A 540-year-old book, known as the first to be printed in the English language, has sold at auction for more than £1m.
The Recuyell of the Histories of Troye is a version of a French book written around 1463.
It was translated over a three-year period by William Caxton, who pioneered the printing press in England.
He published his version around 1474, at a time when when most books were printed in Latin, in either Ghent or Bruges, Belgium.
The story is an epic romance which portrays the heroes of
Greek mythology as chivalric figures, according to Sotheby's, which
auctioned it.
It was produced as a gift for the Duke of Burgundy's new wife Margaret - the sister of the English King, Edward IV.
The book was offered for auction by the Duke of
Northumberland, who has been selling off dozens of family heirlooms
after his estate was left with a massive bill for flood damage.
Last week, £32m of sculptures, ceramics, paintings and
furniture were offloaded. A 1st Century Roman marble statue of Aphrodite
- the Greek goddess of love - fetched £9.4m alone.
The sale was prompted by floods at Newburn, Newcastle, in 2012, during which a culvert collapsed and led to buildings being demolished.
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