How To Know A Caxton

Title pages were unknown till aftef 1491. There must be no Roman or Italic lettering, but all in Gothio or old English. There must be no commas, but an oblique stroke in their place. Further, there must be no catchwords at the bottom of the page. The use of these, long gone out of fashion, did not come intovogue till years after Caxton's death. There are other tests necessary, such as the measurement of the lines, for some of the type used was imitated pretty closely by Caxton's successors. It is clear, however, that during his career Caxton only used six kinds of type. The first, distinctly foreign in its character, was used by him at Bruges in the printing of "The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye" and in the first edition of "The Game and Playe of the Chesse." This style was never used in England. The second style, such as in "The Moral Proverbs"' and "Tulle of Olde Age," printed in 1477 and 1481 respectively, was beautiful and artistic. It follows a design of manuscript which obtained the name of Gros Batarde, common in use in the fifteenth centur}-. Several books were written in this manner under the order of Edward IV and are now to be seen in the British museum. Looking at the dates when Caxton's books were issued and the types he used, it is evident he did not make new type till the old was worn out. A pretentious style carne next in 1483, very bold in its character. It is problematical whether there is a book in this type; the only examples we have of it at present are in headlines.-