Sry Extracts from | the Diary of Roger Payne ERR EERE Extracts from the Diary of Roger Payne Extracts FROM THE DIARY toh ger Se ic NEW YORK THE HARBOR PRESS NOTE Roger Payne, in his Diary, “took note of time’ only from Tuesday to Saturday: it does not appear that he ever took orders ona Monday. The late Mr. G. St—ns, with a friendly hand revised the Diary, and sometimes amused himself by suggesting humorous amendments to written orders of the customers of poor Roger; whose simplicity was proverbial. #. 7 ¥ om ’ y wet % . t ‘ + i ROGER PAYNE O the late Roger Payne, foreign Bibh- ographers are constrained to yield the palm of excellence tn the art of bookbinding. He worked alone in a small apartment, where every thing was huddled together’ on the same shelf were seen old shoes and precious leaves —bread and cheese, with editions of the fif- teenth century—so that tt would seem next to impossible that superb binding should pro- ceed from such a place, to decorate the brary of a noble Lord, without being either soiled or spotted with grease. The most difficult bindings were those tn which Roger Payne excelled: this ingemous man introduced a style of binding, uniting elegance with durability, such as no person has ever been able to wmtate. He may, indeed, be ranked among artists of the greatest mertt: the ornaments he employed were chosen with classical taste, and were in many tmstances appropriated to the subject of the work, or the age and time of the author; and each book of his binding was accompanted by a written description of the ornaments in a most precise and curious Style. Those who are not accustomed to see book- binding executed in any other than the com- mon manner, can have no idea of the merits of Roger Payne, who lwed without a rwal, and (we fear) died without a successor im 1797. Fis remains were decently interred at the ex- pense of that respectable and upright book- seller, the late Mr. Thomas Payne; to whom (though in no degree related to the book- binder,) the admirers of this art may feel themselves indebted for the prolongation of his existence; Mr. P. having for the last eight years of his life supphed him with regular pecumary assistance, both Jor the support of lis body and the performance of hus work. Horne’s Introduction to Bibliography, 181 4. re pvttaterd x ee ® er ian Eee Esk CE 3 COR: RAGE Sressyiaceante KK shesschceaoth FER 36 36% SE FEE ROE I SE 26 Re SE FE HSE meter. ER i the Reverend T. S. Smug to a brother member of the Bublio- mamacal Club, giving an account how, where, and when he discovered the Diary of K oger Payne, of bibltopegistic memory. My dear Mundulus, Al, when he discovered the pattern-book of Nero's tailor, could not have rejoiced more than [| did at rescuing from perdition the Diary of our deceased and dearly be- loved Roger. You indeed witnessed our bibliomaniacal grief at the last anniversary, not of hope deferred, but of expectation absolutely annihi- I lated.—Lust, O list, to the joyous tid- ings which I now communicate. Passing one crisp frosty morning along the western terrace that leads from my humble abode to the great city, the mart of science graphical and typographical, my. eye, wandering over the minute fragments of Iitere scripte that lay scattered in the hol- low ways, was suddenly arrested by the appearance of a small pacquet, squeezed flat in a rut, resembling a foul proof dropped from the oily fin- gers of a printers devil, and which had apparently undergone the pres- sure of at least one thousand chaises, hacks, stage-coaches, and higler's carts, —well! exclaimed I to myself, what have we here? Unloosing the frozen and clotted string, and unfolding 2 with trembling fingers the congealed mass, | could with difhculty make out the words “carefully sewed, “fine real morocco, “richly tooled,” &c. Ah! thought I, this must be a bibliopegistic trea- sure indeed! At that moment my friend Membranaceus wheeling along (not in a tandem, tilbury, or tumble- down, but in a snug easy chariot), hailed me: holding exultingly up the precious scrap between my finger and my thumb, | desired that we should hasten with all speed, and de- posit the frozen mass into the hands of the Wellington of Bibhopegists; who, immediately with coaxing care, ably, and most skilfully, loosened the icy chain; and unfolded to our sur- prised and delighted eyes— what think you?