English Embroidered Bookbindings Part 6

There are remains of gilt clasps on the front edges of each of the boards, and the edges of the leaves are gilt and gauffred, with a little pale colour.

Udall, _Sermons_. London, 1596.

A few specimens of embroidered books were exhibited at the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 1891. Among them was a charming velvet binding that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, lent by S. Sandars, Esq., and now in the University Library, Cambridge. It is a copy of Udall's _Sermons_, printed in London in 1596, and is covered in crimson velvet, measuring about 6 by 4 inches. The design is the same on each side, the royal coat-of-arms applique, with the initials E. R., and a double rose in each corner with stalks and leaves. The coat-of-arms is made up with pieces of blue and red satin, the bearings heavily worked with gold thread, and the ground also thickly studded with small straight pieces of guimp, doubtless put there to insure the greater flatness of the satin. The crown with which the coat-of-arms is ensigned is all worked in guimp, and is without the usual cap. The ornaments on the rim are only trefoils, and there are five arches.

The initials flanking the coat are worked in guimp, as are the corner roses and leaves. The guimp used is apparently silver, and the cord used for the outlines and stems is gold. The back has a gold line down the middle and along the joints, with a wavy line of gold cord each side of it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 29--Collection of Sixteenth-Century Tracts.]

_Collection of Sixteenth-Century Tracts._ Bound about 1610.

To Henry, Prince of Wales, we owe a great debt of grat.i.tude, as he was the first person of much consequence in our royal family to take any real interest in the Old Royal Library.

Indeed it may be considered that the existence to-day of the splendid 'Old Royal' Library of the kings of England, which was presented to the nation in 1759 by George II., is largely due to the attention drawn to its interest and value by Prince Henry, who moreover added considerably to it himself.

This Prince used as his favourite and personal badge the beautiful design of three white ostrich feathers within a golden coronet, and with the motto 'ICH DIEN' on a blue ribbon. With regard to the origin of this badge there is unfortunately a good deal of obscurity.

The usual explanation is that it was the helmet-crest of the blind king of Bohemia, who was killed at Crecy in 1346, and that in remembrance of this it was adopted by the Black Prince as his badge. But, as a matter of fact, the ostrich feather was used as a family badge by all the sons of Edward III. and their descendants. It appears to have been the cognisance of the province of Ostrevant, a district lying between Artois and Hainault, and the appanage of the eldest sons of the house of Hainault. In this way it may have been adopted by the family of Edward III. by right of his wife, Philippa of Hainault.

An early notice of the ostrich feather as a royal badge occurs in a note in one of the Harleian MSS. to the effect that 'Henrye, son to the erle of Derby, fyrst duke of Lancaster, gave the red rose crowned, whose ancestors gave the fox tayle in his proper cooler, and the ostrych fether, the pen ermine,' the Henry here mentioned being the father of Blanche, wife of John of Gaunt.

On the tomb of Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII., at Worcester, the feather is shown both singly and in plume, and it occurs in the triple plume form within a coronet and a scroll with the words 'ICH DIEN' upon it, on bindings made by Thomas Berthelet for Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII., who never was Prince of Wales.

It really seems as if the first 'Prince of Wales' actually to use the ostrich feather plumes as a personal badge of that dignity was Prince Henry, and it occurs largely on such books belonging to his library as he had rebound, and also on books that were specially bound for presentation to him.

This is the case in one of the most decorative bindings he possessed, enclosing a collection of tracts originally the property of Henry VIII., but which somehow or other became the property of Magdalen College, Cambridge, the governing body of which had it bound in embroidered velvet and presented to Prince Henry.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 30--Bacon, Opera. Londini, 1623.]

The cover is of crimson velvet, the edges of which extend freely beyond the edges of the book, bound all round with a fringe of gold cord. It measures about 8 by 6 inches. The design is the same on each side. In the centre is a large triple plume of ostrich feathers, thickly and beautifully worked in small pearls, within a golden coronet, and having below them the motto 'ICH DIEN' in gold upon a blue silk ribbon.

The badge is enclosed in a rectangular panel of gold cords, in each corner of which is an ornamental spray of gold cords, guimp, and a flower in pearls. A broad border with a richly designed arabesque of gold guimp or cord, with pearl flowers, encloses the central panel. The design is filled in freely with small pearls enclosed in guimp circles and small pearls alone.

