To the High Court of PARLIAMENT: The humble REMONSTRANCE of the Company of Stationers, LONDON.  
Shows,  
THat the Mystery and Art of Printing is of public and great Importance, and aught to be held worthy of extraordinary regard and consideration, in all well-governed States. China having had the use of Printing and Guns, long before they were invented in Europe, makes no doubt to magnify herself, as seeing with two Eyes; whereas Europe (as she pretends) sees but with one. And in Europe the more civil and knowing each Country is, the more carefully they provide for the prosperity of this ingenious Craft, and it were strange if they should not; for as Learning must needs make us favour Printing, so Printing is a great means to advance Learning amongst us. But France especially is famous for the value she sets upon that Profession and Trade of men (whom we in England incorporate by the name of Stationers) for there they are privileged above mere Mechanics, and honoured with a habitation, as it were, in the Suburbs of Literature itself. The like reason also which makes Printing, etc. favoured and promoted in generous Countries where Learning is esteemed, renders it odious amongst Barbarians, where superstition and darkness is affected. Muscovy professes enmity to Printing, and so does Turkey, for Learning's sake: And therefore the setting up of a Greek Press at Constantinople, sent thither out of England, had like to have cost Cyrillus the Patriarch there his Life, and the Greeks their fatal Ruin, Turk. hist. pag. 1491. Nevertheless, it is not mere Printing, but well ordered Printing that merits so much favour and respect, since in things precious and excellent, the abuse (if not prevented) is commonly as dangerous, as the use is advantageous. Germany had the happy Sagacity to invent Presses, Watches, etc. yet now, for want of reglement, her reputation is lost in those Manufactures, a Germane Impression, or Watch, eo nomine, is undervalved. In the United-Provinces also, there are not above three or four Eminent and rich Printers by reason of ill order, and were it not for the great Stocks of Monies which enable those men to print the greater Volumes, and of more general use, that Trade would there also further yet decay. And commonly where Printing droops, and Printers grow poor by neglect of Government, there errors and heresies abound, also by the same neglect as in Poland, and some parts of the Netherlands is manifest, where the poison of Socinus and Arminius spreads unregarded. We must in this give Papists their due; for as well where the Inquisition predominates, as not, regulation is more strict by far, than it is amongst Protestants; we are not so wise in our Generation, nor take so much care to preserve the true Religion as they do the false from alteration: and for that cause not only their Church is the more fortified, but the Art of Printing thrives, and the Artists grow rich also beyond any examples amongst us. The first and greatest end of order in the Press, is the advancement of wholesome knowledge, and this end is merely public: But that second end which provides for the prosperity of Printing and Printers, is not merely private, partly because the benefit of so considerable a Body is of concernment to the whole; and partly because the compass of the second end does much conduce to the accomplishing of the first, as is now to be further explained: For, upon further examination, it must needs clearly appear, That the late decay of the Stationers (chief brought upon them by want of due and Politic regulation) has been an occasion of emboldening Printers to run into enormous disorders, and in the like manner the same disorders have been a further occasion of bringing a decay upon the Company. England was not heretofore without a regulation in Printing, as well knowing that the public good was very much concerned in that Art, and that no act did more depend upon the public Care. Wholesome Ordinances therefore were provided and great circumspection was used, that those Ordinances might be punctually pursued. In the 8th and 28th of Qu: Eliz. divers good Decrees were made; and in the fourth of Qu: Eliz. such Orders of the same nature as had been before in force, were revised and approved of by our Reverend Judges Catlyn and Dyer. Also the third and fourth of Edw. sixth; and the third of King James; and other Statutes need not now to be instanced in.  
1. But as to the first and public aim of regulation in Printing, etc. Viz. The advancement of Knowledge, etc. The main care is to appoint severe Examiner's for the licensing of things profitable, and suppressing of things harmful: and the next Care is, That the endeavours of those Examiner's may not be frustrated. The Star-chamber, and High Commission Court is now removed, and for supply of that Government which is fallen therewithal, a new Bill is to be passed in Parliament; and till that Bill can be passed, sundry good temporary Orders have been made to redress the exorbitancies of the Press. Nevertheless, 'tis too apparent, that those Orders have not been so successful as was wished and expected; and since the want of success therein, cannot be imputed to the change of Judges, or change of Laws, it must needs be imputed to the change of prosecutors. The Parliament wants no power to punish Delinquents, the Orders of the Parliament want no vigour for searching of Printers houses, and seizing, taking away and defacing the Instruments of Printing, and for punishing and imprisoning all Delinquents; only those that are the most fit Informers, want authority and encouragement to discover offences to the Parliament, or to put in execution the Orders of Parliament. The Stationers therefore humbly desire to represent three things to the Parliament: 1. That the Life of all Law consists in prosecution. 2. That in matters of the Press, no man can so effectually prosecute, as Stationers themselves. 3. That if Stationers at this present do not so zealously prosecute as is desired, it is to be understood, That it is partly for want of full authority, and partly for want of true encouragement.  
