In 1510 Notary issued an edition of the Sermones discipuli by John Herolt having on the title-page a very interesting imprint which, translated, runs as follows, “These [i.e. the Sermons] are to be sold (where they have been printed) at London in the suburb of Temple Bar near the porch of St Clements in the house of Julian Notary, printer and bookseller, carrying on business under the sign of the Three Kings. And they will also be found for sale in St Paul’s Churchyard at the same man’s little shop [cellula] from which also hangs the same sign of the Three Kings.” Apparently a sign was personal property and could be moved by the owner if he moved to another shop. If, however, he became possessed, on the death of the earlier owner, of a shop with a well-known sign, he would retain it in preference to his own. As an example of the first case we find Rastell giving the sign of the Mermaid to three successive places of business. On the other hand when Byddell succeeded De Worde, he did not transfer his own sign Our Lady of Pity, but retained De Worde’s well known sign of the Sun.
What Notary was doing between 1510 and 1515 is unknown, but during that period he issued no dated book. One thing, however, is clear. He had given up his printing-office in the Strand and had moved to a house in St Paul’s Churchyard with the sign of St Mark, and there he issued in 1515 another edition of the Chronicles of England. Though the sign is not mentioned the address is very clear. “Dwelling in Paul’s churchyard beside the west door by my lord’s palace.” In 1516 he was mentioned as living at the sign of St Mark at the west door. This sign, however, did not please him, and by 1518 he had replaced it with the old sign of the Three Kings. That these two signs succeeded each other on the same house and did not refer to two different houses is I think clear from the wording of the following two colophons. “Imprinted in London in Poules chyrche yarde at the weste Doore besyde my lorde of London’s palase. At the sygne of saynt Marke”; and “Inprinted in London ... in Paules chirche yarde at the weste dore besyde my lorde of london’s palayse, at the sign of the thre kynges.”
Among Notary’s undated books is a very curious little tract called A merry gest and a true howe Johan Splynter made his testament. The only copy known is in the library of Britwell Court. It begins on the verso of the first leaf,
This Johan Splynter as every man tell can
Was the Rentgatherer of Delft and Sceydam.
On the title is a curious woodcut which occurs also on another small tract, the Mery geste of a Sergeaunt and Frere.
The best known of Notary’s books is his edition of the Shepherdes Calendar, a curious medley of matter which was first printed in a translation at Paris by Verard in 1503. That translation was made by a Scotchman who knew very little French, so that the result is rather peculiar. The book was revised and printed by Pynson in 1508 and also later by Wynkyn de Worde. In the only known copy of Notary’s edition the colophon is mutilated and the date partly destroyed, but as it was printed in Paul’s Churchyard at the Three Kings the date may be safely fixed at about 1518.
Notary made use of two panel stamps on his bindings. One contains in the centre a Tudor rose round which run two ribbons supported by angels. On the ribbons is the motto
Hec rosa virtutis de celo missa sereno
Eternum florens regia sceptra feret.