The censorship of the Church of Rome and its influence upon the production and distribution of literature, volume 1 (of 2)Putnam, George Haven
History
The censorship of the Church of Rome and its influence upon the production and distribution of literature, volume 1 (of 2)
Putnam, George Haven
Freedom of the press; Liberty of conscience; Prohibited books
In 1749, was printed at Prague a second and enlarged edition of this
_Clavis_. In 1767, the Archbishop of Prague, Przichovsky, printed,
in obedience to an encyclical of Clement XIII, an Index presenting
Bohemian books only. The title is: _Index Bohemicorum librorum
prohibitorum et corrigendorum et ordine alphabetico digestus_, etc. In
the _Clavis_ of 1729, the _Index prohibitorius_ is arranged in three
alphabeted divisions, the first including the works in Czech, the
second those in German, and the third the Latin titles, with which
are certain in French. Following each division, are given certain
blank pages left for the description of further books. In the second
edition is given a special division entitled _Index librorum Veneria
vel obscoena tractantium_, presenting a list of works the obscene
character of which can fairly be inferred from their titles. It is
noteworthy that this very legitimate division of censorship, which
received very little attention either in Rome or in Spain, should have
been cared for in Bohemia. Beneath the titles of the books in the list
for expurgation, are given as a rule brief analyses constituting what
might be called a _catalogue raisonnée_, for instance, _perstringuntur
religiosi Societatis Jesu_, etc. Against such a name as that of Huss
is added the term “heretic” or “arch-heretic.” The compiler of the
_Clavis_ was a Jesuit, Anton Koniasch. Koniasch left at his death
(in 1760) materials for a further Index which were utilised as the
basis of the Index printed in 1767 by Przichovsky. The title proposed
by Koniasch was: _Index librorum perniciosorum abolendorum vel
repurgandorum_, etc. In the Index as published by the Archbishop, is
the order that his pastoral brief, together with the encyclical of the
pope, shall, within three weeks’ time, be read on the Sunday in all
German and Bohemian churches, and that, on the same day, a sermon shall
be given devoted to the danger of heretical books. He orders further
that whoever shall be convicted of reading heretical or prohibited
books shall _ipse jure_ come under excommunication. This is followed by
an edict, issued by Charles VI and confirmed in 1749 by Maria Theresa,
in regard to the distribution of heretical books. This Index is both
prohibitory and expurgatory, but the two sets of titles are arranged
in one alphabet. It contains also an enlarged edition of the Bohemian
division of the _Clavis_.
=4. Editions of the Roman Indexes, 1670–1800.=
_1670._ _Rome._ _Clement X._ In 1670, under the instructions of Clement
X, Fanus prints an Index which contains the lists of Alexander and of
Clement, with an appendix bringing the record of prohibitions down to
date. This volume is again printed in 1675, with an appendix covering
the prohibitions of five years.
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