The copy of the _Harmony of the Four Gospels_, known as "[Greek: MONOTESSARON]," which was given to Charles when Prince of Wales in 1640, is now in the library of the Earl of Normanton. It measures 24-1/2 × 16 inches, and is bound in green velvet, stamped elaborately in gold. A _Concordance of the Four Evangelists_, which was probably made for James, Duke of York, about 1640, is now the property of the Marquis of Salisbury, and is kept at Hatfield. It measures 20 × 14 inches, and is bound in purple velvet. Among the small stamps upon it is one of a fleur-de-lis. _The Whole Law of God, as it is delivered in the Five Books of Moses_, is another Little Gidding harmony, which was probably made for Prince Charles. It measures 29 × 20 inches, and is bound in purple velvet, and decorated with gold stamp-work of a similar kind. It was probably made about 1642, and now belongs to Captain Gaussen. The whole history of Little Gidding is most interesting; and, from a binding point of view, its existence during the reign of Charles I., and his kindly appreciation and patronage of it in the midst of all his own troubles, will always mark his reign as an important epoch in English bookbinding. Illustrations of many of the Little Gidding bindings are given in _Bibliographica_, part vi. No particular binding seems to have been made during the period of the Commonwealth, at all events I have never been able to discover one in any of our large libraries; but, to make up for this, during the reign of Charles II. we have a profusion of royal bindings, many of which are of considerable beauty. The appointment of Samuel Mearne as royal bookbinder to Charles II. was in force from 1660 to 1683, and no doubt long before this Mearne was well known as a fine binder. There is a good deal of documentary evidence concerning Mearne, chiefly relating to bindings of Bibles and Prayer Books bound for the royal chapels, and others for the royal library at St. James's. He decorated his bindings in three styles, easily distinguishable from each other. Books bound in the first, or simplest, style are always covered with red morocco, and have a rectangular panel of gold lines stamped on each side, having at the outer corners fleurons, or the device of two C's, adossés, crowned, and partly enclosed within two laurel sprays. This device occurs commonly on Mearne's books. The backs of these volumes are often richly stamped with masses of small floral designs, and the lettering is remarkably clear and good. There are numbers of examples, both in our royal libraries and in the hands of private owners. Although they cannot be called very ornamental, they nevertheless are of excellent workmanship, and are always in good taste. [Illustration: Gil. [Greek: PARERGA], etc. Londini, 1632. Charles I.] [Illustration: FIG. 18.--_Common Prayer. London, 1662. Charles II._]