[Transcriber's Notes: Two letters had macrons above them in the orginal these have been marked as: [=i] and [=m]. A carot ^ before bracketed letters indicated that the letter or letters were superscripted in the orginal: Hon^{ble}.] [Illustration] Book-Plates By W. J. Hardy, F.S.A. _SECOND EDITION_ [Illustration] London Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd. MDCCCXCVII _First Edition published 1893 as Vol._ II. _of 'Books about Books.'_ Preface HAVING vindicated in my introductory chapter the practice of collecting book-plates from the charge of flagrant immorality, I do not think it necessary to spend many words in demonstrating that it is in every way a worthy and reasonable pursuit, and one which fully deserves to be made the subject of a special treatise in a series of _Books about Books_. If need were, the Editor of the series, who asked me to write this little hand-book, would perhaps kindly accept his share of responsibility, but in the face of the existence of a flourishing 'Ex Libris' Society, the importance of the book-plate as an object of collection may almost be taken as axiomatic. My own interest in this particular hobby is of long standing, and happily the appearance, when my manuscript was already at the printer's, of Mr. Egerton Castle's pleasantly written and profusely illustrated work on _English Book-Plates_ has relieved me of the dreaded necessity of writing an additional chapter on those modern examples, in treating of which neither my knowledge nor my enthusiasm would have equalled his.