Now for old Scotland—“Fraser of Ledeclune”; this is a splendid modern ex libris. This plate is worthily found in a fine, large-paper copy of “poems by goldsmith and parnell. london: printed by W. Bulmer and co. Shakspeare Printing Office, cleveland row. 1795”. “To raise the art of Printing in this country from the neglected state ... to combine the various beauties of Printing, Type-founding, Engraving, and Paper-making; as well with a view to ascertain the near approach to perfection which those arts have attained in this country, as to invite a fair competition with the best Typographical Productions of other nations.... The whole of the Types, ... are executed by Mr. William Martin, in the house of my friend Mr. George Nicol, whose unceasing endeavours to improve the art of Printing &c.... The ornaments are all engraved on blocks of wood, by two of my earliest acquaintances, Messrs. Bewicks, of Newcastle upon Tyne and London, ... I may venture to say, without being supposed to be influenced by ancient friendship, that they form the most extraordinary effort of the art of engraving upon wood, that ever was produced in any age, or any country....” Of the paper it is only necessary to say that it comes from the manufactory of Mr. Whatman.
Burke’s General Armoury gives:—
“Quarterly, first and fourth, azure, a bend engrailed between three cinquefoils (or frasiers), argent, a canton gyronny of eight or and sable; second and third, argent, three antique crowns gules (the latter quartering was given
to Sir Simon Frazer for having thrice saved the life of Robert Bruce at the battle of Methven). Crest a buck’s head, erased gules. Supporters, two stags proper, attired and unguled or, collared azure, pendent therefrom an escutcheon gyronny of eight gold-and-sable, each resting one foot on an anchor of the last. Motto: ‘Je suis prêt.’ The branches of yew in the bookplate are the ancient badge of the clan Fraser. This book has been beautifully bound, evidently by Kalthoeber.”
“The Honourable Archibald Campbell Esqʳ. 1708” is engraved at the base of an armorial plate, with mantling, and lions for supporters. This is the plate of Archibald Campbell, second son of Lord Niel Campbell, who was second son of Archibald, Marquis of Argyll. The owner of this plate had a remarkable life. First, he is said to have taken part in the rebellion headed by his uncle, the ninth Earl of Argyll, in 1685, and then to have made his escape to Surinam.
That fine old Tory, Dr. Samuel Johnson, says of him, that after his youthful whiggish days “he kept better company and became a violent tory.” On the 25th of August, 1711, he was consecrated a bishop at Dundee by Bishops Rose, Douglas, and Falconer. He died in London in 1744. This plate is in his interleaved and copiously annotated copy of the New Testament in Latin: “Theodore Beza’s, Londini excudebat Thomas Vautrollerius, Typographus, 1581.” It belongs to Mr. E. F. Coates.
The nice plate of “Campbell of Shawfield” gives a shield-of-arms, not just corresponding with Burke’s General Armoury, which records: Gyronny of eight or and sable, within a bordure of the first, charged with as many crescents of the second. Crest a griffin erect, holding the Sun between the forepaws. Motto: “Fidus amicis.”