To the Honourable House of Commons in this present Parliament Assembled. The humble Petition of the Company of Stationers of the City of London.  
Humbly showeth,  
THat the Committee for Printing appointed by this Honourable House, was pleased to direct the Printing of a new Impression of the Bible, of the last Translation, with Notes in the margin, for the better exposition of hard places, and clearer understanding of the Scriptures.  
That diverse Reverend and Learned Divines of this kingdom, were by Sr. Edward Dearing (then in the chair of the said Committee) appointed for the making of the said Notes, and have now very near perfected the same for the press;  
Yet so it is, may it please this Honourable House, that a very few Persons of the said Company, but Eleven in Number, (whereas the Company consisteth of many hundred Families) labouring to acquire the Printing and profit thereof to themselves, have privately gained some promise from some of the said Divines, intending to exclude all others of the Company, from having any benefit thereby.  
And your Petitioners do further show, that they have not any common Stock (wherewith to pay the Subsidies charged upon their said Company by Parliament; nor to provide arms or corn, for the safety and provision of this City as they are assessed; neither to maintain their own poor, which are very many: and hath cost them Communibus Annis, above 200lb. per Annum, near upon 40 years last past) excepting the benefit of Printing a few small books, which now also by means of irregular Printing, they are almost quite deprived of: And that all the freehold they have, belonging to their Corporation, together with their Common seal, lies now engaged for 1500lb. which was borrowed at Interest, for the use and service of this present Parliament.  
And their poverty is yet the greater, in that they have not so much as a Common Hall of their own to assemble in; And that these Eleven men, who now labour to gain to themselves the sole Printing of this Bible and Notes; are now, and have been, (many of them) patentees, and Monopolizers of Printing the most vendable books of worth and quantity now in use; To the great detriment of the kingdom, and to the ruin and destruction of this poor Company.  
THESE PREMISES CONSIDERED; and for as much as this is a public work, and was first moved from a Committee of this Honourable House; that therefore you would be pleased to Order that it may be Printed for the common benefit of the whole Company, which will much revive their languishing and miserable condition; wherein they (the aforesaid Eleven Parties) together with the many hundreds others of the said Corporation, may equally partake, both in the Charge and Profit thereof: Which will be a means, that the same will be Printed with the greater care and circumspection.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray.