to every Member of each House how little Benefit hath accrued to the Kingdom by the late Act of Parliament for two years Entituled An ACT for preventing the frequent Abuses in Printing Seditious Treasonable and Unlicensed Books and Pamphlets c. Which Act determines June next Nor can it be thought but that there is cause enough for another Act to take place when this is expired The Reason why this present Act hath operated so little is most apparent because the Executive Power is plac'd in the Company of Stationers who onely can offend and whose Interest it is to do so They are both Parties and Judges and 't were a high Point of Self-denial for Men to punish themselves But they will wipe their Mouthes with Solomon's Harlot and take it very unkindly if the same or a greater Power be not continued to them in the next Act to be made They will promise as fair as the Long Parliament did to the late King to make Him a Glorious King and perform it as certainly as they did too Jugglers seldome shew the same Trick twice together and the Italian Proverb is If a man deceive me once 't is his fault if twice it is mine own That the Great Councel of this Nation should further trust those that have deceived them already and believe fair Pretences contrary to Reason and Practice would be a sad Fate upon Us all when wofull Experience tells Us That if the King be taken from being Head of the Law there will not want a Law to take off His Head in a short time There were a sort of People in King David's time which imagined Mischief as a Law as in the late King's time that practised Mischief by a Law Which might incline the Parliament to frame a strict Law against this kind of Mischief But I hope the King's Mercy in forgivin such by which He imitates His Maker will find so hearty a Conversion that Ingratitude shall never joyn with Rebellion to provoke a Tyrannical Government over this Kingdom such Men if I may so call them are worse then the Gentiles of whom St. Paul saith That having not the Law and doing by Nature the things contained in the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Law written in their Hearts nay worse then Beasts who by Nature observe a Law amongst themselves Shall Sense and Reason alone teach Creatures willingly to confine themselves to certain Rules for the Common Good and shall Professors of Christianity break them Shall the Law of Nature command Men to be free from offending and shall the Law of God be thought to command them to be free to offend Let not our too-near Neighbours the Turks have that Advantage against Us. But whilest I declaim against others for breaking their Bounds I may be thought guilty of committing the same Errour myself I shall therefore most humbly beg your Honours Pardon and rest Your Honours Most Humble and Faithful Servant RICHARD ATKINS THE Originall and Grovvth OF PRINTING REASON is the great Distinction between Man and Beast Gusman calls the Man of most Knowledg A God amongst Men. And Bishop Hall divides the whole Duty of Man into Knowledg and Practice In the Infancy of the World especially before the Sealing of the Scripture-Canon God Revealed himself and his Will frequently either Vocally by himself as to Moses in the Mount or else by divers and sundry other manners As by Dreams Visions Prophecies Extasies Oracles and other Supernatural means Nor will I Blow up the Humours of these Times so high as to Confine these his Miraculous Revelations to Gods People onely though to them most frequently and especially but sometimes also to Hypocrites within the Church as to Saul and others yea and sometimes even to Infidels as to Pharaoh Balaam Nebuchadnezzar Abimelech c. But since the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles commonly called the Scriptures And that the Christian Church by the Preaching of the Gospel is become Oecumenical Dreams and other Supernaturall Revelations as also other things of like nature as Miracles have ceased to be of ordinary and familiar use So as now we ought rather to suspect Delusion in them than â—o expect Direction from them Yet God hath no where abridged or Limited himself from these supernatural wayes of Revealing his Will in case his Written Word should be taken from us or we from it But we of this Latter Age have all these so Lively represented to our View by the benefit of Printing as if we our selves were personally present For Printing is of so Divine a Nature that it makes a Thousand years but as yesterday by Prèsenting to our View things done so long before and so Spirituall withall that it flyes into all parts parts of the World without Weariness Finally 't is so great a Friend to the Schollar that he may make himself Master of any Art or Science that hath been treated of for 2000 years before in lesse than two years time But Virtue it self will not want Opposers and Philosophy is ever odious to ignorant Ears Nay there are a sort of People in the World that account Ignorance the Mother of Devotion and therefore out of Conscience would not have even the Scriptures Printed in the Mother Tongue But I shall not go out of my own Way to bring them unto it further than by defending the Theame I have in hand Concerning the time of bringing this Excellent ART into England and by whose Expence and Procurement it was brought Modern Writers of good Reputation do most erroniously agree together Mr. Stowe in his Survey of London speaking of the 37th year of King Henry the Sixth his Reign which was Anno Dom. 1459. saith That the Noble Science of PRINTING was about this time found in Germany at Magunce by one John Cuthenbergus a Knight And that William Caxton of London Mercer brought it into England about the Year 1471. And first practised the same in the Abby of St. Peter at Westminster With whom Sir Richard Baker in his Chronicle agrees throughout And Mr. Howell in his Historicall Discourse of London and Westminster agrees with both the former in the Time Person and Place in generall but more particularly declares the Place in Westminster to be the Almory there And that Islip Abbot of Westminster set up the first Press of Book Printing that ever was in England These three famous Historians having fill'd the World with the supposed truth of this Assertion Although possibly it might arise through the mistake of the first Writer only whose Memory I perfectly honour makes it the harder Task upon me to undeceive the World again Nor wouldI undertake this Work but under a double notion As I am a Friend to Truth and so it is unfit to suffer one Man to be intituled to the worthy Atchievements of another And as a Friend to my self not to lose one of my best Arguments of Intituling the King to
