Summa de Ecclesia

Motu proprio, etc. Since, as we have heard, our beloved son Michael Tramezinus, a bookseller of Venice, has lately caused to be set forth to us that, for the common utility of all studies, at his own expense he intends to have printed divers Latin and Italian works, both Italian works translated from the Latin, French, and Spanish tongues and Italian works composed and in no wise translated¹, hitherto unprinted, and fears lest works of this kind afterwards be printed by others without his licence, which would tend to his greatest prejudice; We therefore, wishing to provide for his indemnity, by like motion and certain knowledge grant and concede to the same Michael that the aforesaid works hitherto unprinted — examined and approved, for printing through him, by the inquisitors of that place, or if in the City by the Master of the Sacred Palace — may for ten years after the printing of the same works, or of any of them, not be printed by anyone without his licence, nor sold by them or by others, nor kept for sale in their shops or elsewhere, save as printed or to be printed by the said Michael; forbidding all and singular Christian faithful, both in Italy and outside Italy, especially booksellers and printers of books, under pain of excommunication latae sententiae — and in lands mediately or immediately subject to the Holy Roman Church also under penalties of five hundred gold ducats to be applied to the Apostolic Camera, and moreover of loss of the books — to be incurred by the deed itself and without other declaration, as often as contravention shall occur, lest within ten years to be reckoned from the printing of the said works, or of any of them respectively, they dare, without the express licence of the same Michael, during the said ten years to print the said works, both Latin and Italian, hitherto unprinted and to be printed by Michael himself, or to sell such as are printed or to be printed by others than the said Michael, or to have or offer them for sale, or to hold them as above. Commanding all our venerable brethren the Archbishops, and their Vicars general in spirituals, and in the temporal state of the Holy Roman Church also the legates and vice-legates of the Apostolic See and the governors of the said state, that as often as they shall have been requested on behalf of Michael himself, or any of them shall have been requested, they assist Michael with the protection of effectual defence, and execute by apostolic authority the foregoing, at every requisition of the said Michael, against the disobedient and rebels through ecclesiastical censures, even repeatedly aggravating them, and through other remedies of law, calling in also for this, if need be, the aid of the secular arm. And moreover, since it would be very difficult for the present Motu proprio to be carried to every place, we will and by apostolic authority decree that to transcripts or copies thereof, even printed in the works themselves, there be given everywhere, both in court and out, full and altogether the same faith as would be given to the present original; and with absolution from censures for the effect of these presents, and that the signature alone suffice. And lest anyone be able to pretend ignorance of the foregoing, we expressly will and command that the present Motu proprio be affixed in the square of the Campo de' Fiori and on the doors of the Apostolic Chancery of this venerable City, and there be published by affixion, and that thus affixed, and in the works printed from time to time, it be held brought to the notice of all whom it shall concern as if it had been personally intimated to them; deeming null and void whatever shall occur otherwise, all the aforesaid apostolic constitutions and ordinances, and all other things whatsoever making to the contrary, notwithstanding.

Approved of our own motion, I.

M D LX. Die 3. Februarii in Rogatis.

By authority of this council it was granted to our faithful Francesco and Michele Tramezzini that no one other than they, or one deriving title from them, may for the space of the next fifteen years, neither in this city nor in any other city or place of our Dominion, print, nor sell therein what was printed elsewhere, the Summa de Ecclesia of D. Ioannes de Turrecremata, Cardinal, and the apparatus of the same author upon the decree of the union of the Greeks made at Florence under Eugenius Pope IV of happy memory, under penalty for contraveners of losing all the works printed by them, and of one hundred ducats, to be divided, one third to the magistrate carrying out the execution, one third to the arsenal, and the other third to the hospital of the Pietà: they being bound, however, to observe what is disposed by our laws in the matter of printing.

Aloysius Garzonius Duc. Not.