areopagitica-第1章

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Areopagitica



by　John　Milton






A　SPEECH　FOR　THE　LIBERTY　OF　UNLICENSED　PRINTING

TO　THE　PARLIAMENT　OF　ENGLAND





This　is　true　liberty；　when　free…born　men；

Having　to　advise　the　public；　may　speak　free；

Which　he　who　can；　and　will；　deserves　high　praise；

Who　neither　can；　nor　will；　may　hold　his　peace：

What　can　be　juster　in　a　state　than　this？



Euripid。　　Hicetid。







They；　who　to　states　and　governors　of　the　Commonwealth　direct

their　speech；　High　Court　of　Parliament；　or；　wanting　such　access　in

a　private　condition；　write　that　which　they　foresee　may　advance　the

public　good；　I　suppose　them；　as　at　the　beginning　of　no　mean

endeavour；　not　a　little　altered　and　moved　inwardly　in　their　minds：

some　with　doubt　of　what　will　be　the　success；　others　with　fear　of

what　will　be　the　censure；　some　with　hope；　others　with　confidence　of

what　they　have　to　speak。　　And　me　perhaps　each　of　these

dispositions；　as　the　subject　was　whereon　I　entered；　may　have　at

other　times　variously　affected；　and　likely　might　in　these　foremost

expressions　now　also　disclose　which　of　them　swayed　most；　but　that

the　very　attempt　of　this　address　thus　made；　and　the　thought　of　whom

it　hath　recourse　to；　hath　got　the　power　within　me　to　a　passion；　far

more　welcome　than　incidental　to　a　preface。



Which　though　I　stay　not　to　confess　ere　any　ask；　I　shall　be

blameless；　if　it　be　no　other　than　the　joy　and　gratulation　which　it

brings　to　all　who　wish　and　promote　their　country's　liberty；　whereof

this　whole　discourse　proposed　will　be　a　certain　testimony；　if　not

a　trophy。　　For　this　is　not　the　liberty　which　we　can　hope；　that　no

grievance　ever　should　arise　in　the　Commonwealththat　let　no　man　in

this　world　expect；　but　when　complaints　are　freely　heard；　deeply

considered　and　speedily　reformed；　then　is　the　utmost　bound　of　civil

liberty　attained　that　wise　men　look　for。　　To　which　if　I　now

manifest　by　the　very　sound　of　this　which　I　shall　utter；　that　we　are

already　in　good　part　arrived；　and　yet　from　such　a　steep

disadvantage　of　tyranny　and　superstition　grounded　into　our

principles　as　was　beyond　the　manhood　of　a　Roman　recovery；　it　will

be　attributed　first；　as　is　most　due；　to　the　strong　assistance　of

God　our　deliverer；　next　to　your　faithful　guidance　and　undaunted

wisdom；　Lords　and　Commons　of　England。　　Neither　is　it　in　God's

esteem　the　diminution　of　his　glory；　when　honourable　things　are

spoken　of　good　men　and　worthy　magistrates；　which　if　I　now　first

should　begin　to　do；　after　so　fair　a　progress　of　your　laudable

deeds；　and　such　a　long　obligement　upon　the　whole　realm　to　your

indefatigable　virtues；　I　might　be　justly　reckoned　among　the

tardiest；　and　the　unwillingest　of　them　that　praise　ye。



Nevertheless　there　being　three　principal　things；　without　which

all　praising　is　but　courtship　and　flattery：　First；　when　that　only

is　praised　which　is　solidly　worth　praise：　next；　when　greatest

likelihoods　are　brought　that　such　things　are　truly　and　really　in

those　persons　to　whom　they　are　ascribed：　the　other；　when　he　who

praises；　by　showing　that　such　his　actual　persuasion　is　of　whom　he

writes；　can　demonstrate　that　he　flatters　not；　the　former　two　of

these　I　have　heretofore　endeavoured；　rescuing　the　employment　from

him　who　went　about　to　impair　your　merits　with　a　trivial　and

malignant　encomium；　the　latter　as　belonging　chiefly　to　mine　own

acquittal；　that　whom　I　so　extolled　I　did　not　flatter；　hath　been

reserved　opportunely　to　this　occasion。



For　he　who　freely　magnifies　what　hath　been　nobly　done；　and　fears

not　to　declare　as　freely　what　might　be　done　better；　gives　ye　the

best　covenant　of　his　fidelity；　and　that　his　loyalest　affection　and

his　hope　waits　on　your　proceedings。　　His　highest　praising　is　not

flattery；　and　his　plainest　advice　is　a　kind　of　praising。　　For

though　I　should　affirm　and　hold　by　argument；　that　it　would　fare

better　with　truth；　with　learning　and　the　Commonwealth；　if　one　of

your　published　Orders；　which　I　should　name；　were　called　in；　yet　at

