John Windet

From the Transactions of the Bibliographical Society Vol. 8, 1907:

After the Scottish Queen's execution, an English pamphlet embodying an official defence of the action of the English Government was turned into French and circulated in France. The French version has this title: "Apologie ou défense de l'Honorable sentence et tres-juste execution de defuncte Marie Steward dernière Royne d'Ecosse .... Apres la fin du liuure sont adjoustees les Copies des lettres, actes, & articles, qui servent a découruir & a bien verifier la trahison de ladite Royne d'Ecosse &c . . . Le tout traduit d'Anglois en Francois, suiuant l'original imprime- a Londres par Jean Ouinted [i.e., John Windet], 1587 . . . Imprimé nouuellement, 1588." The major part of the English original has been assigned to Maurice Kyffin; it was licensed on n February, 1587-8, to John Winder, only three days after the execution of Queen Mary Stuart, and was published by Windet a week or so later. Neither place of publication nor printer's name is supplied in the French version. The volume is an octavo of 153 leaves. The introductory pages contain a letter headed Le translateur au lecteur Francois, vrayement Francois. After commending the original, he explains carefully the meaning of two English words which he finds difficult to render into French. One is " Puritan," which he treats as an offensive anonym for " ReTormé"; the other is " jury," which, after an elaborate explanation, he translates into "les douze hommes iurez." In eight lines of verse at the end of his epistle the translator describes himself as a born Englishman who has turned Frenchman. The translator disavows responsibilities for the errors of the press on the ground that he was not the corrector of it. There are four pages of errata. The French translator and printer had great difficulty in reproducing the name of John Windet, the English printer, who figures on the title-page as Jean Ouinted.

The translation of the English pamphlet occupies only 214 pages
of the volume. The last 73 pages are filled by a translation of another
official English publication, which is introduced by a new title-page running thus:—" Recueil de certaines requestes et declarations faictes par deux diverses fois a la Majestd de la Royne d'Angleterre, par tous les Seigneurs, et par le commun peuple du Royaume, assemblez puis n'aguere en Parlement a Richemont, le 12 et le 24 de Ncuembre, 1586 ... Le tout translate1, d'Anglois en Francois, suyuant l'Original Imprime a Londres, par Christofle Barker, Imprimeur de la tres-excellente Maiesté la Royne, 1586." This second pamphlet was thus, according to the French titlepage, published in London by Christopher Barker, the Royal printer, in 1586. It contains the addresses entreating Queen Elizabeth to give orders for the execution of Mary Stuart, which were presented by Parliament to Elizabeth at Richmond, on November 12 and 24, 1586, together with the Queen's ambiguous replies. Barker's original English edition of this appended tract I have been unable to find.… (mehr)