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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
1683. Died, Samuel Mearne, stationer to king Charles II. He was master of the station- ers' companv in 1679 and again in 168.3, dying whilst in office. In 1685, Mrs. Ann Mearne his wrdow and executrix, presented to the company a silver salver weight 58i oz. Mrs. Mearne added a tankard 31 oz. 16 dwts. It was &om the representatives of Mr. Mearne that king George III., in the year 1762, purchased the valuable collection of pamphlets, now in the British museum, known by the name of the King's Pamphlett. The following account of them is found annexed to the first folio volume of the manuscript index, which seems to have been printed witn a view of promoting their sale at some subsequent period.
A Complete Collection of Books and Pamphlets begun in the year 1640, Ay the special command of king Charles I. of blessed memory, and con- tinued to the happy Kestauration of the Govern- ment, and the Coronation of king Charles I J.
There hath been very much money disbursed, and great pains taken, and manv hazards run in making an exact collection of all the pamphlets that were published from the beginning of that long and rebel parliament which oegan Novem- ber, 1640, till his late majesties happy Kestau- ration and Coronation, consisting of near thirty thousand several sorts, and by all parties. They may be of very great use to any gentleman con- cerned in publick affairs, both H)r this present and after ages, there being not the like in the world, neither is it possible to make such a col- lection. The collection contains upwards of two thousand volumes, all of them uniformly bound, as if they were done at one time, and all exactly marked and numbered. The method that has been observed, as time, and such punc- tual care was taken, that the very day is written upon most of them when they came out. The catalogue of them, fairly written, is in twelve volumes in folio, and uiough the number of them be so g^reat, (when the books are set in their order, according to the mark set upon each of them) the smallest piece, though but one sheet of paper, being shewn in the catalogue, may be found in a moment; which method is of singular use to the reader. In the whole are contained near one hundred several manuscript pieces that were never printed, all or most of them on the king's behalf, which no man durst then venture to publish without endangering his ruin. But the
J>eruser now may, by them, be let into the know- edge of manv occurrences in those times, which have passed nitherto unobserved. This collec- tion was so privately carried on, that it was never known that there was such a design in hand; the collector designing them only lor his majes- ties use that then was : his majesty having oc- casion for a pamphlet, could no where compass the sight of it but from him, which his majesty having perused, was very well pleased with the design, and commanded a person of honour to restore it with his own hands, and withal, ex- pressed his desire of having the collection con- tinued. This was the great encouragement to
the undertaker, who had otherwise desisted prose- cuting so difficult and changeable a work, which lay a heavy burden upon himself and his ser- vants for above twenty years. To prevent the discovery of them, when the army was north- wards, he packed them up in several trunks, and by one or two in a week, sent them to a trusty friend in Surry, who safely preserved them ; and when the army was westward, and fearing their return that way, they were sent to London again, but the collector durst not keep them, but sent them into Essex, and so according as tbey lay near danger, still by timely removing them, at a.
nt chajge, secured them, but continued per- ng the work. And for a farther security to them, there was a bargain pretended to be made with the university of Oxford, and a receipt ot a thousand pounds, given and acknowledged to be in part for them, that if the usurper had found them. out, the university shoula claim them, who had greater power to strurale for them than a private man. All these shuts have been made, and difficulties encountered to keep the collection from being embezzled and destroy- ed ; which, with the great charges of collecting and binding them, cost the undertaker so much, that he refused four thousand pounds for them in his life time, supposing that sum not sufficent to reimburse him.
The collector was a clergyman, and his name Thomasou ; for the direction, which is preserved, is, "For the Reverend G. Thomason. These."
It appears that after an interval of a few years they came into the possession of the king's stationer, for there is preserved, in the museum, the copy of an order of privy council, authoriz- ing Anne Mearne, rebct of Samuel Mearne, his majesties stationer, to dispose of them as she might think fit.
At the Court at Whitehall, the 15th of May, 1684.
By the kings most excellent majesty and the lords of his majesties most honble. privy conncfl.
The humble peticon Anne Mearne, relict of Samuell Mearne, his majesties stationer, lately deceased, being this day read at the board, setting forth. That his majesty was pleased, by sir Joseph Williamson, the Secretary of State, to command the petitioners husband to purchase a collection of severall boolfes, concerning matters of state, being above thirty thousand in number, and being vniformly bound, are contained in two thousand volumes and vpwards, and that by reason of the great charge they cost the petitioD- eis husband, and the burthen they are upon her- selfe and family, by their lying vndisposed of soe long. Therefore most humbly prayes his majesties leave to dispose of the said collection of bookes, as being a ready way to raise money upon them, to support her selfe and family : His majesty in council was graciously pleased to give leave to the petitioner to dispose and make sale of the said bookes as she shall thinke fit.
Pbi Lloyd.
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