2. In the next place also, as to the second aim of regulation, viz. The flourishing of Printing and Printers; the Stationer's further humbly desire, That their advantage and benefit may be so far only tendered and regarded, as it co-operates to the due ordering and reforming of the Press; That authority and encouragement which they seek for, to engage them to activity and alacrity in this service of the State, if it be not such as is consistent with the public good, if it be not agreeable to the Discipline of former times, if it be not vigorous and efficacious for the Reformation of Printing desired, they shall be no longer Suitors for it. As for matter of power, 'tis not the desire of the Stationers to be solely or confusedly entrusted with the Government of the Press: They desire no authority in order to judgement or punishment, but only in order to prosecution of Delinquents; and that power also they desire not to have it committed to the whole Company (though that lately hath expressed a good affection to the Parliament) but to some choice Committee, nominated by the Company, and further approved and allowed by the Parliament. Neither is it the Stationer's desire that this Committee of the choicest Stationers should be enabled with too vast a Latitude of making Orders to bind the whole Company in all cases whatsoever, such limits as other Companies are confined to, such as preceding Stationers have submitted to, such as are consistent with the public good, and Laws of the Land (according to their Charters granted by several Princes) such and no other do they aspire to. But some abuses there are likely to arise emergently, which without extraordinary provisions pro re natâ, can scarcely be suppressed; and therefore that favour which they desire, is, That they may not be abridged of all power in this kind. Within these last four years, the affairs of the Press have grown very scandalous and enormous, and all redress is almost impossible, if power be not given by some binding order to reduce Presses and Apprentices to the proportion of those times which did precede these last four years. This is so fare from an Innovation, that 'tis the removal of a dangerous Innovation, and without this removal, the Company of Stationer's being like a field overpestered with too much stock, must needs grow indigent, and indigence must needs make it run into trespasses, and break out into divers unlawful shifts; as Cattle use to do, when their pasture gins wholly to fail. Besides the same disorder which undoes Stationers by too great multitudes of Presses and Apprentices amongst themselves, causes also Strangers, as Drapers, Carmen, and others to break in upon them, and set up Presses in divers obscure corners of the City, and Suburbs; so that not only the ruin of the Company is the more hastened by it, but also the mischief, which the state suffers by the irregularity of all is the less remediable. A multis quicquid peccatur, inultum est. Where Delinquents grow too numerous, they grow out of the Eye of government; 'tis not possible for the Stationers themselves at this day to discover their own trespassors, and 'tis not possible that the State should any way have the steering of the Press, when Stationers cannot assist them therein.  
This is of main consequence; For were there but a modest limited power in the Stationers to reduce Presses and Apprentices to a convenient number, by advice amongst themselves, the reformation of the Press, would become a feasible thing; not only all odious opprobrious Pamphlets of incendiaries, Printed and invented at London, but penned in the Universities also, and reprinted at London would be quashed: by the same means also, the shameful custom of selling Pamphlets by Sempsters, etc. and dispersing them in the streets by Emissaries of such base condition; and the abuse of Printing in such despicable Letters, and base Paper, and many other exorbitances, now offensive to the whole age, would be rectified.  
3. The next thing is matter of privilege or encouragement; As the case now stands, Stationers are so fare from having any encouragement to make them active and alacrious in the service of the state, that they cannot serve it without discouragement; and they are so fare from enjoying privilege, that they are abridged of their ancient Right, Propriety of Copies being now almost taken away and confounded, if one Stationer prefer any Complaint against another, the Complainant shall be sure to have his Copy reprinted out of spite, and so the ruin of himself and family, is made the reward of his zeal and forwardness. And to instance only in propriety of Copies, that in some men's understanding, is the same thing as a Monopoly: Though it be not so much a free privilege as a necessary right to Stationers; without which they cannot at all subsist, Yet some men except against it as a public injury and grievance. Nevertheless, Justice and Policy depend as much upon propriety of some things, as upon Community of others; and 'twould as much dissolve the bonds of humane society, to lay open some benefits of nature, as to enclose others. Therefore that an orderly preservation of private Interest, and propriety in Copies is a thing many ways beneficial to the state, and different in nature from the engrossing, or Monopolising some other Commodities into the hands of a few, to the producing scarcity and dearth, amongst the generality. The Stationer's desire leave to offer these considerations.  
1. Books (except the sacred Bible) are not of such general use and necessity, as some staple Commodities are, which feed and  us, nor are they so perishable, or require charge in keeping, some of them being once bought, remain to children's Children, and many of them are rarities only and useful only to a very few, and of no necessity to any, few men bestow more in Books then what they can spare out of their superfluities, and the gain of such as live by selling of Books is not so great, as to raise them to an equality of riches with many others of more sordid and ignoble professions. And therefore propriety in Books maintained amongst Stationers, cannot have the same effect, in order to the public, as it has in other Commodities of more public use and necessity.  