The back has an ornamental design in gold cord and guimp. This cover is a beautiful specimen of later decorative work on velvet, and the general effect is extremely rich, the design and workmanship being equally well chosen as regards the materials to which they are applied, and with which they are worked.

Bacon, _Opera_. Londini, 1623.

A copy of the works of Francis Bacon, Viscount St. Albans, printed in London in 1623, is bound in rich purple velvet, and measures 13-1/4 by 8-3/4 inches. The design is a central panel with arabesque centre and corners, surrounded by a deep border of close curves and arabesques, all worked in gold cord and guimp. There are several gold spangles used, kept down by a small piece of gold guimp. The front edges of each board have only the marks left where two ties originally were, and the edges of the book are simply gilt.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 31--Bacon, Essays. 1625.]

Bacon, _Essays_. 1625.

A copy of another work by the same author, the Essays printed in 1625, was given by him to the Duke of Buckingham, and is now at the Bodleian Library at Oxford. It is bound in dark green velvet, measuring about 7 by 5 inches, the same design being embroidered on each side. In the centre is a small panel portrait of the Duke of Buckingham, with short beard, and wearing the ribbon of the Garter. The portrait is mostly worked with straight perpendicular st.i.tches, except the hair and collar, in which the st.i.tches are differently arranged. The background merges from nearly white just round the head to pink at the outer edge; the coat is brownish. The framework of the portrait is solidly worked in gold braids and silver guimp in relief, the design being of an architectural character. Two columns, with floral capitals and pediments, spring from a scroll-work base and support what may perhaps be intended for a gothic arch with crockets. Immediately above the crown of the arch is a ducal coronet, and a handsome border of elaborate arabesques reaching far inwards is worked all round the edges. The outlines of these arabesques, the stalks and curves, are all worked in gold cords, the petals and leaves in silver guimp in relief. The back is divided into eight panels by gold and silver cords, and in each of these panels is a four-petalled flower with small circles. There are several gilt spangles kept down by a small piece of guimp.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 32--Common Prayer. London, 1638.]

_Common Prayer._ London, 1638.

Among the few older royal books in the library at Windsor Castle is an embroidered one that belonged to Prince Charles, afterwards Charles II. It is a copy of the _Book of Common Prayer_, printed in London in 1638, and is bound in blue velvet with embroidered work in gold cord and silver guimp, similar in character to that on the copy of Bacon's _Essays_ just described. It measures 8 by 6 inches. The design is heraldic. In the centre is the triple plume of the Prince of Wales, with coronet and label, no motto being apparent on the latter. The plume is encircled by the Garter applique, on pale blue silk, the motto, worked in silver cord, being nearly worn off. Resting on the top of the Garter is a large princely coronet, flanking which are the letters 'C. P.' In the lower corners are a thistle and a rose. A broad border with arabesques encloses the central panel. This book was exhibited by Her Majesty at the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 1891. It is in very bad condition, which is curious, as it is not so very old, and as it is still among the royal possessions it might well have been imagined that it would have been better preserved than other and older books of a like kind which we know have been considerably moved about. The colour is however very charming still, and books have rarely been bound in blue velvet, black, green, or crimson being most usual.

After 1649, or thereabouts, there was a full stop for a time to any art production in the matter of bookbinding. Indeed, for the embroidered books as a cla.s.s that is the end, but nevertheless a few examples are found at a later date, but no regular production and no original designs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 33--Bible. Cambridge, 1674.]

_Bible._ Cambridge, 1674.

A large Bible printed at Cambridge in 1674, in two volumes, was bound in crimson velvet for James II., presumably about 1685. The work upon it, each volume being the same, is of a showy character, good and strong, but utterly wanting in any of the artistic qualities either of design or execution which characterised so many of the earlier examples.

In the centre are the initials 'J. R.' surmounted by a royal crown, heavily worked in gold braid, guimp, and some coloured silks. Enclosing the initials and crown are scrolls in thick gold twist; these again are surrounded by a curving ribbon of gold, intertwined with roses and leafy sprays. In each corner is a silver-faced cherub with beads for eyes and gold wings, and at the top a small blue cloud with sun rays, tears dropping from it. There are two broad silk ties to the front of each board, heavily fringed with gold.

