Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 5
II. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION 21
III. A FEW NOTES ON FRENCH HERALDRY 39
IV. EARLY EXAMPLES, 1574-1650 62
V. EX-LIBRIS, 1650-1700 77
VI. EX-LIBRIS, 1700-1789 84
VII. THE FIRST REPUBLIC 109
THE FIRST EMPIRE 123
VIII. THE RESTORATION AND LOUIS-PHILIPPE 134
THE SECOND EMPIRE 140
IX. THE FRONTIER PROVINCES 152
X. ECCLESIASTICAL AND SCHOLASTIC EX-LIBRIS 169
XI. BOOK-PLATES OF THE HUGUENOTS 197
XII. BOOK-PLATES OF MEDICAL MEN 208
XIII. CANTING ARMS AND PUNNING PLATES 218
XIV. PHRASES OF POSSESSION 232
XV. BOOK-PLATES OF SOME FAMOUS MEN 248
XVI. MODERN EX-LIBRIS 275
XVII. A LIST OF ARTISTS AND ENGRAVERS 301
BIBLIOGRAPHY 345
INDEX 353
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF THE PRINCIPAL HISTORICAL EVENTS HEREIN ALLUDED TO.
In his “Petite Revue d’Ex-Libris Alsaciens,” Mons. Auguste Stoeber claimed to have discovered an armorial ex-libris which had been engraved for Conrad Wolfhart, of Rouffach, who died in 1561, but the evidence is not conclusive, otherwise this would have been the earliest French book-plate known.
1574. Earliest known dated French book-plate, “_Ex Bibliotheca Caroli Albosii_.”
The first English book-plate, that of Sir Nicholas Bacon, was also dated 1574.
Henry III., then King of France, was assassinated August, 1589.
1585. The earliest known French armorial book-plate, that of _François de la Rochefoucauld_, engraved some time before 1585.
1589. Henry IV., King of France.
1598. April: The Edict of Nantes was issued by Henry IV., granting religious freedom to the Reformed Church; he was assassinated by Ravaillac May 14, 1610.
1610. Louis XIII., King, son of the above, died May 14, 1643.
1611. The first _dated armorial_ French book-plate, that of _Alexandre Bouchart_, by Leonard Gaultier.
1613. The second dated armorial French book-plate, that of _Melchior de la Vallée_.
1638. The system of showing the heraldic colours, metals, and furs on engravings by conventional lines and dots was adopted about this date, and has been in use ever since.
1643. Louis XIV., King, son of the above, died September 1, 1715.
1685. October. Revocation by Louis XIV. of the Edict of Nantes, followed by the flight of thousands of French Protestants (or Huguenots) to Great Britain, Holland, and America.
1715. Louis XV., King, great-grandson of the above, died of small-pox, May 10, 1774.
1774. Louis XVI., King, grandson of the above.
1789. July. Surrender and destruction of the Château de la Bastille in Paris. This marks the actual commencement of the French Revolution.
1790. June. Abolition of all titles and armorial bearings.
1793. Louis XVI. beheaded January 21, and was, according to Legitimist reckoning, succeeded by his young son, Louis XVII., who, however, never reigned, and is supposed to have died in prison on June 8, 1795. The government was Republican in name until
1804. May. Napoleon Buonaparte proclaimed Emperor.
1808. New nobility of France created, titles and heraldry revived.
1814. Abdication of Napoleon in favour of his son, Napoleon II., who, however, never reigned.
1814. Restoration of the Monarchy under Louis XVIII., brother of Louis XVI.; he died September, 1824.
1824. Charles X., King, brother of the above, deposed in July, 1830; succeeded by his cousin--
1830. Louis-Philippe, as _King of the French_.
1848. February. Abdication and flight of Louis-Philippe. Proclamation of a Republic; Louis Napoleon elected President of the Republic, December, 1848.
1852. December. Proclamation of Napoleon III. as Emperor of the French (the Second Empire).
1870. Overthrow of the Empire; Republic proclaimed.
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FRENCH EX-LIBRIS.