Clue to Caxton’s Printing?

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 153, 1 July 1939, Page 11

Clue to Caxton’s Printing?

MANCHESTER, England—Discoveries which are believed to shed new light on Caxton’s 15th century printing methods have been made by Professor Eugene Vinaver, of Manchester University, while preparing an edition which is shortly to appear of Malory’s “Morto d 'Arthur." One of two remaining copies of Caxton’s edition of the “Morte d ’Arthur," . which was “enprynted and fynysshed" . at Westminister in 1455 is in the Pier- i pout Morgan Library, New York, and > the other reposes in the John .Bylands j Library, Manchester. Professor Vinaver's investigations reveal certain curious differences between these two copies. ‘•' 1 venture to think that this was by no means an accident, and that analysis of this curious phenomenon may give us a glimpse of Caxton’s methods of work at the printing press," writes the Professor in the John Rylands Library bulletin. “In the case of books in which correctness was merely desirable without j being essential we must suppose that if the author did not turn up when a I sheet was ready for printing the printer J did not wait for him, but proceeded to I work it off as passed by his press reader. If the author came In later and picking up a sheet fresh from the press found mistakes in it, the printer seems to have been willing to stop the press and let them be corrected." In short the Professor’s conclusion is that Caxton, printing on one side of a sheet of paper and then having to wait some time for the ink of those days to dry before he could print the other side, •employed himself making corrections in . the set type which he would use next. Consequently, pages which were printed and drying went uncorrected. Such words as “shall," “will," “all," and “so" are spelt “shalle," “wille," “alle," and “soo" in the John Rylands copy, while in the Pierpont Morgan copy they are “shal," “wyl," “al," and “so." Which was the original printing and which copy was printed after correction remains unsolved, and seems to hinge on the question: Which were the most correct spellings of these words in Caxton 's day? A farmer and his wife walked from their farm to the country fair, the wife laden with a heavy lunch basket. Once arrived at the fair, the farmer considerately turned to his wife and said: “You’d better let me carry the basket now, Jill; we might get separat*d in the crowd."

Joe got tho job of unloading cattle at the docks. After only an hour down in the hold, he appeared on deck covered with cuts and bruises, j “Give me ray cards," he cried to the | foreman. “I’m a stevedore, not a toreador! ’'

Not Quite Right In slight confusion caused by the joint study of Greek mythology and school A.R.P., young Tommy's essay contained this sentence:— “A siren is a dangerous woman often found in a factory."