Debemur morti nos, nostraq;!'—HOR.
"It is proposed by the editor hereof, as follows: viz.
"I. This work will contain about 200 sheets of paper, printed in the same form of letter and paper, as this specimen.
"II. There shall be no more printed than 500 books, suitable to the proposed number of subscribers.
"III. That for the more expeditious carrying on, and effecting thereof, every subscriber shall pay to the editor two guineas; viz. one guinea at the time of subscribing, and the other guinea upon the delivery of a perfect book in sheets.
"N.B. Proposals will be delivered, subscriptions taken, and proper receipts given for the money, by the editor R. Minshull, at Mrs. Reffers, in Maddox-street, near St. George's church, Hanover-square.
"Received this [ ] day of [ ] 174[] from [ ] one guinea, being the first payment [for] The account of the books printed by William Caxton, according to the above proposals.
"An exact and ample account of all the books printed by William Caxton, &c.
"The first work of William Caxton, appears to be (as he calls it) The recuyell of the historyes of Troye, divided into three parts, the whole containing 778 pages (as numbred by my self, they not being figured in the printing) in a short folio, the paper being very thick and strong: there are no initial capital letters in this book, which shews that he had not formed any at that time. In his preface to this book he declares that he was born in the Weeld of Kent, where he first learned the rudiments of the English tongue; a place wherein he doubts not, is spoke as broad and rude English, as in any part of England: that he never was in France, but that he continued the space of thirty years, for the most part, in Brabant, Flanders, Holland and Zealand.
"He also says, that this history was first translated into French, from several Latin authors, by a certain worshipful man, named the right venerable and worthy Raoul le Feure, priest and chaplain to Philip duke of Burgundy, in 1464; being the fourth year of the reign of king Edward IV. In which year he was employed by that king in conjunction with Richard Whetchill, esq.; to treat and conclude certain actions of commerce between the said king and Philip duke of Burgundy: their Commission, as set forth in Rymer's Fœdera, is as follows; [See Rymer.]