The Printers, Stationers, & Book-Binders of Westminster & London from 1476 to 1535

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 Excerpt: ...two planets, and twenty stars, in the middle Caxton's initials and mark, and in the lower the printer's name on a ribbon, above which are a dog and a centaur. This device was used until 1518, when having got cracked and broken it was replaced by an almost exact facsimile. This in its turn was used until 1528, when it was replaced by a third copy. So similar to the eye are these three varieties that no writer on bibliography has noticed the differences, though they form the most valuable date test we have for De Worde's books, as it was this device he most generally used. Towards the end of 1508 when Pynson was appointed printer to the King, De Worde appears to have received some sort of official appointment as printer to the Countess of Richmond and Derby, the King's mother. He had printed several books before this time at her request, a phrase which I suppose meant that she had helped to defray the cost, but he had not called himself specially her printer. In most of the books printed in 1509 before the 29th June, when the Countess died, he gives himself an official title, as printer to the King's mother. Among the books printed in 1508 is one entitled The Book of Rerving, of which there were several editions. A copy of one of these editions, which was in the collection of Rawlinson, contained the following rhyme in an old hand, Wynken de Worde Sate at the borde Wyth hys cosyn forde And kyld hym with a sworde. Below this the learned owner has written " Whether this last writing be not a whymsy I know not but feare much it is." Two books of 1508 were printed on vellum, Fisher's Sermon on the Fruitful Sayings of David, and Richard of Hampole's Devout Meditacions, and there are copies of both in the British Museum. The year 1509 was a very important...