Having recently had occasion to consult the Lansdown MSS., No. 905., a
volume containing documents formerly belonging to Mr. Umfreville, I
observed the following:
"Ordinances, constitutions, rules, and articles made by the
Court of Star Chamber relating to Printers and Printing, Jan.
23, anno 28 Eliz."
Appended to these ordinances, &c. is a statement from which I have made
the following extracts:
"Viii^o Januarii, 1583.
"Bookes yeilded into the hands and disposition of the Master,
Wardens, and Assistants of the Mysterie of the Stationers of
London for the releife of y^e poore of y^e saide companie
according to the discretion of the Master, Wardens, and
Assistants, or the more parte of them.
"Mr. Barker, her Ma^{ties} printer, hath yeilded unto the saide
disposition and purpose these bookes following: viz.
"The first and second volume of Homelies.
"The whole statutes at large, w^{th} y^e pamble as they are
now extant.
"The Paraphrasis of Erasmus upon y^e Epistles and Gospells
appoynted to be readd in Churches.
"Articles of Religion agreed upon 1562 for y^e Ministers.
"The Several Injunctions and Articles to be enquired of through
y^e whole Realme.
"The Profitt and Benefite of the two most vendible volumes of
the New Testament in English, commonlie called Mr. Cheekes'
translation: that is, in the volume called _Octavo_, w^{th}
Annotacions as they be now: and in the volume called _Decimo
Sexto_ of the same translation w^{th}out notes, in the Brevier
English letter only.
"Provided that Mr. Barker himselfe print the sayde Testaments at
the lowest value by the direction of the Master and Wardens of
the Company of Stationers for the tyme being. Provided alwaye
that Mr. Barker do reteyn some small number of these for diverse
services in her Ma^{ties} Courtes or ... [MS. illegible] and
lastlye that nothing that he yeildeth unto by meanes aforesaide
be preiudiciall to her Ma^{ties} highe prerogative, or to any
that shall succeed in the office of her Ma^{ties} printer."
The other printers named are, Mr. Totell, Mr. Watkins, Mr. John Daye,
Mr. Newberye, and Henrie Denham.