Trogi Pompeii Historiarum Philippicarum epitoma. Parisiis, 1581 Do. 53 Livius. Romana Historia. Avreliæ Allobrogvm, 1609 Henry Prince of Wales 61 Collection of Miscellaneous Tracts in MS. Do. 63 Dallington. Aphorismes, Civill and Militarie. London, 1613 Charles Prince of Wales 67 Common Prayer. London, 1662 Charles II. 69 A short View of the late Troubles in England, etc. Oxford, 1681 Do. 73 Bible. Cambridge, 1674 James II. 75 Euclide. Oxford, 1705 Queen Anne 79 Ælfric. An English-Saxon Homily on the Birthday of St. Gregory. London, 1709 Queen Anne 81 Account of what passed in a Conference concerning the Succession to the Crown, MS. George I. 85 Le Nouveau Testament. Amsterdam, 1718 George II. 87 Chandler. A Vindication of the Defence of Christianity. London, 1728 Do. 88 Common Prayer. Cambridge, 1760 Queen Charlotte 90 Portfolio containing the Royal Letter concerning the King's Library George IV. 92 _The Coloured Plates are printed by Edmund Evans._ ROYAL ENGLISH BOOKBINDINGS PROLOGUE It is curious that twice in English history the royal libraries have been given to the nation. The ancient royal collection, containing manuscripts from the reign of Richard III., was added to by each sovereign in turn; but it seems to have been brought into notice and taken special care of by Prince Henry, the eldest son of James I. Out of his own private income, this Prince added largely to the old collection, and purchased the important libraries of Lord Lumley, of a Welshman named Maurice, and that of Isaac Casaubon. On his death the library became the property of James I., and after some other changes, both the old library and that of Prince Henry were deposited at Ashburnham House, where in 1731 there was a fire which damaged some of it. It was then removed to the old Dormitory at Westminster, and in 1757 it was presented by George II. to the nation, and was handed over to the Trustees of the Sloane and Cottonian Libraries, and placed in Montagu House, then newly purchased as a National Museum. There were at this time in the old royal library about 15,000 volumes altogether, and very many of them were still in their ancient and beautiful bindings.