To
the
Honourable
House
of
Commons
in
this
present
Parliament
Assembled
.
The
humble
Petition
of
the
Company
of
Stationers
of
the
City
of
London
.
Humbly
sheweth
,
THat
the
Committee
for
Printing
appointed
by
this
Honourable
House
,
was
pleased
to
direct
the
Printing
of
a
new
Impression
of
the
Bible
,
of
the
last
Translation
,
with
Notes
in
the
Margent
,
for
the
better
exposition
of
hard
places
,
and
cleerer
understanding
of
the
Scriptures
.
That
diverse
Reverend
and
Learned
Divines
of
this
Kingdome
,
were
by
Sr.
Edward
Dearing
(
then
in
the
Chaire
of
the
said
Committee
)
appointed
for
the
making
of
the
said
Notes
,
and
have
now
very
neare
perfected
the
same
for
the
Presse
;
Yet
so
it
is
,
may
it
please
this
Honourable
House
,
that
a
very
few
Persons
of
the
said
Company
,
but
Eleven
in
Number
,
(
whereas
the
Company
consisteth
of
many
hundred
Families
)
labouring
to
acquier
the
Printing
and
profit
thereof
to
themselves
,
have
privately
gained
some
promise
from
some
of
the
said
Divines
,
intending
to
exclude
all
others
of
the
Company
,
from
having
any
benefit
thereby
.
And
your
Petitioners
doe
further
shew
,
that
they
have
not
any
common
Stock
(
wherewith
to
pay
the
Subsidies
charged
upon
their
said
Company
by
Parliament
;
nor
to
provide
Armes
or
Corne
,
for
the
safety
and
provision
of
this
City
as
they
are
assessed
;
neither
to
maintaine
their
owne
Poore
,
which
are
very
many
:
and
hath
cost
them
Communibus
Annis
,
above
200lb.
per
Annum
,
neare
upon
40
Yeares
last
past
)
excepting
the
benefit
of
Printing
a
few
small
Bookes
,
which
now
also
by
means
of
irregular
Printing
,
they
are
almost
quite
deprived
of
:
And
that
all
the
Free-hold
they
have
,
belonging
to
their
Corporation
,
together
with
their
Common
Seale
,
lies
now
ingaged
for
1500lb.
which
was
borrowed
at
Interest
,
for
the
use
and
service
of
this
present
Parliament
.
And
their
poverty
is
yet
the
greater
,
in
that
they
have
not
so
much
as
a
Common
Hall
of
their
owne
to
assemble
in
;
And
that
these
Eleven
men
,
who
now
labour
to
gaine
to
themselves
the
sole
Printing
of
this
Bible
and
Notes
;
are
now
,
and
have
bin
,
(
many
of
them
)
Pattentees
,
and
Monopolizers
of
Printing
the
most
vendable
Bookes
of
worth
and
quantity
now
in
use
;
To
the
great
detriment
of
the
Kingdome
,
and
to
the
ruine
and
destruction
of
this
poore
Company
.
THESE
PREMISES
CONSIDERED
;
and
for
as
much
as
this
is
a
publick
worke
,
and
was
first
moved
from
a
Committee
of
this
Honourable
House
;
that
therefore
you
would
be
pleased
to
Order
that
it
may
be
Printed
for
the
common
benefit
of
the
whole
Company
,
which
will
much
revive
their
languishing
and
miserable
condition
;
wherein
they
(
the
aforesaid
Eleven
Parties
)
together
with
the
many
hundreds
others
of
the
said
Corporation
,
may
equally
partake
,
both
in
the
Charge
and
Profit
thereof
:
Which
will
be
a
means
,
that
the
same
will
be
Printed
with
the
greater
care
and
circumspection
.
And
your
Petitioners
shall
ever
pray
.