Francis I. was perhaps the most literary monarch of which the French nation can boast. It was he who, in 1540, promoted the printing of Classic and Hebrew Authors, by appointing special printers for each language, and bestowing upon them personal protection and numerous privileges. Thus the celebrated Robert Estienne was appointed by Letters Patent “Greek Printer to the King.” The better to carry into effect the King’s wishes, he determined, with assistance from the royal purse, to cut entirely new founts of various sizes. For this purpose he engaged the services of Claude Garamond, who was the most skilful engraver in France, to cut the punches, the designs being contributed by a young Cretan in the King’s employment, celebrated for his beautiful Greek handwriting. The result was a great success; and, ever since, these types have been known as “the Royal Greek.” They derived their fame from the picturesque beauty of their outline, and their curious varieties of ligatures, each fount having a minimum of 536 matrices.

In the year 1700, the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge opened negotiations with the Court of France concerning the terms on which a complete set of these matrices might be obtained; engaging on his part, not only to pay all expenses, but to acknowledge in the Prefaces of the first works for which they might be used the favour conferred. The arrangements made satisfactory progress on both sides until the matter came before the Warden of the King’s Library, who had the custody of the punches, when he stipulated for a new and stringent condition, as follows: “The Chancellor of Cambridge shall engage to place the following notice in the Title-page of every work for which the type is used: Caracteribus græcis e typographio regio Parisiensi.” All French printers who used these types were compelled to conform to this condition; it was too much, however, for our English “amour propre,” and so the negotiations were broken off and never after renewed. These interesting punches formed part of the earliest material of the French Imperial Printing Office, but at the present day they are not to be found, nor does any record remain of their fate.