IV

PREFACE.

calf bindings of the fifteenth century, and the French bindings ofthe same period. On this department of the History of Book*binding, the Doctor has been so diffuse, that little could beadded. Such other specimens and remarks are thereforeintroduced, as were necessary to connect the style with theintroduction of others; and various incidental matter relative tothe characters of Grolier, De Thou, and the French Binders oftheir times; a preference being given to the Doctor’s ownstatements, to any dishonest garbling or re-writing of thisportion of the work.

To the Rev. T. H. Horne, thanks are also due for severalvaluable suggestions; and like acknowledgments to Sir S. R.Meyrick, the Very Rev. G. Gordon, Dean of Lincoln, theRev. C. H. Hartshorne, the Rev. H. H. Baber, of the BritishMuseum, the Rev. W. Cureton, of the Bodleian Library ,Oxford, T. Thomson, Esq., of the Record Office, Edinburgh ,J. B. Nichols, Esq., Mr. John Martin, Mr. John Bohn, andMr. C. Knight, for hints, or assistance rendered in the pursuitof the following inquiries.

The illustrations for the early portion of the work, have beenengraved principally from the “ Antiquites d’Herculanum,” byDavid. The others from sources named in the text, or fromdrawings made of existing bindings in the British Museum ,&c., by Mr. James Lee, by whom nearly the whole of theengravings have been executed.

The work has been composed at intervals of leisure, frommore serious occupations; and, if not embracing all the ele-gance of style by some desired, it is trusted will be found at alltimes clear and perspicuous. To this end, the object through-out has been to avoid all technicalities and vague speculations;to keep the truth of history and the value of utility constantlyin view, without running into unnecessary diffuseness. Thesubject, it is presumed, will thus be found to address itself toevery class of readers; and intimately connected as it is withliterature, in all ages and countries, the frequent referencenecessary to be made to the possessors of collections, and manyscarce books existing in good preservation in public andprivate libraries, will, it is hoped, alike constitute an ad-ditional claim on the attention of the antiquarian and

BIBLIOGRAPHER.

April, 1S37-