CHARLES the Fifth, by divine favoring clemency Emperor of the Romans, ever August, and King of Germany, of the Spains, of both Sicilies, of Jerusalem, of Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia, etc. Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, etc. Count of Habsburg, Flanders, and Tyrol, etc.

We acknowledge and make known to all by the tenor of these presents: Since the nature of our office, which we discharge by the bounty of God Best and Greatest, demands this above all—that we not only protect the borders of the Empire with arms and procure peace for our subjects, but also that we instill into the minds of men with equal care industry for the management of affairs, virtue for the extirpation of vices, and wisdom for the promotion of liberal studies; and since the pious monuments of letters, preserved through so many ages, are of the greatest power toward this end, from which, as from a rich storehouse, one may draw forth most beautiful examples for the whole of life and right counsels, and exhibit them to the sight of mortals. Therefore, we judge that those who interpose their labor for the promotion of the study of good letters and for the restoration and illustration of the monuments of ancient authors, and who provide at their own expense and toil that all the best books be published in a most emended and correct state, are not only to be protected from injury, but are also to be cherished with accurate diligence.

Since, therefore, our beloved and faithful subject of the Holy Empire, Nicolaus Episcopius the younger, has undertaken to print diligently and accurately at his own expense the works of Philo, newly translated for the first time with the greatest diligence from the Greek into the Latin tongue by Sigismund Gelenius, a man equally learned in Greek and Latin; and since he has determined shortly to publish several other good authors never before made public, indeed never even seen, now emended and restored, some of which he has even seen to the transcribing of at his own expense. And since he fears lest—as is elsewhere not uncommon, especially in literary matters—others should strive to prepare their own advantage from another’s disadvantage, and thus someone, under the pretext of aiding the Republic, should rashly imitate books of this kind to the detriment of him who first printed them at the expense of his own resources, and he himself be defrauded of his labors and expenses.

We, wishing to fortify him against such frauds with our privilege, will and ordain by this public edict that no one at all, throughout the extent of the borders of the Roman Empire and our hereditary domains, shall in any way print, or import having been printed elsewhere within the borders of the Empire and our domains, or sell or distribute when brought from elsewhere, or be the author of such actions by others, either these very works or any other approved writers whatsoever, whether Greek or Latin, which the aforesaid printer either has now first brought to light, or which have been translated by others from Greek into Latin, or from Greek and Latin into any other tongue, and which he shall print with his types within ten years to be reckoned from the date of these presents, for the next five years to be continuously numbered from the first edition of the same: under penalty of our grave indignation, and a fine of ten marks of pure gold, of which one half shall go to our Treasury, the avenger of fraud, and the other half to the aforementioned Episcopius the younger, besides the loss of the books thus printed in emulation as is set forth above; which books the aforementioned printer, in whatever places he may find them, may by himself or his agents, with the assistance of the local magistrate or without it, claim for himself and reduce into his own power.

Commanding therefore all and singular printers, booksellers, and all other subjects of ours and of the Holy Empire, of whatever rank and condition they may be, that they rightly observe this our Edict and Decree, and see that it is observed by others, and that they neither do anything to the contrary nor permit it to be done; but rather that they pursue the aforementioned Nicolaus Episcopius the younger, and whosoever holds a mandate from him for the sake of attaining the effect of this our edict, with all favor and assistance. This is our serious will. In witness whereof we have ordered these presents to be fortified by the mark of our hand and the hanging of our seal. Given in our town of Brussels in Brabant, on the 6th day of the month of June, in the year of our Lord 1554; of our Empire the 33rd, and of our Kingdoms the 38th.

CHARLES

Seen by A. Perrenot

Seen by Seld.

Haller fst