the greatest printer of the ,,xix century1 and one of the greatest printers of all the centuries1 you will see that he occasionally puts in a little leaf ornament1 or something of the kind4 ,the idiots in ,america who tried to imitate ,morris1 not understanding this1 peppered such things all over their 8art0 books1 and generally managed to stick in an extra large quad before each to show how little they understood about the business4 ,morris doesn't do this in his own books4 ,he rewrites the sentence so as to make it justify1 without bringing one gap underneath another in the line above4 ,but in printing other people's books1 which he had no right to alter1 he sometimes found it impossible to avoid this4 ,then1 sooner than spoil the rich1 even color of his block of letterpress by a big white hole1 he filled it up with a leaf4 ,do not dismiss this as not being 8business40 ,i assure you1 ,i have a book which ,morris gave me1 a single copy1 by selling which ,i could cover the entire cost of printing my books1 and its value is due solely to its having been manufactured in the way ,i advocate2 there's absolutely no other secret about it2 and there is no reason why you should not make yourself famous through all the ages by turning out editions of standard works on these lines whilst other printers are exhausting themselves in dirty felt end papers1 sham ,kelmscott capitals1 leaf ornaments in quad sauce1 and then wondering why nobody in ,europe will pay twopence for them1 whilst ,kelmscott books and ,doves ,press books of ,morris' friends1 ,emery ,walker and ,cobden-,sanderson1 fetch fancy prices before the ink is thoroughly dry4444 ,after this ,i shall have to get you to print all my future books1 so please have this treatise printed in letters of gold and preserved for future reference ,,iii ,,friends ,,through ,,type ,in #aijc ,i again visited ,italy to continue my study of the art of printing in the old monasteries and libraries1 sailing on the ,s4 ,s4 ,canopic from ,boston to ,naples4 ,among the passengers on board ,i met ,horace ,fletcher1 returning to his home in ,venice4 ,at that time his volume ,menticulture was having a tremendous run4 ,i had enjoyed reading the book1 and in its author ,i discovered a unique and charming personality2 in fact1 ,i have never met so perfect an expression of practical optimism4 ,his humor was infectious1 his philosophy appealing1 his quiet persistency irresistible4 ,to many people the name of ,horace ,fletcher has become associated with the ,gladstonian doctrine of excessive chewing1 but this falls far short of the whole truth4 ,his scheme was the broadest imaginable1 and thorough mastication was only the hub into which the other spokes of the wheel of his philosophy of life were to be fitted4 ,the scheme was nothing less than a cultivation of progressive human efficiency4 ,believing that absolute health is the real basis of human happiness and advancement1 and that health depends upon an intelligent treatment of food in the mouth together with knowledge of how best to furnish the fuel that is actually required to run the human engine1 ,horace ,fletcher sought for and found perfect guides among the natural human instincts and physiologic facilities1 and demonstrated that his theories were facts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,during the years that followed ,i served as his typographic mentor4 ,he was eager to try weird and ingenious experiments to bring out the various points of his theories through unique typographical arrangement 7see opp4 page74 ,it required all my skill and diplomacy to convince him that type possessed rigid limitations1 and that to gain his emphasis he must adopt less complicated methods4 ,from this association we became the closest of friends1 and presuming upon this relation ,i used to banter him upon being so casual4 ,his copy was never ready when the compositors needed it2 he was always late in returning his proofs4 ,the manufacture of a ,fletcher book was a hectic experience1 yet no one ever seemed to take exceptions4 ,this was characteristic of the man4 ,he moved and acted upon suddenly formed impulses1 never planning ahead yet always securing exactly what he wanted1 and those inconvenienced the most always seemed to enjoy it4 ,illustration3 ,a ,page of ,horace ,fletcher ,manuscript 8,i believe10 he used to say1 8in hitching one's wagon to a star1 but ,i always keep my bag packed and close at hand ready to change stars at a moment's notice4 ,it is only by doing this that you can give things a chance to happen to you40 ,among the volumes ,fletcher had with him on board ship was one he had purchased in ,italy1 printed in a type ,i did not recognize but which greatly attracted me by its beauty4 ,the book bore the imprint3 ,parma3 ,co'tipi ,bodoniani4 ,some weeks later1 in a small1 second-hand bookstore in ,florence1 ,i happened upon a volume printed in the same type1 which ,i purchased and took at once to my friend1 ,doctor ,guido ,biagi1 at the ,laurenziana ,library4 8,the work of ,giambattista ,bodoni is not familiar to you80 he inquired in surprise4 8,it is he who revived in ,italy the glory of the ,aldi4 ,he and ,firmin ,didot in ,paris were the fathers of modern type design at the beginning of the nineteenth century40 8,is this type still in use80 ,i inquired4 8,no10 ,biagi answered4 8,when ,bodoni died there was no one worthy to continue its use1 so his matrices and punches are kept intact1 exactly as he left them4 ,they are on exhibition in the library at ,parma1 just as the old ,plantin relics are preserved in the museum at ,antwerp40 ,illustration3 ,,giambattista ,,bodoni1 #agdj-ahac ,from ,engraving at the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris ,i immediately took steps through our ,ambassador at ,rome to gain permission from the ,italian ,government to recut this face for use in ,america4 ,after considerable difficulty and delay this permission was granted1 with a proviso that ,i should not allow any of the type made from my proposed matrices to get into the hands of ,italian printers1 as this would detract from the prestige of the city of ,parma4 ,it was a condition to which ,i was quite willing to subscribe6 ,within a year ,i have received a prospectus from a revived ,bodoni ,press at ,montagnola di ,lugano1 ,switzerland1 announcing that the exclusive use of the original types of ,giambattista ,bodoni has been given them by the ,italian ,government4 ,this would seem to indicate that the early governmental objections have disappeared4 ,while searching around to secure the fullest set of patterns1 ,i stumbled upon the fact that ,bodoni and ,didot had based their types upon the same model1 and that ,didot had made use of his font particularly in the wonderful editions published in ,paris at the very beginning of the nineteenth century4 ,i then hurried to ,paris to see whether these matrices were in existence4 ,there1 after a search through the foundries1 ,i discovered the original punches1 long discarded1 in the foundry of ,peignot1 to whom ,i gave an order to cast the different sizes of type1 which ,i had shipped to ,america4 ,this was the first type based on this model ever to come into this country4 ,the ,bodoni face has since been recut by typefounders as well as for the typesetting machines1 and is today one of the most popular faces in common use4 ,personally ,i prefer the ,bodoni letter to that of ,didot 7see opp4 page74 ,the ,frenchman succumbed to the elegance of his period1 and by lightening the thin lines robbed the design of the virility that ,bodoni retained4 ,i am not in sympathy with the excessive height of the ascending letters1 which frequently extend beyond the capitals2 but when one considers how radical a departure from precedent this type was1 he must admire the skill and courage of the designers4 ,william ,morris cared little for it1--8,the sweltering hideousness of the ,bodoni letter10 he exclaimed2 8the most illegible type that was ever cut1 with its preposterous thicks and thins02 while ,theodore ,l4 ,de ,vinne1 in his ,practice of ,typography1 writes3 ,the beauty of the ,bodoni letters consists in their regularity1 in their clearness1 and in their conformity to the taste of the race1 nation1 and age in which the work was first written1 and finally in the grace of the characters1 independent of time or place4 ,when authorities differ to such a wide extent1 the student of type design must draw his own conclusions6 ,illustration3 ,the ,bodoni ,letter 7bottom7 compared with the ,didot ,letter 7top7 99 99 99 99 99 ,fletcher's idea of an appointment was something to be kept if or when convenient1 yet he never seemed to offend any one4 ,he did nothing he did not wish to do1 and his methods of extricating himself from unwelcome responsibilities always amused rather than annoyed4 8,if you don't want to do a thing very badly10 he confided to me on one such occasion1 8do it very badly40 ,illustration3 ,,horace ,,fletcher ,,in #aiae ,on board the ,canopic ,fletcher was surrounded by an admiring and interested group4 ,general ,leonard ,wood was on his way to study colonial government abroad before taking up his first administration as ,governor of the ,philippines4 ,on his staff was ,general ,hugh ,lennox ,scott1 who later succeeded ,general ,wood as ,chief of ,staff of the ,united ,states ,army4 ,the conversations and discussions in the smokeroom each evening after dinner were illuminating and fascinating4 ,general ,wood had but recently completed his work as ,governor of ,cuba1 and he talked freely of his experiences there1 while ,general ,scott was full of reminiscences of his extraordinary adventures with the ,indians4 ,he later played an important part in bringing peace to the ,philippines4 ,it was at one of these four-cornered sessions in the smokeroom that we first learned of ,fletcher's ambition to revolutionize the world in its methods of eating4 ,that he would actually accomplish this no one of us believed1 but the fact remains4 ,the smokeroom steward was serving the coffee1 inquiring of each one how many lumps of sugar he required4 ,fletcher1 to our amazement1 called for five6 ,it was a grand-stand play in a way1 but he secured his audience as completely as do the tambourines and the singing of the ,salvation ,army4 8,why are you surprised80 he demanded with seeming innocence4 8,i am simply taking a coffee liqueur1 in which there is less sugar now than there is in your chartreuse or benedictine4 ,but ,i am mixing it with the saliva1 which is more than you are doing4 ,the sugar1 as you take it1 becomes acid in the stomach and retards digestion2 by my method1 it is changed into grape sugar1 which is easily assimilated40 8,to insalivate one's liquor10 he explained to us1 8gives one the most exquisite pleasure imaginable1 but it is a terrific test of quality4 ,it brings out the richness of flavor1 which is lost when one gulps the wine down4 ,did you ever notice the way a tea-taster sips his tea80 ,as he talked he exposed the ignorance of the entire group on physiological matters to an embarrassing extent1 clinching his remarks by asking ,general ,wood the question1 8,would you engage as chauffeur for your automobile a man who knew as little about his motor as you know about your own human engine80 ,no one ever loved a practical joke better than ,horace ,fletcher4 ,i was a guest at a dinner he once gave at the ,graduates' ,club in ,new ,haven4 ,among the others present were ,president ,hadley of ,yale1 ,john ,hays ,hammond1 ,walter ,camp1 and ,professor ,lounsbury4 ,there was considerable curiosity and some speculation concerning what would constitute a ,fletcher dinner4 ,at the proper time we were shown into a private room1 where the table was set with the severest simplicity4 ,instead of china1 white crockery was used1 and the chief table decorations were three large crockery pitchers filled with ice water4 ,at each plate was a crockery saucer1 containing a shredded-wheat biscuit4 ,it was amusing to glance around and note the expressions of dismay upon the faces of the guests4 ,their worst apprehensions were being confirmed6 ,just as we were well seated1 the headwaiter came to the door and announced that by mistake we had been shown into the wrong room1 whereupon ,fletcher1 with an inimitable twinkle in his eye1 led the way into another private dining room1 where we sat down to one of the most sumptuous repasts ,i have ever enjoyed4 ,today1 twenty years after his campaign1 it is almost forgotten that the ,american breakfast was at that time a heavy meal4 ,horace ,fletcher revolutionized the practice of eating1 and interjected the word fletcherize into the ,english language4 ,as a disciple of ,fletcher ,sir ,thomas ,barlow1 physician-in-chief to ,king ,edward ,,vii1 persuaded royalty to set the style by cutting down the formal dinner from three hours to an hour and a half1 with a corresponding relief to the digestive apparatus of the guests4 ,in ,belgium1 during the ,world ,war1 working with ,herbert ,hoover1 ,fletcher taught the impoverished people how to sustain themselves upon meager rations4 ,among his admirers and devoted friends were such profound thinkers as ,william ,james who1 in response to a letter from him1 wrote1 8,your excessive reaction to the stimulus of my grateful approval makes you remind me of those rich soils which1 when you tickle them with a straw1 smile with a harvest02 and ,henry ,james1 who closes a letter3 8,come and bring with you plenary absolution to the thankless subject who yet dares light the lamp of gratitude to you at each day's end of his life40 99 99 99 99 99 ,my acquaintance with ,henry ,james came through my close association with the late ,sir ,sidney ,lee1 the ,shakesperian authority1 and ,horace ,fletcher4 8,don't be surprised if he is brusque or uncivil10 ,sir ,sidney whispered to me just before ,i met him at dinner2 8one can never tell how he is going to act40 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i found ,henry ,james a most genial and enjoyable dinner companion1 and never1 during the few later occasions when ,i had the pleasure of being with him1 did he display those characteristics of ill humor and brusqueness which have been attributed to him4 ,it may not be generally known that all his life--until he met ,horace ,fletcher--he suffered torments from chronic indigestion1 or that it was in ,fletcherism that he found his first relief4 ,in a typically involved ,jamesian letter to his brother ,william he writes 7,february1 #aiji73 ,it is impossible save in a long talk to make you understand how the blessed ,fletcherism--so extra blessed--lulled me1 charmed me1 beguiled me1 from the first into the convenience of not having to drag myself out into eternal walking4 ,one must have been through what it relieved me from to know how not suffering from one's food all the while1 after having suffered all one's life1 and at last having it cease and vanish1 could make one joyously and extravagantly relegate all out-of-door motion to a more and more casual and negligible importance4 ,to live without the hell goad of needing to walk1 with time for reading and indoor pursuits1--a delicious1 insidious bribe6 ,so1 more and more1 ,i gave up locomotion1 and at last almost completely4 ,a year and a half ago the thoracic worry began4 ,walking seemed to make it worse1 tested by short spurts4 ,so ,i thought non-walking more and more the remedy1 and applied it more and more1 and ate less and less1 naturally4 ,my heart was really disgusted all the while at my having ceased to call upon it4 ,i have begun to do so again1 and with the most luminous response4 ,i am better the second half hour of my walk than the first1 and better the third than the second4444 ,i am1 in short1 returning1 after an interval deplorably long and fallacious1 to a due amount of reasonable exercise and a due amount of food for the same4 ,illustration3 ,a ,page from an ,autograph ,letter from ,henry ,james to ,horace ,fletcher ,my one visit to ,lamb ,house was in company with ,horace ,fletcher4 ,the meeting with ,henry ,james at dinner had corrected several preconceived ideas and confirmed others4 ,some writers are revealed by their books1 others conceal themselves in their fictional prototypes4 ,it had always been a question in my mind whether ,henry ,james gave to his stories his own personality or received his personality from his stories4 ,this visit settled my doubts4 ,the home was a perfect expression of the host1 and possessed an individuality no less unique4 ,i think it was ,coventry ,patmore who christened it 8a jewel set in the plain10--located as it was at the rising end of one of those meandering streets of ,rye1 in ,sussex1 ,england1 ,georgian in line and perfect in appointment4 ,in receiving us1 ,henry ,james gave one the impression of performing a long-established ritual4 ,he had been reading in the garden1 and when we arrived he came out into the hall with hand extended1 expressing a massive cordiality4 8,welcome to my beloved ,fletcher10 he cried2 and as he grasped my hand he said1 as if by way of explanation1 8,he saved my life1 you know1 and what is more1 he improved my disposition4 ,by rights he should receive all my future royalties1--but ,i doubt if he does60 ,his conversation was much more intelligible than his books4 ,it was ponderous1 but every now and then a subtle humor relieved the impression that he felt himself on exhibition4 ,one could see that he was accustomed to play the lion2 but with ,fletcher present1 toward whom he evidently felt a deep obligation1 he talked intimately of himself and of the handicap his stomach infelicities had proved in his work4 ,the joy with which he proclaimed his emancipation showed the real man1--a ,henry ,james unknown to his characters or to his public4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if ,william ,james had not taken up science as a profession and thus become a philosopher1 he would have been a printer4 ,no other commercial pursuit so invited him as 8the honorable1 honored1 and productive business of printing10 as he expressed it in a letter to his mother in #ahfc4 ,naturally1 with such a conception of the practice of book manufacture1 he was always particularly concerned with the physical format of his volumes4 ,he once told me that my ability to translate his 8fool ideas0 into type showed the benefit of a ,harvard education6 ,he had no patience with any lapse on the part of the proofreader1 and when the galleys of his books reached this point in the manufacture even my most experienced readers were on the anxious seat4 ,on the other hand1 he was generous in his appreciation when a proofreader called his attention to some slip in his copy that he had overlooked4 ,after his volume ,pragmatism appeared and created such universal attention1 a series of 8popular0 lectures on the subject was announced at ,cambridge4 ,the ,harpers had just published a novel of mine entitled ,the ,spell1 in connection with which ,i had devoted much time to the study of humanism and the humanists of the fifteenth century4 ,because of my familiarity with a kindred subject1 ,i must confess to a sense of mortification that in reading ,pragmatism ,i found myself beyond my depth4 ,a 8popular0 presentation appealed to me as an opportunity for intellectual development1 so ,i attended the first lecture1 armed with pencil and notebook4 ,afterwards it so happened that ,professor ,james was on the trolley car when ,i boarded it at ,harvard ,square1 and ,i sat down beside him4 8,i was surprised to see you at my lecture10 he remarked4 8,don't you get enough of me at your office80 ,i told him of my excursions into other philosophic pastures1 and of my chagrin to find so little in pragmatic fields upon which my hungry mind could feed4 ,he smiled at my language1 and entered heartily into the spirit4 8,and today80 he inquired mischievously4--8,i hope that today ,i guided you successfully40 8,you did10 ,i declared1 opening my notebook1 and showing him the entry3 8,nothing is the only resultant of the one thing which is not40 8,that led me home10 ,i said soberly1 with an intentional double meaning4 ,professor ,james laughed heartily4 8,did ,i really say that8 ,i have no doubt ,i did4 ,it simply proves my contention that philosophers too frequently exercise their prerogative of concealing themselves behind meaningless expressions40 ,two of ,professor ,james' typographic hobbies were paper labels and as few words as possible on the title page4 ,in the matter of supplying scant copy for the title1 he won my eternal gratitude1 for many a book1 otherwise typographically attractive1 is ruined by overloading the title with too much matter4 ,this is the first page that catches the eye1 and its relation to the book is the same as the door of a house4 ,only recently ,i opened a volume to a beautiful title page4 ,the type was perfectly arranged in proportion and margin1 the decoration was charming and in complete harmony with the type4 ,it was set by an artist-printer and did him credit2 but turning a few more pages ,i found myself face to face with a red-blooded story of western life1 when the title had prepared me for something as delicate as ,milton's ,l',allegro4 ,a renaissance door on a ,new ,england farmhouse would have been equally appropriate6 ,i commend to those who love books the fascinating study of title pages4 ,i entered upon it from curiosity1 and quickly found in it an abiding hobby4 ,the early manuscripts and first printed volumes possessed no title pages1 due probably to the fact that the handmade paper and parchment were so costly that the saving of a seemingly unnecessary page was a consideration4 ,the incipit at the top of the first page1 reading 8,here beginneth0 and then adding the name of the author and the subject1 answered every purpose2 and on the last page the explicit marked the conclusion of the work1 and offered the printer an excellent opportunity to record his name and the date of the printing4 ,most of the early printers were modest in recording their achievements1 but in the famous volume ,de ,veritate ,catholic ,fidei the printer says of himself3 ,this new edition was furnished us to print in ,venice by ,nicolas ,jenson of ,france4444 ,kind toward all1 beneficent1 generous1 truthful and steadfast in the beauty1 dignity1 and accuracy of his printing1 let me 7with the indulgence of all7 name him the first in the whole world2 first likewise in his marvelous speed4 ,he exists in this1 our time1 as a special gift from ,heaven to men4 ,june thirteen1 in the year of ,redemption #adhi4 ,farewell 99 99 99 99 99 ,bibliographers contend that the first title page was used in a book printed by ,arnold ,ther ,hoernen of ,cologne in #adgj4 ,in this volume an extra leaf is employed containing simply an introduction at the top4 ,it has always seemed to me that this leaf is more likely to have been added by the printer to correct a careless omission of the introduction on his first page of text4 ,occasionally1 in the humanistic manuscript volumes in the ,laurenziana ,library1 at ,florence1 there occurs a 8mirror0 title 7see opp4 page71 which consists of an illuminated page made up of a large circle in the center containing the name of the book1 sometimes surrounded by smaller circles1 in which are recorded the titles of the various sections4 ,this seems far more likely to have been suggestive of what came to be the formal title page4 ,illustration3 ,,mirror ,,title ,from ,augustinus3 ,opera1 #adhe4 ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence ,by the end of the fifteenth century the title page was in universal use1 and printers showed great ingenuity in arranging the type in the form of wine cups1 drinking glasses1 funnels1 inverted cones1 and half-diamonds4 ,during the sixteenth century great artists like ,drer1 ,holbein1 ,rubens1 and ,mantegna executed superbly engraved titles entirely out of keeping with the poor typography of the books themselves4 ,in many of the volumes the title page served the double purpose of title and full-page illustration 7see pages #bbh and #bda74 ,what splendid examples would have resulted if the age of engraved titles had coincided with the high-water mark in the art of printing6 ,as the art of printing declined1 the engraved title was discarded1 and the printer of the seventeenth century seemed to feel it incumbent upon him to cover the entire page with type4 ,if you recall the early examples of ,american ,colonial printing1 which were based upon the ,english models of the time1 you will gain an excellent idea of the grotesque tendency of that period4 ,the ,elzevirs were the only ones who retained the engraved title 7page #bda74 ,the ,baskerville volumes 7page #bdg71 in the middle of the eighteenth century1 showed a return to good taste and harmonious co-ordination with the text2 but there was no beauty in the title until ,didot in ,paris and ,bodoni in ,parma1 ,italy1 introduced the so-called 8modern0 face1 which is peculiarly well adapted to display 7page #bec74 ,william ,morris1 in the late nineteenth century1 successfully combined decoration with type1--over-decorated1 in the minds of many1 but in perfect keeping with the type pages of the volumes themselves4 ,cobden-,sanderson1 at the ,doves ,press1 returned to the extreme in simplicity and good taste 7page #bfe71 excelling all other printers in securing from the blank space on the leaf the fullest possible value4 ,one of ,cobden-,sanderson's classic remarks is1 8,i always give greater attention1 in the typography of a book1 to what ,i leave out than to what ,i put in40 99 99 99 99 99 ,the name of ,william ,morris today may be more familiar to booklovers than that of ,cobden-,sanderson1 but ,i venture to predict that within a single decade the latter's work as printer and binder at the ,doves ,press at ,hammersmith1 ,london1 will prove to have been a more determining factor in printing as an art than that of ,william ,morris at the ,kelmscott ,press1 and that the general verdict will be that ,cobden-,sanderson carried out the splendid principles laid down by ,morris more consistently than did that great artist-craftsman himself4 ,illustration3 ,t4 ,j4 ,,cobden-,,sanderson1 #ahda-aibb ,from ,etching by ,alphonse ,legros1 #ahic ,the story of ,cobden-,sanderson's life is an interesting human document4 ,he told it to me one evening1 its significance being heightened by the simplicity of the recital4 ,at seventeen he was apprenticed to an engineer1 but he worked less than a year in the draft room4 ,he disliked business as business1 and began to read for ,cambridge1 with the idea of entering the ,church4 ,while at ,trinity ,college he read for mathematical honors1 but three years later1 having given up all idea of going into the ,church1 he left ,cambridge1 refusing honors and a degree1 which he might have had1 as a protest against the competitive system and the 8warp0 it gave to all university teaching4 ,then1 for seven or eight years1 he devoted himself to ,carlyle and the study of literature1 8,chiefly ,german philosophy10 he said1 8which is perhaps not literature10 supporting himself by desultory writing and practicing medicine4 ,when he was thirty years old he was admitted to the ,bar1 which profession he abandoned thirteen years later to become a manual laborer4 ,the following is quoted from notes which ,i made after this conversation3 ,i despaired of knowledge in a philosophical sense1 yet ,i yearned to do or to make something4 ,this was the basic idea of my life4 ,at this time it was gradually revealed to me that the arts and crafts of life might be employed to make society itself a work of art1 sound and beautiful as a whole1 and in all its parts4 ,it is difficult to associate ,cobden-,sanderson's really tremendous contributions to bookmaking as an art with his self-effacing personality4 ,if ,i had met the man before ,i had become intimately acquainted with his work1 ,i should have been disappointed2 having had him interpreted to me by his books before ,i met him1 his unique personality proved a definite inspiration and gave me an entirely new viewpoint on many phases of the art of typography in its application to human life4 ,in person1 ,cobden-,sanderson was of slight build1 with sloping shoulders1 his most noticeable feature being his reddish beard tinged with gray4 ,he was nervous and shy1 and while talking seldom looked one squarely in the eye1 yet at no time could one doubt the absolute sincerity of his every word and act4 ,he was hopelessly absent-minded4 ,invited to dine with me in ,london1 he appeared the evening before the date set1 retiring overwhelmed with embarrassment when he discovered his mistake4 ,on the following evening he forgot the appointment altogether6 ,later1 when in ,boston1 he accepted an invitation to dine with a literary society1 but failed to appear because he could not remember where the dinner was to be held4 ,he had mislaid his note of invitation and could not recall the name of the man who sent it4 ,on that evening he dashed madly around the city in a taxicab for over an hour1 finally ending up at his hotel in absolute exhaustion while the members of the literary society dined without their lion6 ,while president of the ,society of ,printers in ,boston1 ,i arranged for ,cobden-,sanderson to come to ,america to deliver some lectures on ,the ,ideal ,book4 ,among these were four given at ,harvard ,university4 ,at the conclusion of the last lecture he came to my library1 thoroughly tired out and completely discouraged4 ,seated in a great easy chair he remained for several moments in absolute silence1 resting his face upon his hands4 ,suddenly1 without a moment's warning1 he straightened up and said with all the vehemence at his command1 8,i am the veriest impostor who ever came to your shores60 ,seeing my surprise and incredulity1 he added1 8,i have come to ,america to tell you people how to make books4 ,in ,new ,york they took me to see the great ,morgan ,library and other collections4 ,they showed me rare incunabula4 ,they expected me to know all about them1 and to be enthusiastic over them4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i know nothing about the work of the great master-printers1 and care less60 ,my face must have disclosed my thoughts1 for he held up a restraining hand4 8,don't think me such an egotist as my words imply4 ,it isn't that at all4 ,it is true that ,i am interested only in my own work1 but that is because my work means something more to me than the books ,i produce4 ,when ,i print a book or bind one it is because ,i have a message in my soul which ,i am impelled to give mankind1 and it comes out through my fingers4 ,other men express their messages in different media1--in stone or on canvas4 ,i have discovered that the book is my medium4 ,when ,i bind and decorate a volume ,i seem to be setting myself1 like a magnetized needle1 or like an ancient temple1 in line and all square1 not alone with my own ideal of society1 but with that orderly and rhythmical whole which is the revelation of science and the normal of developed humanity4 ,you asked me a while ago to explain certain inconsistencies in my work1 and ,i told you that there was no explanation4 ,that is because each piece of work represents me at the time ,i do it4 ,sometimes it is good and sometimes poor1 but1 in any case1 it stands as the expression of myself at the time ,i did it40 ,as he spoke ,i wondered if ,cobden-,sanderson had not explained why1 in the various arts1 the work of those master-spirits of the past had not been surpassed or even equaled during the intervening centuries4 ,it is a matter for consideration1 when the world has shown such spectacular advance along material lines1 that in painting1 in sculpture1 in architecture1 in printing1 the work of the old masters still stands supreme4 ,in their time1 when men had messages in their souls to give the world1 the interpretation came out through their fingers1 expressed in the medium with which each was familiar4 ,before the invention of printing1 the masses received those messages directly from the marble or the canvas1 or from the design of some great building4 ,the printed book opened to the world a storehouse of wisdom hitherto unavailable1 and made individual effort less conspicuous and therefore less demanded4 ,the few outstanding figures in every art have been those who1 like ,cobden-,sanderson1 have set themselves 8in line and all square1 not alone with their own ideals of society1 but with that orderly and rhythmical whole which is the revelation of science and the normal of developed humanity40 ,it is what ,cobden-,sanderson has done rather than his written words1 that conveys the greatest message4 ,while ,theodore ,roosevelt was ,president of the ,united ,states1 and on the occasion of one of his several visits to ,boston1 his secretary wrote that the ,president would like to examine with me some of the special volumes ,i had built4 ,i knew him to be an omnivorous reader1 but until then did not realize his deep interest in the physical side of books4 ,he came to the ,university ,press one bitterly cold day in ,january1 and entered my office wrapped in a huge fur coat4 ,after greeting him ,i asked if he wouldn't lay the coat aside4 8,of course ,i will10 he replied briskly2 8it is just as easy to catch hot as it is to catch cold40 ,we devoted ourselves for an hour to an examination and discussion of certain volumes ,i had produced4 ,one of these was a small twelve-mo entitled ,trophies of ,heredia containing poems by ,jos-,maria de ,heredia1 brought out in artistic format for a ,boston publishing house1 which had proved a complete failure from a commercial standpoint4 ,probably not over two hundred copies of the book were ever sold4 ,evidently one of these had fallen into the ,president's hands1 for he seized my copy eagerly1 saying1 8,hello6 ,i didn't remember that you made this4 ,extraordinary volume1 isn't it8 ,i want to show you something40 ,quickly turning to one of the pages he pointed to the line1 ,the hidden warmth of the ,polar ,sea4 8,what do you think of that80 he demanded4 8,did you ever think of the ,polar ,sea as being warm8 ,and by ,jove he's right1--it is warm60 ,later1 in ,washington1 ,i accepted his invitation for luncheon at the ,white ,house and for an afternoon in his library1 where we continued our discussion of books4 ,before we turned to the volumes1 he showed me some of the unusual presents which various potentates had given him1 such as a