The Troubles of Authorship

Theft of Manuscripts

As touching this short gloss or annotation on the foolish Terrors of the Night, you partly are acquainted from whose motive imposition it first proceeded, as also what strange sudden cause necessarily produced that motion. A long time since hath it lain suppressed by me, until the urgent importunity of a kind friend of mine (to whom I was sundry ways beholding) wrested a copy from me. That copy progressed from one scrivener's shop to another, and at length grew so common that it was ready to be hung out for one of their signs, like a pair of indentures. Whereupon I thought it as good for me to reap the fruit of my own labours, as to let some unskilful pen-man or noverint-maker starch his ruff and newspade his beard with the benefit he made of them.

THOMAS NASHE, The Terrors of the Night 1594

Decipherers and Informers

If but carelessly betwixt sleeping and waking I write I know not what against plebeian publicans and sinners (no better than the sworn brothers of candlestick-turners and

tinkers) and leave some terms in suspense that my post-haste want of argent will not give me elbow-room enough to explain or examine as I would, out steps me an infant squib of the Inns of Court, that hath not half greased his dining-cap or scarce warmed his lawyer's cushion, and he, to approve himself an extravagant statesman, catcheth hold of a rush, and absolutely concludeth it is meant of the Emperor of Russia, and that it will utterly mar the traffic into that country if all the pamphlets be not called in and suppressed, wherein that libelling word is mentioned....

O, for a legion of mice-eyed decipherers and calculators upon characters, now to augurate what I mean by this,...men that have no means to purchase credit with their prince, but by putting him still in fear and beating into his opinion that they are the only preservers of his life, in sitting up night and day in sifting out treasons, when they are the most traitors themselves to his life, health and quiet, in continual commacerating

him with dread and terror, when, but to get a pension or bring him in their debt, next to God, for upholding his vital breath, it is neither so, nor so, but some fool, some drunken man, some madman in an intoxicate humour hath uttered he knew not what, and they, being starved for intelligence or want of employment, take hold of it with tooth and nail, and in spite of the waiters, will violently break into the king's chamber, and awake him at midnight to reveal it....

I am not against it, (for God forbid I should), that it behoves all loyal true subjects to be vigilant and jealous for their prince's safety, and, certain, too jealous and vigilant of it they cannot be, if they be good princes that reign over them, nor use too many means of disquisition by tortures or otherwise to discover treasons pretended against them. But upon the least wagging of a straw to put them in fear where no fear is, and to make a hurly-burly in the realm upon had-I-wist, not so much for any zeal or love to their princes or tender care of their preservation, as to pick thanks and curry a little favour, that thereby they may lay the foundation to build a suit on, or cross some great enemy they have, I maintain it is most lewd and detestable. I accuse none, but such there have been belonging to princes in former ages, if there be not at this hour. THOMAS NASHE, Lenten Stuffe 1599

Prison

About the time of the last convocation, I composed a little poem, well known throughout this kingdom; wherein, having to conscionable purposes expressed such resolutions as every reasonable man should endeavour to entertain, and having, as opportunity was offered, glanced also in general terms at the reproof of a few things of such nature as I feared might disparage or prejudice the commonwealth, some particulars, not then in season to be meddled withal, were at unawares so nearly touched upon, that I unhappily fell into the displeasure of the State: and all my apparent good intentions were so mistaken by the aggravations of some ill-affected towards my endeavours, that I was shut up from the society of mankind, and, as one unworthy the compassion vouchsafed to thieves and murderers, was neither permitted the use of my pen, the access or sight of acquaintance, the allowance usually afforded

other close prisoners, nor means to send for necessaries befitting my present condition. By which means I was for many days compelled to feed on nothing but the coarsest bread, and sometimes locked up four and twenty hours together, without so much as a drop of water to cool my tongue. And being at the same time in one of the greatest extremities of sickness that was ever inflicted upon my body, the help both of physician and apothecary was uncivilly denied me. So that if God had not by resolutions of the mind, which he infused into me, extraordinarily enabled me to wrestle with those and such other afflictions as I was then exercised withal, I had been dangerously and everlastingly overcome.

GEORGE WITHER, The Schollers Purgatory, c. 1625

Fashions in books

I was driven into a quandary, gentlemen, whether I might send this my pamphlet to the printer or to the pedlar. I thought it too bad for the press, and too good for the pack. But seeing my folly in writing to be as great as others', I was willing my fortune should be as ill as any man's. We commonly see the book that at Christmas lieth bound on the stationer's stall, at Easter to be broken in the haberdasher's shop, which sith it is the order of proceeding, I am content this winter to have my doings read for a toy, that in summer they may be ready for trash. It is not strange whenas the greatest wonder lasteth but nine days, that a new work should not endure but three months. Gentlemen use books as gentlewomen handle their flowers, who in the morning stick them in their heads, and at night straw them at their heels. Cherries be fulsome when they be through ripe, because they be plenty, and books be stale when they be printed, in that they be common. In my mind printers and tailors are bound chiefly to pray for gentlemen: the one hath so many fantasies to print, the other such divers fashions to make, that the pressing iron of the one is never out of the fire, nor the printing press of the other at any time lieth still. But a fashion is but a day's wearing and a book but an hour's reading: which seeing it is so, I am of a shoemaker's mind who careth not so the shoe hold the plucking on, nor I, so my labours last the running over. He that cometh in print because he would be known, is like

the fool that cometh into the market because he would be seen. I am not he that seeketh praise for his labour, but pardon for his offence, neither do I set this forth for any devotion in print, but for duty which I owe to my patron. If one write never so well, he cannot please all, and write he never so ill, he shall please some. Fine heads will pick a quarrel with me if all be not curious, and flatterers a thank if any thing be current. But this is my mind: let him that findeth fault amend it, and him that liketh it use it. Envy braggeth, but draweth no blood: the malicious have more mind to quip, than might to cut. I submit myself to the judgment of the wise, and I little esteem the censure of fools. The one will be satisfied with reason: the other are to be answered with silence. I know gentlemen will find no fault without cause, and bear with those that deserve blame, as for others I care not for their jests, for I never meant to make them my judges.

JOHN LYLY, Euphues, The Anatomy of Wyt 1578 (preface)

Stationers, good and bad

An honest stationer is he, that exerciseth his mystery (whether it be in printing, binding or selling of books) with more respect to the glory of God and the public advantage, than to his own commodity; and is both an ornament and a profitable member in a civil commonwealth. He is the caterer that gathers together provision to satisfy the curious appetite of the soul and is careful, to his power, that whatsoever he provides shall be such as may not poison or distemper the understanding. And seeing the state entrusteth him with the disposing of those books, which may both profit and hurt as they are applied, like a discreet apothecary in selling poisonous drugs, he observes by whom, and to what purpose, such books are likely to be bought up, before he will deliver them out of his hands. If he be a printer, he makes conscience to exemplify his copy fairly and truly. If he be a book-binder, he is careful his work may be strong and serviceable. If he be a seller of books, he is no mere bookseller, that is one who selleth merely ink and paper bundled up together for his own advantage only, but he is the chapman of arts, of wisdom and of much experience for a little money. He would not publish a book tending to schism or profaneness, for the greatest gain; and if you see

in his shop any books vain or impertinent, it is not so much to be imputed his fault, as to the vanity of the times. For when books come forth allowed by authority, he holds it his duty rather to sell them than to censure them. Yet he meddles, as little as he can, with such as he is truly persuaded are pernicious or altogether unprofitable. The reputation of scholars is as dear unto him as his own, for he acknowledgeth that from them his mystery hath both beginning and means of continuance. He heartily loves and seeks the prosperity of his own corporation, yet he would not injure the universities to advantage it, nor be so saucy as to make comparisons between them. He loves a good author as his brother, and will be ready to yield him the due portion of his labours without wrangling. When he comes to be master or warden of his company, he labours truly to rectify what is amiss, but finds so many perversions, and so few of his good mind, that his year is out before he can bring any remedy to pass....

A mere stationer is he that imagines he was born altogether for himself, and exerciseth his mystery without any respect either to the glory of God or the public advantage. For which cause he is one of the most pernicious superfluities in a Christian government, and may well be termed the Devil's seedsman, seeing he is the aptest instrument to sow schisms, heresies, scandals and seditions through the world. What book soever he may have hope to gain by, he will divulge, though it contain matter against his prince, against the state, or blasphemy against God. And all his excuse will be that he knew not it comprehended any such matter. For (give him his right) he scarcely reads over one page of a book in seven year, except it be some such history as the Wise men of Gotham, and that he doth furnish himself with some foolish conceits to be thought facetious....He will fawn upon authors at his first acquaintance, and ring them to his hive by the promising sounds of some good advertisement; but as soon as they have prepared the honey to his hand, he drives the bees to seek another stall. If he be a printer, so his work have such appearance of being well done that he may receive his hire, he cares not how unworkmanlike it be performed, nor how many faults he let go to the author's discredit and the reader's trouble. If his employment be in binding books, so they will hold together