University of Virginia Library

The Art of Selling Books: Notes on three Aldus Catalogues, 1586-1592
by
Rudolf Hirsch

INTRODUCTION

Conventional histories of literature and orthodox bibliography have paid scant attention to the reaction of the reading public to book production. Sociologists, public opinion analysts, and commercial interests have recognized the importance of current problems of "literary taste." What are the reasons for the neglect of the historical aspects of readers' reactions? The scarcity of objective data would appear to be the obvious explanation. However, we possess a mass of information which can profitably be utilized in analyzing the reception by the public of specific titles or groups of publications. The first and main sources are data on the periodicity, or frequency of republication, a barometer of public appeal, which can be assembled with comparative ease by the scholar well trained in the use of bibliographical tools. Another, more obscure source, is found in the advertisements and catalogues issued by publishers and bookdealers with some frequency since the 15th century. Specimens of this latter type are the subject of this paper.

The firm of Aldus, founded in 1494 by Aldo Manuzio and continued successfully by his son Paolo, fell into comparative decline under his grandson Aldo Manuzio, the Younger. From 1581 on, the business was conducted largely by Niccolo Manassi

who, in the words of Renouard[1] exploited "non sans quelque capacité, l'immense réputation de cette typographie célèbre." Renouard who takes a somewhat dim view of Manassi's stewardship, comments on him, under the year 1586, as follows: "L'imprimerie, régie par Nicolas Manassi . . . se trouve réduite à bien peu de chose. Il paroît que son exploitation se bornoit presque à la vente du peu de livres restés en magasin." This statement is not entirely correct. His activities as a publisher, between the years 1581 and 1586, compare not unfavorably with those of the younger Aldus. That more than a few books were still in stock becomes evident upon examination of the "Libri di stampa d'Aldo che si trovano al presente" (see illustrations). It seems, however, true that Manassi was eager to reduce the stock at hand; or so we deduce from his use, from 1586 on, of a new kind of sales catalogues, published as appendices of the firm's regular publications. As far as could be ascertained, he was the first to use his own publications as vehicles for advertising the remaining, unsold stock. This technique, used today on book jackets, common in books during the 19th century, is generally associated with English 17th century printers who used it to promote the sale of dramatic publications. [2]

Little or no attention has been paid to the sales catalogues of Aldus, though Renouard mentioned them, had seen 23, and listed 21.[3] He reprints the sales catalogue found in LeRoy, 1592 (R.248, 3) "parce qu'il est un des plus amples"; he refers to it as the sixth Aldus catalogue. Five earlier publishers' lists of the firm were printed separately, and issued in the years 1498, 1503, 1513 (two catalogues) and 1563. The 1586-1598 series, of

which our sales catalogues are part, covers a comparatively short period. Its catalogues are characterized by the fact that they were printed as part of regular publications, and list only items still available ("che si trovano"), and therefore unsold. By examining items not sold, in the light of total production, we can arrive at an estimate of the attitude of the reading public towards Aldus publications. Since items—except for pre-publication announcements—are priced, a comparison of the sales catalogues provides data on book price variations. Finally, the listing itself is brief and not too clear, as was customary for all early bibliographies and catalogues; nevertheless, sufficient points of some bibliographical value have been clarified, beyond the information previously supplied in the comprehensive study of Renouard, to justify further investigation of such sales catalogues.

The designation "nuovo" (or "nuova," "nuovi") found following the indication of size in the 1586 and 1589 catalogues, remains a riddle. The most likely interpretation is that it refers to reprint editions, an explanation which holds true for a majority of items designated "nuovo." It cannot mean recent publications, since the imprints cover the range from 1575 to 1589. It may mean new, as against second-hand copies, but this is highly doubtful, since it is assumed that most items advertised were available in several copies, as must definitely be the case for the 1586-1589 imprints, just off the press and presumably all new. It seems unlikely that "nuovo" refers to a special kind of size, since it is used in connection with folio, 4to, 8vo and 16mo.

