areopagitica-第3章

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

authors；　unless　they　were　plain　invectives　against　Christianity；　as

those　of　Porphyrius　and　Proclus；　they　met　with　no　interdict　that

can　be　cited；　till　about　the　year　400；　in　a　Carthaginian　Council；

wherein　bishops　themselves　were　forbid　to　read　the　books　of

Gentiles；　but　heresies　they　might　read：　while　others　long　before

them；　on　the　contrary；　scrupled　more　the　books　of　heretics　than　of

Gentiles。　　And　that　the　primitive　Councils　and　bishops　were　wont

only　to　declare　what　books　were　not　commendable；　passing　no

further；　but　leaving　it　to　each　one's　conscience　to　read　or　to　lay

by；　till　after　the　year　800；　is　observed　already　by　Padre　Paolo；

the　great　unmasker　of　the　Trentine　Council。



After　which　time　the　Popes　of　Rome；　engrossing　what　they　pleased

of　political　rule　into　their　own　hands；　extended　their　dominion

over　men's　eyes；　as　they　had　before　over　their　judgments；　burning

and　prohibiting　to　be　read　what　they　fancied　not；　yet　sparing　in

their　censures；　and　the　books　not　many　which　they　so　dealt　with：

till　Martin　V。；　by　his　bull；　not　only　prohibited；　but　was　the　first

that　excommunicated　the　reading　of　heretical　books；　for　about　that

time　Wickliffe　and　Huss；　growing　terrible；　were　they　who　first

drove　the　Papal　Court　to　a　stricter　policy　of　prohibiting。　　Which

course　Leo　X。　and　his　successors　followed；　until　the　Council　of

Trent　and　the　Spanish　Inquisition　engendering　together　brought

forth；　or　perfected；　those　Catalogues　and　expurging　Indexes；　that

rake　through　the　entrails　of　many　an　old　good　author；　with　a

violation　worse　than　any　could　be　offered　to　his　tomb。　　Nor　did

they　stay　in　matters　heretical；　but　any　subject　that　was　not　to

their　palate；　they　either　condemned　in　a　Prohibition；　or　had　it

straight　into　the　new　purgatory　of　an　index。



To　fill　up　the　measure　of　encroachment；　their　last　invention　was

to　ordain　that　no　book；　pamphlet；　or　paper　should　be　printed　（as　if

St。　Peter　had　bequeathed　them　the　keys　of　the　press　also　out　of

Paradise）　unless　it　were　approved　and　licensed　under　the　hands　of

two　or　three　glutton　friars。　　For　example：





　　　Let　the　Chancellor　Cini　be　pleased　to　see　if　in　this　present

　　　　　　　　work　be　contained　aught　that　may　withstand　the　printing。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VINCENT　RABBATTA；　　Vicar　of　Florence。



　　　I　have　seen　this　present　work；　and　find　nothing　athwart　the

　　　　　　　　Catholic　faith　and　good　manners：　in　witness　whereof　I

　　　　　　　　have　given；　etc。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NICOLO　GINI；　　Chancellor　of　Florence。





　　　Attending　the　precedent　relation；　it　is　allowed　that　this

　　　　　　　　present　work　of　Davanzati　may　be　printed。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VINCENT　RABBATTA；　　etc。





　　　It　may　be　printed；　July　15。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　FRIAR　SIMON　MOMPEI　D'AMELIA；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chancellor　of　the　Holy　Office　in　Florence。





Sure　they　have　a　conceit；　if　he　of　the　bottomless　pit　had　not

long　since　broke　prison；　that　this　quadruple　exorcism　would　bar　him

down。　　I　fear　their　next　design　will　be　to　get　into　their　custody

the　licensing　of　that　which　they　say　Claudius　intended；　but　went

not　through　with。　　Vouchsafe　to　see　another　of　their　forms；　the

Roman　stamp：





　　　Imprimatur；　If　it　seem　good　to　the　reverend　Master　of　the



　　　　　　　　Holy　Palace。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BELCASTRO；　　Vicegerent。





