What assistance, if any, the printer and publisher had from others of Donne's friends and executors it is impossible now to say, though one can hardly imagine that without some assistance they could have got access to so many poems or been allowed to publish the elegies on his death, some of which refer to the publication of the poems.[10] Walton, as we have seen, wrote verses to be prefixed to the second edition. At any rate in 1637 the younger John Donne made an effort to arrest the unauthorized issue of his father's works. Dr. Grosart first printed in his edition of the poems (Fuller Worthies' Library, 1873, ii, p. lii) the following petition and response preserved in the Record Office:
To ye most Reverende Father in God
William Lorde Arch-Bisshop of
Canterburie Primate, and
Metropolitan of all Eng-
lande his Grace.
The humble petition of John Donne, Clercke.
Doth show unto your Grace that since ye death of his Father (latly Deane of Pauls) there hath bene manie scandalous Pamflets printed, and published, under his name, which were none of his, by severall Boocksellers, withoute anie leave or Autoritie; in particuler one entitoled Juvenilia, printed for Henry Seale; another by John Marriott and William Sheares, entitoled Ignatius his Conclave, as allsoe certaine Poems by ye sayde John Marriote, of which abuses thay have bene often warned by your Petr and tolde that if thay desisted not, thay should be proceeded against beefore your Grace, which thay seeme soe much to slight, that thay profess soddainly to publish new impressions, verie much to the greife of your Petr and the discredite of ye memorie of his Father.
Wherefore your Petr doth beeseece your Grace that you would bee pleased by your Commaunde, to stopp their farther proceedinge herein, and to cale the forenamed boocksellers beefore you, to giue an account, for what thay haue allreadie done; and your Petr shall pray, &c.
I require ye Partyes whom this Pet concernes, not to meddle any farther wth ye Printing or Selling of any ye pretended workes of ye late Deane of St. Paules, saue onely such as shall be licensed by publicke authority, and approued by the Peticonr, as they will answere ye contrary at theyr perill. And of this I desire Mr. Deane of ye Arches to take care.