The first page is ornamented with a special border, which we shall find in others of Tory's books. The only copy of this form of the book which I have had an opportunity to examine, namely, the one in the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, although it is bound in paper only, has a beautiful drawing in miniature which occupies the whole of this page. It represents two printers working at a press, and a compositor in front of his case. None of the printing has been retained, save the five lines of the title, 'Horæ,' etc., which are enclosed in a scroll hanging from the upper branches of two trees which form the frame of the miniature. I do not know the name of the fortunate recipient of this gift. One sees only his initials (R. P.) in a heart above the press.
On the verso of the title we find, in accordance with custom, the table of Easter Days, etc., from 1523 to 1551. The border of the page has, in three small reserved scrolls in the midst of the arabesques, the words: GEOFROY—TORY—SIC VT NON PLVS, which recur from time to time on the following pages. This border is reproduced on the title-page of each part of the book.
The license occupies the whole of both sides of the second leaf, which is without borders, for a special reason: it is printed in gothic type of the period (to imitate the script of the diploma) and that style of type would have quarrelled with the antique arabesques of Tory, whose refined taste avoided incongruities of that sort.
An extract from the license follows:—
'Francoys, by the grace of God King of France, to the Bailli and Provost of Paris, the Seneschal of Lyon, and all other justiciars, officials, or their deputies, and to each of them in his jurisdiction, and as to him shall appertain, greeting. Our dear and well-beloved maistre Geofroy Tory, bookseller, living at Paris, hath now caused it to be made known and shown unto us that he hath of late made and caused to be made certain pictures and vignettes "à l'antique," and likewise certain others "à la moderne," to the end that the same may be printed and made use of in divers books of Hours, whereupon he hath employed himself a very long time, and hath made divers great expenditures, and outlay. Wherefore, and to enable him to recover a part of the outlay that he hath made and undergone while employed in procuring the aforementioned drawings and vignettes to be made; and to the end that he may have the wherewithal to live with more ease, he hath most humbly caused to be laid before us his petition and request that he alone and no other may have authority to cause the aforementioned drawings and vignettes to be printed, for the space and term of six years, beginning on the day of the printing of said Hours, and that all booksellers be forbidden to make or to cause to be made any impression thereof, whether on a white, grey, or red field, not omitting any of the said black vignettes, or to reduce them "a petit ou grant pied"; humbly beseeching us to that end. Wherefore we, having duly considered these matters, and generously acceding to the petition and request of the said petitioner, and likewise in recognition of his learning, literary talent, and the excellent and praiseworthy report made to us of his person, and of his talents, competency, loyalty, wisdom, and goodly diligence, have granted to him the privilege that he and no other may print and cause to be printed the said vignettes and drawings, and do forbid all booksellers and printers whomsoever within our realm, to make or procure to be made and printed the said vignettes and drawings, on pain of a fine of five and twenty silver marks to be paid to us, and confiscation of the Hours, vignettes, and pictures by them so printed. Given at Avignon, the XXIII day of September, in the year of grace one thousand five hundred twenty-four, and of our reign the tenth.'
