A DESCRIPTION OF BOOKS PRINTED IN TYPE No. 1.
Reading edition
EXPLANATION OF TERMS.
5n, or Quinternion, means a section of five sheets folded together in half = 10 leaves = 20 pages.
4n, or Quaternion = 8 leaves = 16 pages. (See p. 132).
3n, or Ternion = 6 leaves = 12 pages.
Recto is the right-hand page of an open book.
Verso is the reverse, or the left-hand page.
A Director is the name given to the small letter placed where the Illuminator was intended to paint in a large initial.
LIST OF BOOKS IN TYPE No. 1.
1. The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye 1474?
2. Le Recueil des Histoires de Troyes 1476?
3. The Game and Play of the Chess Moralised 1475-76?
4. Les fais et prouesses du noble et vaillant Chevalier Jason 147-?
5. Meditacions sur les Sept Pseaulmes penitenciaulx 1478?
BOOKS PRINTED IN TYPE No. 1.
No. 1.—The Recuyell of the Histories of Troy. Translated 1469-71. Folio. Without Place or Date. (1474?).
Collation.—Book I has fourteen 5ns and one 4n = 148 leaves, of which the first is blank. Book II has nine 5ns, one 4n, and one 3n = 104 leaves. Book III has ten 5ns = 100 leaves. Total 351 printed leaves and one blank.
Typographical Particulars.—Type No. 1 only. Lines of very uneven length; full lines measure 5 inches, but vary in different parts from 4¾ to 5¼ inches. 31 lines to a full page. Without signatures, catchwords, or numerals. Space is left, with a director, for 3 to 7-line initials. As may be seen by the collation, each book begins a fresh gathering, probably for the convenience of binding in three separate volumes.
Commencing the work with a blank leaf, Caxton’s preface follows, printed in red ink, and occupying the second recto.
The Text begins thus:—
h
Ere begynneth the volume intituled and named the recuyell of the historyes of Troye/ composed and drawen out of dyuerce bookes of latyn in to frensshe by the ryght venerable persone and wor- shipfull man . Raoul le ffeure . preest and chapelayn vnto the ryght noble gloryous and myghty prynce in his tyme Phelip duc of Bourgoyne of Braband &c In the yere of the Incarnacion of our lord god a thousand foure honderd sixty and foure / And translated and drawen out of frenshe in to englisshe by Willyam Caxton mercer of ye cyte of London / at the comaudemet of the right hye myghty and vertuouse Pryncesse hys redoubtyd lady . Margarete by the grace of god . Du- chesse of Bourgoyne of Lotryk of Braband &c/ Whiche sayd translacion and werke was begonne in Brugis in the Countee of Flaundres the fyrst day of marche the yere of the Incarnacion of our said lord god a thousand foure honderd sixty and eyghte/ And ended and fynysshid in the holy cyte of Colen the . xix . day of septembre the yere of our sayd lord god a thousand foure honderd sixty and eleuen &c.
And on that other side of this leef foloweth the prologe
Caxton’s Prologue begins on the verso of the same leaf, with space for a 4-line initial W.
Han J remembre that euery man is bounden
The first book commences on the fifth recto, with space for a 7-line initial W. The second begins on the 149th, and the third on the 253rd recto, the whole ending with some Latin rhymes on the 352nd recto, the verso being blank.
Remarks.—No one speaking the English language can look at this patriarchal volume with indifference. Here, for the first time, our forefathers saw their language in print; and, could our interest in any way have been heightened, it would have been by knowing it to have been printed in our own instead of a foreign land. The history of its origin is shortly this. In the original French it was a favourite novel of the English and Burgundian courtiers, for, although nominally an account of the Trojan wars, it is really a series of love-scenes mixed with mythology and knight-errantry. The manuscript translation made by Caxton for the Duchess of Burgundy, whose court was at Bruges, having excited great interest, a demand arose for copies quicker than Caxton could supply them. The printing-press having been just established in that city by Colard Mansion, Caxton, whose thoughts were now homewards, determined to use it as a means of multiplying his translation, and of learning at the same time a new trade which would support him on his return to England. This he did at a great charge and expense, and then, having procured a new fount of types and all the necessary material, came over to England and erected his press at Westminster.
