French Book-plates Part 7

Guillaume Tronson. Signed A. B. Flamen.

Hadriani de Valois, dom. de la Mare.

Jerome Bignon, grand maitre de la Bibliotheque du Roi. A fine armorial plate, probably engraved by Francois Chauveau.

Leonor Le Francois Sr. de Rigawille. Motto: "Meliora sequentr," dated 1673.

Charles Maurice Le Tellier, archeveque de Reims. Signed J. Blocquet, 1672.

Louis Francois du Bouchet, Marquis de Souches. Signed "Mavelot, graveur de Mademoiselle."

Mgr. Pellot, Premier President du Parl^{mt} de Normandie. Signed J. T., probably Jean Toustain, an engraver of Normandy.

This President Pellot possessed a valuable collection of Spanish and Italian books.

Guyet de la Sordiere, a plate bearing the arms of several family alliances of la Sordiere.

Charles, Marquis et Comte de Rostaing. Signed P. Nolin. This fine heraldic plate does not bear the name of its owner, but as it is exactly reproduced in the Armorial of Segoing, with the inscription "Armes d'Alliances de Messire Charles marquis et comte de Rostaing, gravees par son tres humble serviteur Pierre Nolin, 1650," we are enabled at once to identify the plate, and to fix its date.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF MONSIEUR DE LORME.]

Simon Chauuel, chevalier, Seigneur de la Pigeonniere, Conseiller du Roy, etc. Signed P. Nolin.

This book-plate is also reproduced in the Armorial of Segoing, which indeed contains about sixty copies of ex-libris copied by Nolin, either from his own works, or from other plates belonging to his customers, or engravings by his brother artists.

Denis G.o.defroy. Died in 1681. Ex-libris in two sizes, both armorial.

Potier de Novion. A nameless ex-libris, identified by the arms, and signed by Trudon. The only known book-plate signed by this artist, who yet engraved all the plates to ill.u.s.trate his work ent.i.tled "Nouveau traite de la science pratique du blason," published in 1689.

Jules-Hardouin Mansart, superintendent of buildings under Louis XIV.

Signed Montulay Lenee. Heraldic plate, no name.

Jean-Nicolas de Tralage, a nephew of La Reynie, commandant of police. De Tralage presented his valuable collections to the Abbey of Saint Victor in 1698.

In many cases these plates have been identified only by the arms they carry. Ex-libris had not yet become truly fashionable amongst bibliophiles of the first rank, arms and devices being still generally stamped on the covers of their books, and the names of the owners were seldom considered necessary in a society where every person of any position was compelled to understand heraldry, and to be acquainted with the armorial bearings of the princ.i.p.al families.

The men of letters of the seventeenth century were not apparently inclined to adopt ex-libris, comparatively few have been found; those of Malherbe (who was, however, a n.o.bleman and a courtier as well as an author), the historiographer, Andre Felibien; Jerome Bignon, who was chief librarian in the Royal Library; Denis G.o.defroy, the historian, have been named, and the collectors, Menage and Bishop Huet; yet these latter scarcely count, for the plates bearing their names and arms were only engraved to place in the books they had generously presented to the Jesuit fathers.

We seek in vain for the ex-libris of Corneille, Moliere, or Racine, Boileau, La Fontaine, La Bruyere, for hitherto none have been discovered. In 1684 Madame de Sevigne wrote: "J'approuve fort de ne mettre autour de mon chiffre que _Madame de Sevigne_. Il n'en faut pas davantage: on ne me confondra point pendant ma vie et c'est a.s.sez."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER VI.

EXAMPLES OF EX-LIBRIS. From 1700 TO 1789.

The rapid multiplication of books and libraries during this period naturally led to a corresponding increase in the use of ex-libris. About the same time a new style of ex-libris comes in, more fanciful and artistic than of yore, but it must be confessed of a less practical character. These remain, for the greater part, heraldic in design, in fact, more pretentiously heraldic than ever. For, with the progress of education and the advance of philosophical speculation in France, people began to realize the absurdity of purchasing heraldic bearings, and, seeing what a sham the whole thing had become, finished by a.s.suming arms and coronets to keep in the fashion. "Le blason," wrote the Sieur de Chevigni in 1723, "est devenu un jardin public ou chacun s'accommode a sa fantaisie pour les armoiries comme pour les couronnes."

