University of Virginia Library

(1)

In general, the usefulness of ornamental evidence increases with the length of a book and the opportunities presented by the kind of text for the insertion of ornamental stock. Unfortunately, no predicatable relationship obtains between the various patterns of sharing and the appearances of ornaments. Many short texts such as play-quartos and theological pamphlets present no opportunity for the insertion of sharing printers' ornaments after the preliminaries and beginning of the text, although this is not an inviolable pattern. The first section of a short shared text could in fact be given to a sharing printer while the printer cited in the imprint (usually accompanied by his ornamental stock in the title and preliminaries) completes the text without the insertion of ornamental stock. Thus Creede's initial Yamada / Creede T6 begins the octavo text of Essays Pt. 1 STC5775 while Stafford prints the final section (L-O); and Eld's rarely used 'W' begins the text of Malcontent Q1-2 STC17479-80 while Simmes prints the second section (F-H). Shorter texts consisting of two sub-titles or a major title and sub-title present the opportunity for the insertion of ornamental stock. In the octavo Of the Calling of the Ministerie Two Treatises STC19733 (1605), Roberts's imprint and ornaments appear in the preliminaries and his two fonts alternate in the first treatise in 1BC. "The Second Treatise" shifts to a repeated alphabet with Yamada/Creede initial I1 in 2B1 heading the text in 2B-K which is printed in Creede-4.[12]

In longer texts, divisions by books and chapters frequently occasion a shift in ornamental stock between shared sections which is almost inevitably accompanied by a shift in fonts except in instances of borrowing. Printers sometimes concluded intermediate shared sections with a favorite ornament to fill space even though the text continued in the next section. In general, it is therefore advisable to check for a shift in fonts before and after the textual appearance of an ornament or initial even when the piece is identified in the references. This approach usually clarifies whether a boundary between shared sections obtains. In some instances, the divisions of shared sections do not coincide with the points at which ornaments appear. For example, it seems clear that a decision to begin each chapter with an initial accompanied the jobbing out of An Answer STC12988 with the result that each of the six printers had the opportunity to insert at least one initial. However, only Braddock's 'H' (Chapter 1, A1) and Harrison's 'Y' (Chapter 8, Q1) appear coincidentally at the beginning of sections and chapters. Other initials are buried within sections (E2, H1v, K4, N4, P1v). The ornaments in the preliminaries and text of Seven Deadly Sinnes STC6522 (1606) present a confusing situation which can only be resolved by identification of the contextual fonts. Allde's imprint and ornaments appear in the title (McKerrow 207; see STC description of four states of the title), the dedication (McKerrow/Allde ornament 15 and an 'I' in 1A3), then two of Stafford's pieces (McKerrow 295b, Lavin/Danter initial I2) head the Induction 2A1-4r which is printed in Stafford-EFb; the short letter "Reader" in an unsigned, apparently extra, leaf begins with an unidentified factotum (similar to Woodfield/Field Fac. 1), is printed in Allde-S2, and concludes overside with an identified Allde piece (McKerrow/Allde 4). Examination of the papers reveals that Stafford's

preliminary gathering was mistakenly bound in between 1A3-4 of Allde's preliminaries. The text (2B1-O4) in black letter begins with an unidentified headpiece and Lavin/Danter I2 followed by a factotum similar to Woodfield/Wolfe Fac. 3 on C2v. The appearance of an identified piece in each of this sequence of sections would seem to suggest that Stafford then continued with the entire text. However, a special problem (see later discussion, note 41) arises in distinguishing the shared sections in the remainder of the book since it prints in black letter with pica roman as the emphasis typeface.

