want Incouragers to begin or Chapmen to vend such Ware when finished among the Stationers They desire that such as are free of the Trade may be free indeed and not manumitted as of late from the Service of one Master to the Slavery of many Tyrants That the Stationers have Usurped their Callings and incouraged yea hired others so to do and stand related to each other as the Buyer to the Seller Upon all which they refer their Cause to the same Power that gave them theirs who may resume or abridge the same upon Mis-use at their pleasure This is a sad Complaint of Elder Brethren against their Younger if one Dog will not prey upon another what Reason can be given why Men should devour Men And if this be the Usage those must trust to to whom they profess Friendship what is like to become of the Patentees against whom they profess Enmity If such a Power be continued to them which I hope will be seriously considered of before it shall be re-granted Success which usually gives Confidence hath so hardned them that having not felt the Justice of the King's Hand for above twenty years last past they now begin to swear Him out of and Themselvs into this Part of His Regal Power For they being lately Examined upon Interrogatories between Atkins et Uxor Plaintiffs and Flesher and the Stationers Defendants some of them I am sure are so streight-mouth'd that they do not declare the whole Truth of what they know on our Part and seem to make a Conscience of Swearing at all As if St. Paul had been in an Errour when he said An Oath for Confirmation is an end of Strife Indeed they strein'd at a Gnat but when they were to swear on the other Part namely their own they open their Mouthes wide enough to swallow a Camel Say they from the Year 1641. or 1642. until the time of His Majesties Blessed Restauration to His Crown any Booksellers that listed did print or cause to he printed such Law-Books as seemed good unto them without Restraint or Prohibition occasioned by the Licence of the late Times And that such as had Licence under the King 's Grant to print Law-Books were hindered to make the Benefit of the said Grant And that it was usual for such persons as printed Law-Books to enter the same in the Book of Stationers-Hall And that it was conceived and taken that such person and persons as Entred a Copy in the said Hall-Book to be Printed had the sole Right to print the same and those that claim'd the Right of Printing Law-Books under the King's Licence were thereby taken to be Excluded and debarred to claim any Benefit therein Observe what a sad time the Kings Patentees endur'd for almost Twenty years together confest by the Oaths of these honest Men that joyn'd in dividing the Spoyl And shall it be so still now the King is return'd again I dare positively say it shall Witness a Book called Poulton's Abridgment particularly Exprest in the Law-Patent which they Printed since the Kings Restauration by vertue of an Entry only in their Hall-Book against the said Patent the Patentee's Lessee Flesher a principal Member of the Company finding the Stationers like to be worsted at the Council-Board in the Contest of their said Entry against the Kings Grant joyns Interest with them and also Engageth the Kings Patentees Trustee and the Kings Printers who pretended Some Interest in the said Book on their side As if severall bad Titles could create one good one By which means after Four Hearings the Cause seeming to be between Party and Party was dismist but with the Recommendation of the King and Councill to the Lord High Chancellor on the behalf of the said Patentee who had the Equitable Right The Company to requite the Lessees kindness in defending them from a Contempt against the KING he being the person in Law that ought to have defended the Patent for the King against the said Company like Brethren joyn with the Lessee to defend him against the Justice of the Court of Chancery and Combine together to defeat the Patentee of his Rent by Covenant and so bandy the Legall Interest from one hand to another that it cannot be yet found where it Vests and to enable him the better make him Master of the said Company for two years together never known before and choose Wardens fit for the purpose who Engage the Stock of the whole Company on his behalf against the King 's Patentee And being thus fortified they published the said Book with this Title Page Printed for the Company of Stationers John Bill and Christopher Barker his Majesties Printers and so make a mixt Interest to render the Title the more questionable in the future but do not so much as mention the Kings Patent at all by which the said Book is granted by Name This serves the Turn for the present occasion and being so possest as aforesaid Flesher and the Stationers give 200 l. to the Patentee's Trustee to release the Rent and Covenants of the said Lease and the Kings Printers 100 l. or 200 l. for their assistance in so difficult a Work as this and then sell the Impression for 1600 l. as appears by their own Oaths which Impression alone over-payes them all the Moneys they are out of Purse And had they not been stopt in their full Carrear at the Council-Board or rather by Injunction in Chancery which they Complain of as a hinderance to their Trade also by Oath they had by this time altered the Ancient law-Law-Books and cast them into