I give you the whole title. First the
motto, in the frieze of an architectural design, [Greek text].
Then, in small capitals -
LES OEUVRES
MAISTRE GVIL
LAUME COQUIL
LART EN SON VI
VANT OFFICIAL
DE REIMS. NOV
VELLEMENT RE
VEVES ET CORRI
GEES.
M. D. XXXV.
On les vend a Lyon en la
Maison de Francoys Juste,
Demourant devant nostre
Dame de Confort.
By bad (or good) luck this rare piece was imperfect--the back
gaping and three sheets gone. But, in turning over the leaves, I
saw something that brought my heart, as they say, into my mouth.
So, beating down Bell from his upset price of fourpence to six
bawbees, I pushed the treasure carelessly in my pocket, and never
stopped till I was in a lonely place by Tyne-side and secure from
observation. Then, with my knife, I very carefully uncased Maistre
Guillaume, and extracted the sheet of parchment, printed in black
letter with red capitals, that had been used to line the binding.
A corner of it had crept out, through the injuries of time, and on
that, in Bell's "crame" (for it is more a crame than a shop), I had
caught the mystic words Runjt macht Gunjt.
And now, I think, Monkbarns, you prick up your ears and wipe your
spectacles. That is the motto, as every one of the learned family
of antiquaries is well aware, and, as you have often told me, of
your great forbear, the venerable and praiseworthy Aldobrand
Oldenbuck the Typographer, who fled from the Low Countries during
the tyrannical attempt of Philip II.
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