Ovid's Metamorphoses from that language in 1480, and about the same time finished printing his work, entitled The Chronicles of England.' The following year, appeared the translation of Godfrey of Bologne, which he says he made to the ende that every Christen man may be the better convinced, the enterprize was for the defense of Christendom, and to recover the said cyte of Jerusalem." Cicero's Treatises on Old age and of Friendship, followed soon after, and in 1482, the cele brated Polychronicon of Barnulph Higden, translated into English by Trevisa. In the preface to this work, Caxton says, "that he had carefully rewritten it, and had somewhatt changed the rude and olde Eng lish, that is to wyte certayne wordes which in these dayes are neither used ne understude." Nothing appears with the name of Caxton, after 1490, and accord ing to the calculation of his most curious biographers, he was then not less than ninety years of age. He was still, however, employed, and the last effort of his industry was directed to the translation of the "Vita Patrum, or the righte devout and solitairye lyfe of the anciente or olde holy faders, hermytes dwellyinge in the deserts." It is a singular circumstance, that he concluded this work on the day he died, which event took place in the latter end of May, or the beginning of June 1492. He was succeeded in his business by a German printer, named De Unde, whom he brought with him from the continent, and an apprentice of his soon after set up the trade in the city. Printing establishments were now also to be found in several other parts of the kingdom, and in proportion to the extension of the business, the ma terials of the art became improved. It has been observed, that some of the most admirable specimens of typography were produced in the age immediately succeeding its invention; and when it is considered, that the first types used were cut out of wood,-that after the manufacture of metallic letters, the preparations for printing the Vulgate, published at Mentz in 1450, occupied eight years, and that it was not till 1459 the casting of metal types was introduced,-surprise may well be felt, when the clear and beautiful pages are perused which proceeded from the press before the close of the century. The character which Caxton bore in his private capacity, was that of a pious, industrious, and, in all respects most virtuous man. His education had been that of a tradesman only, and he often observed that his learning was confined to an acquaintance with English and French Uninstructed however, as he had been in the higher walks of scholarship, he did much towards enlarging the circle of general literature in this country, and though several of the works he published are strongly embued with the errors common to his age, they were in many respects calculated to create a love of reading, and quicken the appetite for intelligence. To the book of Chivalry which he translated from the French, he affixed an epilogue of his own composition, and did we possess no other means of judging of his character but that, we should be greatly inclined to give him praise for the most generous love of benevolence and high morality. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO FOURTH PERIOD, EXTENDING FROM THE ACCESSION OF HENRY VII. TO THE ACCESSION OF JAMES I., WITH BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF EMINENT ENGLISHMEN WHO FLOURISHED DURING THAT PERIOD, |