Sales catalogues chosen here for the comparative study are those printed in Armandus, Declaratio (1586) [4] and Bobali, Rime (1589)[5] The relative position of individual items in those catalogues is indicated in the tabular presentation, preceding the price. Data from the LeRoy list of 1592 have been added to

illustrate the sales progress during the three following years. Since the 1592 catalogue includes the dates of printing, it is of particular value in identifying editions in the two earlier catalogues. By re-arranging chronologically the items listed in the sales catalogues of the Armandus and the Bobali, the business success of Manassi and the Aldus family is portrayed somewhat in the fashion of an inventory.

Tabular presentation of publications listed in the sales catalogues of 1586 and 1589, with comparative information from the catalogue of 1592.

SALES CATALOGUE

                       

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
1519
1. Statius, Publius Papinus. Opera. 8vo. R.88,12	55	1.10	--	--	--
1525
2. Galen. Opera. fol. R.101,3[1]	31	49.12	--	--	--
1554
3. Rapicius, Jovita. De numero oratorio. fol. R.159,9	35	1.10	--	--	--
1556
4. Tomitano, Bernardino. Coridon, sive de venetorum laudibus. 8vo. R.168,11	8	0.6	--	--	--
1557
5. Falletti, Girolamo. De bello sicambrico. 4to. R.172,13	33	2.0	--	--	--

SALES CATALOGUE

                                     

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
1563(18)
6. Asconius Pedianus, Quintus. Explanatio in Ciceronis orationes in C. Verrem. 8vo. R.189,11	2	0.15	2	0.15	0.15
1564 (24)
1565 (18)
1566 (20)
1567 (14)
1568 (9)
7. Breviarium Romanum. Rome. 8vo. R.204.2[2]	7	3.10	7	3.10	--
1569 (15)
8. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Epistolae ad T. Pomponium Atticum, volgare. 8vo. R.206,8	26	2.10	--	--	--
9. ______, supposed author. Rheticorum libri IV. 8vo. R.207,13	--	--	--	--	2.10
1570 (24)
10. Nunnesius, Petrus Ioannes. Epitheta M. T. Ciceronis. 8vo. R.209,13	22	2.0	--	--	2.0
1571 (13)
1572 (11)
1573 (12)
11. Paetus, Lucas. De mensuris et ponderibus. fol. R.216,11[3]	36	1.10	32	1.10	1.10

SALES CATALOGUE

                           

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
1574 (7)
1575 (19)
12. Manuzio, Aldo, the Younger. Epitome ortographiae. 8vo. R.218,6	20	1.0	20	1.4	(1590 ed.)
13. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Epistolae familiares. 8 vo. R.219,9	27	2.0	25	2.10	2.10
14. Ciofanus, Hercules. In P. Ovidii Nasonis Metamorphosin . . . observationes. 8vo. R.219,12	34	0.15	31	1.0	1.0
1576 (16)
15. Bacci, Andrea. Del tevere, ne' quali si tratta della natura, & bontà dell' acque. 4to. R.222,3	4	2.0	4	2.10	2.10
16. Manuzio, Aldo Pio. Institutionum grammaticarum libri IV. 8vo. R.222,4	--	--	--	--	1.10
17. Muret, Marc Antoine. Orationes et hymni. 8vo. R.223,10	46	1.4	42	1.4	1.4
18. Manuzio, Aldo, the Younger. De quaesitis. 8vo. R.223,13	16	1.0	17	1.4	1.4
19. Clarantes, Paulus. Epitome in librum de paschalis chronologia. 4to. R.224,15	21	0.8	21	0.8	0.8
1577 (3)

SALES CATALOGUE

                           

