A great variety in the pictures is thus assured and all familiar subjects avoided. The binding is of the same age as the book, that is, about the beginning of last century. It is ornamented in the centre with a cross, enclosed within a treble border of interlacing patterns. The outer bag or case is somewhat similarly, but more rudely, decorated. III. STAMPED BINDINGS in Wooden Boards and Stamped Leather, usually styled monastic (SEC. XV-XVI). English: 12848 VERGILII (Polydori) Adagioru opus per autorem diligenter recognitum, woodcut title by HOLBEIN with figure of Cleopatra beneath (top torn off)—Ejusdum de Rerum inventoribus lib. viii. fine woodcut title in compartments, by Holbein-2 vols. in 1, folio, old oaken binding covered with stamped leather, from the Sunderland library, £3. 5s Basil. 1525 The binding was evidently done in England, very soon after the printing of the book, from which we may guess that some one of the early Reformers brought it to this country. The ornaments on the stamped binding are the rose, the lion, the fleur-de-lis, the portcullis, etc., the book having probably been bound in London about 1530. The name of the first owner is carefully obliterated, the second owner was R. Yelverton (about 1580). 12849 ÆNEAS SYLVIUS. Pii II Pontificis maximi Historia rerum ubique gestarum, Venet. Jo. de Colonia, 1477-Georgii Merulæ Antiquitatis Vicecomitum (Mediolanensium) libri x, (Mediol. A. Minutianus, circ. 1499)--2 vols. in 1, sm. folio, old leather stamped binding, £4. 1477(-99) French: This binding has four centre-compartments on the sides; in Nos. 1 and 4 there are fine stamped figures of SS. Peter and Paul; in 2 and 3, figures of griffins and arabesques. In an outer border there are alternating impressions of the rose and the fleur-de-lis. Hence we infer it to be an English binding : it was done about 1530, 12850 NYDER (Johannis) PRECEPTORIU DIUINE LEGIS, folio, with coloured capitals, fine copy with the edges almost entirely uncut, wooden boards covered with stamped leather, the title written on a slip of paper underneath a transparent plate of horn which is fastened on the front cover, £5. Sine nota [Colon. Udalrr. Zell, circ. 1473] Although the book was printed in Germany, and probably a German workman wrote the title which is seen through the horn yet the binding was executed in Paris-as the stamped fleur-de-lis indicate-towards the end of the fifteenth century. ... 12851 EXEMPLA SACRE SCRIPTURE.. pro Georgio Mittelhus. [At end :] Parisius, 1503-BONAUENTURE (Sancti) Sermones de Morte [ib.] Robert Gourmont [about 1505]-RIJKEL (Dionysii de) Colloquium Jesu cum puero etc, sine nota [Paris, circ. 1505]-Liber Arbor FRENCH-continued. Scientie boni & mali, Parris. Ant. Bonneme [circ. 1510]-4 vols. The centrepiece of the stamped ornament is the figure of the Man of meus. 12852 DYNUS (de Muxello) de Regulis Juris, sm. 4to. contemporary oaken boards covered with leather, the back mended, the sides stamped with a figure of S. Katherine on sides, 258 Sine loco [Parisiis], 1525 The impression on the sides is remarkably good. It contains in the upper of two compartments the figure of St. Katherine, in the lower that of the Saviour, and a legend which encloses both, to this effect- Virgo Sancta Katherine Grecie Jema. The binding is of the same date as the book. 12853 TERENTII (Pub.) Comoediae sex, ab Antonio Goueano integritati suæ restitutæ, sm. 4to. contemporary calf, stamped with figure of Hope surrounded by a quotation from the Psalms, £5. 10s Parisiis, 1542 The impression on the sides is remarkably clear and displays a fine artistic hand in the design. The initials I P with a cross standing between probably represent the binder's or tool-engraver's name. 12854 MISSALE AD VSUM INSIGNIS AC PRECLARE ECCLESIE SAR', Sm. folio, printed in red and black, with numerous woodcuts and the Music, four leaves of the Canon printed on vellum, in the original stamped binding, £63. Parisius per Nic. Higman, impensis Fr. Regnault et Fr. Byrckman, 1519 Four crossed rows of impressed arabesque work form the ornament on the sides of the binding, and one for or by Regnault about 1520-30. German : 12855 VORAGINE (Jacobus de) Incipit prologus in LEGENDAS SANCTORUM quas collegit in unum frater JACOBUS IANUENSIS, stout sm. folio, in the original boards, covered with leather, stamped with designs of flowers and other ornaments, as well as the title "Lambardica on the upper side, protected by wrought metal corner and centrepieces, £10. Nurenberga, Anth. Koburger, 1482 The binding was probably done for the publisher. 