Note 151 — GEOFROY TORY

Olivier Mallard the printer was probably a relative of Jean Mallart the writer, whose name appears about the same time in the accounts of François I: 'To Jehan Mallart, writer, for writing unes heures [a book of Hours] on parchment, presented to the king to be illuminated, XLV livres as a gift, charged upon the deniers de l'espargne à l'entour du roy.' (From a roll not dated, but circa 1538, published by M. de Laborde, Renaissance des Arts, vol. i, p. 924.) These Mallards were probably of Norman origin, for there were about the same time several booksellers of that name at Rouen. One of them, indeed, Jean Mallard, had the Pot Cassé for his sign in 1542. He was probably a brother of Olivier, who had authorized him to adopt that symbol. (See Heures a l'usage de Rouen, octavo, gothic type, 1542.) I am indebted for this information to the learned author of the Manuel du Bibliophile normand, M. Ed. Frère.