[Illustration: Passionale, etc., MS., _circa_ 1100 A.D. Henry I.]
ROYAL ENGLISH BOOKBINDINGS
_By_ CYRIL DAVENPORT, F.S.A.
_Of the Department of Printed Books, British Museum_
LONDON
SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED, GREAT RUSSELL STREET
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO.
1896
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
_COLOURED PLATES_
PAGE
I. Passionale, etc., MS., _circa_
1100 A.D. Henry I. _Frontispiece_
II. Penitential Psalms, etc., MS.,
sixteenth century Henry VIII. 16
Novum Testamentum Græce. Lutetiæ, 1550
(gold centres) Queen Elizabeth 16
III. Deloenus. Libellus de tribus
Hierarchiis, etc., MS. Henry VIII. 18
IV. [Greek: BASILIKON DÔRON.] Written
for Prince Henry, by King James VI. of
Scotland. MS James I. 54
V. Ortelius. Theatre of the World.
London, 1606 Do. 58
VI. New Testament, etc. London, 1643 Charles I. 66
VII. Gil. [Greek: PARERGA], etc.
Londini, 1632 Do. 68
VIII. Order of the Coronation of George
III. and Queen Charlotte. London, 1761 George III. 94
_ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT_
Indentures between Henry VII. and John
Islippe, Abbot of Westminster, concerning
the foundation of the Chantrey, etc., MS. Henry VII. 11
Opus eximium de vera differentia Regiæ
Potestatis et Ecclesiasticæ. Londini,
1534 Henry VIII. 15
Description of the Holy Land, in French.
By Martin Brion. MS. Do. 17
Le Chappellet de Ihesus, MS., sixteenth
century Margaret Tudor,
Queen of James IV.
of Scotland 21
Il Petrarcha. Venetia, 1544 Queen Katharine Parr 23
Prayers, etc. Malborow, 1538 (Doublure) Edward VI. 29
Queen Mary's Psalter, MS. Queen Mary 33
Prayers, etc. London, 1574-1591 Queen Elizabeth 35
Christian Meditations, in Latin, 1570 Do. 37
Parker. De antiqvitate Britannicæ
Ecclesiæ. London, 1572 Do. 41
Orationis Dominicæ Explicatio, per L.
Danaeum. Genevae, 1583 Do. 45
La Saincte Bible. Lyon, 1566 Do. 47
Gospels in Anglo-Saxon and English.
London, 1571 Do. 49
Trogi Pompeii Historiarum Philippicarum
epitoma. Parisiis, 1581 Do. 53
Livius. Romana Historia. Avreliæ
Allobrogvm, 1609 Henry Prince of Wales 61
Collection of Miscellaneous Tracts in
MS. Do. 63
Dallington. Aphorismes, Civill and
Militarie. London, 1613 Charles Prince of Wales 67
Common Prayer. London, 1662 Charles II. 69
A short View of the late Troubles in
England, etc. Oxford, 1681 Do. 73
Bible. Cambridge, 1674 James II. 75
Euclide. Oxford, 1705 Queen Anne 79
Ælfric. An English-Saxon Homily on the
Birthday of St. Gregory. London, 1709 Queen Anne 81
Account of what passed in a Conference
concerning the Succession to the Crown,
MS. George I. 85
Le Nouveau Testament. Amsterdam, 1718 George II. 87
Chandler. A Vindication of the Defence
of Christianity. London, 1728 Do. 88
Common Prayer. Cambridge, 1760 Queen Charlotte 90
Portfolio containing the Royal Letter
concerning the King's Library George IV. 92
_The Coloured Plates are printed by Edmund Evans._
ROYAL ENGLISH BOOKBINDINGS
PROLOGUE
It is curious that twice in English history the royal libraries have been
given to the nation. The ancient royal collection, containing manuscripts
from the reign of Richard III., was added to by each sovereign in turn;
but it seems to have been brought into notice and taken special care of by
Prince Henry, the eldest son of James I. Out of his own private income,
this Prince added largely to the old collection, and purchased the
important libraries of Lord Lumley, of a Welshman named Maurice, and that
of Isaac Casaubon. On his death the library became the property of James
I., and after some other changes, both the old library and that of Prince
Henry were deposited at Ashburnham House, where in 1731 there was a fire
which damaged some of it. It was then removed to the old Dormitory at
Westminster, and in 1757 it was presented by George II. to the nation, and
was handed over to the Trustees of the Sloane and Cottonian Libraries, and
placed in Montagu House, then newly purchased as a National Museum. There
were at this time in the old royal library about 15,000 volumes
altogether, and very many of them were still in their ancient and
beautiful bindings.
