, or in Latin, Jodocus Badius Ascensius, an eminent French printer, was born in 1462, at Assche, a village
, or in Latin, Jodocus Badius Ascensius, an
eminent French printer, was born in
1462, at Assche, a village in the territory of Brussels, from
which he derived the name Ascensius. He first studied at
Ghent, then at Brussels, and lastly at Ferrara in Italy. He
made great progress in the languages, and principally in
the Greek, which he learned at Lyons and at Paris. He
printed a great many books, and usually in the frontispiece
had a printing press as his mark. He is also the author of
some books, among which are <c Sylva moralis contra vitia“” Psalterium B. Mariae versibus“” Epigrammatum
Lib. I“* f Navicula stultarum mulierum
” “VitaThomce
a Kempis
” “De Grammatica
” “De conscribendis
Epistolis.
” He wrote also commentaries on Horace, Virgil,
Juvenal, Lucan, Sallust, Valerius Maximus, Quintilian,
Aulus Gellius, and soiue parts of Cicero’s works. At Paris
he taught Greek, and' explained the poets at Lyons. His
high reputation in these studies induced Treschel, the famous printer, to engage him as corrector of his press,
not only secured his valuable services by taking him as a
partner in the business, but also gave him his daughter
Thalia in marriage, who was also a learned lady. After
the death of his father-in-law, in 1500, he was engaged by
Gagnin, the royal librarian, to visit Paris, where he removed with his family, and established an excellent printing office, by the name of Praelum Ascensianum, from which
many good editions issued, although his type was not so
much admired as that of the Stephens’s. He died in 1535.
His son Conrad Badius settled at Geneva, having embraced
Calvinism, and was both a printer and an author. Two of
his daughters were married to eminent printers, one to
Michel Yascosan, and the other to Robert Stephens.
, an eminent French printer, who deserves a more satisfactory article
, an eminent French printer,
who deserves a more satisfactory article than the French
biographers have as yet enabled us to give him, was born
at Paris in 1730, and was the son of a printer and bookseller, who provided him with an excellent classical education before he introduced him into business. Full of
enthusiasm for the advancement of the art of printing,
young Didot determined to rival those celebrated printers,
Joachim Ibarra of Spain, and Baskerville of England, and
lived to surpass both. He soon brought his press to a state
of excellence unattained by any of his contemporaries;
and extended his skill to every branch connected with it.
Among the number of improvements perfected by his
exertions, is the construction of mills for making fine
paper, which he assisted not only by his zeal and activity,
but by pecuniary contribution. He also invented a press
by which the workman is enabled to print, equally and at
once the whole extent of a sheet; and he was the inventor of
many other machines and instruments now commonly used
in printing offices, all which have powerfully contributed
to the modern advancement of the typographical art. The
elegant editions of the classics published by order of Louis
XIV. for the education of the Dauphin, were the production of the Didots 1 press, as well as the collection of romances called the D'Artois, in 64 vols. 18mo; the Theatrical Selections by Corneille, the works of Racine, Telemachus, Tasso’s Jerusalem, two superb Bibles, and a
multiplicity of other inestimable works, each of which, on
its publication, seemed to make nearer approaches to perfection. Didot sedulously endeavoured to unite in his
family every talent auxiliary to the printing art; one of his
sons became a celebrated type-founder; and the voice of
fame announces the superior rank which they both deservedly hold among the printers of the age. The fond
father delighted to observe that he was excelled by his
children; while they dutifully ascribed their success to the
force of his instruction, and the benefit of his example.
The life of JDidot was the life of honour; his abilities were
universally known and respected; and the following anecdote will prove the goodness of his heart: in one of his
journeys to the paper mills of Anonay, he met an artist
who had introduced in France an improvement in the application of cylinders, &c. and believing that his ingenuity
merited reward, exerted all his interest with government;
but unfortunately, when he was on the point of succeeding,
the artist died, leaving two girls in the helpless state of
infancy. Didot took the orphans in his arms, proclaimed
himself their father, and kept his word. At the age of
seventy-three, Didot read over five times, and carefully
corrected, before it was sent to the press, every sheet of
the stereotype edition of Montague, printed by his sons.
At four o'clock in the morning he was pursuing this fatiguing occupation. The correctness of the text will therefore render this work particularly valuable among the productions of the modern press. About eighteen months
previous to his death, he projected an alphabetical index
of every subject treated upon in Montague’s Essays. He
had collected all his materials, at which he laboured unceasingly; and perhaps too strict an application to this
favourite study accelerated the death of this eminent artist
and benevolent man, which took place July 10, 1804.
His business is still successfully carried on by his sons,
Peter and Firmia Didot. The reputation of the elder
Didot was much assisted by the labours of his brother,
Peter Francis, who died in 1795, and to whom we owe
the beautiful editions of Thomas a Kempis, fol. of Telemachus, 4to the “Tableau de l'empire Ottoman,
” &c.