the　same　time　it　could　not　but　much　redound　to　the　lustre　of　your

mild　and　equal　government；　whenas　private　persons　are　hereby

animated　to　think　ye　better　pleased　with　public　advice；　than　other

statists　have　been　delighted　heretofore　with　public　flattery。　　And

men　will　then　see　what　difference　there　is　between　the　magnanimity

of　a　triennial　Parliament；　and　that　jealous　haughtiness　of　prelates

and　cabin　counsellors　that　usurped　of　late；　whenas　they　shall

observe　ye　in　the　midst　of　your　victories　and　successes　more　gently

brooking　written　exceptions　against　a　voted　Order　than　other

courts；　which　had　produced　nothing　worth　memory　but　the　weak

ostentation　of　wealth；　would　have　endured　the　least　signified

dislike　at　any　sudden　proclamation。



If　I　should　thus　far　presume　upon　the　meek　demeanour　of　your

civil　and　gentle　greatness；　Lords　and　Commons；　as　what　your

published　Order　hath　directly　said；　that　to　gainsay；　I　might　defend

myself　with　ease；　if　any　should　accuse　me　of　being　new　or　insolent；

did　they　but　know　how　much　better　I　find　ye　esteem　it　to　imitate

the　old　and　elegant　humanity　of　Greece；　than　the　barbaric　pride　of

a　Hunnish　and　Norwegian　stateliness。　　And　out　of　those　ages；　to

whose　polite　wisdom　and　letters　we　owe　that　we　are　not　yet　Goths

and　Jutlanders；　I　could　name　him　who　from　his　private　house　wrote

that　discourse　to　the　Parliament　of　Athens；　that　persuades　them　to

change　the　form　of　democracy　which　was　then　established。　　Such

honour　was　done　in　those　days　to　men　who　professed　the　study　of

wisdom　and　eloquence；　not　only　in　their　own　country；　but　in　other

lands；　that　cities　and　signiories　heard　them　gladly；　and　with　great

respect；　if　they　had　aught　in　public　to　admonish　the　state。　　Thus

did　Dion　Prusaeus；　a　stranger　and　a　private　orator；　counsel　the

Rhodians　against　a　former　edict；　and　I　abound　with　other　like

examples；　which　to　set　here　would　be　superfluous。



But　if　from　the　industry　of　a　life　wholly　dedicated　to　studious

labours；　and　those　natural　endowments　haply　not　the　worst　for　two

and　fifty　degrees　of　northern　latitude；　so　much　must　be　derogated；

as　to　count　me　not　equal　to　any　of　those　who　had　this　privilege；　I

would　obtain　to　be　thought　not　so　inferior；　as　yourselves　are

superior　to　the　most　of　them　who　received　their　counsel：　and　how

far　you　excel　them；　be　assured；　Lords　and　Commons；　there　can　no

greater　testimony　appear；　than　when　your　prudent　spirit

acknowledges　and　obeys　the　voice　of　reason　from　what　quarter　soever

it　be　heard　speaking；　and　renders　ye　as　willing　to　repeal　any　Act

of　your　own　setting　forth；　as　any　set　forth　by　your　predecessors。



　　　If　ye　be　thus　resolved；　as　it　were　injury　to　think　ye　were

not；　I　know　not　what　should　withhold　me　from　presenting　ye　with　a

fit　instance　wherein　to　show　both　that　love　of　truth　which　ye

eminently　profess；　and　that　uprightness　of　your　judgment　which　is

not　wont　to　be　partial　to　yourselves；　by　judging　over　again　that

Order　which　ye　have　ordained　to　regulate　printing：that　no　book；

pamphlet；　or　paper　shall　be　henceforth　printed；　unless　the　same　be

first　approved　and　licensed　by　such；　or　at　least　one　of　such；　as

shall　be　thereto　appointed。　　For　that　part　which　preserves　justly

every　man's　copy　to　himself；　or　provides　for　the　poor；　I　touch　not；

only　wish　they　be　not　made　pretences　to　abuse　and　persecute　honest

and　painful　men；　who　offend　not　in　either　of　these　particulars。　

But　that　other　clause　of　licensing　books；　which　we　thought　had　died

with　his　brother　quadragesimal　and　matrimonial　when　the　prelates

expired；　I　shall　now　attend　with　such　a　homily；　as　shall　lay　before

ye；　first　the　inventors　of　it　to　be　those　whom　ye　will　be　loath　to

own；　next　what　is　to　be　thought　in　general　of　reading；　whatever

sort　the　books　be；　and　that　this　Order　avails　nothing　to　the

suppressing　of　scandalous；　seditious；　and　libellous　books；　which

were　mainly　intended　to　be　suppressed。　　Last；　that　it　will　be

primely　to　the　discouragement　of　all　lea