DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.63332#0034
CHAPTER II
EDWARD VI.-MARY AND ELIZABETH
There are specimens of books bound for Edward VI. in the British
Museum, both before and after his accession to the throne. Most, if
not all of these, in leather, are probably the work of Thomas Berthelet,
as they have many points in common, and he continued the “ King’s
printer servaunt,” and furnished him also with bindings.
The earliest of these is a manuscript by Petrus Olivarius, In
Trogum Pompeium et in Epistolas familiares Ciceronis, Chorographica,
presented by the author to Prince Edward in 1546, and it bears in
the centre the Prince of Wales’ feathers within a flamed circle. A some-
what more elaborate binding, with the royal coat-of-arms of England
within a flamed circle, occurs on another manuscript, a translation by
William Thomas of a book of travels, which is also dedicated to the
king. A similar design to this last book is found on the binding of
Xenophon, La Cy rope die, printed in Paris in 1547. It is covered in
rich brown calf, and each panel is ornamented with an interlacing
fillet, coloured black, enclosing an inner diamond, in the centre of
which is the royal coat-of-arms, with “ E. R.” and a double rose above
and below. The spaces are filled with arabesques, cornucopias, and
small stars. The colouring of the fillets, with black stain on calf, is
a characteristic of Berthelet’s work for Edward VI. and Mary. This
peculiarity does not occur, as far as I know, on any of those he bound
for Henry VIII., so it may be considered that the black fillets, often
interlaced in a masterly way, and frequently arranged in semicircular
forms, are evidence of the later work of this master of his art. At the
same time, many of the smaller stamps used on these later volumes are
EDWARD VI.-MARY AND ELIZABETH
There are specimens of books bound for Edward VI. in the British
Museum, both before and after his accession to the throne. Most, if
not all of these, in leather, are probably the work of Thomas Berthelet,
as they have many points in common, and he continued the “ King’s
printer servaunt,” and furnished him also with bindings.
The earliest of these is a manuscript by Petrus Olivarius, In
Trogum Pompeium et in Epistolas familiares Ciceronis, Chorographica,
presented by the author to Prince Edward in 1546, and it bears in
the centre the Prince of Wales’ feathers within a flamed circle. A some-
what more elaborate binding, with the royal coat-of-arms of England
within a flamed circle, occurs on another manuscript, a translation by
William Thomas of a book of travels, which is also dedicated to the
king. A similar design to this last book is found on the binding of
Xenophon, La Cy rope die, printed in Paris in 1547. It is covered in
rich brown calf, and each panel is ornamented with an interlacing
fillet, coloured black, enclosing an inner diamond, in the centre of
which is the royal coat-of-arms, with “ E. R.” and a double rose above
and below. The spaces are filled with arabesques, cornucopias, and
small stars. The colouring of the fillets, with black stain on calf, is
a characteristic of Berthelet’s work for Edward VI. and Mary. This
peculiarity does not occur, as far as I know, on any of those he bound
for Henry VIII., so it may be considered that the black fillets, often
interlaced in a masterly way, and frequently arranged in semicircular
forms, are evidence of the later work of this master of his art. At the
same time, many of the smaller stamps used on these later volumes are