1580-1586 ^.m.

[The next sixty pages are chiefly occupied with details of the eventful Controversy by which the
Stationers' Company was at this time nearly rent in twain. Partly by the absorption of the best paying
books into privileges, partly by the proportionately large number of apprentices which had of late come to
their freedom and the equally large number then serving their time, the producing power had outstripped
the demand for books, and the general avowed printing trade had come into a deplorable condition.
C. Barker stated in December 1582, there were ' 22. printing bowses in London, where 8. or 10. at the
most would suffise for all England, yea and Scotland too,' I. 144. Yet in the foUowing May these printers,
now increased to twenty-three, -had only fifty-three presses between them. Out of the desperation of
making a living and a natural desire to get on themselves ; had originated among the poorer members of the
Company that secret Organization! for the producing and selling of privileged books, which in a
short time inflicted great loss on the patentees and gave rise to this four years' struggle.

While this fight was in preparation inside the Company, outside and beyond it there was considerable
dissatisfaction in some minds at the lighter and more popular literature which had been and was still
growing into favour : especiaUy as not having been drawn uito patents, it was free to the smaller pruiters
and the younger publishers.

^ Of this dissatisfaction the following draught of an Act is a curious record. It would have made the
opinions of the ' godly learned' the measure of the Literature; whereas it came to be^a much more varied
and bright thing than that.

This Restraint for printing was originally sketched out in 1577 : and is here given as corrected in 1580
by William Lambarde, the author of the Perambulation of Kent.

It is noticeable that this draught Act, as revised by Lambarde, proposed to take away from the Bishop
of London all the control of the metropolitan presses which he had hitherto exercised as the Ordinary of
that diocese.]

1580.    W. Lambard's corrected draught oe an Act oe Parliament eor the
establishment oe the Goveenors of the English feint.

An acte to restraine the licentious printing selling and vttering of vnproffitahle and

hurtfull Inglishe hohes.

EOE as muche as the arte of printing bookes (a most happie and proffitable
invention) is now of late tyme greatly abused, partly by the covetousnesse
of some that doe occupie the trades of printing, binding, buying, and selling
bookes, and partly by the vnadvised enterprise of sundrie persons, which doo
take vpon theim, either for glorie, or gaine, to devise, penne, gather, or
translate, and to set foorthe in the Inglishe tongue, sundrie bookes,
pamfletes, Pooesies, ditties, songes, and other woorkes, and wrytinges, of many
sortes and names serving (for a great parte of them) to none other ende
(what titles soever they beare) but only to let in a mayne Sea of wickednesse, and
to set vp an arte of making lasciuious vngodly love, to the highe displeasure of GOD,
whose guiftes and graces bee pitiefully misused thearby to the manifest iniurie and
offence of the godly learned, whose prayse woorthie endevours and wrytinges are
thearfore the lesse read and regarded to the intoUerable corruption of common lyfe and
manners, which pestilently invadeth the myndes of many that delight to heare or read
the said wanton woorkes, and to no small or sufferable wast [e] of the treasure of this
Eealme which is thearby consumed and spent in paper, being of it selfe a forrein and
chargeable comoditie. Be it (for remeadie hearof) enacted, by the Queenes most
excellent maiestie, the Lordes spirituall and temporall, and the comons in this present

II. 751