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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
in the beginning of the fifteenth century, a few men of letters at St. Andrew's* voluntarily and generously enc;aged to teach the sciences usually taught, to such as choose to receive their instnie- tion. The names of the persons who first set on foot so laudable a design deserve to be recorded. They are Laurence Liudores, Richard Cornel, John Lister, John Chevez, William Stephen, John GyU,William Fowles, and William Croiser. Peter Lombard's Sentences, the Civil and Canon Law, Logic and Philosophy, were the subjects of the lectures. Henry Wardlaw, bishop of St. Andrews, who had probably been an original favourer of the scheme, was so highly pleased with the prospect of its success, that he granted a charter, declaring the city to be an university for the study of Divinity, Law, Medicine, and the liberal arts. This charter, agreeably to the ideas of the time, was confinned by the Pope. That admirable Prince, James I.f of Scotland, when he obtained the possession of his crown, soon took notice of the new institution. He gave the members of it many marks of his favour, and sometimes attended their public acts and disputations. Ecclesiastical dimities and benefices were bestowed by him on the most prominent professors; and such of the scholars as distinguished themselves by their literary
grogress, he noted down for future preferment. t. Andrew's, though the mother university of Scotland, is inferior to the others in the number of its pupils : the young persons who are sent thither being usually, we apprehend, intended fur divinity. In the' characters and abilities of its professors it hath always sustained an honour- able reputation ; and some of them have been of no small note in the learned world. In 1458, bishop Kennedy founded St. Salvator's college in the university. The bishop died in 1466, and was buried in the church of St. Salvator, in a most beautiful tomb of gothic workmanship.
The establishment of an university in St. An- drew's, excited the zeal of William TumbuU, bishop of Glasgow, to have an university in the latter city. Accordingly he obtained hii ample bull from the pope, for his purpose, which was no sooner brought over than the design was carried into execution. King James 11.:^ of Scotland, by letters patent under the great seal of this kingdom, took the university of Glasgow under his special protection, antl bishop TumbiJl granted it by charter, a variety of powers and privileges, still, however, at its conuncncement. Its endowments and revenues were very small. The first valuable benefaction was derived from the noble family of Hamilton. James, lord Ha- milton, and Euphemia, countess of Douglas, his lady, gave a tenement for the accommodation of the regents and students, with four acres of ground adjacent. The motive appeats to have been superstitious, but the gift was useful .||
- St. Andrew's University, see 1411, ante.
t James I. see 1437, ante.
t James II. king of Scotland, be ^th the Jiery facet was killed by the bursting of a gun on the 3rd of Angiist, UOo. He was In the 29th year of bis age, and S4th of his reign.
II Dr. Kippts's Hittory n/ Knowledge, ^c.
1471. The first book known to be printed in English, and by Caxton, is generally supposed to be a work entiUed Recuyellof the HUtoriet 0/ Troy, which he printed at Cologne ; but he had printed there, at least, two works before that ; the original of the Recuyell — a work unknown to German bibliographers — in 1464-7 ; and the oration of John Kussell, on Charles, duke of Burgundy, being created a knight of the garter in 1469. The existence of this was unluiown till the year 1807, when it was discovea-d at the sale of Mr. Brand's books. No other book printed by Caxton at Cologne, has been dis- covered ; but that he printed there BarUidometu de Proprietatibus Rerum, is plain, from Wynkjn de Worde, (see 1491.) This is the only instance of Caxton's having printed a Latin work, and would seem to imply some knowledge, of that language.
Caxton's worthy patroness, the duchess of Burgundy, urged him to undertake the transk- tion of this work into English. It seems to have been projected by her, witii a design to introduce the art of printing into England whenever a fiBivourable opportimitjr should offer.
The little knowledge which Caxton had ac- quired of the French tongue, and his partial for- getfulness of the English, after a reudence in foreign parts of nearly thirty years, led him to think himself but badly calculated for such an undertaking. His patroness, however, urging him to b^gin, he entered on his work, though with much reluctance; but after proceeding a little wav in his translation, he dropped it alto- gether for nearly two years. The duchess at length sent for him, to inquire into the progress he bad made, and to read what he had trans- lated. "In 1469," he says, " having no great charge or occupation, ana wishing to eschew sloth and idleness — which is the mother and nou- risher of vices — ^having good leisure, being at Cologne, I set about finishing the translation. When, however, I remembered my simpleness and imperfections in French and English, I fell in despair of my works, and after I had written 6 or 6 quairs, purposed no more to have con- tinued therein ; and the quairs laid apart ; and in two years after laboured no more in this work : till in a time it fortuned lady Margaret sent for me to speak with her good grace of divers matters, among the which 1 let her. have knowledge of the foresaid beginning. The duchess," he adds, " found deuiult m myne English, which she commanded me to amend, and to continue and make an end of the residue, which command I durst not disobey." The duchess rewarded him liberally for his labour. In his prologue and epilogue to this work, he
- In the court of Burgundy, he became Intimate with
Raonl le Fevre, chaplain to the duke, whose Becufett of the Hittoryei of Trope, be translated in 1468, and published his English version in N71. The original was the first book printed by Caxton ; it bears date 1464-7. It is amply described by Mr. Dibdln, in his Typographical Antiqtatiet, Vol. I. The " Oration of John RosscI, on Charlex Dn^e of Burgundy being created a Knight of the Garter (I4CSI),^ was the second . and the translauon of thA former was tiie third book which issued from his press.— Horn*, p. 188.
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