Somerset.
The duke himself lent the university the sum of £200 towards the cost of the scheme[75] and the Senate quickly acted on his letter, for on 10 July a grace was passed authorising Bentley to act on behalf of the university and the power of attorney, referred to by Monk, gave him
potestatem generalem et mandatum speciale omnimoda literarum et characterum genera ab exteris gentibus comparandi et omnia ad idem negotium spectantia et pertinentia pro arbitratu suo perquirendi et sumptibus Academiae in nostrum usum coemendi.
"The commission," says Monk, "was executed with promptitude and judgment: he procured to be cast in Holland those beautiful types which appear in Talbot's Horace, Kuster's Suidas, Taylor's Demosthenes, &c."[76]
The next step was a grace of the Senate for the appointment of the first Press Syndicate:
Placeat vobis, ut Dnus Procancellarius, Singuli Collegiorum Praefecti, Dni Professores, Mr Laughton Coll. Trin. Academiae Architypographus, Dr Perkins Regin. Mr Talbot and Mr Lightfoot Trin. Mr Nurse Joh. Mr Beaumont Petr. Mr Moss CCC. Mr Banks Aul. Pemb. Mr Leng Aul. Cath. Mr Pierce Em̄an. Mr Wollaston Sidn. Mr Gael Regal. aut eorum quinque ad minus, quorum semper unus sit Dnus Procancellarius, sint Curatores Praeli vestri Typographici
lect. & concess. 21 Jan. 169⅞.
Though Hayes retained his position as printer, the active part in the renovation of the Press was taken by Crownfield in his capacity as Inspector. Crownfield is described by Ames as "a Dutchman, who had been a soldier, and a very ingenious man"; and the earliest orders of the newly-appointed Curators seem to have been carried out by him.
A new printing-house, facing Queens' Lane, was built to the north of that established by John Field; and for some years it appears that both may have been in use[77]. But in 1716 a grace was passed allotting the new printing-house (as being Academiae alioquin infructuosum) to the use of the Professors of Chemistry and Anatomy for lectures and experiments, and the printing was carried on at the older press at the corner of Queens' Lane and Silver Street.