FOOTNOTES:
[1] This term, which is wrongfully used in printing today to denote all majuscules, was formerly employed only for the initial letters of chapters. It was in this sense that Schoeffer used it when he said, in 1457, that his Psalter was venustate capitalium distinctus [distinguished by the beauty of its capitals]; also Chevillier, when he wrote in the Origine de l'Imprimerie de Paris (page 32), that the books of the first printers of Paris had no 'capitals,' the chapter initials being left blank, to be made by the illuminators. M. Crapelet, taking the word in its present meaning, concluded therefrom that the books of Gering and his associates were without majuscules; and he thereupon attributes the introduction of roman letters in Paris to Josse Bade, in the sixteenth century, but he is altogether wrong.
[2] [Criblé, lit. sifted.]
[3] I retain the phraseology of the first edition of my book, published in 1856; but the fact is that, thanks to that publication, Tory is no longer in the same plight. His books have become formidable rivals to those of Vostre, Vérard, etc. One of his Books of Hours sold recently for more than 3000 francs. [Note to 2d edition, 1865.]
[4] See La Biographie Universelle, article 'Tory,' by M. Weiss, City Librarian of Besançon.
[5] See my book, entitled: De l'Origine et des Débuts de l'Imprimerie en Europe; 2 vols., 8vo, 1853.
[6] In the imprint of the Mer des Histoires, 2 vols., folio, completed in 1488 (1489, new style), we read: 'Imprimee par Maistre Pierre le Rouge, libraire et imprimeur du Roy'; but he assumed the latter title only once, and in my opinion it was the result of a misapprehension. He seems in fact to have been king's bookseller only; at all events he assumes that title in the Heures à l'Usage de Rome, which he published in 1491. In any case, his assumption of the title does not prove that he received royal letters patent, as all the other printers did, as we shall see later.
[7] Tory also essayed a reform in Latin orthography, but it was less happily conceived, and did not succeed.
[8] Alas! since this preface was first printed, we have had the misfortune to lose the eminent artist whom I have named. [Note to 2d edition.]
[9] I write these two names as our artist himself wrote them; but it is a well-known fact that the orthography of proper names in the sixteenth century was very uncertain. As to the family name especially, Geofroy's ancestors and descendants wrote it indifferently Toury, Tory, and Thory; but Geofroy never varied: he always wrote Tory in French, Torinus in Latin (which should, strictly speaking, be translated Torin). See further, on this subject, Appendix A.
[10] Champ fleury, fol. 1 verso: 'Combiem [sic] que ie soye de petitz & humbles parēs, & aussi que ie soye pouure de biens caduques.'
[12] He mentions it on every page of his Champ fleury.
[13] We read in Champ fleury, fol. 49 verso: 'Come lexposent tresingenieusemē & elegātemēt Philipes Beroal & Jehan baptiste le piteable, ɋ iay veuz & ouyz lire publiquemt, il ya. xx. ans, en Bonoigne la grace.' Champ fleury was conceived in 1524, but was not finished until 1526, the date of the license to print.
[14] See Champ fleury, fol. 6 recto.
[15] As to Gourmont's Greek type, see my Les Estienne, pp. 62 ff.
[16] Doubtless we should read IV (December 2), for there is no VI of the Nones of December.
[18] [The modern Bourges.]
[20] Germain de Gannay, Ganaye, or Gannaye, son of Nicolas and brother of Jean, Chancellor of France, had become a counsellor in the Parliament of Paris, on the resignation of Jean Jouvenel des Ursins, by letters patent of 1485; appointed Bishop of Cahors, by royal letters issued at Vienne in Dauphiné, August 14, 1509, in opposition to Guy de Châteauneuf, who was chosen by election but yielded his claim to him, he was consecrated May 4, 1511. In 1512 he inherited the property of his brother the Chancellor, and did homage for the seigniory of Persan on June 18. He was translated to the bishopric of Orléans in 1514, and died in 1520.
[21] October 2.
[24] See my Les Estienne, pp. 62 ff.
[28] One of the three editions of Berosus bears that date, but our artist probably had nothing to do with that edition. [Note added by the author after the book had gone through the press.]
