graphicum_ observed that the penny at that time
seems to have been more than the equivalent of our pound sterling in the
purchase of black-letter rarities.

CHAPTER XII.

GROLIER AND HIS SUCCESSORS.

Jean Grolier, the prince of book-collectors, was born at Lyons in 1479.
His family had come originally from Verona, but had long been naturalised
in France. Several of his relations held civic offices; Etienne Grolier,
his father, was in charge of the taxes in the district of Lyons, and was
appointed treasurer of the Milanese territories at that time in the
occupation of the French. Jean Grolier succeeded his father in both these
employments. He was treasurer of Milan in 1510, when Pope Julius formed
the league against the French, which was crushed at the Battle of
Ravenna; and for nearly twenty years afterwards Grolier took a principal
part in administering the affairs of the province. Young, rich, and
powerful, a lover of the arts and a bountiful patron of learning, he
became an object of almost superstitious respect to the authors and
booksellers of Italy. He was eager to do all in his power towards
improving the machinery and diffusing the products of science. He loved
his books not only for what they taught but also as specimens of
typography and artistic decoration. To own one or two examples from his
library is to take high rank in the army of bookmen. The amateur of
bindings need learn little more when he comprehends the stages of
Grolier's literary passion, its fervent and florid beginnings, the
majesty of its progress, and its austere simplicities in old age.

Grolier was the personal friend of Gryphius, the printer of Lyons, and of
all the members of the House of Aldus at Venice. Erasmus, who was revered
by Grolier as his god-father in matters of learning, once paid a
compliment to the treasurer, which was not far from the truth. 'You owe
nothing to books,' he wrote, 'but they owe a good deal to you, because it
is by your help that they will go down to posterity.' The nature of
Grolier's relations with the Venetian publishers appears in his letters
to Francis of Asola about the printing of a work by Budaeus. He writes
from Milan in the year 1519: 'I am thinking every day about sending you
the "Budaeus" for publication in your most elegant style. You must add to
your former favours by being very diligent in bringing out my friend's
book, of which I now send you the manuscript revised and corrected by th