,,the ,,art ,,and ,,craft ,,of          
,,printing1 ,,by ,,william ,,morris4    
,a ,,note ,,by ,,william ,,morris ,,on  
,,his ,,aims ,,in ,,founding ,,the      
,,kelmscott ,,press1 ,,together ,,with  
,a ,,short ,,description ,,of ,,the     
,,press ,,by ,s4 ,c4 ,,cockerell1 ,,and 
,,an ,,annotated ,,list ,,of ,,the      
,,books ,,printed ,,thereat4            
,copyright1 #aijb ,by ,h4 ,m4 ,o',kane  
,illustration3 ,,psyche ,,borne ,,off   
,,by ,,zephyrus1 ,,drawn ,,by ,,edward  
,,burne-,,jones  ,,engraved ,,by        
,,william ,,morris  ,illustration3      
,,note ,,by ,,william ,,morris ,,on     
,,his ,,aims ,,in ,,founding ,,the      
,,kelmscott ,,press   ,i began printing 
books with the hope of producing some   
which would have a definite claim to    
beauty1 while at the same time they     
should be easy to read and should not   
dazzle the eye1 or trouble the intellect
 of the reader by eccentricity of form  
in the letters4 ,i have always been a   
great admirer of the calligraphy of the 

,middle ,ages1  of the earlier printing 
which took its place4 ,as to the        
fifteenth-century books1 ,i had noticed 
that they were always beautiful by force
 of the mere typography1 even without   
the added ornament1 with which many of  
them are so lavishly supplied4 ,and it  
was the essence of my undertaking to    
produce books which it would be a       
pleasure to look upon as pieces of      
printing and arrangement of type4       
,looking at my adventure from this point
 of view then1 ,i found ,i had to       
consider chiefly the following things3  
the paper1 the form of the type1 the    
relative spacing of the letters1 the    
words1 and the lines2 and lastly the    
position of the printed matter on the   
page4 ,it was a matter of course that ,i
 should consider it necessary that the  
paper should be hand-made1 both for the 
sake of durability and appearance4 ,it  
would be a very false economy to stint  
in the quality of the paper as to price3
 so ,i had only to think about the kind 

of hand-made paper4 ,on this head ,i    
came to two conclusions3 #ast1 that the 
paper must be wholly of linen 7most     
hand-made papers are of cotton today71  
and must be quite 'hard1' i4 e41        
thoroughly well sized2 and #bnd1 that1  
though it must be 'laid' and not 'wove' 
7i4 e41 made on a mould made of obvious 
wires71 the lines caused by the wires of
 the mould must not be too strong1 so as
 to give a ribbed appearance4 ,i found  
that on these points ,i was at one with 
the practice of the paper-makers of the 
fifteenth century2 so ,i took as my     
model a ,bolognese paper of about #adgc4
 ,my friend ,mr4 ,batchelor1 of ,little 
,chart1 ,kent1 carried out my views very
 satisfactorily1 and produced from the  
first the excellent paper1 which ,i     
still use4  ,next as to type4 ,by       
instinct rather than by conscious       
thinking it over1 ,i began by getting   
myself a fount of ,roman type4 ,and here
 what ,i wanted was letter pure in form2
 severe1 without needless excrescences2 

solid1 without the thickening and       
thinning of the line1 which is the      
essential fault of the ordinary modern  
type1 and which makes it difficult to   
read2 and not compressed laterally1 as  
all later type has grown to be owing to 
commercial exigencies4 ,there was only  
one source from which to take examples  
of this perfected ,roman type1 to wit1  
the works of the great ,venetian        
printers of the fifteenth century1 of   
whom ,nicholas ,jenson produced the     
completest and most ,roman characters   
from #adgj to #adgf4 ,this type ,i      
studied with much care1 getting it      
photographed to a big scale1 and drawing
 it over many times before ,i began     
designing my own letter2 so that though 
,i think ,i mastered the essence of it1 
,i did not copy it servilely2 in fact1  
my ,roman type1 especially in the lower 
case1 tends rather more to the ,gothic  
than does ,jenson's4  ,after a while ,i 
felt that ,i must have a ,gothic as well
 as a ,roman fount2 and herein the task 

,i set myself was to redeem the ,gothic 
character from the charge of            
unreadableness which is commonly brought
 against it4 ,and ,i felt that this     
charge could not be reasonably brought  
against the types of the first two      
decades of printing3 that ,schoeffer at 
,mainz1 ,mentelin at ,strasburg1 and    
,gunther ,zainer at ,augsburg1 avoided  
the spiky ends and undue compression    
which lay some of the later type open to
 the above charge4 ,only the earlier    
printers 7naturally following therein   
the practice of their predecessors the  
scribes7 were very liberal of           
contractions1 and used an excess of     
'tied' letters1 which1 by the way1 are  
very useful to the compositor4 ,so ,i   
entirely eschewed contractions1 except  
for the '1' and had very few tied       
letters1 in fact none but the absolutely
 necessary ones4 ,keeping my end        
steadily in view1 ,i designed a         
black-letter type which ,i think ,i may 
claim to be as readable as a ,roman one1

 and to say the truth ,i prefer it to   
the ,roman4 ,this type is of the size   
called ,great ,primer 7the ,roman type  
is of ',english' size72 but later on ,i 
was driven by the necessities of the    
,chaucer 7a double-columned book7 to get
 a smaller ,gothic type of ,pica size4  
,the punches for all these types1 ,i may
 mention1 were cut for me with great    
intelligence and skill by ,mr4 ,e4 ,p4  
,prince1 and render my designs most     
satisfactorily4  ,now as to the spacing3
 ,first1 the 'face' of the letter should
 be as nearly conterminous with the     
'body' as possible1 so as to avoid undue
 whites between the letters4 ,next1 the 
lateral spaces between the words should 
be 7a7 no more than is necessary to     
distinguish clearly the division into   
words1 and 7b7 should be as nearly equal
 as possible4 ,modern printers1 even the
 best1 pay very little heed to these two
 essentials of seemly composition1 and  
the inferior ones run riot in licentious
 spacing1 thereby producing1 inter alia1

 those ugly rivers of lines running     
about the page which are such a blemish 
to decent printing4 ,third1 the whites  
between the lines should not be         
excessive2 the modern practice of       
'leading' should be used as little as   
possible1 and never without some        
definite reason1 such as marking some   
special piece of printing4 ,the only    
leading ,i have allowed myself is in    
some cases a 'thin' lead between the    
lines of my ,gothic pica type3 in the   
,chaucer and the double-columned books  
,i have used a 'hair' lead1 and not even
 this in the #afmo books4 ,lastly1 but  
by no means least1 comes the position of
 the printed matter on the page4 ,this  
should always leave the inner margin the
 narrowest1 the top somewhat wider1 the 
outside 7fore-edge7 wider still1 and the
 bottom widest of all4 ,this rule is    
never departed from in medival books1   
written or printed4 ,modern printers    
systematically transgress against it2   
thus apparently contradicting the fact  

that the unit of a book is not one page1
 but a pair of pages4 ,a friend1 the    
librarian of one of our most important  
private libraries1 tells me that after  
careful testing he has come to the      
conclusion that the medival rule was to 
make a difference of #bj per cent4 from 
margin to margin4 ,now these matters of 
spacing and position are of the greatest
 importance in the production of        
beautiful books2 if they are properly   
considered they will make a book printed
 in quite ordinary type at least decent 
and pleasant to the eye4 ,the disregard 
of them will spoil the effect of the    
best designed type4  ,it was only       
natural that ,i1 a decorator by         
profession1 should attempt to ornament  
my books suitably3 about this matter1 ,i
 will only say that ,i have always tried
 to keep in mind the necessity for      
making my decoration a part of the page 
of type4 ,i may add that in designing   
the magnificent and inimitable woodcuts 
which have adorned several of my books1 

and will above all adorn the ,chaucer   
which is now drawing near completion1 my
 friend ,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones has  
never lost sight of this important      
point1 so that his work will not only   
give us a series of most beautiful and  
imaginative pictures1 but form the most 
harmonious decoration possible to the   
printed book4  ,kelmscott ,house1 ,upper
 ,mall1 ,hammersmith4 ,nov4 #aa1 #ahie  
,a ,,short ,,history ,,and ,,description
 ,,of ,,the ,,kelmscott ,,press4  ,the  
foregoing article was written at the    
request of a ,london bookseller for an  
,american client who was about to read a
 paper on the ,kelmscott ,press4 ,as the
 ,press is now closing1 and its seven   
years' existence will soon be a matter  
of history1 it seems fitting to set down
 some other facts concerning it while   
they can still be verified2 the more so 
as statements founded on imperfect      
information have appeared from time to  
time in newspapers and reviews4  ,as    
early as #ahff an edition of ,the       

,earthly ,paradise was projected1 which 
was to have been a folio in double      
columns1 profusely illustrated by ,sir  
,edward ,burne-,jones1 and              
typographically superior to the books of
 that time4 ,the designs for the stories
 of ,cupid and ,psyche1 ,pygmalion and  
the ,image1 ,the ,ring given to ,venus1 
and the ,hill of ,venus1 were finished1 
and forty-four of those for ,cupid and  
,psyche were engraved on wood in line1  
somewhat in the manner of the early     
,german masters4 ,about thirty-five of  
the blocks were executed by ,william    
,morris himself1 and the remainder by   
,george ,y4 ,wardle1 ,g4 ,f4 ,campfield1
 ,c4 ,j4 ,faulkner1 and ,miss ,elizabeth
 ,burden4 ,specimen pages were set up in
 ,caslon type1 and in the ,chiswick     
,press type afterwards used in ,the     
,house of the ,wolfings1 but for various
 reasons the project went no further4   
,four or five years later there was a   
plan for an illustrated edition of ,love
 is ,enough1 for which two initial ,l's 

and seven side ornaments were drawn and 
engraved by ,william ,morris4 ,another  
marginal ornament was engraved by him   
from a design by ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones1
 who also drew a picture for the        
frontispiece1 which has now been        
engraved by ,w4 ,h4 ,hooper for the     
final page of the ,kelmscott ,press     
edition of the work4 ,these side        
ornaments1 three of which appear on the 
opposite page1 are more delicate than   
any that were designed for the          
,kelmscott ,press1 but they show that   
when the ,press was started the idea of 
reviving some of the decorative features
 of the earliest printed books had been 
long in its founder's mind4 ,at this    
same period1 in the early seventies1 he 
was much absorbed in the study of       
ancient manuscripts1 and in writing out 
and illuminating various books1         
including a ,horace and an ,omar        
,khayym1 which may have led his thoughts
 away from printing4 ,in any case1 the  
plan of an illustrated ,love is ,enough1

 like that of the folio ,earthly        
,paradise1 was abandoned4  ,although the
 books written by ,william ,morris      
continued to be reasonably printed1 it  
was not until about #ahhh that he again 
paid much attention to typography4 ,he  
was then1 and for the rest of his life1 
when not away from ,hammersmith1 in     
daily communication with his friend and 
neighbour ,emery ,walker1 whose views on
 the subject coincided with his own1 and
 who had besides a practical knowledge  
of the technique of printing4 ,these    
views were first expressed in an article
 by ,mr4 ,walker in the catalogue of the
 exhibition of the ,arts and ,crafts    
,exhibition ,society1 held at the ,new  
,gallery in the autumn of #ahhh4 ,as a  
result of many conversations1 ,the      
,house of the ,wolfings was printed at  
the ,chiswick ,press at this time1 with 
a special type modelled on an old ,basel
 fount1 unleaded1 and with due regard to
 proportion in the margins4 ,the        
title-page was also carefully arranged4 

,in the following year ,the ,roots of   
the ,mountains was printed with the same
 type 7except the lower case e71 but    
with a differently proportioned page1   
and with shoulder-notes instead of      
head-lines4 ,this book was published in 
,november1 #ahhi1 and its author        
declared it to be the best-looking book 
issued since the seventeenth century4   
,instead of large paper copies1 which   
had been found unsatisfactory in the    
case of ,the ,house of the ,wolfings1   
two hundred and fifty copies were       
printed on ,whatman paper of about the  
same size as the paper of the ordinary  
copies4 ,a small stock of this paper    
remained over1 and in order to dispose  
of it seventy-five copies of the        
translation of the ,gunnlaug ,saga1     
which first appeared in the ,fortnightly
 ,review of ,january1 #ahfi1 and        
afterwards in ,three ,northern ,love    
,stories1 were printed at the ,chiswick 
,press4 ,the type used was a            
black-letter copied from one of         

,caxton's founts1 and the initials were 
left blank to be rubricated by hand4    
,three copies were printed on vellum4   
,this little book was not however       
finished until ,november1 #ahij4        
,illustration3 ,ornaments designed and  
engraved for ,love is ,enough4          
,meanwhile ,william ,morris had resolved
 to design a type of his own4           
,immediately after ,the ,roots of the   
,mountains appeared1 he set to work upon
 it1 and in ,december1 #ahhi1 he asked  
,mr4 ,walker to go into partnership with
 him as a printer4 ,this offer was      
declined by ,mr4 ,walker2 but1 though   
not concerned with the financial side of
 the enterprise1 he was virtually a     
partner in the ,kelmscott ,press from   
its first beginnings to its end1 and no 
important step was taken without his    
advice and approval4 ,indeed1 the       
original intention was to have the books
 set up in ,hammersmith and printed at  
his office in ,clifford's ,inn4 ,it was 
at this time that ,william ,morris began

 to collect the medival books of which  
he formed so fine a library in the next 
six years4 ,he had made a small         
collection of such books years before1  
but had parted with most of them1 to his
 great regret4 ,he now bought with the  
definite purpose of studying the type   
and methods of the early printers4      
,among the first books so acquired was a
 copy of ,leonard of ,arezzo's ,history 
of ,florence1 printed at ,venice by     
,jacobus ,rubeus in #adgf1 in a ,roman  
type very similar to that of ,nicholas  
,jenson4 ,parts of this book and of     
,jenson's ,pliny of #adgf were enlarged 
by photography in order to bring out    
more clearly the characteristics of the 
various letters2 and having mastered    
both their virtues and defects1 ,william
 ,morris proceeded to design the fount  
of type which1 in the list of ,december1
 #ahib1 he named the ,golden type1 from 
,the ,golden ,legend1 which was to have 
been the first book printed with it4    
,this fount consists of eighty-one      

designs1 including stops1 figures1 and  
tied letters4 ,the lower case alphabet  
was finished in a few months4 ,the first
 letter having been cut in ,great       
,primer size by ,mr4 ,prince1 was       
thought too large1 and ',english' was   
the size resolved upon4 ,by the middle  
of ,august1 #ahij1 eleven punches had   
been cut4 ,at the end of the year the   
fount was all but complete4  ,on ,jan4  
#abth1 #ahia1 a cottage1 ,no4 #af1      
,upper ,mall1 was taken4 ,mr4 ,william  
,bowden1 a retired master-printer1 had  
already been engaged to act as          
compositor and pressman4 ,enough type   
was then cast for a trial page1 which   
was set up and printed on ,saturday1    
,jan4 #cast1 on a sample of the paper   
that was being made for the ,press by   
,j4 ,batchelor and ,son4 ,about a       
fortnight later ten reams of paper were 
delivered4 ,on ,feb4 #ahth a good supply
 of type followed4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,h4 ,bowden1
 who subsequently became overseer1 then 
joined his father as compositor1 and the

 first chapters of ,the ,glittering     
,plain were set up4 ,the first sheet    
appears to have been printed on ,march  
#bnd1 when the staff was increased to   
three by the addition of a pressman     
named ,giles1 who left as soon as the   
book was finished4 ,a friend who saw    
,william ,morris on the day after the   
printing of the page above mentioned    
recalls his elation at the success of   
his new type4 ,the first volume of the  
,saga ,library1 a creditable piece of   
printing1 was brought out and put beside
 this trial page1 which much more than  
held its own4 ,the poet then declared   
his intention to set to work immediately
 on a black-letter fount2 illness1      
however1 intervened and it was not begun
 until ,june4 ,the lower case alphabet  
was finished by the beginning of        
,august1 with the exception of the tied 
letters1 the designs for which1 with    
those for the capitals1 were sent to    
,mr4 ,prince on ,september #aath4 ,early
 in ,november enough type was cast for  

two trial pages1 the one consisting of  
twenty-six lines of ,chaucer's          
,franklin's ,tale and the other of      
sixteen lines of ,sigurd the ,volsung4  
,in each of these a capital ,i is used  
that was immediately discarded4 ,on the 
last day of #ahia the full stock of     
,troy type was despatched from the      
foundry4 ,its first appearance was in a 
paragraph1 announcing the book from     
which it took its name1 in the list     
dated ,may1 #ahib4  ,this ,troy type1   
which its designer preferred to either  
of the others1 shows the influence of   
the beautiful early types of ,peter     
,schoeffer of ,mainz1 ,gunther ,zainer  
of ,augsburg1 and ,anthony ,koburger of 
,nuremberg2 but1 even more than the     
,golden type1 it has a strong character 
of its own1 which differs largely from  
that of any medival fount4 ,it has      
recently been pirated abroad1 and is    
advertised by an enterprising ,german   
firm as ',die amerikanische             
,triumph-,gothisch4' ,the ,golden type  

has perhaps fared worse in being        
remodelled in the ,united ,states1      
whence1 with much of its character lost1
 it has found its way back to ,england  
under the names ',venetian1' ',italian1'
 and ',jenson4' ,it is strange that no  
one has yet had the good sense to have  
the actual type of ,nicholas ,jenson    
reproduced4  ,the third type used at the
 ,kelmscott ,press1 called the          
',chaucer1' differs from the ,troy type 
only in size1 being ,pica instead of    
,great ,primer4 ,it was cut by ,mr4     
,prince between ,february and ,may1     
#ahib1 and was ready in ,june4 ,its     
first appearance is in the list of      
chapters and glossary of ,the ,recuyell 
of the ,historyes of ,troye1 which was  
issued on ,november #bdth1 #ahib4  ,on  
,june #bnd of that year1 ,william       
,morris wrote to ,mr4 ,prince3 ',i      
believe in about three months' time ,i  
shall be ready with a new set of        
sketches for a fount of type on ,english
 body4' ,these sketches were not        

