the partnership was dissolved,
Day moving to Aldersgate, but retaining his shop in Cheapside.

[Illustration: FIG. 18.--From a Bible printed by John Day. London, 1551.
4to.]

The most important undertaking of the partnership was a folio edition of
the Bible in 1549. This was printed in the smaller of the two founts of
black letter in double columns, with some good initials and a great
many woodcuts that had evidently been used before, as they extend beyond
the letterpress. Another edition printed by Day alone appeared in 1551,
in which a good initial E, showing Edward VI. on his throne, is found.

On the accession of Queen Mary, Day went abroad and his press was silent
for several years; meanwhile the ancient brotherhood of Stationers was
incorporated by Royal Charter as the 'Worshipful Company of Stationers.'
The existence of the brotherhood has been traced to very early times,
and it is frequently mentioned in the wills of printers and booksellers
in the first half of the sixteenth century. By the Charter of 1556 it
now received the Royal authority to make its own laws for the regulation
of the trade, although, as Mr. Arber has pointed out, the charter
'rather confirmed existing customs than erected fresh powers.' There is
abundant evidence that the Queen's main reason for granting the charter
was the wish to keep the printing trade under closer control.

The newly incorporated company included nearly all the men connected
with the book trade, not only printers, but booksellers, bookbinders,
and typefounders. There were some who, for some unexplained reason, were
not enrolled. On the other hand, two of those whose names appeared in
the charter died the year of its incorporation. These were Thomas
Berthelet, who was dead before the 26th January 1556, and Robert Toy,
who died in February.

In the registers of the Company were recorded the names of the wardens
and masters, the names of all apprentices, with the masters to whom they
were bound, and the names of those who took up their freedom. The titles
of all books were supposed to be entered by the printer or publisher, a
small fee being paid in each case. As a matter of fact many books were
not so entered. Entries of gifts to the Corporation, and of fines levied
on the members, also form part of the annual statements.

Literary men of the eighteenth century were the first to discover and
make use of the wealth of information contained in the Registers of the
St