3450 BOECEUS DE CONSOLACIONE PHILOSOPHIE, TRANSLATED OUT OF LATIN INTO
ENGLISH BY MAISTER GEFFREY CHAUCER, WITH EPITAPH FOR CHAUCER IN LATIN
VERSE BY STEPHEN SURIGO, POET LAUREATE OF MILAN, AT THE COST AND
INSTANCE OF W. CAXTON, A MOST BEAUTIFUL AND QUITE PERFECT COPY, WITHOUT
THE SLIGHTEST DEFECT OR REPAIR, folio, _in old Oxford calf binding, from
Browne Willis's Library, £105_.

PRINTED BY CAXTON, WITH HIS NAME.

*.* One of the most interesting specimens of Caxton's press. No other
perfect copy, I believe, has occurred for sale. The Aleborne copy,
(imperfect, wanting the Epitaph upon Chaucer, WHICH IS REPRINTED IN SOME
EDITIONS OF HIS WORKS, and other leaves,) sold for 53l. 11s. It is one
of the earliest productions of the father of the English press, and
claims a very great additional interest from being translated by the
Poet Chaucer. CAXTON gives us the following reasons that induced Chaucer
to translate, and himself to print it:--"Forasmoche as the stile of it
is harde, and difficile to be understoode of simple persones, therefore
the worshipful Fader and first founder and embelisher of ornate
eloquence in our _English_, I mene Maister _Geffrey Chaucer_, hath
translated it out of _Latyn_, as neygh as is possible to be understande;
wherin, in myne oppynon, he hath deserved a perpetual lawde and thanke
of al this noble Royame of _England_. Thenne, forasmoche as this sayd
boke so translated is rare, and not spred ne knowen as it is digne and
worthy for the erudicion of such as ben ignoraunte, atte requeste of a
singuler frend and gossop of myne, _I, William Caxton_, have done my
devoir temprynte it in fourme as is hereafore made."

3653 FOX (EDWARD) BISHOP OF HEREFORD, True Dyfferens Between ye Regall