The earliest ancient binding known, on which a date is impressed, is, I believe, that described by Laire.[II-32] It is that of a copy of “Sancti Hieronymi Epistolæ;” and the words, in the same manner as that of the binding of which the Rev. Mr. Horne had so accurate a recollection, were “stamped at the extremity of the binding, towards the edge of the squares.” It is only necessary to cite the words impressed on one of the boards, which were as follows: “Illigatus est Anno Domini 1469 Per me Johannem Richenbach Capellanum In Gyslingen.”[II-33] [Footnote II-32: Index Librorum ab inventa Typographia ad annum 1500, No. 37.] [Footnote II-33: Mr. Bohn is in possession of a similarly bound volume, namely, “Astexani de Ast, Scrutinium Scripturarum,” printed by Mentelin, without date, but about 1468, on the pig-skin covers of which is printed in bold black letter, _Per me Rich-en-bach illigatus in Gysslingen 1470_.] The numerals of the date it is to be observed were Arabic. In the library of Dr. Kloss of Frankfort, sold in London by Sotheby and Son in 1835, were two volumes, “St. Augustini de Civitat. Dei, Libri xxii. 1469,” and “St. Augustini Confessiones” of the same date; both of which were bound by “Johannes Capellanus in Gyslingen,” and who in the same manner had impressed his name on the covers with the date 1470. Both volumes had belonged to “Dominus Georgius Ruch de Gamundia.”[II-34] That the volume formerly in the Rev. Mr. Horne’s possession was bound by the curate of Geisslingen I by no means pretend to say, though I am firmly of opinion that it was bound subsequent to 1470, and that the character which he supposed to be a two was in reality a different figure. It is worthy of remark that it appears to have been bound by the “Plebanus” of some church, a word which is nearly synonymous with “Capellanus.”[II-35] [Footnote II-34: “Catalogue of the Library of Dr. Kloss of Frankfort,” Nos. 460 and 468. Geisslingen is about fifteen miles north-west of Ulm in Suabia, and Gemund about twelve miles northward of Geisslingen.] [Footnote II-35: Mr. Singer, at page 101 of his Researches into the History of Playing-cards, speaks of “_one_ Plebanus of Augsburg,” as if Plebanus were a proper name. It has nearly the same meaning as our own word “Curate.” “PLEBANUS, Parœcus, Curio, Sacerdos, qui _plebi_ præest; Italis, _Piovano_; Gallo-Belgis, _Pleban_. Balbus in Catholico: ‘Plebanus, dominus plebis, Presbyter, qui plebem regit.’--Plebanum vero maxime vocant in ecclesiis cathedralibus seu collegiatis canonicum, cui plebis earum jurisdictioni subditæ cura committitur.”--Du Cange, Glossarium, in verbo “Plebanus.”]