YEARBOOK OF THE ALAMIRE FOUNDATION

WHO OWNED LASSO’S CHANSONS?
cuidans imiter les autheurs, imitent lesditz Imprimeurs et leurs vices, et prennent
par ce moyen le faulx et corrompu pour le pur et veritable: qui sont inconveniens
de dangereuse consequence, et qui pourroient pulluler au grand prejudice
tant des bonnes lettres que de nostredite langue Françoise. SCAVOIR
faisons, que nous, desirans l’augmentation des bonnes lettres, et l’illustration de
nostredite langue Françoise, et à ces fins les oeuvres des bons autheurs (mesmement
celles dudict Ronsard) estre bien elegamment et correctement (comme
elles meritent) imprimées, tant pour la conduicte, addresse et exemple de tous
studieux de nostre dite langue Françoise, que pour laisser à la posterité memoire
des estudes de nostre tems. Considerans qu’on ne sçauroit donner meilleur
ordre à la correction et fidelité de l’Impression desdictes oeuvres, que par la
superintendence de l’autheur d’icelles. Avons à icelluy Ronsard enjoinct et tresexpressément
enjoignons, élire, choisir et commettre tel Imprimeur docte et
diligent qu’il verra et cognoistra estre suffisant pour fidelement imprimer our
faire imprimer les oeuvres par luy ja mises en lumiere, et autres qu’il composera
et escrira cy apres.
Translation:
As are testified to us in the sonnets, odes and other cantiques and poems of Pierre
de Ronsard, gentleman of Vandome. Items which (as each will know) have so
closely followed the ancient and excellent Greek and Latin poets, in both subtlety
of poetry and seriousness of thought, as much in propriety, sweetness and
grace of language, as all learned folk of our time (with good right) admit to the
merit of our French language no less than in Pindar for Greek and Horace for
Latin. And by means of following and imitating him and some other studious
ones, our said tongue could be in a short while equal in dignity to Greek, were
it not for the avarice, ignorance and negligence of many printers, some of whom
may find some desirable books of good spirit, and by printing and selling them
their gain and profit may be increased (as are the works of the said Ronsard).
They undertake to print them without the knowledge of authors, and working
from such models as they may find, without regard as to whether they are accurate
or false and corrupted. By means of which and out of ignorance or the negligence
of their correctors, and in order to speed their work commit in them so
many faults, corruption, and vices, that authors see their works so deformed that
some they cannot recognize. And still worse, some lacking in erudition, and
enough of the said authors, frequently impute the fault and impropriety of the
printer. Others, not having attained the knowledge to judge the said faults and
vices, proceed to imitate these authors, imitating the said printers and their vices,
and take by this means the false and corrupt for the pure and true, which are
inconveniences of dangerous consequence, and which might multiply with great
175