Fortunately this work cannot be reckoned among the rarities of Caxton’s press, as there are copies in the British Museum, Sion College, College of Physicians, London, at Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, and fourteen other libraries. The Duke of Devonshire gave £1060 10s. for a copy in 1812, the same copy having been purchased by the Duke of Roxburgh a few years previously for £50.
No. 2.—Le Recueil des Histoires de Troyes. Composé en l’an de grace 1464. Folio. Without Printer’s Name, Place, or Date. (1476?)
Collation.—Book I, twelve 5ns = 120 leaves, of which the first and last are blank. Book II, eight 5ns and one 3n = 86 leaves. Book III, eight 5ns = 80 leaves. Total, 284 printed and two blank leaves.
Typographical Particulars.—Type No. 1 only is used. The lines for the greater part are spaced out to one length, being more even in this particular than the two English books in this type. A full page has 31 lines, without signatures, numerals, headlines, or catchwords. A space two to four lines in depth has been left at the commencement of each chapter for the insertion of an illuminated initial, a director being sometimes inserted.
The Text, 31 lines to a page, which is divided into three books, begins thus on the second recto, after a blank leaf:—
Cy commence le volume Intitule le recueil des histoires de troyes Compose par venerable homme raoul le feure prestre chappellain de mon tresdoubte seigneur Monsei- gneur le Duc Phelippe de bourgoingne En lan de grace. mil.cccc.lxiii.:.
and ends on the 286th verso.
antiphoꝰ le roy estoriꝰ le roy prothenor et le roy obtomeꝰ. ˙ ⁚ ˙ Explicit ˙ ⁚ ˙
Remarks.—The history of the Trojan War, a favourite subject for several centuries with European writers, was the foundation of numerous romances. Of these the chief were the apocryphal history by Dares Phrygius, a Trojan priest, celebrated by Homer; the account of the same war by Dictys Cretensis, a supposititious historian; and the History of the Siege of Troy by Guido of Colonna, a native of Messina in Sicily, who wrote in the thirteenth century. The rise of these histories, their growth under the editorial care of successive scribes, the incorporation of incidents from other romances, and their final development in the compilation of “Le Recueil des Histoires de Troye,” form a curious and typical example of this class of literature. According to the unanimous testimony of all printed editions and all manuscripts of the complete work, “Le Recueil” was the composition of Raoul Lefevre, chaplain and secretary to Philippe le Bon, Duke of Burgundy: but in a manuscript copy of this work in the National Library, Paris, the first two books are attributed to Guillaume Fillastre. And this is remarkable—that Lefevre succeeded Fillastre (who was a voluminous author) in the office of secretary to the duke. Probably, finding his predecessor’s history unfinished, he took it up, and, after adding Book III, issued the whole under his own name. In that age a similar course was by no means uncommon, nor was it an infringement of any recognised literary right; we can hardly, therefore, with M. Paris, call it (even if true) “une grande fraude literaire.” On the other hand, several copies were issued with the name of Lefevre while Fillastre was yet living, and Caxton, who was contemporary with both writers, ascribes the whole work to Lefevre. Nor is there any noticeable variation in style between the two portions, as might be expected if composed by two authors; indeed the style of “Le Recueil” is the same as that of “Les fais du Jason,” an acknowledged work of Lefevre.
Steevens asserts that Shakspere derived the greater portion of his materials for the play of “Troilus and Cressida” from Lydgate’s metrical composition, “The last Destruction of Troy;” but Douce, in his “Illustrations,” is far nearer the truth in tracing the incidents employed by our great poet to Caxton’s translation of “Le Recueil des Histoires de Troye.” The latter was popular, and frequently reprinted in the 16th and 17th centuries, long after Lydgate’s laboured metre had become antiquated.
