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Privilege for the States Bible, The Hague (1632)

Source: Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KW 532 A 1

Citation:
Privilege for the States Bible, The Hague (1632), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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2 translated pages

Chapter 1 Page 1


BIBLIA.
That is:
The entire Holy Scripture,
Containing all the Canonical
Books of the Old and New
TESTAMENTS.

Now for the first time,
By order of your High Mightiness: LORDS of the
STATES-GENERAL
of the United Netherlands, and according to the
Decree of the National Synod, held at
Dordrecht, in the Years 1618 and 1619.

From the Original languages
faithfully translated into our Dutch language.

With new, additional Explanations on the
unclear places, notes of the similar
Texts, and new Registers about both the
TESTAMENTS.

At LEYDEN,
Printed by Paulus Aertsz. van Ravensteyn,
For the Widow and Heirs of the late Hillebrant Jacobsz.
van Wouw, regular printer of your High Mightiness: Lords of the
STATES-GENERAL

With Privilege for 15 Years.



Chapter 1 Page 2


Privilege

The States-General of the United Netherlands have patented and consented, as they hereby patent and consent, the Widow and Heirs of the late Hillebrant Jacobsz. van Wouw: regular printer of your High Mightiness, that they for the term of fifteen consecutive Years, may print, cause to be printed, publish, cause to be published, sell or cause to be sold, exclusively the Bible which has been translated on order of the last National Synod, and by order of your High Mightiness, namely, with the Notes in the margin, as well as the shortened Notes and Parellela loca, or the similar Scripture places, and that in all such Formats and Languages as she will deem most appropriate and necessary. These fifteen years will commence after the publishing of the first Edition, and not earlier. Therefore, your High Mightiness strictly prohibit all Bookprinters, Booksellers, their Labourers, and all other residents of these United Netherlands, whatever may be their state, quality or condition, to copy themself the aforesaid Bible, the New Testament, with or without explanations, any Abstracts from it, such as Psalms, Salomine Proverbs, Gospels, or whatever else, in full or in part, in big or small sizes, to cause to be copied by Guest Printers, Servants or other persons, whoever they may be, or however qualified, as well as to import, distribute, trade, buy, sell or cause to be sold those copied outside these Unified Provinces. And also may be used in no Synods, Lectures or other meetings of Preachers or Church Councils, or on the Pulpits, any other than these newly-Translated Bibles, and printed, caused to be printed, by the aforesaid Widow and Heirs, or published under her name, which for security and to avoid all supposition will be signed with a customary sign. On penalty that someone, be they Bookprinters, Booksellers, their labourers, Printing apprentices, or any other resident of the United Netherlands, be found to violate, or have violated, this, they, or who, be they Master, Labourer, Printing apprentices, or other residents, have been of any service, assistance or contributed thereto, under whatever pretext they will have done such: and each of them, as well as all persons, with whom such copies, or imported Copies may be found, will pay a fine of the sum of two thousand pounds, of forty groats to the pound, together with the seizing of all the reprinted copies, or imported copies, whether from the Old or the New Testament, or any Abstract thereof. To be employed for one third for the benefit of the Officer, one third for the benefit of the poor, and one third for the benefit of the aforesaid Widow and Heirs. And inasmuch as concerns the Printing apprentices, Labourers, and others from whom the aforesaid fine cannot be recovered, they will, by arbitration, be sentenced to corporal punishment or, according to the facts, will be banished from the country. Done in the Hague, under our cachette, initials and the signature of our Clerk, on xj. December xvjc, thirty-two.

Was initialled,
Nicolaes vander Bouchorst, pres.

Under the authority of,
In name of the same.
Signed
Cornelis Musch.

Act of Authorization.

The States-General of the United Netherlands, greetings, all who shall see or hear this read, Inform: Thus the patent granted by us on xj.th December in the year 1632, to the Widow and Heirs of Hillebrant Iacobsz van Wouw, our regular Printer for the exclusive printing, publishing and selling of the Newly translated Bible and New Testaments, which have been translated on order of the last National Synod, by order of your High Mightiness, expressly dictates that the aforesaid Bibles and Testaments (among others for security and to avoid all supposition) will be signed with a customary Sign, and thus may be used. And that it therefore is necessary that for that Sign a trusted person was indicated by us. So it is that we, because of the good faith which we have in the person of Barent Langenes, bailiff of the Court of Audits of the Power of Governance, have authorized him, and hereby authorize him to the aforesaid signing of the aforementioned Newly translated Bible, and New Testaments, for reasons related above, with his Signature and Our Weapon. Order and command each and everyone whom it may somewhat concern, to recognize in this as authorized by us the aforesaid Barent Langenes: and as a result give complete faith to his Signature with our Weapon, put into the already mentioned New Bibles and Testaments in the manner as above: because we thus have found appropriate to avoid all supposition with regard to the Bible and Testaments. Given in the Hague, on 10th June 1637.

Was initialled,
A. Ploos van Amstel, pres.

Under the authority of,
In name of the same.
Signed
Cornelis Musch.

Strenght in Unity
Barent Langenes
1637



Translation by: Miluska Kooij

    

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