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burjr, and gives a narratire of the whole transac- tion, drawn up at the very time.
Aa account of this record was first published in a thin quarto volume, in English, with this title : — " The Original and Growth of Printing, eoUeeted out of History and the Records of this Kingdom : wherein u also demonstrated, that PrintiTig appertaineth to the Prerogative Royal, and is a Flower of the Crown of England. By Richard Atkyns, Esq. London. 1664."
It sets forth, in short, that, "as soon as the art of printing made some noLse in Europe, Thomas Bourdiier, archbishop of Canterbuiy, moved King Henry VI. to use tdl possible means to procure it to be brought into England : the king approving the proposal, dispatched one Mr. Robert Tumour, an officer of the robes, into Flanders, furnished with money for the purpose; who took to his assistance ^Villiam Caxton, a man of abilities, and knowledge of the country ; and these two found means to bribe and entice orer into England, one Frederick Corseillis, an ander-workman in the printing-house at Haer- lem, where John Gutenberg had lately invent- ed the art, and was then peisonally at work. It was resolved, that less than lOOO merks would not produce the desired effect ; towards which sojn, the said archbishop presented the king 300 merks. The money being now prepared, the management of the design was committed to Mr. Robert Tumour, who was then master of the robes to the king, and a person most in fav- our with him of any of his condition. Mr. Tur- nour took to his assistance Mr. Caxton, a citizen of good abilities, who traded much into Hol- land; which was a creditable pretence, as well for his going, as to stay in the Low Countries.
Mr. Tumour was in disguise (his beard and hair shaven quite off;) but Mr. Caxton appeared known and public. They, having received the said sum of 1000 merks, went first to Amster- dam, then to Leyden, not daring to enter Haer- lem itself ; for the town was very jealous, hav- ing imprisoned and apprehended divers persons who came from other parts for the same purpose. TbcT staid till they bad spent Uie whole 1000 merks in gifts and expenses; so as the king was fain to send 500 merks more, Mr. Tumour having written to the king that he had tdmost done his work; a bargain (as he said) being strack betwixt him and two Hollanders, for bringing off one of the under-workmen, whose name was Frederick Corsells (or rather Corsel- lis), 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. It was not thought so prudent to set him on work at London : but, by the archbishop's means (who had been vice- chancellor and atterwards chancellor of the uni- versity of Oxon), Corsellis was carried with a guard to Oxon ; which guard constantly watch- ed, to prevent Corsellis from any possible fescape, till he had made good his promise in teaching them bow 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 claims seniority, as to printing, even of Haerlem itself, calling her city, Urbem Moguntinam Artis Typographies Inventricem Pritnam, though it is known to be otherwise : that city gaining the art by the brother of one of the workmen of Haerlem, who had learnt it at home of his brother, and iifter set up for himself at Mentz. This press at Oxon was at least ten years before there was any printing in Europe, except at Haerlem and M^ntz, where it was but newly-discovered. This press at Oxford was afterwards found inconvenient to be the sole printing-place of England; as being too far from I^ndon and the sea. Wherefore the king set up a press at St. Alban's, and another in the city of Westminster, where they printed several books of divinity and physic ; for the king (for reasons best known to himself and council) per. mitted then no law-books to be printed ; nor did any printer exercise this art, but only such as were the king's sworn servants ; the king himself having the price and emolument for printing books. By this means, the art grew so famous, that anno prima Rich. III. c. 9. when an act of parliament was made for restraint of aliens for using any handicrafts here (except as servants to natives), a special proviso was inserted, that strangers might oring in printed or written books to sell at their pleasure, and exercise the art of printing here, notwithstanding that act : so that, m that space of 40 or 50 years, by the indulgence of Edward IV. Edward V. Richard III. Henry VII. and Henry VIII. the English proved so good proficients in printing, and grew so numer- ous, as to f umish the kingdom with books ; and so skilful, as to print them as well as any beyond the seas ; as appears by the act 25 Hen. VlII. c. 15, which abrogates the said proviso for that reason. And it was further enacted in the said statute, that if any person bought foreign books bound, he should pay 6s. 8d. per book. And it was further provided and enacted, that in case the said printers or sellers of books were unrea- sonable in their prices, they should be moderated by the lord chancellor, lord treasurer, the two lords chief justices, or any two of them : who also had power to fine them Ss. 4d. for every book whose price should be enhanced. But when they were by charter incorporated with bookbinders, booksellers, and founders of letters, 3 and 4 Philip and Mary, and called, TTie Com- pany of Stationers — they resisted the power that gave them life, &c.— Queen Elizabeth, the first year of her reign, granted by patent, the privi- lege of sole printing all books that touch or con- cern the common laws of England, to Tottel, a servant to her majesty, who kept it entire to his death ; after him to one Yestweirt, another servant to her majesty ; after him to Weight and Norton ; and after them. King James granted the same privilege to More, one of the signet ; which grant continues to this day, &c.
From the authority of this record, all our later writers declare Coiseilis to be the first printer in
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