Documents Concerning William Stansby Cited in Greg's
Companion to Arber
W. W. Greg surveyed the "illustrative matter" that Edward
Arber included in his Transcript of the Stationers
Register and compiled it, along with an index, in his
Companion to Arber. Greg also examined other document
collections, primarily the Burghley Papers in the British
Museum's Lansdowne manuscript, and the State Papers Domestic in
the Public Records Office, compiling descriptions of relevant
documents for inclusion in his Companion.
When present, I have extracted transcribed documents
concerning William Stansby's career; when only Greg's Calendar
description are present, I have included them. As far as
possible, I have followed Greg's rules for transcription as
follows:
- Illegible letters are indicated by dots.
- A passage which has been deleted but remains decipherable is
printed within square brackets.
Note: A number of passages cited in this sketch come from
transcriptions of autograph documents containing contemporary
hands and employing a variety of shorthand techniques. In those
cases where the limited set of HTML-supported characters prevents
an accurate reproduction of the text, I have expanded the word or
portion of word contaning the shorthand device for clarity.
Square brackets enclose these passages.
Document Transcriptions
- Document 23
- to Imprint a Dictionary Etimologicall
20 february [1610/11] A Speciall Licence granted to Iohn Minsheu
to imprint the Booke intituled Glosson Etimilogion, or a
Dictionary Etimologicall consisting of 12. seuerall Languages,
English scottish Wels, high Dutch and some time saxon low Dutch
and some times Danish french Italian Spanish Arabicke Portegues
Latin Greeke and Hebrew for 21. yeares with prohibition to all
others
- Document 33.1
- To the honoble Sr George Cal { } knight
Secretary of State to the kings most exelent Maiestie:/
- The humble Peticon of Nathaniell Butter
- Humbly shewinge that whereas yor poore
Suplt: hath byn Comytted by my lords grace of
Canterbury the space of 28 daies being since brought before
yor honor and examyned about the printing
of a booke Concernynge the Emporer wherein he hath answered truly
and freely, and for wch he doth humbly acknowledge his
faulte, beinge Comytted to a Messenger he knoweth nott howe to
obtayne his libertie haveing a poore wief greate with Childe, and
three small Children, and is like to be vndoe without
yor honors Comiserac[i]on
- Wherefore he humbly desiereth yor honors
Comiserac[i]on in grauntinge his libertie vppon good and
sufficient bayle to be allwaies reddy for the Confirmac[i]on of
his Confession wherein if he hath nott dealt truly and plainly
with yor honor he will never looke for any favor And
he according to his bounden dutie shall daily pray for
yor honors helth and happines longe to
Contynue
- Document 33.2
- To the Right honorle: Sr George Caluert
Knight principall Secretary to his Maty: and one of
his Mats: most honoble: Priuie
Counsell./
- The humble petic[i]on of Nathaniell Butter of London
Stac[i]oner./
- Humblie shewing to yor honor. Whereas
yor poore Suppl[ican]t hath beene committed to a
messengers custodie this 36 daies to his greate charge &
hindrance from his trade havinge none to looke to his businesse
but a little boy, whereby his Customers do forsake him which will
tend to his vtter vndoinge, beinge indebted & havinge three small
children, his wife being greate and lookinge everie hower is
debarred from comforting her in this her extremitie being like to
perish without yor Honors tender
commiserac[i]on./
- Hee therefore most humbly beyseecheth yor
Honor to bee pleased to vouchsafe him his liberty, and
hee will bee bound to answer whensoever your Honor
shall call him, For which he and his will bee ever bound to pray
for yor Honors long life and much
happinesse:/
- Document 33.3
- To the Right Honorable Sr George Caluert
knight his Mate. Principall Secretarie and one of his
Highnes most Ho[nora]ble Privy Counsell.
- William Stansby Printer most humblie sheweth
- That the Petic[i]oner by the instigac[i]on and p[er]swasion
of Nathaniel Butter Stac[i]oner/ did latelie imprint in a sheet
of paper a smale tract conteyning A demonstrac[i]on of the
vnlawfull Succession of the nowe Empor, wch
the Petic[i]oner was the rather induced to doe by reason that
many tractes Concerning the affaires of Forraine Princes haue byn
p[er]mitted this last yeare to be publiquely sold
wthout anie Contradiction. And whereas the wardens of
the Companie of Stationers haue for the said offence by
yor honors warrant nayled vp & sealed the
dores of the Petic[i]oners warehouses & Printing house & haue
broken downe his presses to his vtter vndoeing if he be not
speedilie restored thereunto being a very poore man And forasmuch
as since the publishing of his Mate late Proclamacion
in that behalf the Petic[i]oner hath altogether absteyned from
intermedling in anie thing wch is p[ro]hibited And
being also right hartilie sorrie for this his said offence
-
- He therefore most humblie beseecheth yor
Honor to be pleased not onlie to remitt his offence
past But also to restore him to the lawfull exercise of his trade
from wch he is nowe debarred Promising that if euer he
shall againe offend in the like nature willinglie to vndergoe the
vttermost of yor honors iust indignac[i]on
wthout Craveing anie fauor
-
- And yor poore Petic[i]oner as neuertheles in dutie
bound shall daylie praie for yor Honors
health & prosperite./.
- Document 33.4
- To the Right Honorable Sr George Caluert knight
Principall Secretarie to the kinges Matie.
- The humble Petition of Will[ia]m Stansby Printer Most
humbly sheweing That the Petic[i]oner by the earnest
p[er]swac[i]on and instigac[i]on of Nathaniel Butter Bookeseller
did imprint a smale treatise conteyning a declarac[i]on of the
vnlawfull Succession of Ferdinand the now Emp[er]or.
That the said Butter not onlie assured the Petic[i]oner that
there could be no danger to print the same but also promised to
saue him harmles from all trouble thereby to arise. That the
Petic[i]oner was induced the rather to giue creditt vnto him by
reason that manie other treatises concerning the affaires of
Forraine Princes were publiquely sold wthout
contradic[ti]on Notwthstanding the Petic[i]oner (by
yor Honors Com[m]aund) hath byn a long tyme
debarred from the vse of his printing presses by wch
meanes being vnable to releiue himselfe & his famelie he wilbe
vtterlie vndone. And forasmuch as the Petic[i]oner hath not
offended in anie thing since the publicac[i]on of his
Mate late Proclamac[i]on & that he protesteth that
this shalbe a warneing to him for euer hereafter and that he hath
no other meanes to lyve by yf he should be restrained from the
lawfull exercise of his lawfull Art of Printinf He doth therefore
most humbly beseech yor Honor (euen for
Gods cause) to be pleased to forgiue his offence past and to
restore him to the vse of his Printing presses Submitting
himselfe willinglie to suffer all manner of punishment
wch shalbe inflicted vpon him (wthout
craveing anie mercie or p[ar]don) yf euer hereafter he shall
offend againe in the like nature./
- And the Petic[i]oner (as neuertheles in duty bound) shall
daylie praie for yor Honors
prosp[er]itie./
Works Cited
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Last Modified: Friday, 24-Jun-2005 13:55:09 EDT