jade bear from the ,tzar of ,russia1 a revolver from ,admiral ,togo1 and line drawings made personally by the ,kaiser1 showing in detail every ship in our ,navy4 ,when ,i expressed surprise that such exact knowledge should be in the possession of another country1 my host became serious4 8,the ,kaiser is a most extraordinary fellow10 he said deliberately1--8not every one realizes how extraordinary4 ,he and ,i have corresponded ever since ,i became ,president1 and ,i tell you that if his letters were ever published they would bring on a world war4 ,thank ,god ,i don't have to leave them behind when ,i retire4 ,that's one prerogative the ,president has1 at any rate40 ,i often thought of these comments after the ,world ,war broke out4 ,an echo of them came while the desperate struggle was in full force4 ,ernest ,harold ,baynes1 nature-lover and expert on birds1 was visiting at my house1 having dined with the ex-,president at ,oyster ,bay the week before4 ,in speaking of the dinner1 ,baynes said that ,roosevelt declared that had he been ,president1 ,germany would never have forced the war at the time she did4 ,when pressed to explain1 ,roosevelt said3 8,the ,kaiser would have remembered what he outlined to me in some letters he wrote while ,i was ,president4 ,bill knows me1 and ,i know ,bill60 ,from the library we extended our examination to the family living-room1 where there were other volumes of interest on the tables or in the bookcases4 ,from these1 the ,president picked up a hand-lettered1 illuminated manuscript which he had just received as a present from ,king ,menelik of ,abyssinia4 ,some one had told him that it was a manuscript of the twelfth or thirteenth century1 but to a student of the art of illumination it was clearly a modern copy of an old manuscript4 ,the hand lettering was excellent1 but the decoration included colors impossible to secure with the ancient pigments1 and the parchment was distinctly of modern origin4 8,you are just the one to tell me about this10 ,mr4 ,roosevelt exclaimed4 8,is it an original manuscript80 ,he so obviously wished to receive an affirmative reply that ,i temporized by asking if some letter of description had not come with it4 8,oh1 yes10 he replied1 immediately divining the occasion of my question and showing his disappointment2 8there was a missive1 which is now in the archives of the ,state ,department4 ,i saw a translation of it1 but it is only one of those banal expressions similar to any one of my own utterances1 when ,i cable1 for instance1 to my imperial brother1 the ,emperor of ,austria1 how touched and moved ,i am to learn that his cousin1 the lady with the ten names1 has been safely delivered of a child60 ,the ,president was particularly interested in the subject of illustration1 and he showed me several examples1 asking for a description of the various processes4 ,from that we passed on to a discussion of the varying demand from the time when ,i first began to make books4 ,i explained that the development of the halftone plate and of the four-color process plates had been practically within this period1--that prior to #ahij the excessive cost of woodcuts1 steel engravings1 or lithography confined illustration to expensive volumes4 ,the halftone opened the way for profuse illustration at minimum expense4 ,the ,president showed me an impression from one of ,timothy ,cole's marvelous woodcuts1 and we agreed that the halftone had never taken the place of any process that depends upon the hand for execution4 ,the very perfection to which the art of halftone reproduction has been carried is a danger point in considering the permanence of its popularity4 ,this does not apply to its use in newspapers1 but in reproducing with such slavish fidelity photographs of objects perpetuated in books of permanent value4 ,it seemed paradoxical to say that the nearer perfection an art attains the less interesting it becomes1 because the very variation incidental to hand work in any art is what relieves the monotony of that perfection attained through mechanical means4 ,since then1 a few leading engravers have demonstrated how the halftone may be improved by hand work4 ,this combination has opened up new possibilities that guarantee its continued popularity4 ,with the tremendous increase in the cost of manufacturing books during and since the ,world ,war1 publishers found that by omitting illustrations from their volumes they could come nearer to keeping the cost within the required limits1 so for a period illustrated volumes became limited in number ,there is no question that the public loves pictures1 and the development during recent years of so-called newspapers from which the public gleans the daily news by means of halftone illustrations1 is1 in a way1 a reversion to the time before the printing press1 when the masses received their education wholly through pictorial design4 ,the popularity of moving pictures is another evidence4 ,i have always wished that this phase had developed at the time of our discussion1 for ,i am sure ,mr4 ,roosevelt would have had some interesting comments to make on its significance4 ,i like to believe that this tendency will correct itself1 for1 after all1 the pictures which are most worth while are those which we ourselves draw subconsciously from impressions made through intellectual exploits ,,iv ,,the ,,lure ,,of ,,illumination ,sitting one day in the librarian's office in the ,laurenziana ,library1 in ,florence1 the conversation turned upon the subject of illumination4 ,taking a key from his pocket1 my friend ,guido ,biagi unlocked one of the drawers in the ancient wooden desk in front of him1 and lifted from it a small1 purple vellum case1 inlaid with jewels4 ,opening it carefully1 he exposed a volume similarly bound and similarly adorned4 ,then1 as he turned the leaves1 and the full splendor of the masterpiece was spread out before me1--the marvelous delicacy of design1 the gorgeousness of color1 the magnificence of decoration and miniature1--,i drew in my breath excitedly1 and bent nearer to the magnifying glass which was required in tracing the intricacy of the work4 ,this was a ,book of ,hours illuminated by ,francesco d',antonio del ,cherico1 which had once belonged to ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 and was representative of the best of the fifteenth-century ,italian work 7page #adf74 ,the hand letters were written by ,antonio ,sinibaldi in humanistic characters upon the finest and rarest parchment2 the illumination1 with its beaten gold and gorgeous colors1 was so close a representation of the jewels themselves as to make one almost believe that the gems were inlaid upon the page6 ,and it was the very volume that had many times rested in the hands of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent1 as it was at that moment resting in mine6 ,for the first time the art of illumination became real to me1--not something merely to be gazed at with respect and admiration1 but an expression of artistic accomplishment to be studied and understood1 and made a part of one's life4 ,the underlying thought that has inspired illumination in books from its very beginning is more interesting even than the splendid pages which challenge one's comprehension and almost pass beyond his power of understanding4 ,to the ancients1 as we have seen1 the rarest gems in all the world were gems of thought4 ,the book was the tangible and visible expression of man's intellect1 worthy of the noblest presentation4 ,these true lovers of books engaged scribes to write the text in minium of rare brilliancy brought from ,india or ,spain1 or in ,byzantine ink of pure ,oriental gold2 they selected1 to write upon1 the finest material possible1--sometimes nothing less than virgin parchment1 soft as velvet1 made from the skins of still-born kids2 they employed the greatest artists of the day to draw decorations or to paint miniatures2 and they enclosed this glorified thought of man1 now perpetuated for all time1 in a cover devised sometimes of tablets of beaten gold1 or of ivory inlaid with precious jewels 7page #aab74 ,illustration3 ,,carved ,,ivory ,,binding ,jeweled with ,rubies and ,turquoises ,from ,psalter 7#abth ,century74 ,brit4 ,mus4 ,eger4 ,,ms4 #aaci 7,reduced in size7 ,for centuries1 this glorification was primarily bestowed upon religious manuscripts1 and illumination came to be associated with the ,church1 but by the fourteenth century the art ceased to be confined to the cloister4 ,wealthy patrons recognized that it offered too splendid a medium of expression to permit limitation2 and lay artists were employed to add their talents in increasing the illuminated treasures of the world4 ,there would seem to be no reason why so satisfying an art as that of illumination should not continue to be employed to make beautifully printed books still more beautiful1 yet even among those who really love and know books there is a surprising lack of knowledge concerning this fascinating work4 ,the art of ,raphael and ,rubens has been a part of our every-day life and is familiar to us2 but the names of ,francesco d',antonio1 ,jean ,foucquet1 and ,jean ,bourdichon have never become household words1 and the masterpieces of the illuminator's art which stand to their credit seem almost shrouded in a hazy and mysterious indefiniteness4 ,i have learned from my own experience that even fragmentary study brings rich rewards3--the interest in discovering that instead of being merely decorative1 the art of illumination is as definitive in recording the temporary or fashionable customs of various periods as history itself4 ,there is a satisfaction in learning to distinguish the characteristics of each well-defined school3--of recognizing the fretted arcades and mosaics of church decoration in the ,romanesque style2 the stained glass of the ,gothic cathedrals in the schools of ,england1 ,france1 ,germany1 or ,italy2 the love of flower cultivation in the work of the ,netherlandish artists2 the echo of the skill of the goldsmith and enameller in the ,french manuscripts2 and the glory of the gem cutter in those of the ,italian ,renaissance4 ,there is the romance connected with each great masterpiece as it passes from artist to patron1 and then on down the centuries1 commemorating loyal devotion to saintly attributes2 expressing fealty at coronations or congratulations at ,royal marriages2 conveying expressions of devotion and affection from noble lords and ladies1 one to the other4 ,illuminated volumes were not the playthings of the common people1 and in their peregrinations to their final resting places in libraries and museums1 they passed along a ,royal road and became clothed with fascinating associations4 ,there was a time when ,i thought ,i knew enough about the various schools to recognize the locality of origin or the approximate date of a manuscript1 but ,i soon learned my presumption4 ,illuminators of one country1 particularly of ,france1 scattered themselves all over ,europe1 retaining the basic principles of their own national style1 yet adding to it something significant of the country in which they worked4 ,of course1 there are certain external evidences which help4 ,the vellum itself tells a story3 if it is peculiarly white and fine1 and highly polished1 the presumption is that it is ,italian or dates earlier than the tenth century2 if very thin and soft1 it was made from the skins of still-born calves or kids1 and is probably of the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries4 ,the colors1 too1 contribute their share4 ,each old-time artist ground or mixed his own pigments1--red and blue1 and less commonly yellow1 green1 purple1 black1 and white4 ,certain shades are characteristic of certain periods4 ,the application of gold differs from time to time3 in ,england1 for instance1 gold powder was used until the twelfth century1 after which date gold leaf is beautifully laid on the sheet4 ,the raised-gold letters and decorations were made by building up with a peculiar clay1 after the design had been drawn in outline1 over which the gold leaf was skilfully laid and burnished with an agate4 ,as the student applies himself to the subject1 one clue leads him to another1 and he pursues his search with a fascination that soon becomes an obsession4 ,that chance acquaintance with ,francesco d',antonio inspired me to become better acquainted with this art4 ,it took me into different monasteries and libraries1 always following 8the quest10 and lured me on to further seeking by learning of new beauties for which to search1 and of new examples to be studied4 ,even as ,i write this1 ,i am told that at ,chantilly1 in the ,muse ,cond1 the ,trs ,riches ,heures of the ,duc de ,berry is the most beautiful example of the ,french school4 ,i have never seen it1 and ,i now have a new objective on my next visit to ,france6 ,in this quest1 covering many years1 ,i have come to single out certain manuscripts as signifying to me certain interesting developments in the art during its evolution1 and ,i study them whenever the opportunity offers4 ,it is of these that ,i make a record here4 ,some might select other examples as better illustrative from their own viewpoints2 some might draw conclusions different from mine from the same examples1--and we might all be right6 ,there is little for us to examine in our pilgrimage until the ,emperor ,justinian1 after the conflagration in the year #ecb1 which completely wiped out ,constantinople with its magnificent monuments1 reconstructed and rebuilt the city4 ,there are two copies of ,virgil at the ,vatican ,library in ,rome1 to be sure1 which are earlier than that1 and form links in the chain between illumination as illustration and as book decoration2 there is the ,roman ,calendar in the ,imperial ,library at ,vienna1 in which for the first time is combined decoration with illustration2 there is the ,ambrosiana ,homer at ,milan1 of which an excellent reproduction may be found in any large library1--made under the supervision of ,achille ,ratti1 before he became ,pope ,pius ,,xi2 there are the burnt fragments of the ,cottonian ,genesis at the ,british ,museum in ,london1--none more than four inches square1 and running down to one inch1 some perforated with holes1 and almost obliterated1 others still preserving the ancient colors of the design1 with the ,greek letters clearly legible after sixteen centuries4 ,these are historical and interesting1 but we are seeking beauty4 ,in the splendor of the rebirth of ,constantinople1 to which all the known world contributed gold1 and silver1 and jewels1 medieval illumination found its beginning4 ,artists could now afford to send to the ,far ,east and to the southern shores of ,europe for their costly materials4 ,brilliant minium came from ,india and from ,spain1 lapis lazuli from ,persia and ,bokhara1 and the famous ,byzantine gold ink was manufactured by the illuminators themselves out of pure ,oriental gold4 ,the vellum was stained with rose and scarlet tints and purple dyes1 upon which the gold and silver inks contrasted with marvelous brilliancy4 ,gorgeousness was the fashion of the times in everything from architecture to dress1 and in the wealth and sumptuous materials at their command the artists mistook splendor for beauty4 ,the ,byzantine figure work is based upon models as rigid as those of the ,egyptians1 and shows little life or variety 7opp4 page74 ,landscapes and trees are symbolic and fanciful4 ,buildings have no regard for relative proportions1 and are tinted merely as parts of the general color scheme4 ,the illuminators adhered so closely to mechanical rules that the volumes lack even individuality4 ,illustration3 ,,psalter ,,in ,,greek4 ,byzantine1 #aath ,century ,solomon1 ,david1 ,gideon1 and the ,annunciation 7,brit4 ,mus4 ,add4 ,,ms4 #aiceb4 #i #h inches7 ,there are comparatively few of these extravagant relics now in existence4 ,their intrinsic value made them favorite objects of pillage1 and hundreds were destroyed for their jewels and precious metals4 ,in many of those that have endured1 like the ,codex ,argenteus1 at ,upsala1 in ,sweden1 the silver letters have turned black1 the gold ink has become a rusty red1 and the stained vellum now supplies a tawdry background4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after passing the early stages of the art1 there are ten examples ,i particularly like to keep fresh in my mind as showing the evolution of that insatiable desire on the part of booklovers of all ages to enrich the book4 ,four of these are in the ,british ,museum in ,london1 four in the ,bibliothque ,nationale in ,paris1 one in the ,library of ,san ,marco in ,venice1 and one in the ,laurenziana ,library in ,florence4 ,in each of these storehouses of treasure there are many other manuscripts worthy of all the time a pilgrim can spare2 but these ten represent different schools and different epochs1 and in my own study have combined to make illumination a living art and a romantic history4 ,the ,lindisfarne ,gospels is where ,i start my illuminated pilgrimage4 ,it takes me back to the seventh century1 when the world was shrouded in darkest ignorance1 and is a reminder that except for the development in the ,irish monasteries1 as typified by early illuminated volumes such as this1 knowledge of books might have almost wholly disappeared4 ,it recalls the asceticism of those early ,irish monks carried even to a point of fanaticism2 their toilsome pilgrimages to ,rome1 visiting the different monasteries and collecting1 one by one1 the manuscripts to bring back to form those early libraries that kept alive the light of learning4 ,the ,irish school of writing and painting passed over to ,england through the monasteries established by the ,irish monks in ,scotland1 and the earliest of the ,english settlements was ,lindisfarne4 ,it was here that the ,gospels1 one of the most characteristic examples of the ,celtic ,school1 as translated to northern ,england1 was produced4 ,such knowledge of its date and origin as exists rests upon a colophon added at the end of the manuscript1 probably in the tenth century1 which would seem to place the date of the execution of the work at about the year #gjj4 ,for nearly two centuries it remained as the chief treasure of ,lindisfarne4 ,in #hge1 so the tradition runs1 in order to escape from the invasion of the ,danes1 it was decided to remove the body of ,saint ,cuthbert and the most valued relics to the mainland1 and the ,gospels was included4 ,when the attempt was made to cross over to ,ireland1 according to the legend1 the ship was driven back by storm1 and the chest containing the precious volume was lost overboard4 ,here is the quaint chronicle3 ,in this storm1 while the ship was lying over on her side1 a copy of the ,gospels1 adorned with gold and precious stones1 fell overboard and sank into the depths of the sea4 ,accordingly1 after a little while1 they bend their knees and prostrate themselves at full length before the feet of the sacred body1 asking pardon for their foolish venture4 ,then they seize the helm and turn the ship back to the shore and to their fellows1 and immediately they arrive there without any difficulty1 the wind blowing astern4444 ,amidst their lamentations in this distress1 at length the accustomed help of their pious patron came to their aid1 whereby their minds were relieved from grief and their bodies from labor1 seeing that the ,lord is a refuge of the poor1 a helper in time of trouble4 ,for1 appearing in a vision to one of them1 ,hunred by name1 he bade them seek1 when the tide was low1 for the manuscript4442 for1 perchance1 beyond the utmost they could hope1 they would1 by the mercy of ,god1 find it4444 ,accordingly they go to the sea and find that it had retired much farther than it was accustomed2 and after walking three miles or more they find the sacred manuscript of the ,gospels itself1 exhibiting all its outer splendor of jewels and gold and all the beauty of its pages and writing within1 as though it had never been touched by water4444 ,and this is believed to be due to the merits of ,saint ,cuthbert himself and of those who made the book1 namely ,bishop ,eadfrith of holy memory1 who wrote it with his own hand in honor of the blessed ,cuthbert2 and the venerable thelwald1 his successor1 who caused it to be adorned with gold and precious stones2 and ,saint ,billfrith the anchorite1 who1 obeying with skilled hands the wishes of his superior1 achieved an excellent work4 ,for he excelled in the goldsmith's art4 ,this quotation from ,mr4 ,eric ,george ,millar's ,introduction to the facsimile reproduction of this famous manuscript1 published by the ,british ,museum1 is given at such length to emphasize at the very beginning of this pilgrimage the important place given to these manuscripts in the communities for which they were prepared4 ,the fact that such a legend exists at all attests the personality the manuscript had assumed4 ,it was my very great pleasure1 the last time ,i studied the ,gospels1 to have ,mr4 ,millar1 who is an ,assistant in the ,department of ,manuscripts at the ,british ,museum1 explain many things in connection with it which could not be gleaned without the exhaustive study which he has given to it4 ,the ,gospels includes #beh leaves of heavy vellum1 measuring about #ac by #aj inches4 ,the ,latin text is written in beautifully designed1 semi-uncial characters4 ,these differ from the capital letters only by their relatively greater roundness1 inclination1 and inequality in height4 ,this style of lettering obtained until the eighth or ninth century1 when the semi-uncial character became the transition to the minuscule4 ,there are five full pages of decoration1 in cruciform design of most extraordinary elaboration2 six pages of ornamented text2 four full-page miniatures of the ,evangelists1 in which the scribes are drawn in profile1 seated1 with cushion1 desk1 and footstool2 sixteen pages of ,canon tables1 decorated in pure ,celtic style2 and numerous initials of various sizes4 ,the great interest in this manuscript lies in the cruciform pages4 ,when ,i first saw them ,i thought the work a marvelous example of the amount of intricate design an artist could devise within a given area of space4 ,then1 as ,i studied them1 came the realization that1 complicated as they were1 there was a definite plan the artist had established and followed which preserved the balance of coloring and design4 ,in the illustration here given 7page #abd71 ,mr4 ,millar showed me how he has ingeniously unraveled the knots4 ,it is peculiarly interesting as it demonstrates the methods by which the expert is able to understand much that the casual observer fails to see4 ,he pointed out that the background of the page is occupied by a design of no less than #hh birds1 arranged in a perfect pattern1 with #g at the top1 #g at the bottom1 #i on each side1 #ab in the gaps between the outer panels1 four groups of #aj surrounding the rectangular panels1 and #d single birds in the gaps between the points of the cross and the ,t panels4 ,the necks and the bodies are so cleverly balanced that even when at first the scheme seems inconsistent1 further examination shows that the artist adhered religiously to his plan4 ,the color arrangement is carried out with equal thought and care4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,lindisfarne ,,gospels4 ,celtic1 about ,a4,d4 #gjj 7,brit4 ,mus4 ,cotton ,,ms4 ,nero4 ,d4 iv4 #ab #aj inches7 ,the four miniatures of the ,evangelists show ,byzantine influence1 but in the features1 and the hair1 and in the frames1 the ,celtic style prevails4 ,gold is used only on two pages4 ,the ,lindisfarne ,gospels cannot be called beautiful when compared with the work of later centuries1 but can we fully appreciate the beauty we are approaching without becoming familiar1 step by step1 with what led up to it8 ,in this manuscript the precious ,gospels were enriched by the labor of devoted enthusiasts in the manner they knew best1 and with an ingenuity and industry that staggers us today4 ,taking what the past had taught them1 they gave to it their own interpretation1 and thus advanced the art toward its final consummation and glory4 99 99 99 99 99 ,taken merely as an example of illumination1 few would share my interest in the ,alcuin ,bible1 a ,carolingian manuscript of the ninth century2 but to any one interested in printing1 this huge volume at the ,british ,museum cannot be overlooked4 ,in the eighth century the ,irish and ,anglo-,saxon missionary artists transplanted their work to their settlements on the ,continent1 out of which sprang the ,carolingian ,school in ,france1--so named in honor of ,charlemagne4 ,sacred compositions1 derived largely from ,latin and ,byzantine sources1 were now added to the highly ornamental letters4 ,solid backgrounds were abandoned1 and handsome architectural designs were used to frame the miniatures4 ,if you will examine the ,alcuin ,bible with me1 you will note what a tremendous advance has been made4 ,the manuscript is a copy of the ,vulgate said to be revised and amended by ,alcuin of ,york to present to ,charlemagne on the occasion of that monarch's coronation4 ,some dispute this tradition altogether2 some claim that a similar ,bible1 now in ,rome1 is entitled to the honor2 but the controversy does not detract from the interest in the book itself4 ,this ,alcuin of ,york was the instrument of ,charlemagne in establishing the reform in hand lettering1 which has been of the utmost importance in the history of printing4 ,starting with the foundation of the ,school of ,tours in #gif1 the minuscule1 or lower-case letter1 which is the basis of our modern styles1 superseded all other forms of hand lettering4 ,by the twelfth century the clear1 free-flowing form that developed from the ,caroline minuscule was the most beautiful hand ever developed1 and was never surpassed until the humanistic scribes of the fifteenth century took it in its ,italian form as their model and perfected it4 ,the volume is a large quarto1 #bj by #ad inches in size1 splendidly written in double column in minuscule characters with uncial initials 7opp4 page74 ,there are four full-page illuminations1 and many smaller miniatures1 with characteristic architectural detail that show ,roman influence1 while the decorations themselves are reminiscent of the ,byzantine and the ,celtic ,schools4 ,illustration3 ,,alcuin ,,bible4 ,carolingian1 #ith ,century ,showing the ,caroline ,minuscule 7,brit4 ,mus4 ,add4 ,,ms4 #ajedf4 #bj #ad inches7 ,it is the hand lettering rather than the illumination or the decoration that particularly interests me4 ,when ,i first began my work in designing my ,humanistic type1 ,i was amazed that the humanistic scribes of the fifteenth century1 upon whose letters ,i based my own1 could have so suddenly taken such a stride forward4 ,the mere fact that there was a greater demand for their work did not seem to explain the phenomenon4 ,then ,i discovered that these fifteenth-century artists1 instead of adapting or copying the ,caroline minuscule1 set about to perfect it4 ,they mastered the principles upon which it was based1 and with the technical advantages that had come to them through the intervening centuries1 brought the design to its fullest beauty4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to supplement my study of the ,alcuin ,bible1 ,i turn to the masterpiece of the ,carolingian ,school in the ,bibliothque ,nationale in ,paris4 ,the ,golden ,gospels of ,saint ,mdard belongs to the same period as the ,alcuin ,bible1 and its hand letters are of the same beautiful design1 but more brilliant in that they are written throughout in gold4 ,in spite of the crude and unnatural figures1 ,i am always impressed with a feeling that the artist is1 for the first time1 making a definite effort to break away from past tradition toward more natural design4 ,the ,byzantine atmosphere still clings to the work as a whole 7opp4 page71 but in the frames and the backgrounds there is an echo of the ivory carving and the architecture of the new ,church of ,san ,vitale at ,ravenna1 and the powerful influence of the early ,christian symbolism asserts itself in the miniatures4 ,illustration3 ,,golden ,,gospels ,,of ,,st4 ,m,,dard4 ,carolingian1 #ith ,century 7,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #hhej4 #ab #g inches7 ,the hand-lettered pages are enclosed in plain borders of green or red tint1 with outside rules of gold4 ,each picture page covers the entire leaf4 ,every now and then1 superimposed upon the solid background of the margins1 are tiny figures so far superior in freedom of design to the major subjects as to make one wonder why the more pretentious efforts are not farther advanced than they are4 ,yet why should we be surprised that an artist1 under the influence of centuries of precedent and the ever-present aversion to change1 should move slowly in expressing originality8 ,as it is1 the pages of ,saint ,mdard give us for the first time motivation for the glorious development of the art to come in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the rise of ,gothic influence forms the great dividing line between the old1 or ecclesiastic1 and the new1 or naturalistic1 spirit in monastic art4 ,the ,psalter of ,saint ,louis1 a ,gothic manuscript of the thirteenth century1 in the ,bibliothque ,nationale in ,paris1 is an example of this transition that ,i like to study4 ,by the beginning of the thirteenth century the initial--which in the ,celtic style had dominated the entire page--was losing its supremacy1 becoming simply one factor in the general scheme4 ,a delicate fringe work or filigree of pen flourishes1 which had sprung up around the initial as it became reduced in size1 was later to be converted into a tendril or cylindrical stem1 bearing a succession of five leaves and leaflets of ivy1 usually entirely filled with burnished gold4 ,small figures1 and1 later1 groups of figures1 take the place of the linear ornament in the interior of the letter1 and calligraphy and miniature painting become successfully fused4 ,an exact date cannot be assigned1 as it was the result of a slow and gradual growth4 ,from certain references made in the ,calendar pages of the ,psalter1 it is evident that the manuscript was copied and illuminated between the year #abeb1 when ,queen ,blanche of ,castile died1 and the death of ,saint ,louis in #abgj4 ,what a story this book could tell6 ,written in ,french in red ink on one of the front end leaves is this inscription3 ,this ,psalter of ,saint ,louis was given by ,queen ,jeanne d',evreux to ,king ,charles1 son of ,king ,john1 in the year of our ,master1 #acfi2 and the present ,king ,charles1 son of the said ,king ,charles1 gave it to ,madame ,marie of ,france1 his daughter1 a nun at ,poissy1 on ,saint ,michel's ,day1 in the year #adjj ,the ,psalter contains #bfj leaves of parchment1 #h by #f inches4 ,of these1 seventy-eight are small1 beautiful miniatures1 depicting the principal scenes in the early books of the ,old ,testament1 and eight are illustrations to the ,psalms 7page #acb71 the remaining leaves being occupied by the text4 ,in these miniatures is shown a refinement and delicacy of treatment combined with unusual freedom in execution4 ,here is one of the best examples of the reflection of the stained-glass windows of the ,gothic cathedrals 7opp4 page71 to which reference has already been made4 ,there is no shading whatever4 ,the body color is laid on the design in flat tints1 finished by strokes of the pen4 ,illustration3 ,,psalter ,,of ,,saint ,,louis4 ,gothic1 #acth ,century ,abraham and ,isaac 7,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #ajebe4 #h #f inches7 ,illustration3 ,,psalter ,,of ,,saint ,,louis4 ,gothic1 #acth ,century ,psalms lxviii4 #a-c 7,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #ajebe4 #h #f inches7 ,all this is interesting because this period marks the end of the needless limitations illuminators placed upon themselves4 ,working on vellum as a medium instead of in glass with lead outlines1 should be a much simpler operation6 ,still1 one can't help reveling in the bright scarlet and the rich blue of the stained glass1 and would be loath to give it up4 ,the volume is bound in old boards1 covered with blue and rose material embossed with silver and reinforced with velvet4 ,the clasps are gone4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the style of illumination in the thirteenth century shows no distinct national characteristics1 for1 even in ,england1 some of the work was executed by ,french artists4 ,the initial is usually set within a frame shaped to its outline1 the ground being either of gold1 slightly raised or burnished1 or of color1 especially dark blue and pale tints of salmon1 gray1 or violet1 sometimes edged with gold4 ,queen ,mary's ,psalter1 a superb example of the ,english ,school in the early fourteenth century1 is a landmark in our pilgrimage because1 in addition to its surpassing beauty1 it is an example of illumination sought for its own artistic value instead of being associated wholly with devotional manuscripts4 ,no one can examine the charming series of little tinted drawings in the margins of the ,litany without being convinced that the artist1 whoever he may have been1 was quite familiar with the world outside the ,church 7see frontispiece74 ,the earliest note of ownership in this manuscript is of the sixteenth century3 ,this boke was sume tyme the ,erle of ,rutelands1 and it was his wil that it shulde by successioun all way go to the lande of ,ruteland or to him that linyally suceedes by reson of inheritaunce in the saide lande4 ,how fascinating these records are1 made by different hands as the precious manuscripts are passed on down the ages6 ,even though we have no absolute knowledge of which ,rutland is meant1 an added personality is given to the pages we are now permitted to turn and to admire4 ,in this manuscript there is also a second note1 written in ,latin on the fly leaf at the end1 paying a tribute to a certain ,baldwin ,smith1 8an honest customs officer10 who frustrated an attempt to ship the volume out of ,england1 and presented it to ,queen ,mary4 ,it is now in the ,british ,museum4 ,whether or not this was ,queen ,mary's first acquaintance with the manuscript is not known1 but from the binding she put on it she surely considered it a highly prized personal possession4 ,it would naturally be of special interest to her because of its connection with