In 1508 Aldus took as partner his father-in-law, Andrea Torresano d'Asola, a Venetian printer who in 1480 had taken over the business of Nicolas Jenson. The imprint which had hitherto been apud Aldum or in aedibus Aldi now became in aedibus Aldi et Andreae soceri. After the death of Aldus in 1515 the press was conducted without change of name by the surviving partner until his own death in 1529.
Thick paper copy. Leaf 10 3/4 × 7 in. On p. 1050 is written Collegii Societatis Jesu Embricae 1605.
From the library of Sir J. H. Thorold of Syston Park, with book-plate. Bound by R. Storr, Grantham, in red morocco, gilt edges, with anchor on sides. The "Dictionary of English Book-collectors," pt. 2, calls attention to the Aldine anchor (made more realistic by an end of rope cable twisted about it) stamped by the Grantham bookbinders Messrs. Storr & Ridge upon many of the Thorold books, "not only those bound by themselves, but also those bound by far better men." Examples of both kinds are found in the present collection.
As an illustration of the first Greek type of Aldus there is joined to this collection a finely executed manuscript facsimile on vellum of his Musaeus of 1495, his second book (preceded by the Grammar of Lascaris), but the first in which the font appeared in its completed state. From the Syston Park library. Bound by Bozérian Jeune, in blue morocco extra.
28. SCRIPTORES REI RUSTICAE. Venetiis, in ædibus Aldi et Andreae soceri, 1514.
Title: LIBRI DE RE RVSTICA. M. CATONIS LIB. I. M. TERENTII VARRONIS LIB. III. L. IVNII MODERATI COLVMELLAE LIB. XII. Eiusdem de arboribus liber separatus ab alijs, quare autem id factum fuerit: ostenditur in epistola ad lectorem. PALLADII LIB. XIIII. De duobus dierum generibus: simulque de umbris, et horis, quæ apud Palladium, in alia epistola ad lectorem. Georgij Alexandrini enarrationes priscarum dictionum, quæ in his libris Catonis: Varronis: Columellæ. [Aldine anchor]. Hos libros Pontificis etiam Leonis decreto, nequis alius usquam locorum impune imprimat, cautum est. Fol. 308a: Colophon: VENETIIS IN AEDIBVS ALDI ET ANDREAE SOCERI MENSE MAIO M.D.XIIII. [Aldine anchor on verso].
Quarto. Sign. *, aa, bb8, cc10, a-h8, i4, k-z, A-Q8. 8 unnumbered preliminary leaves containing title, privilege of Leo X. countersigned by P. Bembo, papal secretary, preface of the editor, Fra Giocondo, addressed to Leo X., Aldus lectori (two epistles, the first relating to the position of the De arboribus of Columella, an independent treatise, in previous editions inserted in his De re rustica as liber lii, but here correctly placed after that work, the second, to the hours of Palladius, varying in length with the seasons, and the use of the gnomon in determining them), errata; 26 unnumbered leaves (preceded by a second title with anchor and mention of the privileges of Alexander VI., Julius II. and Leo. X.) containing explanations of unfamiliar words and table of contents, last leaf blank; 308 numbered leaves of text, Sign. * is not included in the register on fol. 308a and being followed by a second title-page its absence, if accidentally omitted, might pass unnoticed. Italic letter, 39 lines to the page, six- to seven-line spaces with guide-letters left for the initials of the thirty books, which in the present copy are supplied in gold and colors. Numerous paragraph-marks in alternate red and blue. Ruled in red. Renouard, p. 66. Firmin-Didot, p. 370.
The italic type of Aldus, a cursive or semi-cursive roman, the counterpart of his cursive Greek, was modeled as he himself informs us on the handwriting of Petrarch a lettra per lettra. It first appeared in the Vergil of 1501, the first of his octavo series of classics and only three months later, as was but just, in Le cose volgari of Petrarch. It had at the outset, corresponding to the Greek ligatures, many double letters and even groups of three cast on the same body, which were for the most part eliminated later by Paulus Manutius. Originally it consisted only of lower-case letters and borrowed the capitals of the roman font, using for economy of space small capitals which DeVinne points out as the useful invention of Aldus. Aldus was sensible of the deficiency and the last clause of his will was a request to his partner, Andrea, to have suitable capitals made by the celebrated engraver, Giulio Campagnola. It was, however, not until 1558 that they were finally supplied by Paulus, in connection with a new italic font. What has now ceased to be anything more than a useful auxiliary type was by Aldus employed as a text type, a chief recommendation being that it was more condensed than the roman and enabled him to greatly reduce the price of his books by making an octavo do the work of a quarto or folio. In 1501 he printed six, and in 1502 eleven octavos, whereas all his earlier books, with one unimportant exception, had been of the larger forms.
In 1496 the Venetian Senate granted to Aldus protection for his Greek type and the books printed with it for the period of twenty years, and in 1502 a like privilege covering both his italic and Greek type for ten years. A similar grant made by Alexander VI. in 1502 was renewed by Julius II. in January, 1513, for fifteen years and confirmed by his successor, Leo X., in December of the same year.
From the library of Robert Samuel Turner, sold in 1888.