areopagitica-第5章

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know；　and　yet　abstain。　　Since　therefore　the　knowledge　and　survey　of

vice　is　in　this　world　so　necessary　to　the　constituting　of　human

virtue；　and　the　scanning　of　error　to　the　confirmation　of　truth；　how

can　we　more　safely；　and　with　less　danger；　scout　into　the　regions　of

sin　and　falsity　than　by　reading　all　manner　of　tractates　and　hearing

all　manner　of　reason？　　And　this　is　the　benefit　which　may　be　had　of

books　promiscuously　read。



But　of　the　harm　that　may　result　hence　three　kinds　are　usually

reckoned。　　First；　is　feared　the　infection　that　may　spread；　but　then

all　human　learning　and　controversy　in　religious　points　must　remove

out　of　the　world；　yea　the　Bible　itself；　for　that　ofttimes　relates

blasphemy　not　nicely；　it　describes　the　carnal　sense　of　wicked　men

not　unelegantly；　it　brings　in　holiest　men　passionately　murmuring

against　Providence　through　all　the　arguments　of　Epicurus：　in　other

great　disputes　it　answers　dubiously　and　darkly　to　the　common

reader。　　And　ask　a　Talmudist　what　ails　the　modesty　of　his　marginal

Keri；　that　Moses　and　all　the　prophets　cannot　persuade　him　to

pronounce　the　textual　Chetiv。　　For　these　causes　we　all　know　the

Bible　itself　put　by　the　Papist　must　be　next　removed；　as　Clement　of

Alexandria；　and　that　Eusebian　book　of　Evangelic　preparation；

transmitting　our　ears　through　a　hoard　of　heathenish　obscenities　to

receive　the　Gospel。　　Who　finds　not　that　Irenaeus；　Epiphanius；

Jerome；　and　others　discover　more　heresies　than　they　well　confute；

and　that　oft　for　heresy　which　is　the　truer　opinion？



Nor　boots　it　to　say　for　these；　and　all　the　heathen　writers　of

greatest　infection；　if　it　must　be　thought　so；　with　whom　is　bound　up

the　life　of　human　learning；　that　they　writ　in　an　unknown　tongue；　so

long　as　we　are　sure　those　languages　are　known　as　well　to　the　worst

of　men；　who　are　both　most　able　and　most　diligent　to　instil　the

poison　they　suck；　first　into　the　courts　of　princes；　acquainting

them　with　the　choicest　delights　and　criticisms　of　sin。　　As　perhaps

did　that　Petronius　whom　Nero　called　his　Arbiter；　the　master　of　his

revels；　and　the　notorious　ribald　of　Arezzo；　dreaded　and　yet　dear　to

the　Italian　courtiers。　　I　name　not　him　for　posterity's　sake；　whom

Henry　VIII。　named　in　merriment　his　vicar　of　hell。　　By　which

compendious　way　all　the　contagion　that　foreign　books　can　infuse

will　find　a　passage　to　the　people　far　easier　and　shorter　than　an

Indian　voyage；　though　it　could　be　sailed　either　by　the　north　of

Cataio　eastward；　or　of　Canada　westward；　while　our　Spanish　licensing

gags　the　English　press　never　so　severely。



　　　But　on　the　other　side　that　infection　which　is　from　books　of

controversy　in　religion　is　more　doubtful　and　dangerous　to　the

learned　than　to　the　ignorant；　and　yet　those　books　must　be　permitted

untouched　by　the　licenser。　　It　will　be　hard　to　instance　where　any

ignorant　man　hath　been　ever　seduced　by　papistical　book　in　English；

unless　it　were　commended　and　expounded　to　him　by　some　of　that

clergy：　and　indeed　all　such　tractates；　whether　false　or　true；　are

as　the　prophecy　of　Isaiah　was　to　the　eunuch；　not　to　be　

UNDERSTOOD　WITHOUT　A　GUIDE。　　But　of　our　priests　and　doctors　how

many　have　been　corrupted　by　studying　the　comments　of　Jesuits　and

Sorbonists；　and　how　fast　they　could　transfuse　that　corruption　into

the　people；　our　experience　is　both　late　and　sad。　　It　is　not　forgot；

since　the　acute　and　distinct　Arminius　was　perverted　merely　by　the

perusing　of　a　nameless　discourse　written　at　Delft；　which　at　first

he　took　in　hand　to　confute。



Seeing；　therefore；　that　those　books；　and　those　in　great

abundance；　which　are　likeliest　to　taint　both　life　and　doctrine；

cannot　be　suppressed　without　the　fall　of　learning　and　of　all

ability　in　disputation；　and　that　these　books　of　either　sort　are

most　and　soonest　catching　to　the　learned；　from　whom　to　the　common

people　whatever　is　heretical　or　dissolute　may　quickly　be　conveyed；

and　that　evil　manners　are　as　perfectly　learnt　without　books　a