the old liturgy she was so anxious to restore4 ,the silver-gilt clasp fittings are missing now4 ,the crimson velvet with the pomegranate1 the ,queen's badge1 worked in colored silks and gold thread on each cover1 are worn and shabby2 but on the corner plates the engraved lion1 dragon1 portcullis1 and fleur-de-lys of the ,tudors are still triumphant4 ,the manuscript1 executed upon thin vellum1 and consisting of #cbj leaves about #aa by #g inches1 opens with a series of #bbh pen and ink drawings4 ,in most cases there are two designs on each page1 illustrating ,bible history from the ,creation down to the death of ,solomon 7page #acd74 ,with the drawings is a running description in ,french1 sometimes in prose1 sometimes in rhyme1 which in itself is interesting1 as the story does not always confine itself strictly to the ,biblical records but occasionally embodies apocryphal details4 ,the drawings themselves are exquisite1 and in the skill of execution mark another tremendous advance in the art of illumination4 ,they are delicately tinted with violet1 green1 red1 and brown4 ,the frame is a plain band of vermilion1 from each corner of which is extended a stem with three leaves tinted with green or violet4 ,following the series of drawings comes a full page showing the ,tree of ,jesse1 and three other full pages depicting the ,saints1--one page of four compartments and two of six4 ,the text1 from this point1 represents the usual form of the liturgical ,psalter1 the ,psalms being preceded by a ,calendar1 two pages to a month1 and followed by the ,canticles1 including the ,athanasian ,creed1 and then by the ,litany4 ,in the ,psalter1 the miniatures show incidents from the life of ,christ2 the ,canticles depict scenes from the ,passion2 while in the ,litany are miniatures of the ,saints and ,martyrs4 ,the initials themselves are elaborate1 many containing small miniatures1 and all lighted up with brilliant colors and burnished gold4 ,in the ,litany1 in addition to the religious subjects1 there are splendid little scenes of every-day life painted in the lower margins which make the manuscript unique1--illustrations of the ,bestiary1 tilting and hunting scenes1 sports and pastimes1 grotesque figures and combats1 dancers and musicians4 ,the manuscript ends with the ,miracles of the ,virgin and the ,lives and ,passions of the ,saints4 ,in ,queen ,mary's ,psalter1 and in manuscripts from this period to those of the sixteenth century1 we find ourselves reveling in sheer beauty4 8,why not have started here80 asks my reader4 ,perhaps we should have done so2 but this is a record not of what ,i ought to do1 but of what ,i've done6 ,to see one beautiful manuscript after another1 without being able to recognize what makes each one different and significant1 would take away my pleasure1 for the riotous colors and gold would merge one into another4 ,is it not true that there comes greater enjoyment in better understanding8 ,we admire what we may not understand1 but without understanding there can be no complete appreciation4 ,in this case1 familiarity breeds content6 ,illustration3 ,,queen ,,mary',s ,,psalter4 ,english1 #adth ,century ,from the ,life of ,joseph 7,brit4 ,mus4 ,royal ,,ms4 #b;,b vii4 #aa #g inches7 99 99 99 99 99 ,after studying the best of fourteenth-century ,english illumination in ,queen ,mary's ,psalter1 ,i like to turn to the ,bedford ,book of ,hours1 to make comparison with one of the most beautiful ,french manuscripts of a century later4 ,this is also at the ,british ,museum1 so in the brief space of time required by the attendant to change the volumes on the rack in front of me1 ,i am face to face with the romance and the beauty of another famous volume1 which stands as a memorial of ,english domination in ,france4 ,fashions change in illuminated manuscripts1 as in all else1 and books of hours were now beginning to be the vogue in place of psalters4 ,this one was written and decorated for ,john1 ,duke of ,bedford1 son of ,henry ,,iv1 and was probably a wedding gift to ,anne1 his wife4 ,this marriage1 it will be remembered1 was intended to strengthen the ,english alliance with ,anne's brother1 ,philip of ,burgundy4 ,on the blank page on the back of the ,duke's portrait is a record in ,latin1 made by ,john ,somerset1 the ,king's physician1 to the effect that on ,christmas ,eve1 #adcj1 the ,duchess1 with her husband's consent1 presented the manuscript to the young ,king ,henry ,,vi1 who was then at ,rouen1 on his way to be crowned at ,paris4 ,such notes1 made in these later illuminated volumes1 are interesting as far as they go1 but there is so much left unsaid6 ,in the present instance1 how came the manuscript1 a hundred years later1 in the possession of ,henri ,,ii and ,catherine de' ,medici1 of ,france8 ,after being thus located1 where was it for the next hundred years1 before it was purchased by ,edward ,harley1 #b;d ,earl of ,oxford1 from ,sir ,robert ,worsley's widow1 to be presented to his daughter1 the ,duchess of ,portland8 ,these are questions that naturally arise in one's mind as he turns the gorgeous pages1 for it seems incredible that such beauty could remain hidden for such long periods4 ,now1 happily1 through purchase in #aheb1 the manuscript has reached its final resting place4 ,illustration3 ,,bedford ,,book ,,of ,,hours4 ,french1 #aeth ,century ,showing one of the superb ,miniature ,pages 7,brit4 ,mus4 ,add4 ,,ms4 #ahhej4 #aj #g inches7 ,like other books of hours1 the ,bedford opens with the ,calendar pages1 combining the signs of the ,zodiac with beautifully executed scenes typical of each month4 ,then follow four full-page designs showing the ,creation and ,fall1 the ,building of the ,ark1 the ,exit from the ,ark1 and the ,tower of ,babel4 ,the ,sequences of the ,gospels come next2 then the ,hours of the ,virgin1 with ,penitential ,psalms and ,litany2 the ,shorter ,hours2 the ,vigils of the ,dead2 the ,fifteen ,joys2 the ,hours of the ,passion2 the ,memorials of the ,saints2 and various ,prayers4 ,throughout the #bhi leaves1 a little larger than #aj by #g inches1 are thirty-eight full-page miniatures that are masterpieces1--particularly the ,annunciation1 with which the ,hours of the ,virgin begin4 ,every page of text is surrounded by a magnificent border1 rich in colors and gold1 with foliage and birds1 and with the daintiest little miniatures imaginable4 ,while these borders are based upon the ivy-leaf pattern1 it resembles the style that carries the illumination through the leaf1 bud1 and flower up to the fruit itself1 which one associates more with the ,flemish than the ,french ,school4 ,the work is really a combination of the ,french and ,flemish ,schools1 but is essentially ,french in its conception and execution4 ,it was the custom1 in these specially created manuscripts1 to immortalize the heads of the family by including them with other1 and1 perhaps in some cases1 more religious subjects4 ,in this ,book of ,hours1 the ,duke of ,bedford is depicted1 clad in a long1 fur-lined gown of cloth-of-gold1 kneeling before ,saint ,george1 and the portrait is so fine that it has been frequently copied4 ,the page which perpetuates the ,duchess is reproduced here 7at page #acf74 ,clad in a sumptuous gown of cloth-of-gold1 lined with ermine1 she kneels before ,saint ,anne2 her elaborate head-dress supports an artificial coiffure1 rich in jewels2 on her long train1 her two favorite dogs are playing4 ,the ,saint is clad in a grey gown1 with blue mantle and white veil1 with an open book in front of her4 ,at her left stands the ,virgin in white1 with jeweled crown1 and the infant ,christ1 in grey robe4 ,his mother has thrown her arm affectionately about ,him1 while ,he1 in turn1 beams on the kneeling ,duchess4 ,in ,his hand ,he carries an orb surmounted by a cross4 ,saint ,joseph stands at the right of the background1 and four angels may be seen with musical instruments1 appearing above the arras1 on which is stamped the device and motto of the ,duchess4 ,surrounding the miniature1 worked into the border1 in addition to the ,duke's shield and arms1 are exquisite smaller pictures1 in architectural backgrounds1 showing ,saint ,anne's three husbands and her sons-in-law4 ,the pages must be seen in their full color1 and in their original setting1 to be appreciated4 ,the manuscript is bound in red velvet1 with silver-gilt clasps1 bearing the ,harley and the ,cavendish arms1 and dates back to the time of the ,earl of ,oxford4 ,illustration3 ,,antiquities ,,of ,,the ,,jews4 ,french ,renaissance1 #aeth ,century ,cyrus permits the ,jews to return to their own ,country1 and to rebuild the ,temple of ,jerusalem 7,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,franais #bdg4 #af #aa inches7 ,in the ,antiquities of the ,jews1 ,jean ,foucquet's masterpiece at the ,bibliothque ,nationale in ,paris1 we find the ,french ,renaissance ,school4 ,this manuscript interests me for several and different reasons4 ,in the first place1 ,foucquet was one of the founders of the ,french ,school of painting1 and had his masterpieces been painted on canvas instead of on vellum1 his name would have been much more familiar to art lovers than it is today4 ,the high degree attained by the art at ,tours1 which had become the center of the ,renaissance in ,france1 demanded a setting for the miniatures different from the ,flemish type of decoration that had so dominated illumination in general4 ,this it found in the ,italian style1 which at that time was first attaining its glory4 ,the book itself was originally bound in two volumes1 being a ,french translation by an unknown writer of ,flavius ,josephus' ,antiquities and ,war of the ,jews1 the subject being the clemency of ,cyrus toward the captive ,jews in ,babylon4 ,it is in folio 7a little larger than #af by #aa inches71 written in double column1 and contains superb initials1 vignettes1 and miniatures 7page #ach74 ,the work was begun for the ,duc de ,berry1 but was left unfinished at his death in #adaf4 ,later it came into the possession of the ,duc de ,nemours4 ,can one imagine a more aristocratic treasure for a cultured gentleman to own6 ,it was probably begun very early in the fifteenth century1 and completed between the years #adee and #adgg4 ,a note at the end of the first volume 7which contains #caa leaves7 by ,franois ,robertet1 secretary of ,pierre ,,ii1 ,duc de ,bourbon1 states that nine of the miniatures are 8by the hand of that good painter of ,king ,louis ,,xi1 ,jean ,foucquet1 native of ,tours40 ,for over two hundred years this first volume1 containing ,books ,i to ,,xiv of the ,antiquities of the ,jews1 has been in the ,bibliothque ,nationale4 ,it is bound in yellow morocco1 and bears the arms of ,louis ,,xv4 ,the second volume was considered lost4 ,in #aijc the ,english collector1 ,mr4 ,henry ,yates ,thompson1 purchased the missing copy in ,london1 at a sale at ,sotheby's4 ,this contained ,books ,,xv to ,,xx of the ,antiquities of the ,jews and ,books ,i to ,,vii of the ,war of the ,jews2 but it was imperfect in that a dozen pages of miniatures had been cut out4 ,two years later1 ,sir ,george ,warner discovered ten of these filched leaves in an album of miniatures that at some time had been presented to ,queen ,victoria1 and were in her collection at ,windsor ,castle4 ,as soon as ,mr4 ,thompson heard of this discovery1 he begged ,king ,edward ,,vii to accept his volume1 in order that the leaves might be combined4 ,the ,english monarch received the gift with the understanding that he1 in turn1 might present the restored manuscript to the ,president of the ,french ,republic4 ,this gracious act was accomplished on ,march #d1 #aijf1 and now the two volumes rest side by side in the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 reunited for all time after their long separation4 ,if books possess personalities1 surely no international romance ever offered greater material for the novelist's imagination6 99 99 99 99 99 ,now our pilgrimage takes us from ,paris to ,venice1 to study that priceless treasure of the ,library of ,san ,marco1 the ,grimani ,breviary1 the gem of the ,flemish ,school 7which should properly be called 8,netherlandish074 ,this style overlapped1 distinctly1 into ,germany and ,france1 and further complicated any certainty of identification by the fact that the number of ,netherlandish illuminators was large1 and they scattered themselves over ,europe1 practising their art and style in ,france1 ,germany1 and ,italy4 ,they all worked with the same minute care1 and it is practically impossible to identify absolutely the work even of the most famous artists4 ,there has always been a question whether the chief glory of the ,grimani ,breviary belonged to ,hans ,memling or to ,gerard ,van-der-,meire1 but from a study of the comparative claims the ,memling enthusiasts would seem to have the better of the argument4 ,internal and external evidence place the date of the execution of the ,grimani ,breviary at #adgh to #adhi1--ten years being required for its completion4 ,it is believed that the commission was given by ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv4 ,the ,pontiff1 however1 died before the volume was finished1 and it was left in the hands of one of the artists engaged upon it4 ,antonello di ,messina purchased it from this artist1 who is supposed to have been ,hans ,memling1 and brought it to ,venice1 where he sold it for the sum of #ejj ducats to ,cardinal ,domenico ,grimani1 whose name it bears4 ,illustration3 ,,grimani ,,breviary4 ,flemish1 #aeth ,century ,la ,vie au ,mois de ,janvier 7,biblioteca ,san ,marco1 ,venice4 #aj #i inches7 ,this ,cardinal ,grimani was a man noted not only for his exemplary piety but also as a literary man of high repute1 and a collector of rare judgment4 ,when he died1 the ,breviary was bequeathed to his nephew1 ,marino ,grimani1 ,patriarch of ,aquileia1 on the condition that at his death the precious manuscript should become the property of the ,venetian ,republic4 ,marino carried the ,breviary with him to ,rome1 where it remained until his death in #aedf4 ,in spite of his precautions1 however1 this and several other valuable objects would have been irretrievably lost had not ,giovanni ,grimani1 ,marino's successor as ,patriarch at ,aquileia1 searched for it1 and finally recovered it at great cost to himself4 ,in recognition of his services1 ,venice granted ,giovanni the privilege of retaining the manuscript in his possession during his lifetime4 ,faithful to his trust1 ,giovanni1 fearing lest the volume be again lost1 on ,october #c1 #aeic1 sent for his great friend1 ,marco ,antonio ,barbaro1 ,procurator of ,saint ,mark's1 placed the treasure in his hands1 and charged him to deliver it to the ,doge ,pasquale ,cicogna in full ,senate4 ,this was done1 and the volume was stored in the ,treasury of the ,basilica for safe keeping4 ,here it remained through the many vicissitudes of ,venice1 and even after the fall of the ,republic1 until the librarian ,morelli persuaded the authorities to allow its removal to the ,library of ,san ,marco1 whither it was transferred ,october #d1 #agig4 ,when the ,breviary was delivered to the ,doge ,pasquale1 the ,republic voted to entrust the binding to one ,alessandro ,vittoria4 ,the cover is of crimson velvet1 largely hidden by ornaments of silver gilt4 ,on one side are the arms and the medallion of ,cardinal ,domenico ,grimani1 and on the other those of his father1 the ,doge ,antonio4 ,both covers contain further decorations and ,latin inscriptions1 relating in the first case to the gift1 and in the other to its confirmation4 ,in the small medallions in the border one sees a branch of laurel1 the emblem of vigilance and protection1 crossed by a branch of palm1--the symbol of the religious life4 ,the dove typifies purity1 and the dragon stands for defense4 ,the volume itself contains #hca pages about #aj by #i inches in size4 ,there are the usual ,calendar pages1 containing the signs of the ,zodiac1 and further decorated with small miniatures 7opp4 page71 alternating with twelve superb full-page illuminations 7page #adb71 showing the occupations of the months4 ,following these1 come the ,prayers1 with sixty additional full-page miniatures based on ,bible history or the lives of the ,saints4 ,at the end are eighteen pages with smaller miniatures assigned to the saints of special devotion1 placed at the beginning of the office dedicated to each4 ,illustration3 ,,grimani ,,breviary4 ,flemish1 #aeth ,century ,text ,page showing ,miniature and ,decoration 7,biblioteca ,san ,marco1 ,venice4 #aj #i inches7 ,the marginal decorations throughout the book are wonderfully wrought4 ,some pages are adorned with perpendicular bands1 with constantly varying color combinations4 ,arabesques of all kinds are used1 and interspersed among the ornamentation are flowers and fruits1 animals1 birds1 fishes1 and all kinds of natural objects4 ,in addition to these1 one finds little buildings1 landscapes1 architectural ornaments1 statues1 church ornaments1 frames1 vases1 cameos1 medals1 and scenes from ,bible history and from every-day life as well1--all showing the genius of the artists who put themselves into the spirit of their work4 ,when the old ,campanile fell in #aijb1 one corner of the ,library of ,san ,marco was damaged4 ,immediately telegrams poured in from all over the world1 anxiously inquiring for the safety of the ,grimani ,breviary4 ,fortunately it was untouched4 ,the last time ,i saw this precious manuscript was in #aibd4 ,doctor ,luigi ,ferrari1 the librarian1 courteously took the volume from its case and laid it tenderly on a low table1 extending to me the unusual privilege of personal examination4 ,thus ,i could turn the pages slowly enough to enjoy again the exquisite charm of its miniatures1 the beauty of its coloring1 and to assimilate the depth of feeling which pervades it throughout4 ,my friends at the ,british ,museum think that in the ,flemish pages of the ,sforza ,book of ,hours they have the finest example of the ,flemish ,school4 ,they may be right2 but no miniatures ,i have ever seen have seemed to me more marvelously beautiful than those in the ,grimani ,breviary4 ,whenever ,i examine a beautiful manuscript1 and take delight in it1 ,i find myself comparing it with the ,italian masterpiece of ,francesco d',antonio del ,cherico4 ,it may be that this is due to my dramatic introduction to that volume1 as recorded at the beginning of this chapter4 ,its date is perhaps half a century earlier than the ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany2 it is of the same period as the ,grimani ,breviary and the ,antiquities of the ,jews2 it is fifty years later than the ,bedford ,book of ,hours1 and a century and a half later than ,queen ,mary's ,psalter4 ,which of all these magnificent manuscripts is the most beautiful8 ,who would dare to say6 ,in all there is found the expression of art in its highest form2 in each the individual admirer finds some special feature--the beauty of the designs1 the richness of the composition1 the warmth of the coloring1 or the perfection of the execution--that particularly appeals4 ,illustration3 ,,book ,,of ,,hours4 ,italian1 #aeth ,century ,by ,francesco d',antonio del ,cherico 7,r4 ,lau4 ,bibl4 ,ashb4 #ahgd4 #g #e inches7 ,when one considers the early civilization of ,italy1 and the heights finally attained by ,italian illuminators1 it is difficult to understand why the intervening centuries show such tardy recognition of the art4 ,even as late as the twelfth century1 with other countries turning out really splendid examples1 the ,italian work is of a distinctly inferior order2 but by the middle of the thirteenth century1 the great revival in art brought about by ,cimabue and ,giotto stimulated the development in illumination4 ,during the next hundred years the art became nationalized4 ,the ornament diverged from the ,french type1 and assumed the peculiar straight bar or rod1 with profile foliages1 and the sudden reversions of the curves with change of color1 which are characteristic of fourteenth-century ,italian work4 ,the miniatures1 introducing the new ,tuscan manner of painting1 entirely re-fashioned miniature art4 ,the figure becomes natural1 well-proportioned1 and graceful1 the heads delicate in feature and correct in expression4 ,the costumes are carefully wrought1 the drapery folds soft1 yet elaborately finished4 ,the colors are vivid but warm1 the blue being particularly effective4 ,the vine-stem style immediately preceded the ,classic revival which came when the ,medici and other wealthy patrons recognized the artistic importance of illumination4 ,in this style the stems are coiled most gracefully1 slightly tinted1 with decorative flowerets4 ,the grounds are marked by varying colors1 in which the artists delicately traced tendrils in gold or white4 ,the great glory of ,italy in illumination came after the invention of printing4 ,aside from the apprehensions of the wealthy owners of manuscript libraries that they would lose prestige if books became common1 beyond the danger to the high-born rulers of losing their political power if the masses learned argument from the printed book1--these true lovers of literature opposed the printing press because they believed it to cheapen something that was so precious as to demand protection4 ,so they vied with one another in encouraging the scribes and the illuminators to produce hand-written volumes such as had never before been seen4 ,certainly the ,book of ,hours of d',antonio is one of the marvels of ,florentine art4 ,the nine full-page miniatures have never been surpassed4 ,no wonder that ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 lover of the beautiful1 should have kept it ever beside him6 ,the delicate work in the small scenes in the ,calendar is as precise as that in the larger miniatures2 the decoration1 rich in the variety of its design1 really surpassed the splendor and glory of the goldsmith's art 7page #adf74 ,some deplore the fact that ,england lost this treasure when the ,italian government purchased the ,ashburnham ,collection in #ahhd2 but if there ever was a manuscript that belongs in ,florence1 it is this4 ,you may still see d',antonio's masterpiece at the ,laurenziana ,library1 but it is no longer kept in the ancient wooden desk4 ,the treasures of illumination are now splendidly arrayed in cases1 where all may study and admire4 ,there are heavy choir-books1 classic manuscripts1 books of hours1 and breviaries1 embellished by ,lorenzo ,monaco1 master of ,fra ,angelico2 by ,benozzo ,gozzoli1 whose frescoes still make the ,riccardi famous2 by ,gherado1 and ,clovio1 and by other artists whose names have long since been forgotten1 but whose work remains as an everlasting monument to a departed art that should be revived4 99 99 99 99 99 ,experts1 ,i believe1 place the work of ,jean ,foucquet1 in the ,antiquities of the ,jews1 ahead of that of ,jean ,bourdichon 7probably ,foucquet's pupil7 in the ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany2 but frankly this sixteenth century manuscript at the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 in ,paris1 always yields me greater pleasure4 ,perhaps this is in compensation for not knowing too much6 ,i will agree with them that the decorative borders of ,foucquet are much more interesting than ,bourdichon's1 for the return of the ,flemish influence to ,french art at this time was not particularly fortunate4 ,in the borders of the ,grimani ,breviary realism in reproducing flowers1 vegetables1 bugs1 and small animal life1 would seem to have been carried to the limit1 but ,bourdichon went the ,grimani one better1 and on a larger scale4 ,the reproductions are marvelously exact1 but even a beautifully painted domesticated onion1 on which a dragon-fly crawls1 with wing so delicately transparent that one may read the letter it seems to cover1 is a curious accompaniment for the magnificently executed portraits of ,anne and her patron saints in the miniature pages6 ,here the artist has succeeded in imparting a quality to his work that makes it appear as if done on ivory instead of vellum 7see page #adh74 ,the costumes and even the jewels are brilliant in the extreme4 ,the floral decorations shown in the reproduction opposite are far more decorative than the vegetables1 but ,i still object to the caterpillar and the bugs6 ,illustration3 ,,hours of ,,anne of ,,brittany4 ,french ,renaissance1 #afth ,century ,the ,education of the ,child ,jesus by the ,virgin and ,saint ,joseph 7,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #idgd4 #ab #g inches7 ,illustration3 ,,hours of ,,anne of ,,brittany4 ,french ,renaissance1 #afth ,century ,page showing ,text and ,marginal ,decoration 7,bibl4 ,nat4 ,,ms4 ,lat4 #idgd4 #ab #g inches7 ,in #aejh there is a record that ,anne of ,brittany1 ,queen of ,louis ,,xii1 made an order of payment to ,bourdichon of #ajej livres tournois for his services in 8richly and sumptuously historiating and illuminating a great ,book of ,hours for our use40 ,this consists of #bch leaves of vellum1 #ab by #g inches in size4 ,there are sixty-three full pages1 including forty-nine miniatures1 twelve reproductions for the various months1 and a leaf containing ornaments and figures at the beginning and end of the volume4 ,of the text1 there are some #cej pages surrounded by borders4 ,the ,italian influence shows in the architectural and sculptural decorations1 just as the ,flemish obtains in the borders4 ,the manuscript is bound in black shagreen1 with chased silver clasps4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the question naturally arises as to the reason for the decline and practically the final extinction of the art4 ,i believe it to be that which the princely ,italian patrons foresaw4 ,their apprehensions1 though selfish in motive1 have been confirmed by history4 ,the invention of printing did make the book common1 and as such1 its true significance came to be forgotten because of greater familiarity4 ,the book as the developer of the people in science and in literature crowded out the book as an expression of art4 ,i wonder if it is too late to revive illumination4 ,never has there existed in ,america or ,england a keener appreciation of beautiful books2 never have there been so many lovers of the book blessed with the financial ability to gratify their tastes4 ,there are still artists familiar with the art1 who1 if encouraged1 could produce work worthy of the beautifully printed volumes the best ,presses are capable of turning out4 ,what is lacking is simply a realization that illumination stands side by side with art at its best4 ,in ,america1 the opportunities for studying illumination are restricted1 but a student would have no difficulty in finding in certain private collections and in a few public libraries more than enough to establish his basic understanding of the art4 ,the great masterpieces are permanently placed now1 and strictly enforced laws prevent national monuments from being further transferred from one country to another2 but even of these1 excellent facsimile reproductions have been made and distributed throughout the world ,no true lover of art visits ,europe without first preparing himself by reading and study for a fuller understanding and more perfect enjoyment of what he is to find in the various galleries4 ,assuming that no one can be an art lover without also being a lover of books1 it is perhaps a fair question to ask why he should not make an equal effort to prepare himself to understand and enjoy those rich treasures in the art of illumination which are now so easily accessible ,illustration3 ,,hours ,,of ,,anne ,,of ,,brittany ,order of payment of #ajej livres tournois to ,jean ,bourdichon1 #aejh ,v ,,friends ,,through ,,the ,,pen ,maurice ,hewlett combined to an unusual degree those salient characteristics that go to make the great writer3 he was a discerning observer1 and had formed the habit of analyzing what he observed2 his personal experiences had taught him the significance of what he had seen and enabled him to assess its valuation4 ,beyond all1--having observed1 analyzed1 and understood1--he possessed the power to interpret to others4 ,at the time ,i first met him1 ,the ,queen's ,quair was having a tremendous run1 and the volume naturally came into the conversation4 8,in spite of its success10 he said with much feeling1 8,i am disappointed over its reception4 ,i have always wanted to write history1 but not the way history has always been written4 ,there are certain acts attributed to the chief characters which1 if these characters are studied analytically1 are obviously impossible2 yet because a certain event has once been recorded it keeps on being repeated and magnified until history itself becomes a series of distortions4 ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots1 has always been my favorite historical figure1 and ,i know that in ,the ,queens ,quair ,i have given a truer picture of her character than any that at present exists4 ,but alas10 he added with a sigh1 8no one accepts it as other than fiction40 ,after this statement from him ,i turned again to my copy of ,the ,queen's ,quair and re-read the author's prologue1 in which ,i found3 ,a hundred books have been written and a hundred songs sung2 men enough of these latter days have broken their hearts over ,queen ,mary's2 what is more to the point is that no heart but hers was broken at the time4 ,all the world can love her now1 but who loved her then8 ,not a man among them4 ,a few girls went weeping2 a few boys laid down their necks that she might fall free of the mire4 ,alas1 the mire swallowed them up and she needs must conceal her pretty feet4 ,this is the note of the tragedy2 pity is involved1 rather than terror4 ,but no song ever pierced the fold of her secret1 no book ever found out the truth because none ever sought her heart4 ,here1 then1 is a book which has sought nothing else1 and a song which springs from that only4 ,i wonder if every writer in his heart does not feel the same ambition4 ,the novelist is a story-teller who recites bed-time stories to his audience of grown-up children1 while the humorist plays the clown2 but in writing history one is dealing with something basic4 ,within a year a volume has been published containing alleged documentary evidence to prove that ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots1 was innocent of the charge of treason4 ,what a triumph if an author through character analysis could correct tradition6 ,it was a loss to the world that ,hewlett permitted himself to be discouraged by unsympathetic critics from carrying out a really big idea4 ,to meet ,maurice ,hewlett at his home at ,broad ,chalke1 a little ,english village nearly ten miles from a railroad station1 and to walk with him in his garden1 one might recognize the author of ,the ,forest ,lovers2 but an afternoon with him at a ,london club would develop another side which was less himself4 ,instead of discussing flowers and ,french memoirs and biography in a delightfully whimsical mood1 ,hewlett's slight1 wiry figure became tense1 his manner alert1 his eyes keen and watchful4 ,in the country he was the dreamer1 the bohemian1 wholly detached from the world outside2 in the city he was confident and determined in approaching any subject1 his voice became crisp and decisive1 his bearing was that of the man of the world4 ,his early life was more or less unhappy1 due partly to his precociousness which prevented him from fitting in with youth of his own age4 ,this encouraged him to reach beyond his strength and thus find disappointment4 8,i was never a boy10 he said once1 8except possibly after the time when ,i should have been a man4 ,as ,i look back on my youth1 it was filled with discouragements40 ,the classics fascinated him1 and he absorbed ,dante4 ,then ,shelley and ,keats shared the place of the ,italian poet in his heart4 ,even after he married1 he continued to gratify his love of ,bohemia1 and his wife wandered with him through ,italy1 with equal joy2 while in ,england they camped out together in the ,new ,forest1--the scene of ,the ,forest ,lovers4 ,the peculiar style which ,hewlett affected in many of his volumes resulted1 he told me1 from his daily work in the ,record ,office in ,london1 as ,keeper of ,land ,revenue ,records and ,enrolments1 during which period he studied the old parchments1 dating back to ,william the ,conqueror4 ,in this respect his early experience was not unlike that of ,austin ,dobson's1 and just as the work in the ,harbours ,department failed to kill ,dobson's poetic finesse1 so did ,hewlett rise above the deadly grind of ancient records and archives4 ,in fact it was during this period that ,hewlett produced ,pan and the ,young ,shepherd1 which contains no traces of its author's archaic environment4 ,one point of sympathy that drew us closely together was our mutual love for ,italy4 ,my first desire to know ,maurice ,hewlett better was after reading his ,earthwork ,out of ,tuscany1 ,little ,novels of ,italy1 and ,the ,road in ,tuscany4 ,i have always preferred these volumes to any of his later ones1 as to me they have seemed more spontaneous and more genuine expressions of himself4 ,we were talking about ,italy1 one day1 when he made a remark which caused me to suggest that what he said was the expression of a modern humanist4 ,hewlett was obviously surprised yet pleased by my use of this expression4 8,i don't often meet any one interested in the subject of humanism10 he said4 8,it is one of my hobbies40 ,i explained my association with ,doctor ,guido ,biagi1 librarian of the ,laurenziana ,library at ,florence1 and the work ,i had done there in connection with my designs for a special face of type1 based upon the beautiful hand letters of the humanistic scribes 7see page #af74 ,with that introduction we discussed the great importance of the humanistic movement as the forerunner and essence of the ,renaissance4 ,we talked of ,petrarch1 the father of humanism1 and of the courageous fight he and his sturdy band of followers made to rescue the classics4 ,we both had recently read ,philippe ,monnier's ,le ,quattrocento1 which gave additional interest to our discussion4 8,monnier is the only writer ,i have ever read who has tried to define humanism10 ,hewlett continued4 8,he says it is not only the love of antiquity1 but the worship of it1--a worship carried so far that it is not limited to adoration alone1 but which forces one to reproduce40 8,and the humanist10 ,i added1 