a new Modell of their own Invention that by degrees the state and truth of the good Old Lawes by which Men hold their Lives and Estates should utterly be lost and forgotten and new Laws fram'd to fit the Humours of a new Invented Government which they little value so they may have full rates for their Books and their Goddess Diana be safe I have gone thus far upon mine own Strength onely without any publique or private assistance and because I am not willing to endure theField much longer of my self I think it my Duty to state the Case truly as it is and implore the Ayd of such Neighbours who cannot probably prevent the burning down of their own Houses when mine is first set on fire Common Experience tells us a just Cause signifiÄ—s little of it self if it be not backt with Diligence and Friends Bonum apparens et bonum verum et absolute are so like though of a Contrary Nature that the Credit of the best Testimony gives either precedency 't is therefore not only hard but impossible for one Man to Contend with a Thousand and not be Conquered Hercules was most Strong and Valiant and yet ne Hercules contra duos I have no proper Refuge but to his Majestie in this Case which I do chiefly Espouse for his sake who like King David is worth Ten Thousand of us I
this ART in his Private Capacity Historians must of necessity take many things upon trust they cannot with their own but with the Eyes of others see what things were done before they themselves were Bernardus non vidit omnia 'T is not then impossible they should mistake I shall now make it appear they have done so from their Own as well as from other Arguments Mr. Stowe his Expressions are very dubious and the matter exprest very Improbable He saith PRINTING was found in Magunce which presupposes it was practised some where else before and lost And further That 't was found in the Reign of Henry the Sixth Anno Dom. 1459. and not brought into England till Eleven years in the succeeding Reign of Edward the Fourth being 12 years after as if it had been lost again If this be true there was as little Rarity as Expedition in obtaining it the age of 12 years time having intervened and so indeed it might be the Act of a Mercer rather than a more eminent Person But when I consider what great advantage the Kingdome in general receives by it I could not but think a Publique Person and a Publique Purse must needs be concerned in so publique a Good The more I Considered of this the more inquisitive I was to find out the truth of it At last a Book came to my hands Printed at Oxon. Anno Dom. 1468. which was three years before any of the recited Authours would allow it to be in England which gave me some reward for my Curiosity and encouragement to proceed further And in prosecution of this Discovery the same most worthy Person who trusted me with the aforesaid Book did also present me with the Copy of a Record and Manuscript in Lambeth-House heretofore in his Custody belonging to the See and not to any particular Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Substance whereof was this though I hope for publique satisfaction the Record it self in its due time will appear Thomas Bourchier Arch-Bishop of Canterbury moved the then King Hen. the 6th to use all possible means for procuring a Printing-Mold for so 't was there called to be brought into this Kingdom the King a good Man and much given to Works of this Nature readily hearkned to the Motion and taking private Advice how to effect His Design concluded it could not be brought about without great Secrecy and a considerable Sum of Money given to such Person or Persons as would draw off some of the Work-men from Harlein in Holland where John Cuthenberg had newly invented it and was himself personally at Work 'T was resolv'd that less then one Thousand Marks would not produce the desir'd Effect Towards which Sum the said Arch-Bishop presented the King with Three Hundred Marks The Money being now prepared the Management of the Design was committed to Mr. Robert TurnoUr who then was of the Roabs to the King and a Person most in Favour with Him of any of his Condition Mr. Turnour took to his Assistance Mr. Caxton a Citizen of good Abilities who Trading much into Holland might be a Creditable Pretence as well for his going as stay in the Low-Countries Mr. Turnour was in Disguise his Beard and Hair shaven quite off but Mr. Caxton appeared known and publique They having received the said Sum of One Thousand Marks went first to Amsterdam then to Leyden not daring to enter Harlein it self for the Town was very jealous having imprisoned and apprehended divers Persons who came from other Parts for the same purpose They staid till they had spent the whole One Thousand Marks in Gifts and Expences So as the King was fain to send Five Hundred Marks more Mr. Turnour having written to the King that he had almost done his Work a Bargain as he said being struck betwixt him and two Hollanders for bringing off one of the Work-men who should sufficiently discover and teach this New Art At last with much ado they got off one of the Under-Workmen whose Name was Frederick Corsells or rather Corsellis who late one Night stole from his Fellows in Disguise into a Vessel prepared before for that purpose and so the Wind favouring the Design brought him safe to London 'T was not thought so prudent