Page:Historic printing types, a lecture read before the Grolier club of New York, January 25, 1885, with additions and new illustrations; by De Vinne, Theodore Low, 1828-1914; Grolier Club.djvu/30

 26 HISTORIC FEINTING TYPES. in 1521. iBaac Taylor, vol. n. p. is*. ' entirely with the Roman letter, was the Treatise by Henry viii., on account of which the Pope bestowed on him the title of Defender of the Faith. It was probably in defer- ence to the Italian taste that Roman types were obtained for & book intended as a compliment to the Pope. IV Early Italic Types. T the beginning of the xvith century, the reading world was practically divided in two classes: those who favored Roman ; those who favored Black Letter. An eminent printer of Venice, Aldus Manutius. thought the time was favorable for a Aldus born in 1450. Printed new form of printing type. He selected a fashion of writ- from 1494 to ing, then known as Cursivetos or Cancellarius, and in high favor with copyists. The body marks were thin and the letters condensed; in every feature more simple than the Gothic. It was very compact, warranting the belief that, with this letter, he could print a text in octavo which had before been done in quarto. Possibly emula- tion was another motive. Jenson had earned great honor 1515.