Page:The booke of thenseygnementes and techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his doughters - 1902.pdf/219

 it is one of which medival readers would be perfectly unconscious.

As has been stated above, the present volume reproduces slightly more than half of Caxton's version of the Knight's book, and while omitting the coarser and the more tedious chapters, comprises all which is best adapted to reproduction in a popular form. Each chapter included is given verbatim, without any omissions, the spelling is faithfully reproduced, and only the punctuation, which in the original is very haphazard, has been revised. The glossary has been made as full as possible, though in consulting it allowance should be made for the variability of Caxton's spelling. The use of u for v, the occasional substitution of ȝ for gh (as myȝt for myght), and here and there the elision of a consonant as indicated by a line over the preceding vowel (as trāslate for translate), are peculiarities which need only passing mention.

Caxton's KNIGHT OF THE TOWER had no pictures, and the present is the first illustrated English edition of this quaint and little-known book.

GERTRUDE BURFORD RAWLINGS.