PER ME REGES REGNANT IUSTITIA STABILITUR SOLIUM SCRIPTURA ET LEGES SUNT FUNDAMENTA CORONAE CEDANT ARMA TOGAE 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 Esq White-Hall April the 25 th 1664. By Order and Appointment of the Right HONOURABLE Mr. Secretary MORICE Let this be Printed THO RYCHAUT LONDON Printed by JOHN STREATER for the AUTHOR MDCLXIV TO THE KINGS MOST Excellent Maiesty Most Gracious and Dread Soveraign THough I had the Honour to be very well known to His Majesty of ever Blessed Memory Your most Royall Father and to be a Sufferer in the loss of a considerable Estate for His most Just Cause yet I may not be so well known to Your Sacred Person however the same Duty that moved Me to fight for Him remains in Me to write for You not out of any Confidence in my Pen for I am the first shall judge that my Self but out of Conscience and Loyalty to my Soveraign for whose sake I resolve to hazard Censure rather than to be wanting in any Discovery that may tend to Your Majesties Interest and indubitate Right The least loss of Power in a Magistrate is a great Detriment to his Government and an Advantage to his Enemies the least Creep-Window robs the whole House the least Errour in War not to be redeem'd And as that ever Blessed late Martyr said when He gave his Watch of Government to be cleansed by the too-long Parliament the least Pin of it being left out would cause a Discord in the whole Therefore might Solomon well say Where the Word of a King is there is Power The King and Power being Relatives That Printing belongs to Your Majesty in Your publique and private Capacity as Supream Magistrate and as Proprietor I do with all boldness affirm and that it is a considerable Branch of the Regal Power will no Loyal Person deny for it ties and unties the very Hearts of the People as please the Author If the Tongue that is but a little Member can set the Course of Nature on Fire how much more the Quill which is of a flying Nature in it self and so Spiritual that it is in all Places at the same time and so Powerful when it is cunningly handled that it is the Peoples Deity That this Power which is intire and inherent in Your Majesties Person and inseparable from Your Crown should be divided and divolve upon Your Officers though never so great and good may be of dangerous Consequence You are the Head of the Church and Supream of the Law shall the Body govern the Head Men use to trust when they cannot avoid it but that there may be a Derivative and Ministerial Power in them with Appeal to Your Majesty I do with all Humility admit and propose Printing is like a good Dish of Meat which moderately eaten of turns to the Nourishment and health of the Body but immoderately to Surfeits and Sicknesses As the Vso is very necessary the Abuse is very dangerous Cannot this Abuse be remedied any other way then by depriving Your Majesty of Your Antient and Just Power How were the Abuses taken away in Queen Elizabeth King James and the beginning of King Charles his time when few or no Scandals or Libels were stirring Was it not by Fining Imprisoning Seizing the Books and breaking the Presses of the Transgressors by Order of Councel-Board Was it not otherwise when the Jurisdiction of that Court was taken away by Act of Parliament 17 Car. If Princes cannot redress Abuses can less Men redress them I dare positively say the Liberty of the Press was the principal furthering Cause of the Confinement of Your most Royal Fathers Person for after this Act every Male-content vented his Passion in Print Some against his Person some against his Government some against his Religion and some against his Parts the Common People that before this Liberty believed even a Ballad because it was in Print greedily suckt in these Scandals especially being Authorized by a God of their own making the Parliament finding the Faith of the Deceived People to be implicitely in them Printed the Remonstrance the Engagement to live and dye with the Earl of Essex the Covenant c. and so totally possest the Press that the King could not be heard By this means the Common People became not onely Statists but Parties in the Parliaments Cause hearing but one side and then Words begat Blows for though Words of themselves are too weak Instruments to Kill a Man yet they can direct how and when and what Men shall be killed In the Statute of 21 Jac. Printing keeps very able Company as Salt-Peter Gun-Powder Ordnance c. all which are Exempted from being Monopolies Not to be longer tedious I too much fear this late Act for two years compleats all the former Concessions of the late King I know it was done in hast and with a good Intent but by Your Majesties Gracious Leave and Pardon even then very considerable Persons in Your House of Commons were of Opinion they had nothing to do with it the Power of the Press being so wholly in Your Majesty Indeed Necessity that hath no Law was the cause of this Law viz. to hinder the Growth of Scandalous Books and Pamphlets but it hath fallen very short of the End for few or none of many Printed have bin brought in by the Stationers I have now discharged my Duty to Your Majesty and if I find I have so far prevailed upon Your Royall Goodness as to ask unconcern'd Councel what is best to be done I have my End I hope Your Majesty will have the Advantage So prayeth Your Sacred Majesties most Humble Servant and most obedient Subject RICHARD ATKINS TO The Right Honourable THE LORDS AND TO The Honourable THE COMMONS ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT May it please your Honours I Have ever better understood mine own Disabilities then to desire to appear in Print where the Author stands as a Butt to be shot at by the sharp Arrows of every busie Critick and runs a most certain hazard and most uncertain Benefit But having been above twenty three years in Chancery and other Courts of Justice and spent more then One Thousand Pounds in vindicating the Kings Grant of Printing the Common Laws of England and His Lawful Power to grant the same and kept His Title alive even in the worst of Times when 't was reputed unlawful because the Kings I cannot refrain from defending it now the King is or ought to be restored to His Rights again especially since all Persons are invited by Order to speak their Minds freely concerning this Subject So that there is a Necessity upon me to speak now or for ever hereafter to hold my Peace this being probably the last time of Asking 'T is not unknown
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-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