areopagitica-第2章

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primely　to　the　discouragement　of　all　learning；　and　the　stop　of

truth；　not　only　by　disexercising　and　blunting　our　abilities　in　what

we　know　already；　but　by　hindering　and　cropping　the　discovery　that

might　be　yet　further　made　both　in　religious　and　civil　wisdom。



I　deny　not；　but　that　it　is　of　greatest　concernment　in　the　Church

and　Commonwealth；　to　have　a　vigilant　eye　how　books　demean

themselves　as　well　as　men；　and　thereafter　to　confine；　imprison；　and

do　sharpest　justice　on　them　as　malefactors。　　For　books　are　not

absolutely　dead　things；　but　do　contain　a　potency　of　life　in　them　to

be　as　active　as　that　soul　was　whose　progeny　they　are；　nay；　they　do

preserve　as　in　a　vial　the　purest　efficacy　and　extraction　of　that

living　intellect　that　bred　them。　　I　know　they　are　as　lively；　and　as

vigorously　productive；　as　those　fabulous　dragon's　teeth；　and　being

sown　up　and　down；　may　chance　to　spring　up　armed　men。　　And　yet；　on

the　other　hand；　unless　wariness　be　used；　as　good　almost　kill　a　man

as　kill　a　good　book。　　Who　kills　a　man　kills　a　reasonable　creature；

God's　image；　but　he　who　destroys　a　good　book；　kills　reason　itself；

kills　the　image　of　God；　as　it　were　in　the　eye。　　Many　a　man　lives　a

burden　to　the　earth；　but　a　good　book　is　the　precious　life…blood　of

a　master　spirit；　embalmed　and　treasured　up　on　purpose　to　a　life

beyond　life。　　'Tis　true；　no　age　can　restore　a　life；　whereof　perhaps

there　is　no　great　loss；　and　revolutions　of　ages　do　not　oft　recover

the　loss　of　a　rejected　truth；　for　the　want　of　which　whole　nations

fare　the　worse。



　　　We　should　be　wary　therefore　what　persecution　we　raise　against

the　living　labours　of　public　men；　how　we　spill　that　seasoned　life

of　man；　preserved　and　stored　up　in　books；　since　we　see　a　kind　of

homicide　may　be　thus　committed；　sometimes　a　martyrdom；　and　if　it

extend　to　the　whole　impression；　a　kind　of　massacre；　whereof　the

execution　ends　not　in　the　slaying　of　an　elemental　life；　but　strikes

at　that　ethereal　and　fifth　essence；　the　breath　of　reason　itself；

slays　an　immortality　rather　than　a　life。　　But　lest　I　should　be

condemned　of　introducing　license；　while　I　oppose　licensing；　I

refuse　not　the　pains　to　be　so　much　historical；　as　will　serve　to

show　what　hath　been　done　by　ancient　and　famous　commonwealths

against　this　disorder；　till　the　very　time　that　this　project　of

licensing　crept　out　of　the　Inquisition；　was　catched　up　by　our

prelates；　and　hath　caught　some　of　our　presbyters。



In　Athens；　where　books　and　wits　were　ever　busier　than　in　any

other　part　of　Greece；　I　find　but　only　two　sorts　of　writings　which

the　magistrate　cared　to　take　notice　of；　those　either　blasphemous

and　atheistical；　or　libellous。　　Thus　the　books　of　Protagoras　were

by　the　judges　of　Areopagus　commanded　to　be　burnt；　and　himself

banished　the　territory　for　a　discourse　begun　with　his　confessing

not　to　know　WHETHER　THERE　WERE　GODS；　OR　WHETHER　NOT。　　And

against　defaming；　it　was　decreed　that　none　should　be　traduced　by

name；　as　was　the　manner　of　Vetus　Comoedia；　whereby　we　may　guess　how

they　censured　libelling。　　And　this　course　was　quick　enough；　as

Cicero　writes；　to　quell　both　the　desperate　wits　of　other　atheists；

and　the　open　way　of　defaming；　as　the　event　showed。　　Of　other　sects

and　opinions；　though　tending　to　voluptuousness；　and　the　denying　of

divine　Providence；　they　took　no　heed。



Therefore　we　do　not　read　that　either　Epicurus；　or　that　libertine

school　of　Cyrene；　or　what　the　Cynic　impudence　uttered；　was　ever

questioned　by　the　laws。　　Neither　is　it　recorded　that　the　writings

of　those　old　comedians　were　suppressed；　though　the　acting　of　them

were　forbid；　and　that　Plato　commended　the　reading　of　Aristophanes；

the　loosest　of　them　all；　to　his　royal　scholar　Dionysius；　is

commonly　known；　and　may　be　excused；　if　holy　Chrysostom；　as　is

reported；　nightly　studied　so　much　the　same　author　and　had　the　art

to　cleanse　a　scurrilous　vehemence　into　the　style　of　a　rousing

sermon。



