struction, to supple the least bruise of conscience, to edify the meanest Christian who desires to walk in the spirit and not in the letter of human trust, for all the number of voices that can be there made. No! though Harry the Seventh* himself there, with all his liege tombs about him, should lend them voices from the dead to swell their number.

And if the men be erroneous who appear to be the leading schismatics, what withholds us but our sloth, our self-will, and distrust in the right cause, that we do not give them gentle meetings and gentle dismissions? that we debate not and examine the matter thoroughly with liberal and frequent audience, if not for their sakes, yet for our own? seeing no man who hath tasted learning, but will confess the many ways of profiting by those, who, not contented with stale receipts, are able to manage and set forth new positions to the world. And were they but as the dust and cinders of our feet, so long as in that notion they may yet serve to polish and brighten the armory of truth, even for that respect they were not utterly to be cast away. But if they be of those whom God hath fitted for the special use of these times with eminent and ample gifts, and those perhaps neither among the priests nor among the Pharisees, and we in the haste of a precipitant zeal shall make no distinction, but resolve to stop their mouths, because we fear they come with new and dangerous opinions, as we commonly fore-judge them ere we understand them; no less than woe to us, while, thinking thus to defend the gospel, we are found the persecutors!

There have been not a few since the beginning of this parliament, both of the presbytery and others, who, by their unlicensed books to the contempt of an imprimatur, first broke that triple ice clung about our hearts, and taught the people to see day. I hope that none of those were the persuaders to renew upon us this bondage which they themselves have wrought so much good by contemning. But if neither the check that Moses gave to young Joshua, nor the countermand which our Saviour gave to young John, who was so ready to prohibit those whom he thought unlicensed, be [not] enough to admonish our elders how unacceptable to God their testy mood of prohibiting is; if neither their own remembrance what evil hath abounded in the church by this let of licensing, and what good they themselves have begun by transgressing it, be [not] enough, but that they will persuade and execute the most Dominican part of the Inquisition over us, and are already with one foot in the stirrup, so active at suppressing; it would be no unequal distribution in the first place to suppress the suppressors themselves, whom the change of their condition hath puffed up, more than their late experience of harder times hath made wise.

And as for regulating the press, let no man think to have the honor of advising ye better than yourselves have done in that order published next

* Henry the Seventh (1456-1509) built the beautiful chapel called by his name, at the east end of Westminster Abbey.-Beginning of this parliament. The famous Long Parliament, which met for the first time in November, 1640. It was violently dissolved by Cromwell in April, 1653.-Check that Moses, etc. See Numbers xi. 24-30.-Young John. See Luke ix. 49, 50.-Let, hinderance, impediment. See p. 28.-Dominican. See this word, p. 227.— That order. The order made by the House of Commons, January 29, 1641-2.

before this, "That no book be printed, unless the printer's and the author's name, or at least the printer's, be registered." Those which otherwise come forth, if they be found mischievous and libellous, the fire and the executioner will be the timeliest and the most effectual remedy that man's prevention can use. For this authentic Spanish policy of licensing books, if I have said aught, will prove the most unlicensed book itself within a short while, and was the immediate image of a star-chamber* decree to that purpose, made in those very times when that court did the rest of those her pious works, for which she is now fallen from the stars with Lucifer. Whereby ye may guess what kind of state prudence, what love of the people, what care of religion, or good manners, there was at the contriving; although with singular hypocrisy it pretended to bind books to their good behavior. And how it got the upper hand of your precedent order so well constituted before, if we may believe those men whose profession gives them cause to inquire most, it may be doubted there was in it the fraud of some old patentees and monopolizers in the trade of bookselling; who, under pretence of the poor in their company not to be defrauded, and the just retaining of each man his several copy, which God forbid should be gainsaid! brought divers glozing colors to the house. Which were indeed but colors, and serving to no end except it be to exercise a superiority over their neighbors; men who do not therefore labor in an honest profession, to which learning is indebted, that they should be made other men's vassals.

Another end is thought was aimed at by some of them, in procuring by petition this order; that having power in their hands, malignant books might the easier escape abroad, as the event shows. But of these sophisms and elenchs of merchandise, I skill not. This I know, that errors, in a good government and in a bad, are equally almost incident. For what magistrate may not be misinformed, and much the sooner, if liberty of printing be reduced into the power of a few? But to redress willingly and speedily what hath been erred, and in highest authority to esteem a plain advertisement more than others have done a sumptuous bribe, is a virtue, honored Lords and Commons, answerable to your highest actions, and whereof none can participate but greatest and wisest men!