[29] Fol. 1 recto.
[30] This principal of the College of Plessis is here called Robertus Duræus Fortunatus. Du Boulay calls him simply Robertus Fortunatus, in his Histoire de l'Université de Paris, vol. vi. p. 159. Elsewhere he is called Dure (Duré?). In the index of the same volume, Du Boulay, under the name of Robertus Fortunatus, refers to a list of the principals of the College of Plessis, which he omitted to publish.
[32] Biographie Universelle, art. 'Tory.'
[34] Histoire de l'Imprimerie, p. 100: Siste, viator,—et jacentes etiam artes colito.—Hic—Godofredus Torinus Bituricus,—ubique litteris librisque clarissimus,—qui—Parisiis multos per annos philosophiam—docuit maximo concursu,—in regio Burgundiæ collegio,—simulque artem exercuit typographicam,—novam tunc ac recentem brevi perpolitam—tamen reddidit.—Quisquis ad stadium animum applicas—et inde quæris immortalitatem,—præcipuo cultori prius apprecare.—Amen.
[35] Fol. 49 recto.
[36] According to the Biographie Universelle, Tory joined the fraternity of booksellers in 1512; but I have found no evidence of this, and it seems to me most improbable.
[37] It was this sentence, no doubt, which gave birth to the idea that Tory was a bookseller at the same time that he was a professor; but it is evident that it refers to Tory's labours as an engraver, and not to bookselling or printing properly so called, as Tory did not become, successively, bookseller and printer, until later.
[38] Champ fleury, fol. 20 verso.
[39] Ibid. [Tory spells it 'Aurenges.']
[40] Ibid. fol. 19 verso.
[41] Ibid. and elsewhere.
[42] 'One may see many another example in the book of Epitaphs of Ancient Rome, which I saw printed at the time I sojourned in said Rome.' Champ fleury, fol. 41 recto. He refers to the same book again on folios 48 recto and 60 verso: 'In the book of Epitaphs of Ancient Rome, lately printed in said Rome, where I was then living.'
[43] This book is the oldest printed collection of inscriptions. Unfortunately, instead of being copied from the original monuments, which still existed at Rome in such great numbers, these inscriptions were simply reproduced from one of the manuscript collections which were to be found in the libraries and some of which were themselves very old. Mazochi's book had no sooner been published than the errors which had found their way into it began to be pointed out to the printer. He tried to correct them in a supplement which appeared in 1523, but his corrections did not extend to all the inscriptions, which might still have been restored by reference to the ancient monuments. A contemporary scholar, whose name is not known, undertook to continue these corrections on his printed copy, and his emendations were transferred to three other copies. These annotations impart great value to these four volumes in the eyes of epigraphists.
[44] During the first centuries of printing in France, all engravers were also booksellers.
[45] He has an article in the Biographie Universelle, however.
[46] Champ fleury, fol. 4 recto.
[47] We say Basoche to-day.
[48] Champ fleury, fol. 12 recto and verso.
[53] [Twelfth-day, or Epiphany.]
[54] Cicero says that he borrowed this maxim from Plato: Ut præclare scriptum est Platone.
[55] Champ fleury, fol. 1 recto.
[56] Ibid., verso of title-page.
[57] [As Champ fleury is not among the works cited by French lexicographers to illustrate the historical development of the language, we search in vain for adequate explanation of some of the terms used by Tory therein. Littré defines as follows such of these varieties of letters as he includes in his dictionary: CADEAUX: Grandes lettres placées en têtes des actes ou des chapitres dans les manuscrits en écriture cursive.—FORME: Lettre de la belle écriture, des belles éditions, par opposition à la lettre cursive.—BÂTARDE: Écriture ordinairement penchée, à jambages pleins, à liaisons arrondies par le haut, et à tetes sans boucles.—GOFFES: Nom donné à une sorte de majuscules gothiques dans le commencement du XVI siècle. See, also, for some of these alphabets, Pantographia; Containing Accurate Copies of all the known Alphabets in the world. By Edmund Fry. London, 1799.]
