Would a Book Lie? | Distillations | Science History Institute

“Louis XIV and his advisers—specifically, Jean-Baptiste Colbert—saw danger in free expression. There were an uncomfortable number of small print shops with only one or two presses that were difficult to keep tabs on and, when idle, might resort to unregulated printing of heterodox or politically incendiary tracts. The government’s strategy was to consolidate printing in a smaller number of larger print shops, the reasoning being that the larger ventures would be easier to regulate and their owners would have more to lose and thus less incentive for unauthorized printing.”

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Addendum

“Fourth plate from a print series entitled Nova Reperta (New Inventions of Modern Times) consisting of a title page and 19 plates, engraved by Jan Collaert I, after Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus, and published by Philips Galle. Illustration of men working at the book mill. In the background a man prepares paper for printing in the press depicted on the right. In the center of the foreground a young boy lays out the newly printed paper for proof-reading. On the left workers set type to be printed.” Met Museum/ Public Domain

Book Review : Stradanus 1523-1605: Court Artist of the Medici by Alessandra Baroni and Manfred Sellink

If you will check this book on Amazon - be prepared for a surprise and may be try a library instead.