Books and Bookmen [47]
heresy. The most original and graceful
tooling is of much less real value than permanence, and a book bound
with a flat back, without nerfs, might practically as well not be
bound at all. The practice was the herald of the French and may
open the way for the English Revolution. Of what avail were the
ingenious mosaics of Derome to stem the tide of change, when the
books whose sides they adorned were not really BOUND at all? Madame
de Pompadour's books were of all sorts, from the inevitable works of
devotions to devotions of another sort, and the 'Hours' of Erycina
Ridens. One of her treasures had singular fortunes, a copy of
'Daphnis and Chloe,' with the Regent's illustrations, and those of
Cochin and Eisen (Paris, quarto, 1757, red morocco). The covers are
adorned with billing and cooing doves, with the arrows of Eros, with
burning hearts, and sheep and shepherds. Eighteen years ago this
volume was bought for 10 francs in a village in Hungary. A
bookseller gave 8 pounds for it in Paris. M. Bauchart paid for it
150 pounds; and as it has left his shelves, probably he too made no
bad bargain. Madame de Pompadour's 'Apology for Herodotus' (La
Haye, 1735) has also its legend. It belonged to M. Paillet, who
coveted a glorified copy of the 'Pastissier Francois,' in M.
Bauchart's collection. M Paillet swopped it, with a number of
others, for the 'Pastissier:'
J'avais 'L'Apologie
Pour Herodote,' en reliure ancienne, amour
De livre provenant de chez la Pompadour
Il me le soutira! {21}
Of Marie Antoinette, with whom our lady book-lovers of the old
regime must close, there survive many books. She had a library in
the Tuileries, as well as at le petit Trianon. Of all her great and
varied collections, none is now so valued as her little book of
prayers, which was her consolation in the worst of all her evil
days, in the Temple and the Conciergerie. The book is 'Office de la
Divine Providence' (Paris, 1757, green morocco). On the fly-leaf
the Queen wrote, some hours before her death, these touching lines:
"Ce 16 Octobre, a 4 h. 0.5 du matin. Mon Dieu! ayez pitie de moi!
Mes yeux n'ont plus de larmes pour prier pour vous, mes pauvres
enfants. Adieu, adieu!--MARIE ANTOINETTE."
There can be no sadder relic of a greater sorrow, and the last
consolation of the Queen did not escape the French popular genius
for cruelty and insult. The arms on the covers of the prayer-book
have been cut out by some fanatic of Equality and Fraternity.
Footnotes:
{1} See illustrations, pp. 114, 115.--In this Project Gutenberg
eText none of the illustrations are included. However, the
references to them are included.--DP
{2} "Slate" is a professional term for a severe criticism. Clearly
the word is originally "slat," a narrow board of wood, with which a
person might be beaten.
{3} Histoire des Intrigues Amoureuses de Moliere, et de celles de
sa femme. (A la Sphere.) A Francfort, chez Frederic Arnaud,
MDCXCVII. This anonymous tract has actually been attributed to
Racine. The copy referred to is marked with a large N in red, with
an eagle's head.
{4} The Lady of the Lake, 1810.
The Lay of the Last Minstrel, 1806.
"To Mrs. Robert Laidlaw, Peel. From the Author."
{5} Dictys Cretensis. Apud Lambertum Roulland. Lut. Paris.,
1680. In red morocco, with the arms of Colbert.
{6} L. Annaei Senecae Opera Omnia. Lug. Bat., apud Elzevirios.
1649. With book-plate of the Duke of Sussex.
{7} Stratonis Epigrammata. Altenburgi, 1764. Straton bound up in
one volume with Epictetus! From the Beckford library.
{8} Opera Helii Eobani Hessi. Yellow morocco, with the first arms
of De Thou. Includes a poem addressed "LANGE, decus meum."
Quantity of penultimate "Eobanus" taken for granted, metri gratia.
{9} La Journee du Chretien. Coutances, 1831. With inscription,
"Leon Gambetta. Rue St. Honore. Janvier 1, 1848."
{10} Villoison's Homer. Venice, 1788. With Tessier's ticket and
Schlegel's book-plate.
