"EDITIO PRINCEPS. The course of our researches has at length brought us to this very extraordinary volume; which, notwithstanding that it is by no means rare, cannot fail to be always interesting to the lovers of ancient engraving. If Koberger had printed only this Chronicle, he would have done enough to place his name among the most distinguished of his typographical brethren; but he has other, and nearly equal, claims to a very marked celebrity. Our object, however, is confined to the book before us. The engravings are upon wood, and are executed by Wolgemut and Pleydenwurff; the former of whom was the master of Albert Durer. When the reader is informed that there are upwards of two thousand two hundred and fifty impressions of these wooden cuts, he has learnt enough to conceive (if not in possession of the volume) that such a chronicle must at least be a very amusing production."-Spenceri ana, Vol. III., p. 255. Here we must part with Mr. Dibdin, as our limits do not permit us to follow him through the twenty-five pages he takes to describe this very curious book. "The author was Hartman Schedel, of Nuremberg, a German physician, who compiled it from J. P. Bergomensis, and other historiographers, adding a few things of his own authority." For the interest taken in the book by the learned, we have the testimony of Hearne, who says, in the preface to Robert of Gloucester: "For my part, the oftener I consult this Chronicle, the more I wonder at the things in it, and I cannot but esteem the book as extremely pleasant, "useful and curious, by reason of these odd cuts." THE POLYCHRONICON. Gothic Letter. Capital Ini tials in Color. Paging and Signatures, but no Title or Catch-words. Printed by William Caxton. 4to. Calf. Gilt edges. London: 1482. William Caxton was born (as stated by himself,) in Kent, and appren. ticed, in his youth, to a mercer, named Large, a man of some note in his day. Very little of his life is known until 1464, when he was employed in a diplomatic capacity, to continue a Treaty, or make a new one, between Edward IV. and Philip, Duke of Burgundy. Subsequently, we find him employed, for several years, in the household of Margaret, sister of Edward IV., and Duchess of Burgundy; in what capacity it is not known; that it was not an ordinary one, is apparent from the confidence and friendship she bestowed upon him. On the verge of old age, while abroad, he became a man of letters, and, from inclination, a practical printer. He enjoyed, successively, the countenance and friendship of four sovereigns, under whose reigns he flourished, namely: Henry V., Edward IV., Richard III., and Henry VI.: and died in 1491, leaving behind him a reputation without a blemish. The English press, not excelled by any other in our day, was, in the 15th century, and for a long period afterwards, far behind the continental presses. Caxton's types, particularly, are coarse and rude; the text is disfigured by the same word being often spelled differently on the same page; and the whole execution inelegant. As a redeeming feature, however, Caxton is more accurate, in the main, than most of his contemporaries. "As he printed long before the present method was adopted, of adding an Errata at the end of a book, to supply this deficiency, his extraordinary exactness induced him to have recourse to a most laborious task, namely: that of revising every page (after the book was printed), and marking the corrections with red ink: one copy being thus perfected, he then employed a careful person to go through the whole impression and correct the faults."-Johnson's Typographia, p. 129. 66 Among many conflicting authorities, the strongest is that he printed the first English book ever published, about 1471, in Cologne. That was Recuyell of the Histories of Troye," the translation of which he commenced by command of the Princess Margaret, at Bruges, in 1468, and finished at Cologne, in 1471, with a prologue, the beginning of which gives a favorable insight into his character: "Whan I remembre that eury man is bounden by the commandement & counceyll of the wyse man to eschewe slouthe and ydleness whyche is moder and nourysshar of vyces and ought to put my self vnto vertuous occupacion and besynesse, Than I hauing no grete charge or occupacion followyng the sayd counceyl toke a frensshe booke and redde therin many straunge meruellous historyes where in I had great pleasyr and delite," &c. "The Game and Playe of Chesse," translated and printed by him in 1474, was the first book published in England. "The Polychronicon," heading this article, is one of Caxton's most remarkable productions. It was originally written, or rather, compiled, by Ranulph Higden, a benedictine of Chester, who died in 1360, at the advanced age of 90. His work served as a text-book to many subsequent publications. To John Trevisa, the translator, we are indebted for the first prose chronicle in the English language. He was a native of Cornwall, and Vicar of Berkeley, Gloucestershire. The work is divided into seven books. "The part which treats of England, in the First book, contains the transactions from Adam to the burning of the Temple of the Jews. The Third extends to the transmigration of the people to Christ. The Fifth, from the Saxons to the Danes. The Sixth, from the Danes to the Normans. The Seventh, from the Normans to the reign of Edward III." The Eighth book, alluded to in the colophon, is missing in the present copy, which is also deficient in other respects. It wants the table of contents; also leaves jjj., iiij., viij., xi. and xij.; folio xxiv. is supplied in MS. Imperfect as it is, it cost a former owner £52. 