133 



CAXTOtf, WILLIAM. 



CAXTON, WILLIAM. 



131 



printing, was born, according to his own statement, in the Weald of 

 Kent. Of the date of his birth nothing is known with certainty, 

 though Oldys places it in 1412. Lewis and Oldys suppose that 

 between his fifteenth and eighteenth years he was put apprentice to 

 one Robert Large, a mercer or merchant of considerable eminence, 

 who was afterwards successively sheriff and lord mayor of London, 

 and who, upon his death in 1441, remembered Caxton in his will by a 

 legacy of 20 marks. Caxton at this time had become a freeman of the 

 Company of Mercers. His knowledge of business however induced him, 

 either upon his own account or as agent of some merchant, to travel to 

 the Low Countries for a short time. In 1464 we find him joined in 

 a commission with one Robert Whitehill, to continue and confirm a 

 treaty of trade and commerce between Edward IV. and Philip, duke 

 of Burgundy, or, if they found it necessary, to make a new one. They 

 are styled in it ambassadors and special deputies. This commission at 

 least affords a proof that Caxton had acquired a reputation for know- 

 ledge of business. Seven years afterwards Caxton describes himself 

 as leading a life of ease, when, "having no great charge or occupation," 

 he set about finishing the translation of Raoul le Fevre's ' Recueil des 

 Histoires de Troye,' which he had commenced two years before, in 

 1469. The original was the first book he printed, and this translation 

 the third. Of Caxton's pursuits and travels abroad we know little 

 more than that in his peregrinations he confined himself, for the most 

 part, to the countries of Brabant, Flanders, Holland, and Zealand, and 

 finally entered into the service, or at least the household, of Margaret, 

 duchess of Burgundy, who encouraged him to finish his translation of 

 Le Fevre's ' History of Troy,' assisted him with her criticisms upon 

 hia Engli-ih, and amply rewarded him upon the completion of his 

 labour. From the prologues and epilogues of this work we discover 

 that he was now somewhat advanced in years, and that he had learnt 

 to exercise the art of printing, but by what steps he had acquired this 

 knowledge cannot be discovered; his types only show that he acquired 

 it in the Low Countries. He does not appear to have seen any of the 

 beautiful productions of the Roman, Venetian, and Parisian presses 

 before he had caused his own fount of letters to be cut. 



The original of Raoul's ' History," the ' Oration of John Russell on 

 Charles Duke of Burgundy being created a Knight of the Garter,' and 

 the ' Translation ' of Raoul, were, as far as we know, Caxton's first 

 three works : the last finished in 1471. A 'Stanza' by Wynkyn de 

 Worde notices an edition of ' Bortholomoeus de Proprietatibus Rerum' 

 as printed by Caxton at Cologne (about 1470), but the actual existence 

 of this edition is unknown. Nor has more certain information yet 

 been obtained of the exact period of Caxton's return to his native 

 country. The usual supposition has been that he brought the art of 

 printing into England in 1474, and that this date is indicated by the 

 figures which are united in the centre of his device as a printer. In 

 1477 however he had undoubtedly quitted the Low Countries and 

 taken up his residence in the vicinity of AVestminster Abbey, where 

 and in which year he printed his ' Dictes and Sayings of the Philoso- 

 phers.' Stowe says he first exercised his business in an old chapel 

 near the entrance of the Abbey; but a very curious placard, a copy of 

 which, in Caxton's largest type, is now at Oxford in the late Mr. 

 Donee's library, shows that ho printed in the Almonry. It is as 

 follows : " If it plese any man spirituel or temporel to bye ony Pyes 

 of two and thre comemoracions of Salisburi vso emprynted after the 

 forme of this present lettre whiche ben wel and truly correct, late hym 

 come to Westmonester in to the Almonesrye at the reed pale and he 

 shal have them good chepe. Supplico stet cedula." According to 

 Bogford, Caxton's office was afterwards removed to King-street. 



From the evidence of Wynkyn de Worde, in the colophon of his 

 edition of 'Vita; Patrum,' 1495, it appears that these 'Lives of the 

 Fathers' were "translated out of French into English by William 

 Caxton of Westminster, lately dead," and that he finished the work 

 "at the last day of his life." His death however seems fixed, by two 

 or three entries in the parish accounts of St. Margaret, Westminster, 

 to the year 1491 or 1492, in which we read, " Item ; atle bureyng of 

 William Caxton for iiij. torchet vj". viij d . Item ; for the belle at same 

 Sureyng, vj" 1 ." Wynkyn de Worde no doubt referred to this time. 