There is a perfect copy in the British Museum, besides a large fragment. The National Library, Paris, has a copy, and four others are in private libraries. A fragment of eight leaves was purchased some years ago by a bookseller, and made into four thick volumes, each volume having two printed leaves with a hundred blank leaves on each side. These were all disposed of as specimens to lie open in the show-cases of museums.
No. 3.—The Game and Play of the Chess Moralised. (Translated 1475.) First Edition. Folio. Without Printer’s Name, Place, or Date. (1475-76?)
Collation.—Eight 4ns and one 5n = 74 leaves, of which the 1st and 74th are blank.
Typographical Particulars.—Only one type, No. 1, is used throughout the work. The lines are not spaced out; the longest measure 5 inches; a full page has 31 lines. Without title-page, signatures, numerals, or catchwords.
The volume commences with a blank leaf, and on the second recto is Caxton’s prologue, space being left for a 2-line initial, without director.
The Text begins thus:—
O the right noble/ right excellent & vertuous yrince George duc of Clarence Erl of Warwyk and of salisburye/ grete chamberlayn of Englond & leutenant of Irelond oldest broder of kynge Edward by the grace of god kynge of England and of frauce / your most humble seruant william Caxton amonge other of your Seruantes sendes unto yow peas . helthe . Joye and victo- rye vyon your Enemyes / Right highe puyssant and
The Text ends on the 73rd recto,
And sende yow thaccomylisshement of your hye noble . Joyous and vertuous desirs Amen :/: Fynysshid the last day of marche the yer of our lord god . a . thousand foure honderd and lxxiiii.˙.:.:.˙.
The 74th leaf is blank.
Remarks.—“Fynysshid the last day of Marche the yer of oure lord god a thousand foure honderd and lxxiiii.” The word “fynysshed” has doubtless the same signification here as in the epilogue to the second book of Caxton’s translation of the Histories of Troy, “begonne in Brugis, contynued in Gaunt, and finysshed in Coleyn,” which evidently refers to the translation only. The date, 1475-76, has been affixed, because in the Low Countries at that time the year commenced on Easter-day; this in 1474 fell on April 10th, thus giving, as the day of the conclusion of the translation, 31st March, 1475, the same year being the earliest possible period of its appearance as a printed book.
The literary history of the “Game and Play of the Chess” does not appear to have hitherto received that attention which is its due. Before 1285, Ægidius Colonna had composed his renowned work entitled “De regimine principum,” which treats of self-government, domestic government, and national government. The “Liber de ludo Scachorum” of J. de Cessolis appears to have been based upon this work, its chief originality being the representation of the several stations and duties of life by the pieces used in chess. About the middle of the fifteenth century two distinct French versions were made. The earlier was probably that by Jean Faron, in 1347, who translated it literally from the original Latin. About the same time appeared the favourite and standard work of Jehan de Vignay, who took great liberties with the text, and added many stories and fables. Both these men were of the order of Preaching Friars, and seem to have worked quite independently of one another. Caxton’s edition was principally from the version of Jehan de Vignay, to whom he gives the title of “an excellent Doctor of Divinity, of the Order of the Hospital of St. John’s of Jerusalem,” which is remarkable, as in his preface Jean de Vignay styles himself “hospitaller de l’ordre de haut pas,” and he is so termed in all the manuscripts. On comparing the English and the two French versions, it is evident that Caxton must have been well acquainted with both. His prologue addressed to the Duke of Clarence contains, nominis mutatis, the whole of Jean de Vignay’s dedication to Prince John of France; while Chapters I and III are taken entirely from the translation of Jean Faron. The remainder of the book is from the version of Jehan de Vignay, with one or two special insertions evidently from the pen of Caxton himself.
To show the curious way in which Caxton adopted and adapted while translating, the dedication to the Duke of Clarence, hitherto considered as his own composition, is here given side by side with its French original.
