3907 11. ENGLAND. I. English Printers of the Fifteenth Century (Bruges, London, Oxford, St. Albans). William Caxton (1474, 1477-91). (Eight distinct founts of type are attributed to him, and the following is a summary of his labours: No. 1 type. 1472-74 5 books, probably all printed at Cologne. 2 1478-81 9 books. 1478-84 3 books existing in fragments only, besides the headings of works in other types. 1480-84 12 books. 1483-85 18 books. 1486-91 7 books. 1489-91 8 books. Caxton conceived the idea of reproducing his books by printing in 1471, in which year he was at Cologne, probably for the purpose of learning the new art. In the absence of direct evidence concerning his career in 1471-75, we must proceed by inference; and an impartial review of existing typographical monuments will lead us to believe that Veldener, Caxton, and Colard Mansion all learned and worked together in one printing-house at Cologne. Whether the master-printer was Zell, Ther Hoernen, Koelhof, Goetz, or any other, we know not, but Wynkyn de Worde's direct statement shows that Caxton's first typographical labour was the production of an edition of Glanvil's De Proprietatibus, apparently issued from Goetz's press and printed at Caxton's expense. After a certain period of practical study, Veldener started on his own account at Louvain in 1473, Caxton at Bruges in 1474, and Colard Mansion at the same place in 1475 or 1476. All three made use of types of similar kind, imitating the French and Burgundian writing of the time, and abandoning the German-Gothic models of Mentz and Cologne. The non-appearance of Mansion as an independent printer before 1475-76, and the curious fact that the first five books published by Caxton (in No. 1 type) were never used again, leads to the further conclusion that Caxton and Mansion produced those five works in partnership at Cologne, between 1472 and 1474, at a press which was entirely surrendered (type and all) before their return to Bruges. There a new fount of letters was made from Mansion's models, and Caxton prepared to transfer his establishment to London. He effected this purpose in 1476, after testing the new types by printing his "Dernieres Choses" at Bruges. Then his career in England began (in 1476) and lasted till his death in 1491; while Mansion's press in Bruges only lasted from 1476 to 1484. 37900 LES QUATRE DERRENIERES CHOSES. present traictie est diuise en quatre parties principales On the third leaf: Cy commence la premiere partie des quatre derrenieres choses qui sont a aduenir small folio, printed in red and black, two leaves supplied in facsimile in the last Ce sheet; large copy with rough leaves, in the original binding, with some nearly contemporary notes on the pages, in a red morocco case, £500. Sine nota [? Brugis, circ. 1474-75] (No. 2 type; Blades, No. 6.) Only one other copy known, which is in the British Museum, and has one leaf in facsimile reproduced from this copy. The original MS. signatures are still visible in the copy above described, and the collation may be given as follows: a, b, c, d, in sheets of eight leaves each (the first leaf of a was a blank); e in ten leaves; f, g, h, i, in eight leaves each. The leaves supplied in facsimile are i 2 and i 7, out of a complete sequence of 72 (or, counting the blanks at beginning and end, 74). This book is in the identical type used by Caxton in the first eighteen or nineteen books which he printed in England in 1477-78, but is in irregular lines like the few which were produced by him on the continent in 1474 and 1475, and although not, like these, in the so-called type No. 1, it is, like these, marked with the pin-holes by which the press-man kept the paper straight. None of Caxton's books printed in England show those marks. As the type of the QUATRE DERRENIERES CHOSES does not appear in any book produced on the continent after Caxton left Bruges for England in 1475-76, the book can only have been printed some time in or before 1475, at the press at which Caxton first exercised the art of Typography. We may conclude, until our knowledge is enlarged by some future discovery, that it was produced at Bruges in 1474-75. The relation which Mr. Blades has