e of the ostrich feather as a royal badge occurs in a note
in one of the Harleian MSS. to the effect that 'Henrye, son to
the erle of Derby, fyrst duke of Lancaster, gave the red rose crowned,
whose ancestors gave the fox tayle in his proper cooler, and the ostrych
fether, the pen ermine,' the Henry here mentioned being the father of
Blanche, wife of John of Gaunt.

On the tomb of Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII., at Worcester,
the feather is shown both singly and in plume, and it occurs in the
triple plume form within a coronet and a scroll with the words 'ICH
DIEN' upon it, on bindings made by Thomas Berthelet for Prince
Edward, son of Henry VIII., who never was Prince of Wales.

It really seems as if the first 'Prince of Wales' actually to use the
ostrich feather plumes as a personal badge of that dignity was Prince
Henry, and it occurs largely on such books belonging to his library as
he had rebound, and also on books that were specially bound for
presentation to him.

This is the case in one of the most decorative bindings he possessed,
enclosing a collection of tracts originally the property of Henry
VIII., but which somehow or other became the property of
Magdalen College, Cambridge, the governing body of which had it bound in
embroidered velvet and presented to Prince Henry.

[Illustration: 30--Bacon, Opera. Londini, 1623.]

The cover is of crimson velvet, the edges of which extend freely beyond
the edges of the book, bound all round with a fringe of gold cord. It
measures about 8 by 6 inches. The design is the same on each side. In
the centre is a large triple plume of ostrich feathers, thickly and
beautifully worked in small pearls, within a golden coronet, and having
below them the motto 'ICH DIEN' in gold upon a blue silk
ribbon.

The badge is enclosed in a rectangular panel of gold cords, in each
corner of which is an ornamental spray of gold cords, guimp, and a
flower in pearls. A broad border with a richly designed arabesque of
gold guimp or cord, with pearl flowers, encloses the central panel. The
design is filled in freely with small pearls enclosed in guimp circles
and small pearls alone.

The back has an ornamental design in gold cord and guimp. This cover is
a beautiful specimen of later decorative work on velvet, and the general
effect is extremely rich, the design and workmanship being equally well
chosen as regards the materials to which they are applied, and with
which they are worked.