* Star-chamber, so called from the gilded stars on the ceiling of the council-chamber in the palace of Westminster. (Webster, however, suggests that it was "so called either from A. S.) steoran, styran, to steer, to govern; or from being held in a room at the exchequer, where the chests containing certain Jewish contracts and obligations called starrs, from the Hebrew shetar pronounced shtar were kept.") This court is mentioned as early as the time of Edward III. (1327–1377). It sat in cases not capital, and without the intervention of a jury. In 1641 it was abolished by act of parliament. Decree. This decree was made in July, 1637.-Lucifer (Lat. lux, lucis, light; fero. I bear; the English words following Grimm's Law, it will be observed), the bringer of light; the planet which is the morning star. See Isaiah xiv. 12, where the prophet, by a bold metaphor, applies the name to the King of Babylon. The mention of the star-chamber seems to suggest its Lucifer-like fall. The name Lucifer is often used to designate Satan.-The just retaining, etc. We should say, the just retaining (or retention) by each man of his, etc.-Elenchs (Lat. elenchus, from the Gr. Xeyxos, confutation), tricky arguments, fallacies adapted to deceive.-Skill nót, have no skill. See cannot skill, p. 229.This I know, etc. Reconstruct this sentence so as to make it more euphonious and clear. Advertisement (Lat. ad, to; vertĕre, to turn; Eng. advert, to turn the mind or attention to ; advertise, to give notice to, or give notice of), notification, act of giving information.

Remedy, cure, medicine, physic, relief, counteraction, antidote, reparation, aid, help, assistance. Explain each, and embody in sentences.

Write out a synopsis of Milton's reasoning in this celebrated treatise. Select those arguments that seem to you the most conclusive, and write an essay setting forth and illustrating each. Suggest other arguments, not named by Milton, in favor of freedom of the press. What limitations or checks, if any, has experience shown to be needful? Trace the successive steps by which the press has become free in America. What degree of freedom of the press prevails in other countries? Was Milton consistent in denying entire toleration to what he terms "popery?" Who, besides Milton, have been great literary champions of freedom? What could be learned of Milton. if we possessed only this treatise? What effect, if any, was produced in the time of the Commonwealth by this treatise? To what extent was the press unrestricted under Cromwell? Write an essay covering the ground of each of these questions.

ODE ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY.

"The Ode on the Nativity is perhaps the finest in the English language.”—Hallam.

The Ode on the Morning of Christ's Nativity is thus referred to by Milton himself, in an elegy written in Latin, a few days after Christmas, 1629, to his friend Charles Diodati :

"We are engaged in singing the heavenly birth of the King of Peace, and the happy age promised by the holy books, and the infant cries and cradling, in a manger, under a poor roof, of that God who rules, with his Father, the Kingdom of Heaven; and the sky with the newsprung star in it, and the ethereal choirs of hymning angels, and the gods of heathen eld suddenly fleeing to their endangered fanes. This is the gift which we have presented to Christ's natal day. On that very morning, at daybreak, it was first conceived. The verses, which are composed in the vernacular, await your criticism: you shall be the judge to whom I shall recite them."

This little poem unites, in an extraordinary degree, thought, feeling, imagery, and personifi cation; a fusion which has been admired by some critics as an excellence peculiar to Shakespeare. There are in some stanzas an exquisite airiness and delicacy, while in others the tone rises and swells into thunderous melody. In its lyric fire Milton is equalled by few among the English poets. He is particularly happy in the choice of his subject, whose tender sweetness and royal glory captivated his young heart. Dryden's Ode on St. Cecilia's Day seems comparatively on a small theme and by a small man.

Joyous yet serious.*

Reverence and admiration with love.

ON THE MORNING OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY.

THIS is the month, and this the happy morn,
Wherein the Son of Heaven's Eternal King,

Of wedded maid and virgin mother born,
Our great redemption from above did bring;
For so the holy sages + once did sing,

That He our deadly forfeit should release,
And with His Father work us a perpetual peace.

That glorious form, that light unsufferable,
And that far-beaming blaze of majesty,

Wherewith He wont at Heaven's high council-table
To sit the midst of trinal Unity,

He laid aside, and here with us to be,

Forsook the courts of everlasting day,

And chose with us a darksome house of mortal clay.

*This marginal analysis is designed to aid in reading. The student should make it more minute. See p. 193.

+ Sages (Lat. sapere, to be wise; Fr. sage, wise), the Hebrew prophets.-Forfeit (Lat. foris, out of doors; facere, to do; forisfuctum, an out-of-the-way act, a crime; hence, penalty.)—Wont, was accustomed. See woned, p. 30.

Animation and seriousness.

Anima

tion.

Awe.

Awe and tenderness.

Say, heavenly Muse,* shall not thy sacred vein
Afford a present to the Infant God?

