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Imperial privilege for Aloysius Blumauer's Travesty of Virgil's 'Aeneid', Vienna (1785)
Source: Private collection
Citation:
Imperial privilege for Aloysius Blumauer's Travesty of Virgil's 'Aeneid', Vienna (1785), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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7 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
Virgil’s Aeneid
travestied
by
Blumauer
[Title-page illustration]
Second Volume
_________________________
Vienna, published by Rudolph Grässer. 1785.
Chapter 1 Page 2
Privilege.
We, Joseph II, by the Grace of
God elected Holy Roman Emperor,
at all times Augmenter of the Empire,
King of Germany, titular King of Jerusalem,
King of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia,
Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, and
Lodomeria, Archduke of Austria,
Duke of Burgundy, and Lorraine,
Grand Duke of Toscana, Grand
Prince of Transylvania, Duke of
Milan, Mantua, Parma etc.
Princely Count of Habsburg,
of Flanders, of the Tyrol, etc. etc. etc.
Publicly acknowledge through this letter
and make known to all that
Chapter 1 Page 3
Our – as well as the Empire’s – beloved
and faithful subject, Aloysius Blumauer, has
most humbly informed us why
he has undertaken an edition of his travesty of
Virgil’s Aeneid which involves great expenses,
and why in this respect he has reason to fear
a detrimental reprint by profit-greedy people;
to prevent which, he most
humbly requests Us that We might
most graciously deign to
come to his aid with Our
Imperial printing privilege
in this case.
Now that We have generously considered
the suppliant’s most humble and seemly
request, We have decided to do him,
his heirs, and descendants, the
favour, as well as to concede the privilege,
– which We herewith consciously effect,
Chapter 1 Page 4
by means of this letter and in the following
manner – namely, that the said Blumauer,
his heirs, and descendants, may arrange
to have the aforementioned work, that is, his
travesty of Virgil’s Aeneid, put in print,
published, and re-published every so often,
and may offer it for sale and sell it;
and, moreover, that for ten years
from the date of this letter no-one
is to be allowed to reprint and sell
this work in the Holy Roman Empire
without their consent, knowledge,
or wish – irrespective of whether
such a reprint were to have the same title
or a different one; were to be done fully
or in extracts; and whether the text were to
be enlarged or abridged. And to this
effect, We hereby earnestly bid every one
of Our and the Empire’s loyal subjects –
Chapter 1 Page 5
in particular, however, all book printers,
booksellers, and bookshop owners –
under pain of a fine of five marks
of full-weight gold – which anyone,
every time that he were to
wilfully contravene this [privilege],
would be obliged to pay immediately:
half of the sum to Our Imperial
Treasury, the other half to the said Blumauer,
or his heirs, and descendants –
and wish that you [Our subjects],
or anyone acting on your behalf,
do not reprint, take excerpts from,
offer or carry round for sale the
aforementioned work within the
ten years that have been stipulated
as per above; and, moreover, that
you do not allow others to do this –
in any way or by any means – always on pain
Chapter 1 Page 6
of incurring Our Imperial displeasure,
as well as the abovementioned fine
of five marks of full-weight gold, and also
the forfeiture of all your copies [reprints],
which the oft-cited Blumauer, or
his heirs, and descendants, or their
attorneys, may (with the help and
agency of the authorities of any
place where they happen to find you,
or anybody else, holding such copies)
immediately, in their own capacity
and without anyone having the right to
prevent them, take possession of
these copies and do as they wish
with them. He, that is, Blumauer, on the
other hand, is obliged – on pain of forfeiture
of this Imperial privilege – to deliver the
usual five copies of the whole work to Our
Imperial Court Council, and
Chapter 1 Page 7
to print the text of this privilege at the
beginning of his work, so that it will serve as
a warning to others. In proof of which, this letter
is sealed and stamped with Our Imperial
privy signet that was applied to it
in Milan, on the 28th of February,
in the year 1784 – in the twentieth
year of Our Reign in the Roman Empire,
and in the fourth year of Our Reign in the
Crown Lands of Hungary and Bohemia.
Joseph.
[place of the seal]
As seen by Colloredo, Prince of the Empire
At the personal behest of His
Holy Imperial Majesty.