picking up the quotation from ,monnier1 which ,i knew by heart1 8is not only the man who knows intimately the ancients and is inspired by them2 it is he who is so fascinated by their magic spell that he copies them1 imitates them1 rehearses their lessons1 adopts their models and their methods1 their examples and their gods1 their spirit and their tongue40 8,well1 well60 he laughed2 8we have struck the same street1 haven't we6 ,but does that exactly express the idea to you8 ,it isn't antiquity we worship1 but rather the basic worth for which the ancients stand40 ,illustration3 ,autograph ,letter from ,maurice ,hewlett 8,monnier refers to the obsession that comes from constant contact with the learning of the past1 and the atmosphere thus created10 ,i replied4 8,only last year ,biagi and ,i discussed that very point1 sitting together in his luxuriant garden at ,castiglioncello1 overlooking the ,gulf of ,leghorn4 ,the #8basic worth' you mention is really ,truth1 and taking this as a starting point1 we worked out a modern application of ,monnier's definition3 8,the humanist is one who holds himself open to receive ,truth1 unprejudiced as to its source1 and1 after having received ,truth1 realizes his obligation to give it out again1 made richer by his personal interpretation40 8,there is a definition with a present application10 ,hewlett exclaimed heartily4 8,i like it4--,did you have that in mind when you called me a modern humanist1 just now80 8,no one could read ,earthwork ,out of ,tuscany and think otherwise10 ,i insisted4 ,hewlett held out his hand impulsively4 8,i wish ,i might accept that compliment with a clear conscience10 he demurred4 99 99 99 99 99 ,meeting ,austin ,dobson after he became interpreter-in-chief of the eighteenth century1 it was difficult to associate him with his earlier experiences as a clerk in the ,board of ,trade office1 which he entered when he was sixteen years old1 and to which service he devoted forty-five useful but uneventful years1 rising eventually to be a principal in the ,harbours ,department4 ,with so quiet and unassuming a personality1 it seems incredible that he could have lifted himself bodily from such unimaginative environment1 and1 through his classic monographs1 bring ,steele1 ,goldsmith1 ,richardson1 ,fielding1 ,horace ,walpole1 ,fanny ,burney1 ,bewick1 and ,hogarth1 out of their hazy indefiniteness1 and give to them such living reality4 ,perhaps ,dobson's very nature prevented him from seeing the coarseness and indecency of the period1 and enabled him to introduce1 or perhaps reintroduce1 to ,england from ,france the ballade and the chante royal1 the rondeau and the rondel1 the triolet1 the villanelle1 and other fascinating but obsolete poetical forms in which he first became interested through his ,french grandmother4 ,dobson was the most modest literary man ,i ever met4 ,i happened to be in ,london at the time when the ,english government bestowed upon him an annuity of #a1jjj1 8for distinguished service to the crown40 ,when ,i congratulated him upon this honor his response was characteristic3 8,i don't know why in the world they have given me this1 unless it is because ,i am the father of ten children4 ,i have no doubt that would be classified under #8distinguished service to the crown4'0 ,one afternoon ,austin ,dobson and ,richard ,garnett1 then ,keeper of the ,printed ,books at the ,british ,museum1 happened to come to my hotel in ,london for tea at the same time4 ,on a table in the apartment was a two-volume quarto edition in ,french of ,don ,quixote1 a prize ,i had unearthed at a bookstall on the ,quai ,voltaire in ,paris4 ,it was beautifully printed1 the letterpress just biting into the paper1 and making itself a part of the leaf1 which is so characteristic of the best ,french presswork4 ,the edition also contained the famous ,dor illustrations4 ,dobson picked up one of the volumes and exclaimed over its beauty4 8,this edition10 he said1 8is absolutely perfect40 8,not quite10 ,i qualified his statement4 8,it is lacking in one particular4 ,it requires your ,ode to ,cervantes to make it complete40 ,dobson laughed4 8,send the book to me10 he said1 8and ,i will transcribe the lines on the fly leaf40 ,when the volume was returned a few days later1 a letter of apology came with it4 8,when ,i copied out the ,ode on the fly leaf10 ,dobson wrote1 8it looked so lost on the great page that ,i ventured to add the poem which ,i composed for the tercentenary4 ,i hope you won't mind40 ,my eleven-year-old son came into the reception room while our guests were drinking their tea4 ,dobson took him on his lap1 and after quite winning his affection by his gentleness1 he quietly called his attention to ,garnett1 who was conversing with my wife in another part of the room4 8,never forget that man1 my boy10 ,dobson said in a low voice4 8,we have never had in ,england1 nor shall we ever have again1 one who knows so much of ,english literature4 ,if the record of every date and every fact were to be lost by fire1 ,garnett could reproduce them with absolute accuracy if his life were spared long enough40 ,within fifteen minutes the youngster found himself on ,garnett's knee4 ,without knowing what ,dobson had said1 the old man whispered in the child's ear1 8,it is a privilege you will be glad to remember that you have met such a man as ,austin ,dobson4 ,except for ,salisbury's desire to demean the post of poet laureate1 ,dobson would hold that position today4 ,never forget that you have met ,austin ,dobson40 ,a few months after our return to ,america1 ,garnett died1 and ,dobson sent me the following lines4 ,i have never known of their publication3 ,,richard ,,garnett ,sit tibi terra levis ,of him we may say justly3 ,here was one ,who knew of most things more than any other1-- ,who loved all ,learning underneath the sun1 ,and looked on every ,learner as a brother4 ,nor was this all4 ,for those who knew him1 knew1 ,however far his love's domain extended1 ,it held its quiet 8poet's corner10 too1 ,where ,mirth1 and ,song1 and ,irony1 were blended4 ,illustration3 ,autograph ,poem by ,austin ,dobson ,garnett was a rare spirit1 and the ,british ,museum has never seemed the same since he retired in #ahii4 ,entrance to his private office was cleverly concealed by a door made up of shelf-backs of books1 but once within the sanctum the genial host placed at the disposal of his guest1 in a matter-of-fact way1 such consummate knowledge as to stagger comprehension4 ,but1 far beyond this1 the charm of his personality will always linger in the minds of those who knew him1 and genuine affection for the man will rival the admiration for his scholarship4 ,one afternoon at ,ealing1 after tennis on the lawn behind the ,dobson house1 we gathered for tea4 ,our little party included ,hugh ,thomson1 the artist who so charmingly illustrated much of ,dobson's work1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,dobson1 and one of his sons4 ,the poet was in his most genial mood1 and the conversation led us into mutually confidential channels4 8,i envy you your novel writing10 he said4 8,fiction gives one so much wider scope1 and prose is so much more satisfactory as a medium than poetry4 ,i have always wanted to write a novel4 ,mrs4 ,dobson would never have it4 ,but she is always right10 he added2 8had ,i persisted ,i should undoubtedly have lost what little reputation ,i have40 ,he was particularly impressed by the fact that ,i wrote novels as an avocation4 ,it seemed to him such a far cry from the executive responsibility of a large business1 and he persisted in questioning me as to my methods4 ,i explained that ,i devoted a great deal of time to creating mentally the characters who would later demand my pen2 that with the general outline of the plot ,i intended to develop1 ,i approached it exactly as a theatrical manager approaches a play he is about to produce1 spending much time in selecting my cast1 adding1 discarding1 changing1 just so far as seemed to me necessary to secure the actors best suited to the parts ,i planned to have them play4 ,he expressed surprise when ,i told him that ,i had long since discarded the idea of working out a definite scenario1 depending rather upon creating interesting characters1 and having them sufficiently alive so that when placed together under interesting circumstances they are bound to produce interesting dialogue and action4 8,of course my problem1 writing essays and poetry1 is quite different from yours as a novelist10 he said2 8but ,i do try to assume a relation toward my work that is objective and impersonal4 ,in a way1 ,i go farther than you do40 ,then he went on to say that not only did he plan the outline of what he had to write1 whether triolet or poem1 wholly in his head1 but 7in the case of the poetry7 even composed the lines and made the necessary changes before having recourse to pen and paper4 8,when ,i actually begin to write10 he said1 8,i can see the lines clearly before me1 even to the interlinear corrections1 and it is a simple matter for me to copy them out in letter-perfect form40 ,dobson's handwriting and his signature were absolutely dissimilar4 ,unless one had actually seen him transcribe the text of a letter or the lines of a poem in that beautiful designed script1 he would think it the work of some one other than the writer of the flowing autograph beneath4 99 99 99 99 99 ,posterity is now deciding whether ,mark ,twain's fame will rest upon his humor or his philosophy1 yet his continuing popularity would seem to have settled this much-mooted question4 ,humor is fleeting unless based upon real substance4 ,in life the passing quip that produces a smile serves its purpose1 but to bring to the surface such human notes as dominate ,mark ,twain's stories1 a writer must possess extraordinary powers of observation and a complete understanding of his fellow-man4 ,neither ,tom ,sawyer nor ,huckleberry ,finn is a fictional character1 but is rather the personification of that leaven which makes life worth living4 ,when an author has achieved the dignity of having written 8works0 rather than books1 he has placed himself in the hands of his friends in all his varying moods4 ,a single volume is but the fragment of any writer's personality4 ,i have laughed over ,innocents ,abroad1 and other volumes which helped to make ,mark ,twain's reputation1 but when ,i seek a volume to recall the author as ,i knew him best it is ,joan of ,arc that ,i always take down from the shelf4 ,this book really shows the side of ,mark ,twain1 the man1 as his friends knew him1 yet it was necessary to publish the volume anonymously in order to secure for it consideration from the reading public as a serious story4 ,illustration3 ,,mark ,,twain1 #ahce-aiaj ,at the ,villa di ,quarto1 ,florence ,from a ,snap-shot 8,no one will ever accept it seriously1 over my signature10 ,mark ,twain said4 8,people always want to laugh over what ,i write4 ,this is a serious book4 ,it means more to me than anything ,i have ever undertaken40 ,mark ,twain was far more the humorist when off guard than when on parade4 ,the originality of what he did1 combined with what he said1 produced the maximum expression of himself4 ,at one time he and his family occupied the ,villa di ,quarto in ,florence 7page #agb71 and while in ,italy ,mrs4 ,orcutt and ,i were invited to have tea with them4 ,the villa is located1 as its name suggests1 in the four-mile radius from the center of the town4 ,it was a large1 unattractive building1 perhaps fifty feet wide and four times as long4 ,the location was superb1 looking out over ,florence toward ,vallombrosa and the ,chianti hills4 ,illustration3 ,,autograph ,,letter ,,from ,,mark ,,twain ,with ,snap-shot of ,villa di ,quarto ,in greeting us1 ,mark ,twain gave the impression of having planned out exactly what he was going to say4 ,i had noticed the same thing on other occasions4 ,he knew that people expected him to say something humorous or unusual1 and he tried not to disappoint them4 8,welcome to the barracks10 he exclaimed4 8,looks like a hotel1 doesn't it8 ,you'd think with twenty bedrooms on the top floor and only four in my family there would be a chance to put up a friend or two1 wouldn't you8 ,but there isn't any one ,i think so little of as to be willing to stuff him into one of those cells40 ,we had tea out of doors4 ,miss ,clara ,clemens1 who later became ,mrs4 ,gabrilowitch1 served as hostess1 as ,mrs4 ,clemens was confined to her bed by the heart trouble that had brought the family to ,italy4 ,as we sipped our tea and nibbled at the delicious ,italian cakes1 ,mark ,twain continued his comments on the villa1 explaining that it was alleged to have been built by the first ,cosimo de' ,medici 78,if it was1 he had a bum architect10 ,mark ,twain interjected72 later it was occupied by the ,king of ,wrttemberg 78,he was the genius who put in the ,pullman staircase072 and still later by a ,russian ,princess 78,she is responsible for that green majolica stove in the hall4 ,when ,i first saw it ,i thought it was a church for children072 and then it fell into the hands of his landlady 78,less said about her the better4 ,you never heard such profanity as is expressed by the furniture and the carpets she put in to complete the misery4 ,i'm always thankful when darkness comes on to stop the swearing074 ,the garden was beautiful1 but oppressive1--due probably to the tall cypresses 7always funereal in their aspect71 which kept out the sun1 and produced a mouldy luxuriance4 ,the marble seats and statues were covered with green moss1 and the ivy ran riot over everything4 ,one felt the antiquity unpleasantly1 and1 in a way1 it seemed an unfortunate atmosphere for an invalid4 ,but so far as the garden was concerned1 it made little difference to ,mrs4 ,clemens1--the patient1 long-suffering 8,livy0 of ,mark ,twain's life1--for she never left her sick chamber1 and died three days later4 ,after tea1 ,mr4 ,clemens offered me a cigar and watched me while ,i lighted it4 8,hard to get good cigars over here10 he remarked4 8,i'm curious to know what you think of that one40 ,i should have been sorry to tell him what my opinion really was1 but ,i continued to smoke it with as cheerful an expression as possible4 8,what kind of cigars do you smoke while in ,europe80 he inquired4 ,i told him that ,i was still smoking a brand ,i had brought over from ,america1 and at the same time ,i offered him one1 which he promptly accepted1 throwing away the one he had just lighted4 ,he puffed with considerable satisfaction1 and then asked1 8,how do you like that cigar ,i gave you80 ,it seemed a matter of courtesy to express more enthusiasm than ,i really felt4 8,clara10 he called across to where the ladies were talking1 8,mr4 ,orcutt likes these cigars of mine1 and he's a judge of good cigars40 ,then turning to me he continued1 8,clara says they're rotten60 ,he relapsed into silence for a moment4 8,how many of those cigars of yours have you on your person at the present time80 ,i opened my cigar case1 and disclosed four4 8,i'll tell you what ,i'll do10 he said suddenly4 8,you like my cigars and ,i like yours4 ,i'll swap you even60 ,in the course of the afternoon ,mark ,twain told of a dinner that ,andrew ,carnegie had given in his ,new ,york home1 at which ,mr4 ,clemens had been a guest4 ,he related with much detail how the various speakers had stammered and halted1 and seemed to find themselves almost tongue-tied4 ,his explanation of this was their feeling of embarrassment because of the presence of only one woman1 ,mrs4 ,carnegie4 ,sir ,sidney ,lee1 who was lecturing on ,shakesperian subjects in ,america at the time1 was the guest of honor4 ,when dinner was announced1 ,carnegie sent for ,archie1 the piper1 an important feature in the ,carnegie mnage1 who appeared in full kilts1 and led the procession into the dining-room1 playing on the pipes4 ,carnegie1 holding ,sir ,sidney's hand1 followed directly after1 giving an imitation of a ,scotch dance1 while the other guests fell in behind1 matching the steps of their leader as closely as possible4 ,mark ,twain gave ,john ,burroughs credit for being the most successful in this attempt4 ,some weeks later1 at a dinner which ,sir ,sidney ,lee gave in our honor in ,london1 we heard an echo of this incident4 ,sir ,sidney included the story of ,mark ,twain's speech on that occasion1 which had been omitted in the earlier narrative4 ,when called upon1 ,mr4 ,clemens had said1 8,i'm not going to make a speech1--,i'm just going to reminisce4 ,i'm going to tell you something about our host here when he didn't have as much money as he has now4 ,at that time ,i was the editor of a paper in a small town in ,connecticut1 and one day1 when ,i was sitting in the editorial sanctum1 the door opened and who should come in but ,andrew ,carnegie4 ,do you remember that day1 ,andy80 he inquired1 turning to his host2 8wasn't it a scorcher80 ,carnegie nodded1 and said he remembered it perfectly4 8,well10 ,mark ,twain continued1 8,andrew took off his hat1 mopped his brow1 and sat down in a chair1 looking most disconsolate4 8#8,what's the matter8' ,i inquired4 #8,what makes you so melancholy8'--,do you remember that1 ,andy80 he again appealed to his host4 8,oh1 yes10 ,carnegie replied1 smiling broadly2 8,i remember it as if it were yesterday40 8#8,i am so sad1' ,andy answered1 #8because ,i want to found some libraries1 and ,i haven't any money4 ,i came in to see if you could lend me a million or two4' ,i looked in the drawer and found that ,i could let him have the cash just as well as not1 so ,i gave him a couple of million4--,do you remember that1 ,andy80 8,no60 ,carnegie answered vehemently2 8,i don't remember that at all60 8,that's just the point10 ,mark ,twain continued1 shaking his finger emphatically4 8,i have never received one cent on that loan1 interest or principal60 ,i wonder if so extraordinary an assemblage of literary personages was ever before gathered together as at the seventieth anniversary birthday dinner given to ,mark ,twain by ,colonel ,george ,harvey at ,delmonico's in ,new ,york6 ,seated at the various tables were such celebrities as ,william ,dean ,howells1 ,george ,w4 ,cable1 ,brander ,matthews1 ,richard ,watson ,gilder1 ,kate ,douglas ,wiggin1 ,f4 ,hopkinson ,smith1 ,agnes ,repplier1 ,andrew ,carnegie1 and ,hamilton ,w4 ,mabie4 ,it was a long dinner4 ,every one present would have been glad to express his affection and admiration for ,america's greatest man-of-letters1 and those who must be heard were so numerous that it was nearly two o'clock in the morning before ,mark ,twain's turn arrived to respond4 ,as he rose1 the entire company rose with him1 each standing on his chair and waving his napkin enthusiastically4 ,mark ,twain was visibly affected by the outburst of enthusiasm4 ,when the excitement subsided1 ,i could see the tears streaming down his cheeks1 and all thought of the set speech he had prepared and sent to the press for publication was entirely forgotten4 ,realizing that the following quotation differs from the official report of the event1 ,i venture to rely upon the notes ,i personally made during the dinner4 ,regaining control of himself1 ,mark ,twain began his remarks with words to this effect3 ,when ,i think of my first birthday and compare it with this celebration1--just a bare room2 no one present but my mother and one other woman2 no flowers1 no wine1 no cigars1 no enthusiasm1--,i am filled with indignation6 99 99 99 99 99 ,charles ,eliot ,norton is a case in point in my contention that to secure the maximum from a college course a man should take two years at eighteen and the remaining two after he has reached forty4 ,i was not unique among the ,harvard undergraduates flocking to attend his courses in ,art who failed utterly to understand or appreciate him4 ,the ideals expressed in his lectures were far over our heads4 ,the estimate of ,carlyle1 ,ruskin1 and ,matthew ,arnold1 that ,mr4 ,norton was foremost among ,american thinkers1 scholars1 and men of culture1 put us on the defensive1 for to have writers such as these include ,norton as one of themselves placed him entirely outside the pale of our undergraduate understanding4 ,he seemed to us a link connecting our generation with the distant past4 ,as ,i look back upon it1 this was not so much because he appeared old as it was that what he said seemed to our untrained minds the vagaries of age4 ,perhaps we were somewhat in awe of him1 as we knew him to be the intimate of ,oliver ,wendell ,holmes and ,james ,russell ,lowell1 as he had been of ,longfellow and ,george ,william ,curtis1 and thus the last of the ,cambridge ,immortals4 ,i have always wished that others might have corrected their false impressions by learning to know ,norton1 the man1 as ,i came to know him1 and have enjoyed the inspiring friendship that ,i was so fortunate in having him1 in later years1 extend to me4 ,in the classroom1 sitting on a small1 raised platform1 with as many students gathered before him as the largest room in ,massachusetts ,hall could accommodate1 he took ,art as a text and discussed every subject beneath the sun4 ,his voice1 though low1 had a musical quality which carried to the most distant corner4 ,as he spoke he leaned forward on his elbows with slouching shoulders1 with his keen eyes passing constantly from one part of the room to another1 seeking1 no doubt1 some gleam of understanding from his hearers4 ,he told me afterwards that it was not art he sought to teach1 nor ethics1 nor philosophy1 but that he would count it success if he instilled in the hearts of even a limited number of his pupils a desire to seek the truth4 ,as ,i think of the ,norton ,i came to know in the years that followed1 he seems to be a distinctly different personality1 yet of course the difference was in me4 ,even at the time when ,senator ,hoar made his terrific attack upon him for his public utterances against the ,spanish ,war1 ,i knew that he was acting true to his high convictions1 even though at variance with public opinion4 ,i differed from him1 but by that time ,i understood him4 8,shady ,hill10 his home in ,norton's ,woods on the outskirts of ,cambridge1 ,massachusetts1 exuded the personality of its owner more than any house ,i was ever in4 ,there was a restful dignity and stately culture1 a courtly hospitality that reflected the individuality of the host4 ,the library was the inner shrine4 ,each volume was selected for its own special purpose1 each picture was illustrative of some special epoch1 each piece of furniture performed its exact function4 ,here1 unconsciously1 while discussing subjects far afield1 ,i acquired from ,mr4 ,norton a love of ,italy which later was fanned into flame by my ,tuscan friend1 ,doctor ,guido ,biagi1 the accomplished librarian of the ,laurenziana ,library1 in ,florence1 to whom ,i have already frequently referred4 ,our real friendship began when ,i returned from ,italy in #aijb1 and told him of my plans to design a type based upon the wonderful humanistic volumes4 ,as we went over the photographs and sketches ,i brought home with me1 and he realized that a fragment of the fifteenth century1 during which period hand lettering had reached its highest point of perfection1 had actually been overlooked by other type designers 7see page #af71 he displayed an excitement ,i had never associated with his personality4 ,i was somewhat excited1 too1 in being able to tell him something which had not previously come to his attention1--of the struggle of the ,royal patrons1 who tried to thwart the newborn art of printing by showing what a miserable thing a printed book was when compared with the beauty of the hand letters2 and that these humanistic volumes1 whose pages ,i had photographed1 were the actual books which these patrons had ordered the scribes to produce1 regardless of expense1 to accomplish their purpose4 ,the romance that surrounded the whole undertaking brought out from him comments and discussion in which he demonstrated his many-sided personality4 ,the library at 8,shady ,hill0 became a veritable ,florentine rostrum4 ,mr4 ,norton's sage comments were expressed with the vigor and originality of ,politian2 when he spoke of the tyranny of the old ,florentine despots and compared them with certain political characters in our own ,america1 he might have been ,machiavelli uttering his famous diatribes against the ,state4 ,lorenzo de' ,medici himself could not have thrilled me more with his fascinating expression of the beautiful or the exhibition of his exquisite taste4 ,each step in the development of the ,humanistic type was followed by ,mr4 ,norton with the deepest interest4 ,when the first copy of ,petrarch's ,triumphs came through the bindery ,i took it to 8,shady ,hill10 and we went over it page by page1 from cover to cover4 ,as we closed the volume he looked up with that smile his friends so loved1--that smile ,ruskin called 8the sweetest ,i ever saw on any face 7unless perhaps a nun's when she has some grave kindness to do710--and then ,i knew that my goal had been attained 7page #cb74 ,while the ,humanistic type was being cut1 ,doctor ,biagi came to ,america as the official representative from ,italy to the ,st4 ,louis ,exposition4 ,later1 when he visited me in ,boston1 ,i took him to 8,shady ,hill0 to see ,mr4 ,norton4 ,it was an historic meeting4 ,the ,italian had brought to ,america original1 unpublished letters of ,michelangelo1 and at my suggestion he took them with him to ,cambridge4 ,mr4 ,norton read several of these letters with the keenest interest and urged their publication1 but ,biagi was too heavily engaged with his manifold duties as librarian of the ,laurenziana and ,riccardi libraries1 as custodian of the ,buonarroti and the da ,vinci archives1 and with his extensive literary work1 to keep the promise he made us that day4 ,the conversation naturally turned upon ,dante1 ,biagi's rank in his own country as interpreter of the great poet being even greater than was ,norton's in ,america4 ,beyond this they spoke of books1 of art1 of music1 of history1 of science4 ,norton's knowledge of ,italy was profound and exact2 ,biagi had lived what ,norton had acquired4 ,no matter what the subject1 their comments1 although simply made1 were expressions of prodigious study and absolute knowledge2 of complete familiarity1 such as one ordinarily has in every-day affairs1 with subjects upon which even the well-educated man looks as reserved for profound discussion4 ,norton and ,biagi were the two most cultured men ,i ever met4 ,in listening to their conversation ,i discovered that a perfectly trained mind under absolute control is the most beautiful thing in the world4 99 99 99 99 99 ,climbing the circular stairway in the old1 ramshackle ,harper plant at ,franklin ,square1 ,new ,york1 ,i used to find ,william ,dean ,howells in his sanctum4 8,take this chair10 he said one day after a cordial greeting2 8the only ,easy ,chair we have is in the ,magazine40 ,howells loved the smell of printer's ink4 8,they are forever talking about getting away from here10 he would say1 referring to the long desire at ,harpers'--at last gratified--to divorce the printing from the publishing and to move uptown4 8,here things are so mixed up that you can't tell whether you're a printer or a writer1 and ,i like it40 ,our acquaintance began after the publication by the ,harpers in #aijf of a novel of mine entitled ,the ,spell1 the scene of which is laid in ,florence4 ,after reading it1 ,howells wrote asking me to look him up the next time ,i was in the ,harper offices4 8,we have three reasons to become friends10 he said smiling1 after studying me for a moment with eyes that seemed probably more piercing and intent than they really were3 8you live in ,boston1 you love ,italy1 and you are a printer4 ,now we must make up for lost time40 ,after this introduction ,i made it a habit to 8drop up0 to his sanctum whenever ,i had occasion to go to ,franklin ,square to discuss printing or publishing problems with ,major ,leigh or ,mr4 ,duneka4 ,howells always seemed to have time to discuss one of the three topics named in his original analysis1 yet curiously enough it was rarely that any mention of books came into our conversation4 ,illustration3 ,autograph ,letter from ,william ,dean ,howells ,of ,boston and ,cambridge he was always happily reminiscent3 of entertaining ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,john ,hay while on their wedding journey1 and later ,bret ,harte1 in the small reception room in the ,berkeley ,street house1 where the tiny 8library0 on the north side was without heat or sunlight when ,howells wrote his ,venetian ,days there in #ahgj2 of early visits with ,mark ,twain before the great fireplace in 8the ,cabin0 at his ,belmont home1 over the door of which was inscribed the quotation from ,the ,merchant of ,venice1 8,from ,venice as far as ,belmont40--8,in these words10 ,howells said1 8lies the history of my married life02--of the move from ,belmont to ,boston as his material resources increased4 8,there was a time when people used to think ,i didn't like ,boston10 he would chuckle1 evidently enjoying the recollections that came to him2 8but ,i always loved it4 ,the town did take itself seriously10 he added a moment later2 8but it had a right to4 ,that was what made it ,boston4 ,sometimes1 when we know a place or a person through and through1 the fine characteristics may be assumed1 and we may chaff a little over the harmless foibles4 ,that is what ,i did to ,boston40 ,he chided me good-naturedly because ,i preferred ,florence to ,venice4 8,italy10 he quoted1 8is the face of ,europe1 and ,venice is the eye of ,italy4 ,but1 after all1 what difference does it make80 he asked4 8,we are both talking of the same wonderful country1 and perhaps the intellectual atmosphere of antiquity makes up for the glory of the ,adriatic40 ,then he told me a story which ,i afterwards heard ,hamilton ,mabie repeat at the seventy-fifth birthday anniversary banquet given ,howells at ,sherry's by ,colonel ,george ,harvey in #aiab4 ,two ,american women met in ,florence on the ,ponte ,vecchio4 ,one of them said to the other1 8,please tell me whether this is ,florence or ,venice40 8,what day of the week is it80 the other inquired4 8,wednesday40 8,then10 said the second1 looking at her itinerary1 8this is ,venice40 8,i was born a printer1 you know10 ,howells remarked during one of my visits4 8,i can remember the time when ,i couldn't write1 but not the time when ,i couldn't set type40 ,he referred to his boyhood experiences in the printing office at ,hamilton1 ,ohio4 ,his father published there a ,whig newspaper1 which finally lost nearly all its subscribers because its publisher had the unhappy genius of always taking the unpopular side of every public question4 ,howells immortalized this printing office in his essay ,the ,country ,printer1--where he recalls 8the compositors rhythmically swaying before their cases of type2 the pressman flinging himself back on the bar that made the impression1 with a swirl of his long hair2 the apprentice rolling the forms2 and the foreman bending over them40 ,the ,lucullan banquet referred to outrivaled that given by ,colonel ,harvey to ,mark ,twain4 ,how ,mark ,twain would have loved to be there1 and how much the presence of this life-long friend would have meant to ,howells6 ,more than four hundred men and women prominent in letters gathered to do honor to the beloved author1 and ,president ,taft conveyed to him the gratitude of the nation for the hours of pleasure afforded by his writings4 ,in the course of his remarks1 ,howells said3 ,i knew ,hawthorne and ,emerson and ,walt ,whitman2 ,i knew ,longfellow and ,holmes and ,whittier and ,lowell2 ,i knew ,bryant and ,bancroft and ,motley2 ,i knew ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe and ,julia ,ward ,howe2 ,i knew ,artemus ,ward and ,stockton and ,mark ,twain2 ,i knew ,parkman and ,fiske4 ,as ,i listened to this recapitulation of contact with modern humanists1 ,i wondered what ,howells had left to look forward to4 ,no one could fail to envy him his memories1 nor could he fail to ask himself what twentieth-century names would be written in place of those the nineteenth century had recorded in the ,hall of ,fame 99 99 99 99 99 ,my library has taken on a different aspect during all these years4 ,when ,i first installed my books ,i looked upon it as a sanctuary1 into which ,i could escape from the world outside4 ,each book was a magic carpet which1 at my bidding1 transported me from one country to another1 from the present back to centuries gone by1 gratifying my slightest whim in response to the mere effort of changing volumes4 ,my library has lost none of that blissful peace as a retreat1 but in addition it has become a veritable meeting ground4 ,the authors ,i have known are always waiting for me there1--to disclose to me through their works far more than they1 in all modesty1 would have admitted in our personal conferences ,,vi ,,triumphs ,,of ,,typography ,in gathering together his book treasures1 a collector naturally approaches the adventure from a personal standpoint4 ,first editions may particularly appeal to him1 or ,americana1 or his bibliomania may take the form of subject collecting4 ,i once had a friend who concentrated on whales and bees6 ,my hobby has been to acquire1 so far as possible1 volumes that represent the best workmanship of each epoch1 and from them ,i have learned much of fascinating interest beyond the history of typography4 ,a book in itself is always something more than paper and type and binder's boards4 ,it possesses a subtle friendliness that sets it apart from other inanimate objects about us1 and stamps it with an individuality which responds to our approach in proportion to our interest4 ,but aside from its contents1 a typographical monument is a barometer of civilization4 ,if we discover what economic or political conditions combined to make it stand out from other products of its period1 we learn contemporaneous history and become acquainted with the personalities of the people and the manners and customs of the times4 ,no two countries1 since ,gutenberg first discovered the power of individual types when joined together to form words down to the present day1 have stood pre-eminent in the same epoch in the art of printing4 ,the curve of supremacy1 plotted from the brief triumph of ,germany successively through ,italy1 ,france1 the ,netherlands1 ,england1 ,france1 and back again to ,england1 shows that