FROM THE INVENTION OF PRINTING. 97

All Soul’s College, Oxford , in 1567, which are de-scribed as—“ A Psalter covered with skin ; a prick-song book covered with a hart’s skin; five other ofpaper bound in parchment; and the Founder’s Massbook in parchment, bound in board. ” q

The introduction of morocco, as a covering forbooks, must be dated at a later period than vellum orcalf, and the merit of its application given to thebinders of the continent, to whose workmanship andthis species of binding we shall, in a subsequent chap-ter, more particularly devote our attention; thoughsome early specimens in this style exist in our libra-ries, the works of English binders of no mean merit.One, the celebrated Charter, erroneously attributedto king Edgar, in the British Museum , r is splendidlybound in red morocco, and lettered, “Carta RegisEadgari : Marium Brit. Domini.” This book isplaced on a green silk cushion in a case lined withgreen velvet, and covered with a large plate of glass.

When this book was bound cannot now be ascer-tained ; but at a much later period than the executionof the text. To James I. must be accorded the meritof introducing morocco as a general cover for thebinding of his books. Specimens in velvet belongingto him have been before described as remaining inthe British Museum . In the same national depositoryare several morocco bindings bearing his initials and

q Nichol’s Progresses of Queen Eliz. i. 107.- r ITarl. MSS.

7513 .