It is in fact this register, incorporated from 1557 to 1571 in the annual accounts of the wardens and kept from 1576 onwards as a subsidiary book by the clerk, which furnishes our principal material. During 1557-71 the entries for each year are collected under a general heading, which takes various forms. In 1557-8 it is 'The entrynge of all such copyes as be lycensed to be prynted by the master and wardyns of the mystery of stacioners'; in 1558-9 simply 'Lycense for pryntinge'; in 1559-60, for which year the entries are mixed up with others, 'Receptes for fynes, graunting of coppyes and other thynges'; in 1560-1 'For takynge of fynes for coppyes'. This formula lasts until 1565-6, when 'The entrynge of coopyes' takes its place. The wording of the individual entries also varies during the period, but generally it indicates the receipt of a money payment in return for a license.[1] In a very few cases, by no means always of divinity books, the licence is said to be 'by', or the licence or perhaps the book itself, to be 'authorized' or 'allowed' or 'perused' or 'appointed' by the Bishop of London; still more rarely by the Archbishop of Canterbury or by both prelates; once by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York; once by the Council.[2]
- [Footnote: and always hath been reputed and taken to be proprietor of such book
or copy, and ought to have the sole printing thereof (1681)'; 26, 'It hath been the ancient usage of the members of this company, for the printer or printers, publisher or publishers of all books, pamphlets, ballads, and papers, (except what are granted by letters pattents under the great seal of England) to enter into the publick register-book of this company, remaining with the clerk of this company for the time being, in his or their own name or names, all books, pamphlets, ballads, and papers whatsoever, by him or them to be printed or published, before the same book, pamphlet, ballad, or paper is begun to be printed, to the end that the printer or publisher thereof may be known, to justifie whatsoever shall be therein contained, and have no excuse for the printing or publishing thereof (1682)'.]*
- ↑ Typical examples are i. 75 (1557-8), 'To master John Wally these bokes called Welth and helthe, the treatise of the ffrere and the boy, stans puer ad mensam, another of youghte charyte and humylyte, an a. b. c. for cheldren in englesshe with syllabes, also a boke called an hundreth mery tayles ij^s'; 77 (1557-8), 'To Henry Sutton to prynte an enterlude vpon the history of Jacobe and Esawe out of the xxvij chapeter of the fyrste boke of Moyses called Genyses and for his lycense he geveth to the howse iiij^d'; 128 (1559-60), 'Recevyd of John Kynge for his lycense for pryntinge of these copyes Lucas urialis, nyce wanton, impaciens poverte, the proude wyves pater noster, the squyre of low degre and syr deggre graunted ye x of June anno 1560 ij^s'. The last becomes the normal form, but without the precise date.
- ↑ i. 155, 177, 204, 205, 208, 209, 231, 263, 268, 269, 272, 299, 302, 308, 312, 334, 336, 343, 378, 382, 385, 398, 399, 415. It is possible that the wardens, intent on finance, did not always transcribe into their accounts notes of authorizations. Only half a dozen of the above are ascribed to
