Skip to Content

Interior view of Myrrour of the Worlde

Printed Books

Myrrour of the Worlde

Author unknown

1490


Myrrour of the Worlde is one of the first English illustrated books, a translation of L’image du Monde (1464) - which in turn was chiefly derived from the medieval Latin text Imago Mundi. 

It is an introduction to the history of science, covering: geography, economics, music, cosmography, zoology, meteorology and astronomy.

Myrrour of the Worlde (from which this website takes its title) was produced by England’s first printer, William Caxton (1422–91).

While translating the work, Caxton added a prologue and postscript, and included material of English interest, such as noting Oxford and Cambridge as centres of learning.