forthcoming2 but on ,nov4 #eth1 #ahib1  
he bought a copy of ,augustinus ,de     
,civitate ,dei1 printed at the          
,monastery of ,subiaco near ,rome by    
,sweynheym and ,pannartz1 with a rather 
compressed type1 which appears in only  
three known books4 ,he at once designed 
a lower case alphabet on this model1 but
 was not satisfied with it and did not  
have it cut4 ,this was his last actual  
experiment in the designing of type1    
though he sometimes talked of designing 
a new fount1 and of having the ,golden  
type cut in a larger size4  ,next in    
importance to the type are the initials1
 borders1 and ornaments designed by     
,william ,morris4 ,the first book       
contains a single recto border and      
twenty different initials4 ,in the next 
book1 ,poems by the ,way1 the number of 
different initials is fifty-nine4 ,these
 early initials1 many of which were soon
 discarded1 are for the most part       
suggestive1 like the first border1 of   
the ornament in ,italian manuscripts of 

the fifteenth century4 ,in ,blunt's     
,love ,lyrics there are seven letters of
 a new alphabet1 with backgrounds of    
naturalesque grapes and vine leaves1 the
 result of a visit to ,beauvais1 where  
the great porches are carved with vines1
 in ,august1 #ahia4 ,from that time     
onwards fresh designs were constantly   
added1 the tendency being always towards
 larger foliage and lighter backgrounds1
 as the early initials were found to be 
sometimes too dark for the type4 ,the   
total number of initials of various     
sizes designed for the ,kelmscott       
,press1 including a few that were       
engraved but never used1 is three       
hundred and eighty-four4 ,of the letter 
,t alone there are no less than         
thirty-four varieties4  ,the total      
number of different borders engraved for
 the ,press1 including one that was not 
used1 but excluding the three borders   
designed for ,the ,earthly ,paradise by 
,r4 ,catterson-,smith1 is fifty-seven4  
,the first book to contain a marginal   

ornament1 other than these full borders1
 was ,the ,defence of ,guenevere1 which 
has a half-border on p4 #gd4 ,there are 
two others in the preface to ,the       
,golden ,legend4 ,the ,recuyell of the  
,historyes of ,troye is the first book  
in which there is a profusion of such   
ornament4 ,one hundred and eight        
different designs for marginal ornaments
 were engraved4 ,besides the above-named
 designs1 there are seven frames for the
 pictures in ,the ,glittering ,plain1   
one frame for those in a projected      
edition of ,the ,house of the ,wolfings1
 nineteen frames for the pictures in the
 ,chaucer 7one of which was not used in 
the book71 twenty-eight title-pages and 
inscriptions1 twenty-six large initial  
words for the ,chaucer1 seven initial   
words for ,the ,well at the ,world's    
,end and ,the ,water of the ,wondrous   
,isles1 four line-endings1 and three    
printer's marks1 making a total of six  
hundred and forty-four designs by       
,william ,morris1 drawn and engraved    

within seven years4 ,all the initials   
and ornaments that recur were printed   
from electrotypes1 while most of the    
title-pages and initial words were      
printed direct from the wood4 ,the      
illustrations by ,sir ,edward           
,burne-,jones1 ,walter ,crane1 and ,c4  
,m4 ,gere were also1 with one or two    
exceptions1 printed from the wood4 ,the 
original designs by ,sir ,e4            
,burne-,jones were nearly all in pencil1
 and were redrawn in ink by ,r4         
,catterson-,smith1 and in a few cases by
 ,c4 ,fairfax ,murray2 they were then   
revised by the artist and transferred to
 the wood by means of photography4 ,the 
twelve designs by ,a4 ,j4 ,gaskin for   
,spenser's ,shepheardes ,calender1 the  
map in ,the ,sundering ,flood1 and the  
thirty-five reproductions in ,some      
,german ,woodcuts of the ,fifteenth     
,century1 were printed from process     
blocks4  ,all the wood blocks for       
initials1 ornaments1 and illustrations1 
were engraved by ,w4 ,h4 ,hooper1 ,c4   

,e4 ,keates1 and ,w4 ,spielmeyer1 except
 the twenty-three blocks for ,the       
,glittering ,plain1 which were engraved 
by ,a4 ,leverett1 and a few of the      
earliest initials1 engraved by ,g4 ,f4  
,campfield4 ,the whole of these wood    
blocks have been sent to the ,british   
,museum1 and have been accepted with a  
condition that they shall not be        
reproduced or printed from for the space
 of a hundred years4 ,the electrotypes  
have been destroyed4 ,in taking this    
course1 which was sanctioned by ,william
 ,morris when the matter was talked of  
shortly before his death1 the aim of the
 trustees has been to keep the series of
 ,kelmscott ,press books as a thing     
apart1 and to prevent the designs       
becoming stale by constant repetition4  
,many of them have been stolen and      
parodied in ,america1 but in this       
country they are fortunately copyright4 
,the type remains in the hands of the   
trustees1 and will be used for the      
printing of its designer's works1 should

 special editions be called for4 ,other 
books of which he would have approved   
may also be printed with it2 the absence
 of initials and ornament will always   
distinguish them sufficiently from the  
books printed at the ,kelmscott ,press4 
,the nature of the ,english hand-made   
paper used at the ,press has been       
described by ,william ,morris in the    
foregoing article4 ,it was at first     
supplied in sheets of which the         
dimensions were sixteen inches by       
eleven4 ,each sheet had as a watermark a
 conventional primrose between the      
initials ,w4 ,m4 ,as stated above1 ,the 
,golden ,legend was to have been the    
first book put in hand1 but as only two 
pages could have been printed at a time1
 and this would have made it very       
costly1 paper of double the size was    
ordered for this work1 and ,the ,story  
of the ,glittering ,plain was begun     
instead4 ,this book is a small quarto1  
as are its five immediate successors1   
each sheet being folded twice4 ,the last

 ream of the smaller size of paper was  
used on ,the ,order of ,chivalry4 ,all  
the other volumes of that series are    
printed in octavo1 on paper of the      
double size4 ,for the ,chaucer a stouter
 and slightly larger paper was needed4  
,this has for its watermark a ,perch    
with a spray in its mouth4 ,many of the 
large quarto books were printed on this 
paper1 of which the first two reams were
 delivered in ,february1 #ahic4 ,only   
one other size of paper was used at the 
,kelmscott ,press4 ,the watermark of    
this is an ,apple1 with the initials ,w4
 ,m41 as in the other two watermarks4   
,the books printed on this paper are    
,the ,earthly ,paradise1 ,the ,floure   
and the ,leafe1 ,the ,shepheardes       
,calender1 and ,sigurd the ,volsung4    
,the last-named is a folio1 and the open
 book shows the size of the sheet1 which
 is about eighteen inches by thirteen4  
,the first supply of this ,apple paper  
was delivered on ,march #ae1 #ahie4     
,except in the case of ,blunt's ,love   

,lyrics1 ,the ,nature of ,gothic1       
,biblia ,innocentium1 ,the ,golden      
,legend1 and ,the ,book of ,wisdom and  
,lies1 a few copies of all the books    
were printed on vellum4 ,the six copies 
of ,the ,glittering ,plain were printed 
on very fine vellum obtained from ,rome1
 of which it was impossible to get a    
second supply as it was all required by 
the ,vatican4 ,the vellum for the other 
books1 except for two or three copies of
 ,poems by the ,way1 which were on the  
,roman vellum1 was supplied by ,h4 ,band
 of ,brentford1 and by ,w4 ,j4 ,turney  
,co4 of ,stourbridge4 ,there are three  
complete vellum sets in existence1 and  
the extreme difficulty of completing a  
set after the copies are scattered1     
makes it unlikely that there will ever  
be a fourth4  ,the black ink which      
proved most satisfactory1 after that of 
more than one ,english firm had been    
tried1 was obtained from ,hanover4      
,william ,morris often spoke of making  
his own ink1 in order to be certain of  

the ingredients1 but his intention was  
never carried out4  ,the binding of the 
books in vellum and in half-holland was 
from the first done by ,j4  ,j4         
,leighton4 ,most of the vellum used was 
white1 or nearly so1 but ,william       
,morris himself preferred it dark1 and  
the skins showing brown hair-marks were 
reserved for the binding of his own     
copies of the books4 ,the silk ties of  
four colours1 red1 blue1 yellow1 and    
green1 were specially woven and dyed4   
,in the following section fifty-two     
works1 in sixty-six volumes1 are        
described as having been printed at the 
,kelmscott ,press1 besides the two pages
 of ,froissart's ,chronicles4 ,it is    
scarcely necessary to add that only hand
 presses have been used1 of the type    
known as ',albion4' ,in the early days  
there was only one press on which the   
books were printed1 besides a small     
press for taking proofs4 ,at the end of 
,may1 #ahia1 larger premises were taken 
at #ad1 ,upper ,mall1 next door to the  

cottage already referred to1 which was  
given up in ,june4 ,in ,november1 #ahia1
 a second press was bought1 as ,the     
,golden ,legend was not yet half        
finished1 and it seemed as though the   
last of its #abhf pages would never be  
reached4 ,three years later another     
small house was taken1 ,no4 #ad being   
still retained4 ,this was ,no4 #ba1     
,upper ,mall1 overlooking the river1    
which acted as a reflector1 so that     
there was an excellent light for        
printing4 ,in ,january1 #ahie1 a third  
press1 specially made for the work1 was 
set up here in order that two presses   
might be employed on the ,chaucer4 ,this
 press has already passed into other    
hands1 and the little house1 with its   
many associations1 and its pleasant     
outlook towards ,chiswick and ,mortlake1
 is now being transformed into a        
granary4 ,the last sheet printed there  
was that on which are the frontispiece  
and title of this book4  #ad1 ,upper    
,mall1 ,hammersmith1 ,january #d1 #ahih4

   ,,an ,,annotated ,,list ,,of ,,all   
,,the ,,books ,,printed ,,at ,,the      
,,kelmscott ,,press ,,in ,,the ,,order  
,,in ,,which ,,they ,,were ,,issued4    
,note3 ,the borders are numbered as far 
as possible in the order of their first 
appearance1 those which appear on a     
verso or left hand page being           
distinguished by the addition of the    
letter 'a' to the numbers of the recto  
borders of similar design4  #a4 ,,the   
,,story ,,of ,,the ,,glittering ,,plain4
 ,,which ,,has ,,been ,,also ,,called   
,,the ,,land ,,of ,,living ,,men ,,or   
,,the ,,acre ,,of ,,the ,,undying4      
,,written ,,by ,,william ,,morris4      
,small #dto4 ,golden type4 ,border #a4  
#bjj paper copies at two guineas1 and #f
 on vellum4 ,dated ,april #d1 issued    
,may #h1 #ahia4 ,sold by ,reeves        
,turner4 ,bound in stiff vellum with    
washleather ties4  ,this book was set up
 from ,nos4 #ha-d of the ,english       
,illustrated ,magazine1 in which it     
first appeared2 some of the chapter     

headings were re-arranged1 and a few    
small corrections were made in the text4
 ,a trial page1 the first printed at the
 ,press1 was struck off on ,january #ca1
 #ahia1 but the first sheet was not     
printed until about a month later4 ,the 
border was designed in ,january of the  
same year1 and engraved by ,w4 ,h4      
,hooper4 ,mr4 ,morris had four of the   
vellum copies bound in green vellum1    
three of which he gave to friends4 ,only
 two copies on vellum were sold1 at     
twelve and fifteen guineas4 ,this was   
the only book with washleather ties4    
,all the other vellum-bound books have  
silk ties1 except ,shelley's ,poems and 
,hand and ,soul1 which have no ties4    
#b4 ,,poems ,,by ,,the ,,way4 ,,written 
,,by ,,william ,,morris4 ,small #dto4   
,golden type4 ,in black and red4 ,border
 #a4 #cjj paper copies at two guineas1  
#ac on vellum at about twelve guineas4  
,dated ,sept4 #bd1 issued ,oct4 #bj1    
#ahia4 ,sold by ,reeves  ,turner4 ,bound
 in stiff vellum4  ,this was the first  

book printed at the ,kelmscott ,press in
 two colours1 and the first book in     
which the smaller printer's mark        
appeared4 ,after ,the ,glittering ,plain
 was finished1 at the beginning of      
,april1 no printing was done until ,may 
#aa4 ,in the meanwhile the compositors  
were busy setting up the early sheets of
 ,the ,golden ,legend4 ,the printing of 
,poems by the ,way1 which its author    
first thought of calling ,flores        
,atramenti1 was not begun until ,july4  
,the poems in it were written at various
 times4 ,in the manuscript1 ,hafbur and 
,signy is dated ,february #d1 #ahgj2    
,hildebrand and ,hillilel1 ,march #a1   
#ahga2 and ,love's ,reward1 ,kelmscott1 
,april #ba1 #ahga4 ,meeting in ,winter  
is a song from ,the ,story of ,orpheus1 
an unpublished poem intended for ,the   
,earthly ,paradise4 ,the last poem in   
the book1 ,goldilocks and ,goldilocks1  
was written on ,may #bj1 #ahia1 for the 
purpose of adding to the bulk of the    
volume1 which was then being prepared4  

,a few of the vellum covers were stained
 at ,merton red1 yellow1 indigo1 and    
dark green1 but the experiment was not  
successful4  #c4 ,,the ,,love-,,lyrics  
,,and ,,songs ,,of ,,proteus ,,by       
,,wilfrid ,,scawen ,,blunt ,,with ,,the 
,,love-,,sonnets ,,of ,,proteus ,,by    
,,the ,,same ,,author ,,now ,,reprinted 
,,in ,,their ,,full ,,text ,,with ,,many
 ,,sonnets ,,omitted ,,from ,,the       
,,earlier ,,editions4 ,,london          
,,mdcccxcii4 ,small #dto4 ,golden type4 
,in black and red4 ,border #a4 #cjj     
paper copies at two guineas1 none on    
vellum4 ,dated ,jan4 #bf1 issued ,feb4  
#bg1 #ahib4 ,sold by ,reeves  ,turner4  
,bound in stiff vellum4  ,this is the   
only book in which the initials are     
printed in red4 ,this was done by the   
author's wish4  #d4 ,,the ,,nature ,,of 
,,gothic ,a ,,chapter ,,of ,,the        
,,stones ,,of ,,venice4 ,,by ,,john     
,,ruskin4 ,with a preface by ,william   
,morris4 ,small #dto4 ,golden type4     
,border #a4 ,diagrams in text4 #ejj     

paper copies at thirty shillings1 none  
on vellum4 ,dated in preface ,february  
#ae1 issued ,march #bb1 #ahib4          
,published by ,george ,allen4 ,bound in 
stiff vellum4  ,this chapter of the     
,stones of ,venice1 which ,ruskin always
 considered the most important in the   
book1 was first printed separately in   
#ahed as a sixpenny pamphlet4 ,mr4      
,morris paid more than one tribute to it
 in ,hopes and ,fears for ,art4 ,of him 
,ruskin said in #ahhg1 ',morris is      
beaten gold4'  #e4 ,,the ,,defence ,,of 
,,guenevere1 ,,and ,,other ,,poems4 ,,by
 ,,william ,,morris4 ,small #dto4       
,golden type4 ,in black and red4        
,borders #b and #a4 #cjj paper copies at
 two guineas1 ten on vellum at about    
twelve guineas4 ,dated ,april #b1 issued
 ,may #ai1 #ahib4 ,sold by ,reeves      
,turner4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this  
book was set up from a copy of the      
edition published by ,reeves  ,turner in
 #ahhi1 the only alteration1 except a   
few corrections1 being in the #aath line

 of ,summer ,dawn4 ,it is divided into  
three parts1 the poems suggested by     
,malory's ,morte d',arthur1 the poems   
inspired by ,froissart's ,chronicles1   
and poems on various subjects4 ,the two 
first sections have borders1 and the    
last has a half-border4 ,the first sheet
 was printed on ,february #ag1 #ahib4   
,it was the first book bound in limp    
vellum1 and the only one of which the   
title was inscribed by hand on the back4
  #f4 ,a ,,dream ,,of ,,john ,,ball     
,,and ,a ,,king',s ,,lesson4 ,,by       
,,william ,,morris4 ,small #dto4 ,golden
 type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #c;a1
 #d1 and #b4 ,with a woodcut designed by
 ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones4 #cjj paper     
copies at thirty shillings1 eleven on   
vellum at ten guineas4 ,dated ,may #ac1 
issued ,sept4 #bd1 #ahib4 ,sold by      
,reeves  ,turner4 ,bound in limp vellum4
  ,this was set up with a few           
alterations from a copy of ,reeves      
,turner's third edition1 and the        
printing was begun on ,april #d1 #ahib4 

,the frontispiece was redrawn from that 
to the first edition1 and engraved on   
wood by ,w4 ,h4 ,hooper1 who engraved   
all ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones' designs for 
the ,kelmscott ,press1 except those for 
,the ,wood beyond the ,world and ,the   
,life and ,death of ,jason4 ,the        
inscription below the figures1 and the  
narrow border1 were designed by ,mr4    
,morris1 and engraved with the picture  
on one block1 which was afterwards used 
on a leaflet printed for the ,ancoats   
,brotherhood in ,february1 #ahid4  #g4  
,,the ,,golden ,,legend4 ,by ,jacobus de
 ,voragine4 ,translated by ,william     
,caxton4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis4 #c  
vols4 ,large #dto4 ,golden type4        
,borders #e;a1 #e1 #f;a1 and #g4        
,woodcut title and two woodcuts designed
 by ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones4 #ejj paper  
copies at five guineas1 none on vellum4 
,dated ,sept4 #ab1 issued ,nov4 #c1     
#ahib4 ,published by ,bernard ,quaritch4
 ,bound in half-holland1 with paper     
labels printed in the ,troy type4  ,in  

