THE CAXTON MEMORIAL.
Few persons having a common object in view, and equally desirous of its attainment, fail in carrying it into effect. The object of "The Caxton Memorial" is obviously to do honour to the first English printer; and if a man's best monument be his own works, it will be necessary to ascertain of what they consist. It is well known that most of the works printed by Caxton were translated from the French, many doubtless by himself. The Prefaces were evidently his own, and the continuation of the Polychronicon was confessedly written by himself. The most valuable contribution to "The Caxton Coffer" would be a list of the works which it is proposed to publish as those of Caxton, with some calculation of their probable extent and cost of production. The originals being in many cases of extreme rarity, it would be necessary to transcribe fairly each work, and to collate it with the original in its progress through the press. The following enumeration of the Translations alone will give some idea of the work to be undertaken:
The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye. (1471.)
The Game and playe of the Chesse. 1474.
Thymage, or Myrrour of the World. (1481.)
The Historye of Reynart the foxe. 1481.
The laste siege and conqueste of Jherusalem. 1481.
The Golden Legende. 1483.
The Book called Cathon. 1483.
The Book of the techynge of the Knyght of the Toure. (1484.)
The Fables of Esope, Avian, Alfonce, and Poge. 1484.
The Booke of the ordre of Chyvalry or knyghthode. (1484.)
The Lyf of Prince Charles the Grete. 1485.
The Ryal Book, or Book for a kyng. 1485.
Thystorye of the noble knyght Parys. (1485.)
The Doctrinal of Sapience. 1489.
The Book of fayttee of armes and of Chyvalrye. 1489.
A lityl treatise of the arte to knowe well to dye. 1490.
The Boke of Eneydos compyled by Vyrgyle. 1490.
The Curial of Maystre Alain Charretier. n. d.
The Lyf of the holy Vyrgyn Saynt Wenefryde. n. d.; and, lastly,
The Vitas Patrum, which was translated by Caxton in 1486, but printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1495.
Such are some of the materials for the "Memorial" suggested by MR. BOLTON CORNEY; and if the original subscribers to a Monument should consent to such an appropriation of their funds, it will be necessary to apportion the number of copies to be distributed to each subscriber, according to the amount of the original contribution. It is to be presumed that the work will be strictly limited to subscribers, and that no copies will be printed for sale, the object being, to do honour to Caxton, and produce a lasting Memorial of that industrious printer. The form of the work is of importance, with reference to the cost of its production: and if a new life of the first English printer should perchance be found necessary, "The Caxton Coffer" will require to be considerably replenished before the literary undertaking can be carried into effect.
BERIAH BOTFIELD.