# Primary Sources on Copyright - Record Viewer
Censorship Rules, Madrid (1558)

Source: Biblioteca Nacional de España; BNE. pages 123-125 from Novísima recopilación de las Leyes de España. (Madrid : [s.n.], 1805-1807) -Signature 1/6722.

Citation:
Censorship Rules, Madrid (1558), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org

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            Chapter 1 Page 3 of 3 total

      
                  OF PRINTS, LICENCES, &c.





the Holy Scriptures, and of matters
relating to the Religion of our
holy Catholic Faith, without Our Council
having read and examined them as stated above
and having granted our license to print them,
under threat of death and losing
their possessions, and such works will be
burned in public. And we order those
from our Council that the examination,
review and dispatch of the aforementioned
books and works is not done briefly;
And those that are good and profitable,
be given a licence and those that are not,
be ripped and torn up; and those that are
condemned and broken in this way be recorded in
the said book.
      
6. And because the above is
observed and put into practice,
from now on and with effect,
visits should be made to see the books
that are in the hands of booksellers
and book merchants and others,
whether secular, ecclesiastic or
religious persons now and
in the future; we order and entrust
the Archbishops, Bishops and Prelates
of these kingdoms in each of their
districts, jurisdictions and dioceses,
that they diligently and carefully,
or the learned persons in letters and
conscience they choose, jointly with
our Justice and Corregidores of
the heads of parties who we order
to join them, see and visit bookshops,
booksellers' shops and book merchants'
shops, and whatever other private
ecclesiastic and secular persons they like.
They must send to our Council a signed
list of the names of the books they
consider to be suspicious or forbidden,
or that contain mistakes or false doctrines,
or that are dishonest matters and bad examples,
whatever their manner and faculty,
in Latin or Romance or in any other language,
even though they were printed under our licence,
so they can be read and provided for;
And meanwhile they must be deposited with
whoever is of their confidence.
And we order that the Universities of
Salamanca, Valladolid, and Alcalá,
that the Universities within their cloisters
appoint two Doctors or Masters who,
together with the prelates and deputies
appointed by our Justices make the
said visit to the aforementioned places
of Salamanca and Valladolid. And
likewise we entrust and order

Grands, Provincials, Abates, Priors,
Guardians, Ministries of whatever
orders of our Kingdoms, accompanied
by learned and Religious persons,
to visit their Monasteries' libraries,
and especially the books possessed by
Friars and Nuns in their Orders, and
to send a report to our Council,
following the annual rules set out by
the Prelates, Justices and religious
Persons, and respecting what it is said.
      
7. And we order, for the penalties
to those who contravene this regulation,
according to this our letter,
to be applied in the following manner:
the third part would be for our Chamber;
another third part for the Judge who
decides and the other third part for
the person who denounces it
(law 24. tit. 7. book. I.R)
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      



    

      
                  DE LAS IMPRESIONES DE LIBROS, LICENCIAS, &c.





sagrada Escritura, y de cosas concernientes á
la Religion de nuestra santa Fe Católica,
sin que la presente en el nuestro Consejo
y vista y examinada en la forma dicha, se
dé licencia nuestra para la poder impri-
mir, so pena de muerte y perdimiento de
bienes, y que los tales libros y obras sean
públicamente quemadas. Y mandamos á
los del nuestro Consejo, que el exámen y
vista, y despacho de los dichos libros y
obras se haga brevemente; y que las que
fueren buenas y provechosas, se les dé li-
cencia, y las que no lo fueren, las hagan
romper y rasgar; y de las que así repro-
baren y rompieren se ponga en memoria en
el dicho libro.
      
6. Y porque, para que lo suso dicho se
guarde y cumpla, así de presente como
adelante enteramente y con efecto, con-
viene visitar y ver os libros, que así en
poder de los libreros y mercaderes de li-
bros como de algunas otras personas, así
seglares como eclesiásticas y Religiosas,
hay y hobiere; mandamos y encargamos
á los Arzobispos, Obispos y Perlados des-
tos Reynos, á cada uno en su distrito y ju-
risdiccion y diócesis que con mucha dili-
gencia y cuidado por sí, ó por personas
doctas de letras y conciencia que para esto
disputaren, juntamente con nuestra Justi-
cia y Corregidores de las cabezas de los
partidos, á los quales mandamos se junten
con ellos, vean y visiten las librerías y
tiendas de libreros y mercaderes de libros,
y de cualesquiera otras personas particula-
res eclesiásticas y seculares que les pares-
ciere, y que los libros que consideren sospe-
chosos o reprobados, o en los que haya erro-
res o doctrinas falsas, o que fueren ma-
terias deshonestas y de mal ejemplo, de
qualquiera manera ó Facultad que sean,
en latín ó en romance ó otras lenguas,
aunque sean de los impresos con licencia
nuestra, envíen dellos relacion firmada de
sus nombres á los del nuestro Consejo,
para que los vean y provean; y en el entre-
tanto los depositen en la persona de con-
fianza que les paresciere. Y en las Univer-
sidades de Salamanca, Valladolid, y Alca-
lá mandamos, que las Universidades en su
Claustro nombren dos Doctores ó Maes-
tros que juntamente con los Perlados y
Diputados por ellos nuestras Justicias
hagan en los dichos lugares de Salamanca
y Valladolid y Alcalá la dicha visita. Y
asimismo encargamos y mandamos á los

Generales, Provinciales, Abades, Priores,
Guardianes, Ministros de qualesquier Or-
denes destos nuestros Reynos, que toman-
do consigo personas doctas y Religiosas,
visiten las librerías de sus Monasterios, y
los libros que particularmente tienen los
Frayles y Monjas de sus Ordenes,y en-
vien relacion al nuestro Consejo, segun y
cómo está dicho en los Perlados y Justi-
cias y personas Religiosas en cada un año
una vez, guardando lo que dicho es.
      
7. Y mandamos, que las penas en que
incurrieren, conforme á esta nuestra car-
ta, los que fueren o vinieren contra lo
dispuesto, se apliquen en esta manera; la
tercia parte para nuestra Cámara, y la
otra tercia parte para el Juez que lo sen-
tenciare, y la otra tercia parte para el que
lo denunciare (ley 24. tit. 7. libr. I.R)
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      



    

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