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
1578 (6)
Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Orationes. V. I. fol. R.225,3 See 1579
20. Contarini, Gasparo. Opera. fol. R225,5	--	--	--	--	9.0
1579 (8)
21. Giustiniano, Lorenzo (St. Lawrence). Del dispregio del mondo et sue vanità. 4to. R.225,1	64	1.15	57	1.15	1.15
22. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Orationes. 3 V. (1578-1579) fol. R.225,3; 226,4	41	18.12	37	18.12	18.12
1580 (9)
23. Naples. Pragmatice, edicta, regiaeque sanctiones Neapolitani regni. fol. R.227,1	48	7.0	--	--	--
24. Manuzio, Paolo. Epistolarum libri. 16mo. Not in R. [4]	23	2.0	22	1.10	--
1581 (12)
25. Anania, Giovanni Lorenzo. De natura daemonum. 8vo. R.228,2	15	0.13	16	(1589 ed.)	--
26. Mocenicus, Philippus. Universales institutiones ad hominum perfectionem. fol. R.228,3	14	7.0	14	7.0	7.0

SALES CATALOGUE

                           

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
27. Estienne, Charles. L'agricoltura. 4to. R.228,4	5	3.10	5	3.10	(1591 ed.)
28. Censorinus. De die natali. 8vo. R.229,5	13	0.12	13	0.12	0.12
29. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De officiis (etc.) fol. R.229,7	47	4.10	43	4.10	4.10
30. Lippomano, Luigi. De vitis sanctorum. 6 V. fol. R.230,11	63	49.12	56	49.12	49.12
31. Manuzio, Paolo. Antiquitatum romanorum liber de senatu. 4to. R.230,12	17	1.4	18	1.4	1.4
1582 (10)
32. Catechismus. 8vo. R.230,1	11	2.0	10	2.0	2.0
33. Catechismo. 8vo. R.230,2	12	2.0	11	2.0	2.0
34. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Epistolae familiares. fol. R.231,4	24	9.6	23	10.10	10.10
35.___Epistolae ad T. Pomponium Atticum. fol. R.231,5	25	9.6	24	9.6	9.6
36. Caro, Annibale. Gli straccioni. 12mo. R.231,8	9	0.6	8	(1589 ed.?)	--
37. Atanagi, Dionigi and F. Turchi. Delle lettere, facete e piaceroli. 1575?-1582. 2 V. R.231,9 (V. I only) [5]	38	3.0	34	3.10	3.10

SALES CATALOGUE

                             

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
1583 (7 and 5) [6]
38. Cicero, Marcus Tullius. De rhetorica. 2 V. fol. R.232,2	53	18.12	48	18.12	18.12
39. ___ De philosophia. 2 V. fol. R.232,3	50	9.6	45	9.6	9.6
40. ___ Opera. 10 V. [1581] 1582-83. fol. R.232,4 [7]	45	62.0	41	62.0	62.0
41. Audebertus, Germanus. Venetiae. 4to. R.233,6	32	2.0	29	2.0	2.0
42. Tasso, Torquato. Delle rime e prose parte prima [e seconda] 2 V. 12mo. R.233,7	54	3.0	49	3.0	3.0
43. ___ Aminta. 12mo. R.233,7,I,2	3	0.6	--	(see 1589)	(see 1589)
44. ___ Il Forno. 12mo. R.233,7,I,3	30	0.10	28	0.10	0.10
45. ___ Il Rinaldo innamorato. 12mo. R.233,7,II,2	52	0.15	47	0.15	0.15
46. ___ Il padre di famiglia. 12mo. R.233,7,II,3	49	0.6	44	0.6	0.6
1584 (5)
47. Frischlin, Nicodemus. Quaestionum grammaticarum libri XII. 8vo. R.234,3	51	1.10	46	1.10	1.10
48. ___ Strigilis grammatica. 8vo. R.235,4	56	0.10	51	0.10	0.10

SALES CATALOGUE

                         

