The fourth important Elzevir Mark is the Minerva with her attributes,
the breastplate, the olive tree, and the owl, and the motto “Ne extra
solus,” which is from a passage in the “Frogs” of Aristophanes. It was
one of the principal Marks of the Amsterdam office, and was used for the
first time by Louis Elzevir in 1642. After Daniel’s death this Mark
became the property of Henry Wetstein, who used it on some of his books.
It was also used by Thiboust at Paris and Theodoric van Ackersdyck at
Utrecht.
In addition to the foregoing, a number of other Marks were employed by
this firm of printers, the most important of the minor examples being
the Sphere, which occurs for the first time on “Sphæra Johannis de
Sacro-Bosco,” 1626, printed by Bonaventure and Abraham; and from this
time to the end of the period of the operations of the Elzevirs, the
Sphere and the Minerva appear to have equally shared the honour of
appearing on their title-pages. Among the other Marks which we must be
content to enumerate are the following: a hand with the device of
“Æqvabilitate,” an angel with a book, and a book of music opened, each
of which was used occasionally by the first Elzevir; and one in which
two hands are holding a cornucopia, of Isaac; the arms of the Leyden
University formed also occasionally the Mark of the Elzevirs established
in that city.
The Mark of Guislain Janssens, a bookseller and printer of Antwerp, at
the end of the sixteenth and beginning of the seventeenth century, is
both distinct and pretty, and is worth notice if only from the fact that
artistic examples are by no means common with the printers of this city.
[Illustration: GUISLAIN JANSSENS.
VIGILATE QVIA NESCITIS DIEM NEQVE HORAM EXPERGISCERE
G I]
[Decoration]