[58] See his introduction to Palsgrave's Lesclaircissement de la langue françoise. See also Appendix II.
[59] [Escumeurs de latin. Rabelais's word is escorcher, to flay.]
[60] One of the annotators of Rabelais (I do not now remember which one, but his name is of little consequence[62]) maintains that Tory intended to criticize in that epistle the author of Pantagruel, who had introduced him in his romance under the name of Raminagrobis. There is but one little flaw in this story, namely, that the dates are against it: Champ fleury antedates Pantagruel, by several years. This fact, to be sure, does not prove that Rabelais did not make Tory a character in his work; but what foundation is there, I ask, for attributing the character of Raminagrobis to Tory? Simply the assertion of one of those seventeenth-century scribblers of marginal notes who lived on the great authors of the sixteenth as rats live on the most valuable manuscripts—by nibbling at them. What possible connection is there between Raminagrobis, canon and poet, whom Rabelais represents as dying about 1546, and Tory, layman and prose writer, who died twelve years earlier? Does it not remind one of the famous key to Astrée, of which I had occasion to prove, in my monograph upon the d'Urfés, that not a word was true? Almost the same course has been pursued with reference to the Satire Menippée, which has in our own day been ascribed to persons who would be greatly surprised, and far from proud of their alleged work. See what I had to say on this subject in the Revue de la Province et de Paris of September 30, 1842.
[61] Champ fleury, 'Aux Lecteurs.'
[62] It was Pasquier, I think, who first gave currency to this fable; and his opinion is the less admissible because he did not even know Tory's name, but calls him 'Georges Toré.' See Baillet, Jugements des Savants, vol. i, and Génin's introduction to Palsgrave, p. 10, note 4.
[63] Champ fleury, 'Aux Lecteurs.'
[64] Folio, Venice, 1509; with 62 plates engraved on wood.
[65] In his book entitled Thesauro de' scrittori (Champ fleury, fol. 35 recto). I have not seen this book, but I have seen his Theorica et pratica ... de modo scribendi fabricandique omnes litterarum species (Venice, Dec. 1, 1524; quarto). This work is divided into four books and contains engravings not unlike those in Champ fleury. M. Brunet mentions Fante's Liber elementorum litterarum (Venice, 1514; quarto), which probably was the foundation of the Thesauro de' scrittori, published by Ugo da Carpi.
[66] I do not know the title of his work, but I think that the reference is to the book thus described in the Libri catalogue of 1859: La Operina da imparare discrivere littera cancellarescha. Roma, per invenzione di Lodovico Vicentino, in quarto (1523). As for the variant spelling of the author's name, which Tory calls Vincentino, it is explainable; for we find in the Libri catalogue of 1857: Ragola da imparare scrivere varii caratteri di lettere, di L. Vincentino. (Venetia, Zoppino, 1533, in quarto.) I have also seen mentioned a work of the same sort entitled: Regula occulte scribendi seu componendi cipharam itaquenemo litteras interpretari possit communes omnibus, inventa et composita a domino Jacobo Silvestro sive Florentino. (Rome, 1526, quarto.)
[67] The doubt expressed by Tory is due to the fact that he was unable to read the text of Dürer's work, which was published in German in 1525. The Latin translation was not published until 1532, and the French still later.
[68] Champ fleury, fol. 13 recto.
[69] Ibid. fol. 14 recto.
[70] Ibid. fol. 41 verso.
[71] Des Types, etc., 2d part, 16th century, p. 166.
[72] Champ fleury, fol. 14 recto.
[73] It was the fashion, in that epoch of renascence, to treat everything allegorically. Tory was not the only one who propounded a theory to explain the shapes of letters.
[74] Champ fleury, fol. 24 recto.
[75] [And if any wonder why this book is written in Romance, according to the language of the French, when we are Italians, I will say that it is for two reasons: one, for that we are in France, and the other, for that the speaking of it is more delectable and more common to all people.] Prologue to the Trésor, published by M. Pierre Chabaille (quarto; Imprimerie Impérial, 1863; p. 3). The second reason probably explains why Marco Polo printed the narrative of his voyage in French.
