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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　not　with　the

hidebound　humour　which　he　calls　his　judgment？　　When　every　acute

reader；　upon　the　first　sight　of　a　pedantic　licence；　will　be　ready

with　these　like　words　to　ding　the　book　a　quoit's　distance　from　him：

I　hate　a　pupil　teacher；　I　endure　not　an　instructor　that　comes　to　me

under　the　wardship　of　an　overseeing　fist。　　I　know　nothing　of　the

licenser；　but　that　I　have　his　own　hand　here　for　his　arrogance；　who

shall　warrant　me　his　judgment？　　The　State；　sir；　replies　the

stationer；　but　has　a　quick　return：　The　State　shall　be　my　governors；

but　not　my　critics；　they　may　be　mistaken　in　the　choice　of　a

licenser；　as　easily　as　this　licenser　may　be　mistaken　in　an　author；

this　is　some　common　stuff；　and　he　might　add　from　Sir　Francis　Bacon；

THAT　SUCH　AUTHORIZED　BOOKS　ARE　BUT　THE　LANGUAGE　OF　THE　TIMES。

For　though　a　licenser　should　happen　to　be　judicious　more　than

ordinary；　which　will　be　a　great　jeopardy　of　the　next　succession；

yet　his　very　office　and　his　commission　enjoins　him　to　let　pass

nothing　but　what　is　vulgarly　received　already。



Nay；　which　is　more　lamentable；　if　the　work　of　any　deceased

author；　though　never　so　famous　in　his　lifetime　and　even　to　this

day；　come　to　their　hands　for　licence　to　be　printed；　or　reprinted；

if　there　be　found　in　his　book　one　sentence　of　a　venturous　edge；

uttered　in　the　height　of　zeal　（and　who　knows　whether　it　might　not

be　the　dictate　of　a　divine　spirit？）　yet　not　suiting　with　every　low

decrepit　humour　of　their　own；　though　it　were　Knox　himself；　the

reformer　of　a　kingdom；　that　spake　it；　they　will　not　pardon　him

their　dash：　the　sense　of　that　great　man　shall　to　all　posterity　be

lost；　for　the　fearfulness　or　the　presumptuous　rashness　of　a

perfunctory　licenser。　　And　to　what　an　author　this　violence　hath

been　lately　done；　and　in　what　book　of　greatest　consequence　to　be

faithfully　published；　I　could　now　instance；　but　shall　forbear　till

a　more　convenient　season。



Yet　if　these　things　be　not　resented　seriously　and　timely　by　them

who　have　the　remedy　in　their　power；　but　that　such　iron…moulds　as

these　shall　have　authority　to　gnaw　out　the　choicest　periods　of

exquisitest　books；　and　to　commit　such　a　treacherous　fraud　against

the　orphan　remainders　of　worthiest　men　after　death；　the　more　sorrow

will　belong　to　that　hapless　race　of　men；　whose　misfortune　it　is　to

have　understanding。　　Henceforth　let　no　man　care　to　learn；　or　care

to　be　more　than　worldly…wise；　for　certainly　in　higher　matters　to　be

ignorant　and　slothful；　to　be　a　common　steadfast　dunce；　will　be　the

only　pleasant　life；　and　only　in　request。



And　it　is　a　particular　disesteem　of　every　knowing　person　alive；

and　most　injurious　to　the　written　labours　and　monuments　of　the

dead；　so　to　me　it　seems　an　undervaluing　and　vilifying　of　the　whole

nation。　　I　cannot　set　so　light　by　all　the　invention；　the　art；　the

wit；　the　grave　and　solid　judgment　which　is　in　England；　as　that　it

can　be　comprehended　in　any　twenty　capacities　how　good　soever；　much

less　that　it　should　not　pass　except　their　superintendence　be　over

it；　except　it　be　sifted　and　strained　with　their　strainers；　that　it

should　be　uncurrent　without　their　manual　stamp。　　Truth　and

understanding　are　not　such　wares　as　to　be　monopolized　and　traded　in

by　tickets　and　statutes　and　standards。　　We　must　not　think　to　make

a　staple　commodity　of　all　the　knowledge　in　the　land；　to　mark　and

licence　it　like　our　broadcloth　and　our　woolpacks。　　What　is　it　but

