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Books of any kind, were, indeed, scarce in English homes a 
century before one Master Wm. Caxton set up his printing press 
in Westminster. But they had begun to make their influence 
felt, and the painstaking illustrations from sundry romances 
were transferred to the tapestry that covered the uncouth walls 
of the homesteads of that time. But this only applied to the 
royal and upper circles, as the homes of the great masses of the 
population were yet but poor, nor had the spread of learning 
sufficiently advanced to induce a wide appreciation of the 
sayings, thoughts, and poems of great men. 
The century before printing was introduced into this country, 
was not famous for literary activity. Though it was the age of 
Chaucer and Wycliff, both representative men, the one rightly 
styled the tather of our later English poetry, the other the father 
of our later English prose, yet during this period letters were at 
a low ebb, and the intellectual life of the nation seemed paralysed 
and cold. 
The catalogue of the popular books of the 15th century is 
therefore not a long one. The works of Petrarch and Boccaccio 
stand out prominently on the list. Special favourites among the 
fair sex were the ‘“‘ Romance of the Rose,” ‘The fair Florence 
de Blanchfleure,’’ and ‘‘ The Story of the 7,000 Virgins,” The 
Church plays must not be forgotten. They, as acted by the old 
English Guilds, told of the connection between church and stage 
long years ago, and their tragic character awoke the interest of 
all classes. They were the living ‘‘ Biblia Pauperum,” and they 
did splendid service in bringing home the chief details of Bible 
story to the common people of the land. 
In our early library the Chester, York, Wakefield, and Coventry 
plays have been preserved, and Gower’s ‘‘ Vox Clamantis,” and 
his “‘ Confessio Amantis,’’ remain unto this day. 
There was one famous traveller who told the story of his 
expedition at this period, bold old Sir John Maundeville ; he 
details marvellous stories, but alas, has the character of having 
been a plagiarist and prig. But Mr. Morley suggests (in his 
fourth volume of English writers) ‘that the code of literary 
morality, at any rate as regards the acknowledgment of obliga- 
tions, was not so stringent in those days, and he, perhaps, 
regarded himself justified in adding to the attractiveness of his 
‘ Guide to Jerusalem,’ by relating as having happened to himself 
what he had read about others.”’ This epoch, too, had its ‘‘ Dream 
Book,” though not of the character of the compendium still 
popular, it was ‘‘ Langland’s Vision of Piers Plowman,” one 
of the greatest religious poems of the language, and full of potent 
far-seeing prophecy and fire. Besides these there was a large 
contingent of French romances in circulation, but private libraries 
