areopagitica-第7章

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list；　that　all　may　know　which　are　condemned；　and　which　not；　and

ordain　that　no　foreign　books　be　delivered　out　of　custody；　till　they

have　been　read　over。　　This　office　will　require　the　whole　time　of

not　a　few　overseers；　and　those　no　vulgar　men。　　There　be　also　books

which　are　partly　useful　and　excellent；　partly　culpable　and

pernicious；　this　work　will　ask　as　many　more　officials；　to　make

expurgations　and　expunctions；　that　the　commonwealth　of　learning　be

not　damnified。　　In　fine；　when　the　multitude　of　books　increase　upon

their　hands；　ye　must　be　fain　to　catalogue　all　those　printers　who

are　found　frequently　offending；　and　forbid　the　importation　of　their

whole　suspected　typography。　　In　a　word；　that　this　your　Order　may　be

exact　and　not　deficient；　ye　must　reform　it　perfectly　according　to

the　model　of　Trent　and　Seville；　which　I　know　ye　abhor　to　do。



Yet　though　ye　should　condescend　to　this；　which　God　forbid；　the

Order　still　would　be　but　fruitless　and　defective　to　that　end

whereto　ye　meant　it。　　If　to　prevent　sects　and　schisms；　who　is　so

unread　or　so　uncatechized　in　story；　that　hath　not　heard　of　many

sects　refusing　books　as　a　hindrance；　and　preserving　their　doctrine

unmixed　for　many　ages；　only　by　unwritten　traditions？　　The　Christian

faith；　for　that　was　once　a　schism；　is　not　unknown　to　have　spread

all　over　Asia；　ere　any　Gospel　or　Epistle　was　seen　in　writing。　　If

the　amendment　of　manners　be　aimed　at；　look　into　Italy　and　Spain；

whether　those　places　be　one　scruple　the　better；　the　honester；　the

wiser；　the　chaster；　since　all　the　inquisitional　rigour　that　hath

been　executed　upon　books。



Another　reason；　whereby　to　make　it　plain　that　this　Order　will

miss　the　end　it　seeks；　consider　by　the　quality　which　ought　to　be　in

every　licenser。　　It　cannot　be　denied　but　that　he　who　is　made　judge

to　sit　upon　the　birth　or　death　of　books；　whether　they　may　be　wafted

into　this　world　or　not；　had　need　to　be　a　man　above　the　common

measure；　both　studious；　learned；　and　judicious；　there　may　be　else

no　mean　mistakes　in　the　censure　of　what　is　passable　or　not；　which

is　also　no　mean　injury。　　If　he　be　of　such　worth　as　behooves　him；

there　cannot　be　a　more　tedious　and　unpleasing　journey…work；　a

greater　loss　of　time　levied　upon　his　head；　than　to　be　made　the

perpetual　reader　of　unchosen　books　and　pamphlets；　ofttimes　huge

volumes。　　There　is　no　book　that　is　acceptable　unless　at　certain

seasons；　but　to　be　enjoined　the　reading　of　that　at　all　times；　and

in　a　hand　scarce　legible；　whereof　three　pages　would　not　down　at　any

time　in　the　fairest　print；　is　an　imposition　which　I　cannot　believe

how　he　that　values　time　and　his　own　studies；　or　is　but　of　a

sensible　nostril；　should　be　able　to　endure。　　In　this　one　thing　I

crave　leave　of　the　present　licensers　to　be　pardoned　for　so

thinking；　who　doubtless　took　this　office　up；　looking　on　it　through

their　obedience　to　the　Parliament；　whose　command　perhaps　made　all

things　seem　easy　and　unlaborious　to　them；　but　that　this　short　trial

hath　wearied　them　out　already；　their　own　expressions　and　excuses　to

them　who　make　so　many　journeys　to　solicit　their　licence　are

testimony　enough。　　Seeing　therefore　those　who　now　possess　the

employment　by　all　evident　signs　wish　themselves　well　rid　of　it；　and

that　no　man　of　worth；　none　that　is　not　a　plain　unthrift　of　his　own

hours；　is　ever　likely　to　succeed　them；　except　he　mean　to　put

himself　to　the　salary　of　a　press　corrector；　we　may　easily　foresee

what　kind　of　licensers　we　are　to　expect　hereafter；　either　ignorant；

imperious；　and　remiss；　or　basely　pecuniary。　　This　is　what　I　had　to

show；　wherein　this　Order　cannot　conduce　to　that　end　whereof　it

bears　the　intention。



I　lastly　proceed　from　the　no　good　it　can　do；　to　the　manifest　hurt

it　causes；　in　being　first　the　greatest　discouragement　and　affront

that　can　be　offered　to　learning；　and　to　learned　men。



It　was　the　complaint　and　lamentation　of　prelates；　upon　every

least　breath　of　a　motion　to　remove　pluralities；　and　distribute　more