George III., finding on his accession to the throne that there was no
royal library, very energetically set to work to form a new collection. He
chose his agents very carefully, and appointed Sir Frederick Barnard to be
his librarian. Sir Frederick travelled widely in search of books, and,
acting partly under the advice of Dr. Samuel Johnson, eventually brought
together perhaps the finest collection of books ever made by one man. On
the king's death the library contained upwards of 65,000 volumes, besides
more than 19,000 separate tracts and some manuscripts.
Generally speaking, the bindings in the "King's Library"--the name by
which George III.'s collection is now known in the British Museum--are
modern; but among them are a considerable number of old bindings in good
condition, and it is possible that those which were rebound were mostly in
a bad state. Unfortunately the crowned monogram of George III. is
generally impressed in a prominent place, even on such old bindings as
have been otherwise preserved intact; and although valuable as a record it
is often a great disfigurement. There is little doubt that George III.'s
intention was to create a new royal library to remain in the possession of
the kings themselves, but there seems to have been some idea that it would
eventually become national property, as Dr. Frederick Wendeborn, a German
preacher, well known at Court, wrote: "The King's Private Library ... can
boast very valuable and magnificent books, which, as it is said, will at
one time or another be joined to those of the British Museum." This
prediction was fulfilled in 1823, when George IV. presented it to the
nation, and the fine room now known as the King's Library in the British
Museum was built for its reception, the removal being completed in 1828.
William IV. does not seem to have been altogether pleased that the royal
libraries should have been twice given away, as he added a codicil to his
will in 1833, bequeathing to the Crown "all his additions to the libraries
in the several royal palaces," with an autograph confirmation dated from
Brighton, November 30, 1834, signed and sealed by himself, declaring "that
all the books, drawings, and plans collected in all the palaces shall for
ever continue heirlooms to the Crown, and on no pretence whatever to be
alienated from the Crown."
The royal library at Windsor now contains the greatest number of royal
bindings now existing in any one collection, except those at the British
Museum, but it possesses very few that belonged to Tudor sovereigns. From
the time of James I. it has a very fine collection.
Where I have not specifically mentioned otherwise, the books described in
the following pages are in the British Museum. They should be to the
English people especially interesting, for not only are they national
property, but any of them can be seen with little trouble, and a
considerable number are actually exhibited in the binding show-cases in
the King's Library, or in the Grenville Library.
CHAPTER I
HENRY I.--EDWARD VI.--HENRY VII.--HENRY VIII.--KATHARINE OF ARRAGON--ANNE
BOLEYN--MARGARET TUDOR--MARY TUDOR--KATHARINE PARR
The rulers of England and of France have, ever since the introduction of
printing into Europe, been great patrons of books, and moreover have by
their individual tastes, both literary and artistic, largely influenced
the styles of bookbinding prevalent during their reigns.
In England from the time of Henry VII. onwards, and in France from Louis
XII., a noble series of royal bookbindings exists at the present time, and
may be considered with justice to be typical of the best work done at the
different periods. Although there are a few great binders who do not
appear, as far as is at present known, to have worked for royalty, there
is no doubt that most of the great masters of this most fascinating art
were at some time or other privileged to work for the sovereign houses of
their time, if indeed they were not actually royal binders.
Before printing was introduced into England in the fifteenth century by
William Caxton, there is little or no record of any special collection of
books made by any English sovereign. It is possible no such collection
ever was made, but if it were, all trace and record of it is now lost.
Rich mediæval bindings of a decorative character, such as are not uncommon
in other countries, are unknown in England, and it is supposed that, for
the sake of the valuable metal and gems which were commonly used on such
bindings, they were destroyed under the early Tudor kings. At the same
time, it seems unlikely that Henry VIII. or Edward VI. would have pulled
to pieces any fine bindings, if they had already formed part of a royal
library.
It is difficult in the case of antiquities, the full record of which is
not forthcoming, to be sure of statements which may be made concerning
them; but so many antiquaries and men of mark have already borne testimony
at all events to the probable truth of the legend that the coronation book
of Henry I. still exists, that I feel any record of English royal
bookbindings would be imperfect, not only without mention of it, but even
without a detailed description. I think, however, that without exception
every other book I shall describe or mention has upon it, or in it, some
absolute mark of royal ownership, but on the other hand they are all much
later. Indeed, as far as I know, no book of the twelfth century has any
mark of ownership upon it, although the makers' name does rarely occur.
