1588—1591 f^.H.
 

1 May 1588.    The University of Cambridge again appeal to Lord Burghley

AGAINST   THE   StATIONERS'   CoMPANY.

UEE humble duety to youre Honour remembered <fec. Wheras ther hath
bene an ancyent privilege, graunted to the Yniuersitie for the mysterie of
printinge, and the same by her most excellent Maiestie in oure Charter most
gratiously confirmed, and of late yeares by your honours favourable approba¬
tion put in practyse: May it please your Honour to vnderstand, that the
case standing as yt dothe, we finde yt a verie hard matter, eyther for oure
Yniuersity to maynteine this royall privilege, or for oure Printer to doe anie
good by his trade, by reason of the Companie of Stationers and Prynters in
London: who as they have heretofore taken divers of his Copies [«. e. what
we should now call Copyright works], and printed them againe, to his great losse and
hinderance, so doe they still threaten to attempt the lyke hereafter: namely and
specially with a Bictionarie of his owne compiling, and lately set oute by him: and this
they challenge as their owne right aud proper Copie, by vertue of a generall Clawse,
graunted to them from her Maiestie To prynte all Bictionaries whatsoever: which
generall Clawse, eyther for Bictionaries or anie other bookes, if vnder your Honours
correction we may interprete, in our iudgment extendeth to suche bookes and
Bictionaries only, as were then extant, when this graunt was made, and not to any that
should afterward come forthe. Por elles might yt be verie preiudiciall, and hinder the
setting forth of manie good and profitable bookes, if learned men might not make
choyse of their printer, eyther to reape the frute of their laboures themselves, or
otherwise bestowe them on whome they thought good: but must all come to the
printers in London only, and have their workes publisht by them. Whiche practyse of
their supposed privilege, hath already greatly discouraged and almost vtterly disabled
our Printer to goe forwarde in his trade : in so muche as we perceave, yf it be not looked
vnto in tyme, yt will tourne to the vtter overthrowe of printing in our Vniuersitie
for ever.

Thes[e] reasons thus moving vs, w^e are bold to become humble suters to your honoure,
that you would be so good patrone, as to oure wholle Yniversity at all tymes, so to oiire
pore Printer at this tyme, as to become a meanes to her highnes in this behalf, that as
of her gratious goodnes heretofore she hathe confirmed our Charter for the mysterie of
Printing, so nowe also it may please her maiestie, for to privilege to our Printer, as
well the foresayde Bictionarie of late by him set forthe, as also hereafter from time to
time anie suche booke or bookes, as he shall lawfully and according to order appointed
in that behalf, print, or cawse to be printed : So as both we may mainteyne a print [^. e.
a printing press] in oure Yniversitie with credyt, according to her Maiesties intent
and the tenore of our Charter, and also oure Printer may followe his trade with some
profyt, and not be molested, as heretofore, to his great hinderance and impayring
of his pore stock.

Thus hoping that as you are wont, so still your Honour will be readie to procure
her maiestie to showe this, and all other gratious favour, nedefull for the maintenance
of good learning, to her pore Yniversitie, we cease for this tyme to trouble your
Honour any further: beseching the Almightie to blesse you and all yours, with long

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