| Zusammenfassung: | J ohn K nox's F irst B last and C hristopher G oodman's S uperior P owers arguably represent two of the most radical pamphlets produced during the reign of M ary T udor. Both texts were published in G eneva in early 1558 and attracted the displeasure not only of their authors' fellow exiles, but also of Q ueen E lizabeth herself when she heard of their publication. Ever since, these pamphlets have been closely associated with the climate of radicalism which supposedly prevailed in G eneva under the aegis of C alvin. Yet, it is also clear from his writings that C alvin never went so far as to endorse any of the M arian exiles' most controversial ideas. Rather, archival and bibliographical evidence suggests that it was the lively and highly competitive G enevan book trade, combined with inconsistent mechanisms of censorship and a system of monopolies favouring the wealthiest printing firms, which provided ideal conditions for the publication of these pamphlets.
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