Excerpt from Gesta Typographica, or a Medley for Printers and Others Ce Wayzgoose. The origin of this word is not generally known. On the authority of Bailey the signification of the term is a stubble goose. Moxon, writing in 1683, gives an early example of its use in conneetion with the annual dinners of the printers of that time. He says: It is also customary for all the Journeymen to make every Year new Paper Windows, whether the old ones will serve again or no; Because, that day they make them the Master Printer gives them a Way goose; that is, he makes them a good Feast, and not only entertains them at his own House, but, besides, gives them money to spend at the Alehouse or Tavern at Night; and to this Feast they invite the Correc'ior, Founder, Smith, Joyner, and Inkmaker, who all of them severally (except the Correc'tor in his own Civility) open their Purse-strings and add their Benevolence (which Workmen ac count their duty, because they generally chuse these Workmen) to the Master Printer's: Butfrom the Correetor they expedi nothing, be cause, the Master Printer chusing him, the Workmen can do him no kindnefs. These Way-goose are always kept about Bartholo mew-tide. And till the Master Printer hath given this Way-goose the journeymen do not chuse to work by Candle Light. Other authors have quoted Moxon on the above, adding, however, riders of their own composi tion, more fully explaining the meaning of the term. Thus Timperley, writing in 1839, in a footnote, says: The derivation of this term is not generally known. It is from an old English word Wayz, stubble. A stubble goose is a known dainty in our days. A wayz goose was the head dish at the annual feasts of the forefathers of our fraternity. From this it would appear that the original deriva tion was from the goose which occupied the place of honour at the dinner, and not, as some have striven to show, from the excursion which usually forms part of their festival. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.