Leeds.

THE STATIONERS' COMPANY AND ALMANACK.

Having recently had occasion to consult the Lansdown MSS., No. 905., a volume containing documents formerly belonging to Mr. Umfreville, I observed the following:

"Ordinances, constitutions, rules, and articles made by the Court of Star Chamber relating to Printers and Printing, Jan. 23, anno 28 Eliz."

Appended to these ordinances, &c. is a statement from which I have made the following extracts:

"Viiio Januarii, 1583.

"Bookes yeilded into the hands and disposition of the Master, Wardens, and Assistants of the Mysterie of the Stationers of London for the releife of ye poore of ye saide companie according to the discretion of the Master, Wardens, and Assistants, or the more parte of them.

"Mr. Barker, her Maties printer, hath yeilded unto the saide disposition and purpose these bookes following: viz.

"The first and second volume of Homelies.

"The whole statutes at large, wth ye pamble as they are now extant.

"The Paraphrasis of Erasmus upon ye Epistles and Gospells appoynted to be readd in Churches.

"Articles of Religion agreed upon 1562 for ye Ministers.

"The Several Injunctions and Articles to be enquired of through ye whole Realme.

"The Profitt and Benefite of the two most vendible volumes of the New Testament in English, commonlie called Mr. Cheekes' translation: that is, in the volume called Octavo, wth Annotacions as they be now: and in the volume called Decimo Sexto of the same translation wthout notes, in the Brevier English letter only.

"Provided that Mr. Barker himselfe print the sayde Testaments at the lowest value by the direction of the Master and Wardens of the Company of Stationers for the tyme being. Provided alwaye that Mr. Barker do reteyn some small number of these for diverse services in her Maties Courtes or ... [MS. illegible] and lastlye that nothing that he yeildeth unto by meanes aforesaide be preiudiciall to her Maties highe prerogative, or to any that shall succeed in the office of her Maties printer."

The other printers named are, Mr. Totell, Mr. Watkins, Mr. John Daye, Mr. Newberye, and Henrie Denham.

I wish to raise a Query upon the following:

"Mr. Watkins, now Wardein, hath yeilded to the disposcion and purpose aforesaide this that followeth: viz.

"The Broad Almanack; that is to say, the same to be printed on one syde of a sheete, to be sett on walls as usuallie it hath bene."