Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/29

Rh printed in contravention of the monopoly, or against the faith and sound Catholic doctrine of Holy Mother Church; but they might seize, take away, have, burn, or convert to their own use, whatever they should think was printed contrary to the form of any statute, act, or proclamation, made or to be made. And this charter renewed by Elizabeth in 1588, amplified by Charles II. in 1684, and confirmed by William and Mary in 1690, is still virtually in existence. It is scarcely strange that such enormous powers as these were but little respected; indeed Queen Elizabeth herself was one of the first to invade their privileges, and she granted the following, among other monopolies, away from the Stationers' Company:— To Byrde, the printing of music books. To Serres, psalters, primers, and prayer books, To Flower, grammars. To Tothill, law books. To Judge (the Queen's Printer), Bibles and Testaments. To Watkin and Roberts, almanacs and prognostications. To Vautrollier, Latin Testaments and other Latin books. To Marsh, school-books. To Day, A B C's and catechisms. (This last had his printing office in Moorgate Street, ornamented with the motto, " Arise, for it is Day!")

The Stationers' Company, sorely damaged in trade by the sudden and almost entire loss of their privileges, petitioned the Queen, representing that they were subject to certain levies, that they supplied when called upon a number of armed men, and that they expected to derive some benefit when they