Source: Vatican Secret Archives, ARM XXXIX v. 27 F. 436
Citation:
Privilege granted to Tommaso Pighinucci for publishing “Medicina Plinii”, Rome (1509), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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Superscript = inserted by original or different author between lines
[ ] = inserted by original or different author in margin
{ } = supplied by transcribers
Bold script [or] Bold Script or scribble = written in a different hand(s)
Strike through = crossed out, but legible
[XXX] = illegible
Arm. XXXIX v 27 F 436
Handwritten Privilege Translation[1]
[1-2] Greetings to our dear son Tomaso Pighinucci from Pietrasanta, cleric in Lucca, writer of the apostolic briefs, and our familiar.
[2-6] Whereas, as you have caused to be explained to us recently, you have busied yourself concerning the Medicine of Pliny the Elder, a work never before having been printed and known to few individuals up until now, whose printing required your own financing and resources, and [whereas] you spent a not small sum of money in the printing of this sort and, on this account, you seem to be deserving of praise from all men, particularly the men of letters for whose convenience you made this work.
[6-10] And [whereas], in order that you may not by some chance be afflicted by inconvenience and losses by anyone who, because of jealousy or desire of wealth, or compelled by some other reason, should presume to immediately print the aforementioned work and sell the volumes of that work having so printed them, and [with us] wishing to provide for your heirs and associates in this regard, inclined by your supplications,
[10-17] we forbid, by our apostolic authority, by the strength of the present decrees, each and all men – sellers of books and any others, whatever may be the preeminence of their status, standing, dignity, [or] order – that they not presume, within the next ten years, where applicable, to print the aforementioned work or to have it printed, or to provide advice, aid, or support to such men, under penalty of excommunication latae sententiae. And we declare that those aforementioned violators, or individuals of their kind, will have [immediately] incurred this penalty in the aforementioned event, now as well as in the future, and that [the potential violators] are hardly able to be relieved of that penalty unless they have agreed with you and [such agreement is] concerning your consent.
[17- ] And furthermore, to every and each patriarch, archbishop, bishop, abbot, prior, archpriest, decan, and others established in ecclesiastical dignity, seated in any locality, we command, through apostolic writings, that, in the aforementioned circumstance, upon each of your requests, or upon a request arranged by you [but made by someone else] having a charge specially for this matter, they [i.e., the authorities named above] should publicly denounce, at the penalty of public excommunication, through apostolic authority, each and every printer, and men causing the aforementioned volumes to be printed or offering advice, aid, or support to such an endeavor, within the aforementioned ten years.
[23-26] and, to the extent it advances your cause or the cause of your appointee, as mentioned above, [we command the authorities mentioned above that] they proceed by means of that same authority of ours, with the invocation even of the secular branches of authority, against all the aforementioned individuals [violating this protection], with the goal of those extreme punishments [i.e., public excommunication] by means of repeated [declarations], made more and more severe.
[26-27] We wish moreover that a price ought to be paid through the master of the sacred palace because of the printing of the same books.
[27-32] Notwithstanding apostolic constitutions and ordinances, and other contrary authorities of any kind, [including the decree] of our late predecessor Pope Boniface VIII, according to which no one should be called forth to judgment outside his State or diocese, except in certain excepted cases, and in those cases not beyond one specified jurisdiction, nor [the decree, according to which] judges may not be deputized to pursue legal action or initiate litigation against another or others [outside their jurisdiction], and [notwithstanding the edict] concerning the two diets published in the general Concilium.
[32-37] Moreover if, to [illicit] printers of the aforementioned volumes (or to men having the volume printed or giving advice or aid to those who do so [illicitly]), a later Pope should grant [a protection to the effect] that [such] violators are not to be indicted, suspended, excommunicated, or called to court beyond certain jurisdictions, not even a verbatim reference to [such a protective order] will make apostolic letters [pursuant to it] full and complete.
[37-38] Granted at Rome at Saint Peter’s under the ring of the Fisherman. On the 9th day of July, 1509, in the sixth year of our papacy.
F. Castilioneus
[1] Bracketed line numbers before each paragraph refer to the line numbers in the transcription of the printed privilege.
