Fletcher 1893

Fletcher, "English Bookbindings" (1893)

quotes Peckard, "Life of Ferrar":

"amongst other articles of instruction and amusement, Mr. Ferrar entertained an ingenious bookbinder, who taught the family, females as well as males, the whole art and skill of bookbinding, gilding, lettering, and what they called pasting-printing, by the use of the rolling-press. By this assistance, he composed a full Harmony or Concordance of the four evangelits, adorned with many beautiful pictures, where required more than a year for the composition, and was divided into 150 heads or chapters. For this purpose he set apart a handsome room near the oratory." (quoted on 97)

Peckard also says Mary Collet bound the King's Harmony

quote of the King's response, too: "Truly, I prize this as a rich and rare jewel; the substance of it is of the best alloy in the world, and ought to be the only desirable book; and for the skill, care, and cost used in it there is no defect, but a superlative diligence in all about it. I very much thank them all; and it shall be my vade mecum." then king turns to Laud and says "How happy a King were I if I had many more such workmen and women in my kingdom! God's blessing on their hearts and painful hands." <-- was "workmen" added later?

claims that Ferrar had often asked for a concordance of Kings and Chronicles from his chaplains, "but as they did not do it he supposed it was attended with too much difficulty" (98)

Peckard claims that Ferrar bound Kings and Chronicles harmony in purple velvet

"Both of these volumes, together with a third on the 'Acts of the Apostles,' respecting which they were is no record, were placed in the old Royal Library, which was presented to the British Museum by King George II. Copies of the Harmony of the Four Gospels were also prepared at Little Gidding for Prince James, afterwards King James II.; George Herbert, the poet; Dr. Jackson, dean of Peterborough; Mr. Thomas Hervey, and other noble and distinguished persons." (98)

Monotesseron and The Whole law of God; latter "described by Prince Rupert as the 'gallantest, greatest book in the world'" (98)

"Many of the beautiful embroidered bindings of this time have been attributed to the skilful fingers of the so-called nuns of Little Gidding, but not on very substantial grounds; for while several velvet bindings, stamped with gold oranments, can be proved to be their work, it is somewhat doubtful whether any needle-worked covers of books can be traced to them." (99)