—even the Diary of that 3 hero of the needle, the shears, and the stamping-iron—the renowned Roger. This valuable manuscript was — found near the sign of the Devil and Bag of Nails, where Roger, a frequent inmate of the jolly host, was accus- tomed hebdomadally to solace him- self by inhaling the fumes of nicotian, and luxuriating in copious libations of barley-broth. On his decease it appeared that his body wardrobe was — sold by Carbuncle the said host of the “Dewi,” who had probably some small claims on poor Roger for barley com- forts, to Solomon Leu, a worthy and conscientious itinerant dealer in fad- ed woollens; had there ‘not fortu- nately beenasmallaperture in Roger's pockets, or Solomon's bag, or both, this invaluable Diary would inevitably 4 have been shredded into little flut- tering paper windmills to amuse the young Israelites in the purlieus of Rag-fair—one starts with horror at the bare supposition of such a pro- fanation! Roger by his nuncupative will de- vised the said Manuscript to his pro- tector and kind master Benevolus, who had occasionally granted hima license of free indulgence in Carbuncle’s snug back parlour. Our next Anniversary will be a memorable day— Roger Payne's Diary is now print- ing under my direction on superfine grand-eagle, exclusively for the mem- bers of our enlightened club. Eluct- dative of the subject I intend to draw a parallel, in the manner-of Plutarch, Dis between Phillatius, the father of book- binding, and Roger Payne; to which will be added, an Elaborate Disser- tation, after the fashion of that grave and learned critic Peter Burman, on the old mode of currying horse-hides, and planing oak-boards, used 1n antique bindings; together with a brilliant en- graved specimen of the dim-tooling of the ancients. Tam, my dear Mundulus, affection- ately yours, ne Lee Extracts from the Diary . Y t * Fi r i : \ * 5 by } ‘ ; . F 7 : f 7 ¢ i fe y ; ; f } \ . 5 s\ 1 t 4 Ris i r! 1 ; 1 +" Te , } “ Extracts iiewevied idee DT AR Y OF EE Kotenceh ne Saturday. Took Sir John Trusthold’s six folio volumes of Turnpike Tickets to his house in C—— square, No. 1 to 3690 from 1757 to 1771: bound in the best Levant morocco, nicely in- laid, with a ruled border round each— squared true with the compasses— the dirty ones required several wash- ings to take out the dirt and grease 9 —made them quite clean; sewed with the best silk; no false bands—made them open well—took a great deal of time finishing. Sir John’s arms on the sides being obliged to be worked off plain first, and afterwards the gold laid on, and worked off again—care- fully and honestly done. @ Wednesday.Sir John* gave me seven- teen volumes of small outlandish books, Elsevurs he called them, for binding in plain morocco, single lines —ordered to be well beat to stretch them out, and with stilted boards to make them look tall. Sir John told me to be sure to put plenty of alum in my paste, and bind the worms, to pre- vent them from breeding. * Sir John was a celebrated margin measurer, and was vastly proud of his regiment of grenadier Elzevirs. S. IO € Thursday, Went to Miss Sukey Tama- rind again, having been at her house seven times before, to take orders about her fine coloured copy of Swam- adam's Insects—pattern-tools to be cut—gave me a drawing to cut by, * Miss Sukey Tamarind, a great West Indian heiress, was married to young Mr. Treddle, son and heir to Mr. Deputy Treddle of the Weaver's Company. The Deputy, who is very rich, expects shortly to be created Baron of Treddletown. Young Mrs. T. or Lady T. that is to be, 1s supposed, among her female friends, to have the sweetest taste imaginable: her copy of Swammerdam, so sumptu- ously bound by Roger, isa galaxy of exterior decoration. Mr. Brasson, son of Sir John Brasson, Master of the Brazier's Company, who has an eye to the eldest daugh- ter of Mr. Deputy T. suggested the beautiful scrolls on the sides, from having repeatedly contemplated the twisty lines upon a large brass warming-pan hung up in his father’s counting house: the studdings consist of vari- ous species of neuroptera traversing their orbits; and give the whole an appearance of a planetary-tablet; the large papilio aurus appears of the natural size, in the centre. Mr. Brasson being reckoned a man of smart wit, says it looks like a map of the ten stages to the land of matrimony. S. II of small grubby snail-like creeping- things, a great many zig-zaggerys, and a large butterfly. Miss 'T’. said she had given mea great deal of trouble in calling so often. I said no, Madam, by no means —she ordered Jeremy to drawa tank- ard of strong ale, which I was very thankful for. Jeremy very civil, seein g I was rather a favourite—drank part of a second tankard with Jeremy— shall be very glad to attend so civil a lady at all times. Friday. Waited on Mr. Gorge-Book, a great collector of old songs, strange stories, and doleful ditties: he told me the week before thathe had tothe — tune of some tuns to bind: before I reached the grass-plat, was fearful that he had mistakingly sent for me 12 instead of the cooper, seein g so many barrels about, which I could not help looking at and admiring: on entering, however, right glad was I to see heaps and piles of books from the thres- hold upwards; plenty of work here thought I; hundreds of weight and tuns indeed: rather fearful in going up stairs; thought I heard the timbers crack: wading through long alleys and rows of quires and bound, was shewn into a small room—did not see any person, concluded it was the upper waiting parlour. poy a voice called out “this way; —winding about, at last found Mr. Gorge-Book blocked up in a corner near the fire: he had just finished collating a little book called the “Mousings of Tibby the Black Cat;’ which he told me he had 2. bought at the last Chumcheat sale for twenty-six pounds and fifteen shill- ings; and that it was a unuch." It so happened, as I told him, that I had the week before bound a very fine copy of the same unuch for Miss Felissa C.