[76] [That is to say, philologists.]
[77] [That is to say, the lines between the different dialects are less clearly marked in the case of the men.]
[78] Although myself a native of Lyon, I confess that I do not understand the meaning of these words, of which Tory, by a regrettable exception, gives no translation. A friend of mine in that city, M. Ant. Péricaud, thinks that the meaning is: 'Chômez-vous? Chômez cette fête.'
[79] Champ fleury, fol. 33 verso.
[80] There are some provinces where the final S is still pronounced. The English also have retained the custom, which is a necessity with them because the article is invariable, so that the plural cannot otherwise be distinguished from the singular.
[81] Champ fleury, fol. 57 recto.
[82] Ibid., fol. 58 verso. Again, as in note 5 on page 18, I will call attention to the fact that the English, who are much more French in this respect than is generally supposed, have retained the old pronunciation. They sound the final T in words borrowed from us.
[83] Champ fleury, fol. 52 recto.
[84] Ibid. fol. 56 verso.
[85] Ibid. fol. 37 verso.
[86] I have seen this binding on an octavo copy of the Ædiloquium of 1530, now in the Bibliothèque Nationale and on the Sommaire de Chroniques de J. B. Egnasio, of 1529, owned by M. Didot. [The famous collection of M. Didot has since been dispersed.]
[87] Book of Hours of 1556, owned by M. Niel. This volume was printed by the Kervers, who had bought Tory's old plant.
[88] I have seen it on the Hours of 1531, and the Diodorus of 1535, which two volumes also are [1865] owned by M. Didot.
[90] Fol. 43 verso. Inadvertently, no doubt, this mark is reversed on the first page of Champ fleury. Tory attached little importance to the error, for the same engraving often appeared afterward. It is not signed [with the double cross], like the one here reproduced.
[91] Here, and in numberless other passages in his books, Tory alludes to Italy, of which he always retained a grateful memory.
[92] Champ fleury, fol. 43 recto.
[94] The Renaissance, at this time, was at its height.
[95] Read Μηδὲν ἄγαν.
[96] [Against which not even the gods contend.]
[98] This eminent artist, who has no article in the Biographie Universelle, and who is not even mentioned in the desiderata of the Notice des tableaux du Louvre de l'école française, published by M. Villot, did not die until about 1528, if my reckoning is accurate. We can establish the fact of his existence so late as 1522 by the documents published by M. de Laborde in his book on the Renaissance. I once owned an original letter of Perreal, which shows him in full vigour in 1511. That letter, which I presented to M. Alexandre Sirand, magistrate at Bourg, has been published by him in his Courses Archéologiques, vol. iii, p. 5, in connection with the church at Brou, in which Perreal was deeply interested. The letter I refer to is dated November 15 (1511) and addressed to Margaret of Austria (widow of the Duke of Savoy), to whom Perreal offers his services as superintendent of the work of building the church. That princess accepted his offer, as we see by her reply of February, 1511 (1512 new style): 'Since Jehan Le Maire hath left us, we choose to have no other overseer in our edifices at Brou than yourself.' (See the work last cited.)
[99] La Caille, in his Histoire de l'Imprimerie, p. 98, gives the date erroneously as September 28, 1584.
[101] [fait et fait faire.]
[106] Champ fleury, fol. 73 recto.
[107] Several bibliographers, misled doubtless by the date of the license, mention an edition of Champ fleury of 1526; but there is none. Not until 1549 was there an octavo edition, printed for the bookseller Vivant Gautherot. I shall speak of it hereafter.
[109] For Gourmont, see the Notice historique which follows my work entitled: Les Estienne et les types grecs de François Ier.
[110] Gilles de Gourmont had just published Lucian's Dialogues in Greek (quarto, 1528); but Tory's translation was made from a Latin version. Although he knew Greek, he did not use it when he could avoid it. As a general rule he translated from Latin versions such Greek authors as he dealt with.
[111] This was, as we have seen, the sign of the famous printer Chrétien Wechel; it was on the right as one ascends rue Saint-Jacques, near the church of Saint-Benoît. The Pot Cassé was opposite.