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    August i, 188& v DKe Publishers' .Circul...

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    Eabx.Y Bookselling At Oxford. ^Bbl Ak Bb...

    not of booksellers being sworn in that to-the city University : And many , carrie of d these off , it , cap seems ^ ma . several Sf » vf > m . l valuable ¦ v » . lri 5 iTVIf » books nnrtVs and n . nrl sold sr » Ttfl them thorn . -to kc \

    , , 1 , the statut detriment e , therefore of , the enacted ' sworn , that stationers no bookseller . The

    excep PYr > pr > t t , those thr > SG swnm sworn shall shall sell s « ll any a . nv book book . , whether Whether his his own or not , exceeding- half a mark in value , under pain of certain specified penaltiesIn another

    . p Universi lace we ty are are informed -laborious that and , ' as anxious the duties , therefore of the

    for the future everyone itr gradation shall give clothes to one of the stationers . ' And in a curious

    indenture , dated 1459 , * between the University of Oxford and the town , to determine what shall be held to be of the privilege of the

    persons University , ' alle stacibners ' are included in the list . From Mr . Anstey ' s book we gather that in

    the earlier part of the fifteenth century limners then painted for the stationers , just as some artists do now for the dealers . Then , as now , quarrels

    and contentions arose . Perhaps the most amusing of these occurred in 1445 , between John Godsond , a stationer , who commissioned John Coneley , a

    limner limnpr to to limn limn the th < = » illustrations ill nstrikti ons in in certain n & Tt . st . ir » books Hoolrs . Like nearl , y all other great men Coneley refused to work only when , where , and in what fashion he h & liked MVc & cl . More TVTotv * than t . Tmn - -this this . he Vi *» resented iv *« 3 * mt « rl p . vptv form fr . rm

    of inspection by the stationer , , whom every Coneley seemed especially fond of aggravating , and- of even insultingBoth were of a pugnacious type

    and ^ w' * X _» J . J . the AJuAkJ dispute KA . JL . UXU Gk . defied , JL ^ X _ S « JJkJ- the 11 X ^ J . power ~ V ^ VS J- Ml of f- " ¦ - the *«» ¦ U ^ arbi f * ,.- ' "i » * * - t rators » ^' . T p- ' ^*^ , , and the Chancellor himself had to take the matter

    in hand . The result , however , was not particularly favourable to Coneley , who was bound to paint

    pictures in Godsond's books ' well and faithfully ' for a year , and to work for no other dealer within

    that period ; his reward was to be * four marks and ten shillings of the good and lawful money of England' Further indignities were inflicted

    . upon the obstreperous artist , who was further compelled to fetch the material , parchment and colours to whom the fullest

    , from Godsond , account of what had been used was to be given . To vv lete jlv all ib thisthe f «_/ stationer vuj Vi / would

    " ~ v ^ comp m m T m ~ r % s ** s « a . viixij * , «« . a x *—* -VU ^> A . * * ^— ' ^ ljlva every ^ -j' w ^ yj . r now and then look the artist up , insist upon proposing how the work was to be doneand also

    , see that his wishes Tvere duly carried out . But in spite of the most stringent and

    comprehensive rules and regulations , the bookseller would find some flaw or loophole ; and there were constantl ¦*— ' ' ^—* -- » i »^ «^«^« . JL ^» % JJL y T w TV « ars ^ V ^ »— ' between RJ ^ « - / V T X- * V- » A . JL the KS ^*~ ± * * S University ^^ T M ~* -JL . » ^» A . K . " Jb «^ ¥ and - ** * - ¦» ^^» . its Jk *• is ^

    stationers . Rowland Jencks , one of the privileged persons , or , in other words , academic tradesmen , mad ¦ e himself particularl / obnoxious / ki and t « U \ . » was a

    ~ ¦* VVV » V AAJ . A 4 . AKJ \^ AA . I ^ TOU * . « JJLX _* JL . * . % JUM . * y T V KUV ^ V MU , » » MIU «^ f prominent actor in the * Black Assize' in July , 1577 - " ¦ *~^ • / Jencks 1 _ F V AA \^ lkk 7 , | who VT 11 V / is A ( J generall C VU X > JL tVJllJ y supposed KJ * - « . fc ^ k / VUVVl . to * - TX-r have aa ^ v V >„/

    in been reli born gion , in a Bel Roman gium Catholic , where , he and also in died politics , was a , democratHe possessed a sort of fiendish delight

