On the last leaf but one appears a 'duplicate of the license granted to maistre Geofroy Tory de Bourges, by the King our Sire, for this present book and others named in this said license,' in these words:—
Francoys, by the grace of God King of France, to the Provost of Paris, Bailly of Rouen, Seneschal of Lyon, and to all other our justiciars and officials or their deputies, greeting. Our dear well-beloved maistre Geofroy Tory of Bourges, bookseller, dwelling in our city of Paris, hath caused it to be made known to us that he hath of late made and composed in the Latin tongue a certain book entitled; 'Ædiloquium et Erotica'[237]; likewise, that he hath translated from Greek and Latin into French the 'Economic Xenophon'; which books he would fain print, or cause to be printed, if it should be our pleasure to permit him so to do, at the same time causing all tradesmen, booksellers, printers, and other persons whomsoever, to be forbidden to print or to expose for sale in any manner the said books; and that, if any should be brought hither by foreigners, other than those of the said Tory's printing, they may not be sold within our realm during the period of the four years reckoned from the date of the printing of said books, with an extension for a like period for certain other books, illustrations, and vignettes to be printed in the 'Heures et Office de Nostre Dame' mentioned in two licenses heretofore granted to him by our favour.[238] Wherefore, having regard and consideration for the time and toil which it hath cost the said Tory to compile and translate the said books, and for such expense as it shall be his pleasure to incur in printing the same,—for these reasons we have given and granted to him permission to print or cause to be printed and to offer for sale the said books above mentioned for four years following and succeeding the printing thereof. And so we command you, that by virtue of this our present favour, warrant and permission, you do allow the said petitioner to use and enjoy the same, and do forbid in our name all tradesmen, printers, booksellers, to print or cause to be printed, or to expose for sale in any manner the said books during four years, on pain of twenty-five silver marcs to be paid to us, and confiscation of the books as to which they shall have been guilty; for such is our pleasure. Given at Vannes, the XVIII day of June in the year of grace one thousand five hundred thirty-one, and of our reign the seventeenth.—Signed, Heruoet.
On the last page: 'The printing of this present book was finished by maistre Geofroy Tory of Bourges Wednesday the fifth day of July in the year M. D. XXXI. And it is for sale at Paris, opposite the "Escu de Basle," Rue Sainct Iaques, and opposite the Church of La Magdeleine, at the sign of the ("a leeseigne [sic] du") Pot Casse.'
The description we have given is that of the very complete copy owned by M. Ambroise Didot. M. Chedeau, an attorney at Saumur, owned a copy the title-page of which is different. It reads thus:—
ECONOMIC DE: XENOPHON, CEST A DIRE: DOMESTIQUES INSTITUTIONS ET ENSEIGNEMENS POUR BIEN REGIR SA FAMILLE ET AUGMENTER SON BIEN PARTICULIER. IADIS COMPOSE EN GREC PAR LANCIEN AUTHEUR XENOPHON, ET TRANSLATE DE GREC ET LATIN EN LANGAIGE FRANÇOIS PAR MAISTRE TORY DE BOURGES. [Here the Pot Cassé.] Imprimees a Paris, a lenseigne du Pot Casse, par ledict maistre Geofroy Tory, marchant libraire et imprimeur du roy.—Avec privilege.
This title-page has the same border and the same form of the Pot Cassé as the other copy; but it has not on the verso the little list of other publications which we find on the latter, and which we have reproduced above. As the first signature (A) of M. Chedeau's copy lacks four leaves, we cannot say whether there are other differences in that signature; but as to the other signatures, B to I, they are identical in the two copies. Thus we find in both the error to which we called attention above in the word 'enseigne' [printed 'eeseigne'], in the final note; better still, this error has been corrected by hand, in the same way, in both copies, probably by Tory himself. Which of the two is the earlier? I should not venture to say; however, it seems to me that the additional matter on the verso of the title-page of M. Didot's copy tends to prove that it is the later of the two. In any event, the interval between the two impressions cannot have been a long one. If I interpret rightly certain circumstances, the first signature, which had been kept in type (as is proved by a number of typographical defects which appear in both copies), was reprinted at the same time with the last signature. Tory's dedicatory epistle, in M. Didot's copy, is dated July 5, the day when the printing of the book was finished according to the final note. Now, to make it possible for him to affix this date to his preliminary epistle, we must concede that it had been kept in type until the book was finished. But may it not be that no date was affixed on the first signature of the first impression? That is a question that I am unable to answer, in view of the imperfect state of M. Chedeau's copy. It may be, too, that the first signature was reprinted in order to announce Tory's new address, he having very recently installed his printing establishment in the famous old Halle au Blé de Beauce, on Rue de la Juiverie, opposite the Church of La Madeleine. For it will be observed that this address does not appear on the title-page of M. Chedeau's copy, although we do find it in the note on the last page.
This volume is printed in the 'Champ fleury' type.
16
POLITIQUES DE PLUTARCHE, CEST A DIRE: CIVILES INSTITUTIONS ET ENSEIGNEMENS POUR BIEN REGIR LA CHOSE PU[BLIQUE], IADIS COMPOSEES EN GREC PAR PLUTARCHE, ET DEPUIS TRANSLATEES DE GREC EN LATIN PAR LE SEIGNEUR NICOLE SAGUNDIN, ET A PRESENT DE LANGUE GRECQUE ET LATINE EN LANGAIGE FRANÇOIS PAR MAISTRE GEOFROY TORY DE BOURGES.—Dediees par le dit autheur a lempereur Trajan, et par le translateur en langaige françois a tresilustre et plain de bon espoir en toute heureuse vertu, son seigneur, François de Vallois, Daulphin de France. [Here the Pot Cassé, no. 4.] Imprimees en Paris, a lenseigne de Pot Casse, par maistre Geofroy Tory de Bourges, marchant libraire et imprimeur du Roy.—Avec privilege tresample.[239]
Octavo, of 8 preliminary unnumbered leaves, and 67 numbered leaves of text (signatures A to Iij). The pages have no borders. There are marginal remarks. The type and the ornamental letters are the same as in 'Champ fleury.'