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afterwards Henry VIII., shows his early regard for books.) To Quintyn for bokes, 201. Again, for a boke, 237. To the boke bynder, for five bokes, 27. 13s.4d. Two saulter bokes, 8s. A Frenchman for sertain bokes, 561. 4s. For claspes and garnishing the king's boke, 107. Two new bokes bought of Ursyn, 27. For certain bokes delivered to the peres, at Richmond, 467. 10s."

Five books printed by Caxton, the first English printer, now in the Cambridge Public Library, have the original prices marked in them as follows: Godefrey of Boloyne, ijs. ijd. The Book of Eneydos, xiid. The Fayt of Armes, ijs. viijd. The Chastysing of Goddes Children, viijd. The Boke of Fame, iiij. Lowndes records the sale of three copies of these books: Eneydos, 881. 48. Fayt of Armes, 3367. Chastysing, 1407.: the others have also brought extravagant prices.

But such prices were the results of occasional absurd competition at auctions, and possessors of these books would find themselves mistaken if they thought to realise now more than the tenth part of them.

Another valuable document is an inventory of the library of the count of Angoulême, in 1496: it contains both manuscripts and printed books, and describes the binding of many; several had the arms of the count upon the covers. There is a particular description of forty-six manuscript and twenty-three printed books. There were also sixty-three "little books," some in paper, some in parchment, in plain covers; and another lot of forty-three books, which were considered of small value. In this library were Lancelot de Lac; Tristram, Knight of the Round Table; and other romances, then popular; but not many works of real value as to their contents. If we compare this list with the catalogue of sir Thomas Smith's library, at Hill Hall, 1566, we shall see the rapid improvement in literature. The library of sir Thomas would be a respectable collection at the present day, including many choice volumes of classical and theological literature.

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Ascham, in "The Schoolmaster," written about 1568, condemns romances; he says, In our forefathers' time, when papacy, as a standing pool, covered and overflowed all England, few books were read in our tongue, saving certain books of chivalry, as they said, for pastime and pleasure. As one, for example, Morte Arthur,' the whole pleasure of which book standeth in two special points, in open manslaughter and bold bawdry. This is good stuff for wise men to laugh at, or honest men to take pleasure at! yet I know when God's Bible was banished the courts, and Morte Arthur received into the prince's chamber.” He speaks against the Italian tales and novels of that period, which he considers were translated into English, and circulated principally by the busy and open papists, because, "Where the will inclineth to goodness, the mind is bent to truth; wherewith is carried from goodness to vanity, the mind is soon drawn from truth to false opinion." He considers that the perusal of such books was a ready way to entangle the mind with false doctrine, causing young wills and wits boldly to contemn all severe books that sound to honesty and godliness." Also, "I say further, those books tend not so much to corrupt honest living as they do to subvert true religion. More papists be made by your merry books of Italy than by your earnest books of Louvain." These remarks are applicable to the novel reading of later days. In our own time, we have seen the supporters of principles, which certainly are in effect similar to those of popery, attribute the preparation of the public mind to receive their doctrines, to the wide circulation of a modern series of popular novels among the youth of our people, in which the real facts of history are kept out of sight or distorted by a masterly hand. Daye printed some valuable books in the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII. and that of Edward VI.; but his press was silenced during the popish tyranny of Mary. Under Elizabeth he resumed his labours, and embarked large sums, at

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considerable risk, in printing the works of Tyndall, Becon, and many others of the Reformers. But he is chiefly to be noticed for his patronage of John Foxe, whose invaluable work, the "Acts and Monuments,' was reprinted several times at Daye's press. Foxe seems chiefly to have been supported by the employment Daye gave him as editor. This spirited printer was opposed by the trade in general, who did all they could to check the sale of his books; upon which archbishop Grindall allowed him to have a shop under the front of St. Paul's for their sale, by which means many were circulated.

For a long time paper was imported chiefly from Holland; the first paper mill in England is supposed to have been constructed not long before 1588; but there must have been much earlier attempts to provide the press with this indispensable article. Among the expenses of Henry VII. is, "for a reward given at the paper mylne, 16s. 8d. ;" this donation, liberal for that monarch, shows that considerable importance was justly attached to the invention.

In this century we find first mention of an application of the art of printing, which has been hardly less important than the discovery of that art itselfthe commencement of English newspapers. It had for some time been customary for persons in London to be employed to write letters of news to persons of rank in the country; many pamphlets, also, were printed, on political and other subjects, of temporary interest. But in April, 1588, when the kingdom was filled with anxiety respecting the Spanish invasion, a plan was devised of circulating printed papers, containing the intelligence of the day, under the title of "The English Mercury." The earliest specimen now known to exist is Number 50, and dated July 23; consequently, these papers must have been printed three or four times a week. This number records the saying of king James, then of Scotland, that the only favour he expected from the papists was that promised by

Polyphemus to Ulysses, that he should be devoured the last. It must, however, be mentioned, that circumstances have lately been brought forward tending to prove that this paper is spurious, a forgery of later date. The plan of publishing papers of intelligence was continued after the special season of anxiety had passed away.

Caxton, the first English printer, was succeeded by Pynson, and many others; among them, John Daye seems to be the most deserving of notice. More than any other, he has been distinguished by the title of The Printer of the Reformation. To this the device he assumed appears to refer: it represents the sun rising ; a man is awakening another who is asleep; the motto, "Arise, for it is day," is a double allusion, to the times and to the printer's name.

STATE AND CONDITION OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE, AND OF AGRICULTURE.

Harrison, in his description of England, written in 1586, says, "As for slaves and bondmen, we have none; naie, such is the privilege of our countrie, by the especiall grace of God, and bountie of our princes, that if anie come hither from other realms, so soone as they set foot on land, they become so free of condition as their masters." This indicates an important change in the state of the lower classes; it was one of the causes which rendered a public provision for the poor requisite. Other causes, such as the change in value of the precious metals, the progress of society, and the dissolution of the monasteries, have been already noticed; but the latter has often been misrepresented as the principal, if not the only cause of the increase of the poor.

The statements of sir Thomas More and others, before the Reformation, have been already noticed, showing the increase of the poor, or rather that they already