184 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



APPENDIX B. 



The State of the Case of 

 THOMAS SOMEEVELL Mercht. 



That the said Thomas Somervell is a Merchant and Ereeman of the City 

 of Dublin and amongst other goods deales in Schooll Bookes haveing in his 

 time Imported from London to this city severall great Quantityes of ye s"^ 

 Commodity — 



That about ye year 96 the Parlaimt of England haveing Laid Near 30 per 

 Cent on paper and Printing the s'^ Somervell found it would not turn to 

 account to Import any such Bookes from thence and therefore joyned in 

 Company with Thol Simpson Merch'. and James Malon Bookseller to have 

 School bookes printed here which they sold 40. p. Cent Cheaper than such 

 sort of bookes would be Imported from England and by that nieanes alsoe 

 Imployed severall poor people and kept Considerable sumes of Money in the 

 Contrey. 



That at the Conclusion of ye 'peace} Somervell had a Considerable 

 quantity of fine Genoa paper which fell above halfe the price here that 

 to retrive his Losse thought it Expedient to print a Testament on the said 

 paper (a booke much wanted in the Countrey) & to y' end did agree with 

 Cornelius Carter a printer and freeman of Dublin to print 400 Testaments 

 and Somervell bought a Testament of London Print from a Protestant 

 Bookseller and gave it to Carter for a Coppy. 



That when Carter had Near finished y^ Testaments Somervell Accquainted 

 Simpson and Malon that if they pleased they might take the said booke in 

 ptnershipp at the price they Cost him to w'^'' they Agreed. 



That Severall Booksellers of Dublin finding that Somervell was like to 

 bring the Worke to pfection w''*' they never could and Envying Somervell for 

 y' same Bought a doz" of said Testaments in Sheets to see if they could tinde 

 any faults in them and finding some the Most Materiall whereof was in the 

 12"^ Chapter of St Mathews Gospell & y*" 10"" Verse wher y' words (that they 

 might Accuse him) were left out both in y" Copy aud y' printed here on which 

 they gave Information to their Exx°°'^^ the Ls Justices & Counsell and there- 

 uponn y' s* bookes were all Seized in Sheets and are now Eemaining with ye 

 Clark of ye Counsell and Simpson Somervell & Malon were taken into Custody 

 of Y Messingers. 



' Nov., 1697. 