That　other　leading　city　of　Greece；　Lacedaemon；　considering　that

Lycurgus　their　lawgiver　was　so　addicted　to　elegant　learning；　as　to

have　been　the　first　that　brought　out　of　Ionia　the　scattered　works

of　Homer；　and　sent　the　poet　Thales　from　Crete　to　prepare　and

mollify　the　Spartan　surliness　with　his　smooth　songs　and　odes；　the

better　to　plant　among　them　law　and　civility；　it　is　to　be　wondered

how　museless　and　unbookish　they　were；　minding　nought　but　the　feats

of　war。　　There　needed　no　licensing　of　books　among　them；　for　they

disliked　all　but　their　own　laconic　apophthegms；　and　took　a　slight

occasion　to　chase　Archilochus　out　of　their　city；　perhaps　for

composing　in　a　higher　strain　than　their　own　soldierly　ballads　and

roundels　could　reach　to。　　Or　if　it　were　for　his　broad　verses；　they

were　not　therein　so　cautious　but　they　were　as　dissolute　in　their

promiscuous　conversing；　whence　Euripides　affirms　in　　Andromache；

that　their　women　were　all　unchaste。　　Thus　much　may　give　us　light

after　what　sort　of　books　were　prohibited　among　the　Greeks。



The　Romans　also；　for　many　ages　trained　up　only　to　a　military

roughness　resembling　most　the　Lacedaemonian　guise；　knew　of　learning

little　but　what　their　twelve　Tables；　and　the　Pontific　College　with

their　augurs　and　flamens　taught　them　in　religion　and　law；　so

unacquainted　with　other　learning；　that　when　Carneades　and

Critolaus；　with　the　Stoic　Diogenes；　coming　ambassadors　to　Rome；

took　thereby　occasion　to　give　the　city　a　taste　of　their　philosophy；

they　were　suspected　for　seducers　by　no　less　a　man　than　Cato　the

Censor；　who　moved　it　in　the　Senate　to　dismiss　them　speedily；　and　to

banish　all　such　Attic　babblers　out　of　Italy。　　But　Scipio　and　others

of　the　noblest　senators　withstood　him　and　his　old　Sabine　austerity；

honoured　and　admired　the　men；　and　the　censor　himself　at　last；　in

his　old　age；　fell　to　the　study　of　that　whereof　before　he　was　so

scrupulous。　　And　yet　at　the　same　time　Naevius　and　Plautus；　the

first　Latin　comedians；　had　filled　the　city　with　all　the　borrowed

scenes　of　Menander　and　Philemon。　　Then　began　to　be　considered　there

also　what　was　to　be　done　to　libellous　books　and　authors；　for

Naevius　was　quickly　cast　into　prison　for　his　unbridled　pen；　and

released　by　the　tribunes　upon　his　recantation；　we　read　also　that

libels　were　burnt；　and　the　makers　punished　by　Augustus。　　The　like

severity；　no　doubt；　was　used；　if　aught　were　impiously　written

against　their　esteemed　gods。　　Except　in　these　two　points；　how　the

world　went　in　books；　the　magistrate　kept　no　reckoning。



And　therefore　Lucretius　without　impeachment　versifies　his

Epicurism　to　Memmius；　and　had　the　honour　to　be　set　forth　the　second

time　by　Cicero；　so　great　a　father　of　the　Commonwealth；　although

himself　disputes　against　that　opinion　in　his　own　writings。　　Nor　was

the　satirical　sharpness　or　naked　plainness　of　Lucilius；　or

Catullus；　or　Flaccus；　by　any　order　prohibited。　　And　for　matters　of

state；　the　story　of　Titus　Livius；　though　it　extolled　that　part

which　Pompey　held；　was　not　therefore　suppressed　by　Octavius　Caesar

of　the　other　faction。　　But　that　Naso　was　by　him　banished　in　his　old

age；　for　the　wanton　poems　of　his　youth；　was　but　a　mere　covert　of

state　over　some　secret　cause：　and　besides；　the　books　were　neither

banished　nor　called　in。　　From　hence　we　shall　meet　with　little　else

but　tyranny　in　the　Roman　empire；　that　we　may　not　marvel；　if　not　so

often　bad　as　good　books　were　silenced。　　I　shall　therefore　deem　to

have　been　large　enough；　in　producing　what　among　the　ancients　was

punishable　to　write；　save　only　which；　all　other　arguments　were　free

to　treat　on。



By　this　time　the　emperors　were　become　Christians；　whose

discipline　in　this　point　I　do　not　find　to　have　been　more　severe

than　what　was　formerly　in　practice。　　The　books　of　those　whom　they

took　to　be　grand　heretics　were　examined；　refuted；　and　condemned　in

the　general　Councils；　and　not　till　then　were　prohibited；　or　burnt；

by　authority　of　the　emperor。　　As　for　the　writings　of　heathen

authors；　unless　they　were　plain　invectives　against　Chr