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
1585 (15)
49. Leroy, Louis. La vicessitudine delle cose, nell'universo. 4to. R.235,1	59	2.10	54	2.10	(1592 ed.)
50. Brancacio, Lelio. Della nuova disciplina & vera arte militare. fol. R.235,2	40	3.10	36	3.10	3.10
51. Virgilius Maro, Publius. Opera. 8vo. R.235,5 [8]	61	1.10	--	--	1.10
52. Terentius, Publius Afer. Locutioni overo modi famigliari di dire. 8vo. R.236,7	39	1.4	35	1.4	1.4
53. Tasso, Torquato. Aggiunta alle rime & prose. 12mo. R.236,9	6	0.8	6	0.8	0.8
54. Turco, Carlo. Agnella. 8vo. R.236,10	10	0.8	9	0.8	0.8
55. _______ Calestri tragedia. 8vo. R.236,11	58	0.8	53	0.8	0.8
1586 (5 and 1?)
56. Manuzio, Aldo, the Younger. Ortographia in tavole. Not after 1586? Broadside. R.243,9 [9]	42	0.6	38	0.6	0.6
57. Armandus, de Bellovisu. Declaratio difficilium terminorum theologiae,

SALES CATALOGUE

                     

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
philosophiae atque logicae. 8vo. R.237,1	1, 18	1.4	1	1.10	1.10 with date 1584
58. Huarte Navarro, Juan de Dios. Essame de gl' ingegni. 8vo. R.237,2	28	1.10	26	1.10	(1590 ed.)
59. Manuzio, Aldo, the Younger. Eleganze insieme della lingua Toscana e Latina. 16mo. R.237,3	29	1.0	27	1.4	1.4
60. Horatius Flaccus, Quintus. [Epodi] De laudibus vitae rusticae. Bologna. 4to. R.238,4	19	0.12	--	--	--
61. Manuzio, Aldo, the Younger. Vita di Cosimo de' Medici. Bologna. fol. R.238,5	62	6.4	58	6.4	6.0
1587 (6)
62. Officium Beatae Mariae Virginis. 12mo. R.239,1	43	7.0[10]	39	7.0	7.0
63. Bodin, Jean. Trattato della demonomania. 4to. R.239,3	57	no price	52	4.0	--
64. Manuzio, Aldo, the Younger. Locutioni dell'

SALES CATALOGUE

                           

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
epistole di Cicerone. 16 mo. R.239,4	37	1.0[10]	33	1.4	1.4
65. Virgilius Maro, Publius. Vergilius cum notis G. Meyen. 8vo. R.240,6	60	3.10[11]	55	3.10	3.10
1588 (10)
66. Caesar, Gaius Julius. [De bello gallico] Commentarii. 8vo. R.240,4	--	--	12	3.10	3.10
1589 (15, should be 14)
67. Gozzi, Niccolo Vito di. Discorsi della penitenza. 8vo. R.242,2	--	--	19	2.0	2.0
68. Bodin, Jean. Trattato della demonomania. 4to. R.242,7	--	--	52	4.0	4.0
69. Gozzi, Niccolo Vito di. Governo della famiglia. 8vo. R.242,4	--	--	30	0.10	0.10
70. Anania, Giovanni Lorenzo. De natura daemonum. 8vo. R.242,6	--	--	16	0.15	0.15
71. Vairus, Leonardus. De fascina. 8vo. R.242,6	--	--	15	1.10	1.4
72. Bobali, Savino de. Rime amorose. 4to. R.243,12	--	--	50	1.10	0.10
73. Caro, Annibale. Glistraccioni. 12mo. R.243,13	--	--	8	0.6	0.6

SALES CATALOGUE

           

	1586		1589		1592
	Position	Price	Position	Price	Price
74. Tasso, Torquato. Aminta. 12mo. R.243,14	--	--	3	0.6	0.6
75. Contarini, Gasparo. Demagistratibus et republica Venetorum. 4to. R.243,15	--	--	--	--	1.0
Date not ascertainable
76. Rocca, Angelo. Osservationi intorno alle bellezze della lingua latina. 16mo.[12]	44	1.0	40	1.4	(8vo ed. 1590)

