standing some poets, being taken from their school by their parents, and either be brought to the court and made lacqueys or pages, or else are bounden prentices, whereby the worship that the master above any reward coveteth to have by the praise of his scholar is utterly drowned, whereof I have heard schoolmasters very well learned of good right complain."

The same author speaks severely of the pretenders to learning, who taught for a trifling recompence, which was in truth caused by the disinclination of the opulent to reward the truly excellent teacher. "Undoubtedly," he adds, " there be in this realm many well learned, which, if the name of a schoolmaster were not so much had in contempt, and also if their labours, with abundant salaries, might be requited, were right sufficient and able to induce their hearers to excellent learning, so they be not plucked away green, and ere they be in doctrine sufficiently rooted.

But now a days, if to a bachelor or master of arts study of philosophy waxeth tedious, if he have a spoonful of Latin, he will shew forth a hogshead, without any learning, and offer to teach grammar, and expound noble writers; and to be in the room of a master, he will, for a small salary, set a false colour of learning on proper wits, which will be washed away with one shower of rain." Were we to form our conclusions from the observations

VOL. III.

I

observations of this excellent author, it might not be altogether incorrect to imagine, that the majority of the youths of antient families were rather deficient in the acquirements then and now thought necessary for their appearance in polished life. Vast numbers of exceptions could be made, however, no doubt, and multitudes of persons might be cited as examples of the learning and knowledge extant in the reigns immediately preceding that of Elizabeth.

The incalculable advantages which England has derived from the art of printing, now a firmly established custom with nine-tenths of its inhabitants in some way or other, makes it necessary as well as pleasant to give some particulars of William Caxton, and his endeavours to benefit his countrymen.

John Lewis, minister of Margate, in Kent, says, in his life of that printer, he was a native of the above county. His mother, it seems, taught him to read and write, which was something remarkable for her situation in life and residence in the Wealds. A mercer, named Robert Large, who died in 1441, received Caxton as an apprentice, employed him after the expiration of his term, and left him a legacy of 34 marks. Subsequently he went to the Continent, and resided there near 30 years, principally in Holland, Flanders, and Brabant, it is supposed in the character of agent

to

to the Company of Mercers; by which means he acquired sufficient credit to receive the appointment from Edward IV. of one of the commissioners to conclude a treaty of commerce with the Duke of Burgundy.

A marriage having taken place between the King's sister and the young Duke, Caxton was included in the lady Margaret's suit of English domestics; and to her he was indebted for great improvement in his native language, and for many valuable presents, probably with a view to encourage him in his eager observation of the progress of printing, then practised at Mentz, that she might eventually communicate the invention to England through his means.

Not long after he became one of the Duchess's family, he received her commands to translate a French work into English, relating to the history of Troy. This he undertook with reluctance and diffidence, as he had never been in France, and had nearly lost his own language. He, however, completed it in 1471, four years after he began it, and it was printed; whether by himself or through the immediate interference of the Duchess does not appear; but she was highly gratified on his presenting it to her, and well rewarded him. Dr. Middleton observes of this book, "That it has all the common marks of earlier antiquity," that "the letter is rude, the language incorrect,

and that there is a greater mixture of French words in it than in his later pieces, done after his return to England; and that this is one proof of this being the first book that Mr. Caxton printed, though not the first he printed in England."

It is supposed that Caxton formed a connexion with Wynkin de Worde, Theodoric Rood, and Thomas Hunte, who were printers at Cologn. De Worde came to England with him, and the others went to Oxford not long after. It is by no means certain when Caxton established himself here as a printer, but it has been conjectured it was about 1474; and his residence was at Westminster, where some of his books were printed in the Abbey, through the generous encouragement of Abbot Milling, who assigned him the almonry as his office.

The government seems to have justly appreciated the value of this art; and in the 1st of Richard III. an act of Parliament was passed, which permitted the importation of printed books for sale; and a subsequent statute expressly mentions, that there were but few printers in England expert in the use of types. This worthy and valuable man died in 1492.

Mr. Lewis observes, "As to Mr. Caxton's printing, that his first performances are very barbarous;" his letters resembled the character of the writing then in use. Instead of the com

mas

mas and periods, we find this mark/." Mr. Palmer observes, "That he used a letter peculiar to himself, a mixture of Secretary and Gothic, and of the size at times (particularly in names) of Great Primer." Most of the characters are joined, which led Mr. Bagford to suppose his types were not distinct as at present.

His titles are in the German text, of the size of Great Primer; there are no catch words on his pages, and the signatures occupy their usual place. Many of his books have small initial letters, as directions for an illuminator, who decorated the heads of the chapters; in others, a large capital flourished occurs.

The pages are not numbered, though the leaves are in some instances. As he did not give a list of errors, he carefully collated all the copies with his original, and made such corrections as were necessary with a pen. The paper is fine, thin, and lasting, and his ink perfectly black and good.

The following is a specimen of his orthography and style. Many gentlemen censured him, "saying, That in his translacyons he had overcuryous termes, whiche coude not be understande of comyn people: those persons requested him to use olde and homely termes in his translacyons. "As he fayn wolde, he said, satisfye every man so to doo, he toke an olde book and redde therein; but certaynly thengly she was so rude and broad that

,