The book in question (Plate I.) is quite small, measuring 7 × 4-1/2
inches. It is a manuscript on vellum of lessons from the four gospels in
Latin, written in the twelfth century; it also contains the whole of the
Gospel of St. John except a small portion missing, and some other MSS. The
binding is of thick wooden boards, covered probably with deer-skin. The
lower cover has a sunk panel, and bears a crucified figure of our Lord
cast in bronze, finely chased and formerly gilt. The corners are guarded
with bossed pieces of brass, stamped with a device of a fleur-de-lis
within a circle, and there is a clasp of leather and brass. The figure of
our Lord appears distinctly old, but the rest of the metal work has not
such evidence of antiquity, and it seems likely that it is much more
recent. Inside the book are several manuscript notes by various owners,
the most interesting of which is signed by John Ives, at "Yarmouth, St.
Luke's Day, 1772." He says this "appears to be the original book on which
our Kings and Queens took their coronation oaths before the Reformation."
In Powell's _Repertoire of Records_, 1631, at p. 123, he mentions "a
little booke with a crucifix" as being preserved in the chest of the
King's Remembrancer at the Exchequer.
Mr. Thomas Martin of Palgrave, owner of the book in the beginning of the
eighteenth century, at one time lent it to Mr. Thomas Madox, author of
the _History of the Exchequer_, and his opinion was that it was the book
formerly belonging to the Exchequer, mentioned by Powell, and which was
used to take the coronation oath upon by all our kings and queens till
Henry VIII.
It belonged afterwards to Mr. Thomas Astle, F.S.A., Keeper of the Records
in the Tower of London, who died in 1803, and whose library was purchased
by the Marquis of Buckingham and kept at Stowe in a beautiful Gothic room
specially built for it. In June 1849 the library became the property of
Lord Ashburnham, and from him it was purchased in 1883 by the Trustees of
the British Museum, excepting the Irish MSS., which went to Dublin. This
collection is now known as the Stowe Collection.
There is a drawing of this book by Mr. George Vertue, presented by him to
the Society of Antiquaries and still preserved in their library.
From the time of Henry I. until that of Edward IV. there is no trace of
any English royal bindings, and then only a small one. There is in the
library of Westminster Abbey a loose leather binding impressed with a
panel-stamp of the arms of Edward IV., crowned and supported by the two
white lions of the Earls of March, and, moreover, at the top the two
angels which are afterwards often found on the larger panel-stamps of a
similar kind used in the time of Henry VIII. No other binding exists
apparently that belonged to Edward IV., even if this one did, but in the
wardrobe accounts of his reign are found several notices of binding. One
reads, "for binding, gilding, and dressing" of books, but does not say
what the material is. It was probably leather, calf or goat, as gilding on
velvet does not seem to have then been thought of, although the material
itself was certainly used, as in another place it is stated that "velvet
vj yerdes cremysy figured" were delivered for the covering of the books of
our lord the king; and indeed it is curious if the "gilding" was applied
even to leather, as certainly no instances are known at so early a date of
English origin.
Actual instances of the use of velvet for bookbinding occur first among
the books of Henry VII. and Henry VIII., and the value, beauty, and
wonderful durability of it are likely enough to have attracted the notice
of royal and learned book lovers.
Henry VII. was the first of our kings whose literary tastes have left any
mark on our existing collections. He acquired a magnificent series of
volumes printed on vellum at Paris by Antoine Verard, a celebrated French
printer, besides other valuable books. This collection is now at the
British Museum almost complete, and it is rebound in velvet. It is likely
that the original binding was also velvet, but record of it is lost. There
is, however, one magnificent volume that fortunately was so splendid and
in so fine a condition that the ruthless rebinder has spared it. This is a
copy of the Indentures made between Henry VII. and John Islippe, Abbot of
Westminster, for the foundation of the chantrey. It is written on vellum,
and its counterpart is preserved in the Public Record Office.
It is covered in crimson velvet, edged with gold cord, and having tassels
of crimson silk and gold, the velvet projecting broadly over the edges. On
each side are centre and corner bosses of silver, gilt and enamelled. The
centre bosses bear the royal coat-of-arms wrought in high relief, with the
supporters used by the king--the red dragon of his ancestor Cadwallader,
and the white greyhound he used both by right of his wife through the
Nevills and his own maternal ancestors the Earls of Somerset. The corner
bosses bear the portcullis, the emblem of the castle of Beaufort in Anjou,
the residence of Catherine Swinford, and where Henry's maternal
grandfather was born. Each of these portcullises is borne upon a white and
green ground, the livery colours of the Tudors, and it has been used as a
royal badge from the time of Henry VII. until the present day.
The book is held together by bands of gold braid, and fastened by
beautiful clasps of richly-chased silver-gilt, with enamelled red roses.
Appended to the boards are five impressions of the Great Seal, each in a
silver box, with either a portcullis or a red rose upon it. The seals hang
by plaited cords of green and gold.
