Learned Decisions, Printer to the reader
THE PRINTER TO THE READER.
COurteous Reader, this Relation inclosed in a Letter to the D. of W. was shewed to King Iames our late Soveraigne of blessed memorie and order was given by his Majesty for the present printing thereof: it was licenced for the Presse, and entred for my Copie, Ian. 19. 1625. with an Epistle Dedicatory prefixed to his most excellent Majestie that now is, shortly after his Coronation. Since which time (the Author not urging the printing thereof) I let it lye by me, and imployed my selfe in printing divers other bookes which were then more sought after; whereby I hoped in some measure to repaire that exceeding great losse which I sustained by Fire, in the burning of M. Elton his booke on the ten Commandements, and Lords Prayer, the greatest losse (in that kinde) that ever any Stationer received: for I had taken from me almost nine hundred bookes, bound and in quires. which (with my*Albeit for my releasement I was and will acknowledge my selfe much obliged to a great and reverend Prelate in this Church. Imprisonment, and other charges) cost me above threescore and ten pounds.
And though I have since beene beholding to my good friends for some good Copies, that would have helped to make me whole againe, (if they might have passed freely without checke or rub) yet I found, to my great disadvantage, that the Informer, who so persecuted M. Elton after his death, held on his course to calumniate the writings of my friends living, and to procure them either to be altogether suppressed or to be so gelded and mangled, that the sale of them thereby was very much hindred: Neither was hee content to doe me and my friends this wrong while he hovered here about London for such preyes, but since his flight into the North, he triumphed and boasted at the table of a great personage, that he had procured Pelagius Redivivus to be called in, and utterly suppressed; and that 300. of them were taken from the Printer. But herein hee was not his crafts-master, but was Cousened himselfe: for though a great number of the Copies of that Worke were taken from me, upon his clamor, and delivered to the Bishop of London that then was, yet they were all given me backe againe: and by the stirre hee made about them, they were much more inquired after and sold the better, being called for even from the remotest parts of Scotland.
As for this Relation, I feare not his, nor any others mis information, which had (three yeeres agoe) not onelyonly the approbation of divers reverend Divines▪ but also of the most learned Prince King Iames; there being nothing contained in it, but that which tendeth to the glory of God, and the honor of that religious King; who shewed his constancie in the true Religion established, and his Zeale for it, as well against the Papists, as other Heterodox Opiners even to the death.
Robert Mylbourne.
End of the text · Daniel Featley, Learned Decisions (1629)