the typographical monuments of the world are not accidental1 but rather the natural results of cause and effect4 ,in some instances1 the production of fine books made the city of their origin the center of culture and brought luster to the country2 in others1 the great master-printers were attracted from one locality to another because of the literary atmosphere in a certain city1 and by their labors added to the reputation it had already attained4 ,the volumes themselves sometimes produced vitally significant effects2 sometimes their production was the result of conditions equally important4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the first example ,i should like to own for my collection of typographical triumphs is1 of course1 the ,gutenberg ,bible 7opp4 page72 but with only forty-five copies known to be in existence 7of which twelve are on vellum71 ,i must content myself with photographic facsimile pages4 ,the copy most recently offered for sale brought #ajf1jjj in ,new ,york in ,february1 #aibf1 and was later purchased by ,mrs4 ,edward ,s4 ,harkness for #abj1jjj1 who presented it to the ,yale ,university ,library4 ,this makes the ,gutenberg ,bible the most valuable printed book in the world1--six times as precious as a ,shakespeare first folio4 ,fortunately1 the copies are well distributed1 so that one need not deny himself the pleasure of studying it4 ,in ,america1 there are two examples 7one on vellum7 in the ,pierpont ,morgan ,library1 in ,new ,york2 another in the ,new ,york ,public ,library1 and still another in the library of the ,general ,theological ,school2 while the private collections of ,henry ,e4 ,huntington and ,joseph ,e4 ,widener are also fortunate possessors4 ,in ,england1 one may find a copy at the ,british ,museum or the ,bodleian ,library2 on the ,continent1 at the ,bibliothque ,nationale at ,paris1 at the ,vatican ,library in ,rome1 or in the libraries of ,berlin1 ,leipzig1 ,munich1 or ,vienna4 ,over twenty of the forty-five copies are imperfect1 and only four are still in private hands4 ,of these four1 one is imperfect1 and two are already promised to libraries2 so the copy sold in ,new ,york may be the last ever offered4 ,illustration3 ,part of a ,page from the ,vellum ,copy of the ,gutenberg ,bible1 ,mayence1 #adee ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris 7,exact size7 ,illustration3 ,rubricator's ,mark at ,end of ,first ,volume of a ,defective ,copy in the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris ,illustration3 ,rubricator's ,mark at ,end of ,second ,volume of a ,defective ,copy in the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris ,the copy ,i love best to pore over is that bound in four volumes of red morocco1 stamped with the arms of ,louis ,,xvi1 in the ,bibliothque ,nationale4 ,this perhaps is not so historical as the one ,de ,bure discovered in the library of ,cardinal ,mazarin in ,paris in #agfc1--three hundred years after it was printed1 and until then unknown2 but the dignity of those beautifully printed types on the smooth1 ivory surface of the vellum possesses a magnificence beyond that of any other copy ,i have seen4 ,also at the ,bibliothque ,nationale is a defective paper copy in two volumes in which appear rubricator's notes marking the completion of the work as ,august #ae1 #adef4 ,think how important this is in placing this marvel of typography2 for the project of printing the ,bible could not have been undertaken earlier than ,august1 #adea1 when ,gutenberg formed his partnership with ,fust and ,schoeffer in ,mayence4 ,illustration3 ,,gutenberg1 ,,fust1 ,,coster1 ,,aldus1 ,,froben ,from ,engraving by ,jacob ,houbraken 7#afih-aghj7 ,to a modern architect of books the obstacles which the printer at that time encountered1 with the art itself but a few years old1 seem insurmountable4 ,there was the necessity of designing and cutting the first fonts of type1 based upon the hand lettering of the period4 ,as is always inevitable in the infancy of any art1 this translation from one medium to another repeated rather than corrected the errors of the human hand4 ,the typesetter1 instead of being secured from an employment office1 had to be made4 ,gutenberg himself perhaps1 had to teach the apprentice the method of joining together the various letters1 in a roughly made composing stick of his own invention1 in such a way as to maintain regularity in the distances between the stems of the various letters1 and thus produce a uniform and pleasing appearance4 ,there existed no proper iron chases in which to lock up the pages of the type1 so that while the metal could be made secure at the top and bottom1 there are frequent instances where it bulges out on the sides4 ,illustration3 ,john ,fust1 from an ,old ,engraving ,from the very beginning the printed book had to be a work of art4 ,the patronage of kings and princes had developed the hand-lettered volumes to the highest point of perfection1 and1 on account of this keen competition with the scribes and their patrons1 no printer could afford to devote to any volume less than his utmost artistic taste and mechanical ingenuity4 ,thus today1 if a reader examines the ,gutenberg ,bible with a critical eye1 he will be amazed by the extraordinary evenness in the printing1 and the surprisingly accurate alignment of the letters4 ,the glossy blackness of the ink still remains1 and the sharpness of the impression is equal to that secured upon a modern cylinder press4 ,it has been estimated that no less than six hand presses were employed in printing the #fda leaves1 composed in double column without numerals1 catch words1 or signatures4 ,what binder today would undertake to collate such a volume in proper sequence6 ,after the first two divisions had come off the press it was decided to change the original scheme of the pages from #dj to #db lines4 ,in order to get these two extra lines on the page it was necessary to set all the lines closer together4 ,to accomplish this1 some of the type was recast1 with minimum shoulder1 and the rest of it was actually cut down in height to such an extent that a portion of the curved dots of the i's was clipped off4 ,monographs have been written to explain the variation in the size of the type used in different sections of this book1 but what more natural explanation could there be than that the change was involuntary and due to natural causes8 ,in those days the molds which the printer used for casting his types were made sometimes of lead1 but more often of wood4 ,as he kept pouring the molten metal into these matrices1 the very heat would by degrees enlarge the mold itself1 and thus produce lead type of slightly larger size4 ,from time to time1 also1 the wooden matrices wore out1 and the duplicates would not exactly correspond with those they replaced4 ,in printing these volumes1 the precedent was established of leaving blank spaces for the initial letters1 which were later filled in by hand4 ,some of these are plain and some elaborate1 serving to make the resemblance to the hand-lettered book even more exact2 but the glory of the ,gutenberg ,bible lies in its typography and presswork rather than in its illuminated letters4 99 99 99 99 99 ,germany1 in the ,gutenberg ,bible1 proved its ability to produce volumes worthy of the invention itself1 but as a country it possessed neither the scholars1 the manuscripts1 nor the patrons to insure the development of the new art4 ,italy1 at the end of the fifteenth century1 had become the home of learning1 and almost immediately ,venice became the ,mecca of printers4 ,workmen who had served their apprenticeships in ,germany sought out the country where princes might be expected to become patrons of the new art1 where manuscripts were available for copy1 and where a public existed both able and willing to purchase the products of the press4 ,the ,venetian ,republic1 quick to appreciate this opportunity1 offered its protection and encouragement4 ,venice itself was the natural market of the world for distribution of goods because of the low cost of sea transportation4 ,i have a fine copy of ,augustinus3 ,de ,civitate ,dei 7page #bje7 that ,i discovered in ,rome in its original binding years ago1 printed in ,jenson's ,gothic type in #adge4 ,on the first page of text1 in bold letters across the top1 the printer has placed the words1 ,nicolaus ,jenson1 ,gallicus4 ,in addition to this signature1 the explicit reads3 ,this work ,de ,civitate ,dei is happily completed1 being done in ,venice by that excellent and diligent master1 ,nicolas ,jenson1 while ,pietro ,mocenigo was ,doge1 in the year after the birth of the ,lord1 one thousand four hundred and seventy-five1 on the sixth day before the nones of ,october 7#b ,october7 ,illustration3 ,nicolas ,jenson's ,explicit and ,mark ,illustration3 ,jenson's ,gothic ,type4 ,from ,augustinus3 ,de ,civitate ,dei1 ,venice1 #adge 7,exact size7 ,jenson was a printer who not only took pride in his art but also in the country of his birth6 ,he was a ,frenchman1 who was sent to ,mayence by ,king ,charles ,,vii of ,france to find out what sort of thing this new art of printing was1 and if of value to ,france to learn it and to bring it home4 ,jenson had been an expert engraver1 so was well adapted to this assignment4 ,at ,mayence he quickly mastered the art1 and was prepared to transport it to ,paris2 but by this time ,charles ,,vii had died1 and ,jenson knew that ,louis ,,xi1 the new monarch1 would have little interest in recognizing his father's mandate4 ,the ,frenchman then set himself up in ,venice1 where he contributed largely to the prestige gained by this city as a center for printing as an art1 and for scholarly publications4 ,jenson had no monopoly on extolling himself in the explicits of his books4 ,the cost of paper in those days was so high that a title page was considered an unnecessary extravagance1 so this was the printer's only opportunity to record his imprint4 ,in modern times we printers are more modest1 and leave it to the publishers to sound our praises1 but we do like to place our signatures on well-made books6 ,the explicit in the hand-written book also offered a favorite opportunity for gaining immortality for the scribe4 ,i once saw in an ,italian monastery a manuscript volume containing some #fjj pages1 in which was recorded the fact that on such and such a day ,brother ,so-and-,so had completed the transcribing of the text2 and inasmuch as he had been promised absolution1 one sin for each letter1 he thanked ,god that the sum total of the letters exceeded the sum total of his sins1 even though by but a single unit6 ,among ,jenson's most important contributions were his type designs1 based upon the best hand lettering of the day4 ,other designers had slavishly copied the hand-written letter1 but ,jenson1 wise in his acquired knowledge1 eliminated the variations and produced letters not as they appeared upon the hand-written page1 but standardized to the design which the artist-scribe had in mind and which his hand failed accurately to reproduce4 ,the ,jenson ,roman 7page #bb7 and his ,gothic 7page #bje7 types have1 through all these centuries1 stood as the basic patterns of subsequent type designers4 ,jenson died in #adhj1 and the foremost rival to his fame is ,aldus ,manutius1 who came to ,venice from ,carpi and established himself there in #adid4 ,i have often conjectured what would have happened had this ,frenchman printed his volumes in ,france and thus brought them into competition with the later product of the ,aldine ,press4 ,the supremacy of ,italy might have suffered1--but could ,jenson have cut his types or printed his books in the ,france of the fifteenth century8 ,as it was1 the glories of the ,aldi so closely followed ,jenson's superb work that ,italy's supreme position in the history of typography can never be challenged4 ,for his printer's mark ,aldus adopted the famous combination of the ,dolphin and ,anchor1 the dolphin signifying speed in execution and the anchor firmness in deliberation4 ,as a slogan he used the words ,festina lente1 of which perhaps the most famous translation is that by ,sir ,thomas ,browne1 8,celerity contempered with ,cunctation40 ,jenson's printer's mark 7page #bjc71 by the way1 has suffered the indignity of being adopted as the trademark of a popular brand of biscuits6 ,illustration3 ,device of ,aldus ,manutius ,the printing office of ,aldus stood near the ,church of ,saint ,augustus1 in ,venice4 ,here he instituted a complete revolution in the existing methods of publishing4 ,the clumsy and costly folios and quartos1 which had constituted the standard forms1 were now replaced by crown octavo volumes1 convenient both to the hand and to the purse4 8,i have resolved10 ,aldus wrote in #adij1 8to devote my life to the cause of scholarship4 ,i have chosen1 in place of a life of ease and freedom1 an anxious and toilsome career4 ,a man has higher responsibilities than the seeking of his own enjoyment2 he should devote himself to honorable labor4 ,living that is a mere existence can be left to men who are content to be animals4 ,cato compared human existence to iron4 ,when nothing is done with it1 it rusts2 it is only through constant activity that polish or brilliancy is secured40 ,illustration3 ,,grolier ,,in ,,the ,,printing ,,office ,,of ,,aldus ,after ,painting by ,franois ,flameng ,courtesy ,the ,grolier ,club1 ,new ,york ,city ,the weight of responsibility felt by ,aldus in becoming a printer may be better appreciated when one realizes that this profession then included the duties of editor and publisher4 ,the publisher of today accepts or declines manuscripts submitted by their authors1 and the editing of such manuscripts1 if considered at all1 is placed in the hands of his editorial department4 ,then the 8copy0 is turned over to the printer for manufacture4 ,in the olden days the printer was obliged to search out his manuscripts1 to supervise their editing--not from previously printed editions1 but from copies transcribed by hand1 frequently by careless scribes4 ,thus his reputation depended not only on his skill as a printer1 but also upon his sagacity as a publisher1 and his scholarship as shown in his text4 ,in addition to all this1 the printer had to create the demand for his product and arrange for its distribution because there were no established bookstores4 ,the great scheme that ,aldus conceived was the publication of the ,greek classics4 ,until then only four of the ,greek authors1 sop1 ,theocritus1 ,homer1 and ,isocrates1 had been published in the original4 ,aldus gave to the world1 for the first time in printed form1 ,aristotle1 ,plato1 ,thucydides1 ,xenophon1 ,herodotus1 ,aristophanes1 ,euripides1 ,sophocles1 ,demosthenes1 ,lysias1 schines1 ,plutarch1 and ,pindar4 ,except for what ,aldus did at this time1 most of these texts would have been irrevocably lost to posterity4 ,when you next see ,italic type you will be interested to know that it was first cut by ,aldus1 said to be inspired by the thin1 inclined1 cursive handwriting of ,petrarch2 when you admire the beauty added to the page by the use of small capitals1 you should give ,aldus credit for having been the first to use this attractive form of typography4 ,even in that early day ,aldus objected to the inartistic1 square ending of a chapter occupying but a portion of the page1 and devised all kinds of type arrangements1 half-diamond1 goblet1 and bowl1 to satisfy the eye4 ,to me1 the most interesting book that ,aldus produced was the ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili1--8,poliphilo's ,strife of ,love in a ,dream40 ,it stands as one of the most celebrated in the annals of ,venetian printing1 being the only illustrated volume issued by the ,aldine ,press4 ,this work was undertaken at the very close of the fifteenth century at the expense of one ,leonardo ,crasso of ,verona1 who dedicated the book to ,guidobaldo1 ,duke of ,urbino4 ,it was written by a ,dominican friar1 ,francesco ,colonna1 who adopted an ingenious method of arranging his chapters so that the successive initial letters compose a complete sentence which1 when translated1 read1 8,brother ,francesco ,colonna greatly loved ,polia40 ,polia has been identified as one ,lucrezia ,lelio1 daughter of a jurisconsult of ,treviso1 who later entered a convent4 ,illustration3 ,text ,page from ,aldus' ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili1 ,venice1 #adii 7#aa #g inches74 ,it is on this model that the type used in this volume is based ,illustration3 ,illustrated ,page of ,aldus' ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili1 ,venice1 #adii 7#aa #g inches7 ,illustration3 ,,grolier ,,binding ,castiglione3 ,cortegiano4 ,aldine ,press1 #aeah ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence ,the volume displays a pretentious effort to get away from the commonplace4 ,on every page ,aldus expended his utmost ingenuity in the arrangement of the type1--the use of capitals and small capitals1 and unusual type formations4 ,in many cases the type balances the illustrations in such a way as to become a part of them4 ,based on the typographical standards of today1 some of these experiments are indefensible1 but in a volume issued in #adii they stand as an extraordinary exhibit of what an artistic1 ingenious printer can accomplish within the rigid limitations of metal type4 ,the illustrations themselves1 one hundred and fifty-eight in number1 run from rigid architectural lines to fanciful portrayals of incidents in the story4 ,giovanni ,bellini is supposed to have been the artist1 but there is no absolute evidence to confirm this supposition4 ,some years ago the ,grolier ,club of ,new ,york issued an etching entitled1 ,grolier in the ,printing ,office of ,aldus 7page #bjh74 ,i wish ,i might believe that this great printer was fortunate enough to have possessed such an office6 ,in spite of valuable concessions he received from the ,republic1 and the success accorded to him as a printer1 he was able to eke out but a bare existence1 and died a poor man4 ,the etching1 however1 is important as emphasizing the close relation which exited between the famous ambassador of ,franois ,i at the ,court of ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 at ,rome1 and the family of ,aldus1 to which association booklovers owe an eternal debt of gratitude4 ,at one time the ,aldine ,press was in danger of bankruptcy1 and ,grolier not only came to its rescue with his purse but also with his personal services4 ,without these tangible expressions of his innate love for the book1 collectors today would be deprived of some of the most interesting examples of printing and binding that they count among their richest treasures4 ,the general conception that ,jean ,grolier was a binder is quite erroneous2 he was as zealous a patron of the printed book as of the binder's art4 ,his great intimacy in ,venice was with ,andrea ,torresani 7through whose efforts the ,jenson and the ,aldus offices were finally combined71 and his two sons1 ,francesco and ,federico1 the father-in-law and brothers-in-law of the famous ,aldus4 ,no clearer idea can be gained of ,grolier's relations at ,casa ,aldo than the splendid letter which he sent to ,francesco in #aeai1 intrusting to his hands the making of ,bud's book1 ,de ,asse3 ,illustration3 ,,grolier ,,binding ,capella3 ,l',anthropologia ,digaleazzo4 ,aldine ,press1 #aecc ,from which the ,cover ,design of this ,volume was adapted 7,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence4 #g #d inches7 ,you will care with all diligence1 he writes1 ,o most beloved ,francesco1 that this work1 when it leaves your printing shop to pass into the hands of learned men1 may be as correct as it is possible to render it4 ,i heartily beg and beseech this of you4 ,the book1 too1 should be decent and elegant2 and to this will contribute the choice of the paper1 the excellence of the type1 which should have been but little used1 and the width of the margins4 ,to speak more exactly1 ,i should wish it were set up with the same type with which you printed your ,poliziano4 ,and if this decency and elegance shall increase your expenses1 ,i will refund you entirely4 ,lastly1 ,i should wish that nothing be added to the original or taken from it4 ,what better conception of a book1 or of the responsibility to be assumed toward that book1 both by the printer and by the publisher1 could be expressed today6 99 99 99 99 99 ,the early sixteenth century marked a crisis in the world in which the book played a vital part4 ,when ,luther1 at ,wittenberg1 burned the papal bull and started the ,reformation1 an overwhelming demand on the part of the people was created for information and instruction4 ,for the first time the world realized that the printing press was a weapon placed in the hands of the masses for defence against oppression by ,church or ,state4 ,franois ,i was ,king of ,france2 ,charles ,v1 ,emperor of the ,holy ,roman ,empire2 and ,henry ,,viii1 ,king of ,england4 ,italy had something to think about beyond magnificently decorated volumes1 and printing as an art was for the time forgotten in supplying the people with books at low cost4 ,franois ,i1 undismayed by the downfall of the ,italian patrons1 believed that he could gain for himself and for ,france the prestige which had been ,italy's through the patronage of learning and culture4 ,what a pity that he had not been ,king of ,france when ,jenson returned from ,mayence6 ,he was confident that he could become the ,mcenas of the arts and the father of letters1 and still control the insistence of the people1 which increased steadily with their growing familiarity with their new-found weapon4 ,he determined to have his own printer1 and was eager to eclipse even the high ,standard the ,italian master-printers had established4 ,illustration3 ,,robert ,,tienne1 #aejc-aeei ,royal ,printer to ,franois ,i ,from ,engraving by tienne ,johandier ,desrochers 7c4 #affa-agda7 ,robert tienne 7or ,stephens71 who in #aedj succeeded ,nobar as 8,printer in ,greek to the ,king10 while not wholly accomplishing his monarch's ambitions1 was the great master-printer of his age4 ,he came from a family of printers1 and received his education and inspiration largely from the learned men who served as correctors in his father's office4 ,franois proved himself genuinely interested in the productions of his ,imprimerie ,royale1 frequently visiting tienne at the ,press1 and encouraging him by expending vast sums for specially designed types1 particularly in ,greek4 ,the story goes that on one occasion the ,king found tienne engaged in correcting a proof sheet1 and refused to permit the printer to be disturbed1 insisting on waiting until the work was completed4 ,for my own collection of great typographical monuments ,i would select for this period the ,royal ,greeks of ,robert tienne4 ,a comparison between the text page1 so exquisitely balanced 7page #bbb71 and the title page 7page #bbj71 where the arrangement of type and printer's mark could scarcely be worse1 gives evidence enough that even the artist-printer of that time had not yet grasped the wonderful opportunity a title page offers for self-expression4 ,probably tienne regarded it more as a chance to pay his sovereign the compliment of calling him 8,a wise king and a valiant warrior40 ,but are not the ,greek characters marvelously beautiful6 ,they were rightly called the ,royal ,greeks6 ,the drawings were made by the celebrated calligrapher ,angelos ,vergetios1 of ,candia1 who was employed by ,franois to make transcripts of ,greek texts for the ,royal ,collection1 and whose manuscript volumes may still be seen in the ,bibliothque ,nationale in ,paris4 ,earlier fonts had been based upon this same principle of making the ,greek letters reproductions as closely as possible of the elaborate1 involved1 current writing hand of the day2 but these new designs carried out the principle to a degree until then unattained4 ,the real success of the undertaking was due to the skill of ,claude ,garamond1 the famous ,french punchcutter and typefounder4 ,pierre ,victoire quaintly comments3 ,besides gathering from all quarters the remains of ,hellenic literature1 ,franois ,i added another benefit1 itself most valuable1 to the adornment of this same honorable craft of printing2 for he provided by the offer of large moneys for the making of extremely graceful letters1 both of ,greek and ,latin4 ,in this also he was fortunate1 for they were so nimbly and so delicately devised that it can scarce be conceived that human wit may compass anything more dainty and exquisite2 so that books printed from these types do not merely invite the reader1--they draw him1 so to say1 by an irresistible attraction4 ,illustration3 ,,tienne',s ,,royal ,,greeks1 ,paris1 #aeej ,title ,page 7#aj #f inches7 ,illustration3 ,page showing tienne's ,roman ,face 7,exact size7 ,illustration3 ,,tienne',s ,,royal ,,greeks ,text ,page 7#aj #f inches7 ,from ,novum ,jesu ,christi ,d4 ,n4 ,testamentum1 ,paris1 #aeej ,of course1 they were too beautiful to be practical4 ,in the ,roman letters typecutters had already found that hand lettering could no more be translated directly into the form of type than a painting can be translated directly into a tapestry1 without sacrificing some of the characteristic features of each4 ,with the ,greek letters1 the problem was even more difficult1 and the ,royal ,greeks offered no end of complications to the compositors1 and added disastrously to the expense of the production4 ,when ,plantin came along1 he based his ,greek type upon tienne's1 but his modifications make it more practical4 ,compare the ,royal ,greeks with ,plantin's ,greek on page #bca and see how much beauty and variety was lost in the revision4 ,franois ,i found himself in an impossible position between his desire to encourage tienne in his publications and the terrific pressure brought to bear by the ecclesiastical censors4 ,just as the people had awakened to the value of books1 not to put on shelves1 but to read in order to know1 so had the ,church recognized the importance of controlling and influencing what those books contained4 ,throughout ,robert tienne's entire tenure of office there raged a conflict which not only seriously interfered with his work1 but distinctly hampered the development of literature4 ,had ,franois lived longer1 tienne's volumes might have reached a level equal to that attained by his ,italian predecessors1 but ,henri ,,ii was no match for the censors4 ,in #aeeb ,robert tienne1 worn out by the constant struggles1 transferred his office to ,geneva1 where he died seven years later4 ,his son ,henri continued his work1 but except for his ,thesaurus produced little of typographical interest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,had it not been for this bitter censorship1 ,france might have held her supremacy for at least another half-century2 but with the experiences of ,robert tienne still in mind1 it is easily understood why the ,frenchman1 ,christophe ,plantin1 in whom surged the determination to become a master-printer1 sought to establish himself elsewhere4 ,by the middle of the sixteenth century ,antwerp had assumed the proud position of leading city of ,europe4 ,the success that came to the ,netherlanders in commerce as a result of their genius and enterprise later stimulated their interest in matters of religion1 politics1 and literature4 ,just as the tendencies of the times caused the pendulum to swing away from ,italy to ,france1 so now it swung from ,france toward the ,netherlands4 ,i had never before realized that1 with the possible exception of certain communities in ,italy1 where the old intellectual atmosphere still obtained1 there was no country in the world in which culture and intelligence were so generally diffused during the sixteenth century4 ,how much more than typography these volumes have taught me6 ,it was inevitable that the art of printing should find in ,belgium its natural opportunity for supreme expression4 ,at the time ,plantin turned his eyes in the direction of ,antwerp1 one entire quarter of that city was devoted to the manufacture of books4 ,this apparently discouraged him1 for at first he established himself as a bookbinder a little way out of the city4 ,later he added a shop for the sale of books2 but in #aeee he moved boldly into ,antwerp1 becoming a full-fledged printer and publisher1 soon demonstrating his right to recognition as the master-printer of his time4 ,by this time the words of ,luther had attracted the attention of the ,christian world more particularly than ever to the ,bible4 ,the people considered it the single basis of their faith1 and upon their familiarity with it depended their present and future welfare4 ,it was natural that they should attach the greatest importance to the possession of the most authentic edition of the original text4 ,what more glorious task1 then1 could a printer take upon himself than to provide correct texts1 to translate them with scrupulous exactitude1 and to produce with the greatest perfection the single book upon which was based the welfare of men and of empires6 ,illustration3 ,,christophe ,,plantin1 #aead-aehi ,from ,engraving by ,edme de ,boulonois 7c4 #aeej7 ,this was the inspiration that came to ,christophe ,plantin1 and which gradually took form in the ,biblia ,polyglotta1 the great typographic achievement of the sixteenth century4 ,on the left-hand page should appear the original ,hebrew text1 and in a parallel column should be a rendering into the ,vulgate 7page #bcj74 ,on the right-hand page the ,greek version would be printed1 and beside it a ,latin translation 7page #bca74 ,at the foot of each page should be a ,chaldean paraphrase4 ,antwerp was then under ,spanish domination4 ,plantin at once opened negotiations with ,philip ,,ii of ,spain1 and was finally successful in securing from that monarch an agreement to subsidize the undertaking1--a promise which unfortunately was never kept4 ,it is probable that the ,king was influenced toward a favorable decision by the struggle that occurred between ,frankfort1 ,heidelberg1 and even ,paris1 for the honor of being associated with the great work4 ,philip subscribed for thirteen copies upon parchment1 and agreed to pay ,plantin #ba1bjj florins4 ,he stipulated1 however1 that the work should be executed under the personal supervision of one ,arias ,montanus1 whom he would send over from ,spain4 ,plantin accepted this condition with some misgivings1 but upon his arrival ,montanus captivated all by his personal charm and profound learning4 ,in ,february1 #aefe1 ,plantin employed ,robert ,grandjon1 an engraver of ,lyons1 to cut the ,greek characters for the work1 basing his font upon the ,royal ,greeks4 ,they are still beautiful because they are still unpractical1 but they cannot compare with their models any more than later fonts of ,greek1 cut with the rigid requirements of typography in mind1 can compare with these4 ,grandjon also supplied ,plantin with all his ,roman1 and part of his ,hebrew types1 the balance being cut by ,guillaume ,le ,b1 of ,paris1 ,hautin of ,rochelle1 ,van der ,keere of ,tours1 and ,corneille ,bomberghe of ,cologne4 ,illustration3 ,,plantin',s ,,biblia ,,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh ,title ,page 7#ac #h inches7 ,illustration3 ,page of ,preface from ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh 7#ac #h inches7 ,illustration3 ,text ,page of ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh 7#ac #h inches7 ,illustration3 ,text ,page of ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh 7#ac #h inches7 ,illustration3 ,,plantin',s ,,biblia ,,polyglotta1 ,antwerp1 #aefh ,second ,page 7#ac #h inches7 ,the eight massive parts of the ,biblia ,polyglotta appeared during the years #aefh to #aegc4 ,the first volume opens with a splendid engraved title1 representing the union of the people in the ,christian faith1 and the four languages of the ,old ,testament 7opp4 page74 ,in the lower1 right-hand corner appears the famous ,plantin mark4 ,immediately following are two other engraved plates 7page #bcb71 illustrative as well as decorative in their nature4 ,one of these pages gives to the faithless ,philip an undeserved immortality4 ,there are also single full-page engravings at the beginning of the fourth and fifth volumes4 ,twelve copies were printed on vellum for ,king ,philip4 ,a thirteenth copy on vellum was never completed4 ,in addition to these1 ten other copies were printed on large ,italian imperial paper1 and were sold at #bjj florins per copy4 ,there were #cjj copies on imperial paper at #ajj florins1 and #ifj printed on fine royal ,troyes paper1 which were offered to the public at #gj florins each1 with ten florins discount to libraries4 ,one of the vellum copies was presented by the ,king to the ,pope1 another to the ,duke of ,alba1 and still a third to the ,duke of ,savoy1 the remaining copies being left in the library of the ,escurial4 ,king ,philip was so pleased with the volumes that he created ,plantin ,prototypographe1 ruler over all the printers in the city1--a polite and inexpensive way of escaping his obligations4 ,the world acclaimed a new master-printer2 but these honors meant little to pressing creditors4 ,what a series of misfortunes ,plantin endured6 ,stabbed by a miscreant who mistook him for some one else2 hampered by censorship in spite of previous assurances of liberty in publications2 his property wiped out again and again by the clashes of arms which finally cost ,antwerp her pre-eminence2 forever in debt1 and having to sell his books below cost1 and to sacrifice his library to meet pressing financial obligations2--yet always rising above his calamities1 he carried on his printing office until his death in #aehi1 when he left a comfortable fortune of above #bjj1jjj4 ,historically1 ,plantin's contribution to the art of printing can scarcely be overestimated1 yet technically he should be included in the second rather than the first group of early master-printers4 ,the century that had elapsed since ,gutenberg had removed many of the mechanical difficulties which had been obstacles to his predecessors4 ,the printer could now secure printed copy to be edited and improved4 ,scholars were easily obtainable from the universities for editing and proofreading4 ,printing machinery could be purchased instead of being manufactured from original models4 ,the sale of books had been greatly systematized4 ,a printer could now devote himself