An Essay in the History of Gold-Tooled
Bindings by Herbert P. Horne
London 1894
danger of the Tobacconist and Grocer. And those which he bound for his own use, he would
have his mark stampt upon them. Which Mark was made up of these three Capital Greek letters,
N K <P, which were so neatly interwoven, that being doubled, they might be read to the right
hand, and to the left, by which initial capital Letters, these three words were designed, Nicolas,
Klaudius, Phabricius' [The Life of Peireskius, Englished by W. Rand, London, 1657, Part II., pp.
246, 255, 194.]. Malherbe, in a letter addressed to Peiresc, dated 28th October, 1609, writes
that he has found for him, apparently at his request, upon the recommendation of one Provence,
a bookbinder, a 'gentil garc;on,' whose proficiency in binding would not be suspected from his
want of a beard [Bib!. MS. Lettres de Malherbe a Peiresc, fro 9535.]. From another passage, also
printed by M. Thoinan, of a letter from Peiresc to Gassondi, dated Aix, 1 Ith June, 1633, it
appears, that the binder then employed by this collector was Corberau, probably the Guillaume
Corberau, whose name appears in a list of the guild of St. Jean, in 1627. The greater number of
the books bound I for Peiresc, are covered with purple morocco, and are stamped with his
beautiful cypher, drawn in a double line on the boards; while a simple border-fillet and the
lettering complete their decoration. An example of this kind may be seen on a book in the
Grenville Library: C01nmentatio expficatiollum omnz'um tragoedz'arum Sophoclz's, cum eremp/o
duplicis conversz'onz's joachz'mz' Camerarit', Basle, 1556; the cypher of Peiresc being repeated
on the title page [G. 8411.]. He died in 1637, aged fifty-six years.
It appears to me, that in these descriptions of Bouchard and Gassendi, we possess a series of
documents, which explain many practices of the early collectors, in regard to the choice,
preservation, and use of their books, which are otherwise difficult to understand. This is
especially so, in the case of Grolier. If we conclude, that he, like Peiresc, retained an I tali an
bookbinder in his house, from the time of his abode in Milan; we may account for the remarkable
continuity in the design and workmanship of the bindings executed for him: and if we conclude,
that he used his library in the fine and generous spirit of Peiresc, we may account for the
numerous copies of the same edition of the same work, which he possessed.
On the binding stamped with the cypher of Peiresc, which is figured by M. Bouchot, I have
remarked the addition of some rich tooling at the angles, and in the centre, of the panel of the
boards. This enrichment was further increased by extending the central portion, of each side of
the inner fillet, in a circular form towards the outer fillet; by the addition of other 'fleurons,' at the
angles thus formed; and by the elaboration of the centre-piece. The figured tools used upon
such bindings were commonly engraved, partly in solid line, and partly 'au pointiIIe.' This style, of
which M. Thoinan gives an example [PI. XVIII.],