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Untitled - Monoskop

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CONDITIONS: INSTANCES OF PRICE-CONTROL<br />

chrestiens: comme Charlemaigne Sainct Loys / Godeffroy de Boullion / et autres<br />

princes / qu'il a faict extraire de Vincent historial et aultres croniques pour tousjours<br />

inciter les princes crestiens a vertu et chevalerie et a soy exerciter aulx armes mesmes<br />

centre les adversaires de nostre foy / en quoy faisant ledict suppliant a beaucop fraye<br />

du sien. Et doubte que quelque autre imprimeur ou libraire les vueille cy apres<br />

incontinent qu'il aura acheve les reimprimer ce qui seroit 1'empecher de retirer ses<br />

frayz et mises et le frustrer de son labeur s'il n'avoit de vous quelque deffense. Ce<br />

considerer et en ensuyvant plusieurs autres voz ordonnances en pareil cas. II vous<br />

plaise de vostre benigne grace ordonner deffence(s) estre faites a tous autres libraires:<br />

et imprimeurs de non imprimer ou faire imprimer ledict livre ainsi par ledict suppliant<br />

imprimer [sic for imprime] d'ycy a troys ans affin que ledict suppliant puisse soy<br />

remborcer de ses fraiz. Et vous ferez bien.<br />

Consentio pro rege a la permission: Et<br />

deffence a tous autres jusques a ung an.<br />

Ainsi signe Bouchier:<br />

De par le provost de Paris.<br />

Pour consideration du contenu en ceste requeste et veu le consentement du<br />

procureur du roy nostre sire ou chastelet de Paris cy dessus escript. II est permis au<br />

suppliant de imprimer ou faire imprimer le livre intitule le grant voyage de Jherusalem<br />

mencionne en ceste requeste. Et est deflendu a tous imprimeurs de ne imprimer ne<br />

faire imprimer ledit livre d'hui jusques a ung an. Sur peine de confiscation desdictz<br />

livres et d'amende arbitraire.<br />

Faict soubz nostre signet le quatriesme jour de septembre Fan mil cinque cens dixsept.<br />

Ainsi signe Corbie.<br />

(cf. plate 7 for another example.)<br />

CONDITIONS: INSTANCES OF PRICE-CONTROL<br />

Among the conditions which could be attached to the grant ofa book-privilege<br />

was the imposition of a maximum price, or the stipulation that a reasonable<br />

price should be charged.<br />

The privileges issued by the French royal chancery never during this period<br />

fixed the price of a book as did those granted, for instance, by the kings of<br />

Spain and of Portugal. 1 At most, and then just after the period, the beneficiary<br />

was said to be allowed to sell his book 'a juste prix' (CH 1528, 2).<br />

Alone among the privilege-granting authorities in France, the Parlement of<br />

Paris sometimes laid down a maximum price which the beneficiary might<br />

legally charge for the book in question. It also (particularly in 1524-6)<br />

sometimes made it a condition that the book should be sold at a reasonable<br />

price ('a prix raisonnable', e.g. PA 1524, 7). It had long concerned itself with<br />

regulating the price of essential commodities in the Paris area, and it was<br />

natural that sooner or later it should make such a stipulation. The grant of a<br />

monopoly, even for only two or three years, must not seem to encourage<br />

profiteering. The Parlement, however, made no such stipulation in its earliest<br />

1 See above, pp. 7-8.<br />

73

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