In unshared long books, external identification of ornamental stock is frequently unnecessary since some pieces recur throughout the book. However, a change in the manner of heading chapters and the appearance of new ornamental stock could be misinterpreted. Bearing Jaggard's imprint, Badges STC889 is continuously signed B-2G; each of the four textual units (Books 1-3 and "A Corollary") contains numerous chapters, each headed by an initial. A mixed setting style is established in Book 1 comprised of factotum 1 (C1, E1, F5, F8v, K2), and initial T1 (E4, F3v, F7, G6v, H5v, H7, I4v), with the remaining chapters headed by unornamented, large (7mm) roman capitals. The appearance of previously unseen initial A1 at N4 in Book 2; the shift to setting large roman initials almost exclusively in 20 chapters of Book 3 except for the previously unseen I1 at Q2 and a problematic initial T2 on 2C2v which seems identical to T1 except that single rather than double rules enclose it, making it seem a different initial (it actually is); and factotum 2 in Book 4 (2E1) should cause no difficulty because of the recurrence of previously seen ornamental stock and the mixed setting style. Ornament 1 begins both Book 1 and 2, T1 continues in Book 2 (O7, O8), and factotum 1 appears twice in Book 3 (Q2, R5v). Book 4 raises the possibility of sharing with its new factotum 2 and different printing style, but that can easily be attributed to the change in the kind of text. Moreover, the font which prints the whole book is easily recognized as Jaggard-Y1b.

In some long quartos, sharing may be hinted at by an apparent shift in ornamental stock, although a common problem is that usually too few pieces appear to permit such an insight. Hence, the erratic appearance of ornamental stock somewhat lessens its usefulness as a means of detecting shared printing since pieces may be scattered about in a book without much of a recognizable pattern or with just a few appearances across several gatherings. Furthermore, the intermittent appearance of ornamental stock at likely boundaries between shared sections can create the impression of a sharing pattern less complex than that which actually occurs in a book. Eld's stock and Eld-Y2 appear in Book 1 of An Apology STC19295, followed by Jaggard's stock and fonts in the first half of Book 2. However, a shift to a third alphabet reintroduces Eld-Y2 up to and after 3H-L, where Jaggard's fonts appear.

Even when a pattern of recurrence or the appearance of identified pieces is encountered in a shared book, it may not provide a basis for precise differentiation of sections, especially if the two printers print in alternate groups

of gatherings instead of in a simple division into long self-contained sections. De Missa STC23456 (1603) illustrates these difficulties. Bearing Adam Islip's imprint, the text of Books 1-3 is continuously signed B-2T3 but a repeated alphabet is prematurely introduced at [2T5] with the beginning of Book 4. The simultaneous shift from easily distinguished Islip-EFb, which uses Guyot capitals exclusively, to a Y-font suggests, at first glance, a simple division by books. However, the distribution of fonts in Book 4 reveals the actual sharing pattern: the Y-font prints 2A-L, 2P-R, 2T, and 2X; Islip-EFb prints 2M-O, 2S, and 2V. It is illuminating to consider the ornamental evidence against this background. The ornamental stock in Books 1-3 is extensive, including two identified head-pieces and one identified factotum in six appearances, nineteen initials in forty-seven appearances, and three factotums in single appearances. Together with the shift in signature-alphabets, a group of twelve new pieces in 2A-L easily points to a sharing division marked by six recurrent pieces (repeated alphabet assumed in the following): factotum 1 recurs at K2, L7v; 'S' at A1, E1; 'A' at A4v, C5, D4v, G2; 'I' at B1v, H1, K4; 'Q' at C1, D6v, I7v; and 'P1' at C5v, I1v, and R5. In addition, six other initials occur once: 'V' at A8v; 'D' at B5v; 'C' at B3; 'R' at E5v; 'F' at H4; and 'B' at L2v. However, the ornamental evidence is clear only about the 2A-L section of Book 4. Relatively few initials occur after 2A-L, leaving little to go on as to the precise division of sharing. The recurrence of 'P1' at 2R5 (previously seen at 2C5v and 2I1v) links 2R to the sharing printer of 2A-L; otherwise three additional initials appear in his later sections: the 'T' at 2P6; 'E' at 2T8; and 'V' at 2X1. The latter could possibly be confusing since another 'V' appears at 2A8v; it might suggest a third printer rather than one who possesses and uses two different 'V' in the same text. The recurrences of five initials from Books 1-3 permit the assignment of three gatherings of Book 4 to Islip and clearly indicate that the division of labor was not a simple "by books" job; rather, Islip alternated with the sharing printer in Book 4.[13] Overall, internal ornamental evidence clarifies the divisions of labor for most of the book with B-2T, 2N, 2O, and 2S assigned to Islip, and 2A-L and 2R to the sharing printer. "Gross features" font analysis is adequate for settling the assignment of the remaining six gatherings (2M, V to Islip; 2PQ, T, X, to the sharing printer) and confirming the rest.

