_The Publication Committee of the Caxton Club certifies that this is one of an edition of two hundred and fifty-two copies printed on American hand-made paper, of which two hundred and forty are for sale, and three copies printed on Japanese vellum. The printing was done from type which has been distributed._ _This is also one of one hundred and forty-eight copies into which has been incorporated a leaf from an imperfect copy of the first edition of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," printed by William Caxton, and formerly in Lord Ashburnham's library, having been purchased for this purpose by the Caxton Club. The copies so treated comprise the three Japanese vellum copies and one hundred and forty-five of the American hand-made paper copies; all of the latter are for sale._ WILLIAM CAXTON [Illustration: BINDING WITH CAXTON'S DIES (Frontispiece, and see page 85) ] WILLIAM CAXTON BY E. GORDON DUFF, M. A. OXON. SANDARS READER IN BIBLIOGRAPHY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE [Illustration] CHICAGO THE CAXTON CLUB MCMV COPYRIGHT BY THE CAXTON CLUB NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE 11 I. CAXTON'S EARLY LIFE 13 II. CAXTON'S PRESS AT BRUGES 22 III. THE EARLY WESTMINSTER PRESS 33 IV. 1480-1483 47 V. 1483-1487 56 VI. 1487-1491 70 VII. CAXTON'S DEATH 86 APPENDIX 91 INDEX 99 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATE PAGE BINDING WITH CAXTON'S DIES _Frontispiece_ [From the cover of a book in the library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.] I. PROLOGUE FROM THE BARTHOLOMAEUS 22 This contains the verse relating to Caxton's first learning to print. [From the copy in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.] (ERRATUM: Read _Prologue_ for _Epilogue_ on Plate I.) II. THE RECUYELL OF THE HISTORYES OF TROYE 28 Printed in Caxton's Type 1. Leaf 253, the first of the third book. [From the copy in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.] III. EPILOGUE TO BOETHIUS 36 Printed in Caxton's Type 3. [From the copy in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.] IV. THE DICTES OR SAYENGIS OF THE PHILOSOPHRES 38 Printed in Caxton's Type 2. [From the copy in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.] V. CAXTON'S ADVERTISEMENT 42 Printed in Caxton's Type 3. Intended as an advertisement for the Pica or Directorium ad usum Sarum.