III. 'Laurentii Vallæ de linguæ latinæ elegantia libri III'; quarto, 1535 and 1538. Same border as in the preceding.[245]
2
IN 1527 Tory published a new edition of his Hours, in one volume, octavo, printed as before by Simon de Colines, in roman type, with vignettes of the same sort, but much smaller. There is a copy on vellum at the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal; unluckily it lacks the first and last leaves. According to M. Brunet,[246] to whom M. Tosi, of Milan, sent the description of a perfect copy, also on vellum, the first page reads: 'Horæ in laudem Beatiss. Virg. Mariæ ad usum Romanum venales extant Parrhisiis ad insigne vasis effracti.' And the last: 'Hujusmodi Horæ nuper absoluebantur a prælo Colineo, die vicesima prima Octobris anno Domini 1527, pro magistro Gotofredo Torino Biturigico Bibliopola ad insigne vasis effracti Parrhisiis commorante, ubi venales beneuolis omnibus amicabiliter extant.'
We give herewith an extract from the license of this new publication, which license included also 'Champ fleury' and the Hours of 1524-1525:
François, by the grace of God King of France, to the Provost of Paris, the Bailli of Rouen and the Seneschal of Lyon, and to all our other justiciars and officials and their deputies, and to each of them as to him shall appertain, greeting. Our dear and well-beloved maistre Geofroy Tory de Bourges, bookseller, living at Paris, hath now caused it to be made known and shown unto us that, in order to proclaim, exalt and embellish the Latin and French tongues, he hath not long since made and composed a book in prose and in the French language entitled: 'Lart et science de la deue et vraye proportion des lettres attiques, autrement dictes antiques et vulgairement lettres romaines, proportionnees selon le corps et visaige humain'; the which book he hath caused to be placed before us, soliciting and requesting us to grant unto him leave, permission and license to print, or cause to be printed the said book, together with certain drawings and vignettes 'à l'antique and à la moderne'; likewise friezes, borders, crowns and scrolls; also to cause to be printed books of Hours, in such form and of such size as to him shall seem good, during the time and term of ten years, beginning on the day of the printing of said Book and said Hours; together with an extension for the same term for certain drawings and vignettes by him heretofore printed.—We hereby give you to know, that we, in consideration of the foregoing, generously acceding to the petition and request of the said maistre Geofroy Tory, and having regard to the toil, labour, outlays and expense which it hath behooved him to undergo and sustain, as well in the composition of the said books, as for the engraving of the said drawings, vignettes, friezes, borders, crowns and scrolls to accompany the said Hours, as hereinbefore mentioned, in divers forms and sizes,—have granted to him the privilege of printing the said books, enjoining you not to allow any other printers or booksellers within our realm, domains and seignories to print the said books and Hours, on pain of one hundred silver marcs to be paid to us, and of confiscation of said books. Given at Chenonceau the fifth day of September, in the year of grace one thousand five hundred twenty-six, and of our reign the twelfth.
In this new book of Hours there are thirty-two different borders, which reappear on every second leaf—one hundred and twenty-eight in all. The text is embellished by sixteen large subjects, naturally smaller, however, than those in the quarto. In the copy at the Arsenal, the only one that I have seen, these subjects are coloured. I did not discover Tory's mark anywhere; but his mottoes do appear,—'menti bonæ devs occvrrit'; 'sic vt, vel vt'; 'non plvs';—which proves that these plates were engraved for him, if not by him.
A list of the drawings follows:—
1 and 2. The Angelic Salutation; two plates on adjoining pages, as in the quarto of 1524-1525.
3. The Visitation of the Virgin.
4. The Birth of Jesus.
5. The Annunciation to the Shepherds.
6. The Adoration of the Magi.
7. The Circumcision.
8. The Flight into Egypt.
9. The Coronation of the Virgin.
10. St. Joachim and St. Anne Embracing (this is not included in the edition of 1524-1525).
11. The Crucifixion.
12. The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.
13. The Penance of David.
14. The Triumph of Death.
15. The Holy Trinity.
16. The Virgin and the Child Jesus.
(The last two are not included in the edition of 1524-1525.)