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CAXTON AND THE PRINTING PRESS.

PRINTING is universally admitted to be one of the most useful arts ever introduced into this or any other country. It not only "commemorates all other inventions, but hands down to posterity every important event, immortalizes the discoveries of genius and the exploits of greatness, and has been the most effectual instrument in banishing the darkness, and overturning the superstition of a bigoted age: above all, it continues to extend and diffuse the word of God to all mankind." The inventors of such an art, and especially the individual who introduced it into our own country, deserve honorable mention and their names to be handed down to posterity as distinguished benefactors of the human race. To the art of printing,” says Dr. Knox, “we owe the Reformation. Had the books of Luther been multiplied only by the slow process of handwriting, they must have been few, and would have been easily suppressed by the combination of wealth and power; but poured forth in abundance from the press, they spread over the land with the rapidity of an inundation, which acquires an additional force from the efforts used to obstruct its progress." Not only have the interests of religion been benefited and promoted by this art, but geography, astronomy, chemistry, the republic of letters; and the extensive distribution of the Holy Scriptures attest the amazing and almost incalculable advantages that have resulted from its introduction.

This useful and valuable art was, according to authentic documents, brought into England by William Caxton, who was born in the Weald of Kent, about the year 1410, in the latter part of the reign of Henry VI. He was apprenticed to Mr. Robert Large, a mercer and citizen of London, Lord Mayor of the city in 1439 and who died in 1441, leaving Caxton by his will twenty-four marks, or about sixteen pounds, a considerable legacy in those days, and a testimony of his good character and integrity.

After the death of Mr. Large, he resided for many years in Holland, where he acted as an agent of the Mercers' Company, acquired a knowledge of the continental languages, and gained so high a character for commercial knowledge and experience, that in 1464, he was recommended by Earl Rivers to Edward IV. who employed him, in conjunction with Richard Whitehill, Esq. to transact and conclude a treaty of commerce between the King

and his brother-in-law Philip, Duke of Burgundy, who was then in possession of Flanders. The commission styles them ambassiatores, procuratores, nuncios, deputatos speciales.

During his residence in Holland, he resided at the Court of Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, sister of Edward IV., and acquired a knowledge of the method and process of the art of printing. At the request of the duchess, he translated from the French, "Recuye! of the Historyes of Troye, by Raoul le Fleure." This was the first book printed in the English language, a copy which formerly belonged to Elizabeth Gray, Queen of Edward IV. was bought from the Roxburgh collection by the Duke of Devonshire, for £1060. 18s. Od.! This work was printed at Cologne, and as it appears from his own statement, "at great charge and expense to him." He printed several other works abroad, and having provided himself with all the required apparatus for printing, he removed to England, and at length had a room granted him in Westminster Abbey, being in great favor with the abbot. There he published the first book ever printed in this country, which was a translation from the French, of a work "On the Game and Play of Chesse," a curious book, purchased for forty guineas by the Earl of Pembroke. He was the undoubted inventor of fusile types, and persevered in practising his art for twenty years, during which period he produced upwards of fifty specimens of his labor, which "infused a taste for literature and promoted good morals." His last work was The Holy Lives of the Fathers Hermites living in the Desertes," published in 1491. Caxton preserved the character through life, of an honest, humble man, aiming to the utmost to benefit his country, by diffusing among the people such works as appeared likely to promote religion and morality, he is consequently entitled to respect and gratitude, and his memory to be cherished in the bosoms of Englishmen, who owe so much to the introduction of printing. His assiduity recommended him to the notice of the great, under whose protection and at whose expense many of his works were published; some of them are addressed to Edward IV., his brother the Duke of Clarence, and the Duchess of Burgundy, their sister; he was likewise patronized by Henry VII. and his son Prince Arthur, as well as by many of the principal nobility and gentry.

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Caxton died in the year 1494; there is no certain account of his age, but he was very old and above fourscore. In the year 1471, he is said to have complained that the infirmities of age were creeping upon him, and enfeebling his body, though he lived twenty-three years after, and pursued his labors with laudable diligence in Westminster Abbey to the last year of his life; this is attested by the following lines at the end of a book, entitled "Hilton's Scale of Perfection," printed in the year 1494. Enfynite laud with thankynges many folde

E yield to God, me socouryng with his grace,
This boke to finyshe which that ye beholde
“Scale of Perfection" calde in every place,
Whereof the Auctor Walter Hilton was,

And Winkin de Worde this hath sette in print
En William Carston's hows: so fyll the case,

God rest his soule. En joy ther mot it stynt.

Empressus anno salutis MCCCCLXXXXIIII.