Caxton’s Prologue to “The Game and Play of the Chess.” To the right noble / right excellent & vertuous prince George duc of Clarence Erle of warwyk and of / salisburye / grete chamberlayn of Englond & leutenant of Irelond oldest broder of kynge Edward by the grace of god kynge of England and of fraūce / your most humble seruant william Caxton amonge other of your seruantes sendes vnto yow peas, helthe. Ioye and victorye vpon your Enemyes / Right highe puyssant and redoubted prynce / For as moche as I haue vnderstand and knowe / that ye are enclined vnto the comyn wele of the kynge our said saueryn lord. his nobles lordes and comyn peple of his noble royame of Englond / and that ye sawe gladly the Inhabitans of the same euformed in good. vertuous. prouffitable and honeste manners. Jn whiche your noble persone wyth guydyng of your hows haboundeth / gyuyng light and ensample vnto all other / Therfore I haue put me in deuour to translate a lityll book late comen in to myn handes out of frensh in to englisshe / Jn which I fynde thauctorites. dictees. and stories of auncient Doctours philosophes poetes and of other wyse men whiche been recounted & applied vnto the moralite of the publique wele as well of the nobles as of the comyn peple after the game and playe of the chesse / whiche booke right puyssant and redoubtid lord I haue made in the name and vnder the shadewe of your noble protection / not presumyng to correcte or empoigne ony thynge ayenst your noblesse / For god be thankyd your excellent renome shyneth as well in strange regions as with in the royame of england gloriously vnto your honour and lande / whiche god multeplye and encrece But to thentent that other of what estate or degre he or they stande in . may see in this sayd lityll book / yf they gouerned them self as they ought to doo / wherfor my right dere redoubted lord I requyre & supplye your good grace not to desdaygne to resseyue this lityll sayd book in gree and thanke / as well of me your humble and vnknowen seruant as of a better and gretter man than I am / For the right good wylle that I haue had to make this lityll werk in the best wyse I can / ought to be reputed for the fayte and dede / And for more clerely to procede in this sayd book I haue ordeyned that the chapitres ben sette in the begynnynge to thende that ye may see more playnly the mater wherof the book treteth &c. Prologue of Jean de Vignay to his French translation (A.D. 1360) of the “Ludus Saccorum” of J. de Cessolis. A Tres noble & excellent prince Jehan de france duc de normendie & auisne filz de philipe par la grace de dieu Roy de france. Frere Jehan de vignay vostre petit Religieux entre les autres de vostre seignoire / paix sante Joie & victoire sur vos ennemis. Treschier & redoubte seignr / pour ce que Jay entendu et scay que vous veez & ouez volentiers choses proffitables & honestes et qui tendent alinformacion de bonnes meurs ay Je mis vn petit liuret de latin en francois le quel mest venuz a la main nouuellement / ou quel plussieurs auctoritez et dis de docteurs & de philosophes & de poetes & des anciens sages / sont Racontez & sont appliquiez a la moralite des nobles hommes et des gens de peuple selon le gieu des eschez le quel liure Tres puissant et tres redoubte seigneur jay fait ou nom & soubz vmbre de vous pour laquelle chose treschr seignr Je vous suppli & requier de bonne voulente de cuer que il voꝰ daigne plaire a receuoir ce liure en gre aussi bien que de vn greignr maistre de moy / car la tres bonne voulente que Jay de mielx faire se je pouoie me doit estre reputee pour le fait / Et por plus clerement proceder en ceste ouure / Jay ordene que les chappitres du liure soint escrips & mis au commencement afin de veoir plus plainement la matiere de quoy le dit liure p’ole.