—who hasa very large collection inthe Pussy line: this lady was avery good customer of mine, and I took great pains to make her unuchas beau- tiful as possible, by picking the best leaves out of three copies: this I reck- oned one of my best performances; and as it gave great satisfaction to Miss Felissa, thought I could not bet- ter recommend myself to Mr. Gorge- Book, than by telling him how tastily * Without adverting to the gender of the cat, it 1s con- jectured Roger mispelled the word, which probably means unique. S. 14 . it was bound—when I talked of the three copies, | observed him to make a wry face, but could not guess why: after a little shaking of the under lip, all was smooth again—being always very careful not to offend, I concluded he was not displeased with my be- haviour, but that something unpleas- ant at that moment came across him. Desired his Cat-Book to be boundex- actly in the same way, that is in gray tortoise shell, with a great variety of cats-eye tooling on the back and sides, and the inside lined with water-tabby— promised me “W1ts’ Bedlam’ and nine- teen more unuchs, as he called them, - when | had finished the Cat. (Thursday, Carried home the Cat- Book —Mr. Gorge-Book called me a noddy, for mislettering Mousings 2. Musings. 1 defended myself by tell- ing him, Mr. S. said that mousings was wrong, and that it ought to be as I lettered it: Miss Felissa's copy was done the same way. Mr. Gorge-Book could not find the unuchs he promised; had been search- ing all the morning, from pile No. 1 to 97 without success—ordered me to call again. On going out, saw in the window- seat a great curiosity placed under a magnifying-glass, labelled in large letters, “A Book Worm;’ near it was a short printed account: [had leave to take a copy, and here it is, in_A Letter from Tubal Typo, Clerk, geving an account of a voracious creature, Gc. Ge. | “This worm was caught alive and hearty in a saleroom, near Covent 16 Garden, in the very act of Book Mur- der:—by feasting on good black letter, served on stout paper, he became, as you see, a fine fat fellow. This insat- able cormorant is not a bipedical but a polypedical animal; it has a small blunt head furnished on either side with a cluster of eyes, and two long horns before, curiously ringed or knobbed, and bristled like the weed called cat's-tail; the hinder part of the creature terminates with three tails resembling the long horns on the head. Mercy on us! horns before and horns behind! It is really blood-cur- dling to think of the ravages com- mitted by so formidable an animal, among our most precious rarities. This same vermicular personage in the sum- mer 1s often observed very nimbly to vik scud and pack away to some lurking cranney, to protect itself from dan- ger. Would that we could invent a black-letter trap to ensnare these des- tructive fere nature. “My friend Dr. Grub once detected one, not only in the shape of a fly, but in the act of flying, and appeared to have put on his wings for the sake of some desperate predatory excursion —probably to deposit its larva within the morocco joints of a Roger Payne bound Clarke's Cesar Chart Max! “Another species, called eruditus, directs its attacks to the printed part only —one may say this is indeed sucking out the very heart's blood of a book. Horresco referens! “Itis melancholy sometimes to see the small shot pepperings in old black- 18 letter volumes that have beenattacked by these devouring Polypeds—they nibble at Hebrew, eat largely of Greek, riot upon Latin, and satiate them- selves with Italian: in short these ter- rible Book-dragons play old goose- berry wherever they get a footing.” € Tuesday. Mrs. Spinbrain sent her Ded- ication copy of “Henrietta Clemen- tina Hazletop; or the Fair Maniac of the Wood,’ printed on fine hot- pressed paper, to be bound ina splen- did way, as it was intended to be presented to Lady Jultana Tinsel. Mrs. S. had consulted with her publisher, Mr. Prate, who brought the book; he is a clever man, anda learned Latinist —the following is a copy of his direc- tions. Mr. Prate presents his comphi- _ ments to Mrs. Spinbrain, conceives that es the Dedication copy of “Henrietta Hazletop” to be presented to Lady Juliana Tinsel, should be bound in the brightest scarlet morocco that can be got; nicely inlaid with yellow and green compartments, scolloped, and richly tooled: the inside, bright yel- low silk with a broad mazarine blue border; and tied in the front with a tassel, richly tagged: Mr. Prate begs leave to say that he is much indebted for some hints on the subject to a curious little volume