1877. CATALOGUE OF THE LOAN COLLECTION OF ANTIQUITIES, CURIOSITIES, AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED WITH THE ART OF PRINTING SOUTH KENSINGTON. EDITED BY GEORGE BULLEN, Esq., F.S.A., PRINTED AT THE ELZEVIR PRESS, PUBLISHED BY N. TRÜBNER AND CO., LUDGATE HILL. Several founts of type will milding Pie" from most of the incipal London printing ffices will be found on the freshment buffet. INTRODUCTION. in various parts of the HE whole English-speaking world cannot fail to feel deeply interested in the Exhibition which is now opened to public view in the Galleries at South Kensington. There can be little doubt, after the researches of Mr. Blades, the biographer of that the "Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers" was in the presence of the book printed by our first English printer on English composing stickle press set up by him in the Almonry at Westminster, "The Recuyell of the Historyes of Races in printer's "gal will form one of the 's amusements. An original contest, to be ompany, will take place be amposing "stone," centuries ago. subject of their efforts eng a 46 borns." Compositors vas translated by Caxton from the French of Raoul Le Fèvre in 1471, and was printed by him, in all probability, not long afterwards at Bruges, where Caxton was residing, being the first printed English book. The next printed English book was The Game and Playe of the Chesse," " Fynysshid the last day of marche the yer of our Lord god. a thousand foure honderd and lxxiiii." This also, long thought to have been the first book printed at Westminster, has been considered by Mr. Blades to have been printed at Bruges; the original "Recueil des histoires de troyes" having been also printed by Caxton, probably in 1476. Thus, to Caxton belongs the honour of having printed not only the first book in English, but the first book in the French language. |