discovered between Caxton and Colard Mansion is plausible, but not wholly satisfactory. After all, it cannot be gainsaid that there is no book certainly known to have been produced by the latter printer which is in any of the Caxton types, although he used some types of similar style; and it cannot be clearly shown that Colard Mansion printed anything before 1475. The early history of Caxton's typographical labours is still a mystery, and the present volume is one of its most precious documents, being really the first book that we can with certainty assign to Caxton as a printer. The first five books which he published are in a peculiar type never reproduced in any of the books bearing his name as printer; and amongst them is included the first edition of his Game of Chess. That this book was not printed by him, we have a proof in Caxton's own statement (in the preface to the second edition printed at Westminster) that he did do set in imprint the copies depeshed and sold at Brudgys. The phrase is not I did set but I did do set, equivalent to je fis imprimer, and therefore implies that Caxton was not himself the printer. The words depeshed and sold must mean sent (expédie) for sale to Bruges. Whence? He was working at the completion of his Recuyell at Cologne in 1471. On the other hand the Recuyell which was published after 1471 (? in 1472) and which is one of these five books, is stated by Caxton himself to have been ordained in prent by him at his great dispense in practising and learning. Again, neither in the primum opus of Colard Mansion (printed in 1471 according to Mr. Blades, and 1475 according to Van Praet, Bernard, Deschamps, etc.), nor in any other of his impressions do we find types corresponding to the character of the so-called Caxton's No. 1. The difficulties suggested here can only be obviated by a conjecture that the five books in No. 1 type were printed at Cologne for Caxton at a press established by himself, and worked for him, perhaps, by Colard Mansion, while they were both learning the practical art of Typography between 1471 and 1474; and that the Quatre Derrenieres Choses was the first book printed (with a fresh set of types) at Bruges on Caxton's return, by himself. 37901 GODFREY OF BOLOŸNE. At end: Thus endeth THE LASTE SIEGE AND CONQUEST OF IHERUSALEM sm. folio, a very fine copy, quite perfect, with all the blank leaves; in the original leather-covered boards; enclosed in a blue morocco case, £1000. enprynted the xx day of nouembre the yere a forsayd [m.cccc.lxxxi] in thabbay of westmester by the said wylliam Caxton (1481) (No. 4 type; Blades, No. 42.) Only two other perfect copies are known; one in the British Museum, the other in the Holford library. Of imperfect copies only eight are known; five of them in public libraries, the other three belonging to Lord Spencer, Lord Pembroke, Lord Dysart. The above is the best of the three perfect copies, and one of the very few examples of Caxton's press which have come down to the present time in their pristine condition. 37902 GOWER (John). . CONFESSIO AMANTIS: that is to say in Englyshe the confessyon of the louer maad and compyled by Iohan Gower . . . sm. folio, the first leaf of the table in facsimile, otherwise perfect; a very fine and sound copy in russia extra, broad leather joints, tooled, from the Perkins library, £380. Enprynted at westmestre by me Willyam Caxton, and fynysshed the ij day of Septembre the fyrst yere of the regne of Kyng Richard the thyrd, the yere of our lord a thousand cccclxxxxiij (by mistake for 1483) (No. 4 and 4* type; Blades, No. 50.) This volume is one of the rarest and most intrinsically valuable of Caxton's publications. It is the Editio Princeps of a great poem by one of the earliest English poets. There are five perfect and twelve imperfect copies (some very defective) now extant. Of the five perfect copies, one is in the British Museum, one (Lord Jersey's) in America, one in the library of the Duke of Devonshire, and the fourth in Lord Spencer's. Where the fifth (Lord Selsey's) has gone to I cannot learn. Lord Selsey's copy fetched, in 1872, £670; Lord Jersey's, in 1875, £810. 