French Book-plates Part 18

But one of the most useful axioms is that borrowed from "Menagiana" vol.

iv.: "La premiere chose qu'on doit faire quand on a emprunte un livre, c'est de le lire afin de pouvoir le rendre plutot." Hugo de Ba.s.sville employed this, with the addition of "Rendez le livre s'il vous plait,"

whilst such ardent book-lovers as David Garrick and George Augustus Sala have placed it on their book-plates; it figures also with perfect propriety on the fine ex-libris of the "Bibliotheque de la Providence"

(the French Protestant Hospital at Victoria Park), and on those of Frederick Le Mesurier, and John Meybohm.

Following these come a long list of verses directed against book borrowers in general, commencing with the verse attributed to Guilbert de Pixerecourt, although he does not use it on his book-plate:

"Tel est le triste sort De tout livre prete Souvent il est perdu, Toujours il est gate."

(On the book-plate of Louis Mohr, 1879. See page 237.)

The two epigrams below were written by Guillaume Colletet, and have been quoted on several ex-libris, though curiously enough their author did not use one, but was content to sign his name in his books, which were numerous:

"A MES LIVRES.

Cheres delices de mon ame Gardez vous bien de me quitter Quoi qu'on vienne vous emprunter.

Chacun de vous m'est une femme Qui peut se laisser voir sans blame Et ne se doit jamais prester."

(Book-plate of Ch. Mehl, designed by Gustave Jundt, of Strasbourg.)

"AUX EMPRUNTEURS DE LIVRES QUI NE LES RENDENT POINT.

Emprunteurs, pour vous parler net, Ma bibliotheque connue Est un meuble de cabinet Qu'on ne crotte point dans la rue."

Both these verses were first published in the "Epigrammes du Sieur Guillaume Colletet." Paris, 1653.

"Un livre prete, comme la vieille Garde, ne se rend pas."

Charles Frederic Hommeau, whose ex-libris represents the interior of his library, gives notice to borrowers that they must return his book in fourteen days and in good condition. In order that there may be no mistake as to his meaning, he has the rule engraved at the foot of his plate:

"LEX BIBLIOTHECAE.

_Intra_ quatuor decim dies, commodatum ni redderis, neque belle custodieris, alio tempore dominus: Non habeo dicet."

Indeed he loved not borrowers, for he adds, "Ite ad vendentes, et emite vobis!"

M. Auguste s...o...b..r, author of the "Pet.i.te Revue d'Ex-Libris Alsaciens,"

used the following lines for the German books in his library:

"Leih ich dich hinaus, Bleib nicht zu lang aus; Komm zuruck nach Haus: Nicht mit Flecken oder Ohren, Wie sie machen nur die Th.o.r.en, Und geh ja mir nicht verloren!"[4]

The late Rev. Mr. Carson possessed a handsome book-plate designed for M.

Abel Lemercier, which is one of the largest modern French plates, measuring, as it does, 8 inches by 5 inches.

It is especially remarkable on account of the number of mottoes it contains, commencing at the top with "Le gaing de nostre science, c'est en estre devenu meilleur et plus sage," followed by four or five other maxims, which have been already quoted.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF LOUIS MOHR, 1879.]

This plate is not dated, but it is signed M. Potemont inv., R. Martial sc. It combines some of the characteristics of a "library interior" with those of a "book-pile," and is altogether a sumptuous and imposing, though somewhat c.u.mbersome design.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF VALENTIN MOURIE.]

On a singular old library interior plate, headed "Du Cabinet Litteraire de P. Cellier, Libraire, quai St. Antoine, a Lyon," were found the following instructions to book borrowers:

"Les livres qui auront souffert quelques dommages, comme dechires, taches, et sur lesquels on aura ecrit dans les marges et sur les gardes avec la plume ou le crayon, seront payes a leur valeur, c'est-a-dire, tout l'ouvrage entier; un seul volume perdu ou mutile, emporte tout l'ouvrage.

"S'il s'egare quelques uns de ces livres ainsi marques, on prie ceux, entre les mains de qui ils seront, de les faire rendre a l'adresse ci-dessus."

A Frenchman resident in this country, early in the century, had a roughly printed label, in which the inscription was surrounded by a small woodcut border. The inscription is curious for its errors; it runs thus: "J. Admans, son livre, mil huit sens seize. Rue de Palais.

Cantorbery."

M. Gouache, whose plate informs us that he resided at number 13 in the Boulevard de la Madeleine, quotes the following:

"STANCE.

Le paresseux s'endort dans les bras de la faim, Le laboureur conduit sa fertile charrue, Le savant pense et lit, le guerrier frappe et tue, Le mendiant s'a.s.sied sur le bord du chemin: Ou vont-ils cependant? Ils vont ou va la feuille Que cha.s.se devant lui le souffle des hivers!

Ainsi vont se fletrir, dans leurs travaux divers, Ces generations que le temps seme et cueille.

LAMARTINE, _Meditations_.

GOUACHE, Boulevard de la Madeleine, 13."

The French are not particularly rich in mottoes in praise of books.

Adolphe Borgnet, of Liege, quotes Montaigne, thus:

"Les Historiens sont le vray gibbier de mon estude."

On a nameless pictorial plate (signed F. Groskost, Strasbourg) occur some lines attributed to M. Jacques Flach (see page 243):

"A MES LIVRES.

Plaisants, je vous aime Serieux aussi, Frivoles de meme Pedants--merci!"

"Un livre est un ami qui ne trompe jamais" (on page 240)

says a nameless moralist, who probably had not read Lord Macaulay's account of William III., whilst

"Je rapporte fidelement ce que je decouvre,"

says the historian Chevillard.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF L. DELATRE.]

On the plate of M. Jules, Baron de St. Genois, is the motto:

"Bon livre d'ennui delivre."

The following cynical epigram,

"L'homme a dit: 'Faisons Dieu, qu'il soit a notre image.'