pointed out to him by Dr. Blundus, entitled “De Caliga aurea Neronts,” in which there 1sa fold- | Ing cut representing the embroid- ery on Nero's waistcoat. The author informs us that the Emperor wore spangles, or tassels, to his small-clothes. Mr. Prate therefore 1s of opinion a tas- 20 sel in the front would add greatly to the rich appearance of the book, and consequently be much approved of by Lady Juliana. @ Friday. A tall foreign gentleman brought, what he called a “tompting book, to be bind in mine best mo- rocco golded and ruled:’—this civil gentleman often called to see how I got on—was very sorry one day to see my Jack! make too free with his large powdered club, by untying the *This was the identical tempting Aldus which that arrant bibliomaniac Count Reviczky always carried in his pocket: at book-auctions he would oftentimes slily draw it out, and thereby seduceand ensnare young aspirants. N. 1b. Bib. } Roger's favourite monkey. Jack from his nibbling propensities doubtless was a bib- liomaniac in his way. I have been credibly informed that he would often attentively pore over long primer, or large lower-case gothic, with peculiar gravity—who can say Jack was not duly qualified to bea M.N.C? S. 21 ribbon, and daubing and greasing the gentleman's fine bottle-green coat all the way down, and makinga sad dust in my workshop. | Jack had likely been mbbling some time at the pomatum, as the gentle- man sat near his stall on the shelf, and was not seen by us—went down to my next door neighbour the barber— soon brushed up the gentleman, and put all to nghts again. € Wednesday. Took home the “tompt- ing book’—the gentleman well pleased, paid for the binding 5s. 6d.—promised to be a good customer—hoped I had — not belaver'd the monkey. 22 pce ae aree g Monument POLE MEMORY OF | basin hh ne HE Bibliomaniacal Club has it in contemplation to erect a monu- ment tothe memory of Roger Payne, on the scite of theancient Taberna Lit- eraria (now the Mew's-Gate), wherein modern times “honest Tom Payne’ fixed his standard. In the venerable and classic shed, still erect amid the levelling hand of oe, “modern improvement, bibliomani- acal and bibhiopegistic lectures are to be delivered by the associate elders, and where the future meetings of the Club will be holden. The first toast to be given by the president, at the next anniversary, will be drunk in bar- ley-broth, in honour of Roger. A copy of the monumental tablet is to be ex- hibited to the members, with the fol- lowing inscription: Underneath, compressed within an oaken cover, lie the remains of 7 ROGER PAYNE; who first introduced a new style in the art Bibliopegistic ; and who A. D. 1787, or earlier, exercised that art within these precincts. In remembrance 24 of one whose works, by his manifold skill, were proof against the ravages of worms; and who, had he survived to later times, might have rendered even black letier'd lore, from the’ consequences of neglect and decay, Imperishable. This monument, with unfeigned sorrow, was raised by the NIBBLE-BIB CLUB, A. D. MDCCCXXI. NATHANIEL N. B. Prasgs. | Height of the monument, thirty- one feet, being the exact number of the members of the Nibble-Bib Club. On the sinister side depends a chain, acorn-shape, having therein linked the folio volume mouldedby Roger when a child, of peeled bark from oaken and birched trees in Windsor Forest: it — it V aX F ai ii " Sits Sl is placed in a wooden surtout, care- fully glued, and covered with lead in the form of the interior book; painted of a glowing scarlet, with imitation brass corners and clasps; the whole hermetically sealed, and locked with _ Bramah’s best patent: and as secure as the books of Homer, deposited in olden time by Alexander the Great. On the dexter side, also pending from a chain in the shape of vine-leaf tendrils, are two capacious amphore, inscribed in large German black letter, Jusculum hordeaceum bis concoctum, that is, barley-broth twice brewed. Above the pedestal, or beating-stone, lie the following valuable works, “The Cor- dyale;’ “The Horse, the Sheepe and the Ghoos;’ “A Tretyse of Love,” and “History of Reynart the Foxe,” all by Caxton, 27 and restored by the hands of the’ immortal Roger. Resting on these comely tomes appears the cote-armure of the Nibble-Bib Club, surmounted by an Earl's coronet; on the pyramidal points, for balls, are small biblioma- niacs heads with calf-skin caps. On the base, in relief, is placed the head of Roger: the shears, the trenchant- blade, the press, and the stamping- iron, ornament the corners. Behold, gentle reader, the monu- ment here described in the preceding cut, drawn, with great precision, by that most able Artist, Mr. ———. 28° Five hundred and twenty-five copies of this book have been printed at The Harbor Press for the members of The American Insutute of Graphic Arts. A special edition of one hundred and seventy-five copies, numbered and printed on hand-made paper are offered for sale. tea sci r ahah ae Hy 2 n "y Ba