    ^ 'VAXIV ^ VICAU . * JJLV » UV / OOVj'OOWA CV-QV / X V VJ ' JL . XXVAJL \ A 1 » JJ , X VlVyXX ^ UU in keeping the University dovecotes in a- perpetual »* whirl and 4 \ flutterThis ' / and

    foul-J ^ - " * - ' «^ k *^ v « . V V 44 4 J . A . ^>»* . A . jl *^ . » -t . V / W ^ A- . - * - * - ¦*¦ * - * J saucy »« r « - « # **• . VT M /& J ^ « . - « - ^— ' - * -A mouthed bookseller' exceeded the privileges invested . v VS / wy / vi , in AA 4 him r " " » j j in AAA publishing k / 14 K / 4 AMAAA A 4 b . ' K scandalous ^ X ^ * - »• *> A ^ J * * - *< * - ^ " * - * ^ - * word ** i ^ * V > fckJ s _ * ill ^ r ^ . ^ ni - ¦ . and the 1

    against the Princess , the * Commonwealth ^ , * Established Religion . ' Jencks , after some considerable siderahlpi tnlp toleration -rn . tinn . was was arrested Ji . rrftst . fir ] . and and sent Rftnt . to to

    London in May 1677 , , to be examined , by the Chancellor of the University and the Queen ' s

    Council . After examination he was sent back to Oxford , still in custody , and ordered to be brought up ut ) at at the thfi Assizes Asfiifcp . s which whio . h were iver « to to . be be held hftld there thfiTe in in a

    parent few weeks indecision . But ^ on for the the par sequel t \ of the to all a-uthoritiep this ap- , Jenoka & avttM would not have been known JCK JUi perhaps nol \

    w » YUUIU 1 LX \ J \ J UUiVU % J ^ J % ^> MJ . V ^ »» JJ , , Jf' - » * UC *| JO LX \ J j even July 6 b th y na Jenck me , s to appeared succeeding before generations the judges . , was On g-i - "' ' " i in i l iii ¦ i yi i i

    Eabx.Y Bookselling At Oxford. ^Bbl Ak Bb...

    I_ . convicted , and sentenced to lose his ears . Immediatelafter judgment was pronouncedan

    y , extremely offensive smell , or suffocating vapour , I seems sftPtms to to have haw . b een « p >/ n perceived npirftATVftdl an and d to to have have made made !!

    , a great many people alarmingly ill . ' Anthony ! a Wood refers to * many people being in ^ danger | . of suffocation thdragged out in a mori- j

    bund or half- ; dead ey were condition by others , who j themselves tfh < = » rn «< a"l v- ** si would -oennlrl joittviva survive onl nnlv a tew ff » w hours hours . It It |

    seems strange , indeed , that y Holinshed , Stow , j Baker " Ralcprr . and n . nH Camden rTamflftn shoul should d concur fionnnr in in their their ^

    accounts , of this story , to the effect that the pestilence commenced its deadly work so \ soon as i the sentence the UXX prisoner k / 4 . AK 7 / V 4 was declared % i

    The UJL 4 V / real UVylXUVUVV cause / upon » - probabl . W /\^ JLJL y rested VAA in the w »¦ - ** - » overheated *~ m .- ^ - ^^ jL ^* •*** ^ *** . . m state st . a . to of rvf the t . "ho > room i * nr \ Tn and t \ r \ ci the t . T > p . foul fonl and and filth filthv y state state of of

    , the prisoners . ' Many suspect it to arise' ( says the chronicler in Merton College Register , transcribed in the Philosophical Vt / Transactions f \^ vt \ 1758 * % *¦ )

    C » VI 1 . VJV / VA . J . U , % JMjL \~ t _* . fC / l / C / l / fH //// l ' WV , M ^ w ** s * s v w m w , y -- ^ -r j , y * either from the foetid and pestilential exhalation of the criminals J coming from \^ Ji the gaols ^ # ( of whom

    \ J A . tU \^ ^/ X I 1 X 1 . X XCV ± O V / VyXXJLJ-AJ- & ¦* .. * - ¦ ft . v *_ m .- * - ' ^ « - * c * -r * . y -v ^— - » -- * . - ^ - ¦ -- —* . two or three died in a few days before ^ in confinement XLt 4 v > UlvilXw ) J , m ' KJ or JL from J _ X i ^ / X-t-L the tiiU C artful 4 / J . l ^ A . lAAy , diabolical x ^**« - «/ r- ^ v ^ a . ju ^ - ** - **^ . , ^ ^ and w *^* . ^^^

    clearl vain y ( flatibus papistical e Lovaniensi blasts / i /// from barratvs «^ w that # # % rascal ) most of vilel Lou ¦*¦ % -

