16. The art of printing, which enables us to have so many nice books to instruct and amuse us, had lately been invented in Germany, and was brought here by an English merchant, named William Caxton, who went to Cologne, on purpose to learn how to print, and when he came back, he set up a printing-press in Westminster Abbey, which, at that time, was a monastery.
17. We ought to be very much obliged to the clever person that invented printing; for only think how very ignorant we should be, and how much pleasure we should lose, if there were no books to tell us any thing.
18. There were books, certainly, before that time; but they were all written, and it took so long to copy them, that they were very expensive, so that none but very rich people could have even a few volumes.
19. Printed books were also, for a long time, much too dear to be in general use, but people of rank soon began to be much better educated than in former times, and their habits and manners became much improved in consequence.
20. Then a great many of the old Norman castles had been destroyed in the wars, which put an end, after a time, to the customs of chivalry; and the nobles, instead of sending their sons to be brought up for warlike knights, sent them to Oxford, or Cambridge, to become scholars; or to Eton College, which had been founded by Henry the Sixth.
21. King Edward died in 1483, when his eldest son, who is called Edward the Fifth, although he never was really king, was only thirteen years old; and he, and his younger brother, the Duke of York, were under the guardianship of their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who was a very bad man.
22. Instead of protecting the fatherless children entrusted to his care, he only thought how he might take advantage of their youth to obtain the crown himself; so he sent them both to the Tower, but not as prisoners, for it was then used occasionally as a royal residence, especially in times of public disturbances; so Richard told the people the boys would be safe there; but in a little while it was reported that they were dead, and it was thought he had caused them to be murdered, which was most likely the truth, although some people think they were not put to death, but were kept there as prisoners for some years.
23. Richard the Third was not a very bad king, for he made some laws that were very useful to the merchants who traded with foreign countries, and he was the first who thought of having postmen, or couriers, to carry letters, so that, wicked as he was, we cannot say he did no good as a sovereign.
24. The post was, at first, only for government letters, and it was a long time before any arrangements were made for private persons to correspond by the same means; but this was done by degrees, and in the time of Oliver Cromwell, the General Post Office was established, when everybody had the benefit of this excellent institution, which adds so much to people’s happiness; for who could possibly be happy now, if they could not hear from their absent friends?
25. Richard the Third reigned only two years, for he was disliked by the nobility, and a conspiracy was formed against him by the friends of the House of Lancaster, who were desirous of placing on the throne the heir of that family, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond.