Dutch printing in London. I. A survey. II. The strange case of Double-Dutch double vision: bilingual pamphlets of 1615

Abstract

Printing in Dutch arose in London following the persecution of Protestants in the Low Countries in the early sixteenth century. Britain in general and London in particular, then as now, became a place of refuge for the exiles. These refugees then clung together for mutual support, they created their own religious congregation and for this more than any other cause they began to print. Printers and other members of the book trade among them worked for English masters,2 some established themselves independently and in both capacities they produced works in English, Latin, French and also in Dutch. Such printed material, whether purely religious or with a political dimension, could also be exported to their country of origin to give comfort and help to friends left behind.