It will be seen that the owner frankly admits not only that the arms were assumed, but that they were purely fanciful. For a trade label such a device might be excused, but all who have any respect for the science of heraldry will be pleased to learn that the owner has determined to suppress this plate, and has had another engraved for him by Henry André, after a pretty floral design of Van Spaendonck, and printed in colours. The power to appreciate beauty is but one factor in many that go to the forming of an artist, yet it is the indispensable. [Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF LAFITTE. Designed by Agry.] Who, then, amongst modern French artists, has produced the most beautiful and characteristic ex-libris? The question is too difficult to solve offhand; it is, indeed, a matter of taste. Many would select Aglaüs Bouvenne, Léopold Flameng; others might suggest C. E. Thiéry or Henry André. Other modern artists who should be mentioned are Bracquemond, who produced a plate for M. Aglaüs Bouvenne himself, and the very simple severe mark for the late Poulet-Malassis, with its vigorous assertion, _Je l’ai_, as well as the plates for Charles Asselineau and Paul Arnauldet, the latter with its anti-Grolier motto, _Nunquam amicorum!_ [Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF C. BAYARD. Designed by P. Pascalon.] François Courboin, Félicien Rops, and Paul Avril have also produced some light and graceful designs for modern ex-libris. The style of a book-plate may be taken as some indication of the tastes and nature of the owner, and this is particularly true of modern French ex-libris, in which artistic fancy and originality have full swing. From this point of view a collection may have more value than might at first be supposed. It would be claiming too much to assert that no great man ever had an ugly or an inappropriate ex-libris, yet it may be safely assumed that few but men of taste and culture possess really artistic book-plates. [Illustration: BOOK-PLATE OF MARTHE DE BORNIOL. Designed by M. Georgel.] [Illustration] CHAPTER XVII. ARTISTS AND ENGRAVERS WHOSE SIGNATURES ARE FOUND UPON FRENCH BOOK-PLATES. In the following list no attempt has been made to enumerate every separate ex-libris signed by each artist; such works as would best illustrate their style, or the period they worked in, only have been selected, or plates possessing other features of interest, literary, artistic, or personal. It must be borne in mind that a large proportion of the early French plates bore no owners’ names, although they were frequently signed by the engraver. Many of these plates have been identified by the arms, the mottoes, or other peculiarities in design, but some still remain unidentified. Where engraved dates appear on the ex-libris these have been mentioned, but no notice has been taken of dates inserted in manuscript, these, as is well known, being quite unreliable.