To the Right Honorable, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, novv Assembled in the High Court of Parliament.
The Petition of the Masters and Workmen Printers of London.
THat whereas sundry of His Majesties Predecessors, Kings and Queenes of this Realme, have in their severall Raignes made sundry wholesome Ordinances for the good government and regulating of Printers and Printing, and thereby given great encouragements to the Professors thereof for their cheerefull proceeding in the said Mysterie; And whereas tertio & quarto Philippi & Mariae, the said Printers together with some Booke-Binders and Booke-Sellers, were Incorporated by the name of one Master, two Keepers or Wardens and the Commonalty, and Intituled under the name of the Company of Stationers, since which time the said government (by what power we know not) hath been altered, and there hath been invested divers persons under the name of Assistants, who together with the said Master and Wardens being Booke-Sellers and Strangers to the said Mystery, have assumed and taken upon them the sole Government and Ordering of the Science and Mystery of Printing, which is an Art they are altogether ignorant of, whereby the State hath been, and still is like to be much disturbed and abused by multitudes of seditious Bookes and Pamphlets daily Printed and published, and the said Art of Printing much debased in workmanship, and otherwise, to the great dishonour of our Nation.
Now for that this Art of Printing much concernes the good both of the Church and Common-wealth, by propagating the Gospel, and advancing all other Arts and Sciences within his Majesties Kingdomes and Provinces; And for the further preventing of such Seditious Bookes and Pamphlets privately Printed here, and also imported from beyond the Seas, and that Bookes may be Printed on better Paper, and yet sold at cheaper rates than formerly, as also that Printing may be every way as gracefull and beautifull in these his Majesties Dominions, as in any other part of Christendome (which we are well able to performe, and which good worke hath long been hindered by the ignorance and unskilfulnesse of the aforesaid Governours.)
It is therefore the humble suit of the Masters and Workemen Printers in generall, That for the performance of the premisses, We the said Artificers, by speciall grace and favour from his Majestie and this high and honourable Court, may have power to regulate the said Art, and every person now using, or hereafter professing the said Art: And also considering the great number of poore Workemen belonging to the said Mysterie, We the said Artificers may alone be stated in all those lawfull immunities and priviledges, which at any time heretofore belonged and appertained to our Predecessors, or that at any time hereafter may of right belong unto us.
And we shall daily pray, &c.
May it please this high and Honourable Court, our Grievances are very many, but especially foure Patents. viz.
I.
A Patent granted to Christopher Barker, and Robert Barker his sonne, in the late Queene Elizabeths raigne, for the sole Printing of all Bibles, Testaments, &c. in English.
II.
Another Patent granted first to Richard Tottle (as we beleeve) and lately confirmed to Iohn More, for Printing of all Law Bookes whatsoever, prohibiting all others to Print the same.
III.
A Patent granted first to Iohn Norton, and since descended to Roger Norton his Kinsman, for the Printing of all Bibles, Testaments, Grammers, &c. in Latine, Greeke, and Hebrew, together with an Introduction to Grammer in English, and sundry other Bookes.
IV.
A Patent lately granted to one Thomas Symcocke, for Printing of all things, that are, may, or shall be Printed upon one side of a sheet, or any part of a sheet; provided one side thereof be white Paper.
We beseech your Honours to consider, that none of the aforesaid Patentees were at all acquainted with the Mystery of Printing, or ever served any time to any Printer: yet have they and their Assignes, hitherto enjoyed their said Patents (being the sole livelihood of Printing) to the great prejudice of us the said Artists, and the whole state in generall: for if it may stand with your Honours good liking, to make void these Patents, the Common-wealth shall be farre better served with these and all other Bookes, they shall be better Printed, and on better Paper, and yet shall be sold one shilling in foure shillings cheaper then now they are, and every Workeman in the said Art shall have a competent livelihood, to maintain them, which we are not as yet able to have, by reason of the aforesaid Patents.
And we further humbly pray, that for the better encouragement of poore Workemen in the said Mystery, all those Books formerly given and granted by his Majestie, or otherwise, for their reliefe, may by the speciall grace and favour of his Majestie and this high and Honourable Court, be confirmed to them.