are De Bury, Shakespeare, Goethe, Emerson, Montaigne, Ruskin, Bewick, and Washington Irving. Rembrandt’s “Three Trees,” also found among the accessories at the foot, is indicative of the collector of etchings. The graver, eye-piece, cushion, and block on which the portrait of Washington is cut, denote the art of engraving, and the head of Minerva, which rests proudly upon the volume of Ruskin, represents the patron of Art. This plate is a fine example of the peculiar personal flavor which Sherborn has infused into his revival of this particular kind of German work. The grouping of the books at the bottom is excellent, and the graceful sweeps of the tulip pattern, as it fills the upper two-thirds of the plate, are very pleasing. The motto, Far more seemly were it for thee to have thy Study full of Bookes than thy purse full of money (Lilly), is placed beneath the design.
Two specimens of the work of Paul Avril, for American owners, are of exceeding daintiness and delicacy in design and execution. The plate of Clarence H. Clark represents Venus in gauzy drapery, with a looking-glass in her hand, reclining upon a pile of books, some of which are closed. A fragment of the scroll of a Chippendale frame, with one or two roses about, complete the decoration. The motto, Amat victoria curam, is seen upon the open page of a folio volume. The plate is very light and pretty.
In the plate of George B. De Forest, by the same artist, we are ushered into the library of the owner. Here a cherub draws back the curtain, and affords a view of the treasures upon the well-filled shelves, not only to the beholder, but also to a scantily clad female who, with one foot upon the step of the shelf-ladder, appears to halt in an ecstasy of delight. An open book on the floor, and a portfolio standing near the shelves, complete the accessories. The whole is surrounded by a frame of foliated scrolls.
In the plates of Dr. Henry C. Eno we have examples of the owner’s personal skill as an etcher. In one design, a lighted candle is placed upon a closed book, which is labelled Ex Libris Volume, and is presumably filled with rare treasures among our very early American plates. The second plate represents a lighthouse, with rolling waves at its foot. The broad bands of light stream from the lighted lantern, across the black night. The scene is enclosed within a circular frame. This is set upon a background, which may represent a fish-net, and is finally enclosed by a border of rope. A bit of rope tied in a sailor’s knot lies under the lighthouse picture, and supports the name, Ex Libris H. C. Eno.
Among collectors, there has been of recent years a strong desire to secure specimens of the plates of the ladies. In England, where the heraldic features of a lady’s plate are required to be in some respects very different from those of the gentleman, they may be said to constitute a class by themselves. But with us, while of equal interest, they do not show any marked difference in their design from the gentlemen’s. Indeed, most of them, if not all, would serve just as well for one as for the other. The plate of Charlotte Cushman, which is heraldic, is incorrect, if judged by the rules of the art. The arms are not in a lozenge, the crest is given, and the motto is displayed. But the plate has none the less a deep interest to the American collector, who indeed can well afford to overlook any trifling irregularities which may be pointed out by a student of a science not in vogue with us. Habeo pro jus fasque is the motto on the plate. Two other heraldic plates are now used by American ladies. The plate of Mrs. E. H. L. Barker, of Warren, R.I., is designed by Mr. J. McN. Stauffer, and is heraldically correct, in that no crest is given, and that the frame enclosing the arms is of the required form. However, the motto is given, and the animal of the crest is made to do service as a supporter of the rod on which the shield rests. The plate is small, and very neat in appearance. The plate of Miss Jessie Brewster, of Shelton, Conn., is a plain armorial, displaying the arms claimed by the descendants of Elder William Brewster of Massachusetts. Another Rhode Island plate, and one which is representative of the hobbies of the owner, is that of Mrs. Alonzo Flint, of Providence. This is a large plate, in the centre of which is an arrow-head of flint, in reference to the name of the owner. In the corners are displayed books, easel and palette, violin, music and ‘cello, and two cathedral spires,—all indicative of the likings and pursuits of the user of the plate. A wreath of ragged chrysanthemums and ivy leaves surrounds the central design, on which a beehive is placed, among hollyhocks. This is, as was intended, a plate whose every part is illustrative of the interests of the owner, who was also its designer.
