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Don Quixote’s Privilege , Madrid (1605)
Source: Biblioteca de Catalunya, Cerv. Vitr. I-3
Citation:
Don Quixote’s Privilege , Madrid (1605), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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3 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
Chapter 1 Page 2
THE KING
Whereas a petition has been made by you, Miguel de Cer-
vantes, informing us that you had composed a book
entitled The ingenious gentleman of la Mancha,
upon which you had spent much labour and which was
very useful and beneficial, you asked and besought us
to command a licence and faculty for its printing, and
a privilege for the period of time we would have served
or as should seem good to us. Having been reviewed by our
council, taking into account that the mentioned book has
been subjected to the formalities as determined by the
(ordinance) pragmática on the printing of books, it was
agreed that we should order to issue our permit to you.
We, therefore, in order to make good and favour you,
we grant you a licence and faculty so that you, or the person
you empowered, and no one else, may print the said
book, entitled The ingenious gentleman of la Mancha,
in all the kingdoms of Castile, for the time and space of
ten years to be run and counted from the day of the
date of this our certificate. If a person or persons not
empowered by you, print or sell, or arrange for it to be printed
or sold, he shall loose the prints done, and the moulds and
utensils used and shall pay a fine of fifty thousands
marauedís for each offence committed. The third part
of the said fine shall be for the person who claims;
another third should be for our treasury and another
third part should be for the judge who heard the case.
As a result, on every occassion the mentioned book
is printed during the ten year period, you should
bring it to our council, together with the original which
has already been seen by the council,
Chapter 1 Page 3
and with every page initialled, and at the end of the book
signed by Juan Gallo de Andrada, our clerk of the chamber,
resident in our council, in order to know whether the said
printing matches the original; or bring faith in public deed
evidencing that a corrector appointed by us had seen
and corrected the above mentioned printing, and that
it was printed according to the original, and that the errata
already highlighted continue, for each of these books to be
printed in this manner, so the retail price (tasa) for each
volume is assessed. And we order the printer who printed
the said book in that manner; not to print the beginning
or the first sheet of it, and not to give more than
one book with the original to the author, or to the person
at which expenses the book is published, and no one else
until the moment in which the book is corrected and
its retail price is fixed by our council, and that process being
done, and not otherwise, he may print the mentioned
beginning [of the book] and the first sheet of paper and
he may include succesively our authorisation and approval,
retail price (tasa) and errata, with the caution of the penalties
stated in the laws and orders (pragmáticas) of our kingdom.
And we order our council and whatever other justices in it,
to guard and apply this our rule, and what it contains,
Valladollid, twenty six of September, 1764
I THE KING
By order of the King our master:
Juan de Amézqueta.
Translation by: José Bellido
Source: Biblioteca de Catalunya, Cerv. Vitr. I-3
Citation:
Don Quixote’s Privilege , Madrid (1605), 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
3 translated pages
Chapter 1 Page 1
THE INGENIOUS
GENTLEMAN DON QVI-
XOTE OF LA MANCHA
Composed by Miguel de Cervantes,
Saavedra.
DEDICATED TO THE DUKE OF BEJAR,
Marquis of Gibralcon, Count of Benalcaçar, and Baña-
res, Vicecount of the Puebla de Alcozer, Master of the
towns of Capilla, Curiel, and
Burguilios.
Year [Printers' Mark]1605
WITH PRIVILEGE,
MADRID, By Juan de la Cuesta.
______________________________________________________________
Sold at the house of Francisco de Robles, royal bookseller.
Chapter 1 Page 2
THE KING
Whereas a petition has been made by you, Miguel de Cer-
vantes, informing us that you had composed a book
entitled The ingenious gentleman of la Mancha,
upon which you had spent much labour and which was
very useful and beneficial, you asked and besought us
to command a licence and faculty for its printing, and
a privilege for the period of time we would have served
or as should seem good to us. Having been reviewed by our
council, taking into account that the mentioned book has
been subjected to the formalities as determined by the
(ordinance) pragmática on the printing of books, it was
agreed that we should order to issue our permit to you.
We, therefore, in order to make good and favour you,
we grant you a licence and faculty so that you, or the person
you empowered, and no one else, may print the said
book, entitled The ingenious gentleman of la Mancha,
in all the kingdoms of Castile, for the time and space of
ten years to be run and counted from the day of the
date of this our certificate. If a person or persons not
empowered by you, print or sell, or arrange for it to be printed
or sold, he shall loose the prints done, and the moulds and
utensils used and shall pay a fine of fifty thousands
marauedís for each offence committed. The third part
of the said fine shall be for the person who claims;
another third should be for our treasury and another
third part should be for the judge who heard the case.
As a result, on every occassion the mentioned book
is printed during the ten year period, you should
bring it to our council, together with the original which
has already been seen by the council,
Chapter 1 Page 3
and with every page initialled, and at the end of the book
signed by Juan Gallo de Andrada, our clerk of the chamber,
resident in our council, in order to know whether the said
printing matches the original; or bring faith in public deed
evidencing that a corrector appointed by us had seen
and corrected the above mentioned printing, and that
it was printed according to the original, and that the errata
already highlighted continue, for each of these books to be
printed in this manner, so the retail price (tasa) for each
volume is assessed. And we order the printer who printed
the said book in that manner; not to print the beginning
or the first sheet of it, and not to give more than
one book with the original to the author, or to the person
at which expenses the book is published, and no one else
until the moment in which the book is corrected and
its retail price is fixed by our council, and that process being
done, and not otherwise, he may print the mentioned
beginning [of the book] and the first sheet of paper and
he may include succesively our authorisation and approval,
retail price (tasa) and errata, with the caution of the penalties
stated in the laws and orders (pragmáticas) of our kingdom.
And we order our council and whatever other justices in it,
to guard and apply this our rule, and what it contains,
Valladollid, twenty six of September, 1764
I THE KING
By order of the King our master:
Juan de Amézqueta.
Translation by: José Bellido