Page - 780 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 2

Chapter 14780 had commissioned for it’.120 He thinks Strada has not quite realized that the projects he proposed could only be printed by a very rich and ‘curious’ printer, ‘more interested in having his drawers full of splendid typeface, than his cash- box full of money in order to be able to pay his employees’. Moretus does not mince his words, because he knows that Strada has experience with printing. He repeats that he will not acquire manuscripts for publishing against pay- ment, and thinks that should not be done on principle, for if it is an author’s ambition to bring his book to the attention of the public, he does not try to sell it for personal gain, ‘knowing in advance that [though] his pains will not be paid<…>his book will be a treasure for posterity’. The general impression is that Moretus did not take Strada’s proposal very seriously, though he was prepared to have any illustrations executed or to print any book that Strada wished, if at the latter’s expense. And he did like the con- cept of the Description of Italy and was prepared to enter into negotiations about that, provided Strada would send him the text and all available illustra- tions—‘for one can form no judgment, or come to an agreement about a thing one has not seen’—and that he would delegate an agent with full powers to clinch a deal. It is not known whether this letter actually reached Strada and whether he responded to it: there is no record of any further contact between Strada and Plantin. Strada doubtless did not intend to hand over his materials to Plantin merely in exchange for a few copies of the printed books, which would imply that he would almost entirely lose the considerable investments he had made over the years to compose the books listed in his Index sive catalogus, and to bring together the materials necessary to illustrate them in accordance with the high standards he had in mind. On the other hand he would not—probably could not—invest any further in the actual printing of even just a few of these books. With the death of Maximilian ii and the consequent loss of Strada’s privileged position at the Imperial court, there was moreover little stimulus for other princes or magnates to help Strada’s projects by providing financial assistance. So it is not surprising that Strada, besides attempting to interest Plantin in his venture, engaged in the various futile efforts to raise money for his projects which have been described above, such as the lottery of his house and collection. 120 But is should be noted that Strada had not asked for half of the copies printed, but for half of the profit actually realized, that is, after costs, which is something rather different.