"Edw. Coke."[9]
On July 13th, 1600, Wolfe the stationer was examined before Attorney General Coke respecting the printing of the book in question. The examination is as follows:—
"The examynacion of John Wolfe, Stacionour, taken before me, Edward Coke, Esquire, Her Majestie's Attorney Generall, this 13 of July, 1600.
"He sayth that Docter Hayward beinge a meere strainger to this examynant, cam to hym and requested hym to printe the booke intytuled "Henry the Fourth," which he did in Februarye, 1599. The booke havinge no epistell dedicatorye nor to the reader, when he brought yt firste unto hym, which this examynat desiringe to have, he this examynate requested hym to dedicatt the booke to some man of honour and reputacion; and uppon some conference hadd between them, this examynat praid hym yt might be dedicated to the Earle of Essex, for that he was a marciall man and was for to goe into Ireland, and the booke treated of Irishe causes. And this examynat sayth that within a day or twoe after, Docter Hayward delivered to this examynate the Epistelles to the Earle and to the reader; and the booke beinge fynished, Docter Hayward then beinge sicke, this examynate carryed the booke to the Earle of Essex, then preparinge to goe into Ireland: which the Earle receved, and givinge noe aunsweire, carryed the booke with hym into his chamber, which he taketh to be at Whytehall; and abought a fortnight or three weekes after, the wardens of the company receved order from my Lord of Caunterbury that the Epistell dedicated to the Earle should be cutt out.
"And further sayth that fyve or sixe hundred of them weire sould before any suche comaundment was gyven; for he sayth that never any booke was better sould or more desired that ever he printed then this book was; and sayth that out of the residew, (beinge five or six hundred) this examynat cut out the said Epistell and sould them also within verry short tyme after. And abought Easter tearme followinge, the people callinge exsedinglie for yt, this examynate obtayned a new edition of the said Docter Hayward wherein many thinges weire altered from the former, and yet the vollume incresed.
"And sayth further that Docter Hayward understandinge that many hade spoken agaynst this former edition hadd made an epistell apologeticall to sett to the second edition, as this examynate thinketh; and 15 hundred of these bookes beinge allmost fynished in the Whisson hollidayes, 1599, weire taken by the wardens of the Stacionours and delivered to the Lord Busshopp of London. And this examynate sayth that he dothe not remember the particuler allteracions which weire in the latter edition from the former, nor hathe not any of the said bookes, nor never finished nor sould any of the said bookes, nor cannot come by any of them. And this examynate sayth that the said appologie, as he thincketh, did tend to no other end then to satisfie the people of the author's meaninge in wrytinge the booke, and that the author said he ment not as some interprit yt. And this examynate sayth that the said Mr. Docter Hayward when he was tould by this examynate that some did fynde faulte with the former edition, he desired this examynate to intreat them that he might speak with them to knowe what they did mislike, to the intent that he might express his meaninge therein. And this examynate sayth that the people havinge dyvers tymes sythence called uppon hym for to procure the continewation of the same history by the same author, he hathe likewise intreated the same author to goe forward in wrytinge the said history, which he thincketh he hath don some parte of.
"This examynate sayth further that after the deliverye of the book to the Earle as aforesaid, he went three or four tymes within one fortnight after, by the Docter's consent, to the Earle, being at courte at Richmont, to lerne what the Earle would say to yt, but allwayes this examynat was putt of by some of the Earle's men with aunsweire the Earle was much busied aboute his voyage to Ireland. And so this examynate never spake with the Earle after the first deliverye of the bookes, and further sayth that all of the laste eddition weire burnt in my Lord of London's house; and sayth that the coppie nowe delivered uppon his examynacion is a trew coppie of the epistell appolegetticall, the orygenall whereof this examynat delivered to my Lord of London under Docter Haywarde's owne hand. And sayth that the orygenall of the first edition beinge interlyned and altered accordinge to the second edition, for so much as was don this examynate delivered to Mr. Barker, Register of the Highe Commyssion. And sayth that sithence the last edition was supprest, a great number have beene with this examynate to have bought the same. And sayth that he hadd no recompence or composition at alle for the printinge of the said first and last edition, but of his owne free will he gave some halfe dosen of the said bookes, whereof one was to the Earle and the other to the author. And this examynate sayth further that he was commytted fourteen dayes for the printinge of the last edition, and lost all the books of that edition.
"Examinatur per
"Edw. Coke.