Ig. v. Hofmann.
Translation by: Luis Sundkvist
Source: Private collection
Citation:
Imperial privilege for Aloysius Blumauer's Travesty of Virgil's 'Aeneid', Vienna (1785), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | No Commentaries
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
7 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
travestied
by
Blumauer
[Title-page illustration]
Second Volume
_________________________
Vienna, published by Rudolph Grässer. 1785.
Chapter 1 Page 2
We, Joseph II, by the Grace of
God elected Holy Roman Emperor,
at all times Augmenter of the Empire,
King of Germany, titular King of Jerusalem,
King of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia,
Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, and
Lodomeria, Archduke of Austria,
Duke of Burgundy, and Lorraine,
Grand Duke of Toscana, Grand
Prince of Transylvania, Duke of
Milan, Mantua, Parma etc.
Princely Count of Habsburg,
of Flanders, of the Tyrol, etc. etc. etc.
Publicly acknowledge through this letter
and make known to all that
Chapter 1 Page 3
Our – as well as the Empire’s – beloved
and faithful subject, Aloysius Blumauer, has
most humbly informed us why
he has undertaken an edition of his travesty of
Virgil’s Aeneid which involves great expenses,
and why in this respect he has reason to fear
a detrimental reprint by profit-greedy people;
to prevent which, he most
humbly requests Us that We might
most graciously deign to
come to his aid with Our
Imperial printing privilege
in this case.
Now that We have generously considered
the suppliant’s most humble and seemly
request, We have decided to do him,
his heirs, and descendants, the
favour, as well as to concede the privilege,
– which We herewith consciously effect,
Chapter 1 Page 4
by means of this letter and in the following
manner – namely, that the said Blumauer,
his heirs, and descendants, may arrange
to have the aforementioned work, that is, his
travesty of Virgil’s Aeneid, put in print,
published, and re-published every so often,
and may offer it for sale and sell it;
and, moreover, that for ten years
from the date of this letter no-one
is to be allowed to reprint and sell
this work in the Holy Roman Empire
without their consent, knowledge,
or wish – irrespective of whether
such a reprint were to have the same title
or a different one; were to be done fully
or in extracts; and whether the text were to
be enlarged or abridged. And to this
effect, We hereby earnestly bid every one
of Our and the Empire’s loyal subjects –
Chapter 1 Page 5
in particular, however, all book printers,
booksellers, and bookshop owners –
under pain of a fine of five marks
of full-weight gold – which anyone,
every time that he were to
wilfully contravene this [privilege],
would be obliged to pay immediately:
half of the sum to Our Imperial
Treasury, the other half to the said Blumauer,
or his heirs, and descendants –
and wish that you [Our subjects],
or anyone acting on your behalf,
do not reprint, take excerpts from,
offer or carry round for sale the
aforementioned work within the
ten years that have been stipulated
as per above; and, moreover, that
you do not allow others to do this –
in any way or by any means – always on pain
Chapter 1 Page 6
of incurring Our Imperial displeasure,
as well as the abovementioned fine
of five marks of full-weight gold, and also
the forfeiture of all your copies [reprints],
which the oft-cited Blumauer, or
his heirs, and descendants, or their
attorneys, may (with the help and
agency of the authorities of any
place where they happen to find you,
or anybody else, holding such copies)
immediately, in their own capacity
and without anyone having the right to
prevent them, take possession of
these copies and do as they wish
with them. He, that is, Blumauer, on the
other hand, is obliged – on pain of forfeiture
of this Imperial privilege – to deliver the
usual five copies of the whole work to Our
Imperial Court Council, and
Chapter 1 Page 7
to print the text of this privilege at the
beginning of his work, so that it will serve as
a warning to others. In proof of which, this letter
is sealed and stamped with Our Imperial
privy signet that was applied to it
in Milan, on the 28th of February,
in the year 1784 – in the twentieth
year of Our Reign in the Roman Empire,
and in the fourth year of Our Reign in the
Crown Lands of Hungary and Bohemia.
Joseph.
[place of the seal]
As seen by Colloredo, Prince of the Empire
At the personal behest of His
Holy Imperial Majesty.
Ig. v. Hofmann.
Translation by: Luis Sundkvist