The Psalter or Psalms of David from the Bible of the Archbishop Cranmer

(London): Essex House Press, 1902. Bourbeau, David. Small quarto. 87pp. One of 250 copies on paper. Each of the 150 Psalms opens with a woodcut initial, often related to the theme of the particular passage. A court jester stands around a "T" at Psalm 53, which proclaims that "the foolish body hath sayed in hys hert: there is no God." Likewise ships upon a stormy sea curve about a "B" at Psalm 29, which announces that "the voyce of the Lorde, shaketh the wildernesse." Other initials are repeated, such as a suppliant King David, an angel blowing a trumpet, and an angel with resplendent wings. Printed in red and black, with red title-page and colophon devices. Edited by Janet E. Ashbee based on the Cranmer Bible of 1540. In full forest green levant by David Bourbeau with a ruled columnar design that echoes the format of the contents. The external mirroring continues with four onlaid historiated initials at the foot of each column: a "P" and "D" on the upper cover (for the Psalms of David), and an "E" and "H" on the lower cover (for the Essex House Press). These initials feature molded purple, violet, tan, brown, pale green, and light blue leather. An elegant and understated binding that showcases Bourbeau's precise craftsmanship. Housed in a green morocco-backed folding case, which shows some sunning to spine. Together with Arno Werner on Bookbinding, printed at the Stinehour Press in 1981, and inscribed by Bourbeau, who was one of Werner's students. (The Private Presses, pp. 78-79).