# Primary Sources on Copyright - Record Viewer
Censorship Edict of the Archbishop of Mainz, Würzburg (1485)

Source: Stadtarchiv Iphofen B 303

Citation:
Censorship Edict of the Archbishop of Mainz, Würzburg (1485), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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Chapter 1 Page 1


Rudolfus dei gratia Episcopus herbipolensis et francia orientalis Dux

[...]

subsequit et est talis: Bertholdus dei gratia Sancte Moguntine Sedis Archiepiscopus, Sacri
Romani Imperii per Germaniam Archicancellarius ac Princeps Elector[*] Etsi ad mortalium
eruditionem diuina quadam imprimendi arte ad singularum scientiarum codices habunde
facilequeperueniri possit, compertum tamen habemus, quosdam homines inanis gloriae aut
pecuniae cupiditate ductos hac arte abuti, et quod ad vite hominum institutionem datum est
ad perniciem et calumniam deduci. Vidimus enim Christi libros missarum afficia continentes
et praeterea de diuinis rebus et apicibus nostrae religionis scriptos, e latina in germanicam
linguam traductos nec sine religionis dedecore versari per manus vulgi, Quid denique de
sacrorum canonum legumque praeceptis? que etsi a jure consultis viris vtque prudentissimis
atque eloquentissimis aptissime limatissimeque scripta sint, tantam tame scientia ipsa habet
nodositatem, vt etiam eloquentissimi sapientissimique hominis extrema vix sufficiat etas.
Huius artis volumina stulti quidam temerarij atque indocti in vulgarem linguam traducere
audent, quorum traductionem multi etiam docti viri videntes confessi sunt, se propter
maximam verborum impropriationem et abusum minime intellexisse. Quid denique dicendum
de reliquarum scientiarum operibus, quibus etiam nonnumquam falsa, commiscent aut falsis
titulis inscribunt tribuuntque autoribus egregiis eorum figmenta quo magis emptore inueniant.
Dicant translatores tales, si verum colunt, bono etiam siue malo id faciant animo, an ne lingua
germanica capax sit eorum, que tum greci tum et Latini egregij scriptores de summis
speculationibus religionis christiane et rerum scientia accuratissime argutissimeque scripserunt?
Fateri oportet ydeomatis nostri inopiam minime sifficere necesse que fore, eos ex suis
ceruicibus nomina fingere incognita, aut, si veteribus quibusdam vtantur, veritatis sensum
corrumpere, quod propter magnitudinem periculi in literis sacris magis veremur. Quis enim
dabit idiotis atque indoctis hominibus et femineo sexui, in quorum manus codices
sacrorum literarum inciderint, veros axcerpere intellectus? Videatur sacri evangelij aut
epistolarum paulj taxtus, nemo sane prudens negabit, multa suppletione et subauditione
aliarum scripturarum opus esse, Occurrerunt hec, quia vulgatissima sunt. Quid putabimus de
his, que inter scriptores in ecclesia katholica sub acerrima pendent disputatione? Multa afferre
possemus de quibus tamen ad propositum paucula ostendisse suddiciat. Verum
cum inicium officine huius artis imprimendi codices in hac aurea nostra maguntia, vt vera eius
appellatione vtamur, divinitus emerserit, hodieque in ea politissima atque emendatissima
perseueret, iustissime eius Artis decusa nobis defensabitur; Nostra etiam intersit divinarum
literarum putitatem immaculatam servari, vnde prefatis erroribus et hominum impudentium aut
sceleratorum ausibus, prout possimus, autore domino, cuius res agitur, occurrere frenoque
cohibere volentes, omnibus et singulis, ecclesiasticis et secularibus personis nostrae ditionj
subiectis, aut intra eius terminus ne gotiantibus, cuiuscumque gradus, ordinis, professionis,
dignitatis, aut conditionis existant, tenore presentium districte precipiendo mandamus, ne ali
qua opera, cuiuscunque scientie, artis vel notitie, e greco, latino vel alio sermone, in vulgare
germanicum traducant, aut traducta, quouis commutationis genere vel titulo distrahant, vel
comparent, publice vel occulte, directe vel indirecte, nisi opera deinceps imprimenda ante
impressionem et impressa ante distractionem per clarissimos honorabilesque nobis dilectos
doctores et magistros vniuersitatis studii in ciuitate nostra maguntina, aut doctores et
magistros vniuersitatis studii in opido nostro Erfordiae ad hoc deputatos fuerint visa et patenti
testimonio ad imprimendum vel distrahendum admissa; Vel si in opido Frankfordie nostrae
dioecesis librj venales expositi fuerint. per honorabilem nobis deuotum dilectum loci
plebanum in theologia Magistrum ac vnum vel duos doctores et licentiatos per
Consilium dictj opidj annalj stipendio conductos, visi et approbati fuerint. Si quis vero huius
nostre peouisionis contemptor fuerit, aut contra huius modi mandatum nostrum consilium,
auxilium vel fauorem quouis modo, directe vel indirecte prestiterit, Sententiam
excommunicationis ipso facto et praeterea amissionis librorum expositorum, ac etiam centum
florenorum auri penam Camere nostrae applicandam se nouerit incurrisse, a qua sententia
nemini citra auctoritatem nostram specificam liceat absolvere. Datum apud arcem Sancti
Martini in ciuitate nostra Maguntia, sub sigillo nostro die vicesima secunda mensis Martii
Anno domini Millesimo quadringentesimo octagesimo quinto.

[...]
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*) According to Heinrich Pallmann, "Des Erzbischofs Berthold von Mainz aeltestes
Censuredikt", Archiv für Geschichte des deutschen Buchhandels, 4 (1884):
234-241, at this point in the manuscript version held in the Frankfurt archives the following
text is included: "honorabili Deuoto nobis in Christo dilecto Conrado Hensel sacre theologie
doctorj, plebano ecclesie sancti Bartholomei opidi Franckfordiensis nostre Moguntine
diocesis Salutem in domino sempiternam apraesentium executionem." The Frankfurt version
of the Edict is accompanied by a letter in German demanding the Frankfurt Council to
instruct "one or two doctors" to examine all the books offered at the Frankfurt fair.



Transcription by: Friedemann Kawohl using older transcriptions by Heinrich Pallmann and Hans Widmann

    

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