In the meantime we proceed with the _locale_ of Caxton's house, situate on the south-west of Westminster Abbey, where was formerly the eleemosynary, or almonry, where the alms of the abbots were distributed. Howell in his _Londinopolis_, describes this as "the spot where the abbot of Westminster permitted Caxton to set up his press in the _Almonry_, or Ambry," the former of which names is still retained. This is confirmed by Newcourt, in his _Repertorium_, who says, "St. Anne's, an old chapel, over against which the Lady Margaret, mother to king Henry VII., erected an alms-house for poor women, which is now turned into lodgings for singing-men of the college. The place wherein this chapel and alms-house stood was called the Eleemosinary, or Almonry, now corruptly called the Ambry, (Aumbry,) for that the alms of the abbey were there distributed to the poor; in which the abbot of Westminster erected the first press for book-printing that was in England, about the year of Christ 1471, and where WILLIAM CAXTON, citizen and mercer of London, who first brought it into England, practised it." Here he printed _The Game and Play of the Chesse_, said to be the first book that issued from the press in this country. Hence, according to Mr. M'Creery, the intelligent author of "The Press," a poem, "the title of _chapel_ to the internal regulations of a printing-office originated in Caxton's exercising the profession in one of the chapels in Westminster Abbey, and may be considered as an additional proof, from the antiquity of the custom, of his being the first English printer."[2] Every lover of science, on approaching this spot, will feel himself on holy ground, however the idle and incurious of our metropolis may neglect the scite, or be ignorant of its identity. We are there led into an eternity of reflection and association of ideas; but lest human pride should be too fondly feasted in the retrospect, the hallowed towers of the abbey, seen in the distance, serve to remind us of the imperial maxim, that "art is long, and life but short." [Footnote 1: See MIRROR, vol 3, p 194--vol 5. p 311.] [Footnote 2: We requote this passage from Mr. M'Creery, as it has already appeared in vol. 5; and in vol. 3, a correspondent denies that the first English book was printed at Westminster; but we are disposed to think that an impartial examination of the testimonies on each side of the controversy will decide in favour of Caxton.] * * * * * TEA.--ITS INTRODUCTION INTO ENGLAND. (A correspondent, who signs _M.M.M._ informs us that the article sent to us by _P.T.W_. and inserted in No. 280 of the MIRROR, was copied verbatim from the _Imperial Magazine_, a work which we seldom see, and consequently we had no opportunity of ascertaining the origin of our correspondent's paper. It seemed to us a good _cyclopaedian_ article on the subject, and we accordingly admitted it. We now subjoin _M.M.M.'s_ communication.)