to set him on Work at London but by the Arch-Bishops meanes who had been Vice-Chancellor and afterwards Chancellor of the University of Oxon Corsellis was carryed with a Guard to Oxon which Guard constantly watch'd to prevent Corsellis from any possible Escape till he had made good his Promise in teaching how to Print So that at Oxford Printing was first set up in England which was before there was any Printing-Press or Printer in France Spain Italy or Germany except the City of Mentz which claimes Seniority as to Printing even of Harlein it self calling her City Urbem Maguntinam Artis Tipographicae Inventricem primam though 't is known to be otherwise that City gaining that Art by the Brother of one of the Workmen of Harlem who had learnt it at Home of his Brother and after set up for himself at Mentz This Press at Oxon was at least ten years before there was any Printing in Europe except at Harlein and Mentz where also it was but new born This Press at Oxford was afterwards found inconvenient to be the sole Printing-place of England as being too far from London and the Sea Whereupon the King set up a Press at St. Allans and another in the Abby of Westminster where they Printed several Bookes of Divinity and Physick for the King for Reasons best known to himself and Council permitted then no Law-Books to be Printed nor did any Printer exercise that ART but onely such as were the Kings sworn Servants the King himself having the Price and Emolument for Printing Books Printing thus brought into England was most Graciously received by the King and most cordially entertained by the Church the Printers having the Honour to be sworn the King's Servants and the Favour to Lodge in the very Bosome of the Church as in Westminster St. Albans Oxon c. By this meanes the ART grew so famous that Anno prim Rich. 3. cap. 9. when an Act of Parliament was made for Restraint of Aliens from using any Handicrafts here except as Servants to Natives a special Provisoe was inserted that Strangers might bring in Printed or Written Books to sell at their pleasure and Exercise the ART of Printing here notwithstanding that Act So that in the space of 40 or 50 years by the especial Industry and Indulgence of Edw. the Fourth Edw. the Fifth Rich. the Third Henry the Seventh and Henry the Eighth the English prov'd so good Proficients in Printing and grew so numerous as to furnish the Kingdome with Books and so Skilfull as to print them as well as any beyond the Seas as appears by the Act of the 25 Hen. 8. cap. 15. which Abrogates the said Provisoc for that Reason And it was further Enacted in the said Statute
That if any person bought Forreign Books bound he should pay 6 s. 8 d. per Book And it was further Provided and Enacted That in case the said Printers and Sellers of Books were unreasonable in their prices they should be moderated by the Lord Chancellor Lord Treasurer the two Lord Chief Justices or any two of them who also had power to Fine them 3 s. 4 d. for every Book whose price shall be enhanced Thus was the ART of Printing in its Infancy Nursed up by the Nursing Father of us all and in its riper Age brought up in Monasteries of greatest Accompt and yet were the Instruments thereof restrained from the Evil of enhancing the prices of Books to the Detriment of their Fellow-Subjects by the Authority aforesaid While they had this Check upon them they were not only Servants to the King but Friends to the Kingdom But when they were by Charter Concorporated with Book-Binders Book-Sellers and Founders of Letters 3 and 4 Phil. and Mary and called the Company of Stationers the Body forgot the Head and by degrees breaking the Reines of Government they kickt against the Power that gave them Life And whereas before they Printed nothing but by the Kings especiall Leave and Command they now being free set up for themselves to print what they could get most Money by and taking the Advantage of those Virtiginous Times of the latter end of Henry the 8. Edward the 6. and Queen Mary they fill'd the Kingdom with so many Books and the Brains of the People with so many contrary Opinions that these Paper-pellets became as dangerous as Bullets to verifie that Saying of Tertullian That Lawyers Gowns hurt the Common-wealth as much as Souldiers Helmets Thus was this excellent and desireable ART within less than one hundred years so totally vitiated that whereas they were before the King's Printers and Servants they now grew so poor so numerous and contemptible by being Concorporated that they turn'd this famous ART into a Mechanick Trade for a Livelyhood But here I must break off though abruptly and answer an Objection for methinks I hear the Critick say How can that be a Mechanick Trade now that the Author allowes to be a famous Art heretofore being alwayes one and the same thing The Matter of which before I answer I must crave leave to give you the signification of the Word Mechanick the rather because the several sorts of Trades of which the Company of Stationers are Composed and more particularly the Book-Sellers who say they are of no Manufacture do peremptorily deny themselves to be Mechanicks The Word Mechanicus which signifies a Handicrafts-man doth in the strict Sense comprehend Printers Founders of Letters and Book-Binders And I believe in the large Sense all Trades-men whatsoever But if