There are similar books of Henry VII.'s besides this one. A fine instance
was shown at the Burlington Fine Arts Club Exhibition of Binding in 1891.
It is a _Book of Penalties for non-performance of services in the Chapel
of Henry VII. at Westminster_, and is bound in red velvet, with tassels
and silver-gilt and enamelled bosses like those just described. It has
silver clasps, and four silver boxes containing the seals of the parties
to the indenture depend from the lower edge.
[Illustration: FIG. 1.--_Indentures between Henry VII, and John Islippe,
Abbot of Westminster, concerning the foundation of the Chantrey, etc.,
MS._]
On one book, probably once the property of Henry VII., which somehow
became separated from the rest, is found his coat-of-arms impressed on the
gilt edges--a curious and early instance of decorative edge-work. A
drawing of it was published in _Bibliographica_, vol. ii. p. 395. It is a
Sarum Missal, Rouen, 1497, and was given to Cardinal Pole probably by
Queen Mary, and eventually purchased by the British Museum.
Henry VIII. apparently thought much of his library and its proper
preservation and extension. He appointed John Leland, the antiquary, to be
his library keeper, and gave him a special commission under the Broad Seal
to travel and collect all kinds of antiquities and make records of them.
Leland acquired, under these powers, many valuable manuscripts from the
monasteries, then so ruthlessly being despoiled of their treasures; but,
unfortunately, he does not seem to have been able to preserve any of the
precious bindings in which many of them were doubtless encased.
There is a considerable amount of documentary evidence concerning the
binding of Henry VIII.'s books. Notices occur in the records of the "Privy
Purse Expenses" of payments for velvet and vellum; and these two materials
are again largely mentioned in the most interesting account now preserved
among the additional manuscripts at the British Museum of the royal
printer and binder, "Thomas Berthelett." This account, which is very full,
refers to work done during the years 1541-43; and although, so far, no
actual book has been identified as being one of those mentioned, yet the
bindings we still possess of Henry VIII.'s are so generally of the same
kind as those described that there seems little doubt that most, if not
all of them, were bound by Berthelet.
He mentions a Psalter "covered with crimosyn satyne," and we possess a
collection of tracts bound in this manner, with a delicate tracery of gold
cord, and on the edges is written in gold the words "REX IN ÆTERNUM VIVE
NEEZ." This is probably what Berthelet, in an entry a little further on,
calls "drawyng in gold on the transfile." There are several mentions of
books "gorgiously gilded on the leather," and also others where he says
books are bound "backe to backe" none of which seem to have survived, but
there are plenty of instances of the "white leather gilt," so often used.
"Purple velvet" was used to cover "ij Primers," which are now lost; but we
possess a splendid volume covered in this way with embroidery upon it, and
again he says he has bound books after the "Venecian fascion" and "Italian
fascion." Truly the Italian work of the late fifteenth and early sixteenth
centuries is extremely fine, and Berthelet may have seen some specimens of
it, and, admiring them, have endeavoured to imitate their peculiar and
beautiful gilded tooling.
To Berthelet must be conceded the honour of being the first English binder
to use gold stamped work on leather, and he does so with admirable effect.
Many of his bindings gilded on white leather, sometimes deer-skin,
sometimes vellum, are most charming; indeed, the taste for vellum has
never died out in England from Berthelet's time to the present day, when
we have William Morris's dainty volumes with their green ties. Berthelet's
books also generally had ties, but they are now all worn off.
A fine instance of this white leather and gold occurs on Sir Thomas
Elyot's _Image of Governance_, printed by Berthelet in 1541.
It bears the same design on each side. A panel, enclosed by an ornamental
fillet, contains a very graceful arrangement of curves forming a central
space in which are the words "Dieu et mon Droit"; and at each side of this
the royal initials contained in two semicircles left for them. At each of
the inner corners is a large set stamp, and the ground is dotted over with
small circles and the daisy--a badge used by the Tudors probably as a
compliment to their ancestress Margaret de Beaufort. On the edges are
painted in gold the words "REX IN ÆTERNUM VIVE."
Some of the same stamps are used on another book which is probably
Berthelet's work. It is a manuscript Latin commentary on the campaign of
the Emperor Charles V. against the French in 1544, addressed by Anthonius
de Musica to Henry VIII. It is bound in brown calf, and bears within a
broad outer fillet a panel containing in the centre the royal coat-of-arms
and initials enclosed in an inner rectangular panel; above and below this
are two rectangular cartouches, with titles of the king and various
initials which have not yet been interpreted. Flanking the long central
panel are medallions of Plato and Dido, favourite stamps afterwards with
English binders, but occurring here for the first time.
