Untitled - Monoskop

PRIVILEGES IN LATIN; SPECIAL CASES
and the authority on which it had been issued. Badius in particular is at pains
to use terms which might have been understood by Cicero. The consent of the
Lieutenant Civil of the Prevot of Paris becomes 'suffragio literarum bonarum
doctissimi et dulcissimi praesidii' (PR 1520, 10). The Parlement of Paris
becomes the Senate ('Cauitque Senatus Parlamentaeus ne quis alius biennio
proximo imprimat', PA 1522, 2). However, in Merlin's edition of the Coun-
cils of the Church, published in 1524 by Galliot Du Pre, there is a reasonably
accurate Latin translation of the original Letters Patent (issued on 25 August
1520); of the enterinement of them by the Prevot of Paris ('in curia magnifici
domini Prefecti urbis lutetiane') on 18 September; and of the privilege
confirming it which Galliot obtained from the Parlement ('Priuilegium
prefectorum pretorio incorruptissimi Parisiorum senatus') on 7 September
1524 (CH 1520, 3(2) and PA 1524, 13). Galliot's publication of Pierre
Cottereau on the magistratures of France even translates into an attempt at
acceptable Latin prose an ordinary 'Extraict des registres de Parlement' on
the verso of the title-page ('Copia ex actuario sacri consistorii Parisiensis.
Centumuiralis senatus auctoritate pro illustri literarum amplitudine con-
cessum est Galioto a prato', PA 1525, 7). This was probably the author's idea,
as it is quite unlike Galliot's usual practice. The flattering identification of the
Parlement with the Roman Senate admittedly was timely in August 1525.
The 'threatening' style of privilege summary affected by some Italian
publishers 1
is rare in France. Jean Petit had a Latin Admonitio printed in
Quinziano Stoa's Christiana opera (CH 1514, 2) which began, 'It is decreed by
Letters of the king that no bookseller should be so insolent, and no printer so
bold, as to dare to print this book or scheme to have it printed for the coming
three years,' and continued by addressing anyone who might think of so
doing, 'Ho there, you, whoever you are. . .' etc. A similar Admonitio appears
the same year in Jean de Gourmont's edition of Quinziano Stoa's Cleopolis
(PA 1514, 8), warning of a privilege granted by the Parlement. Quinziano
had been used to publishing his works in Italy. His Orpheos, included by
Gourmont with the new work Cleopolis by Gourmont, was first printed 'cum
therefore that it was he
gratia et priuilegio' in 1510 in Milan. It seems likely
who dictated this form of words to both his Paris publishers, rather than Petit
and Gourmont each deciding in this particular case to use a formula which
neither had hitherto adopted. Jean de Gourmont did however employ a much
milder version of this warning later, when he printed at the end of Enzinas,
Exponibilia (CH 1521, 6(2)): 'Cauetur ne quis impune attentet hunc librum
imprimere, ut amplissimo patet Priuilegio a Regia maiestate nobis condonato
M.d.xxi.'
A milder form of this device occurs in 1 520, when Claude Perroneus, author
of a Compendium philosophiae naturalis, incorporated a eulogy of his publisher
1 See above, p. 5.
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