that be deficient let us go to the Original Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Cunning Contrivance of the Head as well as Hand and this will certainly take in all Trades for as much as there is Cunning in all Trades But if it should miss any yet it cannot fail of the Company of Stationers because they are denominated a Mystery and there the strict signification of the Word comes in again Now for the matter of the Objection That a Famous ART cannot be a Mechannick Trade I Answer This is so far from being true that there is nothing in Nature but is good or bad according as 't is us'd for the great Creator of all things made nothing to no purpose even Meat and Drink without which we cannot live if abus'd destroyes life Twenty dye of Surfets for one that is starved for want of Meat But to give you an instance ad idem Musick is not onely an Art but one of the Liberall Arts practised by Princes themselves and made instrumentall to the Glory of God yet what Trade is there more despicable in the World both in Name and Nature than a Common Fidler though he may draw as good a sound out of an Instrument and have as much Art in Playing and Composing as any Gentleman yet if he get his Living by it and makes it his Trade he is still but a Fidler and herein I pity him more than any of other Professions because he perverts the Creation and turns Day into Night for most commonly when sober Persons are in Bed he must play to please the humours of the lighter sort And though his Heart be ready to break through Melancholy he must sing a merry Song to delight the Company if commanded or have his Fiddle sing about his Ears Is not this Mechanick think you But to Return where I digrest Printing became now so dangerous to the Common-wealth That there were more Books Burnt in Ten years than could be Printed in Twenty And now it concern'd the Prince altogether as much to Suppress the Abuse as it was before to Obtain the Use of Printing And had there not been a Reserve of Licensing such Books as should be Printed still remaining in the Crown they might have published the wickedness of their own Imaginations with Authority But Queen Elizabeth at her very first Entrance to the Crown finding so great Disorders in Church and State by reason of the abuse in Printing Secures in the first place the Law and the Gospel of both which the Kings and Queens of England have inherent Right as Heads of the Church and Supream of the Law and not onely in their publique but private Capacity as Proprietors the Power and Signiory of this under Favour cannot be severed from the Crown The Kings being the Trustees of the People who have formerly taken an Oath at their Coronation That they shall keep all the Lands Honours and Dignities Rights and Freedoms of the Crown of England in all manner whole without any manner of minishment and the Right of the Crown hurt decay'd or lost to their Power shall call again into the Antient Estate Which Oath the said Queen kept inviolably and liv'd the more quietly for it all the time of her Reign and died in Peace True it is they may and do gratifie their Friends and Servants in giving them the Emoluments and Profits that arise from Printing but the Power they cannot alienate from the Crown without losing the most pretious Stone out of their Diadem To shew you one Example for all the said Queen the first Year of her Reign grants by Patent the Priviledge of sole Printing all Books that touch or concern the common-Common-Laws of England to Tottel a Servant to her Majesty who kept it intire to his Death After him to one Yestweirt another Servant to Her Majesty After him to Weight and Norton and after them King James grants the same Priviledge to More one of His Majesties Clerks of the Signet which Grant continues to this Day and so for the Bible the Statute-Laws the Book of Common-Prayer Proclamations as much as the Grammer the Primer c. art all
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-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
have not the Power to Impose but rather to Propose his Majesties timely Assistance Onely this I hope I may say without offence That if the King suppose it not for his Interest I shall more willingly lay down the Cudgells than I took them up at first But if otherwise I am as Careless of their Malice as Gallio it being not the first time I have past upon the Forlorne Hope By this time the Impartiall Reader may inclin'd to believe the Company of Stationers are not the fittest Persons to redress the Evills of the Press because 't is most certain that none but themselves can offend And 't would be greater Self-denyall in them than can be expected to punish themselves contrary to their Interests There are at least 600 Booksellers that keep Shops in and about London and Two or three Thousand free of the Company of Stationers the Licensed Books of the Kingdome cannot imploy one third part of them What shall the rest do I have heard some of them openly at the Committee of the House of Commons say They will rather hang than starve and that a man is not hang'd for stealing but being taken necessitas cogit ad turpia But this is not all 't is not onely for their Interest not to Suppress them but to Maintain them An unlicensed Book bears Treble the price of another and generally the more Scandalous a Book is by so much the