thousand　other　ways　which　cannot　be　stopped；　and　evil　doctrine　not

with　books　can　propagate；　except　a　teacher　guide；　which　he　might

also　do　without　writing；　and　so　beyond　prohibiting；　I　am　not　able

to　unfold；　how　this　cautelous　enterprise　of　licensing　can　be

exempted　from　the　number　of　vain　and　impossible　attempts。　　And　he

who　were　pleasantly　disposed　could　not　well　avoid　to　liken　it　to

the　exploit　of　that　gallant　man　who　thought　to　pound　up　the　crows

by　shutting　his　park　gate。



Besides　another　inconvenience；　if　learned　men　be　the　first

receivers　out　of　books　and　dispreaders　both　of　vice　and　error；　how

shall　the　licensers　themselves　be　confided　in；　unless　we　can　confer

upon　them；　or　they　assume　to　themselves　above　all　others　in　the

land；　the　grace　of　infallibility　and　uncorruptedness？　　And　again；

if　it　be　true　that　a　wise　man；　like　a　good　refiner；　can　gather　gold

out　of　the　drossiest　volume；　and　that　a　fool　will　be　a　fool　with

the　best　book；　yea　or　without　book；　there　is　no　reason　that　we

should　deprive　a　wise　man　of　any　advantage　to　his　wisdom；　while　we

seek　to　restrain　from　a　fool；　that　which　being　restrained　will　be

no　hindrance　to　his　folly。　　For　if　there　should　be　so　much

exactness　always　used　to　keep　that　from　him　which　is　unfit　for　his

reading；　we　should　in　the　judgment　of　Aristotle　not　only；　but　of

Solomon　and　of　our　Saviour；　not　vouchsafe　him　good　precepts；　and　by

consequence　not　willingly　admit　him　to　good　books；　as　being　certain

that　a　wise　man　will　make　better　use　of　an　idle　pamphlet；　than　a

fool　will　do　of　sacred　Scripture。



'Tis　next　alleged　we　must　not　expose　ourselves　to　temptations

without　necessity；　and　next　to　that；　not　employ　our　time　in　vain

things。　　To　both　these　objections　one　answer　will　serve；　out　of　the

grounds　already　laid；　that　to　all　men　such　books　are　not

temptations；　nor　vanities；　but　useful　drugs　and　materials　wherewith

to　temper　and　compose　effective　and　strong　medicines；　which　man's

life　cannot　want。　　The　rest；　as　children　and　childish　men；　who　have

not　the　art　to　qualify　and　prepare　these　working　minerals；　well　may

be　exhorted　to　forbear；　but　hindered　forcibly　they　cannot　be　by　all

the　licensing　that　Sainted　Inquisition　could　ever　yet　contrive。　

Which　is　what　I　promised　to　deliver　next：　that　this　order　of

licensing　conduces　nothing　to　the　end　for　which　it　was　framed；　and

hath　almost　prevented　me　by　being　clear　already　while　thus　much

hath　been　explaining。　　See　the　ingenuity　of　Truth；　who；　when　she

gets　a　free　and　willing　hand；　opens　herself　faster　than　the　pace　of

method　and　discourse　can　overtake　her。



It　was　the　task　which　I　began　with；　to　show　that　no　nation；　or

well…instituted　state；　if　they　valued　books　at　all；　did　ever　use

this　way　of　licensing；　and　it　might　be　answered；　that　this　is　a

piece　of　prudence　lately　discovered。　　To　which　I　return；　that　as　it

was　a　thing　slight　and　obvious　to　think　on；　so　if　it　had　been

difficult　to　find　out；　there　wanted　not　among　them　long　since　who

suggested　such　a　course；　which　they　not　following；　leave　us　a

pattern　of　their　judgment　that　it　was　not　the　rest　knowing；　but　the

not　approving；　which　was　the　cause　of　their　not　using　it。



Plato；　a　man　of　high　authority；　indeed；　but　least　of　all　for　his

Commonwealth；　in　the　book　of　his　Laws；　which　no　city　ever　yet

received；　fed　his　fancy　by　making　many　edicts　to　his　airy

burgomasters；　which　they　who　otherwise　admire　him　wish　had　been

rather　buried　and　excused　in　the　genial　cups　of　an　Academic　night

sitting。　　By　which　laws　he　seems　to　tolerate　no　kind　of　learning

but　by　unalterable　decree；　consisting　most　of　practical　traditions；

to　the　attainment　whereof　a　library　of　smaller　bulk　than　his　own

Dialogues　would　be　abundant。　　And　there　also　enacts；　that　no　poet

should　so　much　as　read　to　any　private　man　what　he　had　written；

until　the　judges　and　law…keepers　had　seen　it；　and　allowed　it。　　But

that　Plato　meant　this　law　peculiarly　to　that　commonwealth　which　he

had　imagined；　and　to　no　other；　is　evid