In the centre is a small royal coat of arms with a specially cut border, ensigned with a large royal crown and flanked by the initials M R. A broad rectangular fillet of gold and blind lines runs parallel with the edges of the boards, the gold being the inner of all, and mitred at the corners. This fillet marked by gold lines is ornamented along its length by impressions of a small arabesque cluster and a rosette, and at each of the outer corners is a large fleuron.
This binding is one of the most finely executed of any that can without doubt be attributed to Berthelet. The stamps used upon it are original in design, and although the Italian feeling is still evident, it is not so marked as in many other instances. The curious plan of adorning a fillet with impressions of small detached stamps is, I think, originally an Italian idea, but it is found more frequently on Berthelet’s bindings than it is on those of any other master. Sometimes it occurs on fillets which are stained black, in which case a little bare place is left for the gold impression,—it is not gilded over the stain. Sometimes, as on this book, the fillet is left uncoloured. The unknown binder who worked for James I. and his sons used dots on fillets, but never stained them; and Samuel Mearne, royal binder to Charles II., revived the plan of gilding on a black fillet, but he did not carry it out to such an elaborate extent as did Berthelet, only using dots or dotted lines.
1554. Expositio Beati Ambrosii episcopi super apocalypsin. Lutetiae, 1554; measures 9¼ by 6½ inches, and is bound by Berthelet in dark brown calf, tooled in gold, with a few blind lines. In the centre is an ornamental cartouche enclosed within a rectangular border, and bearing the royal coat of arms of Queen Mary, crowned, and flanked by two scrolls; this is enclosed by a circle of wavy flames, and again by an outer irregularly shaped border of curves, straight lines, and arabesques. The space between the flamed circle and the outer arabesque line is filled with a powdering of small circular stamps.
The rectangular outer border is composed of straight lines in gold and blind, with centre fillet of an ornamental circular stamp crossed with arabesques of Italian character. The inner corners of the rectangle are filled with a trefoil stamp and the outer corners with an ornamental fleuron. There are the remains of two green silk ties on the front edge of each of the boards. The book is not in a good condition, the back having been entirely spoiled and tooled with recent stamps.
1555. Epitome omnium operum divi Aurelii Augustini, etc. Coloniae, 1549; measures 12½ by 8¼ inches, and is bound in brown calf, tooled in gold, with some blind lines. In the centre is the royal coat of arms of Queen Mary, crowned, and flanked by two arabesque curves, contained within a circle stained black, with waved rays of gold issuing outwards. The coat is enclosed by a long upright rectangular fillet stained black, interlaced by another in diamond shape of similar width, also stained black. The spaces within these two fillets are filled with gold curves and arabesques, except the two small triangles flanking the centre, which have the initials M R.
The black fillets are enclosed by a double border; the inner one, broken in four places by the points of the diamond, is thickly ornamented with corner fleurons and arabesque scrolls, the outer closely filled with a handsome arabesque made with two reversed curves. Outside all is another black rectangular fillet, with fleurons at the outer corners.
This is one of the finest calf bindings Berthelet made for Queen Mary, and it is wonderfully well preserved, the leather being only a little discoloured and the gold bright and clear. The black on the fillets is also in good condition.
1555. Bonner. A profitable and necessarye doctrine. London (1555); is bound in pale brown calf for Queen Mary, and tooled in gold, without any black in the fillets. In the centre is the royal coat of arms flanked by two scrolls and enclosed within a flanked circle. This circle is contained in a diamond-shaped fillet, with leaf stamps in the upper and lower corners, beyond which is a rectangular border of Italian fashion, made by small circles intersected by arabesques,—a favourite pattern of Berthelet’s, and very effective. The four inner corners of the parallelogram are filled with arabesque ornaments, and the outer corners have small fleurons. All the stamps are well known.