The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-06
BOOKS THAT KINGS OWNED.
Tones From the Libraries of Crowned
Heads-ROyaI Autographs.

Columbia university has on exhibition
at the present time a large and valu-
able collection of books illustrating the
history of bookbinding from the period
of earliest efforts to make the trade a
fine art. The books were collected by
Samuel F. Avery, who has presented 4
number of them to the university. The
collection contains some of the best
work of the great masters of the art.
But, asideefrom this, it is interesting as
containing a number of volumes from
the private Libraries OF French, English
and Spanish kings and from the col
lections of the noble families of those
countries.
one of the most interesting is from
the library Of Louis XVI of France. 1t
is a work on the theater, printed in
Paris in 1775, and contains the sigma
ture of the ill-starred monarch, together
with manuscript notes in his own hand
red morocco. In the center are the
arms of the Countess d'Artois unsigned
with a crown. This book was sold at
one time for 900 francs.
From the library of Charles " of
Spain comes a book entitled lin F'unere
Carroll H. Hispanlar- Regis Catholici
CRATIC Habita in Sachello Pontedcio.''
1t was printed in Parma in 1888. The
binding is of black velvet embroidered
with gold and silver threads, colored
silks and pieces of metal On each COW
er IS a panel on WHICH are the arms OF
Charles " in gold and silver.
The library of Charles II of England
contributes a manuscript entitled THE
Statutes and Ordinances of the Most
Noble Order of st. George, Named the
Garter; Reformed, Explained. Declared
and Renewed by Prince Henry VIII"
The volume dates from about 1871. 1t
was bound by Samuel Merne for
Charles II and bears as a. cipher the in
terlaced "CC." On the first page are the
arms of the Duke of Hamilton, in gold
and water colors. and the official man
uscript order for the issuance of the
warrant for John Werden to be a
baronet is laid in
A book on anatomy from the private
collection of Diane de Pointers is in
Guided in the exhibition. The work
was done in 1916. The binding is white
morocco and bears the culver. arrows,
fieur de lis and crescent cipher OF
Diane and the double interlaced cipher
''DH'' of Diane and Henri II.
Another volume Of interest is a re-
ligious work owned by Marie Leczinska,
the wife of Louis XIV The binding is
dark morocco, with fieur de lis in each
corner. and in the center the arms
of the queen, for whom the book was
bound and to whom it was dedicated.
An autograph note from the queen to
her father, Stanislaus I, is inserted, in
which she signs herself Mon terest
cher Papaflchen de Occur ct dame a
vous Marie-chna-"
The arms of Maria de Medicis decor
ate the cover of a book by Jean de
Loyac. The cover also bears the i'm
perial crown of France in gold and sill
yer, encircled with the Gordon de
veuvage in silver. Inserted is a letter
addressed "A mon Cousin lie Cardinal
d'Ost' and signed by Marie de Med
icis.
A description of the fetes held at
Strasbourg during the visit of Louis
XIV to that city in October. 1744, is
bound in full red morocco by Pandel-
CUP. The crowned cipher OF the king
is introduced in the border and the
arms of Louis XIV are in the center
New York Times.