,july1 #ahij1 when only a few letters of
 the ,golden type had been cut1 ,mr4    
,morris bought a copy of this book1     
printed by ,wynkyn de ,worde in #aebg4  
,he soon afterwards determined to print 
it1 and on ,sept4 #aa entered into a    
formal agreement with ,mr4 ,quaritch for
 its publication4 ,it was only an       
unforeseen difficulty about the size of 
the first stock of paper that led to    
,the ,golden ,legend not being the first
 book put in hand4 ,it was set up from a
 transcript of ,caxton's first edition1 
lent by the ,syndics of the ,cambridge  
,university ,library for the purpose4 ,a
 trial page was got out in ,march1      
#ahia1 and #ej pages were in type by    
,may #aa1 the day on which the first    
sheet was printed4 ,the first volume was
 finished1 with the exception of the    
illustrations and the preliminary       
matter1 in ,oct41 #ahia4 ,the two       
illustrations and the title 7which was  
the first woodcut title designed by ,mr4
 ,morris7 were not engraved until ,june 

and ,august1 #ahib1 when the third      
volume was approaching completion4      
,about half a dozen impressions of the  
illustrations were pulled on vellum4 ,a 
slip asking owners of the book not to   
have it bound with pressure1 nor to have
 the edges cut instead of merely        
trimmed1 was inserted in each copy4  #h4
 ,,the ,,recuyell ,,of ,,the ,,historyes
 ,,of ,,troye4 ,by ,raoul ,lefevre4     
,translated by ,william ,caxton4 ,edited
 by ,h4 ,halliday ,sparling4 #b vols4   
,large #dto4 ,troy type1 with table of  
chapters and glossary in ,chaucer type4 
,in black and red4 ,borders #e;a1 #e1   
and #h4 ,woodcut title4 #cjj paper      
copies at nine guineas1 five on vellum  
at eighty pounds4 ,dated ,oct4 #ad1     
issued ,nov4 #bd1 #ahib4 ,published by  
,bernard ,quaritch4 ,bound in limp      
vellum4  ,this book1 begun in ,february1
 #ahib1 is the first book printed in    
,troy type1 and the first in which      
,chaucer type appears4 ,it is a reprint 
of the first book printed in ,english4  

,it had long been a favourite with      
,william ,morris1 who designed a great  
quantity of initials and ornaments for  
it1 and wrote the following note for    
,mr4 ,quaritch's catalogue3 ',as to the 
matter of the book1 it makes a          
thoroughly amusing story1 instinct with 
medival thought and manners4 ,for though
 written at the end of the ,middle ,ages
 and dealing with classical mythology1  
it has in it no token of the coming     
,renaissance1 but is merely medival4 ,it
 is the last issue of that story of     
,troy which through the whole of the    
,middle ,ages had such a hold on men's  
imaginations2 the story built up from a 
rumour of the ,cyclic ,poets1 of the    
heroic ,city of ,troy1 defended by      
,priam and his gallant sons1 led by     
,hector the ,preux ,chevalier1 and beset
 by the violent and brutal ,greeks1 who 
were looked on as the necessary         
machinery for bringing about the        
undeniable tragedy of the fall of the   
city4 ,surely this is well worth        

reading1 if only as a piece of undiluted
 medivalism4' #bjjj copies of a #dto    
announcement1 with specimen pages1 were 
printed at the ,kelmscott ,press in     
,december1 #ahib1 for distribution by   
the publisher4  #i4 ,,biblia            
,,innocentium3 ,,being ,,the ,,story    
,,of ,,god',s ,,chosen ,,people ,,before
 ,,the ,,coming ,,of ,,our ,,lord       
,,jesus ,,christ ,,upon ,,earth1        
,,written ,,anew ,,for ,,children ,,by  
,j4 ,w4 ,,mackail1 ,,sometime ,,fellow  
,,of ,,balliol ,,college1 ,,oxford4     
#hvo4 ,border #b4 #bjj on paper at a    
guinea1 none on vellum4 ,dated ,oct4    
#bb1 issued ,dec4 #i1 #ahib4 ,sold by   
,reeves  ,turner4 ,bound in stiff       
vellum4  ,this was the last book issued 
in stiff vellum except ,hand and ,soul1 
and the last with untrimmed edges4 ,it  
was the first book printed in #hvo4     
#aj4 ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,reynard     
,,the ,,foxe ,,by ,,william ,,caxton4   
,reprinted from his edition of #adha4   
,edited by ,h4 ,halliday ,sparling4     

,large #dto4 ,troy type1 with glossary  
in ,chaucer type4 ,in black and red4    
,borders #e;a and #g4 ,woodcut title4   
#cjj on paper at three guineas1 #aj on  
vellum at fifteen guineas4 ,dated ,dec4 
#ae1 #ahib1 issued ,jan4 #be1 #ahic4    
,published by ,bernard ,quaritch4 ,bound
 in limp vellum4  ,about this book1     
which was first announced as in the     
press in the list dated ,july1 #ahib1   
,william ,morris wrote the following    
note for ,mr4 ,quaritch's catalogue3    
',this translation of ,caxton's is one  
of the very best of his works as to     
style2 and being translated from a      
kindred tongue is delightful as mere    
language4 ,in its rude joviality1 and   
simple and direct delineation of        
character1 it is a thoroughly good      
representative of the famous ancient    
,beast ,epic4' ,the edges of this book1 
and of all subsequent books1 were       
trimmed in accordance with the          
invariable practice of the early        
printers4 ,mr4 ,morris much preferred   

the trimmed edges4  #aa4 ,,the ,,poems  
,,of ,,william ,,shakespeare1 ,,printed 
,,after ,,the ,,original ,,copies ,,of  
,,venus ,,and ,,adonis1 #aeic4 ,,the    
,,rape ,,of ,,lucrece1 #aeid4 ,,sonnets1
 #afji4 ,,the ,,lover',s ,,complaint4   
,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis4 #hvo4 ,golden
 type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #a   
and #b4 #ejj paper copies at #be        
shillings1 #aj on vellum at ten guineas4
 ,dated ,jan4 #ag1 issued ,feb4 #ac1    
#ahic4 ,sold by ,reeves  ,turner4 ,bound
 in limp vellum4  ,a trial page of this 
book was set up on ,nov4 #a1 #ahib4     
,though the number was large1 this has  
become one of the rarest books issued   
from the ,press4  #ab4 ,,news ,,from    
,,nowhere3 ,,or1 ,,an ,,epoch ,,of      
,,rest1 ,,being ,,some ,,chapters ,,from
 ,a ,,utopian ,,romance1 ,,by ,,william 
,,morris4 #hvo4 ,golden type4 ,in black 
and red4 ,borders #i;a and #d1 and a    
woodcut engraved by ,w4 ,h4 ,hooper from
 a design by ,c4 ,m4 ,gere4 #cjj on     
paper at two guineas1 #aj on vellum at  

ten guineas4 ,dated ,nov4 #bb1 #ahib1   
issued ,march #bd1 #ahic4 ,sold by      
,reeves  ,turner4 ,bound in limp vellum4
  ,the text of this book was printed    
before ,shakespeare's ,poems and        
,sonnets1 but it was kept back for the  
frontispiece1 which is a picture of the 
old manor-house in the village of       
,kelmscott by the upper ,thames1 from   
which the ,press took its name4 ,it was 
set up from a copy of one of ,reeves    
,turner's editions1 and in reading it   
for the press the author made a few     
slight corrections4 ,it was the last    
except the ,savonarola 7,no4 #ca7 in    
which he used the old paragraph mark    
which was discarded in favour of the    
leaves1 which had already been used in  
the two large #dto books printed in the 
,troy type4  #ac4 ,,the ,,order ,,of    
,,chivalry4 ,translated from the ,french
 by ,william ,caxton and reprinted from 
his edition of #adhd4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4
 ,ellis4 ,and ,l',,ordene ,,de          
,,chevalerie1 ,,with ,,translation ,,by 

,,william ,,morris4 ,small #dto4        
,chaucer type1 in black and red4        
,borders #i;a and #d1 and a woodcut     
designed by ,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones4 
#bbe on paper at thirty shillings1 #aj  
on vellum at ten guineas4 ,the ,order of
 ,chivalry dated ,nov4 #aj1 #ahib1      
,l',ordene de ,chevalerie dated         
,february #bd1 #ahic1 issued ,april #ab1
 #ahic4 ,sold by ,reeves  ,turner4      
,bound in limp vellum4  ,this was the   
last book printed in small #dto4 ,the   
last section is in #hvo4 ,it was the    
first book printed in ,chaucer type4    
,the reprint from ,caxton was finished  
while ,news from ,nowhere was in the    
press1 and before ,shakespeare's ,poems 
and ,sonnets was begun4 ,the ,french    
poem and its translation were added as  
an after-thought1 and have a separate   
colophon4 ,some of the three-line       
initials1 which were designed for ,the  
,well at the ,world's ,end1 are used in 
the ,french poem1 and this is their     
first appearance4 ,the translation was  

begun on ,dec4 #c1 #ahib1 and the border
 round the frontispiece was designed on 
,feb4 #ac1 #ahic4  #ad4 ,,the ,,life    
,,of ,,thomas ,,wolsey1 ,,cardinal      
,,archbishop ,,of ,,york1 ,,written ,,by
 ,,george ,,cavendish4 ,edited by ,f4   
,s4 ,ellis from the author's autograph  
,,ms4 #hvo4 ,golden type4 ,border #a4   
#bej on paper at two guineas1 #f on     
vellum at ten guineas4 ,dated ,march    
#cj1 issued ,may #c1 #ahic4 ,sold by    
,reeves  ,turner4 ,bound in limp vellum4
  #ae4 ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,godefrey  
,,of ,,boloyne ,,and ,,of ,,the         
,,conquest ,,of ,,iherusalem4 ,reprinted
 from ,caxton's edition of #adha4       
,edited by ,h4 ,halliday ,sparling4     
,large #dto4 ,troy type1 with list of   
chapter headings and glossary in        
,chaucer type4 ,in black and red4       
,borders #e;a and #e1 and woodcut title4
 #cjj on paper at six guineas1 #f on    
vellum at #bj guineas4 ,dated ,april    
#bg1 issued ,may #bd1 #ahic4 ,published 
by ,william ,morris at the ,kelmscott   

,press4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this   
was the fifth and last of the ,caxton   
reprints1 with many new ornaments and   
initials1 and a new printer's mark4 ,it 
was first announced as in the press in  
the list dated ,dec41 #ahib4 ,it was the
 first book published and sold at the   
,kelmscott ,press4 ,an announcement and 
order form1 with two different specimen 
pages1 was printed at the ,press1       
besides a special invoice4 ,a few copies
 were bound in half holland1 not for    
sale4  #af4 ,,utopia1 ,,written ,,by    
,,sir ,,thomas ,,more4 ,a reprint of the
 #bnd edition of ,ralph ,robinson's     
translation1 with a foreword by ,william
 ,morris4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis4    
#hvo4 ,chaucer type1 with the reprinted 
title in ,troy type4 ,in black and red4 
,borders #d and #b4 #cjj on paper at    
thirty shillings1 #h on vellum at ten   
guineas4 ,dated ,august #d1 issued      
,september #h1 #ahic4 ,sold by ,reeves  
,turner4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this  
book was first announced as in the press

 in the list dated ,may #bj1 #ahic4     
#ag4 ,,maud1 ,a ,,monodrama4 ,,by       
,,alfred ,,lord ,,tennyson4 #hvo4       
,golden type4 ,in black and red4        
,borders #aj;a and #aj1 and woodcut     
title4 #ejj on paper at two guineas1 #e 
on vellum not for sale4 ,dated ,aug4    
#aa1 issued ,sept4 #cj1 #ahic4          
,published by ,macmillan  ,co4 ,bound in
 limp vellum4  ,the borders were        
specially designed for this book4 ,they 
were both used again in the ,keats1 and 
one of them appears in ,the ,sundering  
,flood4 ,it is the first of the #hvo    
books with a woodcut title4  #ah4       
,,gothic ,,architecture3 ,a ,,lecture   
,,for ,,the ,,arts ,,and ,,crafts       
,,exhibition ,,society1 ,,by ,,william  
,,morris4 #afmo4 ,golden type4 ,in black
 and red4 #aejj on paper at two         
shillings and sixpence1 #de on vellum at
 ten and fifteen shillings4 ,bound in   
half holland4  ,this lecture was set up 
at ,hammersmith and printed at the ,new 
,gallery during the ,arts and ,crafts   

,exhibition in ,october and ,november1  
#ahic4 ,the first copies were ready on  
,october #ba1 and the book was twice    
reprinted before the ,exhibition closed4
 ,it was the first book printed in      
#afmo4 ,the four-line initials used in  
it appear here for the first time4 ,the 
vellum copies were sold during the      
,exhibition at ten shillings1 and the   
price was subsequently raised to fifteen
 shillings4  #ai4 ,,sidonia ,,the       
,,sorceress1 ,,by ,,william ,,meinhold1 
,,translated ,,by ,,francesca ,,speranza
 ,,lady ,,wilde4 ,large #dto4 ,golden   
type4 ,in black and red4 ,border #h4    
#cjj paper copies at four guineas1 #aj  
on vellum at twenty guineas4 ,dated     
,sept4 #ae1 issued ,november #a1 #ahic4 
,published by ,william ,morris4 ,bound  
in limp vellum4  ,before the publication
 of this book a large #dto announcement 
and order form was issued1 with a       
specimen page and an interesting        
description of the book and its author1 
written and signed by ,william ,morris4 

,some copies were bound in half holland1
 not for sale4  #bj4 ,,ballads ,,and    
,,narrative ,,poems ,,by ,,dante        
,,gabriel ,,rossetti4 #hvo4 ,golden     
type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #d;a  
and #d1 and woodcut title4 #caj on paper
 at two guineas1 #f on vellum at ten    
guineas4 ,dated ,oct4 #ad1 issued in    
,november1 #ahic4 ,published by ,ellis  
,elvey4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this   
book was announced as in preparation in 
the list of ,august #a1 #ahic4  #ba4    
,,the ,,tale ,,of ,,king ,,florus ,,and 
,,the ,,fair ,,jehane4 ,translated by   
,william ,morris from the ,french of the
 #acth century4 #afmo4 ,chaucer type4   
,in black and red4 ,borders #aa;a and   
#aa1 and woodcut title4 #cej on paper at
 seven shillings and sixpence1 #ae on   
vellum at thirty shillings4 ,dated ,dec4
 #af1 issued ,dec4 #bh1 #ahic4          
,published by ,william ,morris4 ,bound  
in half holland4  ,this story1 like the 
three other translations with which it  
is uniform1 was taken from a little     

volume called ,nouvelles ,franoises en  
prose du ,x,i,i,ie sicle4 ,paris1       
,jannet1 #ahef4 ,they were first        
announced as in preparation under the   
heading ',french ,tales' in the list    
dated ,may #bj1 #ahic4 ,eighty-five     
copies of ,king ,florus were bought by  
,j4 and ,m4 ,l4 ,tregaskis1 who had them
 bound in all parts of the world4 ,these
 are now in the ,rylands ,library at    
,manchester4  #bb4 ,,the ,,story ,,of   
,,the ,,glittering ,,plain ,,which ,,has
 ,,been ,,also ,,called ,,the ,,land    
,,of ,,living ,,men ,,or ,,the ,,acre   
,,of ,,the ,,undying4 ,,written ,,by    
,,william ,,morris4 ,large #dto4 ,troy  
type1 with list of chapters in ,chaucer 
type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #ab;a 
and #ab1 #bc designs by ,walter ,crane1 
engraved by ,a4 ,leverett1 and a woodcut
 title4 #bej on paper at five guineas1  
#g on vellum at twenty pounds4 ,dated   
,jan4 #ac1 issued ,feb4 #ag1 #ahid4     
,published by ,william ,morris4 ,bound  
in limp vellum4  ,neither the borders in

 this book nor six out of the seven     
frames round the illustrations appear in
 any other book4 ,the seventh is used   
round the second picture in ,love is    
,enough4 ,a few copies were bound in    
half holland4  #bc4 ,,of ,,the          
,,friendship ,,of ,,amis ,,and ,,amile4 
,done out of the ancient ,french by     
,william ,morris4 #afmo4 ,chaucer type4 
,in black and red4 ,borders #aa;a and   
#aa1 and woodcut title4 #ejj on paper at
 seven shillings and sixpence1 #ae on   
vellum at thirty shillings4 ,dated      
,march #ac1 issued ,april #d1 #ahid4    
,published by ,william ,morris4 ,bound  
in half holland4  ,a poem entitled ,amys
 and ,amillion1 founded on this story1  
was originally to have appeared in the  
second volume of ,the ,earthly          
,paradise1 but1 like some other poems   
announced at the same time1 it was not  
included in the book4  #bj;a4 ,,sonnets 
,,and ,,lyrical ,,poems ,,by ,,dante    
,,gabriel ,,rossetti4 #hvo4 ,golden     
type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #a;a  

and #a1 and woodcut title4 #caj on paper
 at two guineas1 #f on vellum at ten    
guineas4 ,dated ,feb4 #bj1 issued ,april
 #ba1 #ahid4 ,published by ,ellis       
,elvey4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this   
book is uniform with ,no4 #bj1 to which 
it forms a sequel4 ,both volumes were   
read for the press by ,mr4 ,w4 ,m4      
,rossetti4  #bd4 ,,the ,,poems ,,of     
,,john ,,keats4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4      
,ellis4 #hvo4 ,golden type4 ,in black   
and red4 ,borders #aj;a and #aj1 and    
woodcut title4 #cjj on paper at thirty  
shillings1 #g on vellum at nine guineas4
 ,dated ,march #g1 issued ,may #h1      
#ahid4 ,published by ,william ,morris4  
,bound in limp vellum4  ,this is now    
7,jan41 #ahih7 the most sought after of 
all the smaller ,kelmscott ,press books4
 ,it was announced as in preparation in 
the lists of ,may #bg and ,august #a1   
#ahic1 and as in the press in that of   
,march #ca1 #ahid1 when the woodcut     
title still remained to be printed4     
#be4 ,,atalanta ,,in ,,calydon3 ,a      

,,tragedy4 ,,by ,,algernon ,,charles    
,,swinburne4 ,large #dto4 ,troy type1   
with argument and dramatis person in    
,chaucer type2 the dedication and       
quotation from ,euripides in ,greek type
 designed by ,selwyn ,image4 ,in black  
and red4 ,borders #e;a and #e1 and      
woodcut title4 #bej on paper at two     
guineas1 #h on vellum at twelve guineas4
 ,dated ,may #d1 issued ,july #bd1      
#ahid4 ,published by ,william ,morris4  
,bound in limp vellum4  ,in the vellum  
copies of this book the colophon is not 
on the #hbnd page as in the paper       
copies1 but on the following page4  #bf4
 ,,the ,,tale ,,of ,,the ,,emperor      
,,coustans ,,and ,,of ,,over ,,sea4     
,done out of ancient ,french by ,william
 ,morris4 #afmo4 ,chaucer type4 ,in     
black and red4 ,borders #aa;a and #aa1  
both twice1 and two woodcut titles4 #ebe
 on paper at seven shillings and        
sixpence1 #bj on vellum at two guineas4 
,dated ,august #cj1 issued ,sept4 #bf1  
#ahid4 ,published by ,william ,morris4  