Before concluding this article we must give an interpolation of the text which has real interest as showing Caxton’s feelings towards “men of law.” The French author is regretting the conduct of some lawyers of Rome and Italy, and Caxton, with a natural burst of indignation, which suggests that personal experience had something to do with it, adds this:—
“Alas! and in England what hurt do the advocates, men of law, and attorneys of court to the common people of the royaume, as well in the spiritual law as in the temporal: how turn they the law and statutes at their pleasure; how eat they the people, how impoverish they the community. I suppose that in all Christendom are not so many pleaders, attorneys, and men of the law as be in England only, for if they were numbered all that long to the courts of the Chancery, King’s Bench, Common Pleas, Exchequer, Receipt and Hall, and the bag-bearers of the same, it should amount to a great multitude. And how all these live and of whom, if it should be uttered and told it should not be believed. For they entend to their singular weal and profit and not to the common.”
There are ten copies known of this book, of which two are in the British Museum, one at Oxford, one at Cambridge, and six in private libraries.
No. 4.—Les fais et prouesses du noble et vaillant Chevalier Jason. Folio. Without Printer’s Name, Place, or Date. (147-?)
Collation.—Sixteen 4ns and one 3n = 134 leaves, of which the first and last two leaves are blank.
Typographical Particulars.—There is no title-page nor colophon. The type used is No. 1 only. The great majority of the lines are fully spaced out, agreeing in this respect more with the French editions of “Le Recueil” and the “Psaulmes” than the English “Recuyell” and the “Chess Book.” Full lines measure 5 and 5-3/16 inches; 31 lines to a page. Without signatures, numerals, head-lines, or catchwords.
A blank leaf commences the book; at the head of the succeeding recto, with space for a 4-line initial, and with a director, the Text begins thus:—
l
A gallee de mon engin flotant na pas long temps en la parfondeur des mers du pluseurs anciennes histoires ainsi comme Je vouloie me- ner mon esperit en port de repos / soudainement sapparu au pres de moy vne nef conduitte par vng homme
The Text ends on the verso of the 31st printed leaf:—
ant a mon deuant dit tresredoubte seigneur / Et atous ceulx qui le contenu de ce present volume liront . ou orront lire . quil leur plaise de grace excuser autant que mon petit et ru de engin na sceu touchier ne peu comprendre &c ˙:.
Explicit
Remarks.—All the books printed with these types are traced to Mansion, either alone or assisted by Caxton. In this work and the “Meditacions,” the even length of the lines proves them to be later productions than those in which the lines are more uneven; and this is plain evidence that if these two works were printed by Mansion (as doubtless they were) it must have been after 1478, the year in which he adopted the plan of even lines; but if we attribute them to Caxton, we must suppose him to have forsaken his own establishment at the Red-pale, in or after the year 1480 (being the period when he first adopted the practice of making his lines of an even length) for the purpose of printing abroad what he had every facility for printing at home.
The existence of this edition was first made known in England by a letter from M. Van Praet to Dr. Dibdin, who sent an account of it to the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for July, 1812.
Only three copies of this scarce book have been as yet discovered. A magnificent one is at Eton College; another is in the National Library, Paris, which, when purchased in 1808, was bound up with “Le Quadrilogue,” a work printed by Colard Mansion, in 1478; and a third is in the Library of the Arsenal, Paris.
No. 5.—Meditacions sur les Sept Pseaulmes Penitenciaulx. Folio. Without Printer’s Name, Place, or Date. (1478?)
Collation.—Three 4ns and one 5n = 34 leaves, of which the last only is blank.
Typographical Particulars.—There is no title-page. The only type used is No. 1. The lines are for the most part fully spaced out, though now and then there is a deficiency in this respect, which only occurs, however, on the verso of the folios, the recto throughout being fully spaced. This peculiarity is observable to a greater or less extent in all the French books printed in this type. The full lines measure 5 inches, and 31 lines make a full page. There are no signatures, folios, nor catchwords.
In all typographical particulars this work agrees with the French edition of “Jason,” already described, and there is little doubt was printed by Colard Mansion at Bruges, about 1478.
