EXAMPLES OF EX-LIBRIS. FROM 1650 TO 1700
The plates of _André Felibien_, escuier, sieur des Avaux, seigneur de
Iavercy, Historiographe du Roy, are notable as being dated 1650 and as
marking the commencement of a transition period. The heraldic style
begins to show variations; the mantling becomes less sumptuous and
decorative, and the helmets are displaced by coronets, often usurped by
those who have no right to them, either by birth, title, or estates. The
shields change from the old square French shape to oval, surrounded by a
framework, or a decorative cartouche. The fashion of resting the shield
and supporters on a mosaic pavement, having a geometrical heraldic
design, disappears, to be replaced by a small piece of landscape with
grass and flowers, or the shield and supporters stand firmly on a square
solid base resembling a flight of steps, or an architectural plinth.
Of this transition period the most interesting plates are those
recording, in the one case a gift, in the other a legacy, of valuable
books to the College of Jesuits, in Paris, in 1692.
[Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF PIERRE DANIEL HUET.]
These books had been collected by two of the most famous bibliophiles of
the century, Pierre Daniel Huet, Evêque d’Avranches, and Gilles Ménage,
Doyen de St. Pierre d’Angers. Bishop Huet chose to present his books
during his lifetime (he survived the parting, and lived until 1721),
and the gift was of great value, consisting as it did, of 8,312 volumes,
besides many rare manuscripts.
[Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF ANDRÉ FELIBIEN, 1650.]
The Jesuit fathers recorded their gratitude on ex-libris (in four sizes)
of an appropriately rich character, carrying the arms of Bishop Huet.
They went to less expense in showing their appreciation of the legacy of
Ménage, perhaps because he was dead (he died July 23rd, 1692), or
perhaps because he only left them about 2,000 volumes. Neither Bishop
Huet nor Dean Ménage appears to have used an ex-libris, but the bindings
of their books carried their arms stamped in gold on the covers. An
account of the libraries of these famous collectors is given in
“L’Armorial du Bibliophile.”
Between 1650 and 1700 the number of book-plates is not large, nor are
they of any exceptional interest, beyond showing the gradual alteration
in style. It will suffice to name a few of the finest examples.
Nicolas Martigny de Marsal, by Sebastien Le Clerc. Four sizes, two dated
respectively 1655 and 1660.
Guillaume Tronson. Signed A. B. Flamen.
Hadriani de Valois, dom. de la Mare.
Jerôme Bignon, grand maitre de la Bibliothèque du Roi. A fine armorial
plate, probably engraved by François Chauveau.
Leonor Le François Sr. de Rigawille. Motto: “Meliora sequentr,” dated
1673.
Charles Maurice Le Tellier, archevêque de Reims. Signed J. Blocquet,
1672.
Louis François du Bouchet, Marquis de Souches. Signed “Mavelot, graveur
de Mademoiselle.”
Mgr. Pellot, Premier President du Parl^{mt} de Normandie. Signed J. T.,
probably Jean Toustain, an engraver of Normandy.
This President Pellot possessed a valuable collection of Spanish and
Italian books.
Guyet de la Sordière, a plate bearing the arms of several family
alliances of la Sordière.
Charles, Marquis et Comte de Rostaing. Signed P. Nolin. This fine
heraldic plate does not bear the name of its owner, but as it is
exactly reproduced in the Armorial of Segoing, with the inscription
“Armes d’Alliances de Messire Charles marquis et comte de Rostaing,
gravées par son très humble serviteur Pierre Nolin, 1650,” we are
enabled at once to identify the plate, and to fix its date.
[Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF MONSIEUR DE LORME.]
Simon Chauuel, chevalier, Seigneur de la Pigeonnière, Conseiller du Roy,
etc. Signed P. Nolin.
This book-plate is also reproduced in the Armorial of Segoing, which
indeed contains about sixty copies of ex-libris copied by Nolin, either
from his own works, or from other plates belonging to his customers, or
engravings by his brother artists.
Denis Godefroy. Died in 1681. Ex-libris in two sizes, both armorial.
Potier de Novion. A nameless ex-libris, identified by the arms, and
signed by Trudon. The only known book-plate signed by this artist, who
yet engraved all the plates to illustrate his work entitled “Nouveau
traité de la science pratique du blason,” published in 1689.
Jules-Hardouin Mansart, superintendent of buildings under Louis XIV.
Signed Montulay Lenée. Heraldic plate, no name.
Jean-Nicolas de Tralage, a nephew of La Reynie, commandant of police. De
Tralage presented his valuable collections to the Abbey of Saint Victor
in 1698.
In many cases these plates have been identified only by the arms they
carry. Ex-libris had not yet become truly fashionable amongst
bibliophiles of the first rank, arms and devices being still generally
stamped on the covers of their books, and the names of the owners were
seldom considered necessary in a society where every person of any
position was compelled to understand heraldry, and to be acquainted with
the armorial bearings of the principal families.
The men of letters of the seventeenth century were not apparently
inclined to adopt ex-libris, comparatively few have been found; those
of Malherbe (who was, however, a nobleman and a courtier as well as an
author), the historiographer, André Félibien; Jerôme Bignon, who was
chief librarian in the Royal Library; Denis Godefroy, the historian,
have been named, and the collectors, Ménage and Bishop Huet; yet these
latter scarcely count, for the plates bearing their names and arms were
only engraved to place in the books they had generously presented to the
Jesuit fathers.
We seek in vain for the ex-libris of Corneille, Molière, or Racine,
Boileau, La Fontaine, La Bruyère, for hitherto none have been
discovered. In 1684 Madame de Sévigné wrote: “J’approuve fort de ne
mettre autour de mon chiffre que _Madame de Sévigné_. Il n’en faut pas
davantage: on ne me confondra point pendant ma vie et c’est assez.”
[Illustration]