M. Paul Delalain has touched upon this exceedingly abstract phase of
Printers’ Marks in the third _fascicule_ of his “Inventaire des Marques
d’Imprimeurs,” without, as he himself admits, arriving at any very
definite conclusion. The cross, whether in its simplest form or with a
complication of additional ornaments, has, as he points out, been at all
times popular in connection with this subject. It appeared on the shield
of Arnold Ther Hoernen, Cologne, 1477, at Stockholm in 1483, at Cracovia
in 1510. That it did not fall entirely into desuetude until the end of
the eighteenth century is a very striking proof of what M. Delalain
calls “la persistance de la croix.” It has appeared in all forms and in
almost every conceivable shape. Its presence may be taken as indicating
a deference and a submission to, as well as a respect for, the Christian
religion, and M. Delalain is of the opinion that the sign “eu pour
origine l’affiliation à une confrérie religieuse.” Finally, in his
introduction to Roth-Scholtz’s “Thesaurus Symbolarum ac Emblematum,”
Spoerl asks, “Why are the initials of a printer or bookseller so often
placed in a circle or in a heart-shaped border, and then surmounted by a
cross? Why at the extreme top of the cross is the lateral line formed
into a sort of triangular four? Why, without this inexplicable sign, has
the cross a number of cyphers, two, or even three, cross-bars? Why
should the tail of the cypher 4 itself be traversed by one or sometimes
two perpendicular bars which themselves would appear to form another
cross of another kind? Why, among the ornamental accessories, do certain
species of stars form several crosses, entangled or isolated? Why, at
the base of the cross is the V duplicated?” All these are problems which
it would be exceedingly difficult to solve with satisfaction. We do not
propose offering any kind of explanation for these singular marks; but
it will not be without interest to point out that among the more
interesting examples are those used by Berthold Rembolt, André Bocard or
Boucard, Georges Mittelhus, Jehan Alexandre, Jehan Lambert, Nicole De La
Barre, and the brothers De Marnef, all printers or booksellers of Paris;
of Guillaume Le Talleur, Richard Auzolt, of Rouen; of Jaques Huguetan,
Mathieu Husz, François Fradin, Jacques Sacon or Sachon, and Jehan Du
Pré, all of Lyons; of Jehan Grüninger, of Strassburg; of Lawrence
Andrewe, and Andrew Hester, of London; the unknown printer of St.
Albans; of Leeu, of Antwerp; of Jacob Abiegnus, of Leipzig; of Pedro
Miguel, Barcelona; of Juan de Rosembach of Barcelona and other places;
of the four “alemanes” of Seville, and hundreds of others that might be
mentioned.
[Illustration:
1. Benedetto d’Effore.
2. Bonino de Boninis.
3. Bernardino de Misintis.
4. Bernardino Ricci.
5. Bernardino Stagnino.
6. Baptista de Tortis.
7. Bernardinus de Vitalibus.
8. Bartholomeus de Zanis.
9. } Dionysius Bertochus.
10. }
11. Dominicus Roccociola or Richizolo.
12. William Schomberg.
13. Christopher de Canibus.
14. Hercules Nani.
15. Giovanni Antonio de Benedetti.
16. Samuel de Tournes (Geneva).
17. The Somaschi.
18. Justinian de Ruberia.
19. J. Treschel (Lyons).
20. L. de Gerla, Gerlis or Gerula.
21. Laurentius Rubeus de Valentia.
22. Lazaro Suardo or da Suardis.
23. Matthew de Codeca or Capsaca.
24. Nicholas de Francfordia.
25. Dionysio Berrichelli.
26. Octavianus Scottus.
27. Peregrino de Pasqualibus.
28. Philip Pinzi or Pincius.
29. Caligula de Bacileriis.
30. J. Sacer.]
It is curious to note that, in spite of its great mediæval popularity,
the subject of St. George and the Dragon rarely enters into the subject
of Printers’ Marks, and of the few examples which call for reference,
those of Thomas Périer and Guillaume Bourgeat, of Paris and Tours
respectively, are among the best both in design and execution. The idea
was also adopted by Guillaume Auvray, of Paris; and by M. de Hamont,
Brussels.
The personification of Time and Peace were both popular; and each has
its successful examples. One of the earliest instances of the former is
a pretty little mark, executed with a considerable amount of vigour, of
Robert De Gourmont, Paris; a large and vigorous Mark--one of
several--employed by Simon De Colines, Paris, in which it is interesting
to note that the scythe is not invariably denticulated; two very crude
but very distinct examples employed by Michel Hillenius or Hooghstrate,
Antwerp, 1514; and two, one large and the other small, of Guillaume
Chaudière, Paris, 1564; whilst Jean Temporal, of Lyons, 1550, used it as
an evident play on his name. The emblem of Peace does not appear to have
been much employed until well on into the sixteenth century; N. Boucher,
1544, used as his motto, “pacem victis;” Guillaume Julien, to whom
reference has already been made; as likewise Michel Clopejau, of a few
years later, who used the words “Typus amicitiæ” on his mark, with the
further legend of “Quam sperata victoria pax certa melior;” these three
lived in Paris, whilst by far the best decorative Mark in this
connection was that adopted by Julien Angelier, a bookseller and printer
of Blois, 1555, the centre of whose device, besides the words “Signum
pacis,” includes a dove bearing two olive branches. The fraternal device
of two hands clasped may also be here alluded to: it is of special
interest from the fact that it was employed by one of the earliest to
practice printing in Paris--Guy or Guyot Marchant, 1483, one of whose
Marks gives us a view of two shoemakers working with musical notes
representing So La (Sola), and “fides ficit” in gothic type. Thomas
Richard, sixty years afterwards, elaborated on a portion of this idea,
and his Mark shows two hands holding a crowned sceptre with two serpents
entwined around it. Designs much superior to these were employed by
Bertramus of Strassburg, at the latter part of the sixteenth century.
Following the example of Marchant, musical notes have occasionally been
employed by later printers. The rebus of this printer evidently
suggested that of Jehan and Anthoine Lagache, father and son, Arras, in
1517, the first syllable of whose name, La, is indicated by a musical
note, and is immediately followed by “gache.” Pierre Jacobi,
Saint-Nicholas-de-la-Port, and Toulouse, 1503, adopted Marchant’s idea
by giving “Sola fides ficit” with a musical start, so to speak; and a
distinctly novel phase of the subject is employed by Jacobus Jucundus,
Strassburg, 1531, in which a goose is represented as playing on a
violin.
[Illustration: GUILLAUME CHAUDIÈRE.