Note 289 — PART III. ICONOGRAPHY.

This should cause no surprise: the idea of property, in respect to artistic productions, is altogether modern. The first engravers signed almost nothing; it was not until the sixteenth century that they marked their works with special emblems, and even then it was not so much with the object of assuring themselves a monopoly in them, as with that of making themselves known to persons who might require their services for other works. Little by little this species of advertisement became an effective muniment of title,—in the natural order of things. It was the same with works of the mind. Not until quite a late period were scholars and other men of letters able to derive any profit from their works. In the early days of printing, even, a printer who proposed to reprint a book did not consider himself bound to obtain the author's consent. From the moment that he made his book public, it was regarded as a treasure belonging to society at large.