Helmet, wreath, and mantling disappear, whilst the shield and coronet no longer face one boldly and squarely, but appear in fantastic perspective; the supporters a.s.sume att.i.tudes never before contemplated in heraldry--under or over the shield, or playing at hide and seek behind the shield. Cupids, angels, cherubim, and mythological deities lend their aid, and a background of clouds, with or without rainbows, completes the curious fashion in vogue about 1750, which lasted, with some modifications, down to the time of the Revolution.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF N. R. FRIZON DE BLAMONT, 1704.]

As time creeps slowly forward dated plates become more fashionable, and the owners' names are more generally inserted. Indeed, French vanity begins to a.s.sert itself in lengthy inscriptions setting forth the high-sounding t.i.tles, distinctions, and offices held by the owners of these elaborate armorial book-plates.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF CLARET DELATOURRETTE, 1719.]

The plate of the Abbe de Gricourt shows us that he considered the terrestrial globe unworthy to bear his coat-of-arms, which is therefore being carried away to its home in paradise by a swarm of little angels singing psalms in his praise, and weaving garlands of flowers to crown his achievement. This ambitious plate is signed by A. T. Cys (Adrien Thery, a Cisoing), who was a brother of the Abbe de Gricourt.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF MICHEL, COMTE DE FAULTRIERES, 1730.]

The plates of this later period are, for the most part, affected, pompous, and even ridiculous in their a.s.sumptions. Shields in impossible att.i.tudes, either resting on nothing, or falling over the supporters.

These, in their turn, no longer perform their ancient duties seriously, but lounge about, lie asleep at their posts, or yawn with _ennui_ at having to take a part in such a farce as heraldry in France had now become. As for the few plates of this period which preserve the ancient regularity of form and correct heraldic drawing, these usually belong to the families most ent.i.tled to bear arms, yet they look archaic and formal beside their more ornate brethren.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF FRAN. MOUCHARD, ECUYER, 1732.]

The plates which have been reproduced to ill.u.s.trate this period, 1700 to 1789, have been selected princ.i.p.ally to show the varying styles in fashion in each decade, until we reach a date when French society is rudely convulsed by political events.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF F. G. LECUYER.]

Three scarce plates are those of Louis XV., of Madame Victoire de France, and of the Bastille. That of Louis XV. is a fine plate for folio size, designed by A. Dieu and engraved by L. Audran. It has a monogram of double L on a shield, which is surrounded by trophies, and surmounted by the royal crown.

The plates for Madame Victoire de France (daughter of Louis XV.) and for the Chateau de la Bastille bear the French royal arms--azure, three fleurs-de-lys or.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF R. JEHANNOT DE BEAUMONT, 1742.]

Apart from heraldry, we have now reached the period when purely artistic and decorative ex-libris commence to show themselves, and when artists such as Ferrand, Beaumont, F. Montulay, L. Monnier, Nicole and Collin, both of Nancy, J. Traiteur, de la Gardette, Berthault, L. Choffard, Le Roy, Cochin, Gravelot, Marillier, Moreau le jeune, Pierre St.-Aubin, and Gaucher, put some of their best work into these little copper plates.

Even Boucher condescended to engrave a few plates, of which, however, but three are known, and one only is signed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF DELALEU, 1754.]

With the multiplication of books in the eighteenth century came a proportionate decrease in their intrinsic value. With the exception of an occasional _edition de luxe_, or of books scarce only because they ought never to have existed at all, lovers of artistic bookbinding found their hobby almost useless.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF P. A. CONVERS, 1762.]

Why spend pounds to bind a book which cost but a few shillings? Why put costly clothing on a child having 999 brothers, all so exactly similar that the father and mother, author and printer, could not discriminate between them? As the book was bought so it generally remained, or, as an especial honour, it might perhaps be put into half calf.

_Exit_ whole morocco, with arms elaborately emblazoned on the sides, and monograms in dainty tooling on the back.

_Enter_ modern book-plate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF THE CHEVALIER DE BELLEHACHE, 1771.]

Under the Bourbon Kings the government of France was an absolute monarchy tempered by epigrams, and regulated chiefly by priests, soldiers, and the ladies of the Court. The system was vicious and corrupt, but very simple, and eminently satisfactory to the privileged cla.s.ses. It ruined France, but, whilst it lasted, the kings and their mistresses, the n.o.bility, and the clergy, enjoyed most of the pleasures, and all the vices, this life could afford.