Licensing of the Press Act 1662

X. No Person to be admitted a Master Printer till the Master Printers be reduced to Twenty, (Exception) which number is to be continued, and Four Master Letter Founders.; In case of Death, &c. of any Master Printer or Founder, the said Archbishop, &c.; to appoint another.

Persons allowed to have a Printing Press, &c. to give Security in £300.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That for the time to come no man shall be admitted to be a Master Printer untill they who are now actually Master Printers shall be by death or otherwise reduced to the number of Twenty and from thence forth the number of Twenty Master Printers shall be continued and no more besides the Kings Printers and the Printers allowed for the Universities to have the use and exercise of printing of Books at one time and but four Master Founders of Letters for printing The which said Master Printers and four Master Founders of Letters for printing shall be nominated appointed and allowed by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Bishop of London for the time being And in case of death of any one of the said four Master Founders of Letters or of the said Master Printers or of Forfeiture or avoidance of any of their Places and Priviledges to print by vertue of this Act for any Offence contrary to the same or otherwise that then the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Bishop of London for the time being or one of them shall nominate and appoint such other fit person or persons to succeed and supply the place of such Master Printer or Founder of Letters as shall be void by Death Forfeiture or otherwise as aforesaid And every person and persons which shall hereafter be allowed or permitted to have the use of a Printing Presse or Printing House upon or before such his allowance obtained shall become bound with Sureties to His Majesty in the Court of Kings Bench or before some one or more of the Justices of Assize or the Justices of the Peace at theire several Quarter Sessions in the suu[m]m of three hundred pounds not to print or suffer to be printed in his house or presse any Booke or Bookes whatsoever but such as shall from time to time be lawfully licensed.