The back is divided into nine panels, each containing an arabesque ornament worked in gold cord and thread, the first and last panels being larger than the others and containing a more elaborate design. The edges of the leaves are simply gilt, and the boards measure 18 by 12 inches each, the largest size of any embroidered book known to me.

CHAPTER IV

BOOKS BOUND IN SATIN

_Collection of Sixteenth-Century Tracts._ Bound probably about 1536.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 34--Collection of Sixteenth-Century Tracts.]

Perhaps the earliest existing English book bound in satin is a collection of sixteenth-century tracts that belonged to Henry VIII., and is now part of the Old Royal Library in the British Museum. It is covered in red satin, measures 12 by 8 inches, and is embroidered in an arabesque design, outlined with gold cord. On the edges the words 'Rex in aeternum vive Neez' are written in gold. The word 'Neez' or 'Nez,' as it is sometimes spelt, may mean Nebuchadnezzar, as the other words were addressed to him. On books bound in leather by Thomas Berthelet, royal binder to Henry VIII. and his immediate successors, the motto often occurs, and as he is known to have bound books in 'crymosyn satin,' this is most likely his work. The pattern is worked irregularly all round the boards, and a sort of arabesque bridge crosses the centres. The back is new, and of leather, but the boards themselves are the original ones, and the embroidery is in a very fair condition.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 35--New Testament in Greek. Leyden, 1570.]

_New Testament in Greek._ Leyden, 1576.

If early bindings in satin are rare, still rarer is the use of silk. One example worked on white ribbed silk still remains that belonged to Queen Elizabeth. It measures 4-3/4 by 2-3/4 inches, and in its time was no doubt a very decorative and interesting piece of work, but it is now in a very dilapidated state, largely due to improper repairing. The book has actually been rebound in leather, and the old embroidered sides stuck on. So it must be remembered that my ill.u.s.tration of it is considerably restored. The design, alike on both sides, is all outlined with gold cords and twists of different kinds and thicknesses, and the colour is added in water-colours on the silk. In the centre is the royal coat-of-arms within an oval garter ensigned with a royal crown, in the adornment of which a few seed pearls are used, as they are also on the ends of the garter.

Enclosing the coat-of-arms is an ornamental border of straight lines and curves, worked with a thick gold twist, intertwined with graceful sprays of double and single roses, outlined in gold and coloured red, with buds and leaves. A few symmetrical arabesques, similarly outlined and coloured, fill in some of the remaining s.p.a.ces. The work on this book, a _New Testament in Greek_, printed at Leyden in 1576, is like no other; but the general idea of the design, rose-sprays cleverly intertwined, is one that may be considered characteristic of the Elizabethan embroidered books, as it frequently occurs on them. The use of water-colour with embroidery is very rare, and it is never found on any but silk or satin bindings, generally as an adjunct in support of coloured-silk work over it, but in this single instance it is used alone.

_Seventeenth-Century Embroidered Books._

The books described hitherto have been specimens of rare early instances, but in the seventeenth century there is a very large field to choose from. Small books, mostly religious works, were bound in satin from the beginning of the century until the time of the Commonwealth in considerable numbers; so much so, in fact, that their value depends not so much upon their designs or workmanship as upon their condition.

It is generally considered that embroidered books are extremely delicate, but this is not so; they will stand far more wear than would be imagined from their frail appearance. The embroidered work actually protects the satin, and such signs of wear as are visible are often found rather in the satin itself, where unprotected, than in the work upon it. In many cases a peculiar appearance, which is often mistaken for wear, is seen in the case of representations of insects, caterpillars, or b.u.t.terflies particularly. These creatures, or parts of them, appear to consist only of slight st.i.tches of plain thread, suggesting either that the work has never been finished, or else that the finished portions have worn away. The real fact is, however, that these places have been originally worked with small bright pieces of peac.o.c.k's feather, which have either tumbled out or been eaten away by minute insects, a fate to which it is well known peac.o.c.ks' feathers are particularly liable.

The late Lady Charlotte Schreiber, who was a great collector of pieces of old embroidery, among a host of other curious things possessed the only perfect instance of work of this kind of the seventeenth century I have ever been fortunate enough to find. It was a very realistic caterpillar, closely and completely worked with very small pieces of peac.o.c.ks' feathers, sewn on with small st.i.tches, quite confirming the opinion I had already formed as to the original filling in of the usual 'bald' s.p.a.ces representing such objects.