[This tract is a remarkable testimony to the never-ending competition in the book trade; to the power of
the King's Printers, partly as patentees and partly as capitalists only ; to the vast extent (proportionately to
other books) of the production of Bibles, c&c. and school books under the earlier Stuarts ; and, lastly, to
their steady rise in price, despite the much larger editions than formerly, owing in some degree to the
increasing wealth of the country, but still more through monopolies and " rigging the market."]

Scintilla, orA Light broken into darke Warehouses. "With Observations vpon the
IVionopolists of Seaven severall Batents, and Two Charters. Practised and performed, By
a INiisterj of some Brinters, Sleeping Stationers, and Combining BooTc-sellers.
Anatomised and layd open in a Breviat, in which is only a touch of ih^vc forestalling and
ingrossing of Books in BattentSy and Raysing them to excessive prises.

Left to the Consideration of the High and Honourable House of Barliament now
assembled.

Bet not one Brother oppresse another.

Boe as you would he done unto.

AT   BOJSTB OJSr,

Printed, not for profit, but for the Common We[a]les good: and no where to be sold,
but some where to be given.    1641.

The Epistle to the Reader.

Ourteous Reader (or otherwise) if thou lookest for the Reason of writing this
Book, here it is, and so Anonimus leaves thee.

Ifon nohis Solum, nati sumus, sed partim patriae.

Bihlesfor Churches   new Translation   large Folio

[By "new Translation" we are to understand the Authorized Version of 1611.   It is note¬
worthy now distinct a matter the binding is considered from the production of a book,in this tract.]

BLurch Bibles sold in former times in quires at 1^ 10^ [are] sold Kings Printers
now (in  quires) 2\ so raysed in euery Boot 10^    If they '^^^^'^\^^ London
Print 3000. of an Impression, raised 1500^    In former times
these were bought in quires at 1^ 5®.

Church Bibles of a thinner sort have been sold at 1^ in quires: Partners
have bought them cheaper, buying a quantity, and those Partners sold them
severally at 17^ 6*, not stocking or combining as now they doe, these Bibles
were excellent for poore Parishes.

[The above were probably in English, i. e. " black " letter.   By " Roman print" or " letter " we are to
imderstand modern type, which has sometimes been called " white letter."]

Large Polio Bibles of a Roman Print, with the Notes, sold in former times in quires
at 12** 6^: The same sort now without the IN'otes be raysed 7® 6* in a Booke: 1500. of
an Impression so raysed in every Book, amounts to 562^  10®.

Large Polio English Letter with JN'otes, be sold at 13® 4^ in quires. And Small Polio
English [Letter], sold 12® in quires:    none of this sort Printed now:

In the yeare  1G29. the want of these sorts  of Polio Bibles caused  Cambridge Bibles
Camhridge Printers to print it, and they sold it at 10® in quires: upon primer^eS
which the then Kings Printers set six Printing-houses at worke, and on ^^^j^^l^^^^^^^
an instant [i. e. at one time^ Printed one Polio Bible in the same manner,            2

and sold with it 500. Quarto Roman Bibles, and 500. Quarto English, at ^ot ha?e biTs'Sd
6® a Book, to overthrow the Camhridge Printing, and so to keep all in their vnder 12 or Ush. if
own hands.    It were well if they would alwayes sell at this p                        \;ambridge had

In former times our Kings Printers did agree with IVIaster Andrew now\lfey soh it
Hart, and after with Master. John Hart Book-sellers of Bdenhurg to at Ssh, which
serve them Bondon Bibles at lower rates then they sold them at here i2sh at least, and
[i.e. in Bondon]-. so that they would not Print[;] whereby they might whichwas^efore
keep all the priviledges to themselves, since which Robert Young and Miles ^sh.

IV. 35