Project Description / Intro / Caxton

Caxton, William (1422-1491)
William Caxton was the first English printer, and as a translator and publisher exerted an important influence on English literature. His output varied including books of chivalric romance, conduct, morality, history, and philosophy, and an encyclopaedia, The Myrrour of the worlde (1481), the first illustrated English book. The large number of service books and devotional works published by Caxton were the staple reading of most literate persons. He also printed nearly all the English literature available to him in his time. Caxton translated 24 books, some of them immensely long. By the time of his death, he had published about 100 items of various kinds.
Select Texts:

• The Recuyell of the historyes of Troye, . . .translated and drawen out of frenshe in to englisshe by Willyam Caxton, 1473.
• The dictes and sayings of the philosophers, 1477.
• The Canterbury Tales, 1477.
• The book of curtesye, 1477.
• Boecius de consolacione philosophien, an English translation by Geoffrey Chaucer, 1478.
• Polycronicon. Selections, by Higden, Ranulf, 1480.
• History of Reynard the Fox, 1481
• The Myrrour of the Worlde, 1481.
• Here begynneth the boke intituled Eracles, and also of Godefrey of Boloyne, the whiche speketh of the conquest of the holy londe of Iherusalem . 1481.
• The cronycles of Englond, 1482.
• The book of fame made by Gefferey Chaucer, 1483.
• Legenda aurea sanctorum, sive, Lombardica historia, 1483.
• Aesop's fables, 1484.
• Knight of the Tower, 1484.
• The lyf of the holy [and] blessid vyrgyn saynt Wenefryde, 1485.
• Here begynneth the table of a book entytled the book of good maners, 1487.
• The Doctrinal of Sapyence, 1489.
• The Boke of the Fayt of Armes and of Chyualrye, 1489.
• The Aeneid, 1490.
• The governal of health, 1490.