more dear This hath inricht the Wealthiest of them and when they fear losing their ill-got Goods they put their Journy-men of the poorer sort or their Apprentices upon the Work going shares with them and taking their Oaths or other Security to be true to them though false to all the World besides Thus do they breed up their Youth like the Lacedemonians who allow'd their Children little or nothing but what they could get by filching and stealing That the Printers are Poor and Numerous can no body deny for it hath lately been the great Work of this Parliament to lessen their Number and to provide for their Poor But because Extream Prices may be doubted by those that do not usually buy I will give you one Instance for all I was lately in a Book-seller's Shop where I saw a Book in Quarto entituled Killing no Murder it had but eight Leaves in all stitcht up without binding he demanded 5 s. for it and would not take less A Book of the same bigness Licensed would have cost but 4 d. or 6 d. at the most 'T is not then the Interest of the Company of Stationers to suppress unlicensed Books Whose is it then I Confidently Affirm it is the Patentees who derive from the King I shall give you one Similitude of the like Nature The King as belonging to the Honor of Windsor hath a great Quantity of Ground of which he makes little or no benefit because it lyes in Common And the Neighbours thereabouts do not onely eat the Herbage but steal the Kings Deer and destroy his Woods without giving any Accompt or Satisfaction whatsoever To prevent which Mischief the King Incloseth several Parks and gives the keeping of them to several Persons by Patent reserving what he pleaseth out of them the rest he gives the Patentees these are still the Kings Parks though kept by the Patentees for the King kills what Deer he pleaseth disposes of the Venison and fells the Timber for Repair of his Houses Shipping c. What wrong doth He to His Neighbours by Inclosing His own Lands which He denyes to none of His Subjects Yet His Neighbours are troubled because they cannot wrong Him as before and upon every Distemper of the Common-wealth destroy the Fences and make it Common again Is it not think You the Interest of the Pattentees to defend the Kings Right and their own Profit under Him and to prosecute the Law against such Offenders Is not the Interest of the King and His Patentees so involv'd that they cannot be divided Just so is it by Inclosing Printing the King having the Right thereof as much as of any Crown-Lands Grants all sorts of Books necessary for the Education of Youth or the Improvements of Age or whatsoever else is usefull for Soul Body or Estate to several Persons by Patent it will much concern these Patentees in Honour and Profit both to see their several Grants be not Trespassed upon nor Corrupted by others And so they have ever kept their Copies intire till the latter end of the late King Charles His Reign At which time the Company of Stationers by fair Pretences as they did before to Queen Mary to get their Charter obtain'd a Decree of Star-Chamber to Invest the Executive Power of Printing in them against the Patentees and then Libellous and scandalous Books and Pamphlets began to fly about like Lightning And when this was strengthned with an Act of 17 Car. which took away the Jurisdiction of the Councel-Board and the Star-Chamber at least between Party and Party their Mischief was compleated and they impowred to vent the Passions of all Discontented Minds in Print against Monarchy and Episcopacy which they persu'd with such Diligence and Success that they did eradicate both Root and Branch Whereas the Council-Board and the Star-Chamber did usually Fine and Imprison such Transgressors Of which I can shew several Presidents from the time of Queen Elizabeth to this King's Reign But it may be said Scandalous Libellous and Heretical Books may be Printed of themselves without any Relation to the several kinds of Books granted by Patent I Answer 'T is very true but as long as the Gospel the Lawes and all other Books for the Advancement of Learning good Manners and Education of Youth that are in Grant be kept intire without any mixture of Heresie Scandall or Schisme 't will go a great way in preventing Libells and Scandalls and the Parliament may do the rest with greater Ease by reducing the Number of Presses and inflicting great Penalties upon such as shall Print and Publish unlicensed Books and Pamphlets Which Penalties cannot be too big because it lyes in their own power whether they will offend or not If the Power this Parliament hath given the Company of Stationers had taken any good Effect they might have possibly continued it But as a Worthy Gentleman Notes amongst other most true and Ingenious Observations That not one Person hath been Fin'd and but one prosecuted by the Company of Stationers since the late ACT notwithstanding so much Treason and Sedition Printed and disperst since that time but he himself being an Active Gentleman and Loyall Subject hath Discovered more within this two years than the Company of Stationers have done ever since they had a Charter To this give me leave to adde That 't is not likely setting profit aside even in order to Kingly Government they should suppress these Books for a Corporation being in it self a Petit State is inconsistent with Monarchy