12856 LOUBER (Jacobi) Excerpta ex tractatulo contra istos qui dicunt sanctos Joseph Joachim Mariam . . . ceterosque veteris Testamenti sanctos non esse venerandos, folio, in the original boards covered with stamped leather, with small metal pieces and knobs, £4. s. n. [Aug. G. Zainer, circ. 1475] Bound up with a MS. on vellum-the first page illuminated—which contains a deed of assignment from Ludwig and Ulrich, Counts of Würtemberg, to Frederic Bishop of Constanz, dated 1436. This is followed by later documents concerning the same ecclesiastical property, down to 1479, at which date or soon after it is probable the book was bound, and these instruments with it for safe keeping. The designs impressed on the binding are elaborate and various, and it is probable the volume was bound in some house belonging to the see of Constanz. GERMAN-continued. 12857 BOETIUS DE PHILOSOPHICO CONSOLATU, sm. folio, numerous curious woodcuts, title mended, bound in the original boards covered with hogskin stained black and stamped with the imperial eagle, the rose, and other ornaments, £12. Argentine, Johan. Grüninger, 1501 The binding is of the same age as the book; but the lettering-piece on the back was added in the last century. 12858 VIRGILII OPERA [cum quinque commentariis, curâ Seb. Brandt], folio, some leaves mended, numerous fine large and small woodcuts, contemporary oaken binding, covered with leather, stamped with figures of the Virtues, etc. from the Sunderland library, £10. Argent. Jo. Grüninger, 1502 An edition remarkable for its woodcuts. Bound almost at the same time as the book, with elaborate compartments of figures and ornament. 12859 LIBRI DE RE RUSTICA, M. Catonis, M. Terentii Värronis, L. Junii Moderati Columelle, Palladii, sm. 8vo. original oaken binding covered with stamped leather, from the Sunderland library, 20s s. l. [? Basileœ], 1528 The stamped ornament is in a treble row on each side, and consists of arabesques and armorial shields brought into very distinct relief. The initials I. W. also appear, which are probably those of the artist's name. 12860 EURIPIDIS, TRAGEDIE OCTODECIM, Græcè, 1537 (autograph of "ISAACUS GRUTERUS " on title)-Scholia... ab Arsenio archiep. Monembasiæ collecta, Græcè, 1544-2 vols. in 1, stout sm. 8vo. old oaken boards, covered in stamped leather, £4. Basilea, 1537-44 The binding is ornamented in compartments on the sides, with arabesques and heads of the Reformers, in fine preservation. It dates from about 1550. 12861 [DIALOGI CREATURARUM.] MASHAL HA-KADMUNI, by Isaac ben Salomon ben Sahola, edited by Meir ben Jacob Franzoni: a work consisting of proverbial phrases in rhyme, illustrated by prose fables, all in Hebrew, sm. 4to. numerous woodcuts of talking animals and other facetious designs, somewhat in the style of Esop and the Septem Sapientes, bound in hogskin, stamped with portraits and arabesques in compartments, and the arms of Saxony, VERY RARE, from the Sunderland library, £5. 5s Venice, about 1560 Written in the 13th century, and probably derived from the Kalila wa Dimna. It is bound along with three other rare Hebrew pieces: Shevil Amunah, Trent, 1559; Shaar ha-Shamayim (the Caballistic Porta Coelorum), Vinet. 1547; Evronoth, a Hebrew Calendar, Trent, 1561. They must have all have been carried northward by some German traveller in or soon after 1561, and bound for him perhaps at Wittenberg about 1565-70. 12862 JOSEPHI (Flavii) Antiquitatum Judaicarum libri xx, adjecta vita Josephi; a Sigism Gelenio conversi: item de bello Judaica; contra Apionem; de imperio rationis a Des. Erasmo recognitus, etc. stout folio, woodcut initials, fine copy in contemporary oaken binding, covered in leather, stamped with figures of the GERMAN-continued. prophets, with initials A. B. G. D. and date 1562 on sides, and brass clasps, £7.78 Basil. Froben. 1559 This is in a remarkably fine state of preservation, so fine indeed that I may say it is the best specimen of the kind in my possession, and unsurpassed by anything I have seen. The designs and impressions are of high superiority and finish, and there is a grand appearance about the whole binding. 