108 
HISTORY OF ENGLAND 
[1477 
105. Printing is introduced into England.— The most im- 
portant event of this reign was, perhaps, the introduction 
of printing into England. In 1477, William Caxton set up 
a press at Westminster, He was a native of Kent, and had 
travelled in Germany and Flanders, where he learned to be 
a printer, Printing from movable types had been invented 
in Germany about thirty years before it was introduced 
into England. In all Caxton issued about sixty volumes, 
many of which he translated himself from the French or the 
Latin. The people of that time looked upon the printing 
press as a curlous toy, little dreaming of the wonderful 
changes that it was destined to make in the history of 
England before the close of the next century. 
106, Literature.—During the one hundred and thirty 
years preceding the end of Edward’s reign, there had been 
00 much fighting going on for a people to write; but 
they were interested in many more subjeets than in 
carlier times, and every one that could afford such luxury 
had bought books, though these had been so expensive 
$hat a collection of thirty volumes was looked upon as a 
valuable library for even a wealthy gentleman to possess, 
People were still composing ballads; for while few felt like 
writing books, yet the execitement and the sudden changes 
did arouse people to compose short, strong ballads, which 
tell a story in so fow words that each one seems almost like 
a sudden battle-stroke. But the people continued to sing 
the old ballads over and over again, frequently changing 
some of the words, and that is the reason there are often 
several versions of the same story. 
SUMMARY 
The Wars of the Roses continued, and Henry was taken prisoner, 
but Edward’s quarrel with the “ King-maker ” led to the temporary 
restoration of Henry, At last Warwick was slain, Henry was again 
imprisoned, and Edward was on the throne. To obtain money for his 
pleasures, he originated “ benevolences. ” The great event of the reign 
was William Caxton’s introduction of printing into England. Few 
books were written, but many ballads were composed,