367d Prynne, William. (1600?-1669) The Antipathie of the English lordly prelacie, both to regall monarchy, and civill unity: or, an historicall collection of the severall execrable treasons, conspiracies, rebellions, seditions, state-schismes, contumacies, oppessions, & anti-monarchicall practices, of our English, Brittish, French, Scottish, & Irish Lordly prelates, against our Kings, Kingdomes, Laws, Liberties; of the severall warres, and civill dissentions occasioned by them in, or against our realm, in former and latter ages. Together with the judgement of our owne ancient writers, & most judicious authors, touching the pretended divine jurisdiction, the calling, lordlinesse, temporalties [sic], wealth, secular imployments, trayterous practices, unprohrablenesse [sic], and mischievousnesse of Lordly prelates, both to King, State, Church; with an Answer to the chiefe Objections made for the Divinity, or continuance of their Lordly Function.

London: Michael Sparke senior, 1641

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Quarto, 5.5 x 7 in. First edition The collation in this work is very unconventional, probably due to many changes occasioned during printing. Part one: π4; ππ4; πππ4; ππππ3; B-Z4; πZ4; Aa-Pp4; Pp*4; Qq-Rr4; Rrπ4; Ss-Uu4. Part two: A-b4; Aa-Ll4; *m2; Mm-Nn4; *4; ππ4; πππ1; Oo-Yy4; Rr-Zz4; Aaa-Xxx4; Yyy2. The bookplate of James Fenimore Cooper Jr. is found on the inside of the front cover. This copy is bound in full seventeenth century calf that has been rebacked. The leaves are in good condition with slight browning, but nothing that hinders legibility.
“Prynne, a barrister of Lincoln’s Inn, had written a treatise, called Histrio-mastix, against plays and players; in which he maintained that women who acted on the stage were for the most part infamous. Female actors were unknown upon the Greek and Roman theater. It was a new abomination, and excited amongst the Puritans deep disgust. Prynne’s book had been licensed by archbishop Abbott’s chaplain. Six weeks afterwards the queen acted a part in a pastoral in Somerset-house; and the next day the Laudian prelates laid Prynne’s book before the king, insinuating that it must have been written against the queen. Laud’s chaplain, Dr. Heylyn, was set to peruse the book and collect the scandalous passages. These Laud himself, now archbishop, carried (and, it was not to be forgotten, on a Sunday morning,) to the attorney-general, instructing him to prosecute the author vigorously. In short Prynne, (and as all men of all parties said,) by Laud’s influence, was sentenced in the star chamber to be imprisoned during his life; expelled from Lincoln’s Inn; disabled from practicing the law; degraded in the university from his degree; set in the pillory and have his ears cut off; and his book to be burnt by the common hang-man. All which was done with rigorous severity.” These events took place in the winter of 1632/1633. (Quoted from Mardsen’s The History of the Early Puritans.)

“The Court of Star Chamber found Prynne, Burton, and Bastwick guilty of libel in June, 1637. The Court sentenced all three to lose their ears—in Prynne’s case the remaining stumps—to pay 5,000 pounds, and to be imprisoned for life in separate castles far from London. The public apathy at Prynne’s punishment three years earlier was transformed into a crowd-gathering drama which must have rivaled the best performances in the London theater. As the three proto-martyrs sat in the three pillories, Burton pointed out the similarity to the three crosses on Calvary, but no one attempted a more detailed application of the analogy. Branded on both cheeks with an “S.L.” (Seditious Libeler), Prynne referred to his disfigurement as Stigmata Laudis, the Scars of Laud.” (Quoted from Solt’s Church and State in Early Modern England.)

In fact, the persecution of Prynne in 1637, and the other tortures and sufferings inflicted by archbishop Laud inspired the Puritan flight to New England. Prynne lived a long life, and the combination of that with an affinity for scholarly pursuits yielded a vast publishing record. Prynne published about two hundred books and pamphlets. This present work is a history of anti-royal activity by English prelates which includes papists and champions of the authority of Anglican bishops over the crown. Such Protestants as Thomas Becon, Miles Coverdale, John Ponet, and Walter Haddon are invoked to bolster Prynne’s case.

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