Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	king_n	power_n	regal_a	3,088	5	11.3071	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26139	The original and growth of printing collected out of history, and the records of this kingdome : wherein is also demonstrated, that printing appertaineth to the prerogative royal, and is a flower of the crown of England / by Richard Atkyns.	Atkyns, Richard, 1615-1677.	1664 (1664)	Wing A4135; ESTC R22866	21,864	35

granted by Kings and Queens not onely to gratifie their Friends and Servants but to preserve the Regal Power and Authority on Foot and these Books from being corrupted The Truth of this the most impudent Opponent will not deny because the Patents themselves give Evidence against them nor will they deny in words though they do daily in fact that the King hath Power to make such Grants But this they will Object and say That Gentlemen being not Printers by Trade nor Free of the Company of Stationers can never find out the Abuses of Printing themselves nor understand the Cheats of them they being so many but they must be discovered either by the Printers or the Company of Stationers or both together This is the Common Objection To which I Answer The Objection cannot properly lye against any man for being a Gentleman because the greatest Nobleman will not deny himself to be one nor can he with Honour refuse a Challenge from any Gentleman And the very Mechanick is so willing to disguise his want of Gentility that when he arrives to a Considerable Estate he is very forward to purchase Honour Nor can I think any man the less knowing for being a Gentleman whose Education is most commonly at School at the University the Inns of Court Travell or both Whereas the Education of a Mechanick is only at School without any other Improvements This being the Course that each of them generally runs 't is strange if the Gentleman should not get the start and be better known to Letters Manners and Men than the Mechanick But this Objection goes further That though they may know Letters c. better than the Mechanick yet they can never arrive to a full Discovery of the Mystery and deceitfull part of the Trade that they must give Handicrafts men leave to know best To which I Answer First That there is no Magick in this Art Jugglers they may be but Conjurers they are not Secondly That Gentlemen may and do know the Mystery and Deceipt of the Trade as well as those that act it but their knowledg tends different wayes It is the Gentlemen or Patentees part to detect and hinder this Deceipt As 't is the Stationers to promote and practice it Their Profit blinds them so that they resemble certain Birds who when they hide their heads think none can see their Bodies Or like Children who after a fault Committed wink themselves thinking thereby that none can find them out To render this possible I will give you an Instance of a Person that none can deny to be a Gentleman though he were much more I mean the late King who was not onely aliquis in omnibus but singularis in omnibus This excellent Prince hearing of a rare Head amongst several other Pictures brought Me from Rome sent Sir James Palmer to bring it to Whitehall to Him where were present divers Picture-Drawers and Painters He ask'd them all Of whose Hand that was Some guest at it Others were of another Opinion but none was positive At last said the King This is such a Man's Hand I know it as well as if I had seen him draw it But said he is there but one Man's Hand in this Picture None could discern whether there was or not But most concluded there was but one Hand Said He I am sure there are two Hands in it for I know the Hand that drew the Heads but the Hand that drew the rest I never saw before Upon this a Gentleman that had been at Rome about Ten Years before affirmed That he saw this very Picture with the two Heads unfinished at that time And that he heard his Brother who staid there some years after him say that the Widow of the Painter that drew it wanting Money got the best Master she could find to finish it and make it saleable Is it not strange that the King that was no Picture-Drawer himself should see further into a Picture than Painters by Trade But were the Objection true as 't is much to be doubted yet were the Patentees still the very fittest Persons to be imployed in redressing the Evils of the Press wherein they are concern'd because their Interest leads them to it And Men will come to a soon Discovery even of obscure things where their Interest inclines them Indeed the Printers Argument against the Booksellers c. being all of the Company of Stationers doth hold in point of Government amongst themselves That 't is absurd and ridiculous for any to have the Rule and Oversight of that which they have no insight in But this is not at all applicable nor do they intend it to be so to the King's Patentees who if they be not Printers themselves nor have a Printer of their own agree with one to Print such a Book whereof they have the Propriety which Printer gives him Security to Print the same perfect and with a fair Letter it matters not whether the Pattentee can set the Letters or have Skill in the Manufacture himself 't is sufficient for him to examine it with his Copy when 't is done which Copy cannot erre because it is under the publique Licence and try whether it be as 't was agreed and if it be not as it ought to be in all respects the Printer loseth his Labour and Charge 'T is the Printers Interest then as well as the Patentees to Print it perfect and fair without which should they both joyn together they could not vend it after 't was Printed I confess it would argue an ill Nature in me not to be sorry for the just Occasion the Printers have to complain of their Brethren the Booksellers were it not for this That when some men fall out others shall hear of their Goods Yet I cannot but side with the Printers thus far as to Declare That they with the Founders of Letters are the onely Instruments of absolute Necessity in this ART whereas Book-Sellers might be supply'd out of the She-Shopkeepers in Westminster-Hall if all the rest were higher promoted In fine These Book-Sellers are the Drones that devour the Honey made by the Laborious Printers I cannot so sensibly express it as themselves have done therefore hear them and not Me Say they So far were the Stationers from redressing the Printers Wrongs that some of themselves took upon themselves the Exercise of their Function and gave a Forreigner his Freedom gratis to inable him to usurp the Exercise of the Printers Calling and to compleat the Abuse Erect a Printing-House of their own so as it is become a Question among the Book-Sellers Whether a Printer ought to have any Copy or no Or if he have They keeping the Register will hardly enter it Or if they do they and their Accomplices will use all means to disparage it if not down-right counterfeit it that they Tyrannize over Printers And further That for want of a due Establishment Transgressors never

