A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898Plomer, Henry R. (Henry Robert)
History
A Short History of English Printing, 1476-1898
Plomer, Henry R. (Henry Robert)
England -- Imprints; Printing -- England -- History
In 1634 the King wrote to Archbishop Laud to the effect that Doctor
Patrick Young, keeper of the King's library, who had lately published
the _Clementis ad Corinthios Epistola prior_ in Greek and Latin, and in
conjunction with Bishop Lindsell of Peterborough, now proposed to make
ready for the press one or more Greek copies every year, if Greek types,
matrices, and money were forthcoming. The King expressed his desire to
encourage the work, and therefore commanded the Archbishop that the fine
of £300, which had been inflicted upon Robert Barker and Martin Lucas in
the preceding year, for what was described as a base and corrupt
printing of the Bible in 1631 (the omission of the word 'not' from the
seventh commandment, which has earned for the edition the name of the
_Wicked_ Bible), should be converted to the buying of Greek letters. The
King further ordered that Barker and Lucas should print one work every
year at their own cost of ink, paper, and workmanship, and as many
copies as the Archbishop should think fit to authorise. The Archbishop
thereupon wrote to the printers, who expressed their willingness to fall
in with the scheme, and a press, furnished with a very good fount of
Greek letter, was established at Blackfriars. But the result was not
what might have been expected. Partly owing to the political troubles
that followed its foundation, and partly perhaps to delay on the part of
the printers, the only important works that came from this press were
Dr. Patrick Young's translation of the book of Job, from the Codex
Alexandrinus, a folio printed in 1637, and an edition in Greek of the
Epistles of St. Paul, with a commentary by the Bishop of Peterborough,
also a folio, which came from the same press in 1636. The Greek letter
used in this office cannot be compared for beauty or delicacy of outline
with that which Norton had used in the _Chrysostom_ of 1610.
On the 11th July 1637 was published another Star Chamber Decree
concerning printers. Professor Arber, in his fourth volume (p. 528),
states that the appearance of a tract entitled _The Holy Table, Name and
Thing_ must ever be associated with this decree; but it may be doubted
whether it was not rather to general causes, such as the growing power
of the press, the long-continued attack upon the Prelacy by
pamphleteers, which no fear of mutilation or imprisonment could stop,
than any one particular tract, which led to that severe and crushing
edict.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account