"Provided, That this clause shall not be construed to extend to the Printing Press now used in the City of York, nor to the printing press now used in Finsbury for the printing of Bibles and Psalms." This last was the press set up by William Bentley for printing the edition of the Bible authorised by the Assembly of Divines, which the Stationers' Company had so much resented that, in 1646, they passed a resolution: no journeyman printer of this company who shall work at the printing house in Finsbury, ever to have any pension or gift whatsoever from the Company. The Act further decreed that every printer should enter into bond in £300 to be of good behaviour, and no printer was to set up a press or to import any press or letters without first acquainting the Company of his intention.
Such were the conditions under which the book-trade was carried on from the time of the meeting of the Long Parliament until Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector, and when it is remembered that the whole of that period was one of warfare and political unrest, the wretched character of the work produced is not to be wondered at. By far the largest part of the output of the press consisted of political and theological pamphlets, amongst which the writings of John Milton and James Howell shine out like stars in the night. Dramatic literature there was none, and the only poetry worth speaking of was the collection of Sir John Suckling's verse in 1646, and Herrick's Hesperides in 1647–8.
The art of printing in England at this period sank to its lowest point. Practically all the presses in London were busy turning out news-sheets as fast as they could print them, and any old type and blocks that could be secured for love or money were used to print them with. The largest printing house in London during this period was that of Miles Flesher and his partners in Little Britain. They also held the King's printing house by virtue of a mortgage executed by Robert Barker. The little good work done was mainly done by them. The press of Felix Kyngston was also a busy one, and his best work was creditable. Richard Cotes was also one of the largest printers of this time, while much of the hack work was