A design which was probably a favourite one of Berthelet's is found on a
copy of _Opus eximium de vera differentia Regiæ Potestatis et
Ecclesiasticæ_, printed by him in 1534 (Fig. 2). There is an instance of
the same binding in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The arms of the king,
with the supporters of the dragon and the greyhound, occupy the centre of
each board. This is enclosed in an oval ribbon bearing the words "Rex
Henricus VIII. Dieu et mon Droit," and the whole is surrounded by an
ornamental fillet with decorative corners. Above and below the shield are
crowned double roses and the initials K. H.
A collection of sixteenth-century tracts is covered with crimson satin,
and ornamented with an arabesque design outlined in gold cord. This is the
earliest English book remaining that is bound in satin, but no doubt many
more existed, as they are so often mentioned in accounts of the time. The
satin is always crimson, and, curiously enough, long afterwards under the
Stuarts the use of satin was revived, but of a white colour. This
collection of tracts was certainly enough bound for the king, as it has
the peculiarity of the motto painted on its edges in gold, "REX IN ÆTERNUM
VIVE NEEZ," which seems to have been a favourite form of decoration of
Berthelet's, so very likely this is one of his books.
Velvet, mentioned also by Berthelet, is used to cover a large Bible
printed at Zurich in 1543, but there does not appear very clearly any mark
by which it can be identified as his work. It is now of a tawny colour,
but was originally probably crimson, and on it is outlined an elaborate
design in gold cord. A broad outer border has an arabesque pattern
arranged diamond-wise, with large double roses at each corner. Within this
is a smaller rectangular border, enclosing a circle with the king's
initials bound together by a scroll, and above and below the circle a
repeating arabesque design. On the edges of this book are very elaborate
heraldic paintings.
A different kind of work altogether covers the splendid _Description de
toute la terre Sainte_, by Martin de Brion (Fig. 3), a beautiful
manuscript on vellum dedicated to Henry VIII., and full of illuminated
reference to him and his heraldic attributes.
It is bound in purple velvet and richly embroidered, and is the first of a
splendid series of embroidered books on velvet executed in England. The
design is simple, but it is carried out with such skill and taste that it
is altogether most effective. In the centre is the royal coat-of-arms, the
coats of France and England quarterly, as borne by our sovereigns from
Richard II. to Elizabeth, Edward III., who first used the French coat,
having originally borne it _semée de fleurs-de-lis_, but the number of
these having been reduced to three by Charles VI. of France, a
corresponding change was made in the English coat by his son-in-law
Richard.
[Illustration: FIG. 2.--_Opus eximium de vera differentia Regiæ Potestatis
et Ecclesiasticæ. Londini, 1534. Henry VIII._]
The bearings on these coats are worked in gold thread on a couched
groundwork of silk of the proper colours. The coat is ensigned by a large
royal crown worked in gold thread, freely adorned with pearls on the
arches, the crosses, and the fleurs-de-lis, as also on the rim, which is
further ornamented with "jewels" of coloured silks. The blue Garter, with
its motto in gold, and the spaces between the words marked by small red
roses, surrounds the coat. The king's initial H.'s, originally worked in
seed pearls, but now only showing the threads, flank the central design,
and the corners are filled with raised Lancastrian roses of red silk,
appliqués, and finished with gold.
There is still another kind of binding used for one of the volumes in the
British Museum that was made for Henry VIII., and that is of gold. It is a
tiny copy of a metrical version of the penitential and other Psalms in
English by John Cheke, Clerk in Chancery, written on vellum early in the
sixteenth century (Plate II.) It has at the beginning a miniature portrait
of Henry VIII., and is bound in gold, worked in open-leaf tracery, with
remains of black enamel on many of the leaves and on the border
surrounding them. The panels of the back have each a small pattern cut
into the metal, and filled with a black enamel. At the top of each cover
is a small ring so that the volume could be attached to the girdle. It is
said to have been given by Queen Anne Boleyn when on the scaffold to one
of her maids of honour, and it now forms part of the Stowe Collection at
the British Museum.
A book curiously decorated and bound in calf for Henry VIII. is a Bible
printed at Antwerp in 1534, and in two volumes. These are large books
measuring 14-1/2 × 9 inches, and both of them have been restored at the
outer edges. The inner panel, rectangular with large corners, encloses on
each side sentences in French, above and below which are crowned double
roses and the initials H. A., probably standing for "Henry" and "Anna."
The sentence reads on one side, "AINSI QUE TOUS MEURENT PAR ADAM," and on
the other, "AUSSY TOUS SERONT VIVIFIES PAR CHRIST." The borders and
corners are very rich and decorative, and it is likely that the outer
ornamentation, although it is actually modern, has been carefully copied
from the original.