to his art without dividing himself into various semi-related parts4 ,plantin proved himself a business man4 ,who else ever established a printing or publishing business on such an enduring basis that it continued for three hundred years6 ,in bequeathing it to his daughter and his son-in-law1 ,moretus1 ,plantin made the interesting injunction that the printing office was always to be maintained by the son or successor who was most competent to manage it4 ,if no son qualified1 then the successor must be selected outside the family4 ,fortunately1 however1 there were sons who1 each in his generation but with diminishing ability1 proved his right to assume the responsibility1 and the business was actually continued in the family down to #ahfg4 ,a few years later the property was purchased by the city of ,antwerp for #a1bjj1jjj francs1 and turned into a public museum4 ,illustration3 ,device of ,christophe ,plantin ,i never visit the ,plantin ,museum at ,antwerp without feeling that ,i have come closer to the old master-printers and their ideals4 ,here is the only great printing establishment of the past that time and the inroads of man have left intact4 ,the beauty of the building1 the harmony of the surroundings1 the old portraits1 the comfort yet the taste shown in the living-rooms1--all show that the artist-printer sought the same elements in his life that he expressed in his work4 ,entering from the ,march du ,vendredi1 ,i find myself face to face with a small tablet over the door on which is the device of ,christophe ,plantin1 8first printer to the ,king1 and the king of printers40 ,here the familiar hand1 grasping a pair of compasses1 reaches down from the clouds1 holding the compasses so that one leg stands at rest while the other describes a circle1 enclosing the legend ,labore et ,constantia4 ,within the house one finds the actual types1 and presses1 and designs by ,rubens and other famous artists1 that were employed in making the ,plantin books4 ,the rooms in which the master printer lived make his personality very real4 ,in those days a man's business was his life1 and the home and the workshop were not far separated4 ,here the family life and the making of books were so closely interwoven that the visitor can scarcely tell where one leaves off and the other begins4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the vocabulary of booklovers1 the name ,elzevir suggests something particularly choice and unique in the making of books4 ,these volumes cannot compare favorably with many products of the press which preceded and followed them1 yet the prestige which attended their publication has endured down to the present day4 ,the original popularity of the ,elzevirs was due to the fact that after a century of degradation1 some one at last undertook to reclaim printing from the depths4 ,printing1 after reaching such heights so soon after its beginnings1 had steadily declined4 ,the art may really be said to have had its origin in ,italy1 as the work from ,gutenberg's office1 while extraordinary and epoch-making1 could not rank with the best of the fifteenth-century ,italian productions4 ,the ,french volumes of the early sixteenth century were splendid examples of typography and presswork1 but they did not equal those of their ,italian predecessors4 ,christophe ,plantin's work in ,antwerp was typographically unimportant except for his ,biblia ,polyglotta2 and after ,plantin1 which takes us to the end of the sixteenth century1 printing passed from an art into a trade4 ,the ,elzevirs were craftsmen rather than artists1 but the best craftsmen of their period4 ,all this was a natural reaction4 ,the book-buying public had come to demand the contents of the book at a cheaper price rather than volumes of greater technical excellence at a correspondingly higher cost4 ,as we have seen1 ,sweynheim and ,pannartz had ruined themselves by their experiments in ,greek2 the ,aldine ,press was saved from bankruptcy only by the intervention of ,grolier4 ,henri tienne1 son of the great ,robert tienne1 who endeavored to emulate his father's splendid work1 came to financial grief in producing his ,thesaurus2 and ,plantin could not have withstood the drain of his ,biblia ,polyglotta had it not been that he was commercially far-sighted enough to turn his plant over to the manufacture of inexpensive and less carefully made books4 ,by the end of the sixteenth century cheaper paper1 made in ,switzerland1 came into the market1 and this inferior1 unbleached product largely replaced the soft1 fine paper of ,italian and ,french manufacture which had contributed in no small part to the beauty of the printed pages4 ,ink manufacturers had learned how to produce cheaper and poorer ink1 and the types themselves1 through constant use1 had become worn down to such an extent that real excellence was impossible4 ,holland was the natural successor to ,belgium in the supremacy of printing4 ,the devastations of war had brought trade to a standstill in the ,netherlands1 while the city of ,leyden had won the attention and admiration of the world for its heroic resistance during the long ,spanish siege4 ,to commemorate this event1 ,william of ,orange1 in #aege1 founded the ,university of ,leyden1 which quickly took high rank among scholars1 and became the intellectual and literary center of ,europe4 ,thither the battle-scarred ,plantin betook himself at the suggestion of ,lipsius1 the historian1 who was now a professor in the new ,university4 ,in ,leyden1 ,plantin established a branch printing office4 ,he was made ,printer to the ,university1 and for a time expected to remain here1 but the old man could not bring himself to voluntary exile from his beloved ,antwerp4 ,plantin's ,leyden printing office had been placed in charge of ,louis ,elzevir1 and when the veteran printer determined to return to ,antwerp it would have seemed natural for him to leave it in ,louis ,elzevir's hands instead of turning it over to his son-in-law1 ,raphelengius4 ,this ,elzevir1 however1 although the founder of the great ,elzevir house1 was not a practical printer1 being more interested in bookselling and publishing2 so distinction in printing did not come to the family until ,isaac1 ,louis ,elzevir's grandson1 became ,printer to the ,university in #afbj4 ,fifteen years later1 ,bonaventura and ,abraham ,elzevir made the name famous through their editions of ,terence1 ,csar1 and ,pliny4 ,up to this time the favorite format had been the quarto volume1 running about #ab by #ah inches in size4 ,the ,elzevirs boldly departed from the beaten path1 and produced volumes running as small as #b by #d inches4 ,they cut types of small size1 showing no special originality but based on good ,italian models1 and issued editions which at first met with small favor4 8,the ,elzevirs are certainly great typographers10 the scholar ,deput wrote to ,heinsius in #afbi4 8,i can but think1 however1 that their reputation will suffer in connection with these trifling little volumes with such slender type40 ,contrary to this prediction1 the new format gradually gained favor1 and finally became firmly established4 ,the best publisher-printers in ,france and ,italy copied the ,elzevir model1 and the folios and the quartos of the preceding ages went entirely out of style4 ,illustration3 ,,elzevir',s ,,terence1 #afce ,engraved ,title ,page 7,exact size7 ,illustration3 ,,elzevir',s ,,terence1 ,leyden1 #afce ,text ,pages 7#d #b inches7 ,the ,terence of #afce is the volume ,i selected for my collection 7page #bdb74 ,while not really beautiful1 it is a charming little book4 ,the copper-plate title 7page #bda7 serves not only its original purpose but is also an illustration4 ,the ,elzevirs were wise enough to go back a hundred years and revive the practice of the copper-plate title1 which had been discarded by intermediate printers because of its expense4 ,the types themselves1 far superior to other fonts in use at that time by other printers1 were especially designed for the ,elzevirs by ,christoffel van ,dyck4 ,the interspacing of the capitals and the small capitals1 the arrangement of the margins1 and the general layout all show taste and knowledge of typographical precedent4 ,the presswork would appear to better advantage except for the impossibility of securing ink of consistent quality4 ,the ,elzevirs showed a great advance in business organization over any of their predecessors4 ,freed from oppressive censorship1 they were able to issue a long list of volumes which were disposed of through connections established in the principal book centers of ,italy1 ,france1 ,germany1 and ,scandinavia1 as well as throughout the ,netherlands themselves4 ,there is no record of any ,elzevir publication proving a failure2 but1 by the same token1 one cannot say that the ,elzevirs accomplished as much for the art to which they devoted themselves as did the master-printers in whose steps they followed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,curiously enough1 it was not until the eighteenth century that ,england produced volumes which were pre-eminent in any period4 ,caxton's work1 extraordinary as it was1 competed against books made at the same time in ,venice by ,jenson1 and were not equal to these ,italian masterpieces4 ,i have a leaf from a ,caxton volume which ,i often place beside my ,jenson volume1 and the comparison always increases my wonder and admiration for the great ,italian printer4 ,caxton's work was epoch-making1 but until ,john ,baskerville issued his ,virgil in ,birmingham1 in #ageg1 ,england had not produced a volume that stood out1 at the moment of its publication1 as the best of its time4 ,illustration3 ,john ,baskerville 7#agjf-agge7 ,john ,baskerville is one of the most unique characters to be found in the annals of printing4 ,he had been in turn a footman1 a writing teacher1 an engraver of slate gravestones1 and the proprietor of a successful japanning establishment4 ,he showed no special interest in types or books until middle age1 and after he had amassed a fortune4 ,then1 suddenly1 he designed and cut types which competed successfully with the famous ,caslon fonts1 and produced his ,virgil1 which1 as ,benjamin ,franklin wrote in presenting a copy to the ,harvard ,college ,library1 was 8thought to be the most curiously printed of any book hitherto done in the world40 ,macaulay called it1 8,the first of those magnificent editions which went forth to astonish all the librarians of ,europe40 ,the ,baskerville types were at first received with scant praise1 although even the severest critics admitted that the ,italic characters1 from which was eliminated that cramped design seen in the ,italics of other foundries of the period1 were essentially beautiful4 ,a letter written by ,benjamin ,franklin to ,baskerville in #agfj is of amusing interest3 ,let me give you a pleasant instance of the prejudice some have entertained against your work4 ,soon after ,i returned1 discoursing with a gentleman concerning the artists of ,birmingham1 he said you would be the means of blinding all the readers of the nation1 for the strokes of your letters being too thin and narrow1 hurt the eye1 and he could never read a line of them without pain4 8,i thought10 said ,i1 8you were going to complain of the gloss on the paper some object to40 8,no1 no10 said he1 8,i have heard that mentioned1 but it is not that2 it is in the form and cut of the letters themselves1 they have not that height and thickness of the stroke which makes the common printing so much more comfortable to the eye40 ,you see this gentleman was a connoisseur4 ,in vain ,i endeavored to support your character against the charge2 he knew what he felt1 and could see the reason of it1 and several other gentlemen among his friends had made the same observation1 etc4 ,yesterday he called to visit me1 when1 mischievously bent to try his judgment1 ,i stepped into my closet1 tore off the top of ,mr4 ,caslon's ,specimen1 and produced it to him as yours1 brought with me from ,birmingham1 saying1 ,i had been examining it1 since he spoke to me1 and could not for my life perceive the disproportion he mentioned1 desiring him to point it out to me4 ,he readily undertook it1 and went over the several founts1 showing me everywhere what he thought instances of that disproportion2 and declared1 that he could not then read the specimen without feeling very strongly the pain he had mentioned to me4 ,i spared him that time the confusion of being told1 that these were the types he had been reading all his life1 with so much ease to his eyes2 the types his adored ,newton is printed with1 on which he has pored not a little2 nay1 the very types his own book is printed with 7for he is himself an author71 and yet never discovered the painful disproportion in them1 till he thought they were yours4 ,illustration3 ,title ,page of ,baskerville's ,virgil1 ,birmingham1 #ageg 7#h #e inches7 ,illustration3 ,text ,page of ,baskerville's ,virgil1 ,birmingham1 #ageg 7#h #e inches7 ,the ,virgil itself1 beyond the interest that exists in its type1 shows grace and dignity in its composition and margins4 ,for the first time we have a type title 7page #bdg7 that shows a printer's appreciation of its possibilities4 ,baskerville affected extreme simplicity1 employing no head or tail pieces and no ornamental initials to accomplish his effects 7page #bdi74 ,the copy of ,baskerville's ,virgil in my library contains a copper-plate frontispiece4 ,the advertisement which particularly emphasized this feature excited my curiosity1 as no book of ,baskerville's is known to have contained illustrations4 ,when ,i secured the copy ,i found that the frontispiece was a steel engraving stamped on water-marked paper which indicated its age to be at least two hundred years earlier than the publication of the book4 ,the owner of this particular copy had inserted the illustration in re-binding1 and it was no part of the original edition6 ,the glossy paper referred to in ,franklin's letter was an outcome of ,baskerville's earlier business experience4 ,it occurred to him that type would print better upon highly finished paper1 and that this finish could be secured by pressing the regular book paper of the time between heated japan plates made at his own establishment4 ,baskerville is entitled to the credit of having been the first printer to use highly finished paper1 and1 beyond this1 as ,dibdin says of him1 8,he united1 in a singularly happy manner1 the elegance of ,plantin with the clearness of the ,elzevirs40 99 99 99 99 99 ,interest in the ,baskerville books1 and in fact in all books printed in what is known as 8old-style0 type1 ceased suddenly with the inexplicable popularity attained about #ahjj by the so-called 8modern0 face4 ,the characteristics of the old-style letter are heavy ascending and descending strokes with small serifs1 whereas the modern face accentuates the difference between the light and the heavy lines1 and has more angular serifs4 ,the engraved work of ,thomas ,bewick1 in ,england1 the publication of the ,racine by the ,didots1 and the ,bodoni volumes in ,italy1 offered the public an absolute innovation from the types with which they had been familiar since the invention of printing1 and the new designs leaped into such popular favor that many of the foundries destroyed the matrices of their old-style faces1 believing that the call for them had forever disappeared4 ,as a matter of fact1 it was not until the ,london publisher ,pickering revived the old-style letter in #ahdd1 that the modern face had any competition4 ,since then the two styles have been maintained side by side4 ,thus the second supremacy of ,france came from a change in public taste rather than from economic causes4 ,for a time there was a question whether ,bodoni would win the distinction for ,italy or the ,didots for ,france1 but the ,french printers possessed a typographical background that ,bodoni lacked1 and in their ,racine produced a masterpiece which surpasses any production from the ,bodoni ,press4 ,the ,didots were not only printers and publishers1 but manufactured paper and invented the process of stereotyping4 ,while ,minister to ,france1 in #aghj1 ,benjamin ,franklin visited the ,didot establishment1 and1 seizing the handle of a press1 struck off several copies of a form with such professional familiarity as to cause astonishment4 8,don't be surprised10 ,franklin exclaimed smiling4 8,this1 you know1 is my real business40 ,in #agig1 the ,french ,minister of the ,interior placed at the disposal of ,pierre ,didot l'an that portion of the ,louvre which had formerly been occupied by the ,imprimerie ,royale4 ,here was begun1 and completed in #ahja1 an edition of ,racine in three volumes that aroused the enthusiasm of booklovers all over the world1 and brought to ,pierre ,didot the glory of being recognized as a master-printer worthy to assume the mantle of ,robert tienne4 ,this is the typographic achievement ,i would select as the masterpiece of its period4 ,illustration3 ,,didot',s ,,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja ,a ,frontispiece ,designed by ,prud'hon4 ,engraved by ,marius 7#ab #h inches7 ,illustration3 ,title ,page of ,didot's ,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja 7#ab #h inches7 ,illustration3 ,opening ,page of ,didot's ,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja ,illustration3 ,text ,page of ,didot's ,racine1 ,paris1 #ahja ,illustration3 ,,firmin ,,didot1 #agcj-ahjd ,from ,engraving by ,pierre ,gustave ,eugene ,staal 7#ahag-ahhb7 ,the large quarto volumes contain nearly five hundred pages each4 ,the type was designed and cut by ,firmin ,didot in conjunction with1 or possibly in collaboration with ,giambattista ,bodoni1 of ,parma1 ,italy4 ,so closely do the two faces match that the similarity of their design could scarcely have been a coincidence 7see page #ha74 ,there is a peculiar charm in the unusual length of the ascending and descending characters2 there is a grace in the slender capitals in spite of the ultra-refinement2 there is satisfaction in having the weight of the ,italic letter approach that of the ,roman1 thus preventing the usual blemish which the lighter faced ,italic gives to an otherwise perfectly balanced page4 ,the figures1 really a cross between the old style and the modern1 have a distinct individuality entirely lost in the so-called 8lining0 figures which those who have copied this face in ,america have introduced as an 8improvement40 ,the ,racine contains magnificent steel engravings1 of which one is reproduced at page #bec4 ,the handmade paper is a return to the beautiful sheets of the fifteenth century1 and the presswork--the type just biting into the paper without leaving an impression on the reverse side--is superbly characteristic of the best ,french workmanship4 ,the vellum copies show the work at its best4 ,the engravings stand out almost as original etchings4 ,the ink is the densest black ,i ever saw4 ,didot succeeded in overcoming the oil in the vellum without the chalk surface that is given to the ,morris vellum1 the ink being so heavy that it is slightly raised4 ,i was particularly interested in this after my own experiments in printing my humanistic ,petrarch on vellum4 ,at the ,exposition of #ahja1 in ,paris1 the ,racine was proclaimed by a ,french jury the 8most perfect typographic product of any country and of any age40 ,is this not too high praise8 ,to have equaled the ,italian masterpieces of the fifteenth century would have been enough glory for any printer to claim6 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,racine was a step in the direction of reclaiming typography from the trade which it had become1 but it was left for ,william ,morris to place printing squarely back among the arts4 ,illustration3 ,,william ,,morris1 #ahcd-ahif ,from ,portrait by ,g4 ,f4 ,watts1 ,r4 ,a4 ,painted in #ahhj ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 ,london ,morris was nearly sixty years of age when he finally settled upon the book as the medium through which to express his message to the world4 ,the ,morris wall papers1 the ,morris chair1 the ,morris end papers1 are among his earlier experiments1 all sufficiently unique to perpetuate his name2 yet his work as a printer is what gave him undying glory4 ,the ,kelmscott ,chaucer is his masterpiece1 and must be included whenever great typographic monuments are named4 ,for this the decorator-printer cut a smaller size of his ,gothic font1 secured the co-operation of ,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones as illustrator1 and set himself the task of designing the initial letters1 borders1 and decorations4 ,this was in #ahib1 and for four years they worked upon it1 one delay following another to make ,morris fearful that the work might never be completed4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,,edward ,,burne-,,jones1 ,bart41 #ahcc-ahih ,from ,photograph at the ,british ,museum ,the decoration for the first page was finished in ,march1 #ahic4 ,morris was entirely satisfied with it1 exclaiming1 8,my eyes6 how good it is60 ,then he laid the whole project aside for over a year1 while he devoted himself to his metrical version of ,beowulf4 ,in the meantime ,burne-,jones was experiencing great difficulty in having his designs satisfactorily translated onto wood1 and ,morris dolefully remarked1 after comparing notes with his friend and collaborator1 8,we shall be twenty years at this rate in getting it out60 ,it was ,june1 #ahid1 before the great work was fairly under way4 8,chaucer getting on well10 ,morris notes in his diary1--8such lovely designs40 ,at the end of ,june he records his expectation of beginning the actual printing within a month1 and that in about three months more all the pictures and nearly all the borders would be ready for the whole of the ,canterbury ,tales4 ,about this time ,morris was asked if he would accept the poet-laureateship of ,england1 made vacant by ,tennyson's death1 if offered to him1 and he unhesitatingly declined4 ,his health and strength were noticeably failing1 yet at the beginning of #ahie1 less than two years before his death1 he was completely submerged by multifarious occupations4 ,two presses were running upon the ,chaucer and still a third upon smaller books4 ,he was designing new paper hangings and writing new romances2 he was collaborating in the translation of ,heimskringla and was supervising its production for the ,saga ,library2 he was engaged in getting together his splendid collection of thirteenth- and fourteenth-century illuminated manuscripts4 ,it was not all smooth sailing with the ,chaucer4 ,in #ahie ,morris discovered that many of the sheets had become discolored by some unfortunate ingredient of the ink1 but to his immense relief he succeeded in removing the yellow stains by bleaching4 8,the check of the ,chaucer10 he writes1 8flattens life for me somewhat1 but ,i am going hard into the matter1 and in about a fortnight hope to know the worst of it40 ,in ,december the ,chaucer was sufficiently near completion to encourage him to design a binding for it4 ,even here he found another difficulty4 8,leather is not good now10 he complained2 8what used to take nine months to cure is now done in three4 ,they used to say #8,what's longest in the tanyard stays least time in the market1' but that no longer holds good4 ,people don't know how to buy now2 they'll take anything40 ,morris' anxiety over the ,chaucer increased as it came nearer to completion4 8,i'd like it finished tomorrow60 he exclaimed4 8,every day beyond tomorrow that it isn't done is one too many40 ,to a visitor1 looking through the printed sheets in his library1 who remarked upon the added beauty of those sheets that follow the ,canterbury ,tales1 where the picture pages face one another in pairs1 ,morris exclaimed in alarm1 8,now don't you go saying that to ,burne-,jones or he'll be wanting to do the first part over again2 and the worst of that would be that he'd want to do all the rest over again because the other would be so much better1 and then we should never get done1 but be always going round and round in a circle40 ,the daily progress of the work upon the ,chaucer was the one interest that sustained his waning energies4 ,the last three blocks were brought to him on ,march #ba1 #ahif4 ,the ,easter holidays almost killed him4 8,four mouldy ,sundays in a mouldy row10 he writes in his diary4 8,the press shut and ,chaucer at a standstill40 ,on ,may #f all the picture sheets were printed and the block for the title page was submitted for ,morris' approval1 the final printing being completed two days later4 ,on ,june #b the first two bound copies were delivered to him1 one of which he immediately sent to ,burne-,jones1 the other he placed in his own library4 ,thus the ,kelmscott ,chaucer came to completion4 ,four months later ,william ,morris was dead4 ,the ,chaucer had been nearly five years in preparation and three and a half years in execution4 ,the printing alone had consumed a year and nine months4 ,the volumes contain1 besides eighty-seven illustrations by ,burne-,jones1 a full-page woodcut title1 fourteen large borders1 eighteen frames for pictures1 and twenty-six large initial words1 all designed by ,morris1 together with the smaller initials and the design for binding1 which was in white pigskin with silver clasps1 executed by ,douglas ,cockerell4 ,illustration3 ,text ,page of ,kelmscott ,chaucer1 ,london1 #ahif 7#ae #aj inches7 ,i have never felt that the ,kelmscott volumes were books at all1 but were1 rather1 supreme examples of a master-decorator's taste and skill4 ,after all1 a book is made to read1 and the ,kelmscott ,chaucer is made to be looked at4 ,the principles which should control the design of the ideal book as laid down by ,william ,morris cannot be improved upon1 but when he undertook to put them into execution he found himself so wholly under the control of his decorating tendencies that he departed far from his text4 ,william ,morris' work is far greater than is shown in the volumes he printed4 ,he awoke throughout the world an interest in printing as an art beyond what any other man has ever accomplished1 the results of which have been a vital factor in bringing modern bookmaking to its present high estate4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it remained for ,t4 ,j4 ,cobden-,sanderson1 ,morris' friend1 admirer1 and disciple1 to put ,morris' principles into operation at the ,doves ,press1 ,london1 supplemented by ,emery ,walker1 who designed the ,doves type1--to me the most beautiful type face in existence4 ,cobden-,sanderson1 undisturbed by counter interests1 plodded along1 producing volumes into which he translated ,morris' ideals far more consistently than did ,morris himself4 8,the ,book ,beautiful10 ,cobden-,sanderson wrote in his little masterpiece1 ,the ,ideal ,book1 8is a composite thing made up of many parts and may be made beautiful by the beauty of each of its parts--its literary content1 its material or materials1 its writing or printing1 its illumination or illustration1 its binding and decoration--of each of its parts in subordination to the whole which collectively they constitute2 or it may be made beautiful by the supreme beauty of one or more of its parts1 all the other parts subordinating or even effacing themselves for the sake of this one or more1 and each in turn being capable of playing this supreme part and each in its own peculiar and characteristic way4 ,on the other hand each contributory craft may usurp the functions of the rest and of the whole1 and growing beautiful beyond all bounds ruin for its own the common cause40 ,the ,doves ,bible is ,cobden-,sanderson's masterpiece1 and one turns to it with relief after the riotous beauty of the ,morris pages4 ,it is printed throughout in one size of type with no leads between the lines and with no paragraphs1 the divisions being indicated by heavy paragraph marks4 ,the only decorative feature of any description consists of exceedingly graceful initial letters at the beginning of each new book4 ,the type is based flatly upon ,jenson's ,roman face1 and exactly answers ,morris' definition of the type ideal1 8,pure in form1 severe1 without needless excrescences1 solid without the thickening and thinning of the lines1 and not compressed laterally40 ,the presswork is superb4 ,illustration3 ,title ,page of ,doves ,bible1 ,london1 #aije 7#h #f inches7 ,illustration3 ,text ,page of ,doves ,bible1 ,london1 #aije 7#h #f inches7 99 99 99 99 99 ,surely no form of bibliomania can yield greater rewards in return for study and perseverance4 ,the great typographical monuments1 dating from #adef to #aije1 have given me a composite picture of man's successful struggle to free himself from the bonds of ignorance4 ,i have mingled with ,lorenzo the ,magnificent and with the oppressed people of ,florence2 ,i have been a part of ,franois ,i's sumptuous ,court1 and have seen the anxious faces of the clerical faction as they read the writing on the wall2 ,i have listened to the preaching of ,luther1 and have heard the ,spanish guns bombarding ,antwerp2 ,i have stood with the brave defenders of ,leyden1 and have watched the center of learning find its place in ,holland2 ,i have enjoyed ,ben ,franklin's participation in the typographical efforts of ,baskerville and ,didot2 ,i have received the inspiration of seeing ,william ,morris and ,cobden-,sanderson put a great art back into its rightful place4 ,these triumphs of the printing press are far more than books4 ,they stand as landmarks charting the path of culture and learning through four marvelous centuries ,what volume of the twentieth century and what master-printer shall be included8 ,that is yet to be determined by the test of retrospect2 but the choice will be more difficult to make4 ,in ,america and ,england history is being made in printing as an art1 and the results are full of hopefulness and promise ,,vii ,,the ,,spell ,,of ,,the ,,laurenziana ,the most fascinating city in all ,europe is ,florence1 and the most alluring spot in all ,florence is the ,laurenziana ,library4 ,they say that there is something in the peculiar atmosphere of antiquity that reacts curiously upon the ,anglo-,saxon temperament1 producing an obsession so definite as to cause indifference to all except the magic lure of culture and learning4 ,this is not difficult to believe after working1 as ,i have1 for weeks at a time1 in a cell-like alcove of the ,laurenziana2 for such work1 amid such surroundings1 possesses an indescribable lure4 ,yet my first approach to the ,laurenziana was a bitter disappointment2 for the bleak1 unfinished faade is almost repelling4 ,perhaps it was more of a shock because ,i came upon it directly from the sheer beauty of the ,baptistery and ,giotto's ,campanile4 ,michelangelo planned to make this faade the loveliest of all in ,florence1 built of marble and broken by many niches1 in each of which was to stand the figure of a saint4 ,the plans1 drawn before ,america was discovered1 still exist1 yet work has never even been begun4 ,the faade remains unfinished1 without a window and unbroken save by three uninviting doors4 ,conquering my dread of disillusionment1 ,i approached the nearest entrance1 which happened to be that at the extreme right of the building and led me directly into the old ,church of ,san ,lorenzo4 ,drawing aside the heavy crimson curtains1 ,i passed at once into a calm1 majestic quiet and peace which made the past seem very near4 ,i drew back into the shadow of a great pillar in order to gain my poise4 ,how completely the twentieth century turned back to the fifteenth6 ,on either side1 were the bronze pulpits from which ,savonarola thundered against the tyranny and intrigue of the ,medici4 ,i seemed to see the militant figure standing there1 his eyes flashing1 his voice vibrating as he proclaimed his indifference to the penalty he well knew he drew upon himself by exhorting his hearers to oppose the machinations of the powerful family within whose precincts he stood4 ,then1 what a contrast6 ,the masses vanished1 and ,i seemed to be witnessing the gorgeous beauty of a ,medici marriage procession4 ,alessandro de' ,medici was standing beneath a baldacchino1 surrounded by the pomp and glory of all ,florence1 to espouse the daughter of ,charles ,v4 ,again the scene changes and the colors fade4 ,i leave my place of vantage and join the reverent throng surrounding the casket which contains the mortal remains of ,michelangelo1 and listen with bowed head to ,varchi's eloquent tribute to the great humanist4 ,the spell was on me6 ,walking down the nave1 ,i turned to the left and found myself in the ,old ,sacristy4 ,verrocchio's beautiful sarcophagus in bronze and porphyry recalled for a moment the personalities and deeds of ,piero and ,giovanni de' ,medici4 ,then on1 into the 8,new0 ,sacristy1--new1 yet built four centuries ago6 ,again ,i paused1 this time before ,michelangelo's tomb for ,lorenzo the ,magnificent1 from which arise those marvelous monuments1 8,day and ,night0 and 8,dawn and ,twilight10--the masterpieces of a super-sculptor to perpetuate the memory of a superman6 ,a few steps more took me to the ,martelli ,chapel1 and1 opening an inconspicuous door1 ,i passed out into the cloister4 ,it was a relief for the moment to breathe the soft air and to find myself in the presence of nature after the tenseness that came from standing before such masterpieces of man4 ,maurice ,hewlett had prepared me for the 8great1 mildewed cloister with a covered-in walk all around it1 built on arches4 ,in the middle a green garth with cypresses and yews dotted about2 when you look up1 the blue sky cut square and the hot tiles of a huge dome staring up into it40 ,from the cloister ,i climbed an ancient stone staircase and found myself at the foot of one of the most famous stairways in the world4 ,at that moment ,i did not stop to realize how famous it was1 for my mind had turned again on books1 and ,i was intent on reaching the ,library itself4 ,at the top of the stairway ,i paused for a moment at the entrance to the great hall1 the ,sala di ,michelangiolo4 ,at last ,i was face to face with the ,laurenziana6 ,illustration3 ,,sala ,,di ,,michelangiolo ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence ,before ,i had completed my general survey of the room1 an attendant greeted me courteously1 and when ,i presented my letter of introduction to the librarian he bowed low and led me the length of the hall4 ,the