Corante
Encyclopedia
Corante: or, Newes from Italy, Germany, Hungarie, Spaine and France was the first English
newspaper
. The earliest of the seven known surviving copies is dated September 24, 1621 (although John Chamberlain
is on record as having complained about them in August), and the latest is dated October 22 of that same year.
As with its predecessors, of which the earliest surviving copy is Pieter van den Keere's The new tydings out of Italie are not yet com from December 2, 1620, the Corante was translated from a Dutch coranto
(hence the name) into English, and – as the result of a 1586 edict from the Star Chamber
– carried no news about England
. Unlike those predecessors, however, the Corante was printed locally, instead of being a Dutch import
; in fact, the Corante' s existence was the result of a request from James I
that Dutch authorities cease coranto exports.
Early issues of the Corante are thought to have appeared as early as the spring of 1621; in September of that year, Thomas Archer, a printer
in London
, was arrested for distributing corantos without a license, and his printing press
was shut down. Archer was released shortly thereafter, as "a license to print (corantos) and sell them, honestly translated out of the Dutch" had been purchased by an individual identified solely by the initials "N.B."; these initials, thought to belong to book publisher Nathaniel Butter
, appear on all surviving copies.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. The earliest of the seven known surviving copies is dated September 24, 1621 (although John Chamberlain
John Chamberlain (letter writer)
John Chamberlain was the author of a series of letters written in England from 1597 to 1626, notable for their historical value and their literary qualities. In the view of historian Wallace Notestein, Chamberlain's letters "constitute the first considerable body of letters in English history and...
is on record as having complained about them in August), and the latest is dated October 22 of that same year.
As with its predecessors, of which the earliest surviving copy is Pieter van den Keere's The new tydings out of Italie are not yet com from December 2, 1620, the Corante was translated from a Dutch coranto
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
(hence the name) into English, and – as the result of a 1586 edict from the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
– carried no news about England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Unlike those predecessors, however, the Corante was printed locally, instead of being a Dutch import
Import
The term import is derived from the conceptual meaning as to bring in the goods and services into the port of a country. The buyer of such goods and services is referred to an "importer" who is based in the country of import whereas the overseas based seller is referred to as an "exporter". Thus...
; in fact, the Corante
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
that Dutch authorities cease coranto exports.
Early issues of the Corante are thought to have appeared as early as the spring of 1621; in September of that year, Thomas Archer, a printer
Printer (publisher)
In publishing, printers are both companies providing printing services and individuals who directly operate printing presses. With the invention of the moveable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450, printing—and printers—proliferated throughout Europe.Today, printers are found...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, was arrested for distributing corantos without a license, and his printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
was shut down. Archer was released shortly thereafter, as "a license to print (corantos) and sell them, honestly translated out of the Dutch" had been purchased by an individual identified solely by the initials "N.B."; these initials, thought to belong to book publisher Nathaniel Butter
Nathaniel Butter
Nathaniel Butter was a London publisher of the early 17th century. The publisher of the first edition of Shakespeare's King Lear in 1608, he has also been regarded as one of the first publishers of a newspaper in English....
, appear on all surviving copies.