ALFRED SOUTHEY, Esq.

Herbert Spencer, Esq.

A. R. SPOFFORD, Efq. (Librarian of Congress, U.S.)

W. W. SPRAGUE, Efq.

*W. SPURRELL, Efq. (Carmarthen).

Rev. JOHN STOUGHTON, D.D.

JOSEPH TANNER, Jun., Efq. (Frome).

HERR B. G. TEUBNER (Leipzig).

Mr. P. A. TIELE (Keeper of the Books of the University Library at Leiden). ANTHONY TROLLOPE, Efq.

J. HAMMOND TRUMBULL, Efq. LL.D. (Watkinson Library, Hartford, U.S.) MONS. H. J. TUCKER (Paris).

G. I. F. TUPPER, Efq.

Profeffor TYNDALL, LL. D., F. R.S.

F. ULLMER, Efq.

JAMES VIRTUE, Efq.

CORNELIUS WALFORD, Efq., F.S. A., F.S. S.

PHILIP WATERLOW, Efq.

CHARLES J. WHITTINGHAM, Esq.

JUSTIN WINSOR, Esq. (Public Library, Boston, U.S.)

B. WINSTONE, Efq.

C. H. WRIGHT, Efq.

J. B. WOLF, Esq.

Rev. F. BARHAM ZINCKE (Prefident of the Education Society).

WILLIAM CAXTON AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ART OF PRINTING IN ENGLAND

AND SCOTLAND.

HE collection of books here arranged is so complete, and illustrates so thoroughly the typographical career of Caxton, that it seems appropriate to include in the prefatory remarks a short biography of the printer.

The original documents having a direct reference to the life of Caxton are few, the most important being the prologues and epilogues written by himself, and appended to his various publications as they passed through the press.

Caxton was born about 1422 in the Weald of Kent, and received a good education in his youth. In 1438 he entered as an apprentice into the household of Alderman Robert Large, a wealthy mercer, who lived in a spacious mansion at the corner of the Old Jewry, nearly opposite the end of Basinghall Street. In 1441 Large died, and Caxton, to whom he left a small legacy, was turned over to a new master, and probably at once went to Bruges, then the capital of the dominions of the Duke of Burgundy, and the centre of the wool trade, wool being the staple article dealt in by mercers. Here Caxton must have been successful in trade, as in 1446 he was surety for a fellow mercer in a sum equal to £1,500 of our present money. In 1462 he appears as "Governor of the English Nation Abroad," a most important position, which gave him authority over all the English merchants in the Duke's dominions, who were associated together as "merchant adventurers." The head-quarters of this company were in London, at Mercers' Hall, a large majority of

B

them being mercers. In 1464 he was nominated with Sir Robert Whitehill as ambassador to the Duke of Burgundy concerning a trade treaty, several of the letters to and from Caxton on this important matter being still preserved in the archives of the Mercers' Company. In 1468 took place at Bruges the marriage between the Princess Margaret of York, sister of King Edward IV., and Charles, Duke of Burgundy, and at this time Caxton probably attracted the notice and gained the goodwill of the Duchess of Burgundy. The same year Caxton was again chosen to act with two other mercers as ambassador to the Duke on trade arrangements. In March, 1469, Caxton appears for the first time in a literary capacity as translator of a few leaves of "Le Recueil des Histoires de Troye," a tale compounded of mythology, love, and "deeds of arms," but, dissatisfied with the attempt, he put them by without, as he says, any intention of completing the translation. In 1469 Caxton was still governor at Bruges, judgment being given in a dispute between an Englishman and a Genoese merchant in his name. It is dated May 12th, and is the latest notice of him in his official capacity. On the 13th August of the same year the town council of Bruges made him a present of wine. In 1470 the English king, Edward IV., took refuge in Bruges from the machinations of the Earl of Warwick, and at this time Caxton was doubtless of great use to his countrymen in their need. The exact date when Caxton entered the service of the Duchess of Burgundy is unknown. It must, however, have been about 1470, as in March of the succeeding year he was receiving a yearly salary and other benefits. It is probable that at this time he married. In March, 1471, the Duchess commanded him to continue his translation of "Le Recueil," which he did with alacrity, for although at one time at Ghent and then at Cologne, the task was not neglected, till on the 19th September in the same year he offered to his royal mistress a complete manuscript copy of "The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye." The romance was a success, and many of the English lords required copies, so that Caxton wearied both hand and eye in trying to satisfy them. How long he supplied manuscript copies before he thought of printing is unknown, but it was about 1474-75 that the first printed edition was completed. This was done, as all the typographical minutiæ of the books prove, by the aid of Colard Mansion, the first printer at Bruges, and in passing this book through the press Caxton made his first essay as a printer. The next year saw the issue of the "Chess-book," and in 1476, or early in 1477, Caxton left Bruges, and settled as a printer at Westminster, under the shadow of the Abbey. Here until his death, in 1491, he published at least ninetynine works, of which ninety are represented in this collection by original copies, and nine in fac-simile.

Concerning the arrangement and sequence of the copies a few words must be said.

Of all the books issued by Caxton, only one-third have the date of imprint plainly stated. Placing these dated books by themselves in chronological order, we find that they naturally fall into eight clearly defined classes :

TYPE NO. 1.-The Bruges-printed books, for which one type only was used, which makes its first appearance in "The Recuyell."

TYPE NO. 2.-The first type used at Westminster, of which the first edition of "The Dictes," 1477, is the representative. It lasted no longer than the end of 1478, after which it disappears.

TYPE No. 2*.-A re-cast of No. 2, with variations, lasting from “The Cordial" in 1479 to "Tully," 1481.

TYPE No. 3 was used from 1479 to 1484, for head-lines. Missal type and unsuited for the text of books generally.

It was a

TYPE No. 4 makes its first appearance in "The Chronicles" of 1480, and goes out of use with the "Confessio" in 1484.

TYPE No. 4* is a re-cast of No. 4. It appears first in the "Knight of the Tower," 1483, and last in "Paris and Vienne," December, 1485, although it is probable that books without date were printed in it for two years later.

TYPE No. 5 begins with the "Book of Good Manners," 1487, the last dated book being the "Doctrinal" of 1489.

TYPE No. 6 (which is No. 2 altered) comes in with "Fayts of Arms," 1489, and lasts over Caxton's death, being used by his successor, Wynken de Worde.

We have here evidently a good foundation for classification, the data of which may still further be multiplied by noticing some of the typographical habits of the workmen. For instance :

The practice of printing books with lines of an uneven length, a sure sign of an infant press, and found in all Caxton's first productions, was entirely discontinued in 1480.

The use of printed signatures is a proof that the book in which they occur was not earlier than 1480.

The paragraph mark was not used by Caxton until the year 1483. The great device was first used in 1487, and the small device at once shows the book to be printed after Caxton's death.

Woodcut embellishments began with Parvus Catho in 1480, and printed initials in 1483.

If now we take the mass of undated books, and arrange them according to their types and the above signs of date, we obtain the chronological sequence of the following list, which includes everything at present known to have been issued from the Press of William Caxton.