The English "Illegal Books" And Their Influence In The Mid-16th Century To The Mid-17th Century

The century from Henry VIII to James I claimed a period of the most effective press censorship in early modern England. Royal charters, patents monopoly, licensing system and registration in the Stationers'Company all became powerful methods for censorship. Before the appearance of the royal definition of legal books, however, illegal books in a relative sense had already come into existence in England, against the background of the orthodoxy being challenged by Scientific Revolution, Renaissance and Reformation, those heretical books of which were the first series of illegal books. With the rise of the Bourgeoisie, a new series of books spreading Puritanism and opposing the Crown were once again prohibited by press censors as illegal. Besides, those patented books pirated by the lesser printers for economic benefits were part of illegal books as well. As a result, in this dissertation,illegal books are divided into two types in terms of their purpose: profit-pursuing books and non-profit-pursuing books, all provoking contemporary press censorship. And there again, especial attentions will be given to non-profit-pursuing illegal books, which, publicizing views antagonizing the existing political regime and inducing popular concern and discussion in the process of dissemination, contributed considerably to the collapse of royal despotism, the wakening participation of the public and the formation of public opinion. Whereas the challenge of the Crown shook the base of press censorship, it was concluded that illegal books pushed the press censorship into perdition.