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.