Wofull Experience tells us That very few if any went further with the KING than their own Interests led them Which puts me in mind of a Story of Queen ELIZABETH who being at Quinborough upon an Occasion the Maior of the Town brought her onwards of her Way so far till the Queen desir'd him to return back again saying he had brought her far enough To which he replyed Madam I 'le bring your Majestie as far as my Way lyes For his Worship being a Landed Man had a small Tenement about a mile further I wish Corporations would do but as much as that and not go out of their Way to destroy Monarchy for I must needs confess that shining Shooes and set Ruffs were very forward to sit in Judgment upon the late King's Party for doing but their Duty to their PRINCE which they themselves ought to have done And here I might take occasion to say That though the Lawes of GOD be infinite and everlasting and fitted for all Times and Persons yet the Lawes of Men are like themselves finite imperfect and subject to Infirmity and Death it self as the makers are Hence it comes that so many Laws are repeal'd and others made in their rooms and hence it may come that all lesser Governments under a Monarchy may by misuser be wholly taken away or else abated as was heretofore the Barons Power by their so often taking up Arms against the KING and the two Hundreds of Dudson and Kings Barton who were by this very Parliament taken out of the Jurisdiction of Gloueester though enjoy'd by them ever since the Times of Richard the Third the Grant being judg'd unreasonable our best Lawes and Constitutions by Age losing strength and vigour as our Bodies do either by the Crafty Evasions of the Offendors or by the alteration of their Vices or by the male-administration of Justice upon the Malefactors for the just performance of which last none have greater Encouragement than the reward of a good Conscience to fortifie them against the malice of those they punish who though they Act according to their best Judgment yet by reason of some doubtful penning of a Law Offenders are also many times taken out of the hand of Justice to the very great encouragement of the Delinquents and discouragement of the Punishers insomuch as when Twyn was lately arraign'd for Printing Treason he was condemn'd by the old Law though there be a new one now Extant for that very purpose And so I return to the Stationers again where I find them very Sollicitous with the Parliament to Enlarge or at least Confirm this Power they have already resolving to have it by Hook or by Crook and Promising all care and diligence for the future if they shall be once more trusted saying with Absolom O that I were made Judge in the Land c. That every Man might have Justice and what followes but presently raising an Army against King David though his own Father Let not the Reader conjecture I lay an Imputation upon every particular Member of the Company for there are too many of them that groan under the like Burthen as I my self do but against the whole Corporation as a Body Politique especially as 't is now governed I have now shewed you the Practices of the Company of Stationers and some particular Members thereof against the King and his Patentees who like Painted Sepulchres appear Glorious without but within are full of Rottenness and Corruption I have also opened tented and sering'd the Sores of their Body Politique and tryed them to the quick which I hope will not prove like the Touch of a Gall'd Horse-Back to receive a Kick for my Labour and good-will But because I am not so good a Chirurgion as to close and cure them again my self I shall implore the help of the Parliament and shall most humbly Recommend them to their Cure together with these ensuing Observations and Proposals The Reasons inducing Queen Mary to Incorporate the Stationers are expressed in her Charter in these words Nos considerantes quod seditiosi et heretici Libri Rithmi c. indies sunt editi excuss et iuspressi per diversas scandalosas malitiosas Schismatic et heretic personas non solum movend Subditos et Ligeos nostros ad seditiones et inobedientias contra nos Coronam et dignitatem nostras verum etiam ad maximas et detestabiles hereses contra fidem c. Et remedium congruum in hac parte providere Volentes de gratia nostra speciali c. The Queen Erects the Corporation with Powers and Trusts 1. To make Lawes pro securo regimine of the Members of the Company 2. To search for and seize Books Printed contrary to Law Observ 1. The Erecting this Corporation hath not proved Remediall against the Mischiefs recited in the Charter But the Queen was wholly deceived in the Design aymed at in passing the Charter 2. The Intrusting the Stationers with the Powers aforesaid hath not only not remedied but hath encouraged encreased and secured the Printing Sedition and Treason For 3. The Persons who are Intrusted with the Search and Discovery of the Offences to be remedied are themselves the Common Offenders therein The Company in their Politique Capacity cannot Execute the Trusts or merit or offend but by their particular Members divers principal Members of the Company have been actually Convicted some as privy and accessory other as Principals in Printing and Publishing Illegal Books and many Treasonable Books have been printed during the late Troubles for several principal Members of the Company 4. The Company of Stationers have in other things exceeded the Authorities granted by their Charter as by Imposing and Administring of Oaths c. and by Entring other Mens Copies in their Hall-Book as their own and then Printing and Selling them in Opposition to the King 's Grant and this by vertue of a Law in the latÄ— Evil Times and have also assumed to themselves by Colour of the said Charter the whole Right of Priviledging and Exercising Printing and have Combined to oppose and overthrow the King 's Just Power and Prerogative herein and Interest of His Patentees 1. From all which it appears the Crown hath been deceived in the End and Design of Erecting the said Corporation 2. That they have not proved Remediall but Instrumental to the Increase of the Mischiefs they should redress 3. That they have broke and acted contrary to the Trusts imposed in them by their Charter 4. They have by Colour of their Charter abused the Favour of the Crown in exceeding the Authorities granted them and assuming to themselves the whole Power of the Crown concerning the Matter of Printing I therefore take the boldness most humbly to propose to your Honours I. That the King 's Just Power and Prerogative in the impowring and restraining Printing and in the Hearing Regulating and Determining all Differences touching the same as a Matter of State