Gold tooling in leather introduced from the East to Venice--Early Italian gold tooled work--The spread of gold tooling in Europe--Modern work--Gold tooling in leather--Early Venetian gold tooled bindings--The work of Thos. Berthelet, John Day, John Gibson, Mary Collet, Samuel Mearne, Suckerman, Eliot and Chapman, Roger Payne, Richard Wier, Charles Hering, Kalthœber, Staggemeier, Walther, Charles Lewis, T. J. Cobden-Sanderson, Sir Edw. Sullivan, Douglas Cockerell, E. M. MacColl, S. Prideaux, Adams, Woolrich, Etienne Roffet, Geoffrey Tory, Nicholas and Clovis Eve, Le Gascon, Florimond Badier, Macé Ruette, L. A. Boyet, Padeloup le Jeune, J. le Monnier, Derome le Jeune, Capé, Duru, Thouvenin, Bauzonnet, Trautz, Lortic _p._ 205 INDEX _p._ 245 LIST OF PLATES. 1. GOLDEN BINDING OF “THE GOSPELS OF CHARLEMAGNE,” WITH JEWELS AND ENAMELS, 11TH OR 12TH CENTURY. (_See_ p. 54) _Frontispiece_ 2. PAGE FROM WILLIAM CASLON’S “SPECIMEN OF PRINTING TYPES.” (LONDON, 1766) _To face p._ 98 3. PAGE FROM THE “HYPNEROTOMACHIA POLIPHILI.” (VENICE, 1499) _To face p._ 104 4. PAGE FROM CAXTON’S “MYRROUR OF THE WORLDE.” (LONDON, 1481) _To face p._ 108 5. “THE PEACOCK.” WOOD ENGRAVING BY THOS. BEWICK, FROM THE “HISTORY OF BRITISH BIRDS.” (NEWCASTLE, 1797-1804) _To face p._ 110 6. TITLE-PAGE OF GRIMM’S “GERMAN POPULAR STORIES.” (LONDON, 1824) _To face p._ 124 7. FRENCH SEVENTEENTH CENTURY BINDING BY LE GASCON. RED MOROCCO, INLAID WITH OLIVE AND CITRON MOROCCO AND GOLD TOOLED IN THE POINTILLÉ MANNER _To face p._ 238 * * * * * THE BOOK: ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT. CHAPTER I. EARLY RECORDS. Rock inscriptions--Marks on wood--Quipus--Wampum--Modern ideographs--Indian palm leaf books--Ideographs and alphabets--Diptychs. The idea of making records by means of marks cut on stone or wood did not originate in any one place, for signs of it are found more or less all over the world wherever primitive man has existed. It was not until a comparatively late period that the various kinds of record keeping were unified after a fashion and true writing evolved itself out of the chaos. There are some forms of record keeping that have been largely used by the human race which, as far as we can at present tell, have not influenced our present form of book except negatively; but indirectly they may still have done so in some manner that we cannot distinguish.