2. A well regulated propriety of Copies amongst Stationers, makes Printing flourish, and Books more plentiful and cheap; whereas Community (though it seem not so, at first, to such as look less seriously, and intentively upon it) brings in confusion, and many other disorders both to the damage of the State and the Company of Stationers also; and this will many ways be evidenced. For first, If it be lawful for all men to Print all Copies, At the same time several men will either enviously, or ignorantly Print the same thing, and so perhaps undo one another, and bring in a great waste of the Commodities, whereby the State shall be at loss, and discord, and enmities will also follow, whereby Christianity itself shall be scandalised. Secondly, The fear of this confusion will hinder many men from Printing at all, to the great obstruction of Learning, and suppression of many excellent and worthy pieces. Doctor Preston, Doctor Sibbs his works, a large Concordance for the Bible, and very many other Books of singular use and esteem, are now out of Print, and the age must still be deprived of them, for no man dares, or can with safety Print them. In other Countries where regulation is strict, the Tomes and Volumes of Fathers and Schoolmen, and some Books with costly Plates, are Printed to the honour and benefit of the public many ways, whereas the Printing of Pamphlets is now the utmost ambition of Stationers in England. And even in Pamphlets too there is a great hazard, for scarce one book of three sells well, or proves gainful to the publisher, and therefore the certain charge of Printing being so great, and the profit so unsure, it is no policy to venture too far. Thirdly, Confusion or Community of Copies destroys that Commerce amongst Stationers, whereby by way of Barter and Exchange they furnish books without money one to another, and are enabled thereby to print with less hazard, and to sell to other men for less profit. Fourthly, Community as it discourages Stationers, so it's a great discouragement to the Authors of Books also; Many men's studies carry no other profit or recompense with them, but the benefit of their Copies; and if this be taken away, many Pieces of great worth and excellence will be strangled in the womb, or never conceived at all for the future. Fifthly, In many cases Community will injustice, as well as discouragement; for many Families have now their Livelihoods by Assignments of Copies, some Orphans and Widows have no other Legacies and Dowries to depend upon: and there is no reason apparent why the production of the Brain should not be as assignable, and their interest and possession (being of more rare, sublime, and public use, demeriting the highest encouragement) held as tender in Law, as the right of any Goods or Chattels whatsoever. And as these and many other are the mischiefs of Community, redounding so many several ways to Authors, Owners, to Printers, to the State, and to the Church, so propriety produces the contrary effects; for he that is sure of his Copy, though the same cost 3 or 400●. if he cannot raise his money disbursed at the first Impression, yet being assured of benefit by after Editions, he may sell cheaper at first than he buys, to the great ease of other men. Besides, it will be a means to relieve the poverty of the Company of Stationers, and by that means remedy those many disorders which necessarily attend poverty; and if any disorders happen, it will animate and sharpen Stationers to be zealous in detecting them, and bringing the offenders to condign punishment: And as this may be truly said in defence of Propriety, as it concerns private men in their Interests, so much more may be said for Propriety of such Copies as the whole Company have a Right in, the good of so many hundreds being far more considerable than the good of any particular (which cannot be reputed a Monopoly, though of common and universal use, because common to the entire Profession.) For since Propriety has been confounded, and their Interest lost in those Copies which anciently belonged to them, the whole Company (whose chief, and almost sole Revenues and support, was the annual benefit accrueing from their Copies now Printed from them) has drooped and grown poor. It has no common stock to provide Magazines of Corn, Arms, etc. for the State's necessities, nor to pay Subsidies, or other frequent Assessments, charged by Parliament; nor to maintain their poor, being many, and requiring 200● per annum. And all the freehold they now have belonging to the Corporation, together with their Common-seal, lies at this present engaged for 1500●, borrowed lately at interest for the service of the Parliament. Nor have they so much as a Common-Hall of their own to assemble in; nor can they any longer remain incorporate, or any way privileged by their Charter, but must immediately moulder away, and dissolve without some redress of this irregularity.  
More of propriety needs not be said, nor of any other domestical Privileges or Rights belonging to the Stationers. And for foreign abuses, little need to be alleged. 'tis obvious to all, That (if we will establish a just regulation) foreign Books must be subjected to examination, as well as our own, and that all such Importation of foreign Books ought to be restrained as tends to the disadvantage of our native Stationers. By the first of Richard the third, foreign Books were allowed, the manufacture of Printing being then rude, and imperfect in England. But by the 25 of Henry 8. the English being then grown more expert, for their benefit it was repealed. And in France where Printing eminently flourishes, if any Books be brought from Geneva to Lions, or from Lions to Paris Printed there, they are seized by the Searchers, and confiscate without remedy; And nothing conduceth more to the flourishing of that profession there, than this rigid and severe observance of regulation.  
Now therefore all these premises considered, and forasmuch as irregular Printing, hath of late been the fuel in some measure of this miserable Civill-Warre, by deceiving the multitude, and hath brought into both Church and State, sundry other mischiefs and miseries, as well as poverty and desolation upon the Corporation of Stationers. It is most humbly prayed, That some speedy course may be taken for such a perfect regulation of the Press, as may procure the public good of the State, by the private prosperity of the Stationer's Company.  
And the whole Company shall ever pray, etc.