,bound in half holland4  ,the first of  
these stories1 which was the source of  
,the ,man born to be ,king1 in ,the     
,earthly ,paradise1 was announced as in 
preparation in the list of ,march #ca1  
#ahid4  #bg4 ,,the ,,wood ,,beyond ,,the
 ,,world4 ,,by ,,william ,,morris4 #hvo4
 ,chaucer type4 ,in black and red4      
,borders #ac;a and #ac1 and a           
frontispiece designed by ,sir ,e4       
,burne-,jones1 and engraved on wood by  
,w4 ,spielmeyer4 #cej on paper at two   
guineas1 #h on vellum at ten guineas4   
,dated ,may #cj1 issued ,oct4 #af1      
#ahid4 ,published by ,william ,morris4  
,bound in limp vellum4  ,the borders in 
this book1 as well as the ten           
half-borders1 are here used for the     
first time4 ,it was first announced as  
in the press in the list of ,march #ca1 
#ahid4 ,another edition was published by
 ,lawrence  ,bullen in #ahie4  #bh4     
,,the ,,book ,,of ,,wisdom ,,and ,,lies4
 ,a book of traditional stories from    
,georgia in ,asia4 ,translated by       

,oliver ,wardrop from the original of   
,sulkhan-,saba ,orbeliani4 #hvo4 ,golden
 type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #d;a 
and #d1 and woodcut title4 #bej on paper
 at two guineas1 none on vellum4        
,finished ,sept4 #bi1 issued ,oct4 #bi1 
#ahid4 ,published by ,bernard ,quaritch4
 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,the arms of   
,georgia1 consisting of the ,holy ,coat1
 appear in the woodcut title of this    
book4  #bi4 ,,the ,,poetical ,,works    
,,of ,,percy ,,bysshe ,,shelley4        
,,volume ,i4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis4 
#hvo4 ,golden type4 ,borders #a;a and   
#a1 and woodcut title4 #bej on paper at 
twenty-five shillings1 #f on vellum at  
eight guineas4 ,not dated1 issued ,nov4 
#bi1 #ahid4 ,published by ,william      
,morris4 ,bound in limp vellum without  
ties4  ,red ink is not used in this     
volume1 though it is used in the second 
volume1 and more sparingly in the third4
 ,some of the half-borders designed for 
,the ,wood beyond the ,world reappear   
before the longer poems4 ,the ,shelley  

was first announced as in the press in  
the list of ,march #ca1 #ahid4  #cj4    
,,psalmi ,,penitentiales4 ,an ,english  
rhymed version of the ,seven            
,penitential ,psalms4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4
 ,ellis4 #hvo4 ,chaucer type4 ,in black 
and red4 #cjj on paper at seven         
shillings and sixpence1 #ab on vellum at
 three guineas4 ,dated ,nov4 #ae1 issued
 ,dec4 #aj1 #ahid4 ,published by        
,william ,morris4 ,bound in half        
holland4  ,these verses were taken from 
a manuscript ,book of ,hours written at 
,gloucester in the first half of the    
fifteenth century1 but the ,rev4        
,professor ,skeat has pointed out that  
the scribe must have copied them from an
 older manuscript1 as they are in the   
,kentish dialect of about a century     
earlier4 ,the half-border on p4 #cd     
appears for the first time in this book4
  #ca4 ,,epistola ,,de ,,contemptu      
,,mundi ,,di ,,frate ,,hieronymo ,,da   
,,ferrara ,,dellordine ,,de ,,frati     
,,predicatori ,,la ,,quale ,,manda ,,ad 

,,elena ,,buonaccorsi ,,sua ,,madre1    
,,per ,,consolarla ,,della ,,morte ,,del
 ,,fratello1 ,,suo ,,zio4 ,edited by    
,charles ,fairfax ,murray from the      
original autograph letter4 #hvo4        
,chaucer type4 ,in black and red4       
,border #a4 ,woodcut on title designed  
by ,c4 ,f4 ,murray and engraved by ,w4  
,h4 ,hooper4 #aej on paper1 and #f on   
vellum4 ,dated ,nov4 #cj1 ready ,dec4   
#ab1 #ahid4 ,bound in half holland4     
,this little book was printed for ,mr4  
,c4 ,fairfax ,murray1 the owner of the  
manuscript1 and was not for sale in the 
ordinary way4 ,the colophon is in       
,italian1 and the printer's mark is in  
red4  #cb4 ,,the ,,tale ,,of ,,beowulf4 
,done out of the ,old ,english tongue by
 ,william ,morris and ,a4 ,j4 ,wyatt4   
,large #dto4 ,troy type1 with argument1 
side-notes1 list of persons and places1 
and glossary in ,chaucer type4 ,in black
 and red4 ,borders #ad;a and #ad1 and   
woodcut title4 #cjj on paper at two     
guineas1 #h on vellum at ten pounds4    

,dated ,jan4 #aj1 issued ,feb4 #b1      
#ahie4 ,published by ,william ,morris4  
,bound in limp vellum4  ,the borders in 
this book were only used once again1 in 
the ,jason4 ,a ,note to the ,reader     
printed on a slip in the ,golden type   
was inserted in each copy4 ,beowulf was 
first announced as in preparation in the
 list of ,may #bj1 #ahic4 ,the verse    
translation was begun by ,mr4 ,morris1  
with the aid of ,mr4 ,wyatt's careful   
paraphrase of the text1 on ,feb4 #ba1   
#ahic1 and finished on ,april #aj1      
#ahid1 but the argument was not written 
by ,mr4 ,morris until ,dec4 #aj1 #ahid4 
#cc4 ,,syr ,,perecyvelle ,,of ,,gales4  
,overseen by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis1 after the  
edition edited by ,j4 ,o4 ,halliwell    
from the ,thornton ,,ms4 in the ,library
 of ,lincoln ,cathedral4 #hvo4 ,chaucer 
type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #ac;a 
and #ac1 and a woodcut designed by ,sir 
,e4 ,burne-,jones4 #cej on paper at     
fifteen shillings1 #h on vellum at four 
guineas4 ,dated ,feb4 #af1 issued ,may  

#b1 #ahie4 ,published by ,william       
,morris4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this  
is the first of the series to which     
,sire ,degrevaunt and ,syr ,isumbrace   
belong4 ,they were all reprinted from   
the ,camden ,society's volume of #ahdd1 
which was a favourite with ,mr4 ,morris 
from his ,oxford days4 ,syr ,perecyvelle
 was first announced in the list of     
,dec4 #a1 #ahid4 ,the shoulder-notes    
were added by ,mr4 ,morris4  #cd4 ,,the 
,,life ,,and ,,death ,,of ,,jason1 ,a   
,,poem4 ,,by ,,william ,,morris4 ,large 
#dto4 ,troy type1 with a few words in   
,chaucer type4 ,in black and red4       
,borders #ad;a and #ad1 and two woodcuts
 designed by ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones and 
engraved on wood by ,w4 ,spielmeyer4    
#bjj on paper at five guineas1 #f on    
vellum at twenty guineas4 ,dated ,may   
#be1 issued ,july #e1 #ahie4 ,published 
by ,william ,morris4 ,bound in limp     
vellum4  ,this book1 announced as in the
 press in the list of ,april #ba1 #ahid1
 proceeded slowly1 as several other     

books1 notably the ,chaucer1 were being 
printed at the same time4 ,the text1    
which had been corrected for the second 
edition of #ahfh1 and for the edition of
 #ahhb1 was again revised by the author4
 ,the line-fillings on the last page    
were cut on metal for this book1 and    
cast like type4  #bi;a4 ,,the ,,poetical
 ,,works ,,of ,,percy ,,bysshe          
,,shelley4 ,,volume ,,ii4 ,edited by ,f4
 ,s4 ,ellis4 #hvo4 ,golden type4 ,in    
black and red4 #bej on paper at         
twenty-five shillings1 #f on vellum at  
eight guineas4 ,not dated1 issued ,march
 #be1 #ahie4 ,published by ,william     
,morris4 ,bound in limp vellum without  
ties4  #ce4 ,,child ,,christopher ,,and 
,,goldilind ,,the ,,fair4 ,,by ,,william
 ,,morris4 #b vols4 #afmo4 ,chaucer     
type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders #ae;a 
and #ae1 and woodcut title4 #fjj on     
paper at fifteen shillings1 #ab on      
vellum at four guineas4 ,dated ,july    
#be1 issued ,sept4 #be1 #ahie4          
,published by ,william ,morris4 ,bound  

in half holland1 with labels printed in 
the ,golden type4  ,the borders designed
 for this book were only used once      
again1 in ,hand and ,soul4 ,the plot of 
the story was suggested by that of      
,havelok the ,dane1 printed by the      
,early ,english ,text ,society4  #bi;b4 
,,the ,,poetical ,,works ,,of ,,percy   
,,bysshe ,,shelley4 ,,volume ,,iii4     
,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis4 #hvo4 ,golden
 type4 ,in black and red4 #bej on paper 
at twenty-five shillings1 #f on vellum  
at eight guineas4 ,dated ,august #ba1   
issued ,october #bh1 #ahie4 ,published  
by ,william ,morris4 ,bound in limp     
vellum without ties4  #cf4 ,,hand ,,and 
,,soul4 ,,by ,,dante ,,gabriel          
,,rossetti4 ,reprinted from ,the ,germ  
for ,messrs4 ,way  ,williams1 of        
,chicago4 #afmo4 ,golden type4 ,in black
 and red4 ,borders #ae;a and #ae1 and   
woodcut title4 #cjj paper copies and #aa
 vellum copies for ,america4 #bbe paper 
copies for sale in ,england at ten      
shillings1 and #aj on vellum at thirty  

shillings4 ,dated ,oct4 #bd1 issued     
,dec4 #ab1 #ahie4 ,bound in stiff vellum
 without ties4  ,this was the only #afmo
 book bound in vellum4 ,the ,english and
 ,american copies have a slightly       
different colophon4 ,the shoulder-notes 
were added by ,mr4 ,morris4  #cg4       
,,poems ,,chosen ,,out ,,of ,,the       
,,works ,,of ,,robert ,,herrick4 ,edited
 by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis1 #hvo4 ,golden type4 
,in black and red4 ,borders #d;a and #d1
 and woodcut title4 #bej on paper at    
thirty shillings1 #h on vellum at eight 
guineas4 ,dated ,nov4 #ba1 #ahie1 issued
 ,feb4 #f1 #ahif4 ,published by ,william
 ,morris4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this 
book was first announced as in          
preparation in the list of ,dec4 #a1    
#ahid1 and as in the press in that of   
,july #a1 #ahie4  #ch4 ,,poems ,,chosen 
,,out ,,of ,,the ,,works ,,of ,,samuel  
,,taylor ,,coleridge4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4
 ,ellis4 #hvo4 ,golden type4 ,in black  
and red4 ,borders #ac;a and #ac4 #cjj on
 paper at a guinea1 #h on vellum at five

 guineas4 ,dated ,feb4 #e1 issued ,april
 #ab1 #ahif4 ,published by ,william     
,morris4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this  
book contains thirteen poems4 ,it was   
first announced as in preparation in the
 list of ,dec4 #a1 #ahid1 and as in the 
press in that of ,nov4 #bf1 #ahie4 ,it  
is the last of the series to which      
,tennyson's ,maud1 and the poems of     
,rossetti1 ,keats1 ,shelley1 and        
,herrick belong4  #ci4 ,,the ,,well ,,at
 ,,the ,,world',s ,,end4 ,,by ,,william 
,,morris4 ,large #dto4 ,double columns4 
,chaucer type4 ,in black and red4       
,borders #af;a1 #af1 #ag;a1 #ag1 #ah;a1 
#ah1 #ai;a and #ai1 and #d woodcuts     
designed by ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones4 #cej
 on paper at five guineas1 #h on vellum 
at twenty guineas4 ,dated ,march #b1    
issued ,june #d1 #ahif4 ,sold by        
,william ,morris4 ,bound in limp vellum4
  ,this book1 delayed for various       
reasons1 was longer on hand than any    
other4 ,it appears in no less than      
twelve lists1 from that of ,dec41 #ahib1

 to that of ,nov4 #bf1 #ahie1 as 'in the
 press4' ,trial pages1 including one in 
a single column1 were ready as early as 
,september1 #ahib1 and the printing     
began on ,december #af of that year4    
,the edition of ,the ,well at the       
,world's ,end published by ,longmans was
 then being printed from the author's   
manuscript at the ,chiswick ,press1 and 
the ,kelmscott ,press edition was set up
 from the sheets of that edition1 which1
 though not issued until ,october1      
#ahif1 was finished in #ahid4 ,the eight
 borders and the six different ornaments
 between the columns1 appear here for   
the first time1 but are used again in   
,the ,water of the ,wondrous ,isles1    
with the exception of two borders4  #dj4
 ,,the ,,works ,,of ,,geoffrey          
,,chaucer4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis4   
,folio4 ,chaucer type1 with headings to 
the longer poems in ,troy type4 ,in     
black and red4 ,borders #bj;a to #bf1   
woodcut title1 and #hg woodcut          
illustrations designed by ,sir ,e4      

,burne-,jones4 #dbe on paper at twenty  
pounds1 #ac on vellum at #abj guineas4  
,dated ,may #h1 issued ,june #bf1 #ahic4
 ,published by ,william ,morris4 ,bound 
in half holland4  ,the history of this  
book1 which is by far the most important
 achievement of the ,kelmscott ,press1  
is as follows4 ,as far back as ,june    
#aa1 #ahia1 ,mr4 ,morris spoke of       
printing a ,chaucer with a black-letter 
fount which he hoped to design4 ,four   
months later1 when most of the ,troy    
type was designed and cut1 he expressed 
his intention to use it first on ,john  
,ball1 and then on a ,chaucer and       
perhaps a ,gesta ,romanorum4 ,by        
,january #a1 #ahib1 the ,troy type was  
delivered1 and early in that month two  
trial pages1 one from ,the ,cook's ,tale
 and one from ,sir ,thopas1 the latter  
in double columns1 were got out4 ,it    
then became evident that the type was   
too large for a ,chaucer1 and ,mr4      
,morris decided to have it re-cut in the
 size known as pica4 ,by the end of     

,june he was thus in possession of the  
type which in the list issued in        
,december1 #ahib1 he named the ,chaucer 
type4 ,in ,july1 #ahib1 another trial   
page1 a passage from ,the ,knight's     
,tale in double columns of #eh lines1   
was got out1 and found to be            
satisfactory4 ,the idea of the ,chaucer 
as it now exists1 with illustrations by 
,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones1 then took   
definite shape4  ,in a proof of the     
first list1 dated ,april1 #ahib1 there  
is an announcement of the book as in    
preparation1 in black-letter1 large     
quarto1 but this was struck out1 and    
does not appear in the list as printed  
in ,may1 nor yet in the ,july list4 ,in 
that for ,dec41 #ahib1 it is announced  
for the first time as to be in ,chaucer 
type 'with about sixty designs by ,e4   
,burne-,jones4' ,the next list1 dated   
,march #i1 #ahic1 states that it will be
 a folio and that it is in the press1 by
 which was meant that a few pages were  
in type4 ,in the list dated ,aug4 #a1   

#ahic1 the probable price is given as   
twenty pounds4 ,the next four lists     
contain no fresh information1 but on    
,aug4 #ag1 #ahid1 nine days after the   
first sheet was printed1 a notice was   
sent to the trade that there would be   
#cbe copies at twenty pounds and about  
sixty woodcuts designed by ,sir ,edward 
,burne-,jones4 ,three months later it   
was decided to increase the number of   
illustrations to upwards of seventy1 and
 to print another #ajj copies of the    
book4 ,a circular letter was sent to    
subscribers on ,nov4 #ad1 stating this  
and giving them an opportunity of       
cancelling their orders4 ,orders were   
not withdrawn1 the extra copies were    
immediately taken up1 and the list for  
,dec4 #a1 #ahid1 which is the first     
containing full particulars1 announces  
that all paper copies are sold4  ,mr4   
,morris began designing his first folio 
border on ,feb4 #a1 #ahic1 but was      
dissatisfied with the design and did not
 finish it4 ,three days later he began  

the vine border for the first page1 and 
finished it in about a week1 together   
with the initial word ',whan1' the two  
lines of heading1 and the frame for the 
first picture1 and ,mr4 ,hooper engraved
 the whole of these on one block4 ,the  
first picture was engraved at about the 
same time4 ,a specimen of the first page
 7differing slightly from the same page 
as it appears in the book7 was shown at 
the ,arts and ,crafts ,exhibition in    
,october and ,november1 #ahic1 and was  
issued to a few leading booksellers1 but
 it was not until ,august #h1 #ahid1    
that the first sheet was printed at #ad1
 ,upper ,mall4 ,on ,jan4 #h1 #ahie1     
another press was started at #ba1 ,upper
 ,mall1 and from that time two presses  
were almost exclusively at work on the  
,chaucer4 ,by ,sept4 #aj the last page  
of ,the ,romaunt of the ,rose was       
printed4 ,in the middle of ,feb41 #ahif1
 ,mr4 ,morris began designing the title4
 ,it was finished on the #bgth of the   
same month and engraved by ,mr4 ,hooper 

in ,march4 ,on ,may #h1 a year and nine 
months after the printing of the first  
sheet1 the book was completed4 ,on ,june
 #b the first two copies were delivered 
to ,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones and ,mr4  
,morris4 ,mr4 ,morris's copy is now at  
,exeter ,college1 ,oxford1 with other   
books printed at the ,kelmscott ,press4 
,besides the eighty-seven illustrations 
designed by ,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones1 
and engraved by ,w4 ,h4 ,hooper1 the    
,chaucer contains a woodcut title1      
fourteen large borders1 eighteen        
different frames round the              
illustrations1 and twenty-six large     
initial words designed for the book by  
,william ,morris4 ,many of these were   
engraved by ,c4 ,e4 ,keates1 and others 
by ,w4 ,h4 ,hooper and ,w4 ,spielmeyer4 
,in ,feb41 #ahif1 a notice was issued   
respecting special bindings1 of which   
,mr4 ,morris intended to design four4   
,two of these were to have been executed
 under ,mr4 ,cobden-,sanderson's        
direction at the ,doves ,bindery1 and   

two by ,messrs4 ,j4  ,j4 ,leighton4 ,but
 the only design that he was able to    
complete was for a full white pigskin   
binding1 which has now been carried out 
at the ,doves ,bindery on forty-eight   
copies1 including two on vellum4  #da4  
,,the ,,earthly ,,paradise4 ,,by        
,,william ,,morris4 ,,volume ,i4        
,,prologue3 ,,the ,,wanderers4 ,,march3 
,,atalanta',s ,,race4 ,,the ,,man ,,born
 ,,to ,,be ,,king4 ,medium #dto4 ,golden
 type4 ,in black and red4 ,borders      
#bg;a1 #bg1 #bh;a1 and #bh1 and woodcut 
title4 #bbe on paper at thirty          
shillings1 #f on vellum at seven        
guineas4 ,dated ,may #g1 issued ,july   
#bd1 #ahif4 ,published by ,william      
,morris4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,this  
was the first book printed on the paper 
with the apple watermark4 ,the seven    
other volumes followed it at intervals  
of a few months4 ,none of the ten       
borders used in ,the ,earthly ,paradise 
appear in any other book4 ,the four     
different half-borders round the poems  

to the months are also not used         
elsewhere4 ,the first border was        
designed in ,june1 #ahie4  #db4 ,,laudes
 ,,beatae ,,mariae ,,virginis4 ,latin   
poems taken from a ,psalter written in  
,england about ,a4 ,d4 #abbj4 ,edited by
 ,s4 ,c4 ,cockerell4 ,large #dto4 ,troy 
type4 ,in black1 red1 and blue4 #bej on 
paper at ten shillings1 #aj on vellum at
 two guineas4 ,dated ,july #g1 issued   
,august #g1 #ahif4 ,published by        
,william ,morris4 ,bound in half        
holland4  ,this was the first book      
printed at the ,kelmscott ,press in     
three colours4 ,the manuscript from     
which the poems were taken was one of   
the most beautiful of the ,english books
 in ,mr4 ,morris's possession1 both as  
regards writing and ornament4 ,no       
author's name is given to the poems1 but
 after this book was issued the ,rev4   
,e4 ,s4 ,dewick pointed out that they   
had already been printed at ,tegernsee  
in #aegi1 in a #afmo volume in which    
they are ascribed to ,stephen ,langton4 

