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(Allestree, Richard) : THE GOVERNMENT OF THE TONGUE. By the Author of the Whole Duty of Man, &c. The second impression

at the Theatre in Oxford, Oxford, 1674

Sm. 4to., black turkey morocco tooled in gilt in an all-over design with drawer-handle tools, curls and flower head tools; decorated with silver paint. The spine is divided into six compartments by five raised bands, which are also tooled in gilt (echoing the covers), with silver paint. The title is gilt lettered in the second compartment from the top. One corner and the very head of the rear joint have been skillfully repaired. Marbled endleaves. The binding is the work of the Queen's Binder A and appears to be a twin of a copy of the same title (but the later, 1675, printing), given to the British Library as part of the Henry David gift [See: No 118].Hobson and Nixon have had much to say about the forty years following the Restoration of King Charles II to his throne in 1660, which has been called THE GOLDEN AGE OF ENGLISH BOOKBINDING. Nixon points out that there were at least four Queen's binders; viz., A, B, C and D, who all started work in 1670, and all made use of the recently introduced drawer-handle tools and volutes with pointellé outlines rather than floral volutes much used by the other binders of the period. This is a FINE EXAMPLE on a most fitting book. Allestree was a man of extensive learning, of moderate views and a fine preacher. He was generous and charitable, of “a solid and masculine kindness,” and of a temper hot, but completely under control [Encyclopædia Britannica 11th ed.].

A FINE RESTORATION BINDING BY THE QUEEN'S BINDER A

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