An Essay in the History of Gold-Tooled
Bindings by Herbert P. Horne
London 1894
in illa,' retaining nothing of a compromising nature, became with the arrow and laurels the
device, which is commonly found upon her books. Such is the account, which M. Bauchart gives
of Diane and her scruples, and which he illustrates in his book, Les Femmes Bibliophiles de
France, by a reproduction of one of her bindings, tooled with this device on the lower board: on
the upper board are the arms of Breze, impaling those of Poitiers. The original, a copy of the
Orationes Basilit~ archiepiscopi Caesareae Cappadociae, Paris, 1556, is in the Town Library at
Rheims.
On another binding executed for her, and reproduced among Mr. Quaritch's illustrations [Nos. 19
and 20.], two legends take the place of the arms and device. Of these, the significant
sentiment, stamped on the upper lid, 'Consequitur quodcunque petit,' is but an excuse for the
elaborate compliment to the king, which follows on the lower board, 'N ihil amplius optat.' This
volume, which is a copy of the dialogues of Bartholomaeus Camerarius, De Praedestinatione,
Paris, 1556, is covered with white morocco, on which the design is tooled in black. Bows,
arrows, quivers, crescent moons, the crowned H, and the cypher composed of two D's reversed
and interlaced with an H, compose the chief part of the other decorations of these books.
Henri succeeded his father in 1547, and Diane de Poi tiers was created Duchess of Valentinois.
After the death of her lover, she retired to the Chftteau d' Anet, still adding to her library until
the time of her death in 1566. There, her books remained until 1723, when they were sold,
consequent upon the death of the Princesse de Conde, to whom the castle then belonged. A list
is giving by M. Bauchart of those volumes of her library, which he has been able to trace: but
they only number some thirty-five. The library of Henri II., however, remains for the most part
intact; and is now preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris. Examples of his bindings
are, however, to be found occasionally in other libraries: the British Museum possessing, at
least, three of his books. The style of these bindings is generally more simple, than that of the
books bound for Diane de Poi tiers: a figured or interlaced border, forming a panel, on which the
arms of the king are stamped, composes the entire decoration of one of the books in the
Museum, Le Lz'vre des Statuts de'I'Ordre Saz'net Michel, Part's, 1550? [C. 29. e. 3.]. The other
examples, M. Mosehojmlz'de ratione examz'nandae orattom's lz"bellus, Parz's, 1545 [C. 46. h.];
and Petrt' Bembz' Cardz'nalz"s Hz'stort'a Veneta, Venice, 1551 [G. 6032.], have the further
adpition of the crowned H, and the cypher formed by two D's, reversed, and interlaced with an
H; together with other attributes of Diane. The recurrence of this cypher,
which is sometimes formed by two crescent moons reversed, in place of the D's, not only upon
the books of Henri II., but, also, upon the palaces of the Louvre and Fontainebleau, has given
rise to much controversy: