French Book-plates Part 17

On a s.h.i.+eld borne by _Robillard_ are two billiard cues in saltire between four billiard b.a.l.l.s.

For M. Champfleury, the artist, Aglaus Bouvenne has drawn a flowery field (a _champ fleurie_), and for the Comtesse de Noe a Noah's ark, whilst Paul Cordier plays on his own name in a charming little vignette representing a rope-maker (_cordier_) at work in his rope-walk.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF PAUL CORDIER.]

A plate composed and engraved by Evart Van Mayders for Mons. F. Raisin, has a fox vainly climbing over a book to reach some grapes (_raisins_), and exclaiming, in disgust, "They are too green."

Although the late M. Eugene Rimmel lived many years in England, and wrote a charming "History of Perfumes" in our language, he was a thoroughly patriotic Frenchman. His countrymen ever found a friend in him, and his exertions on behalf of their sick and wounded during the terrible war of 1870-71 should keep his memory for ever fresh. His book-plate is a quaint little medley of the useful and the ornamental; the distilling apparatus, and a fountain of perfume, surmounted by a crest of rose-buds, suffice to indicate the scent, but not the descent, of Eugene Rimmel.

M. Milsand, of Dijon, used a book-plate containing an imitation of a bank-note, having on it the figures 1000 and 100 (_mille cent_), whilst Charles Monselet has a pretty little sketch, by Devambez, of a corner of his library with some books heaped up (_Livres amonceles_). The plate of M. Wolf explains itself better in English than in French. "_Quaerens quem devoret_" (see page 229).

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF EUGENE RIMMEL.]

M. Aglaus Bouvenne represents a dog balancing the monogram of Alexis Martin (page 158), whilst Mons. L. Delatre confides a book, in sumptuous binding, to the mouth of another, with the motto, "Honneur a qui rapporte." A pretty idea, but surely not a very practical one (see page 240).

It is his whim! _C'est sa toquade_, as M. Cousin remarks on his plate (see page 231).

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF CHARLES MONSELET.]

In their treatment of his dread Satanic Majesty the French display delightful grace and delicacy.

Indeed, _Le Diable Boiteux_ of Le Sage is very much of a gentleman; Mephistopheles in Gounod's opera is a far more interesting personality than his pupil Faust; whilst in "Orphee aux Enfers" Offenbach certainly contrived to enlist our sympathies on behalf of Pluto.

Many a French shop is dedicated to the Evil One, but in every case the inscription is respectful, as, for instance, _Au Bon Diable_. It is almost a term of endearment, the expression "un mauvais pet.i.t Diable,"

whilst no proper English word can convey the sense of rollicking fun contained in _Diablerie_.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF MONS. WOLF.]

As in literature, so in art, the Devil of the French, may be grotesque, bizarre, comic, terrible, yet in all he is a superior being, in short a Gentleman in Black, never the hideous, repulsive individual we are accustomed to see portrayed (with two horns and a tail) in English comic art.

Nothing could more eloquently convey the French conception of the character than Sir Henry Irving's inimitable representation of Mephistopheles at the Lyceum a short time since. Does not this book-plate recall his appearance in the part?

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF MONS. A. CLERICEAU.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF MONS. B. COUSIN.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHAPTER XIV.

PHRASES OF POSSESSION.

"Gentilz Ouvriers, qui d'un soing curieux Allez cherchant es plus vieilles reliques Venez icy, et aux proffitz publiques Imitez en les plus laborieux ..."

J. BULLANT.

(From the ex-libris of H. Destailleur.)

Herein an attempt has been made to gather in such French phrases of book possession, and inscriptions on book-plates, as may be deemed interesting, quaint, or humorous, avoiding in this instance all mottoes or war cries which are obviously of heraldic origin.

Little Victor Dupuis is very like Master Tommy Smith in the habit he has of scribbling nonsense verses in his school books; one very popular quatrain in the good old days of the French monarchy was:

"Ce livre est a moi Comme Paris est au roi.

Qui veut savoir mon nom Regarde dans ce rond."

Or, he would threaten borrowers with dire penalties:

"Ne me prends pas Ou on te pendras."

Becoming more ambitious, he would launch out into a Macaronic verse:

"Aspice Pierrot pendu Quia ce livre n'a pas rendu.

Si librum reddidisset Pierrot pendu non fuisset."

Or, another way, as the cookery books say:

"Aspice Pierrot pendu Quod librum n'a pas rendu.

Pierrot pendu non fuisset, Si librum reddidisset."

Or, in Alsatian German:

"Dieses Buchlein ist mir lieb, Wer mir's nimmt, der ist ein Dieb, Wer mir's aber wieder bringt, Der ist ein Gotteskind."

Or, he would descend into trivial details, thus:

"Je mets ici mon nom Ce n'est pas sans raison C'est pour plaire aux curieux Et non pas aux envieux De ce Livre tant beau Qui eclaire comme un flambeau Tout homme savant Aussi bien que l'ignorant Michel Dupray son livre achete le 26 de Juillet 1775 chez Wagstaff 9 Sols"

Finally, arrived at a mature age, he would order a book-plate, inscribing on it an expression of his love for literature in some such manner as did M. Leonis Schuck, upon his ex-libris designed by Hirsch:

"C'est par l'amour des lettres qu'il faut etre conduit a l'amour des livres.

"O mes chers livres! Je les ai tous choisis un a un, et je les aime tant!"

Others have expressed their sentiments in moral plat.i.tudes:

"C'est la meilleure munition que j'aye trouve a cet humain voyage."--MONTAIGNE. (Bibliotheque de M. le Baron de T----.)

"Le plaisir de l'esprit pa.s.se celui des yeux." (De la Bibliotheque de M. de Cailly.)

"Un livre est un ami qui ne change jamais."--On the plate of Guilbert de Pixerecourt, and others.

"Les lettres nourissent l'ame."--Lemoine.

"S'occuper c'est savoir jouir."--A. E. Tscharner, and others.

"Amis vieux sont bons en tous lieux."