The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-10
TEE AI.DINE FRESS.

Humanists and publishers, there is none
who left so strong a stamp of individuality
behind him as the man who loved to sign
his exquisite volumes Aldus Plus Manutius
Romanus ct Philhelien. His original name
was Teobaldo Mannucci. and he was born
at Sermoheta in 1850. His early life was
one of learned ease and retirement sufIi-
GENTLY unlike the restless and fatiguing
labors to which lie was afterward fated.
The guest and friend Of the noble Pico
della Mirandola, lie studied Greek with
him in his palace under n Cretan Professor,
Emmanuel Adramyttenos. Eventually he
became the tutor Of Pico's nephews; and
one of these, Alberto Pico, to whom the
great publisher afteward dedicated his
magnificent edition of Aristotle, supplied
him with funds to set up printing press.
In 1476 the first Greek book had been
issued from a press at Milan, and 14S0ia
very uncritical Theocrtus made its ap-
pearance. The first really excellent book
l'"ci'ohCN III lttlJ NhS I1OIohAO hIDu b
Florentine Homer in 1883. This wns really
all of any value that Ind been done to
perpetuate Greek literature when Aldus,
in 1890, settled in Venice, and collected
Scholnrs and compositors around him. His
house became nucleus of Greek learning.
and indeed it would seem that the whole
business was carried on in the Greek Ian
gnage, ind by exiles from the ruins of the
Eastern Empire. The directions to print
ers and binders are entirely in that lam
guage, and accordingly it is judged that
Adus, in order to succeed thoroughly in
lis great enterprise, stepped himself en-
tirely in the language that he loved; his
very prefaces were in Greek. The work,
begun about 1493, went on almost without
pause for more thrn 20 years; during
that time there were issued from the AL
dine press no less than 33 first editions of
all the greatest and most voluminous
Greek authors. OF these, few may he
recorded here. The list began with
Musmus in 1903, and Theocritus in 1905;
Aristotle followed, splendid edition in
four volumes, which occupied the years
'4"E 20 1893, in the last mentioned year
Aldus was assisted by Musurus in bringing
out all that was then known of Aristo-
planes, the Lysistrata and the IhesmOpho
riazus9 being not yet discovered. Thucy-
ddes, Sophocles, and Herodotus followed
in 1902, Zenophon and Euripides in 1903,
and Demosthtnes in 1904. The Greek
orators occupied 1903, and Plutarch 1900;
Plato appeared 1913, and Pindar in 1914
Thus, just 100 years after the first Profess
sor of CIR elk arrived in Florence, bearing
the precious secrets of literature with him,
the greater part of antique letters was at
the service of the humblest of Italian
than the public spirit and muniicence of
the first and greatest of publishers. In
spite of his manifold expenses risks, and
difficulties, he contrived to circulate his
really luxurious editions at price that
seems nominal. The Museus cost less
than shilling of our money, and the
Theocritus less than 2; all five volumes of
the vast edition of Aristotle could be pur
chased for ES. When we realize thai
everything had to be invented, and that
Aldus inherited no experience from past
workmen; that the very type had to be
cut from handwriting, the italic type from
that of Petrarch. the Greek from that of
Musurus; that the publishing house lad to
become q sort of college of scholars, all
dependent on the unwearied head, our
wonder is excited at the greatness of this
unique man, whose energies were con-
stantly thwarted and his designs paralyzed
by the waves of war that deluged Italy
again and again. He persevered, and his
disciples continued his lubors; the monu-
ments of ancient prose and verse were
placed beyond the fear of destruction or
loss. In 1915 Aldus Manutius died.-Ihe
Westminster Review.