,a note to this effect was printed in   
the ,chaucer type in ,dec4 #bh1 #ahif1  
and distributed to the subscribers4     
#da;a4 ,,the ,,earthly ,,paradise4 ,,by 
,,william ,,morris4 ,,volume ,,ii4      
,,april3 ,,the ,,doom ,,of ,,king       
,,acrisius4 ,,the ,,proud ,,king4       
,medium #dto4 ,golden type4 ,in black   
and red4 ,borders #bi;a1 #bi1 #bh;a1 and
 #bh4 #bbe on paper at thirty shillings1
 #f on vellum at seven guineas4 ,dated  
,june #bd1 issued ,sept4 #ag1 #ahif4    
,published by ,william ,morris4 ,bound  
in limp vellum4  #dc4 ,,the ,,floure    
,,and ,,the ,,leafe1 ,,and ,,the ,,boke 
,,of ,,cupide1 ,,god ,,of ,,love1 ,,or  
,,the ,,cuckow ,,and ,,the              
,,nightingale4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4       
,ellis4 ,medium #dto4 ,troy type1 with  
note and colophon in ,chaucer type4 ,in 
black and red4 #cjj on paper at ten     
shillings1 #aj on vellum at two guineas4
 ,dated ,aug4 #ba1 issued ,nov4 #b1     
#ahif4 ,published at the ,kelmscott     
,press4 ,bound in half holland4  ,two of

 the initial words from the ,chaucer are
 used in this book1 one at the beginning
 of each poem4 ,these poems were        
formerly attributed to ,chaucer1 but    
recent scholarship has proved that ,the 
,floure and the ,leafe is much later    
than ,chaucer1 and that ,the ,cuckow and
 the ,nightingale was written by ,sir   
,thomas ,clanvowe about ,a4 ,d4         
#adje-aj4  #dd4 ,,the ,,shepheardes     
,,calender3 ,,conteyning ,,twelve       
,,glogues1 ,,proportionable ,,to ,,the  
,,twelve ,,monethes4 ,by ,edmund        
,spenser4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis4    
,medium #dto4 ,golden type4 ,in black   
and red4 ,with twelve full-page         
illustrations by ,a4 ,j4 ,gaskin4 #bbe  
on paper at a guinea1 #f on vellum at   
three guineas4 ,dated ,oct4 #ad1 issued 
,nov4 #bf1 #ahif4 ,published at the     
,kelmscott ,press4 ,bound in half       
holland4  ,the illustrations in this    
book were printed from process blocks by
 ,walker  ,boutall4 ,by an oversight the
 names of author1 editor1 and artist    

were omitted from the colophon4  #da;b4 
,,the ,,earthly ,,paradise4 ,,by        
,,william ,,morris4 ,,volume ,,iii4     
,,may3 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,cupid ,,and 
,,psyche4 ,,the ,,writing ,,on ,,the    
,,image4 ,,june3 ,,the ,,love ,,of      
,,alcestis4 ,,the ,,lady ,,of ,,the     
,,land4 ,medium #dto4 ,golden type4 ,in 
black and red4 ,borders #cj;a1 #cj1     
#bg;a1 #bg1 #bh;a1 #bh1 #bi;a1 and #bi4 
#bbe on paper at thirty shillings1 #f on
 vellum at seven guineas4 ,dated ,aug4  
#bd1 issued ,dec4 #e1 #ahif4 ,published 
at the ,kelmscott ,press4 ,bound in limp
 vellum4  #da;c4 ,,the ,,earthly        
,,paradise4 ,,by ,,william ,,morris4    
,,volume ,,iv4 ,,july3 ,,the ,,son ,,of 
,,croesus4 ,,the ,,watching ,,of ,,the  
,,falcon4 ,,august3 ,,pygmalion ,,and   
,,the ,,image4 ,,ogier ,,the ,,dane4    
,medium #dto4 ,golden type4 ,in black   
and red4 ,borders #ca;a1 #ca1 #bi;a1    
#bi1 #bh;a1 #bh1 #cj;a1 and #cj4 ,dated 
,nov4 #be1 #ahif1 issued ,jan4 #bb1     
#ahig4 ,published at the ,kelmscott     

,press4 ,bound in limp vellum4  #da;d4  
,,the ,,earthly ,,paradise4 ,,by        
,,william ,,morris4 ,,volume ,v4        
,,september3 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,paris4
 ,,the ,,land ,,east ,,of ,,the ,,sun   
,,and ,,west ,,of ,,the ,,moon4         
,,october3 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,acontius
 ,,and ,,cydippe4 ,,the ,,man ,,who     
,,never ,,laughed ,,again4 ,medium #dto4
 ,golden type4 ,in black and red4       
,borders #bi;a1 #bi1 #bg;a1 #bg1 #bh;a1 
#bh1 #ca;a1 and #ca4 ,finished ,dec4    
#bd1 #ahif1 issued ,mar4 #i1 #ahig4     
,published at the ,kelmscott ,press4    
,bound in limp vellum4  #da;e4 ,,the    
,,earthly ,,paradise4 ,,by ,,william    
,,morris4 ,,volume ,,vi4 ,,november3    
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,rhodope4 ,,the     
,,lovers ,,of ,,gudrun4 ,medium #dto4   
,golden type4 ,in black and red4        
,borders #bg;a1 #bg1 #cj;a1 and #cj4    
,finished ,feb4 #ah1 issued ,may #aa1   
#ahig4 ,published at the ,kelmscott     
,press4 ,bound in limp vellum4  #da;f4  
,,the ,,earthly ,,paradise4 ,,by        

,,william ,,morris4 ,,volume ,,vii4     
,,december3 ,,the ,,golden ,,apples4    
,,the ,,fostering ,,of ,,aslaug4        
,,january3 ,,bellerophon ,,at ,,argos4  
,,the ,,ring ,,given ,,to ,,venus4      
,medium #dto4 ,golden type4 ,in black   
and red4 ,borders #bi;a1 #bi1 #ca;a1    
#ca1 #cj;a1 #cj1 #bg;a1 and #bg4        
,finished ,march #ag1 issued ,july #bi1 
#ahig4 ,published at the ,kelmscott     
,press4 ,bound in limp vellum4  #de4    
,,the ,,water ,,of ,,the ,,wondrous     
,,isles4 ,,by ,,william ,,morris4 ,large
 #dto4 ,chaucer type1 in double columns1
 with a few lines in ,troy type at the  
end of each of the seven parts4 ,in     
black and red4 ,borders #af;a1 #ag;a1   
#ah;a1 #ai1 and #ai;a4 #bej on paper at 
three guineas1 #f on vellum at twelve   
guineas4 ,dated ,april #a1 issued ,july 
#bi1 #ahig4 ,published at the ,kelmscott
 ,press4 ,bound in limp vellum4  ,unlike
 ,the ,well at the ,world's ,end1 with  
which it is mainly uniform1 this book   
has red shoulder-notes and no           

illustrations4 ,mr4 ,morris began the   
story in verse on ,feb4 #d1 #ahie4 ,a   
few days later he began it afresh in    
alternate prose and verse2 but he was   
again dissatisfied1 and finally began it
 a third time in prose alone1 as it now 
stands4 ,it was first announced as in   
the press in the list of ,june #a1      
#ahif1 at which date the early chapters 
were in type1 although they were not    
printed until about a month later4 ,the 
designs for the initial words ',whilom' 
and ',empty' were begun by ,william     
,morris shortly before his death1 and   
were finished by ,r4 ,catterson-,smith4 
,another edition was published by       
,longmans on ,oct4 #a1 #ahig4  #da;g4   
,,the ,,earthly ,,paradise4 ,,by        
,,william ,,morris4 ,,volume ,,viii4    
,,february3 ,,bellerophon ,,in ,,lycia4 
,,the ,,hill ,,of ,,venus4 ,,epilogue4  
,l',,envoi4 ,medium #dto4 ,golden type4 
,in black and red4 ,borders #bh;a1 #bh1 
#bi;a1 and #bi4 ,finished ,june #aj1    
issued ,sept4 #bg1 #ahig4 ,published at 

the ,kelmscott ,press4 ,bound in limp   
vellum4  ,the colophon of this final    
volume of ,the ,earthly ,paradise       
contains the following note3 ',the      
borders in this edition of ,the ,earthly
 ,paradise were designed by ,william    
,morris1 except those on page #d of     
volumes ii41 iii41 and iv41 afterwards  
repeated1 which were designed to match  
the opposite borders1 under ,william    
,morris's direction1 by ,r4             
,catterson-,smith2 who also finished the
 initial words ',whilom' and ',empty'   
for ,the ,water of the ,wondrous ,isles4
 ,all the other letters1 borders1       
title-pages and ornaments used at the   
,kelmscott ,press1 except the ,greek    
type in ,atalanta in ,calydon1 were     
designed by ,william ,morris4'  #df4    
,,two ,,trial ,,pages ,,of ,,the        
,,projected ,,edition ,,of ,,lord       
,,berners' ,,translation ,,of           
,,froissart',s ,,chronicles4 ,folio4    
,chaucer type1 with heading in ,troy    
type4 ,in black and red4 ,border #cb1   

containing the shields of ,france1 the  
,empire1 and ,england and a half-border 
containing those of ,reginald ,lord     
,cobham1 ,sir ,john ,chandos1 and ,sir  
,walter ,manny4 #afj on vellum at a     
guinea1 none on paper4 ,dated           
,september1 issued ,october #g1 #ahig4  
,published at the ,kelmscott ,press4    
,not bound4  ,it was the intention of   
,mr4 ,morris to make this edition of    
what was since his college days almost  
his favourite book1 a worthy companion  
to the ,chaucer4 ,it was to have been in
 two volumes folio1 with new cusped     
initials and heraldic ornament          
throughout4 ,each volume was to have had
 a large frontispiece designed by ,sir  
,e4 ,burne-,jones2 the subject of the   
first was to have been ,st4 ,george1    
that of the second1 ,fame4 ,a trial page
 was set up in the ,troy type soon after
 it came from the foundry1 in ,jan41    
#ahib4 ,early in #ahic trial pages were 
set up in the ,chaucer type1 and in the 
list for ,march #i of that year the book

 is erroneously stated to be in the     
press4 ,in the three following lists it 
is announced as in preparation4 ,in the 
list dated ,dec4 #a1 #ahic1 and in the  
three next lists1 it is again announced 
as in the press1 and the number to be   
printed is given as #aej4 ,meanwhile the
 printing of the ,chaucer had been      
begun1 and as it was not feasible to    
carry on two folios at the same time1   
the ,froissart again comes under the    
heading 'in preparation' in the lists   
from ,dec4 #a1 #ahid1 to ,june #a1      
#ahif4 ,in the prospectus of the        
,shepheardes ,calender1 dated ,nov4 #ab1
 #ahif1 it is announced as abandoned4   
,at that time about thirty-four pages   
were in type1 but no sheet had been     
printed4 ,before the type was broken up1
 on ,dec4 #bd1 #ahif1 #cb copies of     
sixteen of these pages were printed and 
given as a memento to personal friends  
of the poet and printer whose death now 
made the completion of the book         
impossible4 ,this suggested the idea of 

printing two pages for wider            
distribution4 ,the half-border had been 
engraved in ,april1 #ahid1 by ,w4       
,spielmeyer1 but the large border only  
existed as a drawing4 ,it was engraved  
with great skill and spirit by ,c4 ,e4  
,keates1 and the two pages were printed 
by ,stephen ,mowlem1 with the help of an
 apprentice1 in a manner worthy of the  
designs4  #dg4 ,,sire ,,degrevaunt4     
,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis after the     
edition printed by ,j4 ,o4 ,halliwell4  
#hvo4 ,chaucer type4 ,in black and red4 
,borders #a;a and #a1 and a woodcut     
designed by ,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones4 
#cej on paper at fifteen shillings1 #h  
on vellum at four guineas4 ,dated ,mar4 
#ad1 #ahif1 issued ,nov4 #ab1 #ahig4    
,published at the ,kelmscott ,press4    
,bound in half holland4  ,this book1    
subjects from which were painted by ,sir
 ,edward ,burne-,jones on the walls of  
,the ,red ,house1 ,upton1 ,bexley       
,heath1 many years ago1 was always a    
favourite with ,mr4 ,morris4 ,the       

frontispiece was not printed until      
,october1 #ahig1 eighteen months after  
the text was finished4  #dh4 ,,syr      
,,ysambrace4 ,edited by ,f4 ,s4 ,ellis  
after the edition printed by ,j4 ,o4    
,halliwell from the ,,ms4 in the        
,library of ,lincoln ,cathedral1 with   
some corrections4 #hvo4 ,chaucer type4  
,in black and red4 ,borders #d;a and #d1
 and a woodcut designed by ,sir ,edward 
,burne-,jones4 #cej on paper at twelve  
shillings1 #h on vellum at four guineas4
 ,dated ,july #ad1 issued ,nov4 #aa1    
#ahig4 ,published at the ,kelmscott     
,press4 ,bound in half holland4  ,this  
is the third and last of the reprints   
from the ,camden ,society's volume of   
,thornton ,romances4 ,the text was all  
set up and partly printed by ,june1     
#ahif1 at which time it was intended to 
include ',sir ,eglamour' in the same    
volume4  #di4 ,,some ,,german ,,woodcuts
 ,,of ,,the ,,fifteenth ,,century4      
,being thirty-five reproductions from   
books that were in the library of the   

late ,william ,morris4 ,edited1 with a  
list of the principal woodcut books in  
that library1 by ,s4 ,c4 ,cockerell4    
,large #dto4 ,golden type4 ,in red and  
black4 #bbe on paper at thirty          
shillings1 #h on vellum at five guineas4
 ,dated ,dec4 #ae1 #ahig1 issued        
,january #f1 #ahih4 ,published at the   
,kelmscott ,press4 ,bound in half       
holland4  ,of these thirty-five         
reproductions twenty-nine were all that 
were done of a series chosen by ,mr4    
,morris to illustrate a catalogue of his
 library1 and the other six were        
prepared by him for an article in the   
#dth number of ,bibliographica1 part of 
which is reprinted as an introduction to
 the book4 ,the process blocks 7with one
 exception7 were made by ,walker        
,boutall1 and are of the same size as   
the original cuts4  #ej4 ,,the ,,story  
,,of ,,sigurd ,,the ,,volsung ,,and     
,,the ,,fall ,,of ,,the ,,niblungs4 ,,by
 ,,william ,,morris4 ,small folio4      
,chaucer type1 with title and headings  

to the four books in ,troy type4 ,in    
black and red4 ,borders #cc;a and #cc1  
and two illustrations designed by ,sir  
,edward ,burne-,jones4 #afj on paper at 
six guineas1 #f on vellum at twenty     
guineas4 ,dated ,january #ai1 issued    
,february #be1 #ahih4 ,published at the 
,kelmscott ,press4 ,bound in limp       
vellum4  ,the two borders used in this  
book were almost the last that ,mr4     
,morris designed4 ,they were intended   
for an edition of ,the ,hill of ,venus1 
which was to have been written in prose 
by him and illustrated by ,sir ,e4      
,burne-,jones4 ,the foliage was         
suggested by the ornament in two        
,psalters of the last half of the       
thirteenth century in the library at    
,kelmscott ,house4 ,the initial ,a at   
the beginning of the #crd book was      
designed in ,march1 #ahic1 for the      
,froissart1 and does not appear         
elsewhere4  ,an edition of ,sigurd the  
,volsung1 which ,mr4 ,morris justly     
considered his masterpiece1 was         

contemplated early in the history of the
 ,kelmscott ,press4 ,an announcement    
appears in a proof of the first list1   
dated ,april1 #ahib1 but it was excluded
 from the list as issued in ,may4 ,it   
did not reappear until the list of      
,november #bf1 #ahie1 in which1 the     
,chaucer being near its completion1     
,sigurd comes under the heading 'in     
preparation1' as a folio in ,troy type1 
'with about twenty-five illustrations by
 ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones4' ,in the list  
of ,june #a1 #ahif1 it is finally       
announced as 'in the press1' the number 
of illustrations is increased to forty1 
and other particulars are given4 ,four  
borders had then been designed for it1  
two of which were used on pages #dgj and
 #dga of the ,chaucer4 ,the other two   
have not been used1 though one of them  
has been engraved4 ,two pages only were 
in type1 thirty-two copies of which were
 struck off on ,jan4 #aa1 #ahig1 and    
given to friends1 with the sixteen pages
 of ,froissart mentioned above4  #ea4   

