French Book-plates

by Walter Hamilton

Others have used mottoes which come under no special category, such as that on an engraved label bearing the name J. G. Lafont:

“Des plaisirs sans apprêts, des amis peu nombreux
Les livres, les beaux arts, et la philosophie
Voila le vrai bonheur, il suffit a mes voeux.”

“Tots besoingners tots escripre.”
Valentin Mourie. (See page 238.)

“Point de Roses sans épignes.”
Edward S. Potter.

“Honneur à qui rapporte.”
L. Delatre. (See page 240.)

“La mort n’y mord.”
Ex-Libris Fr. Serrier. (See page 242.)

“Vive la Joie.”
On the plate of M. Joy.

In 1791 Monsieur J. B. Michaud cried aloud on his book-plate for “La Liberté ou la Mort” and many others adopted the phrase, at a time when Death was certainly more en évidence than Liberty.

Poor Léon Gambetta, probably the most daring and original of modern French politicians, had his book-plate inscribed “Vouloir c’est Pouvoir,” an axiom which he, the son of a poor provincial grocer, had proved correct up to a certain point.