The general typical arrangements used by England, Germany, and France in planning out the disposition of the stamps is a subject that is deserving of careful attention by any student of blind stamped work. Some valuable plans of these dispositions can be found in Mr. W. H. J. Weale’s _Catalogue of Bookbindings and Rubbings of Bindings in the National Art Library, South Kensington_, and they are well worthy of study. Roughly, it will be found that the most elaborate of these bindings have come from Durham, London, Winchester, or Oxford, that series of close perpendicular lines of small stamps are characteristic of French early stamped work, and that the marking out of the boards with large lozenges is a German plan. But these types must not be studied alone, as they travelled about freely; the character of the stamps themselves, as well as the leather used, must all receive careful consideration. London bindings often show perpendicular lines of stamps, sometimes touching, sometimes separate; several of the stamps are round, and others drop-shaped. The Winchester Domesday Book, now in the library of the Society of Antiquaries, is a beautiful and typical specimen of English twelfth century blind tooling. It is bound in deep brown goat skin, and each side is differently ornamented. The upper board shows an arrangement of two large circles, largely made up by impressions of the common English drop-shaped stamps. These circles are flanked by two rows of rectangular stamps bearing monsters, and the corners are filled in with circular and drop-shaped stamps. Durham bindings must be studied at Durham Cathedral, where Bishop Pudsey’s books are kept. They are twelfth century work, and splendid examples. On some of these bindings occur interlacings of basket work designs, borrowed from the East. One of the most curious English bindings in existence is known as St. Cuthbert’s Gospels. Its history is of great interest. It is a copy of the Gospel of St. John, and is said to have been buried with St. Cuthbert at Lindisfarne in the seventh century. The saint’s coffin was shortly afterwards moved to Durham. The tomb was opened in the reign of Henry I. in 1105, when the little copy of the Gospel was found in it, and removed and kept in the treasury at Durham. [Illustration: FIG. 87.--English binding of St. Cuthbert’s Gospels, in embossed leather.] It then passed through many hands, and at last found a home at Liège, whence one of the Jesuit Fathers brought it to Stonyhurst College, where it now is. The binding is of thin lime wood covered with red leather, the upper board is ornamented with a nearly square central panel bearing a Celtic scroll in raised work. Above and below this are two rectangular panels ornamented with scroll-work impressed with a style and coloured by hand with blue and yellow paint. A narrow border is ornamented with a twisted line painted yellow. On the lower cover is a geometrical design drawn in lines and also coloured yellow.