12863 XENOPHONTIS omnia quæ extant Opera, Greece et Latine (curâ) Henrici Stephani, folio, LARGE PAPER, fine copy in hogskin, impressed all over the sides with figures symbolical and pictorial, signed F. H., the initials H. W. L. and the date 1571 stamped on as a record of the first owner, 36s (Geneva) 1561 The artist who designed the elaborate illustrations on this binding was probably Franz Hoeck of Munich. 12864 REYNIKE Voss, de Olde, nyge gedrücket mit sydlykem vorstande und schönen Figuren erlüchtet und vorbetert, 12mo. with curious woodcuts by Virgil Solis and others, in original binding rebacked, with fine old embossed sides preserved, with clasps, £3.3s Frankfort am Mayne, 1575 The figures in the marginal compartment on the sides of the binding are symbolical and stamped in blind tooling. The large figures which form centrepieces (on one side the Temptation of Adam by Eve, on the other Christ bruising the serpent's head), were stamped in gold, but the metallic colour has faded away. It was done about 1580. 12865 COSTERI (Franc.) Enchiridion Controversiarum præcipuarum nostri temporis de Religione, 12mo. original boards covered with stamped leather, 7s 6d Dutch: Colon. 1589 As a centrepiece on the sides there are figures of Mercy and Justice united beneath a crown, in gold, with angle-ornaments like fleurs-de-lis in in oxydized silver. 12866 BOETII (de) Consolatione Philosophie liber, cũ optimo commento BEATI THOME, sm. 4to. in the original oaken binding covered with stamped leather, with clasp, from the Sunderland library, £4. Daventriæ Jacobus (Os) de Breda, 1497 The sides are ruled with diagonal lines, their intersection forms lozengeshaped compartments within which figures of roses and fleurs-de-lis are stamped. Italian : 12867 SENECA (Lucii Annei) liber de Moribus . . . declamationes Epistole, folio, first initial illuminated and the others painted in blue and red, original oaken binding covered with stamped leather, from the Sunderland library, £7. 10s Tarvisii, per Bern. de Colonia, 1478 With the autograph inscription of Francesco Barbaro "quondam magnifici Danielis (of Venice, about 1500). The blind-tooling on the sides consists of an outer border of elegant festoon-work, an inner border of leaves within wreaths, and a centrepiece of interlaced cordage. Spanish: 12868 CAPELLA (Andrea) Commentaria in Ieremiam prophetam, sm. 4to. fine copy in the original calf binding, blind-tooled with arabesque ornamentation, and stamped in black on the centrepiece with the Agnus Dei and the head of a Roman warrior, Slavonic: Moscow, 1744 This was a sumptuous imperial edition, and the binding matched it. The impression on the lower cover is faded, and the book is a little damaged externally; but the front cover still remains, a very good example of its kind. IV. THE BOOKS OF SOVEREIGNS. Popes: 12871 Innocent XII, Pignatelli (1691-1700). PETRÆ (Don Caroli) Commentaria in universos ritus M. C. V. Regni Neapolitani, 4 vols. folio, portraits, fine copy in bright old red morocco, the sides completely covered with exquisitely fine and brilliant gold tooling, gilt and gauffred edges, £25. Neapoli, 1664-93 Bound, probably in Rome, in a cover which combines elements of extraordinary richness and delicacy; the Papal arms in a geometrical centrepiece, which is surrounded by an elaborate profusion of gold ornament in Le Gascon's style-leaves and pointillé arabesques; all framed within a sextuple roulette border. There is no commercial binding here: it is all hand-work of the most exquisite finish, and was probably executed by some one who had acquired his skill in the Paris school. 12872 Pius VI, Braschi (1774-98). SALUSTIO, la Conjuracion de Catalina y la Guerra de Jugurtha [traduzidas en Español por el Infante Don Gabriel], folio, maps, plates and vignettes, presentation copy to Pope Pius VI, bound in calf extra, with his arms on the sides and back, edges UNCUT, £4. Madrid, Ibarra, 1772 The sides and back are richly gilt, and this fine volume is no less creditable to Spanish workmanship as a specimen of noble typography, than as an excellent example of ornamental binding. Emperor: 12873 Rudolf II (1552, 1576-1612). CLAVII (Christ.) Novi Calendarii Romani Apologia, adversus Mich. Mæstlinum Gæppingensem tribus libris explicata, 4to. the dedication copy to the Emperor, bound in old crimson morocco, with elaborate ornamental gilt tooling in the Renaissance style, the German Imperial Arms on sides, gilt and gauffred edges, £25. Romæ ap. Sanctium, 1588 The Roman Kalendar had then recently undergone the reform with |