French epics and the Renaissance--Venice and Aldus Manutius--Italian illustrators--The Germans: _Theuerdanck_, Schäufelein--The Book in other countries--French books at the beginning of the century, before the accession of Francis I.--Geoffroy Tory and his works--Francis I. and the Book--Robert Estienne--Lyons a centre of bookselling; Holbein's Dances of Death--School of Basle--Alciati's emblems and the illustrated books of the middle of the century--The school of Fontainebleau and its influence--Solomon Bernard--Cornelis de la Haye and the _Promptuaire_--John Cousin--Copper plate engraving and metal plates--Woériot--The portrait in the Book of the sixteenth century--How a book was illustrated on wood at the end of the century--Influence of Plantin on the Book; his school of engravers--General considerations--Progress in England--Coverdale's Bible--English printers and their work--Engraved plates in English books Our simple division into chapters will be understood without difficulty as not corresponding exactly with the most momentous epochs in the history of the Book in France and abroad. Doubtless it would be easy for France alone to find some limits and to furnish scholastic formulæ by which contemporary publishers might be grouped. But in order to present, as in a synoptical table, an essential and abridged sketch of the Book in all European countries, it appeared to us more convenient to begin with the confused and tangled notions by centuries and to unfold in our review the characteristic facts of each country conjointly. Moreover, after the sixteenth century neither Italy nor Germany could compare with France, which, less fortunate, perhaps, at the beginning than her neighbours, surpassed them in all the pride of her genius.