[Illustration: Penitential Psalms, etc., MS., sixteenth century. Gold
Binding. Henry VIII.]
[Illustration: Novum Testamentum Græce. Lutetiæ, 1550. Gold centres. Queen
Elizabeth.]
A handsome binding in dark brown calf covers an "old royal" manuscript,
_Jul. Claud Iguini oratio ad Hen. VIII._, written probably about 1540. It
has blind and gold lines, and the design is an outer border with an
arabesque pattern stamped in gold, enclosing the royal coat-of-arms,
crowned, and enclosed within a Garter. Round this again are four Greek
words, "[Greek: PLIOS PANTAS ALIENÔN EXARKTON]," the meaning of which is
not clear. On the coat-of-arms it is notable that the three lions of
England are crowned. This peculiarity occurs sometimes in other books, but
I believe heraldically the lions should not be crowned, and this book is
the earliest instance I have met with in which they are so shown.
[Illustration: FIG. 3.--_Description of the Holy Land, in French. By
Martin Brion. MS. Henry VIII._]
_Galteri Deloeni Libellus de tribus Hierarchiis_, a manuscript dedicated
to Henry and probably bound by Thomas Berthelet, is one of his most
decorative bindings on a small book (Plate III.) The design is simple, a
rectangle and a diamond fillet interlaced, enclosing the royal
coat-of-arms crowned. In the two lower spaces below the shield are the
crucifixion and the serpent in the wilderness with their corresponding
texts, and the rest of the spaces are very fully filled with small stamps
of arabesques, double roses, single and double daisies, stars, and leaves.
The execution of the actual gilding is coarse, and the finish generally is
not as perfect as it might be, but the general effect is excellent.
One of the most interesting bindings of any that were made for Henry VIII.
is that which was, or is supposed to have been, worked for him by his
daughter Elizabeth. It is part of the old royal library in the British
Museum, and is written on vellum in the Princess's own most careful and
precise handwriting. It is a collection of prayers composed by Queen
Katharine Parr, and translated by Elizabeth into Latin, French, and
Italian, and dated "Hereford, December 20, 1545." The dedication is,
"Illustrissimo Henrico octavo, Anglie, Francie, Hiberniæq. regi, fidei
defensori." The volume is quite small, 5-3/4 inches by 4, and is covered
in red silk, with a gold thread in it, woven with a very large mesh, or
even possibly made by hand. In the centre of each board is a large
monogram worked in a thick cord of blue silk, through which runs a silver
thread. The monogram, like so many similar arrangements of letters, causes
much difference of opinion among the experts who endeavour to interpret
it. My solution is that it is composed of the letters "A. F. H. REX," the
meaning of which is "Anglie, Francie, Hiberniæque Rex," in accordance with
the words used by Elizabeth in her dedication, and the two H's, worked in
a thick red silk cord with a silver thread in it, which are above and
below the monogram, supply the needful name. I do not know that this
interpretation is by any one considered to be the right one, but it
appears to me at all events as plausible as any of the others I have
heard. At each corner is a heartsease of purple and gold and small green
leaves. This most curious and interesting binding is in many ways nearly
allied to that made for Queen Katharine Parr, which is now at the
Bodleian Library at Oxford, and which I shall presently describe. This
binding is also considered to be the work of the Princess Elizabeth, and I
think that the similarity in the peculiar groundwork, the identity of the
pansies in the corners, and the use of braid or very thick thread in each,
producing a maximum of effect with a minimum of labour, are all strong
reasons for believing that both volumes are the work of the same hand,
namely, that, of the Princess herself.
[Illustration: Deloenus. Libellus de tribus Hierarchiis, etc., MS. Henry
VIII.]
The Bodleian binding is in very fair condition, but the British Museum one
is, unfortunately, in a very dilapidated state. Luckily, however, it has
not been restored, so what is left can be safely examined and relied upon.
English royal bindings, of old date especially, now rarely come into the
open market, but in the latter part of last year a most interesting
specimen that belonged to Henry VIII. was purchased by the British Museum.
It is a manuscript on the science of geometry, written on paper and
dedicated to the king. It is bound in white leather, and has many signs
that it is the work of Thomas Berthelet. There is an outer border of blind
and gold lines, with solid arabesques at the outer corners, and stars in
the inner corners. The centre of each board bears a geometrical design of
triangles and lines filled in with stars and dots. In the upper part of
each board is a cartouche bearing the words "VIVAT REX," and at the lower
part a similar cartouche with the word "GEOMETRIA," followed by an
arabesque ornament. Written in gold on the white edges are the words "REX
IN ÆTERNUM VIVE NEEZ." There is no book of Berthelet's, except this one,
on which the decoration has any reference to the contents of the volume.
