318
HISTORY OF PRINTING.
its author, that ^e insert the following extract :
"I have here sent you, my dear sister Kathe- rine, a book, which although it be not outwardly trimmed with gold, or the curious embroidery of the artfullest needles, yet inwardly it is more worth than all the precious mines which the vast world can boast of," &c.* A copy of this letter in the British Museum, varies a little from the above: — " I haue sent yo good sustt. K. a boke ■wh although it be not outwardly rimid with gold," &c.
From this, and the great love of books which lady Jane Grey is known to have had, it may be pronounced all but certain that she was accustomed to employ some of the leisure she possessed in the embroidery of the covers of them.
Lady Jane Grey was as much superior to Maiy in abilities and learning, as she was in the virtues of her character. The story of her being found by Roger Ascham, in the fourteenth year of her age, reading the Phecdo of Plato, is too well known to be repeated. She was, indeed, a most accomplished and extraordinary princess; and it will ever be reflected upon with sin- cere concern, that she should be cut off in the bloom of life, in consequence of the crooked politics of her father-in-law, John Dudley, duke of Northumberland^
1663. On the death of king Edward VI., Richard Grafton, in consequence of being king's printer, was employed to print the proclamation, by which lady Jane Grey was declared succes- sor to the crown, by virtue of the measures that bad been concerted by her father-in-law, the duke of Northumberland ; but on queen Mary's accession to the throne, Grafton though he had done no more than discharged the duty of his office, lost a debt of £300, which was owing to him from the crown at the time of king Edwa^'s death, and was immediately deprived of his patent, and John Cawood put in his room. The reason of this deprivation, as it is given in the patent granted to his successor, was, his having printed the proclamation for declaring lady Jane Grey queen of England. This, it seems, was considered as nothing less than high treason in those days. Besides the loss of his debt and patent, he was prosecuted and imprisoned six weeks in the Fleet prison. Whether this prose- cution was carried on against him on account of the above proclamation, or for printing the Bible in English, is not so evident. His reform- ation principles, of which he could not give greater proof than by encouraging the £n»ish Bible, might excite the disgust against him;
• A copy of tbe flrat edition of lady Jane Grey's letter «a< acid at the sale of Sir M. Sykes, for if 10 10>. This edition iras not linown to locd Orford. It has the follow- Ing tiUe :
"Amoaste flmteftill, pithye, and learned treatise, how a Christian man oapbt to behave himself in the daon^r of Death ; and how they are to be relieved and comforted whose deare fTendes ar departed outc of tbys world, nuxut neceuarye for tkiM our unfortunate age and nrrowfuU dai/ea." Black letter, 8vo., without date, and no printer's name, which was no doubt concealed, on account of the ■hove ezhoitatian at the end.
i Beheaded on Tower Hill Aognst si, lt&3.
though the affair of the proclamation was made the handle, as the more plausible and political pretence. During his confinement, or at least while he was out of business, he employed him- self in writing. The subject upon wnich he fell was the History of England; an abridgement of the chronicles which he put together; but it was not printed till 1562.
On the accession of Mary to the throne she immediately issued a proclamation for restricting the liberty of the press, and condemning all plays and interludes intended to satyrize the practices of the catholic church ; and endeavoured by the most vigorous measures to re-establish the old religion, and the suppression of the reformation.
1563, Dee. 29. John Cawood had a patent in the following words : —
"The queen, to all whom itmayconcem, sends greeting. Know ye, that of our special favour, &c. for the good, true, and acceptable sen-ice of our beloved John Cawood, printer, already per- formed, by these presents for us, our heirs, and successors, we do g^ive and grant to the said John Cawood, the office of our printer of all and singu- lar our statute books, acts, proclamations, injunc- tions, and other volumes and things, under what name or title soever, either already or hereafter to be published in the English language. Which office is now vacant, and in our disposal, foras- much as R. Grafton, who lately had and exer- cised that office, hath forfeited it by printing a certain proclamation, setting forth that one Jane, wife of Guilford Dudley, was queen of England, which Jane is indeed a false traitor, and not queen of England; and by these presents \>e constitute the said John Cawood our printer in the premises, to have and exercise, by himself, or sufficient deputies, the said office, with all the profits and advantages anyway appertaining thereto, during his natural life, in as ample manner as R. Grafton or any others have, or ought to have, enjoyed it heretofore.
" Wherefore we prohibit all our subjects, what- soever and wheresoever, and all other persons whatsoever, to print, or cause to be printed, either by themselves or others, in our dominions, or out of them, any books or volumes, the printing of which is granted to the aforesaid John Cawood; and that none cause to be reprinted, import, or cause to be imported, or sell within our king- dom, any books printed in our dominions by the said John Cawood, or hereafter to be printed by him in foreign parts, under the penalty of for- feiting all such books, &c.
" And we do grant power unto John Cawood, and his assigns, to seize and confiscate to our use all such books, &c. as he or they shall find so prohibited, without let or hindrance; and to enjoy the sum of £6 I3(. 4d. per annum during life, to he received out of our treasury. And whereas our dear brother Edward VI., &c. did grant unto Reginald Wolf the office of printer and bookseller in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew ; we, out of our abundant grace, &c. for ourselves, heirs, and successors, do give and grant to the said John Cawood the said office, with the fee of
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