The Text begins on the first recto,—
l
A braye penitance est comme aucune eschielle par laquelle lomme pecheur qui selon la parabole de leuuangille descendy de Jherusalem en Jherico monta de rechief de Jherico en Jherusalem / cest abision de
And ends on the 33rd verso, with a full page, followed by a blank leaf,—
exultacion de leesse espirituelle / Puis encores sil te plaist me donne que par ce septenuaire des pseaulmes de peniten- ce lesquelz correspondent aux sept affectz de lomme prins pour les sept degrez de leschielle de penitence Je puisse mō- ter et paruenir atoy en cette tant glorieuse cite de Jherusa- lem en laquelle tu habites et te offrir auec les sains et be- neurez le sacrifice de loenge sans fin /: AMEN
Remarks.—This work is a translation from the original Latin of Cardinal Pierre d’Ailly, entitled “Meditaciones Circa Septem Psalmos Penitentiales.” It was composed about the end of the fourteenth century, and translated shortly after into French, but by whom is uncertain, although from the style it is supposed by several of his biographers to have been from the pen of the Cardinal himself. It has been attributed to Antoine Belard, but on insufficient grounds, as his version, printed at Lyons in 1542, was a much later production. The Cardinal was the author of at least 42 works, many of which are preserved in Harl. MS., No. 637; but neither in the British Museum nor in the National Library, Paris, does there appear to be a MS. copy of this commentary on the Penitential Psalms. About 1483 the original Latin was printed at Paris by Ant. Caylaut, and another edition of German, 15th cent. workmanship, but without Name, Place, or Date, is in the British Museum. It was also reprinted at Strasbourg in 1490, and in the “Orthodoxographa,” Basle, 1555. The Commentary on the Penitential Psalms printed by Wynken de Worde was composed by Bishop Alcock, and has nothing in common with this.
Pierre d’Ailly was born of poor parents at Compiègne in 1350. His father, at the cost of many personal privations, procured for him a sound elementary education, and at an early age he obtained the appointment of Bursar in the celebrated College of Navarre. He made himself master of the philosophy and science of his age, studying especially metaphysics and astronomy. When only twenty-five he was accounted the greatest scholar and most skilful debater of the time. In 1380 the University of Paris conferred upon him the degree of Doctor, and in the following year he delivered his famous oration upon the healing of the Papal schism which at that time was disturbing all Christendom. This procured for him the benefice of Noyon, which he held till 1384. He was then recalled to Paris to be Grand Master of the College of Navarre, where only twelve years before he had studied as a pupil. At this period his fame was greatly increased by his successful pleadings before Pope Clement VII. against the new-fangled doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. In 1389 he became Chancellor of the University of Paris, as well as Confessor and Almoner to the young king Charles VI. Already well versed in Church politics, he now became initiated in Court mysteries, and by a happy mixture of wisdom, wit, and polished manners, greatly increased his fame and power. In 1394 the Canons of La Sainte Chapelle having become very neglectful of their duties, he was appointed Treasurer, and soon initiated some sweeping reforms. Two years later he was consecrated Bishop of Cambray, where his firmness and prudence in the most trying circumstances exercised the most happy influence on his Diocese. His favours and patronage were conferred on those most worthy by their piety, zeal, and abilities to receive them, and especially was he anxious to avoid even the appearance of simony. In 1411 he was chosen Cardinal, and it was about this time that he published the “Meditationes” upon which this article is founded. He distinguished himself at the Councils of Pisa and Constance, and was President of the Session at which John Huss was condemned to be burnt. He died in 1420 at the height of his fame.
The only Existing Copy at present known was discovered in the General Library of the British Museum, in 1841, by Mr. J. Winter Jones, bound up with “Les Quatre Derrenieres Choses.” It is perfect, in an excellent state of preservation, clean, and free from all disfigurements. It has the final blank leaf, the verso of which is covered with quotations in the handwriting of the fifteenth century. These quotations are extended over the first recto (which is also a blank) of the book mentioned above as being bound up with it, proving that they were bound together soon after printing. For an article on both works, from the pen of Mr. Jones, see “Archæologia,” vol. xxxi, page 412.