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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
An Italian edition of the Ptalnu of David, 4to. 1534, once belonging to the library of Maioli, formerly posseted by Mr. Singer, bears on the reverse side of the binding the following motto —
"INIHICI. MEI. MEA. HICHI. NGN. HE. MICHI."
Amongst the German binders, the qame of Caspar Ritter stands as one of the most skilful aiUsts of the sixteenth century.
1643. An act of parliament, allowing of the bible in the vulgar tongue, in this year, copied out of the registers of parliament, in the publick archives at Edinburgh.*
Anent the writting gevin in be Robert lord Maxwell, in presens of my lord govemour, and lordis of Articklis, to be avisit by tbaim, giff the samin be resonable, or not, of the quhilk the tenor followis.
It is statute, and ordanit, that it sal be lefull to all our sovirane ladyis leiges to have the halv writ, to wit, the New Testament and the Aula, in the vulgar toung, in Inglis, and Scotis, of an gude and trew translation, and that thai sal in- cur na crimes for the heiing and reding of the samen; providing always, that na man dispute, or hald opinizeonis under the pains conteinit in the actis of parliament. The lordis of Articklis beand avisit with the said writing, finds the samin resonable, and therefore thinkis that the samin may be usit amongis all the leiges of this realme of our vulgar toung, of an gude, trew, and just tianslatioun, because there was na law shewn, nor producit in the contrar; and that none of our soverane ladyis legiges incur ony crimes for haifing, or reding of the samin, in form as said is, nor sail be accusit therefore in time coming; and that na personis dispute, argou, or hold oppunionis of the samin, under the saidis painis containit in the foresaidis actis of parliament
1543, Jan. 28. Richard Grafton was in so much favour, that we find in Rvmer's Fadera a patent of the above date, as follows: —
" Pro divino servicio, de lihrii imprimendu."
" Henry the Eighth, by the grace of God, &c. to all prynters of bookes within this our realme, and to all other our officers, ministers, and sub- jectes, theis our letters patents hering or seing, greting. We do you to understand, that wherein tymes past it hath been usually accustomed, that tneis bookes of divine service, that is to sey, the masse book, the graill, the antyphoner, the himp- tuall, the portaus, and the prjrmer, both in Latyn and in Englyshe of Sarum use, for the province of Canterbury, have been prynted by strangiers in other, and strange countreys, partely to the
- This act is not printed among the laws and acta of
parliament collected by SirThomai Muirv from the pnblic records of Scotland, and printed at Edlnbmxh. l6io. James Watson, in his preface to his BIttorp of Printing, I7IS, says that the first English Bible was in folio, and was not piinted till IS76. But, says Ames, what prevented the Scotch havlngthe scriptoreln thevnlgar tongue, after the granting of this liceose, cannot be explained.
great losse and bynderance of oursubjectes, who both have the sufficient arte, feate, and treade of Printing, and by imprinting such books myght profitably, and to thuse of the commonweltfae, be set on worke, and partely to the setting forthe the byshopp of Rome's usurped auctoritie, and keeping the same in contyniudl memorye, con- trary to the decrees, statutes, and lawes of this our realme; and considering also the greate ex- pences and provision of so necessary workes as these arre, and yet the same not a little charge- able, and to thintent that hereafter we woll have theym more perfectly, and faithfully, and truly done, to the nigh honour of Almighty God, and safegpiard and quyetnes of our subjects, which dayly doo, and further may incurre no small parill and daunger of our injunctions, pioclama- cions, and lawes, by reason of not oblitterating the seid name, and usurped power and authoritie of the byshopp of Rome as aforesaid: We of our grace especiall have graunted, and geven privilege to our wel-biloveid subjects, Richard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch, citezeins of London, that they and their assignes, and noon otherperson nor persons, saving the said Richard and Edward, and their assignes only, have liber- tie to prynte the bookes abovesaid, and eveij sorte and sortes of theym, whiche either at this present daye arre in use, or hereafter shall be auctorised for Sarum use, within any parte of oure realmes or domynions, and that no manor of person shall prynte within the space of seven Teres next ensuing the printing of every such booke or bookes, so printed by our seid subjects, and either of them ; or of their assignes or any of them. Wherfore we woll and commaunde you, that ye noon of you presume to piynte any of the bookes, that our seid subjects shall have prynted as aforesaid, during the seid time of this our privilege, upon payne to forfeyte to our use all suche bookes, whersoever the same shall be founde, emprynted contrary to the tenour and fourme of this our privilege. In witness where- of, &c. witness our self at Westminster the twenty-eight daye of Januarye."
1643, Jantuiry 22. In the parliament which met on this day, the Romish party prevailed, and passed an act, by which it was enacted, "That all manner of ookes of the olde and newe Testament, in English, of this (Tyndall's) trans- lation, should be by authoritie of this act cleerly and utterly abolished, extinguished, and forbi<ls den to be kept and used in this realme, or els where, in anie the king's dominions." But other translations were allowed to remain in force, pro- vided the annotations or preambles were " cut or blotted out, so as not to be perceived or read ;" which was also enjoined under pain of forfeiting forty thillingi tat every Bible retaining them. It was likewise enacted, " That no manner of person or persons, after the firsle day of October then next ensuing, should take upon him, or them, to read, openly to other, in any church, or open assembly, within any of the lung's do> minions, the Bible, or any part of Scripture, in EnglUh, unlesK he was so appointed thereunto
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