Hast thou no verse, no hymn, or solemn strain,
To welcome Him to this His new abode,

Now while the heaven, by the sun's team untrod,
Hath took no print of the approaching light,

And all the spangled host keep watch in squadrons bright?

See, how, from far, upon the eastern road,

The star-led wizards haste with odors sweet!

Oh! run, prevent them with thy humble ode,
And lay it lowly at His blessed feet:

Have thou the honor first thy Lord to greet,

And join thy voice unto the angel choir,

From out His secret altar touched with hallowed fire.†

1. It was the winter wild

While the heaven-born Child

All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies!
Nature, in awe to Him,

Had doffed her gaudy trim,

With her great Master so to sympathize:

It was no season then for her

To wanton with the sun, her lusty paramour.

2. Only with speeches fair,

She woos the gentle air

To hide her guilty front with innocent snow;

And on her naked shame,

Pollute with sinful blame,

The saintly veil of maiden white to throw;
Confounded, that her Maker's eyes

Should look so near upon her foul deformities.

* Muse. The "heavenly Muse" with Milton is the Holy Spirit. So in the beginning of the seventh book of Paradise Lost.--Vein, disposition or cast of genius; course of thought.— Wizards. Magi. See Matthew ii. Wizard is fr. wise, and the suffix -ard, of Teutonic origin. This suffix is A. S. heard, strong; akin to the Ger. hart, Fr. -arde; Eng. and D. hard. It denotes some characteristic trait; as Reinhart, strong in counsel; Godard or Goddard, strong in God; Bernhart or Bernard, strong like a bear; Gebhart, strong in giving, bountiful; or it enlarges the meaning and denotes some excess, as drunkard, a hard drinker; so dullard, laggard, haggard, niggard, sluggard, wizard, braggart, dotard, bastard, coward, buzzard. See, however, the termination -ard in Worcester's Dict. In some words the enlarged meaning is less obvious, or has faded entirely out; aș in billiard, bombard, hazard, mustard, poniard, standard, tankard. -Touched with fire. See Isaiah vi. 6, 7.-Doffed (do and off, the opposite of dón, do and on).-Gaudy trim. Her green garments embroidered with flowers.

+ It will be observed that these four preliminary stanzas correspond precisely in poetical form with those of the extract from Chaucer. In the hymn proper, the first, second," fourth, and fifth lines of the stanza contain, each, three iambic feet; the third and sixth lines are English heroic, containing the usual five iambic feet; the seventh line has four iambic; the eighth, which is an Alexandrine, contains six. The combination is agreeable, though highly artificial,

Distinguish and illustrate the meanings of wizards, magi, seers, soothsayers, necromancers, diviners, conjurers, fortune-tellers, clairvoyants, sorcerers. Other synonymes?

3. But He, her fears to cease,

Sent down the meek-eyed Peace.

She, crowned with olive* green, came softly sliding
Down through the turning sphere,

His ready harbinger,

With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing;
And, waving wide her myrtle wand,

She strikes a universal peace through sea and land.

4. No war, or battle's sound,

Was heard the world around:

The idle spear and shield were high up hung;
The hooked chariot stood

Unstained with hostile blood;

The trumpet spake not to the armed throng;
And kings sat still with awful eye,

As if they surely knew their sovereign Lord was by!

5. But peaceful was the night,

Wherein the Prince of Light

His reign of peace upon the earth began;

The winds, with wonder whist,

Smoothly the waters kissed,

Whispering new joys to the mild Ocean,

Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave.

6. The stars, with deep amaze,

Stand fixed in steadfast gaze,

Bending one way their precious influence;

And will not take their flight,

For all the morning light,

Or Lucifer that often warned them thence;

But in their glimmering orbs did glow,

Until the Lord himself bespake, and bid them go.

7. And though the shady gloom

Had given day her room,

* Olive. The olive branch was an emblem of peace. So the turtle-dove.-Turning sphere. The whole heavens were supposed to move around the earth.-Amorous, the very clouds are personified and share in the feeling of love.-Myrtle. The myrtle, sacred to Venus, came to typify love.-No war. "In a longitudinal line of four thousand miles, and within a circuit of ten thousand, the energies of Roman genius had hushed all wars."--Hooked. The war chariots of antiquity sometimes had long crooked steel blades or scythes, fastened to the axles, or to the fellies of the wheels. Hooked is dissyl.-Ocean. Trisyllable. Lat. oceanus.-Birds of calm, the halcyones. According to the Greek legend, the sea preserved a perfect calmness during the fourteen days in which this bird was supposed to be making its floating nest and laying its eggs. Hence the words "halcyon days.' These were said to be the seven days preceding, and the seven following the winter solstice.-Charmed. Even the water is entranced!

Influence, authority, ascendency, sway. Distinguish, and embody in sentences.