{11} Les Essais de Michel,
tooling is of much less real value than permanence, and a book bound
with a flat back, without nerfs, might practically as well not be
bound at all. The practice was the herald of the French and may
open the way for the English Revolution. Of what avail were the
ingenious mosaics of Derome to stem the tide of change, when the
books whose sides they adorned were not really BOUND at all? Madame
de Pompadour's books were of all sorts, from the inevitable works of
devotions to devotions of another sort, and the 'Hours' of Erycina
Ridens. One of her treasures had singular fortunes, a copy of
'Daphnis and Chloe,' with the Regent's illustrations, and those of
Cochin and Eisen (Paris, quarto, 1757, red morocco). The covers are
adorned with billing and cooing doves, with the arrows of Eros, with
burning hearts, and sheep and shepherds. Eighteen years ago this
volume was bought for 10 francs in a village in Hungary. A
bookseller gave 8 pounds for it in Paris. M. Bauchart paid for it
150 pounds; and as it has left his shelves, probably he too made no
bad bargain. Madame de Pompadour's 'Apology for Herodotus' (La
Haye, 1735) has also its legend. It belonged to M. Paillet, who
coveted a glorified copy of the 'Pastissier Francois,' in M.
Bauchart's collection. M Paillet swopped it, with a number of
others, for the 'Pastissier:'
J'avais 'L'Apologie
Pour Herodote,' en reliure ancienne, amour
De livre provenant de chez la Pompadour
Il me le soutira! {21}
Of Marie Antoinette, with whom our lady book-lovers of the old
regime must close, there survive many books. She had a library in
the Tuileries, as well as at le petit Trianon. Of all her great and
varied collections, none is now so valued as her little book of
prayers, which was her consolation in the worst of all her evil
days, in the Temple and the Conciergerie. The book is 'Office de la
Divine Providence' (Paris, 1757, green morocco). On the fly-leaf
the Queen wrote, some hours before her death, these touching lines:
"Ce 16 Octobre, a 4 h. 0.5 du matin. Mon Dieu! ayez pitie de moi!
Mes yeux n'ont plus de larmes pour prier pour vous, mes pauvres
enfants. Adieu, adieu!--MARIE ANTOINETTE."
There can be no sadder relic of a greater sorrow, and the last
consolation of the Queen did not escape the French popular genius
for cruelty and insult. The arms on the covers of the prayer-book
have been cut out by some fanatic of Equality and Fraternity.
Footnotes:
{1} See illustrations, pp. 114, 115.--In this Project Gutenberg
eText none of the illustrations are included. However, the
references to them are included.--DP
{2} "Slate" is a professional term for a severe criticism. Clearly
the word is originally "slat," a narrow board of wood, with which a
person might be beaten.
{3} Histoire des Intrigues Amoureuses de Moliere, et de celles de
sa femme. (A la Sphere.) A Francfort, chez Frederic Arnaud,
MDCXCVII. This anonymous tract has actually been attributed to
Racine. The copy referred to is marked with a large N in red, with
an eagle's head.
{4} The Lady of the Lake, 1810.
The Lay of the Last Minstrel, 1806.
"To Mrs. Robert Laidlaw, Peel. From the Author."
{5} Dictys Cretensis. Apud Lambertum Roulland. Lut. Paris.,
1680. In red morocco, with the arms of Colbert.
{6} L. Annaei Senecae Opera Omnia. Lug. Bat., apud Elzevirios.
1649. With book-plate of the Duke of Sussex.
{7} Stratonis Epigrammata. Altenburgi, 1764. Straton bound up in
one volume with Epictetus! From the Beckford library.
{8} Opera Helii Eobani Hessi. Yellow morocco, with the first arms
of De Thou. Includes a poem addressed "LANGE, decus meum."
Quantity of penultimate "Eobanus" taken for granted, metri gratia.
{9} La Journee du Chretien. Coutances, 1831. With inscription,
"Leon Gambetta. Rue St. Honore. Janvier 1, 1848."
{10} Villoison's Homer. Venice, 1788. With Tessier's ticket and
Schlegel's book-plate.
{11} Les Essais de Michel,