    r cvii-L i fvvco vis ci /* J % y x ^ c / c ^ wwn » v *^»^^/ v «^ ^ — ** v ^*> » - » .-- '—y ^ and secretly emitted against us . ' The rascal ' was U 7 Q 3 of r » -P course rv- » nTso the f . V « f > nnfnrhnnatp unfortunate . Jencks . Tftnfiks ; : and and

    nat of of ural the t / hf > affair affair ly enoug the t . Vi h relig Protestant Protestants ious cap s contend contend ital was in iner made that that out it it g

    was the work , of the Roman Catholicswho were rather pleased with the general mysteriousness , of the occurrence so long as they were not directly incriminatedJencks was afterwards set at

    . liberty At At , Oxford CiTr and left rA the as as country at afi every fiverv . otner other EuroDean European

    University town , , there weTe rules and regulations framedboth before and after printing , in reference to literary , merchandiseWhen the authorities

    . found it beyond their power to suppress literary and activity attemp , they ted resorted to cripp to le and the next maim best it expedient Although ,

    . about printing nhnnf hal Vmlf was f a established dozen c \ n 7 . & ir \ works -worlrs in the appear ar > r > city ear to to in have have 1478 , been been only

    issued were simply UAAXX up to 4 1500 books # k * Jk . »*^ These which , as were may popular f be — supposed andf ,

    J W A ^ . * . ^^ K _/ » ^ ^^ X ^ » » » J * ^^ - — - — - — - — — JJ— , , e therefore xtremely , limited saleable . ; Allowing but each for impression the ravages was of time tirriQ the -fVio carelessness ^ oralccanoQa of r » f librarians 11 Krn . TISl . nS , and i \ . X \ (\ the thft

    destructive , powers of various insect and , vegetable pests UCi 3 vi 9 , < the IjJUC : earl Call y V Oxford V 7 Al . UJl « i book uuuivli s can uuu only v / iiij be i-j-kj counted wi » v » uvv *

    in units . The first book printed at Oxford , and about which our forefathers wrangled and fell out CIO as IX if it X \ J were W V ^ JL ^ a matter X llftU I O JL of V / JL international Xi-A UV > X OUIU * V 4 A ^ a . importance a uij | -r ^^* . us ^ v *^ ^> -v ^ ,

    A is postolorum the * Exposicio , ' w ^ hich Sancti appeared Jeronimi in 1478 in Simbolum , and the second Aretini ' s edition of / Aristotle ' s t * Ethics '

    OV / VVIJLVI was VV CAO XXlvUlUl O VfVlXfAvAJL VJ- AA * . * Wvvy wav ^ r ^ - * v * * a w . sop They hy— are of eminentl the intellectual y typical ^ food —divinity of the and Middle philo-But Lt the extent or degree of v-r pecuniary -w ¦ *^^

    advantages Ages XJk fi ^> O . . jL # « - / which UJLJ . C / V > - £ the V l / UAA kJ printers v / A ^ m . v >*^^ assum - ^ v ^ ^ - abl ^ y reaped - - - » v- ^ from these ventures it is not now possible to say , for nearly thing of a commercial v ^ jLva « a > a nature a ^ - ^ w in

    relation XV / X JLJl v > CLX 1 to y every c ear » Cl ly UJJ English AU ci vfx . bookselling im x ^ / v ^ jLJUiXJi-A . is complet v «^ . * - ¦ v- ' el y obliterated established ^ Q + aWlisKfirl from itsel itsel f f all in in records Oxford Ox ford . When as as it it print did did wit with ing h once the the

    commencement of the sixteenth , century , bookimpetus selling I ^ Lf , as which a matter Acts of course of 7 Parliament ul , received an could v / enormous v not * - * w

    ste AUULJ ¦*• m ^ or \ JL & , ) Univers YVxJULVjJLL ity decrees _ tO VJL turn . c * x jlxc * xxjl aside . ^ ax - j . There aval * - ** - * -. is ^ , in the archives of the venerable city , much more historical wealth respecting the subjective iw side

    JUlOLVJllU & l WCCIilUU JLCO ^^ VitlUg , U »* v * wuwjvvv . ^«^» -w ci ( as iven vfin we to to may the th # > cal . world worl l it ) of . and an literature d when when than this this is is has DUblished yet blished been pu

    g numerous doubts will , be cleared up and many points settled .

    August I, 188& V Dke Publishers' .Circul...

    August i , 188 & v DKe Publishers' . Circular 859 ; —

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Aug. 1, 1888, page 859, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01081888/page/9/