BOOK IV. Chapter IV. Harleian Library. its minor accessories alone. In January 1720, the causBookbinding. tic Humphrey thus diarizes:-"This day having inspected Mr. Elliott's bill, I found him exceedingly dear Binding in the in all the works of Morocco, Turkey, and Russia leather, besides that of velvet." "I shewed Elliott," he writes a few days later, "that My Lord might have had the same work done as well, and cheaper by above £31. He said he could have saved eight pounds in the fine books and yet they should have looked as well." Eighteen months later he writes: "Elliott having clothed the Codex Aureus in My Lord's morocco leather, took the same from hence, ... in order to work upon it." In January, 1722:-"Mr. Chapman received three books for present binding, and, upon his request, I delivered six morocco skins to be used in My Lord's service. He desires to have them at a cheap price, and to bind as before. I say that 'My Lord will not turn leather seller,' and therefore he must bring hither his proposalls for binding with My Lord's morocco skins, otherwise his Lordship will appoint some other binder to do so." And again, in September 1725:-"Mr. Elliott said he had used My Lord's doeskins upon six books, and that they may serve instead of calf, only that the grain is coarser like that of sheep, and that one skin was tanned too much." The Harleian books have often a broad border of gold around the sides; they have sometimes a centre ornament, but are oftener without it. The end-papers are usually Dutch-marbled. ... 1 Autograph Diary of Humphrey Wanley, ut supra, 25 and 28 Jan., 1720 [N.S.]; 13 July, 1721; 19 Jan., 1722; 17 Sept., 1725. (Extracts in Notes and Queries, viii, 335.) HOLLIS' BINDINGS. 973 The interest and the information to be gathered from BOOK IV. Chapter IV. a few show-cases of specimens of binding, such as those Bookbinding. which may be seen at Munich, or in the British Muscum, would be much enhanced by chronological arrangement, and by the intermixture of some more common examples of the various periods. Nor would it be without attraction to exhibit other specimens of the art of amateurs, whether practised as a labour of patience and discipline, in the fashion of the Ferrars and the Colletts of "the Protestant Nunnery, at Little Gidding;" or as a labour of love, in the manner of the accomplished ladies who adorned the tea-table and cheered the relaxation of Robert Southey. The Harleian style had considerable prevalence in the best Libraries of England during the eighteenth Century. Thomas Hollis varied the monotony of the birds, trees, and ships, which the more mechanical workmen had got into the habit of applying, with little discrimination, to the backs of books, by employing Pingo to cut a series of tools with emblematical devices, of no novelty, indeed, but of time-honoured acceptance. The wand of Esculapius, the cap of Liberty, the caduceus of Mercury, and the owl of Minerva, decorated his well-chosen volumes, in harmony with their respective subjects. Nor did he forget that the Freedom he loved has not only to be written for, and spoken for, but not infrequently has also to be fought for. The 'pugio' of the Roman Legionaries, often has it had been employed in the hired service of an ambitious Hollis' Bindings. BOOK IV. Chapter IV. Bookbinding. Cæsar, reminded him of other and nobler warfare, in a better cause. The latter part of the Century saw English bookbinding carried to its highest pitch of celebrity by the remarkable skill of Roger Payne. Trained to business by Pote of Eton, he came to London about 1770, and soon acquired a reputation in his art which placed him above rivalry, notwithstanding his utter want of prudence and orderly habits. His custom of writing descriptive bills, of almost interminable length, was probably thought to be a nuisance by many of his customers, but has now the advantage of displaying most minutely his method of working. Two or three of these bills will be worth the space they occupy:— Eschylus Glasguæ, 1795, Flaxman Illustravit. Bound in the very best manner, sew'd with strong silk, every sheet round every band, not false bands; the back lined with Russia leather, cut exceeding large, finished in the most magnificent manner. Embordered with ERMINE expressive of the high rank of the noble patroness of the designs. The other parts finished in the most elegant taste with small tool gold borders, studded with gold; and small tool panels of the most exact work. Measured with the compasses. It takes a great deal of time, making out the different measurements; preparing the tools; and making out new patterns. The back finished in compartments with parts of gold studded work, and open work to relieve the rich close studded work. All the tools except studded points are obliged to be workt off plain first, and afterwards the gold laid on and worked off again. And this gold work requires double gold being on rough graind moThe impressions of the tools must be fitted and cover'd at the bottom with gold to prevent flaws and cracks £12. 12. 0 "Fine Drawing paper for inlaying the designs.... "Finest pickt lawn paper for interleaving "1 Yard and a half of silk. ...... rocco. 5.6 1.6 - 10. 6 1. 4. 4 1.16.0 £16. 6.10 - . 2. 0 "Petrarch. The paper was very weak, especialy at ye back. "To mending every leaf in the book, for every leaf I "The book had been very badly folded and the .... "The copy of the book was in very bad condition when I received it. The most antiq. edition, I think, I have ever seen. I have done the very best; I spared no time to make as good and fair a copy as is in my power to do for any book, that ever did, or ever will, or ever can be done by another workman; thinking it a very fine unique edition. Bound in the very best manner in Venetian coloured morocco leather sewed with silk, the back lined with a Russia leather. Finished in the antiq. taste, very correctly lettered, and very fine small tool work, neat morocco joints, fine drawing paper inside to suite the colour of the original paper of the book. The outside finished in a true scientific ornamental taste 9. 0 1. 6 .. 10. 6 4. 0 £ 1.14. 6 3. 6 2. 6 C. forward.... £ 2. 0.6 BOOK IV. Chapter IV. Bookbinding. BOOK IV. Chapter IV. Bookbinding. Brought forward.... £ 2.0.6 magnificent. The book finished in the antiq. taste, very correctly lettered in work. The whole finished in the very best manner for preservation and elegant taste. 4.7. 0 £ 6. 7. 6 For a short time, Payne was in partnership with Richard Wier, who had previously been employed at Toulouse, in binding and repairing the books in the famous Library of Count Macarthy. But the association. was of brief continuance. Both of them, towards the end of life, worked for John Mackinlay, under whom many of the later English binders of chief note learnt their trade. David Walther was contemporary with Mackinlay, and to him Charles Lewis was apprenticed in 1800. To the skill and judgement of Roger Payne, Lewis added business qualities which won for him respect as well as admiration. Dibdin says of him: "The particular talent of Lewis consists in uniting the taste of Roger Payne with a freedom of forwarding and squareness of finishing peculiarly his own. His books appear to move on silken hinges. His joints are beautifully squared, and wrought upon with studded gold; and in his inside decorations he stands without a compeer. Neither loaf-sugar paper, nor brown, nor pink, nor poppy coloured paper are therein discovered, but a subdued orange, or buff, harmonizing with russia; a slate or French grey harmonizing with morocco; or an antique or deep crimson tint, harmonizing with sprightly calf: these are the surfaces or ground-colours, to accord picturesquely with which Charles Lewis brings his leather and tooling into play.” |