Volume 1

The censorship of the church of Rome and its influence upon the production and distribution of literature : a study of the history of the prohibitory and expurgatory indexes, together with some consideration of the effects of Protestant censorship and of censorship by the state / by George Haven Putnam.

  • Putnam, George Haven, 1844-1930.
Date:
1906-1907
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The censorship of the church of Rome and its influence upon the production and distribution of literature : a study of the history of the prohibitory and expurgatory indexes, together with some consideration of the effects of Protestant censorship and of censorship by the state / by George Haven Putnam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    116/420 (page 82)
    poetry as taught in the universities. In the third part of the Constitution, attention is given to the principles under which must be carried on the education of the young. It is essential that a careful selection be made for their use from classical writings so that only those books shall be brought to their knowledge which are free from immorality. 1515. Albert, Archbishop of Mayence, appoints Paul, Bishop of Ascalon, to be “ Commissary ’ ’ for the examination and censorship of books submitted for printing privileges. Bishop Paul and Canon Trutfetter were further instructed to act at Erfurt as inquisitors of heresy, and were authorised to prohibit the sale of bad and suspicious books.1 1515. Leo X, in a Lateran council of May 3d, issues the Bull Inter Solicitudines, which concerns itself in like manner with the service and the perils of the printing art. In this Bull, it is ordered that no work should be put into print until its text had been exam¬ ined and approved by the authorities of the Church, in Rome by the papal Vicar or the Magister Sacri Palatii, elsewhere by the bishop or the inquisitor-general or by examiners authorised by them. The privilege to print must, however, bear the original signature of one of the higher officials. This signature must, under penalty of excommunication, be given without delay, and without consideration for a work not pre¬ senting ground for disapproval. (The Pope knew his officials and evidently realised what would be the risk and the tendency of the working of such a system.) Whoever may attempt to evade the regulation and may print books without a privilege shall forfeit for burning the books so printed, and shall pay 100 ducats 1 Gudenus, iv, 589.