deserve a brief examination before we pass to the consideration of more stirring and important facts.

Here are some specimens:-In "News out of Holland, concerning Barneveldt and his fellow prisoners, their conspiracy against their native country, with the enemies thereof &c., to which is adjoyned a Discourse wherein the Duke D'Espernons' revolt and pernicious designs are truly displayed and reprehended by his friends" one of the "friends" of the Duke D'Espernons who adopts the financial signature of L. S. D. reproves him for his rebellion after the following fashion. This passage will illustrate the slavish tone adopted by Butter-the price paid probably for impunity in printing News at all:-"You are not ignorant," says this anonymous counsellor with the pecuniary initials, "that Kings are the image of the living God, that their wills and commandments are laws to be specially observed, and that no man can dispense therewith, without being guilty of High Treason both divine and human.Paris, 28 Mar. 1619."

The Weekly News of October, 1622, gives us a paragraph of less dignified character-"Letters from Bologna," says the journalist, "assure us that among other prisoners there were taken certain unruly persons who, one riotous night, spoiled the image of our Lady, and disrobed other saints; but after great search they were found, and all likely to endure severe punishment."

Spoiling images and disrobing saints seem to have been the substitutes in those days for the wringing of knockers, and stealing of door-plates of our time. Again, from the same publication:-"On a Tuesday in September, in the Piazzo of St Marke's in Venice,

there was a publication of the banishment of La Illustrissima Signora Bianca, sister to the illustrious Almeino Balli, for poysoning her husband, Illustrissimo Gironimo Seranco, and whosoever could bring in her head, should have 2000 livres: her goods were publicly sold, her Vecchia bandited, and a servant of trust proscribed."

Again-"In the open market-place of St. Marke's, one Antonio Stranariol did deadly wound in the head Giacomo Lanoradi, a musician of St. Marke's Church: for which he fled, and is not yet taken." We find also in the same paper :

A true relation of the cruel execution done in Ommelburg, a towne in the Bishopricke of Mentz, upon the persons of two ministers, or preachers of the Gospel, by the instigation of the Jesuits. 'Tis most manifestly known to all the world that hatred, ennuie, and dissension reigne mightily now-a-days: The sonne is against the father, and the sister against the brother, and in general we are so exasperated one against another, that if we could drowne one another in a spoone with water, we would not fetch a pail, as partly appeareth by this present example. Johannes Vander Veech, and Lambertus Liber, being two Protestant Preachers, and having disputed against certain priests at Krugsganck, the Jesuits caused them to be apprehended, and afterwards most cruelly to be executed within the towne of Ommelburg, the 30th of August, 1622, where the hangman with red hot pincers pulled the flesh from their bones, (so that a heart made of stone would have taken compassion on them,) and put them to death with great martyrization. But they have suffered it patiently, as a sheep that is brought to the slaughter-house. About three days after the same, one of the Jesuits who was called Pater or Father John, aged 96 yeeres, was taken about 12 o'clock from his table, and was never seen afterwards. Therefore let us pray unto God that he will not judge us according to our deserts, but grant us everlasting salvation.

THE WEEKLY NEWS, 1640.

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A later number of the Weekly News for the same year contains-" -"A continuation of the Affairs of the Low Countries and the Palatinate,"-detailing the siege of Bergen by Spinola, and his retreat;-"whereunto is added a letter from a person of speciall note, with the articles between Monsieur Tilly, General for the Emperor, and Colonel Mernin, Governor of the City of Heidelberg, about the delivery of the same;" and also "another letter from a person of credit at Paris." These letters from special correspondents became more general as the publication progressed. In later numbers we find "Briefe Abstracts of News from Divers Letters of trust," arranged in a somewhat similar manner to the foreign news in a journal of the present day.

Like a true speculator, Butter seems to have been full of hope to the last. By the latest of his weekly publications, to be found in Dr. Burney's collection, we see that, as on many previous occasions, the Paper had been stopped for a month, and then re-appeared; but, in this instance, with the following title-page and address to the reader :

The Continuation of the Forraine Occurrents for 5 weekes last past, containing many remarkable Passages of Germany, &c. Examined and licensed by a better and more impartiall hand than heretofore. London, printed January 11, 1640, for Nathaniel Butter, dwelling at St. Austin's Gate.

The Printer to the Reader :

Courteous Reader: We had thought to have given over printing our foreign avisoes, for that the licenser (out of a partiall affection) would not oftentimes let pass apparant truth, and in other things (oftentimes) so crosse, and alter, which made us almost weary of printing, but he being vanished, (and that office fallen upon another, more understanding in these Forraine

Affaires, and as you will find more candid.) We are againe (by the favour of his Majestie and the State) resolved to go on printing, if we shall finde the World to give a better acceptation of them, (than of late,) by their Weekly buying them. It is well known these Novels are well esteemed in all parts of the World, (but heere,) by the more judicious, which we can impute to no other but the discontinuance of them, and the uncertaine days of publishing them, which, if the poste fail us not, we shall keepe a constant day every weeke therein, whereby every man may constantly expect them, and so we take leave, January the 9th, 1640.

The leave thus hopefully taken for a week, seems to have extended to a much longer period; and indeed would appear to have been final. Stirring times were at hand, when the trammels of the press were to fall, because the State lost its power of coercion; and bolder and more unscrupulous journalists were to take the place of the unsuccessful Nathaniel Butter. In this address to the reader it may, however, be noticed that the licenser is named as one of the difficulties in the way, even of a Newspaper so humble in its pretensions as the Weekly News. There is not in the earlier numbers of that print any apparent evidence of such sheets of News being published under any such authority. On the contrary, an examination of what remains to us of the journals issued by Butter and his colleagues, during the eighteen years between 1622 and 1640, the changes of name in the imprint, and of place of publication, and the absence of any licenser's mark,-fully justify the belief already expressed, that these earliest Newspapers were issued without the cognizance of the law. Thus, in February 1625, we find the News marked-"London, Printed by B. A.

QUARRELS OF THE CENSORS.

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for Mercurius Britannicus;" subsequently the B. A. is dropped, and the title stands Mercurius Britannicus only, though the same type has evidently been used, and the publication is avowedly a continuation of previous sheets. Why this concealment, and these constant variations, if the Weekly News was an authorized print?

Whilst the only Newspapers of this early period were dragging their slow and unprofitable way, telling foreign intelligence only because home News were dangerous to touch, the question of the liberty of the press was working its way in other channels. Those who had the authority to license books clashed at times in their opinions of what was proper to be published. Thus, in the proceedings in Parliament against Richard Montague, "for publishing a factious and seditious book," it appeared in evidence that the licensers differed as to whether the work should appear or not. The Archbishop of Canterbury disallowed the book, and endeavoured to suppress it; but the other bishops attested their approbation of it, and hastened the edition. Again, when the obsequious churchman, Dr. Sibthorp, printed a sermon in which he advised the people to submit to the illegal taxes of Charles the First, the Bishop of London licensed the pamphlet; but the Archbishop of Canterbury refusing his sanction to the work, he fell under the King's displeasure, and his

*May 5. Nunber 20, "The continuation of our Weekly News, from the 27th of April unto the 5th of May," &c. "London, Printed for Mercurius Britannicus, 1625." This title Mercurius Britannicus was often used afterwards as we shall see.

+Howell's State ials, Vol. II., p. 1259.