Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 40589-h.htm or 40589-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40589/40589-h/40589-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/40589/40589-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofwo00cunduoft Transcriber's note: A carat character is used to denote superscription. A single character following the carat is superscripted (example: cccc^o). The original page numbers are enclosed by curly brackets and embedded in the text to facilitate the use of the index (examples: {vii} and {127}). [Illustration: HENRY VIII. IN COUNCIL (_From Holinshed's 'Chronicles of England,'_ 1577) _Page 100_] A BRIEF HISTORY OF WOOD-ENGRAVING FROM ITS INVENTION by JOSEPH CUNDALL Author of 'Holbein and His Works' etc. London Sampson Low, Marston, & Company Limited St. Dunstan's House Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, E.C. 1895 {vii} CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE On Pictures of Saints--The print of _The Virgin with the Holy Child in her Lap_ in the Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique--On the print of _St. Christopher_ in the Spencer Library at Manchester--The _Annunciation_ and the _St. Bridget_ of Sweden 1 CHAPTER II On the Block Books of the Fifteenth Century--Biblia Pauperum; Apocalypsis Sancti Johannis, &c. 11 CHAPTER III The Block Books of the Fifteenth Century--Ars Moriendi-- _Temptacio Diaboli_--Canticum Canticorum, and others 20 CHAPTER IV Block Book--Speculum Humanae Salvationis--_Casus Luciferi_--The Mentz Psalter of 1459--Book of Fables--The Cologne Bible--Nürnberg Chronicle--Breydenbach's Travels 28 CHAPTER V On Wood-Engraving in Italy in the Fifteenth Century--The Venice _Kalendario_ of 1476--The _Triumph of Petrarch_--The _Hypnerotomachia Poliphili_--Aldo Manuzio--Portrait of Aldus 40 {viii} CHAPTER VI On Wood-Engraving in France in the Fifteenth Century-- Engraving on Metal Blocks--'Books of Hours'--Famous French Publishers: Pierre Le Rouge, Simon Vostre, Antoine Verard, Thielman Kerver, Guyot Marchant, Philippe Pigouchet, Jean Dupré, and others 51 CHAPTER VII Wood-Engraving in England in the Fifteenth Century--William Caxton, _Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye_--_Dictes and Sayings of Philosophers_--_Game and Playe of the Chesse_, &c.--Wynkyn de Worde--Richard Pynson 61 CHAPTER VIII