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CLEMENT VII
                        To all and sundry who shall examine the present letters our greeting and
                        Apostolic blessing. Since our beloved son SIGISMONDO FANTI of
                        Ferrara, wishing in some way to publish the works of his intellect, has
                        humbly arranged to petition that we might restrain everyone so that
                        no one should be able to print the said works without his permission
                        during a DECADE; and since we consider it just that there should be
                        ownership and control over what belongs to one: lest anyone should
                        carry over to his own advantage the fruit of another's labour, of one
who is thus inclined to petitions; We admonish all and sundry of those who are truly our subjects,
on pain of excommunication everywhere, as well as a fine of five hundred ducats to be paid
to the said Sigismondo or to whomever he himself may appoint, each time that the offence
takes place, that for the next ten years, reckoning from the present date, nobody else may,
without a concession from Sigismondo himself, dare or presume to print the said works of
his, or sell them or offer them for sale if they have been printed elsewhere; Ordering all the
local ordinaries and their vicars in spiritual matters: that they are to observe and execute
these present letters of ours, and ensure that the latter are fully executed and observed by
others. We will and decree that copies of these [presents] which shall have been signed
by the hand of a public notary and furnished with the seal of a person who occupies an
ecclesiastical dignity shall be held good in all respects both inside and outside the courts
of law. Dated in Rome at St Peter's, under the seal of the Fisherman's Ring.
3rd day of      July      1525            the third year of our Pontificate.
                                                                        Be. Cl. Ravenn.

With favour and privilege
19th day of November, 1526. It has been decided in the Senate that no printer or
engraver may during ten years bring out these books without the author's consent,
whereby we impose on all who should happen to violate this the penalty of forfeiting
all the books forthwith and one piece of gold in proportion to the work, and we
enjoin all the magistrates and officials before whom a denunciation may happen to
be made that they immediately undertake the execution of this penalty without the
need for a plaint to be submitted.

[...]

    

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CLEMENS PP. VII
                        Universis & singulis presentes litteras inspecturis Salutem & Aposto=
                        licam Benedicitonem. Cum dilectus filius SIGISMUNDUS FANTUS Fer-
                        rariensis. Quodam sua ingenii opera edere cupiens. Nobis humiliter
                        supplicari fecerit ut omnibus inhiberemus nequis sine eius p[er]missu dicta
                        opera ad DECENIUM imprimere possit: Nos aequum censentes quem=
                        quam sue rei dominium & arbitrum esse. Ne alius alieni fructum laboris
                        ad commodum suum transferat huiusmodi supplicationibus inclinati.
Inhibemus omnibus & singulis sub excommunicationis late sententie: Subditis vero no=
stris etiam Quingentorum Ducatorum Aurei dicto Sigismundo vel cui ipse mandaverit to=
tiens quotiens fuerit contraventum poenis: ne per decenium proximum a data presen=
tium computandum ullus allius sine ipsius Sigismondi concessione dicta sua opera impri=
mere aut alibi impressa vendere seu venalia habere audeat seu presumat. Mandantes
omnibus locorum ordinariis, eorumque in spiritualibus Vicariis: ut presentes nostras
ubique observent & exequantur: faciantque ab aliis plene exequi & observari. Quarum
quidem Transumptis manu Notarii publici subscriptis & sigillo persone in dignitate
Ecclesiastica constitute munitis plenam fidem ubique tam in iudicio que extra adhiberi debere
volumus ac decernimus. Datum Romae apud Sanctum Petrum sub Annulo Piscatoris.
Die. I I I.      Iulii.      M.D. X X V I            Pontificatus nostri anno tertio.

                                                                              Be. Cl. Ravenn.

Cum gratia & privilegio.
Die. XIX. Novembris. M.D.XXVI. In Rogatorum Consilio capta fuit parte. Ne quis
calcographus intra decennium hos excludat libellos sine Autoris consensu imponentes
poenam omnibus contrafacientibus imediate omnes libros perdere & aurum unum pro
quolibet opere comitentes omnibus magistratibus ac officialibus apud quos facta fue=
rit denutiatio sive querella ut imediate committant exequtionem.

Sempronii Ameranthi. Carmen in Dedicatione
Triumphi fortunarum libri mirabilissima d~o Sigismun
do de Fantis Ferrariensis magno Mathemat. editi.

            Ad Divum Cle. vii. Pon. Max.

Iuppiter Ambiguas hominum diffundere sortes
      Dat Celo, spectans undique quicquid agat
Interdum precibus flexus constringit habenas,
      Et quem formavit, scit cohibere polum.
At prenoße cupit prudens, ut casibus obstet,
      Venturum, Similem quod facit eße Iovi.
Segregat atque homines prudentia sola faturi

[2nd column:]

      A Brutis, presens nam simul ipsa vident.
Utque minus distat Brutis ignavia vulgi,
      Sic propior superis est quoque plura videns,
Sepe etiam causas renuens prenoscere rerum
      Ex casu regitur, nec putat esse deos.
Hinc ruit imprudens, Sapiens scit pergere tutus,
      Nam procul omne malum prospicit, omne bonum.
Excellit fortem sapiens, ex numinis instar
      Presicitur Turbis, qui metuenda cavet,
Iudicium Fortuna tuum sectata supremo
      Hinc est, statuit te residere loco.
Sume igitur varie Triumphum sanctißime Sortis
      Quam poteris populo fundere more Iovis.