It is indeed probable that this is actually one of the first books in
which there has been any endeavour to make the outside decoration agree
with the subject-matter inside.
The word "Nez," or "Neez," which usually occurs after the "Rex in Æternum
Vive" so frequently painted on the edges of Henry VIII.'s books, has been
a puzzle for some time. Mr. E. L. Scott of the British Museum suggests
that it may stand for the first letters of the words "[Greek:
Nabouchodonosôr esaei zêthi]," as the king to whom the words are addressed
in the Book of Daniel is Nebuchadnezzar. This explanation I have already
given in _Bibliographica_, part viii.
In the sixteenth century in England a great many books were decorated in
what is called "blind," that is to say, without the use of gold-leaf, with
large panel-stamps. Two of these stamps bear the royal coat-of-arms, with
supporters ensigned with the crown. The larger of them has above the crown
a double rose and two angels bearing scrolls, and dependent from the
shield, by chains, are two portcullises. The smaller and inferior stamp
has, in the upper portion, representations of the sun and moon, with
usually the Cross of St. George and the arms of the City of London. The
first of these stamps may, I think, have been originally cut for the
king's own use; but the second is undoubtedly a trade stamp. The
signification of it probably is, that the binder who used it was a Freeman
of the City of London. I have given figures of these designs in the
_Queen_ of June 20, 1891, in illustration of a paper on early London
bookbindings. The stamp with the angels is often used in conjunction with
the stamps of Katharine of Arragon and Anne Boleyn, to be hereafter
described; and I mention it here because it is not at all uncommon, and is
very generally supposed to be actually royal, but, as far as I have been
able to ascertain, there is no instance of its use upon a book which is
known to have been so, and now it is generally considered to be only a
trade stamp. In judging stamps of this kind, it must not be forgotten that
they were cut in hard metal and only used on soft leather, so that they
would last a very long time indeed. Generally, some other evidence of the
ownership of the book should be adduced beyond a mere existence of a
single stamp.
For Katharine of Arragon a large panel-stamp was cut bearing her
coat-of-arms impaled with that of England, crowned, and having two angels
as supporters. An example of this occurs on a copy of _Whittington, De
octo partibus orationis_, London, 1521. On the other side of the book is
the large stamp of the king's arms already described. A similar stamp was
used with the substitution of the arms of Queen Anne Boleyn for those of
Queen Katharine. There is now no instance of the use of either of these
stamps on a royal book.
George Vertue, in his notes on the Fine Arts, says that small gold books
were given to Queen Anne Boleyn's maids of honour; and he describes one of
these little bindings which is, unfortunately, lost.
[Illustration: FIG. 4.--_Le Chappellet de Ihesus, MS., sixteenth century.
Margaret Tudor._]
There is, however, one exquisite golden binding in existence which may be
something like the books mentioned, only this one is recorded as having
been given to the queen by one of the ladies of the Wyatt family. It is at
present the property of Lord Romney, who is himself a descendant of that
family, in whose possession it has always been since the sixteenth
century. It is a Book of Prayers, and measures 2-1/4 inches in length,
1-3/8 inch in breadth, and three-quarters of an inch in thickness. The
designs upon it are most delicate and beautiful arabesques, very nearly
resembling designs made by Hans Holbein for jewellery. These designs are
left in low relief, the groundwork being cut away to a slight degree and
filled with black enamel, so that the arabesques show in gold on a black
ground. The back is panelled and decorated in the same way, as also are
the clasps, of which there are two. There are rings at the two lower
edges, for the suspension of the book at the girdle. It resembles much the
little gold book described already as having belonged to Henry VIII.,
especially the back. It is figured and fully described in vol. xliv. of
_Archæologia_ at p. 260.
Another book which belonged to Anne Boleyn, and is said to have been with
her on the scaffold, is in the British Museum. It is a copy of the New
Testament in vellum, in English, printed at Antwerp in 1534 by Martin
Emperowre. It has, unfortunately, been rebound for Mr. Cracherode, but
still bears on its gilt and gauffred edges the words "_Anna Regina
Angliæ_" written in red.