light came into the room through beautiful stained-glass windows1 bearing the ,medici arms and the cipher of ,giulio de' ,medici1 later ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 surrounded by arabesque ,renaissance designs4 ,we passed between the plutei1 those famous carved reading-desks designed by ,michelangelo4 ,as we walked down the aisle1 the pattern of the nutwood ceiling seemed reflected on the brick floor1 so cleverly was the design reproduced in painted bricks4 ,gradually ,i became impressed by the immense size of the room1 which before ,i had not felt because the proportions are so perfect4 ,doctor ,guido ,biagi1 who was at that time librarian1 was seated at one of the plutei1 studying a ,medicean illuminated manuscript fastened to the desk by one of the famous old chains 7see page #ad74 ,he was a ,tuscan of medium height1 rather heavily built1 with full beard1 high forehead1 and kindly1 alert eyes4 ,the combination of his musical ,italian voice1 his eyes1 and his appealing smile1 made me feel at home at once4 ,letters of introduction such as mine were every-day affairs with him1 and no doubt he expected1 as did ,i1 to have our meeting result in a few additional courtesies beyond what the tourist usually receives1 and then that each would go his way4 ,i little realized1 as ,i presented my letter1 that this meeting was to be so significant1--that the man whose hand ,i clasped was to become my closest friend1 and that through him the ,laurenziana ,library was to be for me a sanctuary4 ,illustration3 ,dott4 ,comm4 ,,guido ,,biagi in #aibd ,librarian of the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence ,after the first words of greeting1 ,i said1 8,i am wondering how much more ,i can absorb today4 ,by mistake ,i came in through the church1 and found myself confronted by a series of masterpieces so overpowering that ,i am almost exhausted by the monuments of great personages and the important events they recall40 8,a fortunate mistake10 he replied smiling4 8,the entrance to the ,library should be forever closed1 and every one forced to come in through the church as you did1 in order to absorb the old-world atmosphere1 and be ready to receive what ,i can give4--,so this is your first visit8 ,you know nothing of the history of the ,library80 8,simply that everything was designed by ,michelangelo1--and the names of some of the priceless manuscripts in your collection40 8,it is not quite exact to say that everything was designed by the great ,buonarroti10 he corrected4 8,it was ,michelangelo who conceived1 but ,vasari who designed and executed4 ,let me show you the letter the great artist wrote to ,vasari about the stairway you just ascended0 7page #bhj74 ,leaving me for a moment he returned with a manuscript in his hand which he read aloud3 ,there is a certain stair that comes into my thoughts like a dream1 the letter ran2 but ,i don't think it is exactly the one which ,i had planned at the time1 seeing that it appears to be but a clumsy affair4 ,i will describe it for you here1 nevertheless4 ,i took a number of oval boxes1 each about one palm deep1 but not of equal length and breadth4 ,the first and largest ,i placed on a pavement at such distance from the wall of the door as seemed to be required by the greater or lesser degree of steepness you may wish to give the stair4 ,over this was placed another1 smaller in all directions1 and leaving sufficient room on that beneath for the foot to rest on in ascending1 thus diminishing each step as it gradually retires towards the door2 the uppermost step being of the exact width required for the door itself4 ,this part of the oval steps must have two wings1 one right and one left1 the steps of the wings to rise by similar degree1 but not be oval in form4 8,who but a great artist could visualize that marvelous staircase through a collection of wooden boxes60 ,biagi exclaimed4 8,vasari built this great room1 but the designs were truly ,michelangelo's1--even to the carving of these plutei10 he added1 laying his hand on the reading-desk from which he had just risen4 8,see these chains1 which have held these volumes in captivity for over four hundred years40 ,he asked me how long ,i was to be in ,florence4 8,for a week10 ,i answered1 believing the statement to be truthful2 but the seven days stretched out into many weeks before ,i was able to break the chains which held me to the ,library as firmly as if they were the links which for so many years had kept the ,medicean treasures in their hallowed places4 8,return tomorrow10 he said4 8,enter by the private door1 where ,marinelli will admit you4 ,i want to keep your mind wholly on the ,library40 ,illustration3 ,,vestibule of the ,,laurenziana ,,library1 ,,florence ,designed by ,michelangelo ,the private door was the entrance in the portico overlooking the cloister1 held sacred to the librarian and his friends4 ,at the appointed hour ,i was admitted1 and ,marinelli conducted me immediately to the little office set apart for the use of the librarian4 8,before ,i exhibit my children10 he said1 8,i must tell you the romantic story of this collection4 ,you will enjoy and understand the books themselves better if ,i give you the proper background40 ,here is the story he told me4 ,i wish you might have heard the words spoken in the musical ,tuscan voice3 ,four members of the immortal ,medici family contributed to the greatness of the ,laurenziana ,library1 their interest in which would seem to be a curious paradox4 ,cosimo il ,vecchio1 father of his country1 was the founder4 8,old0 ,cosimo was unique in combining zeal for learning and an interest in arts and letters with political corruption4 ,as his private fortune increased through success in trade he discovered the power money possessed when employed to secure political prestige4 ,by expending hundreds of thousands of florins upon public works1 he gave employment to artisans1 and gained a popularity for his family with the lower classes which was of the utmost importance at critical times4 ,beneath this guise of benefactor existed all the characteristics of the tyrant and despot1 but through his money he was able to maintain his position as a ,mcenas while his agents acted as catspaws in accomplishing his political ambitions4 ,old ,cosimo acknowledged to ,pope ,eugenius that much of his wealth had been ill-gotten1 and begged him to indicate a proper method of restitution4 ,the ,pope advised him to spend #aj1jjj florins on the ,convent of ,san ,marco4 ,to be sure that he followed this advice thoroughly1 ,cosimo contributed more than #dj1jjj florins1 and established the basis of the present ,laurenziana ,library4 8,some of your ,american philanthropists must have read the private history of ,old ,cosimo10 ,biagi remarked slyly at this point4 ,lorenzo the ,magnificent was ,old ,cosimo's grandson1 and his contribution to the ,library was far beyond what his father1 ,piero1 had given4 ,lorenzo was but twenty-two years of age when ,piero died1 in #adfi4 ,he inherited no business ability from his grandfather1 but far surpassed him in the use he made of literary patronage4 ,lorenzo had no idea of relinquishing control of the ,medici tyranny1 but he was clever enough to avoid the outward appearance of the despot4 ,throughout his life he combined a real love of arts and letters with a cleverness in political manipulation1 and it is sometimes difficult correctly to attribute the purpose behind his seeming benevolences4 ,he employed agents to travel over all parts of the world to secure for him rare and important codices to be placed in the ,medicean ,library4 ,he announced that it was his ambition to form the greatest collection of books in the world1 and to throw it open to public use4 ,such a suggestion was almost heresy in those days6 ,so great was his influence that the ,library received its name from his4 ,the third ,medici to play an important part in this literary history was ,lorenzo's son1 ,cardinal ,giovanni1 afterwards ,pope ,leo ,x4 ,the library itself had been confiscated by the ,republic during the troublous times in which ,charles ,,viii of ,france played his part1 and sold to the monks of ,san ,marco2 but when better times returned ,cardinal ,giovanni bought it back into the family1 and established it in the ,villa ,medici in ,rome4 ,during the fourteen years the collection remained in his possession1 ,giovanni1 as ,pope ,leo ,x1 enriched it by valuable additions4 ,on his death1 in #aeba1 his executor1 a cousin1 ,giulio de' ,medici1 afterwards ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 commissioned ,michelangelo to erect a building worthy of housing so precious a collection2 and in #aebb the volumes were returned to ,florence4 ,lorenzo's promise to throw the doors open to the public was accomplished on ,june #aa1 #aega4 ,at that time there were #c1jjj precious manuscripts1 most of which are still available to those who visit ,florence4 ,a few are missing4 ,the princes who followed ,cosimo ,,ii were not so conscious of their responsibilities1 and left the care of the ,library to the ,chapter of the ,church of ,san ,lorenzo4 ,during this period the famous manuscript copy of ,cicero's work1 the oldest in existence1 disappeared4 ,priceless miniatures were cut from some of the volumes1 and single leaves from others4 ,where did they go8 ,the ,cicero has never since been heard of1 but the purloining of fragments of ,laurenziana books undoubtedly completed imperfections in similar volumes in other collections4 ,the ,house of ,lorraine1 which succeeded the ,house of ,medici1 guarded the ,laurenziana carefully1 placing at its head the learned ,biscioni4 ,after him came ,bandini1 another capable librarian1 under whose administration various smaller yet valuable collections were added in their entirety4 ,del ,furia continued the good work1 and left behind a splendid catalogue of the treasures entrusted to him4 ,these four volumes are still to be found in the ,library4 ,in #ahjh1 and again in #ahfg1 the libraries of the suppressed monastic orders were divided between the ,laurentian and the ,magliabecchian institutions2 and in #ahhe1 through the efforts of ,pasquale ,villari1 the biographer of ,machiavelli1 the ,ashburnham collection1 numbering #ahhg volumes1 was added through purchase by the ,italian ,government4 8,now10 said ,biagi1 as he finished the story1 8,i am ready to show you some of the ,medici treasures4 ,i call them my children4 ,they have always seemed that to me4 ,my earliest memory is of peeping out from the back windows of the ,palazzo dei della ,vacca1 where ,i was born1 behind the bells of ,san ,lorenzo1 at the campanile of the ancient church1 and at the ,chapel or the ,medici4 ,the ,medici coat of arms was as familiar to me as my father's face1 and the #8pills' that perpetuated ,old ,cosimo's fame as a chemist possessed so great a fascination that ,i never rested until ,i became the ,medicean librarian40 ,biagi led the way from his private office through the ,hall of ,tapestries4 ,as we passed by the cases containing such wealth of illumination1 only partially concealed by the green curtains drawn across the glass1 ,i instinctively paused1 but my guide insisted4 8,we will return here1 but first you must see the ,tribuna40 ,we passed through the great hall into a high-vaulted1 circular reading-room4 8,this was an addition to the ,library in #ahda10 ,biagi explained1 8to house the #abjj copies of original editions from the fifteenth-century ,presses1 presented by the ,count ,angiolo ,maria d',elchi4 ,yes--0 he added1 reading my thoughts as ,i glanced around2 8this room is a distinct blemish4 ,the great ,buonarroti must have turned in his grave when it was finished4 ,but the volumes themselves will make you forget the architectural blunder40 ,he showed me volumes printed from engraved blocks by the ,germans1 ,sweynheym and ,pannartz1 at ,subiaco1 in the first ,press established in ,italy4 ,i held in my hand ,cicero's ,epistol ad ,familiares1 a volume printed in #adfi4 ,in the explicit the printer1 not at all ashamed of his accomplishment1 adds in ,latin3 ,john1 from within the town of ,spires1 was the first to print books in ,venice from bronze types4 ,see1 ,o ,reader1 how much hope there is of future works when this1 the first1 has surpassed the art of penmanship ,there was ,tortelli's ,orthographia dictionum e ,grcia tractarum1 printed in ,venice by ,nicolas ,jenson1 showing the first use of ,greek characters in a printed book4 ,the ,aldine volumes introduced me to the first appearance of ,italic type4 ,no wonder that ,italy laid so firm a hand upon the scepter of the new art1 when ,naples1 ,milan1 ,ferrara1 ,florence1 ,piedmont1 ,cremona1 and ,turin vied with ,venice in producing such examples6 8,you must come back and study them at your leisure10 the librarian suggested1 noting my reluctance to relinquish the volume ,i was inspecting to receive from him some other example equally interesting4 8,now ,i will introduce you to the prisoners1 who have never once complained of their bondage during all these centuries40 ,in the great hall we moved in and out among the plutei1 where ,biagi indicated first one manuscript and then another1 with a few words of explanation as to the significance of each4 8,no matter what the personal bent of any man10 my guide continued1 8we have here in the ,library that which will satisfy his intellectual desires4 ,if he is a student of the ,scriptures1 he will find inspiration from our sixth-century ,syriac ,gospels1 or the ,biblia ,amiatina4 ,for the lawyer1 we have the ,pandects of ,justinian1 also of the sixth century1 which even today form the absolute basis of ,roman law4 ,what classical scholar could fail to be thrilled by the fourth-century ,medicean ,virgil1 with its romantic history1 which ,i will tell you some day2 what lover of literature would not consider himself privileged to examine ,boccaccio's manuscript copy of the ,decameron1 or the ,petrarch manuscript on vellum1 in which appear the famous portraits of ,laura and ,petrarch2 or ,benvenuto ,cellini's own handwriting in his autobiography8 ,we must talk about all these1 but it would be too much for one day40 ,leading the way back to his sanctum1 ,biagi left me for a moment4 ,he returned with some manuscript poems1 which he turned over to me4 8,this shall be the climax of your first day in the ,laurenziana10 he exclaimed4 8,you are now holding ,michelangelo in your lap60 ,can you wonder that the week ,i had allotted to ,florence began to seem too brief a space of time8 ,in response to the librarian's suggestion ,i returned to the ,library day after day4 ,he was profligate in the time he gave me4 ,together we studied the ,biblia ,amiatina1 the very copy brought from ,england to ,rome in #gaf by ,ceolfrid1 ,abbot of ,wearmouth1 intended as a votive offering at the ,holy ,sepulchre of ,saint ,peter4 ,by this identification at the ,laurenziana in #ahhg the volume became one of the most famous in the world4 ,in the plate opposite1 the ,prophet ,ezra is shown by the artist sitting before a book press filled with volumes bound in crimson covers of present-day fashion1 and even the book in which ,ezra is writing has a binding4 ,it was a new thought to me that the binding of books1 such as we know it1 was in practice as early as the eighth century4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,prophet ,,ezra4 ,from ,codex ,amiatinus1 7#hth ,century7 ,showing earliest ,volumes in ,bindings ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence 7#ab #h7 ,at another time we examined the ,medicean ,virgil written on vellum1 dating back to the fourth century1 and the oldest ,codex of the ,latin poet4 8,this is a veritable treasure for the classical scholar1 is it not80 ,biagi inquired4 8,while the ,medicean collection remained in the hands of the ,chapter of ,san ,lorenzo some vandal cut out the first leaves4 ,see1--the text now begins at the #dhth line of the #fth ,eclogue40 ,i felt almost as if ,i were looking at a mutilated body1 so precious did the manuscript seem4 8,in #agii10 the librarian continued1 8these sheets were carried to ,france as part of the ,napoleonic booty4 ,later1 through the good offices of ,prince ,metternich1 under a special article in the ,treaty of ,vienna1 the volume was returned to ,italy4 ,in #ahaf a solemn festival was held here in ,florence to celebrate its restoration to the ,library4 ,such events as these10 ,biagi added1 8show you the place the book holds in the hearts of the ,italian people4 ,look60 he exclaimed1 pointing disgustedly at the stiff1 ugly binding placed upon the ,virgil in ,paris during its captivity4 8,see how little the ,french appreciated what this volume really is60 ,the ,petrarch manuscript yielded me the originals of the famous portraits of ,madonna ,laura de ,noves de ,sale and of ,messer ,francesco ,petrarca which had hung in my library for years2 my friend's comments made them assume a new meaning4 ,the poet's likeness so closely resembles other more authentic portraits that we may accept that of ,madonna ,laura as equally correct1 even though the same opportunity for comparison is lacking4 ,what could be more graceful or original than the dressing of the hair1 recalling the elegance of the coiffures worn by the ladies of ,provence and ,france rather than of ,italy1 even as the little pearl-sewn cap is absolutely unknown in the fashions of ,petrarch's native country4 ,after looking at the painting1 we can understand the inspiration for ,petrarch's lines3 ,say from what vein did ,love procure the gold ,to make those sunny tresses8 ,from what thorn ,stole he the rose1 and whence the dew of morn1 ,bidding them breathe and live in ,beauty's mould8 ,so we discussed the treasures which were laid out before me as ,i returned again and again to the ,library4 ,the illuminated volumes showed me that marvelous ,book of ,hours ,francesco d',antonio made for ,lorenzo the ,magnificent1 which is described in an earlier chapter 7page #adf72 ,i became familiar with the gorgeous pages of ,lorenzo ,monaco1 master of ,fra ,angelico2 of ,benozzo ,gozzoli1 whose frescoes give the ,riccardi its greatest fame2 of ,gherado and ,clovio1 and other great artists whose names are unknown or forgotten4 ,besides being librarian of the ,laurenziana1 ,biagi was also custodian of the ,buonarroti and the da ,vinci archives4 ,thus it was that during some of my visits ,i had the opportunity to study the early sketches of the great ,leonardo1 and the manuscript letters of ,michelangelo4 ,such intimacies gave me an understanding of the people and the times in which they worked that has clothed that period with an everlasting halo4 ,as our friendship expanded through our work together1 ,biagi introduced me to other fascinations1 outside the ,library4 ,i came to know ,pasquale ,villari and other great ,italian intellects4 ,my friend and ,i planned ,odysseys together1--to ,vallombrosa1 to ,pisa1 to ,perugia1 to ,siena4 ,we visited the haunts of ,dante4 ,nor was our conversation devoted wholly to the literary spirits of antiquity4 ,one day something was said about ,george ,eliot4 ,i had always shared the common fallacy that she was entitled to be classified as the greatest realist of the analytical or psychological school2 yet ,i had always marveled at the consummate skill which made it possible for her1 in ,romola1 to draw her characters and to secure the atmosphere of veritable ,italians and the truest ,italy without herself having lived amongst the ,florentines and assimilating those unique peculiarities which she so wonderfully portrayed4 ,for ,i had accepted the myth that she had only passed through ,italy on her memorable trip with the ,brays in #ahdi1 and secured her local color by study4 ,i made some allusion to this1 and ,biagi smiled4 8,where did you get that idea80 he asked4 8,her diary tells you to the contrary40 ,i could only confess that ,i had never read her diary4 8,george ,eliot and ,lewes were in ,florence together in #ahfa10 he continued2 8and it was because they were here that ,romola became a fact40 ,enjoying my surprise1 the librarian became more communicative3 8,they studied here together from ,may #d until ,june #g1 #ahfa1 at the ,magliabecchian ,library10 said he1 8and ,i can tell you even the titles of the books they consulted40 ,perhaps ,i showed my incredulity4 8,i have discovered the very slips which ,lewes signed when he took out the volumes10 he continued4 8,would you like to see them80 ,by this time ,biagi knew me too well to await my response4 ,so we walked together over to the ,biblioteca ,nazionale ,centrale1 the library which became famous two hundred and fifty years ago through the reputation of a jeweler's shop boy1 ,antonio ,magliabecchi1 and was known as the ,biblioteca ,magliabecchiana for more than a century before the ,biblioteca ,palatina was joined with it in #ahfj under its present modern and unromantic name4 ,illustration3 ,,antonio ,,magliabecchi ,founder of the ,magliabecchia ,library1 ,florence ,as we walked along ,biagi told me of the unique personality of this ,magliabecchi1 which attracted the attention of the literary world while he was collecting the nucleus of the library4 ,dibdin scouted him1 declaring that his existence was confined to the 8parade and pacing of a library10 yet so great was his knowledge and so prodigious his memory that when the ,grand ,duke of ,florence asked him one day for a particular volume1 he was able to reply3 8,the only copy of this work is at ,constantinople1 in the ,sultan's library1 the seventeenth volume in the second bookcase on the right as you go in40 ,we entered the old reading hall1 which is almost the only portion of the building still remaining as it was when ,george ,eliot and ,george ,henry ,lewes pursued their studies at one of the massive walnut tables4 ,the jeering bust of ,magliabecchi is still there2 the same volumes1 resting upon their ornamental shelves1 still await the arrival of another genius to produce another masterpiece--but except for these the ,library has become as modernized as its name4 8,i was going over some dusty receipts here one day10 my friend explained1 8which ,i found on the top of a cupboard in the office of the archives4 ,it was pure curiosity4 ,i was interested in the names of many ,italian writers who have since become famous1 but when ,i stumbled upon a number of receipts signed #8,g4 ,h4 ,lewes1' ,i realized that ,i was on the track of some valuable material4 ,these ,i arranged chronologically1 and this is what ,i found40 ,now let me go back a little1 before1 with ,biagi's help1 ,i fit these interesting receipts into the story of the writing of the book as told by ,george ,eliot's diary1 which ,i immediately absorbed4 ,silas ,marner was finished on ,march #aj1 #ahfa1 and on ,april #ai the author and ,lewes 8set off on our second journey to ,florence40 ,after arriving there1 the diary tells us that they 8have been industriously foraging in old streets and old books40 ,of ,lewes she writes3 8,he was in continual distraction by having to attend to my wants1 going with me to the ,magliabecchian ,library1 and poking about everywhere on my behalf40 ,illustration3 ,library ,slips used by ,george ,eliot in the ,magliabecchia ,library1 ,florence1 while writing ,romola ,the first slip signed by ,lewes is dated ,may #ae1 #ahfa1 and called for ,ferrario's ,costume ,antico e ,moderno4 ,this book is somewhat dramatic and superficial1 yet it could give the author knowledge of the historical surroundings of the characters which were growing in her mind4 ,the following day they took out ,lippi's ,malmantile1 a comic poem filled with quaint phrases and sayings which fitted well in the mouths of those characters she had just learned how to dress4 ,migliore's ,firenze ,illustrata and ,rastrelli's ,firenze ,antica e ,moderna gave the topography and the aspect of ,florence at the end of the fifteenth century4 ,from ,chiari's ,priorista ,george ,eliot secured the idea of the magnificent celebration of the ,feast of ,saint ,john1 the effective descriptions of the cars1 the races1 and the extraordinary tapers4 8,it is the habit of my imagination10 she writes in her diary1 8to strive after as full a vision of the medium in which a character moves as of the character itself40 ,knowledge of the ,bardi family1 to which the author added ,romola1 was secured from notes on the old families of ,florence written by ,luigi ,passerini4 8,see how they came back on ,may #bd10 ,biagi exclaimed1 pointing to a slip calling for ,le ,famiglie del ,litta1 8to look in vain for the pedigree of the ,bardi4 ,but why bother10 he continued with a smile2 8for ,romola1 the ,antigone of ,bardo ,bardi1 was by this time already born in ,george ,eliot's mind1 and needed no further pedigree40 ,romance may have been born1 but the plot of the story was far from being clear in the author's mind4 ,back again in ,england1 two months later1 she writes1 8,this morning ,i conceived the plot of my novel with new distinction40 ,on ,october #d1 8,i am worried about my plot10 and on ,october #g1 8,began the first chapter of my novel40 ,meanwhile ,george ,eliot continued her reading1 now at the ,british ,museum4 ,la ,vita di ,g4 ,savonarola1 by ,pasquale ,villari1 gave her much inspiration4 ,the book had just been published1 and it may well have suggested the scene where ,baldassarre ,calvo meets ,tito ,melema on the steps of the ,cathedral4 ,no other available writer had previously described the struggle which took place for the liberation of the ,lunigiana prisoners1 which plays so important a part in the plot of ,romola4 ,in ,january1 #ahfb1 ,george ,eliot writes in her diary1 8,i began again my novel of ,romola40 ,by ,february the extraordinary proem and the first two chapters were completed4 8,will it ever be finished80 she asks herself4 ,but doubt vanished as she proceeded4 ,in ,may1 #ahfc1 she 8killed ,tito with great excitement10 and ,june #i1 8put the last stroke to ,romola--,ebenezer60 ,since then ,i have re-read ,romola with the increased interest which came from the new knowledge1 and the story added to my love of ,florence4 ,many times have ,i wandered1 as ,george ,eliot and ,lewes did1 to the heights of ,fiesole1 and looked down1 even as they1 in sunlight1 and with the moon casting shadows upon the wonderful and obsessing city1 wishing that my vision were strong enough to extract from it another story such as ,romola4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such were the experiences that extended my stay in ,florence4 ,the memory of them has been so strong and so obsessing that no year has been complete without a return to ,biagi and the ,laurenziana4 ,once1 during these years1 he came to ,america1 as the ,royal representative of ,italy at the ,st4 ,louis ,exposition 7see also page #ahb74 ,in #aiaf his term as librarian expired through the limitation of age1 but before he retired he completely rearranged that portion of the ,library which is now open to visitors 7see page #adi74 ,the treasures of no collection are made so easily accessible except at the ,british ,museum4 ,i last visited ,biagi in ,may1 #aibd4 ,his time was well occupied by literary work1 particularly on ,dante1 which had already given him high rank as a scholar and writer2 but a distinct change had come over him4 ,i could not fathom it until he told me that he was planning to leave ,florence to take up his residence in ,rome4 ,i received the news in amazement4 ,then the mask fell1 and he answered my unasked question4 8,i can't stand it60 he exclaimed4 8,i can't stay in ,florence and not be a part of the ,laurenziana4 ,i have tried in vain to reconcile myself1 but the ,library has been so much a fiber of my being all my life1 that something has been taken away from me which is essential to my existence40 ,the spell of the ,laurenziana had possessed him with a vital grip6 ,the following ,january 7#aibe7 he died1 and no physician's diagnosis will ever contain the correct analysis of his decease ,i shall always find it difficult to visualize ,florence or the ,laurenziana without ,guido ,biagi4 ,when next ,i hold in my hands those precious manuscripts1 still chained to their ancient plutei1 it will be with even greater reverence4 ,they stand as symbols of the immutability of learning and culture compared with the brief span of life allotted to ,prince or ,librarian ,,index ,adams ,presses1 #ej thelwald1 #abb ,alba1 the ,duke of1 #bcc ,alcuin ,bible1 the1 described1 #abe-abg ,alcuin1 ,bishop1 of ,york1 #abe1 #abf ,aldine ,press1 the1 at ,venice1 saved by intervention of ,jean ,grolier1 #ef1 #bch2 printing at1 #bjf-bae2 the ,jenson office combined with1 #bad ,aldus ,manutius1 legend over office of1 #aj2 his confidence in permanence of the printed book1 #aa-ab2 his type designs1 #ag2 establishes his office in ,venice1 #bjf2 his printer's mark and slogan1 #bjg1 #bjh2 changes format of the book1 #bjg2 his aims1 #bjh2 the ,greek classics of1 #bji2 his contributions to typography1 #baj2 his ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili1 #baj-bac2 ,jean ,grolier's friendship with family of1 #bad-bae ,allegro1 l'1 ,milton's1 #ic ,ambrosiana ,iliad1 the1 #bd1 #be ,ambrosiana ,library1 the1 humanistic manuscripts in1 #bd1 #be ,angelico1 ,fra1 #adi1 #bij ,anglo-,saxon missionary artists1 the1 #abe ,anne1 of ,brittany1 ,hours of1 described1 #adi-aea ,anne1 ,saint1 #ach ,antiquities of the ,jews1 the1 described1 #ach-ada1 #adf ,antonio del ,cherico1 ,francesco d'1 ,book of ,hours illuminated by1 #aaa1 #aac1 #aaf1 #adf-adi1 #bij ,antwerp1 the leading city in ,europe1 #bbc2 book manufacture in1 #bbd2 under ,spanish domination1 #bbg2 loses her pre-eminence1 #bcc2 purchases the ,plantin office1 #bce2 referred to1 #bci ,apostrophes1 ,bernard ,shaw's ideas concerning1 #fh ,arnold1 ,matthew1 #agh ,ashburnham ,collection1 the1 #adh1 #bhd ,augustinus1 #bjb ,austria1 the ,emperor of1 #aje ,authors1 relations between publishers and1 #ea1 #fc2 their attitude toward the physical format of their books1 #fg ,bandini1 librarian of the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhd ,baptistery1 the1 at ,florence1 #bgc ,barbaro1 ,marco ,antonio1 ,procurator of ,saint ,mark's1 #adc ,bardi1 the1 #big ,bardi1 ,bardo1 #big ,barlow1 ,sir ,thomas1 #he ,baskerville1 ,john1 his editions1 #bde2 letter from ,benjamin ,franklin to1 #bde2 his types1 #bde-bdf2 his ,virgil1 #bdf-bej2 first to introduce glossy paper1 #bej2 ,dibdin's estimate of1 #bea2 referred to1 #ie1 #bdd ,baynes1 ,ernest ,harold1 #ajd ,bedford1 ,anne1 ,duchess of1 #ace1 #acg ,bedford ,book of ,hours1 the1 described1 #ace-ach1 #adf ,bedford1 ,john1 ,duke of1 #ace1 #acg ,belgium1 see ,netherlands1 the ,bellini1 ,giovanni1 #bac ,beowulf1 ,william ,morris'1 #bei ,berlin1 library of1 #aif ,berry1 the ,duc de1 the ,trs ,riches ,heures of1 #aaf2 the ,antiquities of the ,jews begun for1 #aci ,bertieri1 ,raffaello1 #cb ,bewick1 ,thomas1 #afc1 #bea ,biagi1 ,dr4 ,guido1 custodian of the ,buonarroti and the da ,vinci archives1 #ad1 #ahb1 #bij2 defines the humanist1 #ae1 #afb2 his association with the designing of the ,humanistic type1 #ag-cc2 his comments on ,bodoni1 #gh2 his meeting with ,charles ,eliot ,norton1 #ahj-ahc2 described1 #bgg2 in the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bgg-cjj2 his early ambition to become librarian of the ,laurenziana1 #bhd2 in ,america1 #bii2 his last days1 #bii-cjj2 his death1 #cjj2 referred to1 #ad1 #af1 #ag1 #aaa ,bible1 the1 welfare of men and of empires based upon1 #bbd ,biblia ,amiatina1 the1 #bhg1 #bhh ,biblia ,polyglotta1 ,plantin's1 #bbg2 the story of1 #bbg-bcc2 pages from1 #bbi-bca ,bibliothque ,nationale1 the1 ,paris1 #aai1 #abg1 #abh1 #aci1 #adj1 #ada1 #adi1 #aif1 #aih1 #bbj ,billfrith1 ,saint1 #abb ,bindings1 #aac1 #bhh ,birmingham1 ,england1 #bdd ,biscioni1 librarian of the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhc ,bisticci1 quoted1 #ab ,blanche1 ,queen1 of ,castile1 #abi ,boccaccio1 #bhg ,bodleian ,library1 the1 #aif ,bodoni1 ,giambattista1 the father of modern type design1 #gh-hb1 #bea2 compared with ,didot1 #beb1 #beg2 referred to1 #ie ,bodoni ,press1 the revived1 in ,montagnola di ,lugano1 #gi ,bodoni type1 the1 #gh2 compared with the ,didot type1 #gi-hb2 ,william ,morris' dislike of1 #hj2 ,de ,vinne's admiration for1 #hj1 #hb2 estimate of1 #beg ,bokhara1 #aah ,bomberghe1 ,corneille1 type designer1 #bbh ,book1 the1 conception of early patrons of1 #aa2 lure of1 #cg2 the tangible expression of man's intellect1 #aab4 ,see also1 ,illuminated book1 ,printed book1 ,written book ,bookmaking1 in #ahia1 #db-ed2 the weakness of method in1 #ed ,book of ,hours1 by ,francesco d',antonio del ,cherico1 #aaa2 described1 #adf-adi2 referred to1 #bij ,books1 cost of making1 #eh ,bookselling1 inadequate methods in1 #fj ,boston1 ,howell's comments on1 #ahf ,boston ,society of ,printers1 the1 #ii ,bourbon1 ,pierre ,,ii1 ,duc de1 #adj ,bourdichon1 ,jean1 #aac1 #adi1 #aej ,boyd1 ,henry1 #bf1 #bg ,brays1 the1 #bib ,british ,museum1 the1 #bg1 #bh1 #aag1 #aai1 #abb1 #abe1 #acb1 #ace1 #aff1 #aif1 #bih1 #bii ,broad ,chalke1 ,england1 ,maurice ,hewlett's home at1 #aeg ,browne1 ,sir ,thomas1 #bjg ,bud1 ,guillaume1 #bad ,buonarroti1 see ,michelangelo ,buonarroti archives1 the1 #ad1 #ahb1 #bij ,burne-,jones1 ,sir ,edward1 and the ,kelmscott ,chaucer1 #bei1 #bfa1 #bfb2 referred to1 #f ,burney1 ,fanny1 #afc ,byron1 ,lord1 manuscript of his letters burned by ,john ,murray ,,iii1 #fe ,byzantine illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,byzantine ,byzantine ink1 #aab 8,cabin10 the1 ,howell's1 #ahf ,cable1 ,george ,w41 #agg ,csar1 ,elzevir's1 #bdj ,cambridge ,immortals1 the1 #agh ,camp1 ,walter1 #hd ,campanile1 ,giotto's1 at ,florence1 #bgc ,campanile1 the1 at ,venice1 #ade ,carlyle1 ,thomas1 #agh ,carnegie1 ,andrew1 #agd-agg ,carnegie1 ,mrs4 ,andrew1 #agd ,caroline minuscule1 the1 #abf ,carolingian illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,carolingian ,carolingian ,school1 the1 in ,france1 #abe ,caslon foundry1 the1 #bde1 #bdf ,castiglioncello1 ,italy1 #afb ,cato1 quoted1 #bjh ,caxton1 ,william1 work of1 compared with ,jenson's1 #bdd ,cellini1 ,benvenuto1 autobiography of1 #bhg ,celtic illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,celtic ,censors1 the1 #bba ,ceolfrid1 ,abbot of ,wearmouth1 #bhh ,ceriani1 ,monsignor1 librarian of the ,ambrosiana ,library at ,milan1 described1 #bd2 his work on the ,ambrosiana ,iliad1 #bd1 #be2 quoted1 #be ,chantilly1 the ,muse ,cond at1 #aaf ,charlemagne1 ,emperor1 #abe ,charles1 ,king1 of ,france1 son of ,king ,john1 #abi ,charles1 ,king1 of ,france1 son of ,king ,charles1 #abi ,charles ,v1 emperor of the ,holy ,roman ,empire1 #baf1 #bgf ,charles ,,viii1 of ,france1 #bhb ,chaucer1 the ,kelmscott1 the story of1 #bei-bfh ,chaucer type1 the1 designed by ,william ,morris1 #bj ,chianti ,hills1 the1 #aga ,chiari1 #big ,chinese1 the1 #g ,cicero1 the ,medicean1 #bhc ,cicogna1 ,doge ,pasquale1 #adc ,cimabue1 ,giovanni1 #adg ,clemens1 ,clara1 #agb1 #agd ,clemens1 ,samuel ,l41 see ,twain1 ,mark ,clemens1 ,mrs4 ,samuel ,l41 #agb1 #agc ,clement ,,vii1 ,pope1 #bad1 #bgf ,clovio1 ,giulio1 #adi1 #bij ,cobden-,sanderson1 ,t4 ,j41 quoted1 #if1 #ig2 estimate of1 #if-aja2 described1 #ih2 in ,boston1 #ih-ii2 importance of his work1 #bfc2 his ,ideal ,book quoted1 #bfd2 his ,doves ,bible1 #bfd-bfh2 referred to1 #c1 #fh1 #ga1 #ie ,cockerell1 ,douglas1 #bfb ,codex ,argenteus1 the1 #aai ,cole1 ,timothy1 #ajf ,colonna1 ,francesco1 #baj ,colvin1 ,sir ,sidney1 #bg1 #bh ,constable1 ,archibald1 publisher1 #ff ,constantinople1 might have become center of learning of ,,xv century1 #h2 destroyed by fire1 #aag2 the rebirth of1 #aah ,cosimo il ,vecchio1 and the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhj2 his personality and history1 #bhj-bha2 his fame as a chemist1 #bhd ,cosimo ,,ii1 and the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhc ,costs of making books1 in #ahia1 compared with present costs1 #dh ,costume ,antico e ,moderno1 ,ferrario's1 #bif ,country ,printer1 the1 ,howell's1 #ahg ,crasso1 ,leonardo1 #baj ,cremona1 early printing at1 #bhf ,curtis1 ,george ,william1 #agh ,cuthbert1 ,saint1 #abj1 #aba1 #abb ,cyrus1 ,king1 #aci ,danes1 the1 #abj ,dante1 proposed edition in ,humanistic type of1 #ai1 #cb2 referred to1 #aeh1 #ahb2 ,biagi's work on1 #ahb1 #bii2 the haunts of1 #bia 8,dawn and ,twilight10 ,michelangelo's1 #bge 8,day and ,night10 ,michelangelo's1 #bge ,de ,asse1 ,bud's1 #bad ,de ,bure1 discoverer of the ,gutenberg ,bible1 #aih ,decameron1 the1 manuscript copy of1 #bhg ,de ,civitate ,dei1 ,augustinus'1 #bjb ,decorations1 #aaf ,del ,furia1 librarian of the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhd ,delmonico's1 in ,new ,york ,city1 #agf ,deput1 quoted on the innovations of the ,elzevirs1 #bdj ,de ,veritate ,catholic ,fidei1 #ic ,de ,vinne ,press1 the1 ,new ,york1 #db ,de ,vinne1 ,theodore ,l41 #f2 his admiration for the ,bodoni type1 #hj1 #hb ,dibdin1 quoted on ,baskerville1 #bea2 on ,antonio ,magliabecchi1 #bie ,didot1 ,firmin1 the father of modern type design1 #gh-hb2 his type discussed1 #gi-hb1 #beg2 referred to1 #ci1 #ie1 #beg ,didot1 ,pierre1 his ,racine1 #beb-beh ,didot ,press1 the1 ,benjamin ,franklin at1 #beb ,didot type1 the1 compared with the ,bodoni type1 #gi-hb ,didots1 the1 in ,paris1 #bea2 compared with ,bodoni1 #beb ,dobson1 ,austin1 #aeh1 #afb-afi2 his lines on ,richard ,garnett1 #aff1 #afg2 his ideas on fiction1 #afh2 his methods of work1 #afi2 his handwriting1 #afi ,dobson1 ,mrs4 ,austin1 #afh ,doves ,bible1 ,cobden-,sanderson's1 described1 #bfd-bfh ,doves ,press1 the1 in ,london1 #c1 #gj1 #if1 #bfc ,doves type1 the1 designed by ,emery ,walker1 #ah1 #ai2 specimen page of1 #bc2 in the ,doves ,bible1 #bfd-bfh ,duneka1 ,frederick1 #ahd ,drer1 ,albrecht1 #ie ,dyck1 ,christoffel van1 #bdc ,eadfrith1 ,bishop1 #abb ,earthwork ,out of ,tuscany1 ,hewlett's1 #aei1 #afb ,eddy1 ,mrs4 ,mary ,baker1 #eb-ed ,edward ,,vii1 ,king1 of ,england1 #he1 #adj1 #ada ,egyptians1 the1 #aah ,elchi1 ,count ,angiolo ,maria d'1 #bhe ,eliot1 ,george1 in the ,magliabecchian ,library1 #bia-bih2 her diary quoted1 #bif2 volumes consulted in writing ,romola1 #bif-bih ,elzevir1 ,abraham1 editions of1 #bdj2 his ,terence1 #bda-bdc ,elzevir1 ,bonaventura1 editions of1 #bdj2 his ,terence1 #bda-bdc ,elzevir1 ,isaac1 becomes printer to the ,university of ,leyden1 #bdj ,elzevir1 ,louis1 founder of the ,house of ,elzevir1 #bci1 #bdj ,elzevir1 the ,house of1 craftsmen rather than artists1 #bch2 in ,leyden1 #bdj2 adopt new format for the book1 #bdj2 their editions1 #bdj-bdc2 their types1 #bdc2 their business organization1 #bdc2 estimate of importance of their work1 #bdc2 referred to1 #ie1 #bcg1 #bea ,england1 typographical supremacy of1 #aid1 #bdd-bej2 second supremacy of1 #beh-bfh ,english illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,english ,engravings1 steel1 #aje ,epistol ad ,familiares1 ,cicero's1 #bhe ,ethics1 in business1 #fe tienne1 ,henri1 ruined by his ,thesaurus1 #ef1 #bch2 in ,geneva1 #bbc tienne1 ,robert1 becomes 8printer in ,greek0 to ,franois ,i of ,france1 #baf2 the ,royal ,greeks of1 #bai-bbb2 leaves ,france1 #bbc2 death of1 #bbc2 his ,roman type1 #bbb2 referred to1 #beb ,eugenius1 ,pope1 #bha ,evreux1 ,queen ,jeanne d'1 #abi ,explicit1 the1 #ib2 examples of1 #id1 #bjb1 #bjd1 #bjf1 #bhe ,ezra1 the ,prophet1 portrait of1 #bhh ,famiglie del ,litta1 ,le1 #big ,felton1 ,cornelius ,conway1 ,president of ,harvard ,university1 #ej ,ferrara1 early printing at1 #bhf ,ferrari1 ,dr4 ,luigi1 librarian of the ,san ,marco ,library1 ,venice1 #ade ,ferrario1 #bif ,field1 ,eugene1 described1 #ch2 manuscript of1 #ci1 #da2 referred to1 #ch1 #ee ,fielding1 ,henry1 #afc ,fiesole1 the heights of1 #bih ,firenze ,antica e ,moderna1 ,rastrelli's1 #big ,firenze ,illustrata1 ,migliore's1 #bif ,fiske1 ,willard1 #bf1 #bg ,flemish illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,flemish ,fletcher1 ,horace1 friend of ,eugene ,field1 #da2 philosophy of1 #ge1 #hb1 #hd2 his ideas of typography1 #ge2 page of his manuscript1 #gg2 his dinner at ,graduates' ,club1 ,new ,haven1 #hd2 importance of his work1 #he2 his friendship with ,william ,james and ,henry ,james1 #hf2 letter from ,henry ,james to1 #hg2 visit to ,lamb ,house1 #hi ,fletcherism1 #ge1 #hc ,florence1 ,italy1 the most fascinating city in ,europe1 #bgc2 early printing at1 #bhf ,florence1 the ,grand ,duke of1 #bie ,forest ,lovers1 the1 ,hewlett's1 #aeg1 #aeh ,foucquet1 ,jean1 #aac1 #ach1 #adj1 #adi ,france1 typographical supremacy of1 #aid1 #bae-bbc2 loses supremacy1 #bbc2 second supremacy of1 #bea-beh ,franois ,i1 of ,france1 becomes patron of learning and culture1 #baf2 makes ,robert tienne 8printer in ,greek to the ,king10 #baf2 his interest in printing1 #baf-bba2 his relations with the censors1 #bba2 referred to1 #bad1 #baf ,frankfort1 #bbg ,franklin1 ,benjamin1 quoted on the ,baskerville editions1 #bde2 his letter to ,baskerville1 #bde2 at the ,didot ,press1 #beb ,french illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,french ,french ,republic1 the1 #ada ,french ,school of ,painting1 the1 #aci ,fust1 ,john1 #aih1 #aii ,gabrilowitch1 ,mrs4 ,ossip1 #agb ,garamond1 ,claude1 #bbj ,garnett1 ,dr4 ,richard1 #afd1 #afe2 lines written by ,dobson on1 #aff1 #afg2 estimate of1 #aff ,general ,theological ,school ,library1 the1 ,new ,york1 #aif ,genesis1 the ,cottonian1 #aag ,geneva1 the tiennes at1 #bbc ,george1 ,saint1 #acg ,germany1 not sufficiently developed as nation to take advantage of ,gutenberg's discovery1 #h1 #i2 brief typographical supremacy of1 #aid-bja2 loses supremacy1 #bja ,gherado1 #adi1 #bij ,gilder1 ,richard ,watson1 #agg ,giotto1 #adg1 #bgc ,golden ,gospels of ,saint ,mdard1 the1 described1 #abg-abh ,golden type1 the1 designed by ,william ,morris1 #ah ,gold leaf1 #aaf ,gold1 ,oriental1 #aab ,goldsmith1 ,oliver1 #afc ,gothic illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,gothic ,gozzoli1 ,benozzo1 #adi1 #bij ,graduates' ,club1 the1 in ,new ,haven1 #hd ,grandjon1 ,robert1 #bbh ,greece1 the rich humanities of1 #ae ,greek classics1 the1 first printed by ,aldus1 #bji ,greeks1 the1 #g ,greek types1 #ef1 #bai-bba1 #bch ,grimani ,breviary1 the1 described1 #ada-ade1 #adf1 #adi ,grimani1 ,cardinal ,domenico1 #adb1 #adc ,grimani1 ,doge ,antonio1 #adc ,grimani1 ,giovanni1 ,patriarch of ,aquileia1 #adb ,grimani1 ,marino1 ,patriarch of ,aquileia1 #adb ,grolier ,club of ,new ,york1 the1 #bac ,grolier1 ,jean1 saves the ,aldine ,press by his intervention1 #ef1 #bch2 his friendship with family of ,aldus1 #bad-bae2 his letter to ,francesco ,torresani1 #bae ,guidobaldo1 ,duke of ,urbino1 #baj ,gutenberg ,bible1 the1 described1 #aid-bja2 rubricator's notes1 #aif1 #aig ,gutenberg1 ,john2 the ,bible printed by1 #aid-bja2 referred to1 #g1 #aid1 #aih1 #bcd1 #bcg ,hadley1 ,pres4 ,arthur ,t41 #hd ,halftones1 #aje-ajg ,hammond1 ,john ,hays1 #hd ,hand lettering1 the art of1 #aj4 ,see also1 ,humanistic hand lettering1 ,semi-uncial characters1 ,minuscule characters ,harkness1 ,mrs4 ,edward ,s41 #aif ,harper and ,brothers1 #ij1 #ahc1 #ahd ,harper's ,magazine1 #ahc ,harte1 ,bret1 #ahd ,harvard ,college ,library1 the1 #bde ,harvard ,university1 ,cobden-,sanderson's lectures at1 #ii ,harvey1 ,col4 ,george1 gives birthday dinner to ,mark ,twain1 #agf2 gives birthday dinner to ,william ,dean ,howells1 #ahg ,hautin1 #bbh ,hay1 ,john1 #ahd ,hay1 ,mrs4 ,john1 #ahd ,heidelberg1 #bbg ,heimskringla1 the1 ,william ,morris' translation of1 #bfj ,heinsius1 letter from ,deput to1 #bdj ,henri ,,ii1 of ,france1 #acf1 #bba ,henry ,,iv1 of ,england1 #ace ,henry ,,vi1 of ,england1 #acf ,henry ,,viii1 of ,england1 #baf ,hewlett1 ,maurice1 #aee-afb2 describes the cloister of ,san ,lorenzo1 ,florence1 #bge ,hoar1 ,senator ,george ,f41 makes attack on ,charles ,eliot ,norton1 #agi ,hogarth1 ,william1 #afc ,holbein1 ,hans1 #ie ,holland1 the natural successor to ,belgium in supremacy of printing1 #bci4 ,see also ,netherlands1 the ,holmes1 ,oliver ,wendell1 #agh ,homer1 the ,ambrosiana1 see ,iliad1 the ,ambrosiana ,hoover1 ,herbert1 #he ,houghton1 ,henry ,o41 #f ,hours of ,anne of ,brittany1 the1 #adf2 described1 #adi-aea ,howells1 ,william ,dean1 #agg2 recollections and reflections on1 #ahc-ahh2 the ,harvey birthday dinner1 #ahh ,humanism1 ,petrarch the father of1 #ae ,humanist1 the1 defined1 #ae1 #afj-afb ,humanistic hand lettering1 #af1 #ba1 #bd1 #abf ,humanistic manuscripts1 the1 in the ,laurenziana ,library1 #af1 #ba2 in the ,ambrosiana ,library1 #bd ,humanistic movement1 the1 far-reaching influence of1 #ae2 the forerunner and essence of the ,renaissance1 #ae2 significance of1 #af1 #afj ,humanistic scribes1 the1 see ,scribes1 the humanistic ,humanistic type1 the1 first idea of design of1 #ag2 proposed edition of ,dante in1 #ai1 #cb2 work upon1 #ai-bd1 #abf1 #aei1 #ahj1 #aha ,huntington1 ,henry ,e41 library of1 #aif ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili1 the1 printed by ,aldus1 #baj2 described1 #baj-bac ,ideal ,book1 ,the1 ,cobden-,sanderson's1 #c1 #ii2 quoted1 #bfd ,iliad1 the ,ambrosiana1 #bd1 #be1 #aag ,illuminated book1 the1 attitude of ,italian patrons toward1 #aa-ab ,illumination1 the art of1 encouraged by ,italian patrons in ,,xv century1 #aa-ac2 the underlying thought in1 #aab2 rich rewards in study of1 #aad2 various schools of1 #aad2 means of identifying various schools and periods1 #aae2 manuscripts which mark the evolution of1 #aaf-aai2 the ,celtic ,school1 #aai-abe2 the ,carolingian ,school1 #abe-abh2 the ,gothic ,school1 #abh-aca2 the ,english ,school1 #aca-acd2 the ,french ,school1 #ace-ada1 #adi-aea2 the ,flemish ,school1 #ada-ade2 the ,italian ,school1 #adf-adi2 cause for the decline of1 #aea2 opportunities for studying1 #aeb ,illumination1 ,byzantine1 described1 #aah2 referred to1 #abd1 #abe1 #abg ,illumination1 ,carolingian1 #abe-abh ,illumination1 ,celtic1 #aai-abe1 #abf1 #abi ,illumination1 ,english1 #aad1 #aca-acd ,illumination1 ,flemish1 #aad1 #acg1 #aci1 #ada-ade1 #adi1 #aej ,illumination1 ,french1 #aad1 #ace-ada ,illumination1 ,gothic1 #aad1 #abh-aca ,illumination1 ,italian ,renaissance1 #aad1 #adf-adi1 #aej ,illumination1 ,romanesque1 #aad ,illustration1 #aje ,imperial ,library1 the1 in ,vienna1 #aag ,incipit1 the1 #ic ,india1 #aab1 #aah ,ink1 ,byzantine gold1 #aab1 #aah2 inferior quality introduced1 #bch2 ,didot's1 #beh ,innocents ,abroad1 ,mark ,twain's1 #agj ,ireland1 #aba ,irish monks1 the1 see ,monks1 the ,irish ,irish ,school of ,writing and ,painting1 the1 #abj ,italian illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,italian ,italic type1 first used by ,aldus1 #ag1 #bhf2 said to be based on handwriting of ,petrarch1 #ag1 #baj2 ,baskerville's1 #bde2 ,didot's1 #beg ,italy1 life and customs of people of1 in ,,xv century1 #h2 illumination slow in getting a hold in1 #adf2 typographical supremacy of1 #aid1 #bja-bae2 loses supremacy1 #bae2 culture in the ,,xvi century in1 #bbc ,james1 ,henry1 ,horace ,fletcher's friendship with1 #hf2 quoted1 #hf2 estimate of1 #hf2 letter to ,horace ,fletcher from1 #hg2 quoted1 #hh ,james1 ,william1 ,horace ,fletcher's friendship with1 #hf2 quoted1 #hf2 letter from ,henry ,james to1 #hh2 his interest in printing1 #ij1 #ib ,jenson1 ,nicolas1 type designs of1 #ah1 #ai1 #bb1 #bjb1 #bje1 #bjf2 the explicit in books printed by1 #id1 #bjb2 printer's mark of1 #bjc1 #bjg2 sent to ,germany by ,charles ,,vii of ,france1 #bjd2 establishes his office in ,venice1 #bjd2 death of1 #bjf2 his office combined with the ,aldine ,press1 #bad2 ,caxton's work compared with1 #bdd2 referred to1 #baf1 #bhf ,jenson's ,gothic type1 #bjb1 #bje1 #bjf ,jenson ,roman type1 the1 #ah1 #ai1 #bjf1 #bfh2 sample page of1 #bb ,joan of ,arc1 ,mark ,twain's1 #agj ,john of ,spires1 #bhe ,jones1 ,george ,w41 #cb ,joseph1 ,saint1 #ach ,josephus1 ,flavius1 #aci ,justinian1 the ,emperor1 #aag ,justinian1 the ,pandects of1 #bhg ,keats1 ,john1 #aeh ,keere1 ,van der1 #bbh ,kelmscott ,chaucer1 the1 see ,chaucer1 the ,kelmscott ,kelmscott ,press1 the1 #f1 #ee1 #gj1 #if1 #bei-bfh ,kelmscott volumes1 the1 #bei-bfh2 estimate of1 #bfc ,koreans1 the1 #g ,labels1 paper1 #ib ,lamb ,house1 ,rye1 ,henry ,james' home1 #hi ,lapis lazuli1 used in printing ink1 #cj2 in illumination1 #aah ,laura1 see ,sale1 ,madonna ,laura de ,noves de ,laurenziana ,library1 the1 humanistic volumes at1 #af2 illuminated volumes at1 #aai1 #adh1 #bhg2 uninviting approach to1 #bgc2 the ,sala di ,michelangiolo1 #bgf2 ,dr4 ,guido ,biagi at1 #bgg-cjj2 the great staircase1 #bgh2 ,vasari's work in1 #bgh2 the story of1 #bhj-bhd2 the treasures of1 #bhd-bhi2 the ,hall of ,tapestries1 #bhe2 the ,tribuna1 #bhe2 the printed books in1 #bhe2 the spell of1 #cjj2 referred to1 #ad1 #ba1 #id1 #aaa1 #ahb ,le ,b1 ,guillaume1 #bbh ,lee1 ,sir ,sidney1 #hf1 #agd1 #age ,leigh1 ,maj4 ,frederick ,t41 #ahd ,leipzig1 library of1 #aif ,lelio1 ,lucrezia1 #bac ,leo ,x1 ,pope1 #bhb4 ,see also ,medici1 ,giovanni de' ,lettering1 see ,hand lettering ,letters1 raised gold1 #aaf ,lewes1 ,george ,henry1 in the ,magliabecchian ,library1 #bib-bih ,leyden1 heroic resistance to ,spanish siege1 #bci2 becomes the intellectual and literary center of ,europe1 #bci2 ,plantin in1 #bci2 the ,elzevirs in1 #bci-bdj ,leyden1 the ,university of1 #bci2 ,plantin made printer to1 #bci2 ,isaac ,elzevir made printer to1 #bdj ,lindisfarne ,gospels1 the1 described1 #aai-abe ,lippi1 #bif ,lippi1 ,fra ,filippo1 #bh ,lipsius1 the historian1 #bci ,lithography1 #aje ,little ,novels of ,italy1 ,hewlett's1 #aei ,lockhart1 ,john ,gibson1 #ff ,longfellow1 ,henry ,wadsworth1 #agh ,longmans1 ,london publishers1 #ff ,lorenzo the ,magnificent1 see ,medici1 ,lorenzo de' ,lorraine1 the ,house of1 and the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhc ,louis ,,xi1 of ,france1 #adj ,louis ,,xii1 of ,france1 #aej ,louis ,,xiv1 of ,france1 #aih ,louis ,,xv1 of ,france1 #adj ,louis1 ,saint1 ,psalter of1 described1 #abh-aca2 death of1 #abi ,lounsbury1 ,professor1 of ,yale1 #hd ,lowell1 ,james ,russell1 #agh ,luther1 ,martin1 #bae1 #bbd ,mabie1 ,hamilton ,w41 #agg1 #ahg ,macaulay1 ,thomas ,b41 quoted on ,baskerville editions1 #bde ,machiavelli1 ,niccolo1 #aha1 #bhd ,macmillan ,company1 the1 #bf ,magliabecchi1 ,antonio1 #bib-bie ,magliabecchian ,library1 the1 #bhd2 ,george ,eliot in1 #bia-bih ,malmantile1 ,lippi's1 #bif ,man and ,superman1 ,shaw's1 the making of1 #fg ,mantegna1 ,andrea1 #ie ,manuscripts1 methods of reproducing1 #i ,manuscripts1 illuminated1 romance of1 #aad2 not the playthings of the common people1 #aae ,manutius1 ,aldus1 see ,aldus ,manutius ,marie1 ,madame1 of ,france1 #acj ,marinelli1 #bhj ,marmion1 ,scott's1 #ff ,martelli ,chapel1 the1 in the ,church of ,san ,lorenzo1 ,florence1 #bge ,mary1 ,queen1 of ,england1 ,psalter of1 described1 #aca-acd2 referred to1 #acb ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots1 #aef-aeg ,matthews1 ,brander1 #agg ,mayence1 printing at1 #aih1 #bjd1 #baf ,mazarin1 ,cardinal1 #aih ,mdard1 ,saint1 the ,golden ,gospels of1 #abg-abh ,medicean ,library1 the1 see ,laurenziana ,library1 the ,medici1 the1 #adg2 ,savonarola's diatribes against1 #bgd2 and the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhj ,medici1 ,alessandro de'1 #bgd ,medici archives1 the1 #ad ,medici1 ,catherine de'1 #acf ,medici1 the ,chapel of the1 in ,florence1 #bhd ,medici1 ,cosimo ,i de'1 see ,cosimo il ,vecchio ,medici1 ,cosimo ,,ii de'1 see ,cosimo ,,ii ,medici1 ,giovanni de' 7later ,pope ,leo ,x71 #bge2 and the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhb1 #bhc ,medici1 ,giulio de' 7later ,pope ,clement ,,vii71 #bgf2 commissions ,michelangelo to erect building for the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bhc ,medici1 ,lorenzo de'1 ,book of ,hours made by d',antonio for1 #aaa1 #adf-adi1 #bij2 tomb of1 #bge2 and the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bha-bhc2 his personality1 #bha-bhb2 referred to1 #aaa1 #aab1 #adh ,medici1 ,piero de'1 #bge ,memling1 ,hans1 #adb ,menelik1 ,king1 of ,abyssinia1 #ajd ,mentelin1 types of1 #ai ,menticulture1 ,horace ,fletcher's1 #ge ,messina1 ,antonello di1 #adb ,metternich1 ,prince1 #bhi ,michelangelo1 letters of1 #ahb1 #bij2 his plan for the faade of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 #bgc2 ,varchi's tribute to1 #bge2 his tomb for ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 #age2 his work in the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bgf2 his letter to ,vasari1 #bgh2 manuscript poems of1 #bhg2 referred to1 #ad ,michelangelo archives1 the1 #ad1 #ahb ,migliore1 #bif ,milan1 early printing at1 #bhf ,millar1 ,eric ,george1 quoted1 #abb1 #abc ,miller1 ,mr41 ,london publisher1 #ff ,minium1 #aab1 #aah ,minuscule characters1 described1 #abc2 introduced1 #abf 8,mirror0 title1 the1 #id ,mochenicho1 ,doge ,pietro1 #bjb 8,modern0 type1 the introduction of1 #bea ,molds1 early type1 #bja ,monaco1 ,lorenzo1 #adi1 #bij ,monks1 the ,irish1 #abj1 #abe ,monnier1 ,philippe1 #afj ,montanus1 ,arias1 #bbg ,morelli1 librarian of the ,san ,marco ,library1 ,venice1 #adc ,moretus1 inherits the ,plantin office1 #bcd ,morgan ,library1 the1 see ,pierpont ,morgan ,library1 the ,morris chair1 the1 #beh ,morris end papers1 the1 #beh ,morris wall papers1 the1 #beh1 #bfj ,morris1 ,william1 demonstrates possibilities of printing as an art1 #ad2 ,golden type of1 #ah2 his other type designs1 #ah-bj2 placed printing back among the fine arts1 #ee1 #beh2 ,bernard ,shaw's enthusiasm for1 #fi-gj2 his dislike of the ,bodoni type1 #hj2 his title pages1 #if2 early experiments of1 #beh2 the ,kelmscott ,chaucer1 #bei-bfh2 declines the poet-laureateship of ,england1 #bfj2 death of1 #bfb2 estimate of his work1 #bfc2 his definition of the type ideal1 #bfh2 referred to1 #f1 #if1 #beh ,munich1 library of1 #aif ,murray1 the ,house of1 #fe ,murray ,,ii1 ,john1 and ,walter ,scott1 #ff2 letter to ,scott from1 #ff ,murray ,,iii1 ,john1 burns manuscript of ,byron's memoirs1 #fe ,murray ,,iv1 ,john1 #bf1 #bg1 #fe ,muse ,cond1 the1 at ,chantilly1 #aaf ,naples1 early printing at1 #bhf ,nazionale ,centrale1 the ,biblioteca1 in ,florence1 see ,magliabecchian ,library1 the ,nemours1 the ,duc de1 #aci ,nobar1 ,royal printer to ,franois ,i of ,france1 #baf ,netherlandish illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,flemish ,netherlands1 the1 typographical supremacy of1 #aid1 #bbc-bdd2 commercial supremacy of1 #bbc2 devastated by war1 #bci ,new ,forest1 the1 in ,england1 #aeh ,new ,york ,public ,library1 the1 #aif ,norton1 ,charles ,eliot1 #bf2 autograph letter of1 #ca2 his association with the design of the ,humanistic type1 #cb1 #ahj-aha2 recollections and reflections on1 #agh-ahc2 his meeting with ,guido ,biagi1 #ahb-ahc ,ode to ,cervantes1 ,dobson's1 #afd 8,old-style0 type1 the passing of1 #bea2 revived by ,pickering1 #bea ,orcutt1 ,reginald ,wilson1 #afe ,orcutt1 ,william ,dana1 first visit to ,italy1 #ad2 meeting with ,guido ,biagi1 #ad1 #bgg2 his work designing the ,humanistic type1 #ag-cc2 in the ,ambrosiana ,library1 #bd-be2 experiences with ,willard ,fiske1 #bf1 #bg2 apprenticeship at old ,university ,press1 #ch2 experience with ,eugene ,field1 #ch-da2 experiences with ,mrs4 ,mary ,baker ,eddy1 #eb2 becomes head of ,university ,press1 #ee2 his ambition to emulate methods of early printers1 #ee2 experiences with ,bernard ,shaw1 #fg-ga2 returns to ,italy in #aijc1 #ge2 his interest in the ,bodoni and ,didot types1 #gh2 his acquaintance with ,horace ,fletcher1 #ge1 #hb1 #hd1 #hf2 his acquaintance with ,henry ,james1 #hf2 visit to ,lamb ,house1 #hi2 experiences with ,william ,james1 #ij-ib2 experiences with ,cobden-,sanderson1 #if-aja2 experiences with ,theodore ,roosevelt1 #aja-ajf2 becomes interested in illumination1 #aaa2 meeting with ,maurice ,hewlett1 #aee-afb2 experiences with ,austin ,dobson1 #afb-afi2 experiences with ,mark ,twain1 #agj-agg2 experiences with ,charles ,eliot ,norton1 #agh-ahc2 experiences with ,william ,dean ,howells1 #ahc-ahh2 experiences in the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bgc-cjj2 last visit with ,guido ,biagi1 #bii-cjj ,orcutt1 ,mrs4 ,william ,dana1 #afe1 #aga ,oriental gold1 #aab ,orthographia dictionum e ,grcia tractarum1 ,tortelli's1 #bhf ,oxford1 ,edward ,harley1 #b;d ,earl of1 #acf ,palatina1 the ,biblioteca1 at ,florence1 #bic ,pan and the ,young ,shepherd1 ,hewlett's1 #aei ,paper1 poorer quality introduced1 #bch2 ,italian handmade1 #bch2 ,french handmade1 #bch1 #beg2 ,baskerville the first to introduce glossy1 #bej ,parchment1 ,english1 #bi2 ,florentine1 #bh2 ,roman1 #bh2 virgin1 #aac ,paris1 #bbg ,paris ,exposition of #ahja1 the1 #beh ,passerini1 ,luigi1 #big ,patmore1 ,coventry1 #hi ,patrons1 ,italian1 attitude toward printed book of1 #aa2 their conception of a book1 #aa2 their real reasons for opposing the art of printing1 #ab1 #aea ,peignot foundry1 the1 in ,paris1 #hj ,persia1 #aah ,perugia1 #bia ,petrarca1 ,francesco1 the father of humanism1 #ae2 ,italic type said to be based upon handwriting of1 #ag1 #baj2 portrait of1 #bhg1 #bhi2 quoted1 #bij ,petrarch1 see ,petrarca1 ,francesco ,petrarch1 the ,humanistic1 the type design1 #ag-bf2 the copy1 #bf1 #bg2 the illustrations1 #bh2 the parchment1 #bh2 the ink1 #bi1 #cj2 the composition1 #cj2 ,norton's estimate of1 #cb ,philip1 of ,burgundy1 #ace ,philip ,,ii1 of ,spain1 #bbg2 his interest in ,plantin's ,biblia ,polyglotta1 #bbg-bbh1 #bcc2 makes ,plantin prototypographe1 #bcc ,pickering1 the ,london publisher1 revives the old-style type1 #bea ,piedmont1 early printing at1 #bhf ,pierpont ,morgan ,library1 the1 ,new ,york1 #ii1 #aif ,pisa1 #bia ,pius ,,xi1 ,pope1 see ,ratti1 ,achille ,plantin1 ,christophe1 financially embarrassed by his ,biblia ,polyglotta1 #ef1 #bch2 his ,greek types1 #bba2 leaves ,france1 #bbc2 conception and making of his ,biblia ,polyglotta1 #bbg-bcc2 his types1 #bbh2 his printer's mark1 #bbh1 #bcf2 made prototypographe by ,philip ,,ii1 #bcc2 the value of his work estimated1 #bcc2 misfortunes endured by1 #bcc2 in ,leyden1 #bci2 made printer to ,university of ,leyden1 #bci2 referred to1 #gi1 #bcg ,plantin-,moretus ,museum1 the1 at ,antwerp1 #bce ,pliny1 ,elzevir's1 #bdj ,plutei1 in the ,laurenziana ,library1 designed by ,michelangelo1 #ad1 #bgf1 #bhf1 #cjj ,politian1 #aha4 ,see also ,poliziano1 ,angelo ,poliziano1 ,angelo1 #bae4 ,see also ,politian ,pollard1 ,alfred ,w41 #bg ,polyglot ,bible1 ,plantin's1 see ,biblia ,polyglotta ,portland1 the ,duchess of1 #acf ,pragmatism1 ,william ,james'1 #ij ,printed book1 the1 attitude of ,italian patrons toward1 #aa-ab2 competed against the written book1 #aii2 ,aldus changes format of1 #bjg2 ,elzevirs change format of1 #bdj2 important part played in ,,xvi century by1 #bae ,printer1 the1 responsibilities of1 in early days1 #bjh ,printing1 as an art1 opposed by the ,italian patrons1 #aa-ac2 its possibilities demonstrated by ,william ,morris1 #ad2 brief supremacy of ,germany in1 #aid-bja2 supremacy of ,italy in1 #bja-bae2 supremacy of ,france in1 #bae-bbc2 supremacy of the ,netherlands in1 #bbc-bdd2 lapses into a trade1 #bch2 supremacy of ,england in1 #bdd-bej2 second supremacy of ,france in1 #bea-beh2 second supremacy of ,england in1 #beh-bfc ,printing1 invention of1 made books common1 #aea ,priorista1 ,chiari's1 #big ,proofreading1 in #ahia1 #dg ,psalter of ,saint ,louis1 the1 described1 #abh-aca ,publishers1 relations between authors and1 #ea1 #fc ,quattrocento1 ,le1 ,monnier's1 #afj ,queen ,mary's ,psalter1 described1 #aca-acd1 #adf ,queen's ,quair1 ,the1 ,hewlett's1 #aee-aef ,racine1 ,pierre ,didot's1 #bea2 described1 #beb-beh ,raphael1 #aac ,raphelengius1 #bci ,rastrelli1 #big ,ratti1 ,achille1 #be1 #aag ,ravenna1 #abh ,reformation1 the1 #bae ,renaissance1 the1 humanistic movement the forerunner and essence of1 #ae1 #afj2 ,tours becomes center of1 in ,france1 #aci ,repplier1 ,agnes1 #agg ,riccardi ,library1 the1 #ad1 #adi1 #ahb1 #bij ,richardson1 ,samuel1 #afc ,riverside ,press1 the1 #db ,road in ,tuscany1 the1 ,hewlett's1 #aei ,robertet1 ,franois1 #adj ,roman ,calendar1 the1 #aag ,romanesque illumination1 see ,illumination1 ,romanesque ,romans1 the1 #g ,rome1 the rich humanities of1 #ae2 referred to1 #abf ,romola1 ,george ,eliot's1 #bib-bii2 volumes consulted in writing1 #bif-bih ,roosevelt1 ,theodore1 deeply interested in physical side of books1 #ajb2 his interest in illustration1 #aje ,royal ,greeks1 the1 of tienne1 #bai-bbb ,rubens1 ,peter ,paul1 #ie1 #aac ,ruskin1 ,john1 #agh1 #ahb ,russia1 the ,emperor of1 #ajc ,rutland1 the ,earl of1 #aca ,sacristy1 the ,new1 in the ,church of ,san ,lorenzo1 ,florence1 #bge ,sacristy1 the ,old1 in the ,church of ,san ,lorenzo1 ,florence1 #bge ,saga ,library1 the1 #bfj ,saint ,john1 the ,feast of1 #big ,st4 ,louis ,exposition1 the1 #ahb1 #bii ,saint ,peter1 the ,holy ,sepulchre of1 #bhh ,sala di ,michelangiolo1 the1 in the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence1 #ad2 described1 #bgf ,sale1 ,madonna ,laura de ,noves de1 portrait of1 #bhg1 #bhi2 ,petrarch's verses to1 #bij ,salisbury1 the ,marquis of1 #afe ,san ,lorenzo1 the ,church of1 in ,florence1 #bgd1 #bhc ,san ,marco1 the ,convent of1 in ,florence1 #bha1 #bhb1 #bhh ,san ,marco1 the ,library of1 ,venice1 #aai1 #ada1 #adc1 #ade ,san ,vitale1 the ,church of1 at ,ravenna1 #abh ,saracens1 the1 #g ,savonarola1 #bgd1 #bhd ,savoy1 the ,duke of1 #bcc ,schoeffer1 types of1 #ai2 referred to1 #aih ,science and ,health1 #eb ,scott1 ,gen4 ,hugh ,lennox1 #hb ,scott1 ,walter1 and ,john ,murray ,,ii1 #ff2 letter from ,murray to1 #ff ,scribes1 the humanistic1 base their lettering on the ,caroline minuscule1 #abf2 referred to1 #af1 #ba1 #bd ,scribes1 the monastic1 in ,,xv century1 #i ,scribes1 the secular1 in ,,xv century1 #aj ,scriptorium1 the1 #i ,second ,book of ,verse1 ,eugene ,field's1 #ch ,semi-uncial characters1 described1 #abc ,sforza ,book of ,hours1 the1 #ade 8,shady ,hill10 in ,cambridge1 ,mass41 home of ,charles ,eliot ,norton1 #ahj1 #aha ,shakespeare first folio1 a1 value of1 #aif ,shaw1 ,g4 ,bernard1 his interest in printing1 #fg-ga2 the making of his ,man and ,superman1 #fg2 his enthusiasm for ,william ,morris1 #fi2 letters from1 #fh-ga ,shelley1 ,percy ,bysshe1 #aeh ,sherry's1 in ,new ,york ,city1 #ahg ,siena1 #bia ,silas ,marner1 ,george ,eliot's1 #bif ,sinibaldi1 ,antonio1 the ,virgil of1 #af2 the ,book of ,hours of1 #aab ,sixtus ,,iv1 ,pope1 #adb ,smith1 ,baldwin1 #acb ,smith1 ,f4 ,hopkinson1 #agg ,somerset1 ,john1 #ace ,sotheby's1 in ,london1 #adj ,spain1 the ,netherlands under the domination of1 #bbg2 referred to1 #aab1 #aah ,spanish siege1 the1 of ,leyden1 #bci ,spanish ,war1 the1 #agi ,spell1 ,the1 ,orcutt's1 #ij1 #ahd ,spires1 the town of1 #bhf ,steele1 ,sir ,richard1 #afc ,subiaco1 early printing at1 #bhe ,sweynheim and ,pannartz1 ruined by experiments in ,greek1 #ef1 #bch2 engraved blocks of1 #bhe ,switzerland1 #bch ,syriac ,gospels1 the1 #bhg ,taft1 ,president ,william ,h41 #ahh ,tapestries1 the ,hall of1 in the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence1 #bhe ,tennyson1 ,alfred1 ,lord1 #bfj ,terence1 ,elzevir's1 #bdj2 described1 #bda-bdc ,ther ,hoernen1 ,arnold1 #id ,thesaurus1 the1 printed by ,henri tienne1 #ef1 #bch ,thompson1 ,henry ,yates1 #adj ,thomson1 ,hugh1 #aff ,title1 the engraved1 #ie ,title1 the 8mirror10 #id ,title page1 the1 ,bernard ,shaw's ideas concerning1 #fg2 ,william ,james' ideas concerning1 #ib2 8the door to the house10 #ib2 evolution of1 #ib-if4 ,see also ,title1 the engraved2 ,title1 the 8mirror0 ,togo1 ,admiral1 #ajc ,torresani1 ,andrea1 #bad ,torresani1 ,federico1 #bad ,torresani1 ,francesco1 friendship of ,jean ,grolier with1 #bad2 letter from ,jean ,grolier to1 #bae ,tortelli1 #bhf ,tours1 becomes center of ,renaissance in ,france1 #aci ,tours1 the ,school of1 #abf ,trs ,riches ,heures1 the1 of the ,duc de ,berry1 #aaf ,tribuna1 the1 in the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence1 #bhe ,trionfi1 ,petrarch's1 #bf1 #bh1 #aha ,triumphs1 ,petrarch's1 see ,trionfi1 ,petrarch's ,trophies of ,heredia1 #ajb ,troy type1 the1 designed by ,william ,morris1 #bj ,turin1 early printing at1 #bhf ,twain1 ,mark1 and the ,jumping ,frog1 #fa2 recollections and reflections on1 #agj-agg2 the ,harvey birthday dinner1 #agf2 referred to1 #ahh ,type design1 difficulties of1 #ag ,types1 early designs of1 #ag2 ,aldus' designs of1 #ag2 ,jenson's designs of1 #ah2 ,william ,morris' designs of1 #ah2 ,william ,morris' definition of1 the ideal1 #bfh4 ,see also ,humanistic type1 ,jenson ,roman type1 ,jenson ,gothic type1 ,golden type1 ,doves type ,typesetting1 in #ahia1 #dd ,university ,press1 the old1 ,cambridge1 ,mass41 #e1 #ch1 #da1 #db1 #df1 #dg1 #di1 #ea1 #ajb ,upsala1 ,sweden1 #aai ,urbino1 the ,duke of1 #ab ,vacca1 the ,palazzo dei della1 #bhd ,vallombrosa1 #aga1 #bia ,van-der-,meire1 ,gerard1 #adb ,varchi1 his tribute to ,michelangelo1 #bge ,vasari1 his work in the ,laurenziana ,library1 #bgh2 ,michelangelo's letter to1 #bgh ,vatican ,library1 the1 at ,rome1 #aag1 #aif ,vellum1 #aae1 #beg4 ,see also1 ,parchment ,venetian ,days1 ,howells'1 #ahf ,venetian ,republic1 the1 #adb2 encourages the art of printing1 #bjb ,venice1 early printing in1 #id1 #bjd1 #bjf1 #bad1 #bhf2 ,howells' love for1 #ahf2 becomes the ,mecca of printers1 #bjb2 ,john of ,spires in1 #bhf ,vergetios1 ,angelos1 #bai ,verrocchio1 #bge ,victoire1 ,pierre1 quoted1 #bbj ,victoria1 ,queen1 of ,england1 #adj ,vienna1 library of1 #aif ,villa di ,quarto1 the1 in ,florence1 ,mark ,twain at1 #aga ,villa ,medici1 the1 in ,rome1 #bhb ,villari1 ,pasquale1 #bhd1 #bia1 #bih ,vinci1 da1 archives1 the1 #ad1 #ahb1 #bij ,vinci1 ,leonardo da1 sketches of1 #bij2 referred to1 #ad1 #ahb ,virgil1 ,baskerville's1 #bdd2 described1 #bdf-bej ,virgil1 illuminated by ,sinibaldi1 #af ,virgil1 the ,medicean1 #bhg2 the story of1 #bhh-bhi ,virgil1 the ,vatican1 #aag ,vita di ,g4 ,savonarola1 ,la1 ,villari's1 #bih ,vittoria1 ,alessandro1 #adc ,wages1 in #ahia1 #eh ,walker1 ,emery1 designs the ,doves type1 #ah1 #ai2 engraves plates for ,humanistic ,petrarch1 #bh2 at the ,doves ,press1 #bfc2 referred to1 #ga ,walpole1 ,horace1 #afc ,warner1 ,sir ,george1 #adj ,widener1 ,joseph ,e41 library of1 #aif ,wiggin1 ,rev4 ,james ,henry1 #eb ,wiggin1 ,kate ,douglas1 #agg ,wilhelm1 ,kaiser1 #ajc1 #ajd ,william of ,orange1 founds the ,university of ,leyden1 #bci ,william the ,conqueror1 #aeh ,wilson1 ,francis1 #ch ,wilson1 ,john1 #e1 #f1 #ch1 #dj1 #db1 #df1 #eb1 #ec1 #ee ,windsor ,castle1 #adj ,wood1 ,gen4 ,leonard1 #hb ,wood cuts1 #ajf ,wordsworth1 ,william1 quoted1 #bj ,world ,war1 the1 #ajc ,worsley1 ,sir ,robert1 #acf ,writing1 see ,hand lettering ,written book1 the printed book had to compete against1 #aii ,yale ,university ,library1 the1 #aif ,zainer1 ,gunther1 types of1 #bj ,,this ,,volume is composed in ,poliphilus type1 reproduced by the ,lanston ,monotype ,corporation1 ,london1 from the ,roman face designed in #adii by ,francesco ,griffo1 of ,bologna1 for ,aldus ,manutius1 and originally used in the ,hypnerotomachia ,poliphili4 ,the ,italic is based upon that designed for ,antonio ,blado1 ,printer to the ,holy ,see from #aeae to #aefg4 ,the cover1 a modern adaptation of the ,grolier design used on ,capella3 ,l',anthropologia1 is designed by ,enrico ,monetti4 ,the illustrations1 many now appearing in book form for the first time1 were secured chiefly through the courtesy of the librarians of the ,british ,museum1 ,london2 the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris2 the ,laurenziana ,library1 ,florence2 the ,ambrosiana ,library1 ,milan2 the ,marciana ,library1 ,venice2 the ,vatican ,library1 ,rome2 and from private collectors4 ,the plates of the illustrations were made by the ,walker ,engraving ,company1 ,new ,york ,city1 and are printed on ,de,jonge's ,art ,mat4 ,the text paper is ,warren's ,olde ,style4 ,the typography1 presswork1 and binding are by the ,plimpton ,press1 ,norwood1 ,massachusetts1 under the personal supervision of ,william ,dana ,orcutt4 ,transcriber's ,notes - ,italics denoted by underscores4 - ,illustrations have been positioned near the relevant text4 - ,silently corrected typographical errors in the ,list of ,illustrations and the ,index4 - ,the ends of each chapter and some block quotes had line lengths that tapered smaller and smaller in a decorative way and did not end with a period4 ,because of the variable nature of electronic texts1 the author's intention sadly cannot be reproduced as intended4 - ,illustration captions on numbered pages were in italic while captions on unnumbered pages were not4 ,italics removed to make illustration captions consistent4 - ,in some captions measurements were in parenthesis and others were in brackets4 ,converted all to parenthesis for consistency4 - ,the book has half-title pages before each chapter that reproduce the chapter number and title4 ,removed the redundant half-title content4 - ,page #dd3 ,corrected 8,typsetting0 to 8,typesetting04 - ,page #agj3 ,added a thought break as the topic changes from ,dobson to ,twain4 - ,page #agh3 ,added a thought break as the topic changes from ,twain to ,norton4 - ,page #bfi3 ,the word 8hopefulness0 is not hyphenated in the original as part of the decorative tapered lines4 ,the word has been rejoined4