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HISTORY OF PRINTING.
Iiall, sufficiently capacious for tlie Wardmote Inquest, a great parlour, a council-chamber (in which were nine historical paintings, and at least two portraits,) kitchen, buttery, and seve- ral warehouses; over which were rooms let out to different tenants; among whom were, in 1567,
£ t. d.
John Pont, who paid annually 3 3
John Walley, for one chamber 13 6
William Seres, for a cellar 4
The records of the company contain a parti- cular account of its furniture in 1557, for which see Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, vol. iii. p. 36C.
1555, June 6. The following proclamation was issued against printing, vending, or possess- ing heretical books.
"Whereas dyvers books, filled botli with heresye, sedition, and treason, have of late, and be dayly brought into this realme, out of forreigne countrys, and places beyond the seas, and some also covertly printed within this realme, and caste abroad in sundry partes thereof, — ^the king's and queen's majesties, doth by this thyr present proclaymation declare and publysh to all theyr subjects, that whosoever shall, after the proclaymation hereof, be found to have any of the sayd wicked and seditious books, or fynding them, do not forthwith bume the same, without shewing or readyng the same to any other per- son, shall in that case bee reputed and taken for a rebell, and shall without delaye be executed for that offence, according to thorder of martiall law."
Seven days after the above, the following proclamation was issued; which after reciting the substance of the statute of the second of Henry IV. enjoins : — " That no person or per- sons of what estate, degree, or condytion soever he or they be, from henceforthe presume to bringe, or convey, or cause to be broughte and conveyed, into this realme anye bookes, wryt- inges, or workes hereafter mentyoned ; that ys to saye, any booke, or bookes, wrytinges, or workes, made or sett fourthe by, or in the name of Martyn Luther; or any booke, or bookes, wrytinges, or works, made or sett forthe by, or in the name of Oecolampadyus, Sivinglius, John Calvyn, Pomerane, John Alasco, Bullyn-
fer, Bucer, Melancthon, Bamardinus Ochinus, Irasmus Sarcerius, Peter Martyr, Hughe Laty- mer, Roberte Barnes, otherwyse called Freere Barnes, John Bale, otherwise called Freere Bale, Justus, Jonas, John Hoper, Miles Cover- dale, William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, late archebyshop of Canterburye, Wvlliam Turner, Theodore Basyll, otherwyse callecl Thomas Bea- con, John Frythe Rove ; and the book commonly called Hallet Cronicles; or any of them in the Latyn tonge, Duche tonge, English tonge, Italyan tonge, or French tonge, or any other lyke booke, paper, wrytinge, or wourke, made, prynted, or sett forth by any other persone or persons, conteyninge false doclryne, contrarye, and agaynste the catholyque faythe, and the doctryne of the catholyque churche. And also, that no persone, or persons presume to wryte,
prynte, utter, sell, reade, or keape, or cause to be wrytten, &c. any of the sayde bookes, or any booke, or books, wrytten, or printed in the Lat- ten, or Englyshe tonge, conccmynge the com- mon service sett forth in Englyshe, to be used in the churches of this realme, in the tyme of Kinge Edward the VI. commonly called the Communi/on Booke, but shall wythm the space of fyfteen dayes next after the publicatyon of this proclamatyon, bring, or delyver, or cause the sayd bookes, and everye of them remayne- ing in their custodies, and kepinge, to be broughte, and delyvered to thorainjirye of the dioces, to his chaimcelloure, or commssaryes, withoute fraude, colour, or deceipte, at the sayde ordinaries will and disposition to be bumte, or otherwyse to be usyde, orderyd, as by the
canons, in that case lymyted and apoynted.
And their Majestyes by this proclamatyon geveth full power auclhorytie to all byshops, and ordy- naryes, and all justices of peace, mayors, - &c.
and expresslye commaundeth, that they,
and everie of theim, within their several Ivmyts and jurisdictions, shall in the defaulte and neg- lygence of the said subjects, after the sayd fyf- tene dayes expyred, enquyer, and serche oute the sayde bookes, wrytings, and works, and for this purpose enter into the howse, or bowses, clossetts, and secrete places of everye person of whatsoever degree, being negligente in this behalf, and sus- pected to kepe anye suche booke, wrytinge, or workes, contraiye to this proclamatyon."
1655. Printing introauced into the city of Watehford, in Ireland. Three specimens of early typography are assigned to this city ; two of them are given by Ames, and repeated by Herbert, upon the authority of Maunsell's cata- logue. The first of these three rare articles is entitled. The acquittal or purgation of the mooit catholyke Christen prince, Edwarde the VI. kvng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, &c. and of the Chufche of England refoumied and gotemed under hym, agaynsl al suche as blaspliemouslt/and traittorously infante hym or the sayd Churche, of heretic or sedicion : written by John Olde, an exile for the protestant religion under queen Mary. It contains signature G in eights, and has on the recto of the last leaf, Emprinted al Vauterford tite .7. daye of Notjcmbre, 1655.
The second is. An Epistle written by John Scory the late bishope of Chichester unto alt the fauthfull that he in pryson in Englande, or in ai^ other trouble for the defence of Goddes trutlte. This is a still smaller treatise, containing only two sheets in eights, and has no other colophon than this. Anno. 1555. But the letter, paper, and press-work exactly correspond to those of John Olde's work above mentioned, and the two were unquestionably executed at the same time and place. That place, however, says Dr. Cotton, was not Waterford : nor, I fear, can we claim for this city so early an acquaintance with the
• These two books, bound in one, was sold at the sale of sir M. Sykes, for jfig 19>. Copies arc in the Bodleian.
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