[author] Roberti de Avesbury

Historia / de Mirabilibus Gestis Accedunt
(1.) Libri Saxonici, qui ad manus /
Joannis Joscelini venerunt.
(2.) Nomina eorum, qui scripserunt /
historiam gentis Anglorum,
/ Et ubi exstant; / per Joannem Joscelinum. /
E codicibus mss. descripsit ediditque / Tho. Hearnius; /
Qui & Appendicum sub nexuit.
OXO NII, /
E Theatro Sheldoniano M.DCC.XX [1720]

The leather was lifted for 1 inch (2.5 cm) along the spine edge of the upper and lower boards. The leather on the spine of the textblock was consolidated using Klucel G 2% in IMS to prevent surface delamination. The leather was lifted from the cords.

The endbands were no longer held at the middle tie-down, and so were attached only at the beginning and at the end of the textblock. After the spine leather was lifted from the head and tail, the endbands were reinforced using 40/3 thread, with 5 tie-downs.

5 lengths of linen braid and 60/3 thread were cut for the cord reinforcements. The textblock sections were evenly divided (8 sections were used). The cords were dampened from the outside with a water pen. The lengths of linen braid were oversewn over the existing cords, wrapping the thread around both the braid and the cord, and inserting into the next marked section. The linen braid was frayed out and adhered to the boards using EVA.

Hewit's semi-aluminium tanned leather was coloured using Hewit's aniline leather dyes, mid-brown and dark brown, to achieve a closer tone to that of the original leather.

Both tinted Japanese paper and thinly pared leather were tried as coverings for the cords along the exterior of the spine. While the paper would have offered a certain amount of strength which the thin leather lacked, the leather had a significantly superior fit over the cords and onto the existing spine leather. The paper cockled and did not adhere well.

3 pieces of leather were cut into a 'dumb-bell' shape, to lie straight over the cords with wider 'anchors' on the boards. The middle three cords were covered with this leather.

The dyed calf as used for the cord covering pieces was pared for covering at the head and tail, taking into consideration the need to cover the 2 remaining cords and the need to form headcaps over the endbands.

Small piece of leather were pared very thinly to offer protect to the joints, as there was a complete loss of leather and the joint of the textblock was exposed. The leather used was the same as for the other operations, and was adhered as 8 small pieces between the cords and onto the boards. The adhesive used was a paste and EVA mix.

The lifted leather from the upper and lower boards was re-adhered to the boards using paste. The book was pressed for 10 minutes to encourage adhesion.