Caxton, Mr. Warton observes, by translating, or procuring to be 

 translated, a great number of books from the French, greatly con- 

 tributed to promote the state of literature hi England. In regard to 

 his types, Mr. Dibdin says, he appears to have made use of five distinct 

 ets, or founts of letters, of which, in his account of Caxton's works, 

 he has engraved plates in fac-simile. Edward Rowe Mores, in his 

 "Dissertation upon English Typographical Founders and Foundries,' 

 ays Caxton's letter was originally of the sort called Secretary, and of 

 this he had two founts; afterwards he came nearer to the English face, 

 and had three founts of Great Primer, a rude one which he used anno 

 1474, another something better, and a third cut about 1482 ; one of 

 ', Pica, good, which first appears 1490; and one of Long Primer, 

 at least nearly agreeing with the bodies which have since been called 

 by those names. All of Caxton's works were printed in what are 

 called black letter. 



The following is probably an complete a list as can now ba recovered 

 of the productions of Caxton'g press: 1. 'Le Recueil des Histoires 

 de Troye, compose par raoulle le feure, chapellein de Monsoigneur le 

 due Philippe de Bourgoingne en 1'an de grace mil cccclxiiii.' fol. 

 2. ' I'ropositio clarissimi Orntorifl Mngi.-.tri Johaunis Russell, dccrctorum 



doctoris ao adhunc Arnbassiatoris Edwardi Regis Anglie et Francie ad 

 illustr. Principem Karolum ducem Bu'rgundie super suaceptione ordinis 

 garterij, &c.,' 4to. 3. ' The Recuyell of the Historyea of Troye,' com- 

 posed and drawen out of diverce bookes of latyn in to Frensshe by 

 Raoul le ffeure in the yere 1464, and drawen out of frensshe in to 

 Englisshe by William Caxton, at the coinmaundemeut of Margarete 

 Duchess of Bourgoyne, &c., whyche sayd translacion and werke was 

 begonne in Brugis in 1468 and ended in the holy cyte of Colen 

 19 Sept. 1471, fol. 4. ' The Game and Playe of the Chesse,' translated 

 out of the French, fynysshid the last day of Marche, 1474, fol. 

 5. A second edition of the same, fol. (with wood-cuts). 6. ' A Boke 

 of the hoole Lyf of Jason,' 1475, fol. 7. 'The Dictes and notable 

 wyse Sayenges of the Phylosophers,' transl. out of Frenshe by lord 

 Antoine Wydeville Erie Ryuyeres, empr. at Westmestre, 1477, fol. 

 8. 'The Morale Prouerbss of Cristyne (of Pisa),' fol., 1478. 9. 'The 

 Book named Cordyale ; or Memorare Novissima,' which treateth of 

 'The foure last Things,' begun 1478, finished 1480, fol. 10. 'The 

 Chronicles of Englond,' Westm., 1480, fol. 11. 'Descripcion of Britayne," 



1480, fol. 12. ' The Mirrour of the World or thymage of the same,' 



1481, fol. 13. 'The Hyatorye of Reynart the Foxe,' 1481, fol. 14. 

 ' The Boke of Tullius de senectute, with Tullius de Amicitia, and the 

 Declamacyon, which laboureth to shew wherein Honour sholde reste,' 

 1481, fol. 15. 'Godefroy of Boloyne; or, the laste Siege and Couqueste 

 of Jherusalem,' Westm., 1481, fol. 16. ' The Polycronycon,' 1482, fol. 

 17. 'The Pylgremage of the Sowle,' transl. from the French, Westm., 

 1483, fol. 18. 'Liber Festivalis, or Directions for keaping Feasts all 

 the Yere,' Westm., 1483, fol. 19. ' Quatuor Sermones ' (without date), 

 fol. 20. 'Confessio Amantis,' that is to saye iu Englisshe, 'The Con- 

 fessyon of the Louer,' maad and compyled by Johan Qower, squyer, 

 Westm., 1483, fol. 21. 'The Golden Legende,' Westm., 1483, fol. 

 22. Another edition of 'The Legende,' sm. folio. 23. A third, fin. 

 at Westmestre, 20th May, 1483, fol. 24. 'The Booke callid Cathon' 

 (Magnus), trans, fr. the French, 1483, foL 25. 'Parvus Cbato' (with- 

 out printer's name or date, but in Caxton's type), fol. 26. ' The 

 Knyght of the Toure,' transl. from the French; Westm., 1484, fol. 