How deeply interesting is the above account, in connexion with the astonishing efforts of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Society for the Circulation of Religious Tracts: where the power and the facilities of the press will end, no one can conjecture. By the means of printing how many have been enlightened and brought to the knowledge of Him, whom to know is life eternal. In proportion to the efforts of superstition and infidelity to spread their poisonous exhalations, should be the anxious, earnest, prayerful exertions of enlightend christians to disseminate by means of the press, the knowledge of Christ and of Him crucified.

Penryn.

R. C.

THE YOUTHS' OWN BIBLE.

NEVER was a free Bible press more needed than in the present day, when so many forms of error, which can be successfully combated by the Law and Testimony alone, are rife on every hand. And never were Bibles so cheap before. The difficulty is now, how to select, not how to obtain. But among the many beautiful and useful editions, we know of none more admirably suited to the Youth of our own day, than that now in course of publication

by the Religious Tract Society, "The Pocket Paragraph Bible,"* complete for four shillings. The advantages it possesses over all others, are its unprecedented cheapness; its convenient size; its arrangement in paragraphs and parallelisms; its new and copious selection of references and notes; its judicious interpolation of marginal and other improved readings; its prefaces to the several books; and its illustrative maps and tables. As regards the printing, it is one of the most perfect little volumes we have ever seen; and though our older friends may object to the minute beauty of the type, its very smallness will serve as an additional recommendation to the class of readers to whom we are most anxious to recommend it.

As a specimen of the introductory prefaces, we give the following clear and concise analysis of the book of Job, p. 353 :

"The first part of the book describes the character and sufferings of the patriarch. He is a man of large possessions, whose life has been one of remarkable prosperity; and is greatly honored by all. He is, moreover, a man of eminent holiness, whose character would bear the severest scrutiny. Satan having brought an accusation against Job, that his religion was mere selfishness, is permitted to deprive him of his children, and of all his possessions. The faith of the patriarch, however, sustains the trial. Satan then obtains permission to inflict on him a most painful disease; and Job becomes an object of disgust and abhorrence. Still it is seen that fidelity to God can be maintained in the deepest distress.

'In this state of things, three of his friends come to condole with him. The overwhelming calamities which had come upon so good a man seem to have confounded them. His case was contrary to all their maxims and views with respect to God's way of dealing with the just. But it was not until Job made his first speech, bitterly cursing his day, and indulging in the language of complaint, that they seem to have any doubt of his integrity. That speech of the patriarch, in connexion with his remarkable sufferings, seems to have satisfied them, that so far from being

* The Holy Bible, according to the authorized version, arranged in paragraphs and parallelisms, with an entirely new selection of copious references to parallel and illustrative passages, Prefaces to the several books, and numerous notes. Parts 1 and 2. 1s. 4d. each. Religious Tract Society.

upright and holy, as they had supposed, he was in fact a wicked man and a hypocrite. This, therefore, opened the whole field of debate, and suggested an important inquiry, with reference to the principles on which the Divine government in this world was conducted; whether a life of piety was not attended with corresponding prosperity; and whether extraordinary sufferings such as these, were not demonstrative of corresponding guilt.

Eliphaz leads the way in the argument; and is followed by his two friends. They hold the doctrine of a strict retribution in the present life; and that it is reasonable to infer what a man's character is, from the present dealings of God with him; and they do not hesitate to declare that the calamities of Job must have overtaken him in consequence of his secret wickedness.

"Job replies to each of the speakers, and boldly asserts his innocence. He is unable to explain the reasons why calamities come upon good men ; but he maintains that they are no certain indication of the character of the sufferer. He regards himself as unkindly treated by his friends; complains that instead of offering him consolation, they aggravate his woes by false accusations; and expresses a desire to carry his cause directly to God himself, assured that He would do him that justice which was denied him by his friends.

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"His friends are offended at his sentiments, and undertake to vindicate the conduct of the Deity towards him: they repeat their charges with greater asperity, and even accuse him of particular sins. But, the more they press their arguments, the more confidently does Job assert his innocence, and appeal to God to vindicate his character. His friends are finally reduced to silence. · Elihu then, who appears to have been an attentive auditor, comes forward to reply to what had been advanced by Job. The leading principle in Elihu's statement is that afflictions are for the good of the sufferer; and that, if those who are afflicted will hearken to the counsel which God thus sends, and turn from their sins, they will find their afflictions to be sources of great benefit. He reproves Job for justifying himself rather than God; and vindicates the character and government of the Most High. To illustrate his views, and to show the necessity of submission, he closes his speech with a sublime description of the greatness of God.

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