Henry VIII. made a most unjust will, confirmed nevertheless by Parliament
and also acted up to by Edward VI., by virtue of which the succession to
the throne of England was settled upon the descendants of his younger
sister Mary, instead of those of his elder sister Margaret. The three
grand-daughters of the Princess Mary were the Ladies Jane, Katherine, and
Mary Grey. Lady Jane Grey, indeed, did come to the throne, as she was
crowned Queen of England on the death of Edward VI., but she enjoyed the
dignity but a short time, as nine days afterwards she was imprisoned in
the Tower, and on February 12, 1554, was beheaded, aged only seventeen
years. Her sisters both died prisoners. Edward VI., wishing to secure the
Protestant succession, had named Lady Jane Grey as his successor, but the
Roman Catholic influence was at the time strong enough to neutralise the
king's wishes, and the party of the Princess Mary prevailed for the
present, the succession eventually reverting to its proper channel, the
line of the Princess Margaret, who married James IV., King of Scotland.
One volume alone remains that bears upon its binding evidence of having
belonged to Margaret Tudor, and this is one of great beauty. It was
presented to the British Museum in 1864 by the Earl of Home, and is a
manuscript of prayers with miniatures of French work called _Le Chappellet
de Ihesus et de la Vierge Marie_ (Fig. 4). It belonged first to Anna, wife
of Ferdinand, King of the Romans in the sixteenth century. It is bound in
green velvet and has silver clasps and bosses, partly gilt. The clasps
have the letters "I.H.S." upon them, gilded, and the attachments of the
clasps to the volume have the letters ANNA on them, one letter on each,
gilded. These were evidently made for the first owner of the book. Then
when it became the property of Queen Margaret, she added her name,
MARGVERITE, on the sides in a very pretty manner, each letter, in silver,
forming the centre of a double or Tudor rose, gilded. The inner rose has
its petals smooth, and the outer one has its petals roughened, as are also
the little leaves between each petal.
[Illustration: FIG. 5.--_Il Petrarcha. Venetia, 1544. Queen Katharine
Parr._]
Henry VIII.'s younger sister Mary married first Louis XII. of France, and
afterwards Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and there is one binding in
the British Museum, purchased in 1865, which belonged to her as Duchess of
Suffolk. It is an Herbal printed at Frankfort in 1535, and is bound in
dark calf, decorated with blind lines and gold stamped work. The broad
outer border has at first sight the appearance of a roll stamp, but it is
not actually so, the effect being produced by the successive impressions
of a long rectangular stamp having engraved upon it a pattern which, on
being repeated, gives the appearance of a continuous design. The design on
this stamp is original and simple, and has no "Italian" origin at all. The
inner panel has mitre-lines in blind at each of the angles, the points of
junction with the outer border being covered with a fleur-de-lis, and then
converging lines meet an inner rectangular line which encloses the royal
coat-of-arms of England, crowned, the two upper corner-spaces being
occupied by double roses, and the two lower by the portcullis badge and
chains, all impressed in gold. At the sides of the inner panel are the
initials "M. S.," presumably standing for "Mary Suffolk." The workmanship
of this curious volume is coarse and irregular, but there is a boldness
about it that is not without charm, and the design itself is well balanced
and effective.
Queen Katharine Parr has the reputation of having herself worked the cover
of a copy of Petrarch printed at Venice in 1544, and bound in purple
velvet (Fig. 5). It is embroidered in coloured silks and gold and silver
thread. The design is a large coat-of-arms, that of Katharine herself,
with many quarterings, the first being the coat of augmentation granted to
her by the king. The coat is surmounted by a royal crown, but the
supporters are those of the families of Fitzhugh and Parr; so the work was
probably done before Katharine was married to Lord Seymour, but after the
king's death. The work is somewhat faded, and the scroll-work in gold cord
at the corners is pulled out of place, no doubt the result of bad
re-covering, but altogether it is in excellent condition, and is a fine
specimen of royal workmanship. The Princess Elizabeth worked the cover of
_The Miroir or Glasse of the Synneful Soul_ for Queen Katharine. It is
said to have been worked when the Princess was only eleven years old, and
it is certainly possible as the workmanship is simple, indeed such as a
clever girl might easily do. It is braid work of gold and silver on a blue
silk ground. This ground is probably woven with a very large mesh, and is
similar to that used by the Princess on the little Book of Prayers she
worked for her father. The initials of the queen, "K. P.," occupy the
place of honour in the centre, and are enclosed in an elaborate interlaced
arrangement of lines and knots of braid, and in each corner, in high
relief, is a heartsease, Elizabeth's favourite flower. The volume is now
in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
It is, moreover, an interesting proof of the learning of the Princess
Elizabeth, as she says it was translated by herself "out of Frenche ryme
into English prose, joyning the sentences together as well as the
capacitie of my symple witte and small lerning coulde extende themselves,"
and it is charmingly dedicated "To our most noble and vertuous quene
Katherin," to whom Elizabeth, "her humble daughter, wisheth perpetuall
felicitie and everlasting joye."