It takes a moment or two for a shark to throw himself on one side, in order to seize his prey; and unless the man can be saved during that time, he is 66 no more seen.

The fins and tails of these creatures are very strong, and they swim with great swiftness. Sometimes when sailors are bathing, a shark suddenly makes his appearance; the poor fellows are filled with terror, and make great efforts to reach their comrades in the boat; but it often happens, as is shown in the picture-which it is painful to look at-that one of them becomes a victim to the monster of the deep.

The negroes employed in the pearl fisheries of South America, when diving, carry with them a sharp knife; and if this fish, come near one of them, he endeavours to strike the knife into his

belly. When this is done, the animal frequently swims away.

When these negroes are in danger from the approach of a shark, and are not aware of it, other divers plunge themselves into the water, with knives in their hands to rescue them; but this they generally find an impossibility.

THE HISTORY OF PRINTING.

NO. VI.

SEVERAL Weeks had passed away in the cottage at Camberwell without any conversation about printing. The three children of Mr. Maclean were somewhat disappointed at this; but they knew their father was so busy as not to be able to communicate to them such information as he desired, and therefore behaved well, and waited patiently till he had time to do so.

The gloom and cold of winter had given place to the brightness and partial warmth of spring. The season was not so far advanced, however, as to enable people to sit without a fire in the evening; and at the time of their next meeting, Alexander, George, and Lizzy found it comfortable and cheering to draw again round the one in their parlour.

Mr. Maclean endeavoured, by sundry questions, to bring to their minds the leading incidents in the history of printing as far as they had pursued it, and especially noticing the circumstances of Caxton's youth, proceeded to say:

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Caxton seems to have availed himself of the opportunity he possessed of gaining a knowledge of the books that passed through his hands from time to time. Try and imagine him, now, when he had become a trusted servant of his master,

Robert Large, making an inventory of a shipload of goods that had just come up the river, and comparing it with the bill of lading.' "What's that, father?" asked George.

"The bill of lading was the account of the goods put into the ship when she was loaded, and before she began to sail. When the ship got to London the bill of lading would show whether they had all come safely to hand.

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Imagine Caxton," continued Mr. Maclean, "coming to a valuable parcel entrusted to his master for some prince or nobleman, done up with more than ordinary caution. How carefully he unpacks it, and removes wrapper after wrapper, till he sees-a book. How richly it is bound. The covers are thick, costly velvet and silk being fixed on to them with gilt nails, and they are fastened in the front with copper or gilt clasps; lace and tassels adorn the edge.”

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How beautiful!" said Lizzy.

"He unclasps it, and discovers that the inside of the cover is hollow, and tastily lined.

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Hollow, father," said George. "Whatever was that for ?"

"For various purposes, I suppose," replied Mr. Maclean; "the commonest, perhaps, was that of holding a crucifix. I recollect reading of a book having a recess like this in the cover, which was made to contain a relic of some saint, and that relic a human toe."

"How very odd!" said Mrs. Maclean.

"How carefully Caxton closes the book and turns over the leaves. He sees how nicely it is written, looks at the golden and coloured letters that begin each chapter, and is quite taken with the work. Oh!' says he, 'I should like to read this book; I will ask the owner of it to let me.' How reluctantly he packs it up again, now that

he has seen that it was not damaged in crossing the sea."

"And were books bound so expensively as that, father ?" asked George.

"Yes, often," replied Mr. Maclean.

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Then," said Alexander, "I should hardly like to touch them, for fear of soiling them."

"At that time," said his father, "books were transcribed and bound more for ornament than for use. Caxton was a young man who evidently desired to learn; and he was not captivated so much by the grand appearance of the outside -though a love of grandeur and show displayed itself in him in after life-as he was by the knowledge within."

"When shall we find him a printer ?" inquired George.

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Presently, my dear. Only wait a little. Caxton continued in his master's service till he died. Then he left his native land to become a merchant in foreign parts. He stayed away for thirty years, occasionally visiting England. During nearly the whole period of his residence abroad, such heavy restrictions were placed upon the trade of Burgundy and England, that it was almost ruined. Edward IV. made a law that all the wares brought from foreign countries into this, such as caps, laces, ribbons, hammers, locks, gloves, shoes, scissors, and great many other things, should be forfeited half to him, and half to the person who first seized the same."

"And didn't we want those things, father?" asked Lizzy.

"Yes, my girl, and badly enough too, for at that time we did not make those things as we do now; but were indebted to foreigners for them."

"Then why prevent people selling them to us ?" asked George.

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Partly because they didn't understand the best way of doing business, and partly out of revenge on the Duke of Burgundy, for doing something of the same kind with our goods. The consequence was that the Duke put forth another law, evermore to endure and never to be repealed, that all English cloth and wool that came into his hands should be accursed and burnt."

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'It seems very foolish conduct of the two kings," observed Mrs. Maclean. 'I should think if they had dealt freely with one another, the people would have been much better off." "A great many thought so," said Mr. Mac

lean; "and Caxton among the number; and so injurious was this state of things considered to be, that he and Richard Whitehill were sent to Burgundy to try and make a treaty of trade between the two countries. Caxton being a man well acquainted with business both abroad and at home, and being also highly respected, was just the person wanted."

"And did they succeed ?" asked George.

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Yes, my boy. Shortly after that Philip the Good died, and his son Charles the Rash succeeded him."

"What did they call him the Rash for?" asked Lizzy.

"Because he was foremost in the battle, and dared to do what others dared not think of." ·

"He must have been brave," said George.

"How I should like to remind you, if we had time, of what had been occurring in England while Caxton was away. The wars of the White and Red Roses had begun-brother fought against