equally　Church　revenues；　that　then　all　learning　would　be　for　ever

dashed　and　discouraged。　　But　as　for　that　opinion；　I　never　found

cause　to　think　that　the　tenth　part　of　learning　stood　or　fell　with

the　clergy：　nor　could　I　ever　but　hold　it　for　a　sordid　and　unworthy

speech　of　any　churchman　who　had　a　competency　left　him。　　If

therefore　ye　be　loath　to　dishearten　utterly　and　discontent；　not　the

mercenary　crew　of　false　pretenders　to　learning；　but　the　free　and

ingenuous　sort　of　such　as　evidently　were　born　to　study；　and　love

learning　for　itself；　not　for　lucre　or　any　other　end　but　the　service

of　God　and　of　truth；　and　perhaps　that　lasting　fame　and　perpetuity

of　praise　which　God　and　good　men　have　consented　shall　be　the　reward

of　those　whose　published　labours　advance　the　good　of　mankind；　then

know　that；　so　far　to　distrust　the　judgment　and　the　honesty　of　one

who　hath　but　a　common　repute　in　learning；　and　never　yet　offended；

as　not　to　count　him　fit　to　print　his　mind　without　a　tutor　and

examiner；　lest　he　should　drop　a　schism；　or　something　of　corruption；

is　the　greatest　displeasure　and　indignity　to　a　free　and　knowing

spirit　that　can　be　put　upon　him。



What　advantage　is　it　to　be　a　man；　over　it　is　to　be　a　boy　at

school；　if　we　have　only　escaped　the　ferula　to　come　under　the　fescue

of　an　Imprimatur；　if　serious　and　elaborate　writings；　as　if　they

were　no　more　than　the　theme　of　a　grammar…lad　under　his　pedagogue；

must　not　be　uttered　without　the　cursory　eyes　of　a　temporizing　and

extemporizing　licenser？　　He　who　is　not　trusted　with　his　own

actions；　his　drift　not　being　known　to　be　evil；　and　standing　to　the

hazard　of　law　and　penalty；　has　no　great　argument　to　think　himself

reputed　in　the　Commonwealth　wherein　he　was　born　for　other　than　a

fool　or　a　foreigner。　　When　a　man　writes　to　the　world；　he　summons　up

all　his　reason　and　deliberation　to　assist　him；　he　searches；

meditates；　is　industrious；　and　likely　consults　and　confers　with　his

judicious　friends；　after　all　which　done　he　takes　himself　to　be

informed　in　what　he　writes；　as　well　as　any　that　writ　before　him。　

If；　in　this　the　most　consummate　act　of　his　fidelity　and　ripeness；

no　years；　no　industry；　no　former　proof　of　his　abilities　can　bring

him　to　that　state　of　maturity；　as　not　to　be　still　mistrusted　and

suspected；　unless　he　carry　all　his　considerate　diligence；　all　his

midnight　watchings　and　expense　of　Palladian　oil；　to　the　hasty　view

of　an　unleisured　licenser；　perhaps　much　his　younger；　perhaps　his

inferior　in　judgment；　perhaps　one　who　never　knew　the　labour　of

bookwriting；　and　if　he　be　not　repulsed　or　slighted；　must　appear　in

print　like　a　puny　with　his　guardian；　and　his　censor's　hand　on　the

back　of　his　title　to　be　his　bail　and　surety　that　he　is　no　idiot　or

seducer；　it　cannot　be　but　a　dishonour　and　derogation　to　the　author；

to　the　book；　to　the　privilege　and　dignity　of　learning。



And　what　if　the　author　shall　be　one　so　copious　of　fancy；　as　to

have　many　things　well　worth　the　adding　come　into　his　mind　after

licensing；　while　the　book　is　yet　under　the　press；　which　not　seldom

happens　to　the　best　and　diligentest　writers；　and　that　perhaps　a

dozen　times　in　one　book？　　The　printer　dares　not　go　beyond　his

licensed　copy；　so　often　then　must　the　author　trudge　to　his　leave…

giver；　that　those　his　new　insertions　may　be　viewed；　and　many　a

jaunt　will　be　made；　ere　that　licenser；　for　it　must　be　the　same　man；

can　either　be　found；　or　found　at　leisure；　meanwhile　either　the

press　must　stand　still；　which　is　no　small　damage；　or　the　author

lose　his　accuratest　thoughts；　and　send　the　book　forth　worse　than　he

had　made　it；　which　to　a　diligent　writer　is　the　greatest　melancholy

and　vexation　that　can　befall。



And　how　can　a　man　teach　with　authority；　which　is　the　life　of

teaching；　how　can　he　be　a　doctor　in　his　book　as　he　ought　to　be；　or

else　had　better　be　silent；　whenas　all　he　teaches；　all　he　delivers；

is　but　under　the　tuition；　under　the　correction　of　his　patriarchal

licenser　to　blot　or　alter　what　precisely　accords　n