regular practice, begins to record the part taken by the master and wardens. The first example is a very explicit entry, in which the book is said to be 'licensed to be printed' by the archbishop and 'alowed' by the master and a warden.[1] But the formula which becomes normal does not dwell on any differentiation of functions, and merely states the licence as being 'under the hands of' the wardens or of one of them or the master, or of these and of some one who may be presumed to be an external corrector. To the precise significance of 'under the hands of' I must return. Increased caution with regard to dangerous books is also borne witness to during this period by the occasional issue of a qualified licence. In 1580 Richard Jones has to sign his name in the register to a promise 'to bring the whole impression' of The Labyrinth of Liberty 'into the Hall in case it be disliked when it is printed'.[2] In 1583 the same stationer undertakes 'to print of his own perill'.[3] In 1584 it is a play which is thus brought into question, Lyly's Sapho and Phao, and Thomas Cadman gets no more than 'yt is graunted vnto him yat yf he gett ye commedie of Sappho laufully alowed vnto him, then none of this cumpanie shall interrupt him to enjoye yt'. Other entries direct that lawful authority must be obtained before printing, and in one case there is a specific reference to the royal Injunctions.[4] Conditions of other kinds are also sometimes found in entries; a book must be printed at a particular press, or the licence is to be voided if it prove to be another man's copy.[5] The caution of the Stationers may have been motived by dissatisfaction on the part of the government which finally took shape in the issue of the Star Chamber order of 23 June 1586. This was a result of the firmer policy towards Puritan indiscipline initiated by Whitgift and the new High Commission which he procured on his succession to the primacy in 1583.[6] It had two main*
- ↑ ii. 304; cf. ii. 447 (1586), 'Entred by commaundement from master Barker in wrytinge vnder his hand. Aucthorised vnder the Archbishop of Canterbury his hand'. 'Licenced', as well as 'authorised' or 'alowed', now sometimes (ii. 307, 447) describes the action of a prelate or corrector.
- ↑ ii. 366.
- ↑ ii. 428.
- ↑ ii. 424, 'alwaies provided that before he print he shall get the bishop of London his alowance to yt'; 424, 'upon condicon he obtaine the ordinaries hand thereto'; 429, 'provyded alwaies and he is enioyned to gett this booke laufully alowed before he print yt'; 431, 'yt is granted vnto him that if he gett the card of phantasie lawfullie alowed vnto him, that then he shall enioye yt as his owne copie'; 431, 'so it be or shalbe by laufull aucthoritie lycenced vnto him'; 444, 'to be aucthorised accordinge to her maiesties Iniunctions'. The wardens' hands are not cited to any of these conditional entries.
- ↑ ii. 307, 308, 336, 353, 430, 438, 439.
- ↑ App. D, No. lxxvii; cf. Strype, Life of Whitgift, i. 268; Pierce,
