be laid; a bad method, but often used to produce a flat back.]

This cutting of the back to make room for the bands was afterwards more
easily effected by means of a saw--as it is done now--and in the
eighteenth century was especially used by the French binder Derome le
Jeune, who is usually made responsible for its invention.

The existence of the sunken bands on early embroidered books probably
marks the beginning of this vicious system, but here there is some
excuse for it, whereas in the case of ordinary leather-bound books there
is none, except from the commercial standpoint.

In the case of vellum books there may be some reason for using the
'sawn in' bands, as it is certainly difficult to get vellum to fit
comfortably over raised bands, although numerous early instances exist
in which it has been successfully done. Again in the case of 'hollow
backs,' the bands are kept flat with some reason. But for all valuable
or finely bound books the system of 'sawing in' cannot be too strongly
condemned.

'Sawing in' can be detected by looking at the threads in the centre of
any section of a bound book from the inside. It will show as a small
hole with a piece of hemp or leather lying transversely across it, under
which the thread passes (Fig. 12).

[Illustration: FIG. 12.
Typical appearance of the sewing of a book with 'sawn in' bands, as seen
from the inside of each section. The bands just visible.]

In the case of a properly sewn book, the bands themselves cannot be seen
at all from the inside of the sections, unless, indeed, the book is
damaged (Fig. 13). If the covering of the back is off, or even loose,
the method of sewing that has been used can very easily be seen; and if
it appears that the bands are sunk in a small trench, that is the form
of sewing that is called 'sawn in,' or analogous to it.

[Illustration: FIG. 13.
Typical appearance of the sewing of a book on raised bands, as seen from
the inside of each section. The bands invisible. Known as 'flexible.']

Although in the embroidered books the bands of the backs do not show on
the surface, it is common enough to find the lines they probably follow
indicated in the work on the back, which is divided into panels by as
many transverse lines, braid or cord, as there are bands underneath
them. But in some cases the designer has used the back as one long
panel, and decorated it accordingly as one space. The headbands in some
of the earlier books were sew