　　　　Imprimatur；　Friar　Nicolo　Rodolphi；　Master　of　the　Holy　Palace。





Sometimes　five　Imprimaturs　are　seen　together　dialogue…wise　in　the

piazza　of　one　title…page；　complimenting　and　ducking　each　to　other

with　their　shaven　reverences；　whether　the　author；　who　stands　by　in

perplexity　at　the　foot　of　his　epistle；　shall　to　the　press　or　to　the

sponge。　　These　are　the　pretty　responsories；　these　are　the　dear

antiphonies；　that　so　bewitched　of　late　our　prelates　and　their

chaplains　with　the　goodly　echo　they　made；　and　besotted　us　to　the

gay　imitation　of　a　lordly　Imprimatur；　one　from　Lambeth　House；

another　from　the　west　end　of　Paul's；　so　apishly　Romanizing；　that

the　word　of　command　still　was　set　down　in　Latin；　as　if　the　learned

grammatical　pen　that　wrote　it　would　cast　no　ink　without　Latin；　or

perhaps；　as　they　thought；　because　no　vulgar　tongue　was　worthy　to

express　the　pure　conceit　of　an　Imprimatur；　but　rather；　as　I　hope；

for　that　our　English；　the　language　of　men　ever　famous　and　foremost

in　the　achievements　of　liberty；　will　not　easily　find　servile

letters　enow　to　spell　such　a　dictatory　presumption　English。



And　thus　ye　have　the　inventors　and　the　original　of　book…licensing

ripped　up　and　drawn　as　lineally　as　any　pedigree。　　We　have　it　not；

that　can　be　heard　of；　from　any　ancient　state；　or　polity　or　church；

nor　by　any　statute　left　us　by　our　ancestors　elder　or　later；　nor

from　the　modern　custom　of　any　reformed　city　or　church　abroad；　but

from　the　most　anti…christian　council　and　the　most　tyrannous

inquisition　that　ever　inquired。　　Till　then　books　were　ever　as

freely　admitted　into　the　world　as　any　other　birth；　the　issue　of　the

brain　was　no　more　stifled　than　the　issue　of　the　womb：　no　envious

Juno　sat　cross…legged　over　the　nativity　of　any　man's　intellectual

offspring；　but　if　it　proved　a　monster；　who　denies；　but　that　it　was

justly　burnt；　or　sunk　into　the　sea？　　But　that　a　book；　in　worse

condition　than　a　peccant　soul；　should　be　to　stand　before　a　jury　ere

it　be　born　to　the　world；　and　undergo　yet　in　darkness　the　judgment

of　Radamanth　and　his　colleagues；　ere　it　can　pass　the　ferry　backward

into　light；　was　never　heard　before；　till　that　mysterious　iniquity；

provoked　and　troubled　at　the　first　entrance　of　Reformation；　sought

out　new　limbos　and　new　hells　wherein　they　might　include　our　books

also　within　the　number　of　their　damned。　　And　this　was　the　rare

morsel　so　officiously　snatched　up；　and　so　ill…favouredly　imitated

by　our　inquisiturient　bishops；　and　the　attendant　minorites　their

chaplains。　　That　ye　like　not　now　these　most　certain　authors　of　this

licensing　order；　and　that　all　sinister　intention　was　far　distant

from　your　thoughts；　when　ye　were　importuned　the　passing　it；　all　men

who　know　the　integrity　of　your　actions；　and　how　ye　honour　truth；

will　clear　ye　readily。



But　some　will　say；　what　though　the　inventors　were　bad；　the　thing

for　all　that　may　be　good？　　It　may　so；　yet　if　that　thing　be　no　such

deep　invention；　but　obvious；　and　easy　for　any　man　to　light　on；　and

yet　best　and　wisest　commonwealths　through　all　ages　and　occasions

have　forborne　to　use　it；　and　falsest　seducers　and　oppressors　of　men

were　the　first　who　took　it　up；　and　to　no　other　purpose　but　to

obstruct　and　hinder　the　first　approach　of　Reformation；　I　am　of

those　who　believe　it　will　be　a　harder　alchemy　than　Lullius　ever

knew；　to　sublimate　any　good　use　out　of　such　an　invention。　　Yet　this

only　is　what　I　request　to　gain　from　this　reason；　that　it　may　be

held　a　dangerous　and　suspicious　fruit；　as　certainly　it　deserves；

for　the　tree　that　bore　it；　until　I　can　dissect　one　by　one　the

properties　it　has。　　But　I　have　first　to　finish；　as　was　propounded；

what　is　to　be　thought　in　general　of　reading　books；　whatever　sort

they　be；　and　whether　be　more　the　benefit　or　the　harm　that　thence

proceeds。



Not　to　insist　upon　the　examples　of　Moses；　Daniel；　and　Paul；　who

were　skilful　in　all　the　learning　of　the　Egyptians；　Chaldeans；　and

Greeks；　which　could　not　probably　be　without　reading　their　books　of

all　sorts；　in　Paul　especially；　who　thought　it　no　defilement　to

insert　into　Holy　Scripture　the　sentences　of　three　Greek　poets；　and

one　of　them　a　tragedian；　the　question　was　notwithstanding　sometimes

controverted　among　the　primitive　doctors；　but　with　great　odds　on

that　side　which　affirmed　it　both　lawful　and　profitable；　as　was　then

evidently　perceived；　when　Julian　the　Apostate　and　subtlest　enemy　to

our　faith　made　a　decree　forbidding　Christians　the　study　of　heathen

learning：　for；　said　he；　they　wound　us　with　our　own　weapons；　and

with　our　own　ar