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for searching only. GRAMMAR SCHOOL TEXTS IN SHAKSPERE'S TIME 495 young printer named Henry Bynneman conceived the idea of getting a patent on school books a Bynneman had been the apprentice of
Richard Harrison, who had for a time been associated with Reginald Wolfe, the patentee for the authorized grammar.' "At the death of Reginald Wolfe, in 1573, Henry Bynneman secured a large part of the stock of letters and devices in his office and struck out a new line for himself."' It is thus not difficult to guess where Bynneman got his idea of a patent on schoolbooks.
On August 9, 1569, Matthew Parker wrote a letter to Lord Burgh-ley on behalf of Bynneman.
Sir, I am styl sued onto bi the prynter bineman, to entreate yor honor to optayne for hym a privilege for prynting two or iii vsual bokes for grammarians, as Therence, Virgile or Tullye's office, etc. he feareth that he shat susteyne great loss of hys prynted bakes of the Lotarye. I thinke he shulde do this thing aptly inough, and better cheape then they may be bought fro beyond the seas, standyng the paper and goodnes of his prynt, and it wer not amys to set our own contrymen on werke, as they wold be diligent, and take good correctors. He hath brought me a litle pece of his workman-ship in a tryall, wail he desiereth to be sent to yor honor, to see the forme & order of his prynt."
Archbishop Parker implies, it will be noticed, that before this time such works were regularly imported, since they could be procured more cheaply abroad; but he thinks that if the quality and local economy be considered, Bynneman could compete with the continent. Whether Bynneman procured his patent on schoolbooks we do not know directly, but in this year 1569-70 he entered two of those mentioned by Parker. If he had procured a patent, he would not have needed to make such entries. In a separate entry, Bynneman first entered Virgil in Latin.7 Then shortly before July, 1570, he entered Terence and several other grammar school authors. His list contains, "Co/opium Erasmi in latine . . . Terence in latine . . . Cato in latine ... sententia puerile: in laten ... Confahulationes Hesse La ten."' Bynneman also includes "margrata theologica in latin," preceding the Sententiae Puerile.r, probably indicating to us that this godly collec-
+ Nicholas Udall appears once to have had his eyes on the printing of books to be used in grammar schools (Calendar of the Patent Rolls, Edward VI, Vol. III, p. 3 x 5).
4 McKerrow, R. B., "Henry Bynneman, Printer, 1566-83," The Library, Series Two, Vol. IX, p. 226.
' McKerrow, R. B., .4 Dictionary of Printers and Booksellers, p. 6o. But Bynneman had already struck out before the death of Wolfe.
B McKerrow, "Bynneman," Library, set. 2, Vol. IX, p. 233.
Arber, Transcript, Vol. I, p. 407. Arber, Transcript, Vol. I, p. 418.
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