 27. ' The Subtyl Historyes and Fables of Esope,' transl. from the 

 French, 1484, fol. 28. 'The Book of the Ordre of Cliyvalry, or 

 Knyghthode,' transl. from the French (assigned to 1484), foL 29. 

 'The Book ryal; or the Book for a Kyng,' 1484, fol. 30. 'A Book of 

 the noble Hystoryes of Kynge Arthur and of certen of his KnygUtes," 

 which book was reduced in to Englysshe by syr Thomas Malory 

 Kuyght, 1485, fol. 31. 'Tho Lyf of Charles the Crete, Kyug of 

 Fraunce and Emperour of Rome,' 1485, fol. 32. Another edition of 

 the same, 1485, fol. 33. 'Thystorye of the noble ryght valyauut and 

 worthy Knyghte Parys and of the fayr Vyenne, the doulphyns doughter 

 of Vyennoys," transl. from the French, 1485, fol. 34. ' The Book of 

 Good Maners,' 1486, fol. 35. ' The Doctrinal of Sapyence,' transl. 

 from the French, 1489, fol. 36. ' The Book of Fayttes of Armes and 

 of Chyvalrye,' a translation from the first part of Vegetius de Re 

 Militari, 1489, fol. 37. 'The Arte and Crafte to knowe well to dye,' 

 transl. from the French, 1490, fol. 38. ' The Boke of Eneydos, com- 

 pyled by Vyrgyle,' translated from the French, 1490, fol. 39. ' The 

 Talis of Cauntyrburye ' (no date), fol. 40. Another edition (without 

 date or place), fol. 41. ' Infancia Salvatoris," 4to. 42. ' The Boko 

 of Consolacion of Philosophie," whiche that Boecius made for his 

 comforte and Consolacion (no date nor place), fol. 43. A collection 

 of Chaucer's and Lydgate's minor Poems, 4to. 44. ' The Book of 

 Fame, made by Gefferey Chaucer,' fol. 45. ' Troylus and Creseyde,' 

 fol. 46. 'A Book for Travellers,' fol. 47. 'The Lyf of St. Katheriu 

 of Senis,' fol. 48. ' Speculum Vite Christ! ; or the myrroure of the 

 blessyd Lyf of Jhesu Criste,' fol. 49. 'Directorium Sacerdotum :' 

 sive Ordinale secundum Usum Sarum, Westm., fol. 50. ' The Worke 

 (or Court) of Sapience,' composed by John Lydgate, fol. 51. 'A 

 Boke of divers Ghostly Maters,' Westm., fol. 52. ' The Curial mada 

 by Maystre Alain Charretier,' transl. from the French, fol. 53. ' The 

 Lyf of oui Lady, made by Dan John Lydgate, monke of Burye,' fol. 

 54. ' The Lyf of Saynt Wenefryde,' reduced into Englysshe, foL 55. 

 'A Lytel Tretise, intytuled or named The Lucidarye,' 4to. 66. 'Revc- 

 rendissimi viri dni. Gulielmi Lyndewodi, LLD. et epi Asaphensis 

 constitutiones provinciales Ecclesia) Anglicana),' 24mo. 57. 'The 

 Hiatorye of Kynge Blanchardyne and Queen Eglantyne his wyfe,' fol. 



58. ' The Siego of the noble and invyncyble Cytee of Rhodes,' fol. 



59. ' Statuta apud Westrnonasteriuui edita, anno primo Regis Ricardi 

 tercii," fol. 60. 'Statutes' made in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Parliaments 

 of Henry VII., folio. (The only fragment of this work known consists 

 of two leaves.) 61. ' The Accidence,' (mentioned in one of the sale 

 catalogues of the library of T. Martin of Palgrave.) 62. 'The 



Douce, Esq. 



To these we may now add a volume by Caxton, recently added to 

 the fine collection in the British Museum, and hitherto undescribed 

 by any bibliographer. It is a collection of prayers, commencing with 

 those called ' The Fifteen O's,' from each prayer commencing with the 

 exclamation " 0." The colophon bears that they are "enprinted bi 

 the comaundementes of the most hye & vertuous pryncesse Elizabeth 

 by the grace of God Quene of England & of Fraunce, and also of the 