In general, the appearance of previously identified ornamental stock in alternating gatherings of a shared section such as Book 4 of De Missa STC 23456 provides a short-cut to the assignment of some gatherings. All five recurrent initials noted above belong to Islip, so that a charting of initials through Books 1-3 to establish a recurrence pattern is unnecessary in this instance. However, this is possible only if a previous survey of a printer's work has established that such initials are part of his stock. A rather quick survey of long books (especially folios if available) in the proximate period by

the printer given in the imprint of a shared book will usually locate at least a few pieces which can tentatively establish his sections in the latter. However, in Islip's case, this approach is thwarted by an anomaly in the output from his shop (see later discussion).

Long folios generally contain many pieces so that an internal grouping of ornamental stock exclusive of external identifications frequently can provide an initial clue to the alternation between two printers and sometimes the actual boundaries of sections, provided that the sections are long enough for the recurrence of one or more pieces, or of several initials that belong to a particular alphabet. The latter situation merely hints at ownership by one printer, but is a valuable initial clue to the identity of some printers. For example, an initial from Islip's Blayney/Alphabets 4 and 5 rarely (if ever) appears alone in books which use several initials. Similarly, the Robinson/Braddock stock included at least eight (A B F H I O T S) large (41mm) initials enclosed by two outer rules separated from an inner frame by ringlets (see Plomer T158, F161, H163; Purfoot also used a similar 'T'; see Romish Spider STC5963.5, B1). A second Robinson/Braddock alphabet is characterized by human subject-matter on a filled black background. An appearance of a few initials from these recognizable alphabets calls for a check of the contextual font(s). Moreover, the shift in a long book to previously unseen stock calls for a comparison of the fonts at the previous border between gatherings. Adam Islip and George Eld are identified in the imprint (an extremely rare gratuitous clue) of A General Historie STC12374 (1608) so that the identification of their respective sections should be nothing more than a "mop-up" operation. The new STC assigns to Eld sections O-2D, 3A-3P, 4I-5F, and 5X-6C, with the rest to Islip. The error in the assignment of the first section is puzzling and illustrates the need for consideration of the pattern of ornament appearance as well as font shifts. Islip's ornaments and initials from his Alphabets 4 and 5 appear up to K5. A different set of five initials appears between L1-N. Then Eld's Mermaid head-piece (30mm x 150mm) and a large 'I' (48mm x 45mm) appear on O1. As far as I know, the Horseman-L at L1 and the "Honi Soit"-A at L3v do not appear previously in an Eld book, but the three others do, including the Monkey-D at L5, the Demon-W at M5v, and Scholar-T at N4v. Nonetheless, two recur in later sections assigned to Eld: the "Honi Soit"-A appears later in the first section at V2, in the second section at 3M6 along with the Scholar-T at 3I7, and in the third section at 4X5. These appearances overlap with 15 other of Eld's initials in the correctly assigned sections,[14] a fact that should be easily noted and interpreted as evidence of Eld's work in L-O. Moreover, a shift in fonts occurs at L1 along with the introduction of the new set of initials; why this was overlooked is puzzling, given the fact that other boundaries were detected in the absence of ornamental stock. The shift to Islip's font at 2E1 occurs fairly close to the

appearance of his Mermaid head-piece (34mm x 126mm) and initials P5 at 2E4 and K5 at 2E5v. However, font shifts without ornamental stock occur at 3Q1 [3M6], 5X1, and 6C1 [5P2] at some distance from the previous appearance of ornamental stock (in brackets). In short, it is not necessary to know a printer's entire ornamental stock in many instances if proper attention is given to the pattern of appearances and contextual fonts.