---

3 translated pages

---

Chapter 1 Page 1

DECREE
OF THE PRIVATE COUNCIL OF STATE
OF THE KING,

Who has declared invalid the opposition of the booksellers of Paris
against the privilege granted by His Majesty to the Ladies de La
Fontaine; and ordered the Syndic and his Deputies to register without
delay the privilege and permissions granted by His Majesty.

Of 14 September 1761.

Excerpt from the Registers of the Private Council of State.

      On the petition presented to the King and his Council, by the
Ladies de La Fontaine, holding that on 29 June last, His Majesty had
the benevolence to grant to them the letters of the Chancellery, which
allowed them to cause to be printed during fifteen years the Fables and
Works of the late Sir de La Fontaine, their grandfather, they have
presented these letters to the Syndic

---

Chapter 1 Page 2

2
of the Booksellers and Printers in Paris, to register them
in the records of their community ; but the Syndic informed
them that several booksellers were opposing the registration.
To lift this obstacle to the enforcement of the favour granted
to the supplicants, they find themselves in the inevitable
necessity to have recourse to His Majesty: it is certain that
no Bookseller or Printer has any current privilege to print
the works of Sir de La Fontaine; the supplicants thus could
claim the favours of the King, to obtain the permission which
has been granted to them. The supplicants are lineal descendants
of Sir de La Fontaine; hence the works naturally belong to
them by inheritance right, as there exists no title, no
privilege which deprives them of it ; as a result the
opposition of the Booksellers is untenable, thus it is just
to dismiss it. To justify the facts stated in the current
petition, the supplicants will add to it the letters of the
Chancellery, which grant them the permission concerned, and
a signed copy by the Syndic of the Booksellers, of the
opposition formed on 14 July last against the registration.
The supplicants demand on these causes, so that it may please
His Majesty, without taking into account the opposition
formed by Sirs Aumont, Babuty the son, Barbou, Guillin,
Brocas, Fournier, David, Davidts, Despilly, Humblot, Durand,
Gibert, Knapen, le Clerc the father, Nyon, Prault the oldest
son, Savoye, Duchesne, Barrois, the widows David and
Damoneville, and associated booksellers, whose opposition
will be rejected; to order to proceed with the registration
of the letters of the Chancellery of 29 June last, in the
register of the Community of Booksellers in Paris; and to
award the costs against Sir Aumont and his confederates.
Heard, in regard of the petition signed by Roussel, Lawyer
of the supplicants, and the items hereby mentioned: the
report of Sir Taboureau des Reaux, Knight, Adviser of the
King and his Councils, Master of ordinary petitions to the
public administration (Maître des Requêtes ordinaire de son
hôtel), commissioner to this deputy, who has communicated
this to the sirs Commissioners appointed for examining matters
of the Chancellery and the Book Trade; the King and his Council,
on the advice of the

---

Chapter 1 Page 3

Lord Chancellor, has declared and declares void the opposition
served on 14 July upon the Syndic and the deputies of the
Printers and Booksellers of Paris, on request of the named
Aumont, Babuty the son, Barbou, Guillin, Brocas, Fournier,
David, Davidts, Despilly, Humblot, Durand, Gibert, Knapen,
le Clerc the father, Nyon, Prault the eldest son, Savoye,
Duchesne, Barrois, the widows David and Damoneville, all
of whom are Booksellers in Paris; orders the aforementioned
Syndic and Deputies to take into account such acts, to copy
them without delay into their registers, the privileges and
permissions granted by His Majesty ; except for the parties
interested to appeal before Him, if that would happen to be
the case, the report of the aforementioned privileges and
permissions ordered on the advice of the Lord Chancellor:
And the present decree will be copied in the registers of
the Community of Printers-Booksellers in Paris, printed,
published and advertised everywhere or where necessary.
Done at the Private Council of the King, held in Paris on
the fourteenth of September seventeen hundred and
sixty-one. Collated.

                                                      Signed Cogorde.


_____________________________________________________

Published in Paris by the Royal Printing-Office, 1761.



Translation by: Freya Baetens