a　servitude　like　that　imposed　by　the　Philistines；　not　to　be　allowed

the　sharpening　of　our　own　axes　and　coulters；　but　we　must　repair

from　all　quarters　to　twenty　licensing　forges？　　Had　anyone　written

and　divulged　erroneous　things　and　scandalous　to　honest　life；

misusing　and　forfeiting　the　esteem　had　of　his　reason　among　men；　if

after　conviction　this　only　censure　were　adjudged　him　that　he　should

never　henceforth　write　but　what　were　first　examined　by　an　appointed

officer；　whose　hand　should　be　annexed　to　pass　his　credit　for　him

that　now　he　might　be　safely　read；　it　could　not　be　apprehended　less

than　a　disgraceful　punishment。　　Whence　to　include　the　whole　nation；

and　those　that　never　yet　thus　offended；　under　such　a　diffident　and

suspectful　prohibition；　may　plainly　be　understood　what　a

disparagement　it　is。　　So　much　the　more；　whenas　debtors　and

delinquents　may　walk　abroad　without　a　keeper；　but　unoffensive　books

must　not　stir　forth　without　a　visible　jailer　in　their　title。



Nor　is　it　to　the　common　people　less　than　a　reproach；　for　if　we　be

so　jealous　over　them；　as　that　we　dare　not　trust　them　with　an

English　pamphlet；　what　do　we　but　censure　them　for　a　giddy；　vicious；

and　ungrounded　people；　in　such　a　sick　and　weak　state　of　faith　and

discretion；　as　to　be　able　to　take　nothing　down　but　through　the　pipe

of　a　licenser？　　That　this　is　care　or　love　of　them；　we　cannot

pretend；　whenas；　in　those　popish　places　where　the　laity　are　most

hated　and　despised；　the　same　strictness　is　used　over　them。　　Wisdom

we　cannot　call　it；　because　it　stops　but　one　breach　of　licence；　nor

that　neither：　whenas　those　corruptions；　which　it　seeks　to　prevent；

break　in　faster　at　other　doors　which　cannot　be　shut。



And　in　conclusion　it　reflects　to　the　disrepute　of　our　ministers

also；　of　whose　labours　we　should　hope　better；　and　of　the

proficiency　which　their　flock　reaps　by　them；　than　that　after　all

this　light　of　the　Gospel　which　is；　and　is　to　be；　and　all　this

continual　preaching；　they　should　still　be　frequented　with　such　an

unprincipled；　unedified　and　laic　rabble；　as　that　the　whiff　of　every

new　pamphlet　should　stagger　them　out　of　their　catechism　and

Christian　walking。　　This　may　have　much　reason　to　discourage　the

ministers　when　such　a　low　conceit　is　had　of　all　their　exhortations；

and　the　benefiting　of　their　hearers；　as　that　they　are　not　thought

fit　to　be　turned　loose　to　three　sheets　of　paper　without　a　licenser；

that　all　the　sermons；　all　the　lectures　preached；　printed；　vented　in

such　numbers；　and　such　volumes；　as　have　now　well　nigh　made　all

other　books　unsaleable；　should　not　be　armour　enough　against　one

single　Enchiridion；　without　the　castle　of　St。　Angelo　of　an

Imprimatur。



And　lest　some　should　persuade　ye；　Lords　and　Commons；　that　these

arguments　of　learned　men's　discouragement　at　this　your　Order　are

mere　flourishes；　and　not　real；　I　could　recount　what　I　have　seen　and

heard　in　other　countries；　where　this　kind　of　inquisition

tyrannizes；　when　I　have　sat　among　their　learned　men；　for　that

honour　I　had；　and　been　counted　happy　to　be　born　in　such　a　place　of

philosophic　freedom；　as　they　supposed　England　was；　while　themselves

did　nothing　but　bemoan　the　servile　condition　into　which　learning

amongst　them　was　brought；　that　this　was　it　which　had　damped　the

glory　of　Italian　wits；　that　nothing　had　been　there　written　now

these　many　years　but　flattery　and　fustian。　　There　it　was　that　I

found　and　visited　the　famous　Galileo；　grown　old；　a　prisoner　to　the

Inquisition；　for　thinking