[Illustration: 26--The Commonplaces of Peter Martyr.
London, 1583.]
_The Commonplaces of Peter Martyr._ London, 1583.
An embroidered book designed in a manner which is characteristic of a
gold tooled book is found but rarely. An instance of this however is
found on a copy of _The Commonplaces of Peter Martyr_, translated by
Anthonie Marten, and printed in London in 1583. It is covered in blue
purple velvet measuring 13-1/2 by 9 inches, and the design upon it is a
broad outer border doubly outlined with a curious and effective braid,
apparently consisting of a close series of small silver rings, but
really being only a silver spiral flattened out. This border is dotted
at regular intervals with star-shaped clusters of small pieces of
silver guimp symmetrically arranged. The centre of the inner panel is a
diamond-shaped ornament made with similar 'ring' braid and small pieces
of silver guimp, and the corner-pieces are quarter circles worked in the
same way. This design of centre-piece and corner-pieces is distinctly
borrowed from leather work, and I have never seen another example of the
kind executed in needlework. The colouring of this book is very good,
the purple and silver harmonising in a very pleasing manner.
[Illustration: 27--Biblia. Antverpiae, 1590.]
_Biblia._ Antverpiae, 1590.
A beautiful binding of green velvet covers a Bible printed at Antwerp in
1590, measuring 7 by 4 inches.
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