braces with text in bold

Question

This works fine but I get the text outside the braces in bold which I do not want.

\documentclass[10pt]{article}
\usepackage{array}% http://ctan.org/pkg/array
\usepackage{amsmath}% http://ctan.org/pkg/amsmath
\usepackage[textheight=180.5mm,textwidth=108.5mm]{geometry}% http://ctan.org/pkg/geometry
%\pagenumbering{arabic}
\newcolumntype{L}{>{\itshape}l}
\begin{document}

\begin{align*}
  \text{Gradation} & \left\{\begin{tabular}{L}
    Industria Virtutem parit: \\
    Virtus Laudem excibat: \\
    Laus adfert honorem: \\
    Honoris socia est, et comes AEmulatio
  \end{tabular} \right. \\[\normalbaselineskip]
  \text{Commutation} & \left\{ \begin{tabular}{L}
    Quae de illo dicuntur; \textasciicircum{}dici non\textasciicircum{} \\
    dici non possunt: \\
    quae dici possunt: \\
    non dicuntur:
  \end{tabular} \right. \\[\normalbaselineskip]
  \text{Distribution} & \left\{ \begin{tabular}{L}
    consilio ciuitatem inuare: \\
    Senatus officium est: \\
    Magistratus officium est: \\
    opera \& diligentia, consequi senatus Voluntatem
  \end{tabular} \right. \\[\normalbaselineskip]
  \text{Division} & \left\{ \begin{tabular}{L}
    Si probus es: \\
    non meruisti: \\
    sin improbus: \\
    non commoVeris:
  \end{tabular} \right. \\[\normalbaselineskip]
  \text{Similitude} & \left\{ \begin{tabular}{L}
    Vt hirundines estiuuo tempore, presto sunt \\
    frigore pulsae recedunt: \\
    Ita falsi amici amici: sereno Vitae tempore, presto sunt \\
    Simulatque hyemem fortunae dederint Auolant omnes
  \end{tabular} \right. \\[\normalbaselineskip]
  \text{Exposition} & \left\{ \begin{tabular}{L}
    Qui est tam tenui cogitatione praeditus: \\
    cuius animus, tantis angustiis invidiae continentur: \\
    Qui non hunc hominem, studiosissime Laudet, \\
    et sapientissimum iudicet:
    Qui pro salute patriae, pro incolumitate ciuitatis \\
    pro Repub: fortunis, quamuis magnum atque \\
    atrox periculum, studiose subeat?
  \end{tabular} \right.
\end{align*}
\end{document}

Answer 1

I get no boldface at all, but I think the align* environment is actually in a boldface context and \text always uses the font that was current at the start of the math display.

I suggest another way to typeset that text, without abusing math.

\documentclass[10pt]{article}
\usepackage[textheight=180.5mm,textwidth=108.5mm]{geometry}% http://ctan.org/pkg/geometry
\usepackage{array}% http://ctan.org/pkg/array
\usepackage{amsmath}% http://ctan.org/pkg/amsmath

\newcolumntype{L}{>{\itshape}l}

\newenvironment{leftbraced}
 {$\left\lbrace\begin{tabular}{@{}L@{}}}
 {\end{tabular}\right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace$}