,,the ,,sundering ,,flood ,,written ,,by
 ,,william ,,morris4 ,overseen for the  
press by ,may ,morris4 #hvo4 ,chaucer   
type4 ,in black and red4 ,border #aj1   
and a map4 #cjj on paper at two guineas4
 ,dated ,nov4 #ae1 #ahig1 issued ,feb4  
#be1 #ahih4 ,published at the ,kelmscott
 ,press4 ,bound in half holland4  ,this 
was the last romance by ,william        
,morris4 ,he began to write it on ,dec4 
#ba1 #ahie1 and dictated the final words
 on ,sept4 #h1 #ahif4 ,the map pasted   
into the cover was drawn by ,h4 ,cribb  
for ,walker  ,boutall1 who prepared the 
block4 ,in the edition that ,longmans   
are about to issue the bands of robbers 
called in the ,kelmscott edition ,red   
and ,black ,skinners appear correctly as
 ,red and ,black ,skimmers4 ,the name   
was probably suggested by that of the   
pirates called 'escumours of the sea' on
 page #aed of ,godefrey of ,boloyne4    
#eb4 ,,love ,,is ,,enough1 ,,or ,,the   
,,freeing ,,of ,,pharamond3 ,a          
,,morality4 ,,written ,,by ,,william    

,,morris4 ,large #dto4 ,troy type1 with 
stage directions in ,chaucer type4 ,in  
black1 red1 and blue4 ,borders #f;a and 
#g1 and two illustrations designed by   
,sir ,edward ,burne-,jones4 #cjj on     
paper at two guineas1 #h on vellum at   
ten guineas4 ,dated ,dec4 #aa1 #ahig1   
issued ,mar4 #bd1 #ahih4 ,published at  
the ,kelmscott ,press4 ,bound in limp   
vellum4  ,this was the second book      
printed in three colours at the         
,kelmscott ,press4 ,as explained in the 
colophon1 the final picture was not     
designed for this edition of ,love is   
,enough1 but for the projected edition  
referred to above1 on page #e4  #ec4 ,a 
,,note ,,by ,,william ,,morris ,,on     
,,his ,,aims ,,in ,,founding ,,the      
,,kelmscott ,,press1 ,,together ,,with  
,a ,,short ,,description ,,of ,,the     
,,press ,,by ,s4 ,c4 ,,cockerell1 ,,and 
,,an ,,annotated ,,list ,,of ,,the      
,,books ,,printed ,,thereat4 ,octavo4   
,golden type1 with five pages in the    
,troy and ,chaucer types4 ,in black and 

red4 ,borders #d;a and #d1 and a woodcut
 designed by ,sir ,e4 ,burne-,jones4    
#ebe on paper at ten shillings1 #ab on  
vellum at two guineas4 ,dated ,march #a1
 issued ,march #bd1 #ahih4 ,published at
 the ,kelmscott ,press4 ,bound in half  
holland4  ,the frontispiece to this book
 was engraved by ,william ,morris for   
the projected edition of ,the ,earthly  
,paradise described on page #e4 ,this   
block and the blocks for the three      
ornaments on page #g are not included   
among those mentioned on page #ab as    
having been sent to the ,british        
,museum4   ,,various ,,lists1 ,,leaflets
 ,,and ,,announcements ,,printed ,,at   
,,the ,,kelmscott ,,press4  ,eighteen   
lists of the books printed or in        
preparation at the ,kelmscott ,press    
were issued to booksellers and          
subscribers4 ,the dates of these are    
,may1 ,july1 and ,dec41 #ahib2 ,march   
#i1 ,may #bj1 ,may #bg1 ,aug4 #a1 and   
,dec4 #a1 #ahic2 ,march #ca1 ,april #ba1
 ,july #b1 ,oct4 #a 7a leaflet71 and    

,dec4 #a1 #ahid2 ,july #a1 and ,nov4    
#bf1 #ahie2 ,june #a1 #ahif2 ,feb4 #af1 
and ,july #bh1 #ahig4 ,the three lists  
for #ahib1 and some copies of that for  
,mar4 #i1 #ahic1 were printed on        
,whatman paper1 the last of the stock   
bought for the first edition of ,the    
,roots of the ,mountains 7see p4 #f74   
,besides these1 twenty-nine             
announcements1 relating mainly to       
individual books1 were issued2 and eight
 leaflets1 containing extracts from the 
lists1 were printed for distribution by 
,messrs4 ,morris  ,co4  ,the following  
items1 as having a more permanent       
interest than most of these             
announcements1 merit a full description3
  #a4 ,two forms of invitation to the   
annual gatherings of ,the ,hammersmith  
,socialist ,society on ,jan4 #cj1 #ahib1
 and ,feb4 #aa1 #ahic4 ,golden type4    
#b4 ,a four-page leaflet for the        
,ancoats ,brotherhood1 with the         
frontispiece from the ,kelmscott ,press 
edition of ,a ,dream of ,john ,ball on  

the first page4 ,march1 #ahid4 ,golden  
type4 #bejj copies4  #c4 ,an address to 
,sir ,lowthian ,bell1 ,bart41 from his  
employs1 dated #cjth ,june1 #ahid4 #h   
pages4 ,golden type4 #bej on paper and  
#b on vellum4  #d4 ,a leaflet1 with     
fly-leaf1 headed ,an ,american ,memorial
 to ,keats1 together with a form of     
invitation to the unveiling of his bust 
in ,hampstead ,parish ,church on ,july  
#af1 #ahid4 ,golden type4 #gej copies4  
#e4 ,a slip giving the text of a        
memorial tablet to ,dr4 ,thomas ,sadler1
 for distribution at the unveiling of it
 in ,rosslyn ,hill ,chapel1 ,hampstead4 
,nov41 #ahid4 ,golden type4 #dej copies4
  #f4 ,scholarship certificates for the 
,technical ,education ,board of the     
,london ,county ,council1 printed in the
 oblong borders designed for the        
pictures in ,chaucer's ,works4 ,one of  
these borders was not used in the book1 
and this is its only appearance4 ,the   
first certificate was printed in ,nov41 
#ahid1 and was followed in ,jan41 #ahif1

 by eleven certificates2 in ,jan41      
#ahig1 by six certificates2 and in      
,feb41 #ahih1 by eleven certificates1   
all differently worded4 ,golden type4   
,the numbers varied from #ab to #bejj   
copies4  #g4 ,programmes of the         
,kelmscott ,press annual wayzgoose for  
the years #ahib-e4 ,these were printed  
without supervision from ,mr4 ,morris4  
#h4 ,specimen showing the three types   
used at the ,press for insertion in the 
first edition of ,strange's ,alphabets4 
,march1 #ahie4 #bjjj ordinary copies and
 #fj on large paper4  #i4 ,card for     
,associates of the ,deaconess           
,institution for the ,diocese of        
,rochester4 ,one side of this card is   
printed in ,chaucer type2 on the other  
there is a prayer in the ,troy type     
enclosed in a small border which was not
 used elsewhere4 ,it was designed for   
the illustrations of a projected edition
 of ,the ,house of the ,wolfings4       
,april1 #ahig4 #bej copies4     ,a      
,,list ,,of ,,the ,,books ,,described   

,,above4              page     #a ,the  
,glittering ,plain 7without             
illustrations7     #ae    #b ,poems by  
the ,way                                
#ae    #c ,blunt's ,love ,lyrics and    
,songs of ,proteus         #af    #d    
,ruskin's ,nature of ,gothic            
#af    #e ,the ,defence of ,guenevere   
#af    #f ,a ,dream of ,john ,ball      
#ag    #g ,the ,golden ,legend          
#ag    #h ,the ,recuyell of the         
,historyes of ,troye           #ah    #i
 ,mackail's ,biblia ,innocentium        
#ai   #aj ,reynard the ,foxe            
#ai   #aa ,shakespeare's ,poems and     
,sonnets                  #bj   #ab     
,news from ,nowhere                     
#bj   #ac ,the ,order of ,chivalry      
#bj   #ad ,cavendish's ,life of ,wolsey 
#ba   #ae ,godefrey of ,boloyne         
#ba   #af ,more's ,utopia               
#bb   #ag ,tennyson's ,maud             
#bb   #ah ,gothic ,architecture1 by     
,william ,morris           #bb   #ai    
,sidonia the ,sorceress                 

#bc   #bj ,rossetti's ,ballads and      
,narrative ,poems           #bc   #bj;a 
,sonnets and ,lyrical ,poems            
#bd   #ba ,king ,florus                 
#bc   #bb ,the ,glittering ,plain       
7illustrated7               #bc   #bc   
,amis and ,amile                        
#bd   #bd ,the ,poems of ,keats         
#bd   #be ,swinburne's ,atalanta in     
,calydon                  #be   #bf ,the
 ,emperor ,coustans                     
#be   #bg ,the ,wood beyond the ,world  
#be   #bh ,the ,book of ,wisdom and     
,lies                      #be   #bi    
,shelley's ,poems1 ,vol4 ,i4            
#bf   #bi;a                    ,,ii4    
#bh   #bi;b                    ,,iii4   
#bh   #cj ,psalmi ,penitentiales        
#bf   #ca ,savonarola1 ,de contemptu    
,mundi                   #bf   #cb      
,beowulf                                
#bg   #cc ,syr ,perecyvelle             
#bg   #cd ,the ,life and ,death of      
,jason                      #bg   #ce   
,child ,christopher                     

#bh   #cf ,rossetti's ,hand and ,soul   
#bh   #cg ,herrick's ,poems             
#bi   #ch ,coleridge's ,poems           
#bi   #ci ,the ,well at the ,world's    
,end                      #bi   #dj     
,chaucer's ,works                       
#cj   #da ,the ,earthly ,paradise1 ,vol4
 ,i4                    #cb   #da;a     
,,ii4                   #cc   #da;b     
,,iii4                  #cd   #da;c     
,,iv4                   #cd   #da;d     
,v4                    #cd   #da;e      
,,vi4                   #cd   #da;f     
,,vii4                  #ce   #da;g     
,,viii4                 #ce   #db       
,laudes ,beat ,mari ,virginis           
#cc   #dc ,the ,floure and the ,leafe   
#cc   #dd ,spenser's ,shepheardes       
,calender                   #cc   #de   
,the ,water of the ,wondrous ,isles     
#ce   #df ,trial pages of ,froissart    
#cf   #dg ,sire ,degrevaunt             
#cg   #dh ,syr ,ysambrace               
#cg   #di ,some ,german ,woodcuts       
#ch   #ej ,sigurd the ,volsung          

#ch   #ea ,the ,sundering ,flood        
#ci   #eb ,love is ,enough              
#ci   #ec ,a ,note by ,william ,morris  
#dj    ,,leaflets1 c4       ,various    
lists and announcements relating to the 
,kelmscott ,press                       
#dj   #a4 ,hammersmith ,socialist       
,society1 invitations       #dj   #b4   
,ancoats ,brotherhood leaflet           
#da   #c4 ,address to ,sir ,lowthian    
,bell                     #da   #d4 ,an 
,american ,memorial to ,keats           
#da   #e4 ,memorial to ,dr4 ,thomas     
,sadler                    #da   #f4 ,l4
 ,c4 ,c4 ,scholarship ,certificates     
#da   #g4 ,wayzgoose ,programmes        
#da   #h4 ,specimen in ,strange's       
,alphabets                  #da   #i4   
,card for ,associates of the ,deaconess 
,institution        for the ,diocese of 
,rochester                   #da  ,other
 works announced in the lists as in     
preparation1 but afterwards abandoned1  
were ,the ,tragedies1 ,histories1 and   
,comedies of ,william ,shakespeare2     

,caxton's ,vitas ,patrum2 ,the ,poems of
 ,theodore ,watts-,dunton2 and ,a       
,catalogue of the ,collection of        
,woodcut ,books1 ,early ,printed ,books1
 and ,manuscripts at ,kelmscott ,house4 
,the text of the ,shakespeare was to    
have been prepared by ,dr4 ,furnivall4  
,the original intention1 as first set   
out in the list of ,may #bj1 #ahic1 was 
to print it in three vols4 folio4 ,a    
trial page from ,lady ,macbeth1 printed 
at this time1 is in existence4 ,the same
 information is repeated until the list 
of ,july #b1 #ahie1 in which the book is
 announced as to be a 'small #dto       
7special size71' i4 e41 the size        
afterwards adopted for ,the ,earthly    
,paradise4 ,it was not1 however1 begun1 
nor was the volume of ,mr4              
,watts-,dunton's poems4 ,of the ,vitas  
,patrum1 which was to have been uniform 
with ,the ,golden ,legend1 a prospectus 
and specimen page were issued in ,march1
 #ahid1 but the number of subscribers   
did not justify its going beyond this   

stage4 ,two trial pages of the          
,catalogue were set up2 some of the     
material prepared for it has now        
appeared in ,some ,german ,woodcuts of  
the ,fifteenth ,century4 ,in addition to
 these books1 ,the ,hill of ,venus1 as  
stated on p4 #ch1 was in preparation4   
,among works that ,mr4 ,morris had some 
thought of printing may also be         
mentioned ,the ,bible1 ,gesta           
,romanorum1 ,malory's ,morte ,darthur1  
,the ,high ,history of the ,san ,graal  
7translated by ,dr4 ,sebastian ,evans71 
,piers ,ploughman1 ,huon of ,bordeaux1  
,caxton's ,jason1 a ,latin ,psalter1    
,the ,prymer or ,lay ,folk's            
,prayer-,book1 ,some ,medival ,english  
,songs and ,music1 ,the ,pilgrim's      
,progress1 and a ,book of ,romantic     
,ballads4 ,he was engaged on the        
selection of the ,ballads1 which he     
spoke of as the finest poems in our     
language1 during his last illness4      
,,the ,,ideal ,,book3 ,,an ,,address    
,,by ,,william ,,morris1 ,,delivered    

,,before ,,the ,,bibliographical        
,,society ,,of ,,london1 ,,mdcccxciii4  
,by the ,ideal ,book1 ,i suppose we are 
to understand a book not limited by     
commercial exigencies of price3 we can  
do what we like with it1 according to   
what its nature1 as a book1 demands of  
art4 ,but we may conclude1 ,i think1    
that its matter will limit us somewhat2 
a work on differential calculus1 a      
medical work1 a dictionary1 a collection
 of a statesman's speeches1 or a        
treatise on manures1 such books1 though 
they might be handsomely and well       
printed1 would scarcely receive ornament
 with the same exuberance as a volume of
 lyrical poems1 or a standard classic1  
or such like4 ,a work on ,art1 ,i think1
 bears less of ornament than any other  
kind of book 7non bis in idem is a good 
motto72 again1 a book that must have    
illustrations1 more or less utilitarian1
 should1 ,i think1 have no actual       
ornament at all1 because the ornament   
and the illustration must almost        

certainly fight4  ,still whatever the   
subject matter of the book may be1 and  
however bare it may be of decoration1 it
 can still be a work of art1 if the type
 be good and attention be paid to its   
general arrangement4 ,all here present1 
,i should suppose1 will agree in        
thinking an opening of ,schoeffer's     
#adfb ,bible beautiful1 even when it has
 neither been illuminated nor           
rubricated2 the same may be said of     
,schussler1 or ,jenson1 or1 in short1 of
 any of the good old printers2 their    
books1 without any further ornament than
 they derived from the design and       
arrangement of the letters1 were        
definite works of art4 ,in fact a book1 
printed or written1 has a tendency to be
 a beautiful object1 and that we of this
 age should generally produce ugly      
books1 shows1 ,i fear1 something like   
malice prepense--a determination to put 
our eyes in our pockets wherever we can4
  ,well1 ,i lay it down1 first1 that a  
book quite unornamented can look        

actually and positively beautiful1 and  
not merely un-ugly1 if it be1 so to say1
 architecturally good1 which1 by the by1
 need not add much to its price1 since  
it costs no more to pick up pretty      
stamps than ugly ones1 and the taste and
 forethought that goes to the proper    
setting1 position1 and so on1 will soon 
grow into a habit1 if cultivated1 and   
will not take up much of the master     
printer's time when taken with his other
 necessary business4  ,now1 then1 let us
 see what this architectural arrangement
 claims of us4 ,first1 the pages must be
 clear and easy to read2 which they can 
hardly be unless1 ,secondly1 the type is
 well designed2 and ,thirdly1 whether   
the margins be small or big1 they must  
be in due proportion to the page of the 
letter4  ,for clearness of reading the  
things necessary to be heeded are1      
first1 that the letters should be       
properly put on their bodies1 and1 ,i   
think1 especially that there should be  
small whites between them2 it is        

curious1 but to me certain1 that the    
irregularity of some early type1 notably
 the roman letter of the early printers 
of ,rome1 which is1 of all roman type1  
the rudest1 does not tend toward        
illegibility3 what does so is the       
lateral compression of the letter1 which
 necessarily involves the over thinning 
out of its shape4 ,of course ,i do not  
mean to say that the above-mentioned    
irregularity is other than a fault to be
 corrected4 ,one thing should never be  
done in ideal printing1 the spacing out 
of letters--that is1 putting an extra   
white between them2 except in such      
hurried and unimportant work as         
newspaper printing1 it is inexcusable4  
,this leads to the second matter on this
 head1 the lateral spacing of words 7the
 whites between them72 to make a        
beautiful page great attention should be
 paid to this1 which1 ,i fear1 is not   
often done4 ,no more white should be    
used between the words than just clearly
 cuts them off from one another2 if the 

whites are bigger than this it both     
tends to illegibility and makes the page
 ugly4 ,i remember once buying a        
handsome fifteenth-century ,venetian    
book1 and ,i could not tell at first why
 some of its pages were so worrying to  
read1 and so commonplace and vulgar to  
look at1 for there was no fault to find 
with the type4 ,but presently it was    
accounted for by the spacing3 for the   
said pages were spaced like a modern    
book1 i4 e41 the black and white nearly 
equal4 ,next1 if you want a legible     
book1 the white should be clear and the 
black black4 ,when that excellent       
journal1 the ,westminster ,gazette1     
first came out1 there was a discussion  
on the advantages of its green paper1 in
 which a good deal of nonsense was      
talked4 ,my friend1 ,mr4 ,jacobi1 being 
a practical printer1 set these wise men 
right1 if they noticed his letter1 as ,i
 fear they did not1 by pointing out that
 what they had done was to lower the    
tone 7not the moral tone7 of the paper1 

and that1 therefore1 in order to make it
 as legible as ordinary black and white1
 they should make their black           
blacker--which of course they do not do4
 ,you may depend upon it that a gray    
page is very trying to the eyes4  ,as   
above said1 legibility depends also much
 on the design of the letter3 and again 
,i take up the cudgels against          
compressed type1 and that especially in 
roman letter3 the full-sized lower-case 
letters a1 b1 d1 and c1 should be       
designed on something like a square to  
get good results3 otherwise one may     
fairly say that there is no room for the
 design2 furthermore1 each letter should
 have its due characteristic drawing1   
the thickening out for a b1 e1 g1 should
 not be of the same kind as that for a  
d2 a u should not merely be an n turned 
upside down2 the dot of the i should not
 be a circle drawn with compasses2 but a
 delicately drawn diamond1 and so on4   
,to be short1 the letters should be     
designed by an artist1 and not an       

engineer4 ,as to the forms of letters in
 ,england 7,i mean ,great ,britain71    
there has been much progress within the 
last forty years4 ,the sweltering       
hideousness of the ,bodoni letter1 the  
most illegible type that was ever cut1  
with its preposterous thicks and thins1 
has been mostly relegated to works that 
do not profess anything but the baldest 
utilitarianism 7though why even         
utilitarianism should use illegible     
types1 ,i fail to see71 and ,caslon's   
letter and the somewhat wiry1 but in its
 way1 elegant old-faced type cut in our 
own days1 has largely taken its place4  
,it is rather unlucky1 however1 that a  
somewhat low standard of excellence has 
been accepted for the design of modern  
roman type at its best1 the             
comparatively poor and wiry letter of   
,plantin and the ,elzevirs having served
 for the model1 rather than the generous
 and logical designs of the             
fifteenth-century ,venetian printers1 at
 the head of whom stands ,nicholas      

