Caxton's Golden Legend

Caxton's Golden Legend: Edition Description

Summary:

    Author: De Voragine, Jacobus
    Title: Legenda aurea sanctorum, sive Lombardica historia; The Golden Legend
    Other Authors: trans. into French by Jean de Vignay; trans. in English, ed., and augmented by William Caxton
    Place: Westminster
    Printer/Publisher: William Caxton
    Date: [between 20 Nov. 1483 and Mar. 1484]
    Edition / Issue: 2 issues
    Main Language: English
    Contents:
      Item 1: Caxton's prologue and the table of content [Issue 1: fols [pi]2r-6r (1-6); Issue 2: [pi]1r-4v]

        Incipit: (Issue 1: [pi]2r_column a/1-5) [Woodcut picture] | tHe holy & blessed doctour | saynt Ierom sayth thys aucto | ryte / do alwyse somme good | werke / to thende that the deuyl fynde | the not ydle /

        (Issue 2: [pi]1r_column a/1-5) [Woodcut picture] | tHe holy and blessed doctour | saynt Ierom sayth thys aucto | ryte / do alweye somme good | werke / to thende that the deuyl fynde | the not ydle /

        Explicit: (Issue 1: [pi]6r_column a/14-17) Yssac folio xliiij | Ypolyte folio CC lj | Yues folio CCCC xxvij | Explicit

        (Issue 2: [pi]4r_column b/31-32) Erasmus in the ente of this booke | Explicit

        Text Language: English

        Note: There is no Caxton's folio number in quire [pi].

      Item 2: The Golden Legend [Issue 1: fols a1r-kk5r; j-CCCC xliiii (7-448); Issue 2: Issue 1; fols a1r-kk6v]

        Incipit: (fol. a1r_column a/1-7) tHe tyme of thaduēt | or comyng of our | lord in to this world | is halowed in holy chir | che the tyme of iiij we// | kes in betokenyng of iiij | dyuerse comynges /

        Explicit: (Issue 1: fol. kk5r_column a/47-50) thrs article layed saynt mathyas ap// | postle & frende of god / | Thus endeth the twelue arty// | cles of our feythe

        (Issue 2: fol. kk6v_column a/45-52) / and is there a true helper to all | theym that calle trewly to saint Eras// | mus for gostely helth late vs pray that he for vs | alle of our lord god many opteyne / | Amen | Thus endeth the lyf of the holy byss | hop and marter saynt erasmus

        Text Language: English

      Item 3: Caxton's epilogue [Issue 1: fol. kk5r_column b/1-22; Issue 2: fol. kk6v_column b/1-21]

        Incipit: (Issue 1: fol. kk5r_column b/1-5) Thus endeth the legende named | in latyn legenda aurea / that is to saye | in englysshe the golden legende / For | lyke as golde passeth in valewe alle | other metalles /

        (Issue 2: fol. kk6v_column b/1-5) Thus endeth the legende named | in latyn legenda aurea / that is to saye | in englysshe the golden legende / For | lyke as golde passeth in valewe alle | other metalles /

        Colophon: (Issue 1: fol. kk5r_column b/12-23; ) / whiche werke | I haue accomplisshed at the commaun// | demente and requeste of the noble and | puyssaunte erle / and my special good | lord Wyllyam erle of arondel / & haue | fynysshed it at westmestre the twenty | day of nouembre / the yere of our lord | M / CCCC / lxxxiij / & the fyrst yere | of the reygne of Kyng Rychard the | thyrd | ¶ By me Wyllyam Caxton

        (Issue 2: fol. kk6v_column b/11-23; ) / whiche werke | I haue accomplisshed at the commaun// | demente and requeste of the noble and | puyssaunte erle / and my special good | lord Wyllyam erle of arondel / & haue | fynysshed it at westmestre the twenty | day of nouembre / the yere of our lord | M / CCCC / lxxxiij / & the fyrst yere | of the reygne of Kyng Rychard the | thyrd | ¶ By me Wylyam Caxton

        Text Language: English

        Note: Transcribed from copies available on EEBO, CUL Inc. 2. J. 1. 1 [3781] for Issue 1; Glasgow Hunterian Bg.1.1 for Issue 2 except π4 (missing in the Glasgow copy), which is taken from BMC XI, p. 144.

Physical Description:

Object Description:

Form: Codex

Material: Royal Paper. This is the only work Caxton printed on Royal paper. See BMC XI, p. 423.

  • A Bull's head, stock Royal 1
  • A Paschal lamb, stock Royal 2
  • A ring topped by a St Andrew cross, stocks Royal 3-4
  • A b (letter), stock Royal 5
  • Scissors with quartre-foil, stock Royal 6
  • A hand, stock Royal 7
  • P with quatre-foil, Stock Royal 8

Format: F°

Ideal collation: The first issue: [pi]6, a-z8, [et]8, [con]6, A-U8, X6, Y2+1, aa-ff8, gg6, hh ii8, kk6. 449 leaves. The first and last leaves blank. The second issue exists only partially: [pi]4, u-z, [et]8 [con]6, F-Y, aa-kk.

Signatures: Caxton gives signature numbers.

Foliation and/or Pagination: Caxton gives folio numbers too, and uses folio numbers in his table of contents and index. There are errors in folio numbers.

Layout description:

      Layout:
      • Columns: 2
      • Written Lines: 55
      • Locus: all
      • Overview: Headlines are used. Headlines in the second issue are set in Type 5.

Type:

Decoration Description:

List of Copies:

    • Copies

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