\newcommand{\circumflexquoted}[1]{%
  \textup{\textasciicircum}#1\textup{\textasciicircum}%
}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}\normalfont % <--- Reset the font to normal
\begin{tabular}{@{}rl@{}}
Gradation &
  \begin{leftbraced}
  Industria Virtutem parit: \\
  Virtus Laudem excibat: \\
  Laus adfert honorem: \\
  Honoris socia est, et comes AEmulatio
  \end{leftbraced}
\\\\[-.5\normalbaselineskip]
Commutation &
  \begin{leftbraced}
  Quae de illo dicuntur; \circumflexquoted{dici non} \\
  dici non possunt: \\
  quae dici possunt: \\
  non dicuntur:
  \end{leftbraced}
\\\\[-.5\normalbaselineskip]
Distribution &
  \begin{leftbraced}
  consilio ciuitatem inuare: \\
  Senatus officium est: \\
  Magistratus officium est: \\
  opera \& diligentia, consequi senatus Voluntatem
  \end{leftbraced}
\\\\[-.5\normalbaselineskip]
Division &
  \begin{leftbraced}
  Si probus es: \\
  non meruisti: \\
  sin improbus: \\
  non commoVeris:
  \end{leftbraced}
\\\\[-.5\normalbaselineskip]
Similitude &
  \begin{leftbraced}
  Vt hirundines estiuuo tempore, presto sunt \\
  frigore pulsae recedunt: \\
  Ita falsi amici amici: sereno Vitae tempore, presto sunt \\
  Simulatque hyemem fortunae dederint Auolant omnes
  \end{leftbraced}
\\\\[-.5\normalbaselineskip]
Exposition &
  \begin{leftbraced}
  Qui est tam tenui cogitatione praeditus: \\
  cuius animus, tantis angustiis invidiae continentur: \\
  Qui non hunc hominem, studiosissime Laudet, \\
  et sapientissimum iudicet: \\
  Qui pro salute patriae, pro incolumitate ciuitatis \\
  pro Repub: fortunis, quamuis magnum atque \\
  atrox periculum, studiose subeat?
  \end{leftbraced}
\end{tabular}
\end{center}

\end{document}

Answer 2

Another solution with \blkarray`:

\documentclass[10pt]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{erewhon}
\usepackage[textheight=180.5mm,textwidth=108.5mm]{geometry}% http://ctan.org/pkg/geometry
\usepackage{array}% http://ctan.org/pkg/array
\usepackage{amsmath}% http://ctan.org/pkg/amsmath
\usepackage{blkarray}
\BAnewcolumntype{L}{>{\itshape}l}
\usepackage{booktabs}

\newcommand{\circumflexquoted}[1]{%
  \textup{\textasciicircum}#1\textup{\textasciicircum}%
}

\begin{document}

\begin{center}\normalfont % <--- Reset the font to normal
  \setlength\defaultaddspace{0.6ex}
  \begin{blockarray}{L@{}}
    \begin{block}{\Left{Gradation\enspace}{\{\,}L}
      Industria Virtutem parit: \\
      Virtus Laudem excibat: \\
      Laus adfert honorem: \\
      Honoris socia est, et comes Æmulatio\\
    \end{block}
    \addlinespace
    \begin{block}{\Left{Commutation\enspace}{\{\,}L}
      Quæ de illo dicuntur; \circumflexquoted{dici non} \\
      dici non possunt: \\
      quæ dici possunt: \\
      non dicuntur: \\
    \end{block}
    \addlinespace
    \begin{block}{\Left{Distribution\enspace}{\{\,}L}
      consilio ciuitatem inuare: \\
      Senatus officium est: \\
      Magistratus officium est: \\
      opera \& diligentia, consequi senatus Voluntatem \\
    \end{block}
    \addlinespace
    \begin{block}{\Left{Division\enspace}{\{\,}L}
      Si probus es: \\
      non meruisti: \\
      sin improbus: \\
      non commoVeris: \\
    \end{block}
    \addlinespace
    \begin{block}{\Left{Similitude\enspace}{\{\,}L}
      Vt hirundines estiuuo tempore, presto sunt \\
      frigore pulsae recedunt: \\
      Ita falsi amici amici: sereno Vitæ tempore, presto sunt \\
      Simulatque hyemem fortunæ dederint Auolant omnes \\
    \end{block}
    \addlinespace
    \begin{block}{\Left{Exposition\enspace}{\{\,}L}
      Qui est tam tenui cogitatione præditus: \\
      cuius animus, tantis angustiis invidiae continentur: \\
      Qui non hunc hominem, studiosissime Laudet, \\
      et sapientissimum iudicet: \\
      Qui pro salute patriæ, pro incolumitate ciuitatis \\
      pro Repub: fortunis, quamuis magnum atque \\
      atrox periculum, studiose subeat? \\
    \end{block}
  \end{blockarray}
\end{center}

\end{document}