1808. ] 
Jent paper; they have also ms ote 
advantage, that being printed from ma- 
nuscripts, which are since lost, they, in a 
great measure, supply their place, and 
are more faithful copies of them, than the 
editions of the fifteenth century, most of 
which were published by less learned 
editors; yet the early Aldine editions 
seldom contain a text more caretully re- 
vised than-the subsequent ones. 
The editions of the latter years of 
Paulus Mauutius, and_of his son, the 
younger Aldus, are far less valuable, 
both on account of the want of typogra- 
phical neatness and accuracy; they also 
too frequently bear evident marks of the 
parsimony with which they were brought 
out. 
Before the time of Aldus, the Greek 
characters, connued to some few offices, 
were rudely cut and ill-tormed; Aldus 
was the first, who, examining with at- 
tention the form of the letters of the 
best ancient manuscripts, furnished his 
office with a letter more pleasing to the 
eye; from which, with some few correc- 
tions, all the best Greek types have since 
been formed. As to the Roman type, 
it is well known that Jenson and Vinde- 
lin de Spire, after having used the round 
letters, which founded their reputation, 
till the year 1472, were obliged to re- 
sume both Gothic and Semi-Gothic cha- 
racters, to suit the great number of rea- 
ders, accustomed to the use of ancient 
manuscripts; most of the Germans also 
ee even now the rude shape of this 
Gothic, to the neater and more elegant 
Roman letter. Aldus would adimit no 
Gothic among his types; he constantly 
endeavoured to imitate manuscripts ; 
that is, these in the best running hand, 
which suggested to him the idea of the 
Italic character. His Roman letters 
were cast nearly in the form which was 
at first adopted by Vindelin de Spire. 
The two first alphabetswere very imper- 
fect, but the third is excellent, and far 
superior, of its kind, to many modern 
oes. . 
Having furnished his office with a nu- 
merous assortment of excellent Greek 
and Latin types, and having put it in full 
activity, he tuought it right to adopt a par- 
ticular mark for his house, to decorate 
the first or jast page of his books, and fire- 
quently both. This mark, well-known 
to be an anchor, surrounded by a dol- 
phin, is justly celebrated im the annals of 
typography, under the name of the Al- 
dine anchor. ds a perhaps the best 
Memoirs of Aldus M anutius, or the Elder ldus. 
429 
chosen mark which any printer ever 
adopted, and it is particularly suitable to 
him, who first determined that it should 
decorate his editions.. The dolphin, in- 
timates swiftness, ou account of the ra- 
pidity with which it cuts the water. The 
anchor, on the contrary, isa mark of sta- 
bitty and firmness; which justly indi- 
cates, that in che prosecution of any pur- 
suit, unceasing labour is necessary, 
united with deliberate reflection; a due 
degree of consideration in the formation 
of plans, but great celerity in their ex- 
ecution is well expressed by the Latin 
adage ‘ Festina lenté.’ ‘To the anchor 
was attached his name divided. “Lhis 
mark was Jong employed, exactly as 
Aldus had at first formed it. His sons 
having, in 1540, separated from those of 
Andrea, did not immediately change it; 
and with their new formula, ‘apud Aldi 
filios,’ they were satisfied with a fresh 
engraving of the aucient anchor, At 
length, in 1546, its simple form under- 
went a considerable change, in which the 
words, ‘ Aldi til,’ were “substituted for 
© Aldus.’ 
The greater part of the books printed » 
from the year 1546, to 1554, bear this 
new mark, which Paulus Manutius dis- 
used in 1555, probably at the period 
when he became sole master of the 
ofhice. He afterwards resumed the ssim- 
ple anchor, which in the following years 
he sometimes surrounded with an oval 
ornament. 4 
The younger Aldus, dissatisfied with 
his cousin’s adopting the same mark, dis- 
tinguished his editions by avery compli- 
cated one, and on the back of the leaf 
he sometimes added the portrait of his 
grandfather, with a notice, that the edi- 
tion was really Manutian; sometimes 
also, instead of the anchor, he affixed this 
portait of the elder Aldus to the title. 
page. His own is placed upon the title~ 
page of * Pauli Manutit Antiquitatum 
Liber de Senatu, 1581, 4to.” 
The anchor of Aldus attracted the ate 
tention of many pater s, some of whom 
were desirous of enhancing the value of 
their editions, by plaring in them, either 
fhe exact copy of this mark, or some one 
similar. Others less scrupulous forged it, 
and endeavoured to publish their editions 
as trom the Aldine press. his mark of 
Aldas, with a few alterations, has. fre- 
quently been adopted by different prui- 
ters, in the list of whom might be men- 
tioned, Thierry Martin, Nicolas le Riche; 
at Venice, Hieronimo Scoto; at Brescia, 
Francesca 