,jenson2 when it is so obvious that this
 is the best and clearest roman type yet
 struck1 it seems a pity that we should 
make our starting-point for a possible  
new departure at any period worse than  
the best4 ,if any of you doubt the      
superiority of this type over that of   
the seventeenth century1 the study of a 
specimen enlarged about five times will 
convince him1 ,i should think4 ,i must  
admit1 however1 that a commercial       
consideration comes in here1 to wit1    
that the ,jenson letters take up more   
room than the imitations of the         
seventeenth century2 and that touches on
 another commercial difficulty1 to wit1 
that you cannot have a book either      
handsome or clear to read which is      
printed in small characters4 ,for my    
part1 except where books smaller than an
 ordinary octavo are wanted1 ,i would   
fight against anything smaller than     
pica2 but at any rate small pica seems  
to me the smallest type that should be  
used in the body of any book4 ,i might  

suggest to printers that if they want to
 get more in they can reduce the size of
 the leads1 or leave them out           
altogether4 ,of course this is more     
desirable in some types than in others2 
,caslon's letter1 e4 g41 which has long 
ascenders and descenders1 never needs   
leading1 except for special purposes4   
,i have hitherto had a fine and generous
 roman type in my mind1 but after all a 
certain amount of variety is desirable1 
and when you have gotten your roman     
letter as good as the best that has     
been1 ,i do not think you will find much
 scope for development of it2 ,i would  
therefore put in a word for some form of
 gothic letter for use in our improved  
printed book4 ,this may startle some of 
you1 but you must remember that except  
for a very remarkable type used very    
seldom by ,berthelette 7,i have only    
seen two books in this type4            
,bartholomew1 the ,englishman1 and the  
,gower1 of #aecb71 ,english             
black-letter1 since the days of ,wynkin 

de ,worde1 has been always the letter   
which was introduced from ,holland about
 that time 7,i except again1 of course1 
the modern imitations of ,caxton74 ,now 
this1 though a handsome and stately     
letter1 is not very easy reading2 it is 
too much compressed1 too spiky1 and so  
to say1 too prepensely gothic4 ,but     
there are many types which are of a     
transitional character and of all       
degrees of transition1 from those which 
do little more than take in just a      
little of the crisp floweriness of the  
gothic1 like some of the ,mentelin or   
quasi-,mentelin ones 7which1 indeed1 are
 models of beautiful simplicity71 or say
 like the letter of the ,ulm ,ptolemy1  
of which it is difficult to say whether 
it is gothic or roman1 to the splendid  
,mainz type1 of which1 ,i suppose1 the  
finest specimen is the ,schoeffer ,bible
 of #adfb1 which is almost wholly       
gothic4 ,this gives us a wide field for 
variety1 ,i think1 so ,i make the       
suggestion to you1 and leave this part  

of the subject with two remarks3 first1 
that a good deal of the difficulty of   
reading gothic books is caused by the   
numerous contractions in them1 which    
were a survival of the practice of the  
scribes2 and in a lesser degree by the  
over-abundance of tied letters1 both of 
which drawbacks1 ,i take it for granted1
 would be absent in modern types founded
 on these semi-gothic letters4 ,and1    
secondly1 that in my opinion the        
capitals are the strong side of roman   
and the lower-case of gothic letter1    
which is but natural1 since the roman   
was originally an alphabet of capitals1 
and the lower case a gradual deduction  
from them4  ,we now come to the position
 of the page of print on the paper1     
which is a most important point1 and one
 that till quite lately has been wholly 
misunderstood by modern1 and seldom done
 wrong by ancient printers1 or indeed by
 producers of books of any kind4 ,on    
this head ,i must begin by reminding you
 that we only occasionally see one page 

of a book at a time2 the two pages      
making an opening are really the unit of
 the book1 and this was thoroughly      
understood by the old book producers4 ,i
 think you will seldom find a book      
produced before the eighteenth century1 
and which has not been cut down by that 
enemy of books 7and of the human race71 
the binder1 in which this rule is not   
adhered to3 that the binder edge 7that  
which is bound in7 must be the smallest 
member of the margins1 the head margin  
must be larger than this1 the fore      
larger still1 and the tail largest of   
all4 ,i assert that1 to the eye of any  
man who knows what proportion is1 this  
looks satisfactory1 and that no other   
does so look4 ,but the modern printer1  
as a rule1 dumps down the page in what  
he calls the middle of the paper1 which 
is often not even really the middle1 as 
he measures his page from the head line1
 if he has one1 though it is not really 
a part of the page1 but a spray of type 
only faintly staining the head of the   

paper4 ,now ,i go so far as to say that 
any book in which the page is properly  
put on the paper is tolerable to look   
at1 however poor the type may be 7always
 so long as there is no ornament which  
may spoil the whole thing71 whereas any 
book in which the page is wrongly set on
 the paper is intolerable to look at1   
however good the type and ornaments may 
be4 ,i have got on my shelves now a     
,jenson's ,latin ,pliny1 which1 in spite
 of its beautiful type and handsome     
painted ornaments1 ,i dare scarcely look
 at1 because the binder 7adjectives fail
 me here7 has chopped off two-thirds of 
the tail margin3 such stupidities are   
like a man with his coat buttoned up    
behind1 or a lady with her bonnet on    
hind-side foremost4  ,before ,i finish  
,i should like to say a word concerning 
large-paper copies4 ,i am clean against 
them1 though ,i have sinned a good deal 
in that way myself1 but that was in the 
days of ignorance1 and ,i petition for  
pardon on that ground only4 ,if you want

 to publish a handsome edition of a     
book1 as well as a cheap one1 do so1 but
 let them be two books1 and if you 7or  
the public7 cannot afford this1 spend   
your ingenuity and your money in making 
the cheap book as sightly as you can4   
,your making a large-paper copy out of  
the small one lands you in a dilemma    
even if you re-impose the pages for the 
large paper1 which is not often done1 ,i
 think4 ,if the margins are right for   
the smaller book they must be wrong for 
the larger1 and you have to offer the   
public the worse book at the bigger     
price2 if they are right for the large  
paper they are wrong for the small1 and 
thus spoil it1 as we have seen above    
that they must do2 and that seems       
scarcely fair to the general public     
7from the point of view of artistic     
morality7 who might have had a book that
 was sightly1 though not high-priced4   
,as to the paper of our ideal book1 we  
are at a great disadvantage compared    
with past times4 ,up to the end of the  

fifteenth1 or indeed1 the first quarter 
of the sixteenth centuries1 no bad paper
 was made1 and the greater part was very
 good indeed4 ,at present there is very 
little good paper made and most of it is
 very bad4 ,our ideal book must1 ,i     
think1 be printed on hand-made paper as 
good as it can be made2 penury here will
 make a poor book of it4 ,yet if        
machine-made paper must be used1 it     
should not profess fineness or luxury1  
but should show itself for what it is3  
for my part ,i decidedly prefer the     
cheaper papers that are used for the    
journals1 so far as appearance is       
concerned1 to the thick1 smooth1        
sham-fine papers on which respectable   
books are printed1 and the worst of     
these are those which imitate the       
structure of hand-made papers4  ,but1   
granted your hand-made paper1 there is  
something to be said about the          
substance4 ,a small book should not be  
printed on thick paper1 however good it 
may be4 ,you want a book to turn over   

easily1 and to lie quiet while you are  
reading it1 which is impossible1 unless 
you keep heavy paper for big books4     
,and1 by the way1 ,i wish to make a     
protest against the superstition that   
only small books are comfortable to     
read2 some small books are tolerably    
comfortable1 but the best of them are   
not so comfortable as a fairly big      
folio1 the size1 say1 of an uncut       
,polyphilus or somewhat bigger4 ,the    
fact is1 a small book seldom does lie   
quiet1 and you have to cramp your hand  
by holding it or else put it on the     
table with a paraphernalia of matters to
 keep it down1 a tablespoon on one side1
 a knife on another1 and so on1 which   
things always tumble off at a critical  
moment1 and fidget you out of the repose
 which is absolutely necessary to       
reading2 whereas1 a big folio lies quiet
 and majestic on the table1 waiting     
kindly till you please to come to it1   
with its leaves flat and peaceful1      
giving you no trouble of body1 so that  

your mind is free to enjoy the          
literature which its beauty enshrines4  
,so far then1 ,i have been speaking of  
books whose only ornament is the        
necessary and essential beauty which    
arises out of the fitness of a piece of 
craftsmanship for the use which it is   
made for4 ,but if we get as far as that1
 no doubt from such craftsmanship       
definite ornament will arise1 and will  
be used1 sometimes with wise            
forbearance1 sometimes with prodigality 
equally wise4 ,meantime1 if we really   
feel impelled to ornament our books1 no 
doubt we ought to try what we can do2   
but in this attempt we must remember one
 thing1 that if we think the ornament is
 ornamentally a part of the book merely 
because it is printed with it1 and bound
 up with it1 we shall be much mistaken4 
,the ornament must form as much a part  
of the book as the type itself1 or it   
will miss its mark1 and in order to     
succeed1 and to be ornament1 it must    
submit to certain limitations1 and      

become architectural2 a mere black and  
white picture1 however interesting it   
may be as a picture1 may be far from an 
ornament in a book2 while on the other  
hand a book ornamented with pictures    
that are suitable for that1 and that    
alone1 may become a work of art second  
to none1 save a fine building duly      
decorated1 or a fine piece of           
literature4  ,these two latter things   
are1 indeed1 the one absolutely         
necessary gift that we should claim of  
art4 ,the picture-book is not1 perhaps1 
absolutely necessary to man's life1 but 
it gives us such endless pleasure1 and  
is so intimately connected with the     
other absolutely necessary art of       
imaginative literature that it must     
remain one of the very worthiest things 
toward the production of which          
reasonable men should strive4     ,,an  
,,essay ,,on ,,printing1 ,,by ,,william 
,,morris ,,and ,,emery ,,walker1 ,,from 
,,arts ,,and ,,crafts ,,essays ,,by     
,,members ,,of ,,the ,,arts ,,and       

,,crafts ,,exhibition ,,society4        
,printing1 in the only sense with which 
we are at present concerned1 differs    
from most if not from all the arts and  
crafts represented in the exhibition in 
being comparatively modern4 ,for        
although the ,chinese took impressions  
from wood blocks engraved in relief for 
centuries before the wood-cutters of the
 ,netherlands1 by a similar process1    
produced the block books1 which were the
 immediate predecessors of the true     
printed book1 the invention of movable  
metal letters in the middle of the      
fifteenth century may justly be         
considered as the invention of the art  
of printing4 ,and it is worth mention in
 passing that1 as an example of fine    
typography1 the earliest book printed   
with movable types1 the ,gutenberg1 or  
forty-two line ,bible of about #adee1   
has never been surpassed4  ,printing1   
then1 for our purpose1 may be considered
 as the art of making books by means of 
movable types4 ,now1 as all books not   

primarily intended as picture-books     
consist principally of types composed to
 form letterpress1 it is of the first   
importance that the letter used should  
be fine in form2 especially as no more  
time is occupied1 or cost incurred1 in  
casting1 setting1 or printing beautiful 
letters than in the same operations with
 ugly ones4 ,and it was a matter of     
course that in the ,middle ,ages1 when  
the craftsmen took care that beautiful  
form should always be a part of their   
productions whatever they were1 the     
forms of printed letters should be      
beautiful1 and that their arrangement on
 the page should be reasonable and a    
help to the shapeliness of the letters  
themselves4 ,the ,middle ,ages brought  
caligraphy to perfection1 and it was    
natural therefore that the forms of     
printed letters should follow more or   
less closely those of the written       
character1 and they followed them very  
closely4 ,the first books were printed  
in black letter1 i4 e41 the letter which

 was a ,gothic development of the       
ancient ,roman character1 and which     
developed more completely and           
satisfactorily on the side of the       
lower-case than the capital letters2 the
 lower-case being in fact invented in   
the early ,middle ,ages4 ,the earliest  
book printed with movable type1 the     
aforesaid ,gutenberg ,bible1 is printed 
in letters which are an exact imitation 
of the more formal ecclesiastical       
writing which obtained at that time2    
this has since been called missal type1 
and was in fact the kind of letter used 
in the many splendid missals1 psalters1 
etc41 produced by printing in the       
fifteenth century4 ,but the first ,bible
 actually dated 7which also was printed 
at ,mainz by ,peter ,schoeffer in the   
year #adfb7 imitates a much freer hand1 
simpler1 rounder1 and less spiky1 and   
therefore far pleasanter and easier to  
read4 ,on the whole the type of this    
book may be considered the ne-plus-ultra
 of ,gothic type1 especially as regards 

the lower-case letters2 and type very   
similar was used during the next fifteen
 or twenty years not only by ,schoeffer1
 but by printers in ,strasburg1 ,basle1 
,paris1 ,lubeck1 and other cities4 ,but 
though on the whole1 except in ,italy1  
,gothic letter was most often used1 a   
very few years saw the birth of ,roman  
character not only in ,italy1 but in    
,germany and ,france4 ,in #adfe         
,sweynheim and ,pannartz began printing 
in the monastery of ,subiaco near ,rome1
 and used an exceedingly beautiful type1
 which is indeed to look at a transition
 between ,gothic and ,roman1 but which  
must certainly have come from the study 
of the twelfth or even the eleventh     
century ,,mss4 ,they printed very few   
books in this type1 three only2 but in  
their very first books in ,rome1        
beginning with the year #adfh1 they     
discarded this for a more completely    
,roman and far less beautiful letter4   
,but about the same year ,mentelin at   
,strasburg began to print in a type     

which is distinctly ,roman2 and the next
 year ,gunther ,zeiner at ,augsburg     
followed suit2 while in #adgj at ,paris 
,udalric ,gering and his associates     
turned out the first books printed in   
,france1 also in ,roman character4 ,the 
,roman type of all these printers is    
similar in character1 and is very simple
 and legible1 and unaffectedly designed 
for use2 but it is by no means without  
beauty4 ,it must be said that it is in  
no way like the transition type of      
,subiaco1 and though more ,roman than   
that1 yet scarcely more like the        
complete ,roman type of the earliest    
printers of ,rome4  ,a further          
development of the ,roman letter took   
place at ,venice4 ,john of ,spires and  
his brother ,vindelin1 followed by      
,nicholas ,jenson1 began to print in    
that city1 #adfi1 #adgj2 their type is  
on the lines of the ,german and ,french 
rather than of the ,roman printers4 ,of 
,jenson it must be said that he carried 
the development of ,roman type as far as

 it can go3 his letter is admirably     
clear and regular1 but at least as      
beautiful as any other ,roman type4     
,after his death in the fourteen        
eighties1 or at least by #adij1 printing
 in ,venice had declined very much2 and 
though the famous family of ,aldus      
restored its technical excellence1      
rejecting battered letters1 and paying  
great attention to the press work or    
actual process of printing1 yet their   
type is artistically on a much lower    
level than ,jenson's1 and in fact they  
must be considered to have ended the age
 of fine printing in ,italy4 ,jenson1   
however1 had many contemporaries who    
used beautiful type1 some of which--as1 
e4 g41 that of ,jacobus ,rubeus or      
,jacques le ,rouge--is scarcely         
distinguishable from his4 ,it was these 
great ,venetian printers1 together with 
their brethren of ,rome1 ,milan1 ,parma1
 and one or two other cities1 who       
produced the splendid editions of the   
,classics1 which are one of the great   

glories of the printer's art1 and are   
worthy representatives of the eager     
enthusiasm for the revived learning of  
that epoch4 ,by far the greater part of 
these ,italian printers1 it should be   
mentioned1 were ,germans or ,frenchmen1 
working under the influence of ,italian 
opinion and aims4 ,it must be understood
 that through the whole of the fifteenth
 and the first quarter of the sixteenth 
centuries the ,roman letter was used    
side by side with the ,gothic4 ,even in 
,italy most of the theological and law  
books were printed in ,gothic letter1   
which was generally more formally       
,gothic than the printing of the ,german
 workmen1 many of whose types1 indeed1  
like that of the ,subiaco works1 are of 
a transitional character4 ,this was     
notably the case with the early works   
printed at ,ulm1 and in a somewhat      
lesser degree at ,augsburg4 ,in fact    
,gunther ,zeiner's first type           
7afterwards used by ,schussler7 is      
remarkably like the type of the         

before-mentioned ,subiaco books4  ,in   
the ,low ,countries and ,cologne1 which 
were very fertile of printed books1     
,gothic was the favourite4 ,the         
characteristic ,dutch type1 as          
represented by the excellent printer    
,gerard ,leew1 is very pronounced and   
uncompromising ,gothic4 ,this type was  
introduced into ,england by ,wynkyn de  
,worde1 ,caxton's successor1 and was    
used there with very little variation   
all through the sixteenth and           
seventeenth centuries1 and indeed into  
the eighteenth4 ,most of ,caxton's own  
types are of an earlier character1      
though they also much resemble ,flemish 
or ,cologne letter4 ,after the end of   
the fifteenth century the degradation of
 printing1 especially in ,germany and   
,italy1 went on apace2 and by the end of
 the sixteenth century there was no     
really beautiful printing done3 the     
best1 mostly ,french or ,low-,country1  
was neat and clear1 but without any     
distinction2 the worst1 which perhaps   

