ge 4to. Troy
type, with glossary in Chaucer type. In black and red. Borders 5a and 7.
Woodcut title. 300 on paper at three guineas, 10 on vellum at fifteen
guineas. Dated Dec. 15, 1892, issued Jan. 25, 1893. Published by Bernard
Quaritch. Bound in limp vellum.
About this book, which was first announced as in the press in the list
dated July, 1892, William Morris wrote the following note for Mr.
Quaritch's catalogue: 'This translation of Caxton's is one of the very
best of his works as to style; and being translated from a kindred
tongue is delightful as mere language. In its rude joviality, and simple
and direct delineation of character, it is a thoroughly good
representative of the famous ancient Beast Epic.' The edges of this
book, and of all subsequent books, were trimmed in accordance with the
invariable practice of the early printers. Mr. Morris much preferred the
trimmed edges.
11. THE POEMS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, PRINTED AFTER THE ORIGINAL COPIES
OF VENUS AND ADONIS, 1593. THE RAPE OF LUCRECE, 1594. SONNETS, 1609. THE
LOVER'S COMPLAINT. Edited by F. S. Ellis. 8vo. Golden type. In black and
red. Borders 1 and 2. 500 paper copies at 25 shillings, 10 on vellum at
ten guineas. Dated Jan. 17, issued Feb. 13, 1893. Sold by Reeves &
Turner. Bound in limp vellum.
A trial page of this book was set up on Nov. 1, 1892. Though the number
was large, this has become one of the rarest books issued from the
Press.
12. NEWS FROM NOWHERE: OR, AN EPOCH OF REST, BEING SOME CHAPTERS FROM A
UTOPIAN ROMANCE, BY WILLIAM MORRIS. 8vo. Golden type. In black and red.
Borders 9a and 4, and a woodcut engraved by W. H. Hooper from a design
by C. M. Gere. 300 on paper at two guineas, 10 on vellum at ten guineas.
Dated Nov. 22, 1892, issued March 24, 1893. Sold by Reeves & Turner.
Bound in limp vellum.
The text of this book was printed before Shakespeare's Poems and
Sonnets, but it was kept back for the frontispiece, which is a picture
of the old manor-house in the village of Kelmscott by the upper Thames,
from which the Press took its name. It was set up from a copy of one of
Reeves & Turner's editions, and in reading it for the press the author
made a few slight corrections. It was the last except the Savonarola
(No. 31) in which he used the old paragraph mark (para) which was
discarded in favour of the leaves, which had already been used in the
two large 4to books printed in the Troy type.
13. THE ORDER OF CHIVALRY. Translated
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