GEORGIVS. MITTELDYS

THE DEVICE OF GEORGE MITTELHUS.
(See page 34, ante.)

Premising that CAILLA UT and MARTINEAU began to print in 1483, (La Caille, p. 62) and DENIS JANOT in 1484, (note two tempting copies, upon vellum, of books of this date, in La Caille, p. 62) I proceed, but unavoidably in a hasty manner, to place a wreath upon the brows of that worthy old gentleman PASQUIER BONHOMME, one of the four principal Parisian booksellers;' who indeed ought to have received an earlier tribute of respect, and who commenced his meritorious labours with a magnificent (and now rare) impression of Les Chroniques de France, called Les Chroniques de St. Denis, in 1476, folio, 3 volumes. These were reprinted in 1493 by Verard, in 3 volumes; and again by Eustace, with additions, in 1514, 3 volumes, in folio: of which two latter impressions the Macarthy collection may justly boast of copies UPON VELLUM: that of Eustace

having been in the Valliere collection. It remains only to send the reader, if he be in a roving disposition, to La Caille, p. 61; the Bibliogr. Instruct. vol. vi. p. 6062, and to the Cat. de la Valliere, vol. iii. p. 179-181. Maittaire is more than usually gossipping: p. 360, note 4; but why does he refer to the treacherous Orlandi? The Macarthy copy of Verard's edition wanted the first voluine; but a perfect and stupendous copy, also upon vellum, from Claude d'Urfé's library, was in the Paris collection; purchased by the late Mr. Johnes for 151l. 4s.: see page 29, ante: Cat. de Mc Carthy, vol. ii. nos. 4504, 4506. La Caille mentions a brother of Pasquier, of the name of JOHN, who began to print in 1486

SIMON VOSTRE

THE DEVICE OF SIMON VOSTRE.

(See pages 34-36, ante.)

also one of the bookselling grandees of Paris: see p. 62, 3. I find the name of MATTHEW BONHOMME (among Bagford's papers) who printed at Lyons, in 1560, 'at the sign of the Golden Key:' if not before.

What shall we say of ROBINET MACE, and PIERRE LEVET, who each began to print somewhere about the year 1486? Examine Panzer, for three minutes only, at vol. ii. p. 287, no. 119, &c. Levet was a particularly active printer. Then again for PIERRE LE ROUGE (or Petrus Rubeus) a brother no doubt of Jacobus Rubeus of Venice (whose press was put in motion as early as

1474)-what is to be observed of him? See Panzer, vol. ii. p. 288, no. 127; p. 289, no. 142; where we find him styled libraire et imprimeur du roy notre sire, in the first edition of that well known work, La Mer des Histoires, 1488, folio, 2 volumes. He began to print in 1487, if not before. I can only take off my hat, en passant,' to Messieurs BALLIGAULT (whose pretty device of monkeys, executed in red, graces page 346 of vol. iii. of the B. S.; and who was imitated in such device by Iehan Lambert, with the following couplet-being a pun upon the Christian name of Balligault, which was FELIX :

Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum

Est fortunatus felix diuesque beatus.

ог

Est felix faustus cui sit fortuna secunda.

and GEORGE WOLFF (each of whom began to print in 1488 or 1489: the latter, in partnership with CRUCZENACH in 1494-see Panzer, vol. ii. p. 291, no. 162, &c. p. 305, no. 310, &c.) in order to dwell a little more particularly upon BERTHOLT REMBOLDT; whose devices adorn the present pages, and who first printed in partnership with his master GERING in 1489, according to an inference of Maittaire, (p. 505, note 2) supposed to be warranted by the text of Chevillier, p. 98: but see the parenthetical caution of Panzer, vol. ii. p. 290, no. 148.

From 1494 to 1497, the names of Gering and Rembolt appear constantly