was the ,english1 was a terrible        
falling-off from the work of the earlier
 presses2 and things got worse and worse
 through the whole of the seventeenth   
century1 so that in the eighteenth      
printing was very miserably performed4  
,in ,england about this time1 an attempt
 was made 7notably by ,caslon1 who      
started business in ,london as a        
type-founder in #agbj7 to improve the   
letter in form4 ,caslon's type is clear 
and neat1 and fairly well designed2 he  
seems to have taken the letter of the   
,elzevirs of the seventeenth century for
 his model3 type cast from his matrices 
is still in everyday use4  ,in spite1   
however1 of his praiseworthy efforts1   
printing had still one last degradation 
to undergo4 ,the seventeenth century    
founts were bad rather negatively than  
positively4 ,but for the beauty of the  
earlier work they might have seemed     
tolerable4 ,it was reserved for the     
founders of the later eighteenth century
 to produce letters which are positively

 ugly1 and which1 it may be added1 are  
dazzling and unpleasant to the eye owing
 to the clumsy thickening and vulgar    
thinning of the lines3 for the          
seventeenth-century letters are at least
 pure and simple in line4 ,the ,italian1
 ,bodoni1 and the ,frenchman1 ,didot1   
were the leaders in this luckless       
change1 though our own ,baskerville1 who
 was at work some years before them1    
went much on the same lines2 but his    
letters1 though uninteresting and poor1 
are not nearly so gross and vulgar as   
those of either the ,italian or the     
,frenchman4  ,with this change the art  
of printing touched bottom1 so far as   
fine printing is concerned1 though paper
 did not get to its worst till about    
#ahdj4 ,the ,chiswick press in #ahdd    
revived ,caslon's founts1 printing for  
,messrs4 ,longman the ,diary of ,lady   
,willoughby4 ,this experiment was so far
 successful that about #ahej ,messrs4   
,miller and ,richard of ,edinburgh were 
induced to cut punches for a series of  

old style letters4 ,these and similar   
founts1 cast by the above firm and      
others1 have now come into general use  
and are obviously a great improvement on
 the ordinary modern style in use in    
,england1 which is in fact the ,bodoni  
type a little reduced in ugliness4 ,the 
design of the letters of this modern old
 style leaves a good deal to be desired1
 and the whole effect is a little too   
gray1 owing to the thinness of the      
letters4 ,it must be remembered1        
however1 that most modern printing is   
done by machinery on soft paper1 and not
 by the hand press1 and these somewhat  
wiry letters are suitable for the       
machine process1 which would not do     
justice to letters of more generous     
design4  ,it is discouraging to note    
that the improvement of the last fifty  
years is almost wholly confined to      
,great ,britain4 ,here and there a book 
is printed in ,france or ,germany with  
some pretension to good taste1 but the  
general revival of the old forms has    

made no way in those countries4 ,italy  
is contentedly stagnant4 ,america has   
produced a good many showy books1 the   
typography1 paper1 and illustrations of 
which are1 however1 all wrong1 oddity   
rather than rational beauty and meaning 
being apparently the thing sought for   
both in the letters and the             
illustrations4  ,to say a few words on  
the principles of design in typography3 
it is obvious that legibility is the    
first thing to be aimed at in the forms 
of the letters2 this is best furthered  
by the avoidance of irrational swellings
 and spiky projections1 and by the using
 of careful purity of line4 ,even the   
,caslon type when enlarged shows great  
shortcomings in this respect3 the ends  
of many of the letters such as the t and
 e are hooked up in a vulgar and        
meaningless way1 instead of ending in   
the sharp and clear stroke of ,jenson's 
letters2 there is a grossness in the    
upper finishings of letters like the c1 
the a1 and so on1 an ugly pear-shaped   

swelling defacing the form of the       
letter3 in short1 it happens to this    
craft1 as to others1 that the           
utilitarian practice1 though it         
professes to avoid ornament1 still      
clings to a foolish1 because            
misunderstood conventionality1 deduced  
from what was once ornament1 and is by  
no means useful2 which title can only be
 claimed by artistic practice1 whether  
the art in it be conscious or           
unconscious4  ,in no characters is the  
contrast between the ugly and vulgar    
illegibility of the modern type and the 
elegance and legibility of the ancient  
more striking than in the ,arabic       
numerals4 ,in the old print each figure 
has its definite individuality1 and one 
cannot be mistaken for the other2 in    
reading the modern figures the eyes must
 be strained before the reader can have 
any reasonable assurance that he has a  
#e1 an #h1 or a #c before him1 unless   
the press work is of the best2 this is  
awkward if you have to read ,bradshaw's 

,guide in a hurry4  ,one of the         
differences between the fine type and   
the utilitarian must probably be put    
down to a misapprehension of a          
commercial necessity3 this is the       
narrowing of the modern letters4 ,most  
of ,jenson's letters are designed within
 a square1 the modern letters are       
narrowed by a third or thereabout2 but  
while this gain of space very much      
hampers the possibility of beauty of    
design1 it is not a real gain1 for the  
modern printer throws the gain away by  
putting inordinately wide spaces between
 his lines1 which1 probably1 the lateral
 compression of his letters renders     
necessary4 ,commercialism again compels 
the use of type too small in size to be 
comfortable reading3 the size known as  
,long primer ought to be the smallest   
size used in a book meant to be read4   
,here1 again1 if the practice of leading
 were retrenched larger type could be   
used without enhancing the price of a   
book4  ,one very important matter in    

setting up for fine printing is the     
spacing1 that is1 the lateral distance  
of words from one another4 ,in good     
printing the spaces between the words   
should be as near as possible equal 7it 
is impossible that they should be quite 
equal except in lines of poetry72 modern
 printers understand this1 but it is    
only practised in the very best         
establishments4 ,but another point which
 they should attend to they almost      
always disregard2 this is the tendency  
to the formation of ugly meandering     
white lines or rivers in the page1 a    
blemish which can be nearly1 though not 
wholly1 avoided by care and forethought1
 the desirable thing being the breaking 
of the line as in bonding masonry or    
brickwork1 thus3 ,illustration ,the     
general solidity of a page is much to be
 sought for3 modern printers generally  
overdo the whites in the spacing1 a     
defect probably forced on them by the   
characterless quality of the letters4   
,for where these are boldly and         

carefully designed1 and each letter is  
thoroughly individual in form1 the words
 may be set much closer together1       
without loss of clearness4 ,no definite 
rules1 however1 except the avoidance of 
rivers and excess of white1 can be given
 for the spacing1 which requires the    
constant exercise of judgment and taste 
on the part of the printer4  ,the       
position of the page on the paper should
 be considered if the book is to have a 
satisfactory look4 ,here once more the  
almost invariable modern practice is in 
opposition to a natural sense of        
proportion4 ,from the time when books   
first took their present shape till the 
end of the sixteenth century1 or indeed 
later1 the page so lay on the paper that
 there was more space allowed to the    
bottom and fore margin than to the top  
and back of the paper1 thus3            
,illustration  the unit of the book     
being looked on as the two pages forming
 an opening4 ,the modern printer1 in the
 teeth of the evidence given by his own 

eyes1 considers the single page as the  
unit1 and prints the page in the middle 
of his paper--only nominally so1        
however1 in many cases1 since when he   
uses a headline he counts that in1 the  
result as measured by the eye being that
 the lower margin is less than the top  
one1 and that the whole opening has an  
upside-down look vertically1 and that   
laterally the page looks as if it were  
being driven off the paper4  ,the paper 
on which the printing is to be done is a
 necessary part of our subject3 of this 
it may be said that though there is some
 good paper made now1 it is never used  
except for very expensive books1        
although it would not materially        
increase the cost in all but the very   
cheapest4 ,the paper that is used for   
ordinary books is exceedingly bad even  
in this country1 but is beaten in the   
race for vileness by that made in       
,america1 which is the worst            
conceivable4 ,there seems to be no      
reason why ordinary paper should not be 

better made1 even allowing the necessity
 for a very low price2 but any          
improvement must be based on showing    
openly that the cheap article is cheap1 
e4 g41 the cheap paper should not       
sacrifice toughness and durability to a 
smooth and white surface1 which should  
be indications of a delicacy of material
 and manufacture which would of         
necessity increase its cost4 ,one       
fruitful source of badness in paper is  
the habit that publishers have of eking 
out a thin volume by printing it on     
thick paper almost of the substance of  
cardboard1 a device which deceives      
nobody1 and makes a book very unpleasant
 to read4 ,on the whole1 a small book   
should be printed on paper which is as  
thin as may be without being            
transparent4 ,the paper used for        
printing the small highly ornamented    
,french service-books about the         
beginning of the sixteenth century is a 
model in this respect1 being thin1      
tough1 and opaque4 ,however1 the fact   

must not be blinked that machine-made   
paper cannot in the nature of things be 
made of so good a texture as that made  
by hand4  ,the ornamentation of printed 
books is too wide a subject to be dealt 
with fully here2 but one thing must be  
said on it4 ,the essential point to be  
remembered is that the ornament1        
whatever it is1 whether picture or      
pattern-work1 should form part of the   
page1 should be a part of the whole     
scheme of the book4 ,simple as this     
proposition is1 it is necessary to be   
stated1 because the modern practice is  
to disregard the relation between the   
printing and the ornament altogether1 so
 that if the two are helpful to one     
another it is a mere matter of accident4
 ,the due relation of letter to pictures
 and other ornament was thoroughly      
understood by the old printers2 so that 
even when the woodcuts are very rude    
indeed1 the proportions of the page     
still give pleasure by the sense of     
richness that the cuts and letter       

together convey4 ,when1 as is most often
 the case1 there is actual beauty in the
 cuts1 the books so ornamented are      
amongst the most delightful works of art
 that have ever been produced4          
,therefore1 granted well-designed type1 
due spacing of the lines and words1 and 
proper position of the page on the      
paper1 all books might be at least      
comely and well-looking3 and if to these
 good qualities were added really       
beautiful ornament and pictures1 printed
 books might once again illustrate to   
the full the position of our ,society   
that a work of utility might be also a  
work of art1 if we cared to make it so4 
99       99       99       99       99  
,,note ,,to ,,the ,,present ,,edition3  
,the following pages showing the ,troy  
and ,chaucer types are printed from     
process blocks to insure fidelity to the
 originals4 ,the frontispiece and first 
page of text are also reproduced in the 
same manner2 page one1 within the       
border1 showing the ,golden type1 the   

only other type used by ,william        
,morris4  ,sidenote3 ,this is the ,troy 
type  ,the following passages are given 
to show the ,troy  ,chaucer types1 and  
four initials that were designed for the
 ,froissart1 but never used4    ,the    
land is a little land1 ,sirs1 too much  
shut up within the narrow   seas1 as it 
seems1 to have much space for swelling  
into hugeness3   there are no great     
wastes overwhelming in their dreariness1
 no great   solitudes of forests1 no    
terrible untrodden mountain-walls3 all  
is   measured1 mingled1 varied1 gliding 
easily one thing into another3   little 
rivers1 little plains1 swelling1        
speedily-changing uplands1   all beset  
with handsome orderly trees2 little     
hills1 little   mountains1 netted over  
with the walls of sheep-walks3 all is   
little2   yet not foolish and blank1 but
 serious rather1 and abundant of        
meaning for such as choose to seek it3  
it is neither prison1 nor   palace1 but 
a decent home4    ,all which ,i neither 

praise nor blame1 but say that so it is3
 some   people praise this homeliness   
overmuch1 as if the land were the very  
axle-tree of the world2 so do not ,i1   
nor any unblinded by pride in           
themselves and all that belongs to them3
 others there are who scorn   it and the
 tameness of it3 not ,i any the more3   
though it would   indeed be hard if     
there were nothing else in the world1 no
 wonders1   no terrors1 no unspeakable  
beauties4 ,yet when we think what a     
small   part of the world's history1    
past1 present1  to come1 is this land   
we live in1 and how much smaller still  
in the history of the arts1    yet how  
our forefathers clung to it1 and with   
what care and    ,sidenote3 ,this is the
 ,chaucer type    pains they adorned it1
 this unromantic1 uneventful-looking    
land of   ,england1 surely by this too  
our hearts may be touched and our hope  
quickened4    ,for as was the land1 such
 was the art of it while folk yet       
troubled   themselves about such things2

 it strove little to impress people     
either by pomp or ingenuity3 not        
unseldom it fell into commonplace1      
rarely it rose into majesty2 yet was it 
never oppressive1 never a   slave's     
nightmare or an insolent boast3  at its 
best it had an   inventiveness1 an      
individuality1 that grander styles have 
never   overpassed3 its best too1 and   
that was in its very heart1 was given   
as freely to the yeoman's house1 and the
 humble village church1 as   to the     
lord's palace or the mighty cathedral3  
never coarse1 though   often rude       
enough1 sweet1 natural  unaffected1 an  
art of peasants   rather than of        
merchant princes or courtiers1 it must  
be a hard   heart1 ,i think1 that does  
not love it3 whether a man has been born
   among it like ourselves1 or has come 
wonderingly on its simplicity   from all
 the grandeur over-seas4         99     
99       99       99       99    ,and   
,science1 we have loved her well1 and   
followed her diligently1   what will she

 do8 ,i fear she is so much in the pay  
of the   counting-house1 the            
counting-house and the drill-sergeant1  
that she   is too busy1 and will for the
 present do nothing4    ,yet there are  
matters which ,i should have thought    
easy for her1 say   for example teaching
 ,manchester how to consume its own     
smoke1 or   ,leeds how to get rid of its
 superfluous black dye without turning  
it   into the river1 which would be as  
much worth her attention as the         
production of the heaviest of heavy     
black silks1 or the biggest of   useless
 guns4 ,anyhow1 however it be done1     
unless people care about   carrying on  
their business without making the world 
hideous1 how can   they care about art8 
,i know it will cost much both of time  
and money   to better these things even 
a little2 but ,i do not see how these   
can be better spent than in making life 
cheerful  honourable for   others and   
for ourselves2 and the gain of good life
 to the country   at large that would   

result from men seriously setting about 
the   bettering of the decency of our   
big towns would be priceless1 even   if 
nothing specially good befell the arts  
in consequence3 ,i do not   know that it
 would2 but ,i should begin to think    
matters hopeful if   men turned their   
attention to such things1 and ,i repeat 
that1 unless   they do so1 we can       
scarcely even begin with any hope our   
endeavours   for the bettering of the   
,arts4 7,from the lecture called ,the   
,lesser   ,arts1 in ,hopes and ,fears   
for ,art1 by ,william ,morris1 pages #bb
 and   #cc47  ,illustration3 ,kelmscott 
,william ,morris     ,the ,note by      
,william ,morris on his ,aims in        
,founding the ,kelmscott ,press1 the    
last book printed at the ,kelmscott     
,press1 contains a few errors in the    
,bibliography4 ,these errors have been  
allowed to stand in reprinting the ,note
 here1 in order that the reprint shall  
be a literal one4  ,mr4 ,s4 ,c4         
,cockerell1 the former ,secretary of the

 ,kelmscott ,press1 has kindly sent a   
list of these corrections1 which appear 
below3  ,page #ai1 line #ba--;,golden   
type should be inserted after #hvo4     
,page #cj1 line #af--;,june #bf1 #ahic1 
should be ,june #bf1 #ahif4  ,page #ci1 
line #ag--;after guineas insert ten on  
vellum at ten guineas4  ,page #dj1 line 
#ca--;for eight leaflets read1 nine or  
ten leaflets4  ,page #dd1 line #ab--omit
 ,lady4     ,,here ,,ends ,,the ,,art   
,,and ,,craft ,,of ,,printing2          
,,collected ,,essays ,,by ,,william     
,,morris4 ,,of ,,this ,,book ,,there    
,,have ,,been ,,printed ,,two ,,hundred 
,,and ,,ten ,,copies ,,by ,,clarke      
,,conwell ,,at ,,the ,,elston ,,press3  
,,finished ,,this ,,thirtieth ,,day ,,of
 ,,january ,,mdccccii4 ,,sold ,,by      
,,clarke ,,conwell ,,at ,,the ,,elston  
,,press1 ,,pelham ,,road1 ,,new         
,,rochelle1 ,,new ,,york4          99   
99       99       99       99           
,transcriber's ,notes3  ,for ,a ,note on
 ,founding the ,kelmscott ,press        

,page #d3 trangress changed to          
transgress3 ,modern printers            
systematically transgress against it    
,page #e3 artitcle changed to article3  
the foregoing article was     written   
,page #e3 ,pysche changed to ,psyche3   
,cupid and ,psyche    ,page #g3         
rubicated changed to rubricated3 left   
blank to be     rubricated by hand      
,page #ab3 handmade changed to          
hand-made3 ,english hand-made paper     
,page #ab3 ,calendar changed to         
,calender3 ,spenser's ,shepheardes      
,calender    ,page #bf3 ,h4 ,w4 ,hooper 
changed to ,w4 ,h4 ,hooper in item #ca4 
,page #cb3 water-mark changed to        
watermark3 with the apple     watermark 
,page #dj3 ,the reference in item #eb to
 page #h for ,love is ,enough was       
corrected to page #e4    ,page #dj3 ,the
 reference in item #ec to page #g for   
,the ,earthly ,paradise     was         
corrected to page #e4 ,the reference to 
the ornaments on page #i     was        
corrected to page #g4  ,the reference to

 page #ag was corrected to     page #ab4
    ,page #dj3 ,the reference in        
,various ,lists to page #aj was         
corrected     to page #f4    ,page #dc3 
,milliam changed to ,william in item #ec
    ,page #dd3 ,the reference in        
,various ,lists to page #eg was         
corrected     to page #ch4  ,for ,the   
,ideal ,book    ,page #a3 determation   
changed to determination3 a             
determination to     put our eyes  ,for 
,an ,essay on ,printing    ,page #ab3   
,maintz changed to ,mainz3 printed at   
,mainz by    ,page #ae3 ,calson changed 
to ,caslon3 ,even the ,caslon type when 
,page #af3 witout changed to without3   
without enhancing the price    ,page    
#bc3 ,period added after over-seas3 all 
the grandeur over-seas4  ,general notes3
    #a4 ,paragraph breaks have been     
assumed in some places based on usage   
elsewhere in the text4    #b4 ,both     
caligraphy and calligraphy are used in  
different parts      of this book1 and  
both forms were retained4 ,this is also 

true for      d',arthur and ,darthur1   
head-line and headline1 ,sweynheim      
and ,sweynheym1 and ,zainer and ,zeiner4