COMMENTARY AND CONCLUSION

The first two items in the tabular presentation are the only "remainders" from the period of Andrea Asolano who conducted the affairs of the Aldus establishment from 1515 to 1529. They like the following items (nos. 3-5) were apparently sold out between the years 1586 and 1589. Six items (nos. 6-11) belong to the late period of Paolo Manuzio. The rest (nos. 12-76) are the products of the younger Aldo Manuzio or his manager Manassi.

In the tabular presentation the number of items, listed by year in Renouard, is added in parentheses after the years 1563 to 1589, to provide comparative information on sales versus production. Thus, we find that of 185 publications listed by Renouard for the period 1563-1574[6] all but six had been sold out by 1586. Quite obviously the picture is less favorable as we approach the date of 1586.

Of 64 items listed in the 1586 sales catalogue, thirteen (nos. 1-5, 8, 10, 23, 25, 36, 43, 51, and 60), or roughly one-fifth were not relisted in the catalogue of 1589, and therefore were probably sold. However, two of these

were again listed in 1592, possibly as single copies. Eight more items (nos. 7, 12, 24, 27, 49, 58, 63, and 76) from the original 64 were omitted in the 1592 listing and can be considered "out-of-print."

Three items (nos. 9, 16, and 20), though printed between 1569 and 1578, are listed in the 1592 catalogue only; they may possibly be single copies.

Several items were listed in one of the catalogues in one edition, sold out, reprinted, and listed in another edition in a later catalogue, as for example Tasso's Aminta (nos. 43 and 74).

Unfortunately we do not possess information on the size of editions, or the number of copies still available at the time of listing. In any case, this new type of advertising must have been successful and profitable; otherwise Manassi would not have continued the practice as persistently as he did.

The prices are in Venetian lire (or librae, livres, pounds) and soldi. A comparison with book prices of other publishers of the period has not been attempted. Price increases between lists (nos. 12-15, 18, 34, 37, 57, 59, 64, and 76) reflect the continued rise of prices, typical for the second half of the 16th century. Why, in contrast, the prices of a few items (nos. 24, 61 and especially 71, the last drastically reduced from 1.10 to 0.10, if not a typographical error) were reduced, is difficult to understand, except that complete failure to sell may have been the reason.

As stated in the introduction, the ability to sell is an indicator of "literary taste". It is beyond the scope of this study to draw any conclusions in this matter, except for pointing to some few examples: Of seven Tasso items (nos. 42-46, 53 and 74) only the Aminta (nos. 43 and 74) seems to have been a commercial success. All others remained listed throughout. Of nine Cicero items (nos. 8, 13, 22, 29, 34-35, 38-40) only the earliest imprint, the Epistolae ad Atticum, 1569, in Italian, went out of print between 1586 and 1592. In all these cases competition from other publishers has undoubtedly been a contributing factor. But the competition was equally heavy for items which were sold successfully. It may therefore, be safe to say that Tasso's Rime, Padre di famiglia, and Rinaldo were not too popular in the 1580's. Similarly it would appear that Cicero, most esteemed during the 15th and first half of the 16th century, had lost ground by the end of this century and that only the lower

intelligentsia, the literate whose reading was limited to works in his native tongue, prolonged enthusiasm for Ciceronian writings. Similar and less obvious conclusions could probably be drawn upon a complete analysis of the Aldus sales catalogues; but this task is left to the literary historian.

Bibliographical puzzles (or solutions) in connection with this study are few. They are found in notes 4, 5, 8, 9 and 12 of the tabular presentation. A more extended investigation of all known Aldus sales catalogues—a long range plan—may well unearth considerably more, and more valuable, information.

Notes