Superscript = inserted by original or different author between lines
[ ] = inserted by original or different author in margin
{ } = supplied by transcribers
Bold script [or] Bold Script or scribble = written in a different hand(s)
Strike through = crossed out, but legible
[XXX] = illegible
Arm. XXXIX v 27 F 436
Handwritten Privilege
[436v]
- dilecto Filio Thome Pighinucchio Petrasanctensis clerico
- lucansis diocesis Brevium ap{osto}licorum scriptori et familiari nostro
- dilecte fili salutem etc. Cum sicut nobis exponi fecisti tu
- nuper C. Plinii secundi medicinam opus nunquam antea
- impressum et paucis hucusque notum propriis sumptibus
- et expensis imprimenda curaveris et in impressione huiusmodi
- non parvam pecuniae summam exposueris et propterea
- ab omnibus presertim l{ite}ratis ad quorum comodum id opus
[437r]
- Imprimi fecisti merito laudandus videaris et ne forte
- ab aliquibus qui invidia aut lucri cupiditate seu quavis
- alia causa ducti opus praefatum statim imprimere
- et illius volumina sic impressa vendere presumerent
- aliquo incommodo et iactura afficiaris p{ro}videre volentes
- tuis in hac parte supplicationibus inclinati omnibus et singulis
- librorum impressoribus ac aliis quibusvis p{er}sonis cuiusvis
- dignitatis status gradus ordinis conditionis preeminentiae
- seu prelature fuerint ne opus praefatum infra annos
- Decem proxime futuros quolibet imprimere seu imprimi
- facere aut imprimentibus et imprimi facientibus predictis
- consilium auxilium vel favorem quovis modo prestare
- p{re}sumant sub excō{mmonication}is lat{a}e sententiae poena quam illos
- et illorum singulos ex nunc prout ex tunc et econverso
- in eventum predictum incurrisse ab illaque nisi prius
- tecum concordaverint et de tuo consensu absolui
- minime posse declaramus auct{oritate} ap{ostoli}ca tenore
- praesentium inhibemus. Et nihilominus omnibus et singulis
- patriarchis Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibus Prioribus
- Archipresbyteris decanies et alliis in dignitate ecclesiastica constitutis
- p{er}sonis ubique locorum commorantibus per ap{ostoli}ca scripta
- mandamus q{ua}t{en}us in eventum praedictum ad omnem tuam
- seu procurationis tui ad id a te speciale mandatum habentis
- requisitionem omnes et singulos impressores et imprimi
- facientes volumina predicta infra dictum
- et ad haec consilium auxilium vel favorem prestantes
- eadem act{toritate} ap{ostoli}ca pro excomm{unica}tis publicae denuntient et
- declarent . ac quat{enu}s expendiat ad eandem tuam seu
- procuratoris tui praedicti instatiam contra omnes et singulos
- Prefatos ad ulteriores consueras illas iteratis vicibus
- aggravando et reaggravando cum invoc{atio}ne etiam auxilii
- brachii secularis eadem n{ost}ra auct{oritate} procedant
- volumus autem q{uo}d pretium eisdem libris vendendis per magistrum
- sacri palatii imponi debeat non obstantibus fe re Bo{nifacii}
- pape VIII predecessoris n{ost}ra qua cavetur ne quis extra
[437v]
- suam civitatem in vel diocesim nisi in certis exceptis casibus
- et in illis ultra unam dictam ad iudicium evocatur
- seu ne iudices ab eadem sede deputati contra quoscumque
- procedere aut alii vel aliis vices suas committere praesumant
- et de duabus dietis in concilio generali edita ac aliis
- apostolicis [XXXX][1] et ordinatibus ceterisque contrariis quibuscumque aut si
- Impressoribus seu imprimi facienibus volumina praedicta contra
- nostrum prohibitionem huiusmodi ac illis concilium auxhilium
- vel favorem praestantibus aut quibusvis aliis comiter
- vel divisim a dicta sit sede indultum quod interdici suspendi
- vel excommunicari aut extra vel ultra certa
hloca ad iudicium - trahi non possint per litteras apostolicas non facientes plenam et
- expressam ac de verbo ad verbum de indulto huiusmodi mentionem
- Datum Romae viiii Iuli 1509 anno Sexto
L. XXX