William Caxton
1422 - c. 1491) was the first English printer. He was born in Kent, and came to London as apprentice to a mercer, a dealer in cloth.
In 1446, he departed for Bruges, where he was successful in business and became governor of the Merchant Adventurers. His trade brought him into contact with Burgundy, and it was thus that he became a member of the household of Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy, the sister of the English King. This led to more continental travel, in the course of which he observed the new printing industry. He wasted no time in setting up a printing press in Bruges, in collaboration with a Fleming, Colard Mansion, on which the first book to be printed in English was produced in 1475 - Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye, a translation by Caxton himself. Bringing the knowledge back to his native land, he set up a press at Westminster in 1476, and the first book known to have been printed there was Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres (Sayings of the Philosophers, first printed on November 18, 1477), written by none other than Earl Rivers, the king's brother-in-law. The most important work printed by Caxton was an edition of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
As a good example of the English prose, the following is a text from the Prologue to Caxton's translation of Eneydos (the Aeneids) from 1490. It is re-written by Z.A. Simon in a modern style as if Caxton would have dictated it to a modern secretary. The words of uncertain meaning are marked with asterisks (*). (Note that, though over 500 years old, there is no unknown word in this text that would not be understood through a good John Skelton late created poet laureate in the university of Oxenford* to oversee and correct this said book. And tadresse* and expone where-as shall be found fault to them that shall require it. For him I know for sufficient to expone* and English every difficult that is therein. For he had late* translated the epistles of Tulle* and the book of Diodorus
Siculus, and diverse other works out of Latin in-to English not in rude and old language, but in polished and ornate terms craftily, as he that had read Virgil, Ovid, Tullius, and all the other noble poets and orators, to me unknown: And also he had read the ix* muses and understand their musical sciences, and to whom of them each science is appropred.* I suppose he had dronken* of Elycon's* well. Then I pray him and such other to correct, add or minish* where-as he or they shall find fault. For I have but followed my copy in French as nygh* as me is possible. And if any* word be said therein well, I am glad, and if otherwise, I submit my said book to their correction. Which book I present unto the high born, my to-coming natural and souvereign lord Arthur by the grace of god Prince of wales Duke of Cornewall and Earl of Chester first begotten son and heir unto our most dradde* natural and souvereign lord and most Christian king, Henry the VII*, by the grace of god king of England and of France and lord of Ireland, beseeching his noble grace to receive it in thank of me his most humble subject and servant. And I shall pray unto almighty God for his prosperous increasing in virtue, wisdom, and humanity that he may be equal with the most renommed of all his noble progenitors. And so to live in this present life, that after this transitory life he and we all may come to everlasting life in heaven, Amen.
- thystorye* = the (hi)story (like Ytalye=Italy and historye below)
- er* = not the verb err, but rather prepositions ere = before
- delibered*=connected with both delivered and deliberated
- twain*=two (archaic)
- it*=it, or that (the), according to Prof. Bolton. However, Coxton often used the letter y to express the sound i in the modern words with, Latin, which, ink, in, wind, will, if, Diodorus Siculus, find, etc.
- fain*=ready, willing (archaic)
- brood*=brood (not used now as adjective, compared to a state of hatching?) or broad (like in "a broad accent" that is strongly marked by regional pronunciation)
- late*=perhaps lately
- evidences*=here documents
- Dutche=German (Deutch) or Dutch (of Netherlands or Holland)
- vnderstonden=understood
- ferre*=probably fairly
- discreased*=decreased
- atte*=perhaps at the
- them*=themselves
- axed*=asked
- she vnderstode and she vnderstod=she undestood
- eyren*=Eiern mean eggs in German
- by cause*=because
- ony=any
- lyghter*=lighter, i.e., easier, more clear
- vnderstonde*=understood
- feleth=probably feeled
- ouer rude=over-rude, too rude
- vnderstanden=undestood
- ony=any
- hit=it
- fyndeth=now correctly found, not findeth or finded
- haue=now correctly has, not have
- vnconnynge=now is not used, the opposite of the adjective cunning
- hit=it
- enpryse=enterprise
- Oxenforde=Oxford
- expone=expound or expose. See exponere in Latin, also exponible or exponent
- late=lately
- Tulle or Tullye=perhaps Marcus Tullius Cicero
- ix=nine (9), in Roman numerals
- appropred=probably appropriated
- dronken=drunken (obsolete form of drunk)
- Elycons=Helicon, a mountain in Boetia sacred to the Muses
- mynysshe=diminish or minimize, similar to minus
- nygh*=nigh (archaic: close at hand, near, similar to new)
- ony=any
- dradde=dread, dreadful, awesome, revered
- Henry the vii=Henry VII (1457-1507). King of England from 1485 to 1507.
