Untitled - Monoskop

TWO OR MORE BOOKS; PACKAGE PRIVILEGES
The Parlement and the Prevot of Paris
In the case of the Parlement of Paris, an early example of a two-book privilege
is provided by the registers of the court, which show that on 13 July 1512
for the first edition of the Antonine
Henry Estienne obtained a privilege
Itinerary and for the Oratio de laude Ludouici regis of Christophe de Longueil or
Longolius (PA 1512, 7). Two years later, Jean de Gourmont was granted a
privilege for works of Sabellicus on the history of Venice and also for an
Elucidarius carminum poetarum (PA 1514, i). Unlike Henri Estienne, who had
not judged it necessary to print the text of his privilege in the books,
Gourmont printed an 'Extraict des registres de Parlement' in each of the two
publications, specifying 'deux petitz livres, 1'un appelle Magnus Elucidarius
carminum poetarum et 1'autre appelle parva opera Sabellici.' Some
publishers however, even when otherwise giving the full text of the 'Extraict
des registres de Parlement' in a book, included only the title of the book in
question, and omitted the other book or books covered by the same privilege.
It may have seemed to them or to their printers irrelevant and even confusing
to include them, and obviously to leave them out saved time and space. Thus
Constantin Fradin published the Arismethique of Etienne de La Roche, with
'Cum priuilegio' on the title-page and the 'Extraict des registres de Par-
lement' on the verso, and the 'Extraict' as there printed begins:
Sur la requeste ce jour d'uy baillee a la court par Constantin Fradin imprimeur et
librayre en la ville de Lyon par la quelle il requeroit luy estre permis de imprimer ou
fayre imprimer ung livre d'arismethique et geometric novellement compose par
maistre Estienne de La Roche diet Villefranche: Et defenses estre faictes a tous
Imprimeurs et librayres ne imprimer ne faire imprimer
ledit livre . . .
and records the court's grant of the privilege for 'ledit livre'. But we know,
from the original of the entry in the Parlement register, that Fradin had in fact
sought and obtained a privilege for this and another book, Le Guidon enfran$oys
by Jean Falcon (PA 1520, 2). And when we turn to Le Guidon enfrancoys, as
published by Fradin the same year as the Arismethique, we find exactly the
same privilege printed in it but without any mention of the Arismethique.
Clearly Fradin thought it a waste of time and space to mention the other book.
The more books covered by a privilege, the greater the printer's reluctance to
include all the titles when he reproduced it.
Normally the Parlement did not grant privileges to the same applicant on
the same date for more than two books. It was clearly its policy to see any book
for which a privilege was sought, before reaching a decision. This tended to
exclude privileges for a larger group of books. The applicant would presumably
have to produce the copy from which he proposed to have them
printed, and this presupposed an exceptionally well-organised programme.
Furthermore, the Parlement was reluctant to allow its privileges to be
reckoned from the date of publication.
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