37903 GOWER'S CONFESSIO AMANTIS, sm. folio,-another copy of Caxton's edition, wanting five leaves in the body of the book, which are supplied in MS. and having the table in facsimile, calf, from the Way collection, a bargain, £50. (1483) This was bought by Mr. Gregory Lewis Way at Topham Beauclerk's sale in 1782. 37904 LYDGATE (John). At end: Here endeth the book of the LYF OF OUR LADY made by dan John lydgate monke of bury at thynstaunce of the moste crysten kynge, kyng harry the fyfth... sm. folio, fine copy in russia antique, gilt and goffered edges, in red morocco case, £1000. Enpryntyd by Wyllyam Caxton (1484) (No. 4* type; Blades, No. 60.) Only seven other copies are known, of which five are imperfect. The two perfect copies are, one in the British Museum, one in the Bodleian (stained and scribbled over). The above (formerly Lord Devon's) is consequently the only perfect copy that is still purchasable, and as it is not only perfect, but has also the blank leaf of signature m, must be considered one of the most precious examples of the Caxton press. Of the five imperfect copies Lord Spencer and three public libraries lay claim to four, and the fifth, which was Mr. Corser's, has disappeared at present. This poem by Lydgate is a monumental work in English literature. 37905 DICTES AND SAYINGS OF THE PHILOSOPHERS. On leaf iij: Lere endeth the book named the dictes or sayngis of the philosophres enprynted, by me Wyllm Caxton at Westmestre the yere of our lord. M.cccc.Lxxvij, Whiche book is late translated out of frenshe into englyssh. by y noble a puissant lord Antoine Erle of Ryuers... sm. folio, fine large copy, some margins mended, and the last three leaves in admirable facsimile by Harris; brown morocco, gilt edges, from the Fuller-Russell library, £200. Caxton me fieri fecit (about 1490) (No. 6 type; Blades, No. 83.) Of the six known copies (besides this) only one perfect and one imperfect are to be found outside the public libraries. Caxton's large device occupies the front of the first leaf. 97906 MIRROR OF THE WORLD. Folio I 6: Thus fynysshith the book called thymage or myrrour of the world. . Folio I7: whiche book I began to translate the second day of Ianyuer the yere of our lord, M.CCCC.lxxx. And fynysshyd the viii day of Marche the same yere . sm. folio, with numerous woodcuts; perfect and fine copy in blue morocco extra, gilt edges, by Roger Payne, with the Blandford crest on the sides, £350. Caxton me fieri fecit (about 1490) (No. 6 type; Blades, No. 84.) This second edition is rarer than the first (printed in 1481). Four perfect copies are in public libraries; four others in the Devonshire, Spencer, Huth, and Lenox libraries. There are three imperfect copies, one of them in a public library. The present copy belonged to Dr. Richard Farmer in the last century, and has his autograph. It was last in the possession of Mr. Fuller Russell. The Tite copy sold for £455. 37907 (CAXTON'S GOVERNAYLE OF HEALTH). [On A j:] In this tretyse that is cleped Gouernayle of helthe: what is to be sayd wyth crystis helpe of some thinges that longen to bodily helthe, hadde and to be kept or to bodily helthe lost and to be recouered, and is departed in viij. chapytures . . . small 4to. Blade's facsimile reprint from the only copy known, blue morocco, gilt edges, £2. 2s Explicit medicina stomachi: [Caxton, 1491] Very few copies of this reprint were issued. Collation: A (8 leaves) and B (10 leaves). 37908 VORAGINE (Jacobus de) Colophon: Thus endeth the legede named in latyn legenda aurea, that is to say in englisshe the golde legede For lyke as passeth golde in valewe al other metallis, soo thys Legende excedeth all other bokes... [translated by Caxton], stout sm. folio, eight leaves supplied in MS. and one in facsimile, the copy however in fine sound and clean condition; with numerous woodcuts; old English red morocco extra, gilt edges; from the library of Gregory Lewis Way, £105. Westmestre the xx day of May, The yere of our lord MCCCClxxxxiii... By me wyllyam Caxton (1493) (In Caxton's type No. 4* recast; with headings in Wynkyn de Worde's first type.) Only nine other copies are known, of which but one (the Spencer copy) is perfect. The "By me Wyllyam Caxton" simply indicates that |