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man shall be admitted to be a Master Printer until they who are 
now Master Printers shall by death or otherwise be reduced to 
the number of twenty and from thenceforth the number of twenty 
shall be continued and no more, besides the King’s Printer and 
the Printers for the Universities.” 
It was not until 1693 that the privileges of these monopolists 
were abolished, and the art of printing became free. At the close 
of the 16th century presses were established in Exeter, Plymouth 
and Shrewsbury, and even so late as 1724 it was recorded that 
there were only twenty-eight Printing-houses in England. 
These facts show the existence of an arbitrary monopoly, and f£ 
think fully accounts for the rarity of early printed books in Bath 
and other ancient towns where they might naturally be looked 
for. For nearly two centuries Bath has been more or less a 
fashionable resort—a centre of attraction for the idle and wealthy, 
and has, therefore, been regarded a city of luxury, rather than a 
seat of learning. On the other hand, some circumstances point 
to a different conclusion. It may be shown, that although there 
was much frivolity and trifling, as exhibited and caricatured in 
the novels of Mrs. Bayfield, Miss Austen; in the poems of 
Christopher Anstey, and in the heroico-odico-tragico-comico poem 
written by the Rev. R. Warner, who, under the nom de plume of 
Peter Paul Pallett, satirically proclaimed the three Bath Deities to 
be “ Humbug, Follee and Vanitee,” yet, nevertheless, there was a 
leaven of culture and scholarship even in those days. For with 
the constant influx of the wealthy and the aristoeratic there has 
also been a large number of the well-to-do middle class from all 
parts of England, from India and the Colonies who, with a view 
to rest from their professional and commercial engagements, have 
settled in Bath and spent their remaining years in ease and retire- 
ment ; freed from toil and anxiety they have found resources in 
literature and science. In addition to these, many scientists and 
litterateurs have also been attracted to this city and continued 
their researches and pursuits, and written works of great value, 
