Book-Plates

by William John Hardy

Another delightfully rural scene is depicted on the book-plate of 'John Hews Bransby.' His motto reads, Breve et irreparabile tempus; and he shows a rustic landscape, in which the figures represented have evidently learnt the truth of the assertion. The sower scatters seed, the ploughboy is engaged with his team,—all are making the most of their time, yet there is no sign of hurry or bustle. The day is fine, but clouds hover in the sky. On the left, a cottage nestles in the trees, and the smoke from its chimney tells of the housewife within preparing a meal for those who are earning it by their labour without.

So much for landscapes having direct reference to the book-plates on which they appear. Often, however, the landscape is purely a fancy one, as that on the book-plate of Gregory Louis Way. A river flows through fields, and beside it sits an armour-coated knight, who is either wearied with the fight, or bowed down by the fickleness of his lady. His shield rests beside him, and on it are depicted the arms of Way. The moon sheds upon the scene what light she is able, but the sky is overcast and stormy.

I must not close this chapter without reference to the book-plates produced by Thomas Bewick, many of which are familiar enough—as examples of Bewick's art—to those who know little about book-plates, and do not collect them. His are certainly for the most part 'Landscape' plates; but I do not know whether to class them with these examples of 'View' book-plates, or with those which I have christened 'Fancy Landscapes.' They were chiefly engraved for northern book-owners, but one can hardly say that the particular bit of scenery on each—though, doubtless, in most cases drawn from nature—has any special applicability to the owner. I will therefore speak here of Bewick's book-plates as forming a class by themselves. His first was prepared for Thomas Bell, and is dated 1797, so that it is inaccurate to speak of Bewick as the originator of the Landscape style in book-plates; he found the style already followed by many engravers, and his taste and skill brought it to perfection. The Bell plate is not uncommon, as the books for which it was engraved were sold in 1860. It shows, in the foreground of a landscape, an oval shield, inscribed 'T. Bell, 1797,' and resting against a decayed tree. In the distance are trees, and above them rises the tower of St. Nicholas's Church, in Newcastle—a favourite object with Bewick. It is also introduced by Ralph Beilby into the book-plate of Brand, the antiquary.

Out of the hundred or so book-plates designed or engraved by Bewick, it is difficult to know which to select for comment; but from the interest which attaches to its owner, that of Robert Southey (figured on [p. 111]) suggests itself. Here we have a rock, thickly crowned with shrubbery, from which a stream of water falls into a brook below. Against the face of the rock leans an armorial shield, bearing the Southey arms—a chevron between three crosses crosslet. On the ground to the right of the shield, and in contact with it, is the helmet, supporting on a wreath the crest—an arm vested and couped at the elbow, holding in the hand a crossed crosslet. Across the sinister chief corner of the shield, and trailing thence to the ground, is thrown the riband bearing the motto In labore quies. The date of the book-plate is probably about 1810.

Not only Newcastle itself, but the whole line of country along the river thence to Tynemouth, seems to have been Bewick's sketching ground, and many of his sketches he used for book-plates. Jarrow and Tynemouth itself were particularly favourite spots. Of the latter place his views were mostly taken from the sea, and afford us delightful pictures of water, shipping, and the ruins of Tynemouth Priory. The book-plate of 'Charles Charlton, M.D.,' is one of these.

SOUTHEY'S BOOK-PLATE BY BEWICK.

A great many of the ordinary bits of landscape which Bewick used for book-plates he afterwards utilised as tailpieces for various books illustrated by him. The book-plate of the 'Rev. H. Cotes, Vicar of Bedlington, 1802,' which shows us the reverend gentleman busily engaged in fishing, doubtless a favourite sport with him, is an instance of this diverted use; but in this case we know the history of the plate. Mr. Cotes had practically edited the artist's second volume of British Birds, and, as a slight return, Bewick prepared for him the book-plate in question; but, owing to a subsequent quarrel, the artist never gave the parson the block, turning it instead to his own account.

There are a great many more copper-plate book-plates by Bewick than is generally supposed. One of the most elaborate is that of 'Buddle Atkinson,' which represents a bubbling trout-stream, into which an angler casts his line: in the foreground is a crest enclosed in a shield. Other copper-plate work by Bewick is found in the book-plates of 'Edward Moises, A.M.'—a shield of arms, with books, pens, artists' tools of all kinds, and musical instruments; 'James Charlton' and 'A. Clapham'—Tyneside scenes; 'J. H. Affleck, Newcastle-upon-Tyne'—a shield of arms, in the midst of flowers and foliage; 'Tho^s Carr, Newcastle'—a spring of water flowing from a rock; and some few others.