2of the Booksellers and Printers in Paris, to register them
in the records of their community ; but the Syndic informed
them that several booksellers were opposing the registration.
To lift this obstacle to the enforcement of the favour granted
to the supplicants, they find themselves in the inevitable
necessity to have recourse to His Majesty: it is certain that
no Bookseller or Printer has any current privilege to print
the works of Sir de La Fontaine; the supplicants thus could
claim the favours of the King, to obtain the permission which
has been granted to them. The supplicants are lineal descendants
of Sir de La Fontaine; hence the works naturally belong to
them by inheritance right, as there exists no title, no
privilege which deprives them of it ; as a result the
opposition of the Booksellers is untenable, thus it is just
to dismiss it. To justify the facts stated in the current
petition, the supplicants will add to it the letters of the
Chancellery, which grant them the permission concerned, and
a signed copy by the Syndic of the Booksellers, of the
opposition formed on 14 July last against the registration.
The supplicants demand on these causes, so that it may please
His Majesty, without taking into account the opposition
formed by Sirs Aumont, Babuty the son, Barbou, Guillin,
Brocas, Fournier, David, Davidts, Despilly, Humblot, Durand,
Gibert, Knapen, le Clerc the father, Nyon, Prault the oldest
son, Savoye, Duchesne, Barrois, the widows David and
Damoneville, and associated booksellers, whose opposition
will be rejected; to order to proceed with the registration
of the letters of the Chancellery of 29 June last, in the
register of the Community of Booksellers in Paris; and to
award the costs against Sir Aumont and his confederates.
Heard, in regard of the petition signed by Roussel, Lawyer
of the supplicants, and the items hereby mentioned: the
report of Sir Taboureau des Reaux, Knight, Adviser of the
King and his Councils, Master of ordinary petitions to the
public administration (Maître des Requêtes ordinaire de son
hôtel), commissioner to this deputy, who has communicated
this to the sirs Commissioners appointed for examining matters
of the Chancellery and the Book Trade; the King and his Council,
on the advice of the