The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #47438   Message #707976
Posted By: IanC
10-May-02 - 04:57 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Dives and Lazarus-or vice versa(Child 56)
Subject: RE: Help: Dives and Lazarus - or vice versa
Just a small bit of extra information. Elizabeth I, in a wish to control the printing of books and pamphlets (there had been no systematic censorship till then) passed an act (1558 I think) that everything printed in England which was not printed by Oxford or Cambridge Universities was to be licensed by The Stationers Company in London. The fee for the licence of a book was 2d, Ballets and pamphlets were rather less, I think.

In the Register of the Company of Stationers July 1557-July 1558 (written up in July 1558) is an entry of payment for licence to print the "Ballet of the Ryche Man and Poore Lazarus". This is probably Dives and Lazarus.

Cheers!
Ian