10. Sir M. M. Sykes gave for a copy, not quite perfect, £150. The extravagant value attached to the Caxtons, notwithstanding their inferiority to numberless other specimens of early printing, is an honorable trait in the national character of the English, for it cannot be ascribed to intrinsic merit or even rarity. Caxton's publications number over sixty. Few libraries of importance in England are without one or more copies. Nevertheless, several hundred pounds are sometimes paid for one single specimen. "The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye," brought, at the sale of the Duke of Roxburghe, £1060. 18s! The following curious colophon is appended to the Caxton in my possession. It is copied precisely as I find it: "Thus endeth the book named Proloconycon made & compiled by Ranulph monk of Chestre || which ordeyned it in latin || atte request of the right worshipful lord || Thomas lord of berkeley it was translated in to englisshe by one Treuisa thenne Vicarye of the Paryssh of barkley | And for as moche as syth the accomplysshment of this said boke made by the sayde Ranulph ended the yere of our lord a || M || CCC | Ivij | many thinges haue fallen whiche ben requysyte to be added to this Werke || by cause mennes wyttes in this tyme ben oblyuyous and lightly forgoten many thynges dygne to be putte in memorye | and also there can not be founden in these dayes but fewe that wryte in theyr regystre suche thynges as dayly happen and falle. Therefore I William Caxton a symple persone haue endeuoyred me to wryte fyrst ouer all the sayd book of proloconycon || and somewhat haue changed the rude old englyssh || that is to wete certain words which in these dayes be neither usyed ne understanden || & furthermore haue put in empreinte to thende it maye be had & the maters therein comprised to be knowen || for the boke is general touchyng shortly many notable maters | also am auysed to make another booke after sayd werke which shal be sett here after the same || And shal haue his chapytres & his table a parte ffor I dar not presume to sette my boke ne joyne hit to his for dyuerse causes || one is for as moche as I have not ne can gete no bokes of auctory te treatyng of suche cronykes || except a lytle boke named Fasciculus temporum || and another callyde Aureus de vniruerso || in which bookes I fynde ryght lytel mater syth the sayde tyme || And another cause is for as moche as my rude symplenesse and ignorant making ought not to be compared || set ne ioyned to his boke || Thenne I shall by the grace of god set my werke after a parte for to accomplysshe the yeres syth that he fynysshed his book || unto the yere of our lord || M || CCC || 1x || and the fyste yere of the Regne of King edward the fourthe which amoute to an hundred and thre yere." D OVIDII FASTI, cum interpretatione Pauli Marsi Piscina. Illuminated Capitals. Signatures, but ROMAN LETTER. no Title, Paging, or Catchwords. Folio. Half Calf. Gilt. Printed by Baptista de Tortis. Venice: 1482. Editio Princeps. Fine, clear type. With the following colophon : RELIGIOSAE LITTERARIAESODALITATIVIMINALI ET VNIVERSAE ACADEMIAELATINAE ANNOSALVTIS MCCCCLXXXII ETA CONSTITVTA SODALITAteAN. IIII D.R.CAR.DIVICLAEMEN. PROTECTORe PRAEFECTIS POMPONIO LAETO. P. ASTREO ET PAVLOMARSOCENSORIB. IX.CAL.IANVAR. SENSUIT la tresdeuote || treslouable et recōmedable vie des ancies sait hermites || nouuellemet träslatee de lati en frāçois diligemet corrigee en la ville de Paris. Lan de nostre seigneur Mil CCCC. quatre vingt et six. Sur ce qen ont escript|| et aussi traslate de grec en latin mōseigneur saict hierosme tresdeuot approuue docteur de leglise autres solitaires religieux aps Et pmierement ensuit. Gothic Letter. Numerous Wood Cuts. Folio. Half-bound. Printed by Jehan du pre. Paris. A fine specimen of Dupré's press. The title is on the recto of the second leaf; but on the first there is a shorter title, with large and curious capitals, and, underneath, his peculiar device. Leaves cxxi, cxxii, and cliiii, supplied in MS. It is, otherwise, a perfect copy. GREGORII MAGNI (S.) Moralia in Job. Gothic Letter. Printed by Reynald de Novimagio. It is beautifully printed, and in as good a condition as if just out of the printer's hands. The clearness and regularity of the type cannot be excelled. The author, Gregory I., was Pope Pelagius' successor. "St. Gregory, surnamed the Great, an illustrious Pope, was born at Rome, of a Patrician family, about A. D. 544; became Bishop of that city in 590; died 604. He left more writings behind him than any other Pope of Rome."-Watt's Bibliotheca. The colophon reads thus: "Expletu est opus istud Moralius beati Gregorij deligentissime correctus emendatum per. d. Bartholomeum Cremō. canonicuz regularem Impressus Venetijs p Reynaldum de Nouimagio Zeoteutonicus Auno domini Millesimo quadringetesimo octuagesimo quarto decimo Junij presidete venetijs Inclyto duce Joanne Mosenigo." See "Ancient Manuscripts," page 3. THWROCZ (Johannes de.) Chronicon Regum Hungaria. Gothic Letter. Ornamented Printed Capitals. Without Title, Numerals, or Catch-words. 4to. Half-bound, Printed by Erhard Ratdolt. Augsbourg: 1488, |