SIXTEENTH CENTURY.
349
quefen EHzabeth by the archbishop. It is a small folio of this &.te, corered with ffreen vel- vet, and the front or first side embroidered with colonied silks and silk thread, in deep relief. It is conjectured that archbishop Parker intended the dengn on the sides, as a reference to her name. It represents a park inclosed by railings, having in the centre a larg^e rose tree, and deer in various positions. The reverse of the bindinfif has a similar design, but the interior occupied by five deer, one in the centre reposing, the other fonr like those described, being transposed ; two snakes and various small shrubs are disposed in the space between. The back is divided into five compartments, by embroidered lines, having a red rose with buds and branches between each, except the se<»nd from the head, on which has, at some subsequent period, been placed the title on a piece of leather, thus : —
PARKERUS
DE ANT EC. BRIT. LOND. 1672.
The bottom one bears on a small piece of leather, fixed on the embroidery—
EL. R.
The book has been rebound in green morocco, but the sides and back as above described, placed over the morocco in a very creditable manner. It is now properly preservea in a red basil cover, and further protected by being placed in a box.
Another book of queen Elizabeth's, also in the British museum, merits particular notice from its binding. It is the Huirrria Eccletia, printed at Louvain, in 1569, bound in green velvet, with the shield of the royal arms embroidered with coloured silks, and silver and gold thread on crimson silk, in the centre of each side. The remaining spaces are filled up with roses, foliage, &c. formed of the same materials, and some of the flowers composed of small pearls, many of which are lost. The back is similar to the last described, and bears the queen's initials. Every thing tends to show that Elizabeth was profuse in tiie embellishment of the bindings of her books ; and this doubtless influenced many per- sons to present her works in a costume she would be likely to approve. Among the new year's gifts, sent her in the year 1595, was a Bible born Absolon, master of the Savoy, bound in cloth of gold, garnished with silver and gilt, with two plates of the royal arms.
In 1578, queen Elizabeth, on her visit to Cambridge, waspresented by the vice-chancellor with " a Newe Teitament in Greek, of Robertus St«phanus, his first printing in folio, bound in redd velvett, and lymed with gould ; the annes of England sett upon eche side of the booke, veaiey faire."
In the Bodleian library, at Oxford, is an Eng-
lish translation of St. Paul's Epistles, in a tambour binding, executed bv the princess Elizabeth, afterwards queen, while imprisoned at Woodstock, during the reign of her sister queen Mary. The cover is of black silk, curi- ously embroidered with mottos and devices. Round the extreme border of the upper side is worked
"CffiLUM VKTKlm. SCOPUS VIT* XPV8. CHHtSTO VITE."
In the centre a heart, and about it,
"eleva cor suasvM ibi VBI B.C.* On the other side
'* BBATDS aUI DIVITIAS fiCBIPTUItS LEGBMS VERBA VEBTIT IN OPERA."
And in the centre, round a star,
"VICIT OMNIA PERTINAX VIRTUS E. C,"t
A^volume of pravers bound in crimson velvet, among the royal MSS. in the British Museum, claims the same distinction as the preceding work. On each side is embroidered with silver thread a monogram, apparently composed of the letters R. H. K. N. A. and E. in high relief, with the letter H. above and below, and a rose at the four comers.
A custom of perfuming^ books at this period is shown in the mstructions relative to presents to the queen, sent by the lord treasurer Burghley to the vice-chancellor of the university on this occasion. He says "Present a book well bound," and charges them " to regard that the book had no savour of spike, which commonly bookbinders did seek to add, to make their books savour well."
From what has been stated, it is evident that Elizabeth was a great lover of books, and a munificent patron of all concerned in their embel- lishment. But shedisplayed her taste in this par- ticular further than we have shown, by causing the binding to be composed entirely of silver or of gold. In the inventory of her jewels, plate, &c., made in the sixteenth year of her reign, several ornamental books are also described : amongst others, " Oone Gospell book, covered with tissue, and garnished on th' onside with the crucifix and the queenes badges of silver guilt, poiz with wodde, leaves, and all, cxij. oz." And " Oone booke of the Gospelles plated with silver, and guilt upon bourdes with the image of the crucifix ther upon, aud iiij evangelists in iiij places, with two greateclaspes of silver and guilt, poiz Hi oz. gr. and weing with the bourdes, leaves, and binding, and the covering of red vcllat, cxxj x . Oz." The Golden Manuel of Prayers formerly in the possession of queen Elizabeth, deserves to be particularly mentioned : it is bound in solid gold, and (it is said) was usually worn by her
- Est Christus.
t ElixabethK Captlvie, or Elizabeth* Captiva.
t Edward Vere, earl ot Oxford, first broupht from Italy the whole royRtcry and craft of perfamery, and costly washes; and among other pleasant things, a pcrfUmed jerkin, and a pair of perfumed gloves trimmed with roses, which he presented to the queen, and she bad her portrait drawn with them on her hands.
VjOOQ IC
