Volume 1

Annales typographici ab artis inventae origine ad annum MD [-MDLVII. -Appendix ... ad annum MDCLXIV] / Operâ Mich. Maittaire, A.M.

  • Maittaire, Michael, 1667-1747.
Date:
1719-1741
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annales typographici ab artis inventae origine ad annum MD [-MDLVII. -Appendix ... ad annum MDCLXIV] / Operâ Mich. Maittaire, A.M. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    52/416 (page 30)
    „ and emolumcnt for printing Books. — By this mcanes the Art grcw fo famous 5 that Antio 'pvitn, R.i c h. c> p. whcn an A6b of ,, Parliamcnt \vas made for reftraint of Aliens jfrom ufing any handi- „ crafts here (cxcept as fervants to Natives) a fpecial Provifovr^s „ inferted, that ftrangers might bring in printed or written Books to „ feli at their pleafure , and exercife the Art of Printing here , not- „ withftanding that Ad : fo that in the fpace of 40. or yo. years by „ the indulgence of Edw. the 4^. Edw. the Rich. the 3^*. „ H ENR. the and Henr. the 8‘^ the English proved fo j, good proficients in printing, and grew fo numerous, as to furnish ,> the Kingdom with Books>and fo fkilfull,as to print them as well ,, as any beyond the Seas 5 as appeares by the A£t of the ly. H e n. 8. ,, cap. if. which abrogates the faid Provifo for that rcafon. And it ,, was further enaded in the faid Statute , that if any perfon bought ,, forreign Books bound, he fhould pay 6. s. 8. d. per Book. And it ,, was further provided and enaded , that in cafe the faid Printers or „ fellers of Books were unreafonable in their prices, they fhould be „ moderated by the Lord Chancellor , Lord Treafurer , the two „ Lords Chicf Juftices, or any two of them j who alfo had power to j, fine them 3. 4. d. for every Book , whofe pricc fhall’ be enhan- „ ced. — But whcn they were by Chartcr corporated with Book- ,, binders , Book-fellers , and Foimders of letters , 3. and 4. Phil. „ and Mary, :xnd coWed the Company of Stationers — they kickt 5, againfl; the power, that gave them life [p. p.] Queen Eli- „ z A B E T H , the firfl; year of her Reign , grants by Patent the Pri- j, viledge of fole printing all Books, that touch or concern theCom- j, mon Laws ofE-NGLAND, toToTTELa fervant to her Ma- J, jefty, who kept it intire to his death 5 aftcr him, to one Yest W EI R T,another fervant to her Majeftyj after him, to Weight J, and Norton > and after them , King James grants the fame „ Pri viledge to More, one of the Signet j which Grant continues ,, to this day In hoc Scriptore duo funt, quorum altemm gratis didum, alterum omnino falfum eft. Moguntiai a quodam Hari.emensium Typographorum fratre 'Artem primum acceptam quod folus contra omnium ( quos adhuc novi) fidem affirmet, fatis eft , cur id in du¬ bium veniat. Quod Prselum typographicum decem annis ante Oxo- Nii, quam in ullo alio loco, proeter Moguntiam 6c Harle- MUM , inftrudum fit, falfum jam probavi 3 6c ab hoc videtur An¬ tonius eundem, in quo verfatur, errorem derivafle. Qiiae cxLambethano Manuferipto defcripfit, de eorum veri¬ tate cur dubitemus, non video. Ex iis itaque pauca mecum colliget Ledor, alibi forfan non edifeenda. I. Jo-