morceau très singulier, où j'ai suivi de beaucoup plus prés mon Auteur que ne voudront le croire ceux qui ne consulteront pas l'original, et où j'ai plutôt retranché qu'ajouté; ce titre est : Areopagitica: A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicens'd Printing; to the Parliament of England.'

Lastly, our judgment of what power the Areopagitica has exercised in the world must not confine itself to the Printing Press and its history; for the work is indeed not only a magnificent protest in behalf of unlicensed books, but an immortal defence of Free Thought. Jeremy Taylor's Liberty of Prophesying, Locke's Letters on Toleration, John Stuart Mill's Liberty—these are works of no temporary and transient value, however they may have been called forth by passing circumstances; and amongst these, and not the least amongst them, is to be ranked the Areopagitica. It is inspired by the very spirit of freedom. It is the own voice of a mind resolute to be free and fetterless, and to dare usurpation to its face.

SECTION V. THE PRESENT EDITION.

The text of the present edition is that of the original edition of 1644, with only one intentional difference, viz. warfaring, for wayfaring, on p. 18; on which see the note. It was printed in the first instance from Mr. Arber's Reprint, and then collated with the 1644 edition, of which Mr. Arber's Reprint was found to be an extremely faithful reproduction, the corrections that had to be made being very few and very slight.

For the rest, I have to express great obligations to Holt White's edition of 1819, as indeed every one must who studies the Areopagitica. His 'Prefatory Remarks, Copious Notes, and Excursive Illustrations,' are a very storehouse of information, of which frequent mention is made in the Notes, where I have, I believe, always acknowledged any debt incurred in this and all other cases. Next in value to Holt White's volume is Mr. Lobb's 'Modern Version of Milton's Areopagitica, with Notes,

Appendix, and Tables: Calcutta, 1872.' Possibly enough, if Mr. Lobb designed his work for Indian readers, he was right in translating the original into modern English; but there can scarcely be any Englishman who would accept Mr. Lobb's version, however vigorously executed, in exchange for Milton's own. The notes contain much valuable matter; it is a pity they are not made more accessible by a better arrangement. 'Milton's Areopagitica, a Commentary,' privately printed, by Mr. R. C. Jebb, the Public Orator of Cambridge, for a copy of which I have to thank the author, contains some excellent suggestions. There is also an edition by Mr. T. G. Osborn, Head Master of New Kingswood School, Bath, with some notes that are 'mainly taken from sources obvious and easily accessible and make no pretensions to original or extensive research.'

Lastly, I must do myself the pleasure of thanking my friend, Mr. Skeat, the well-known Old English scholar, for various valuable suggestions. I have also to thank for sundry kind services the Rev. G. W. Kitchin, of Christ Church, Oxford; Professor Morley, University College, and Dr. Morris, King's College School, London; Professor Seeley, Cambridge; and Professor Ward, Owens College, Manchester.

I OPPIDANS ROAD, PRIMROSE HILL, LONDON;

August 1st, 1874.

AREOPAGITICA.

For the Liberty of unlicenc'd Printing.

THEY Who to States and Governours of the Commonwealth direct their Speech, High Court of Parlament, or wanting such accesse in a private condition, write that which they foresee may advance the publick good, I 5 suppose them, as at the beginning of no meane endeavour, not a little alter'd and mov'd inwardly in their mindes: some with doubt of what will be the successe, others with feare of what will be the censure; some with hope, others with confidence of what they have Io to speake. And me perhaps each of these dispositions, as the subject was whereon I enter'd, may have at other times variously affected; and likely might in these formost expressions now also disclose which of them sway'd most, but that the very attempt of this ad15 dresse thus made, and the thought of whom it hath recourse to, hath got the power within me to a passion, farre more welcome then incidentall to a Preface. Which though I stay not to confesse ere any aske, I shall be blamelesse, if it be no other then the joy and gratulation 20 which it brings to all who wish and promote their Countries liberty; whereof this whole Discourse propos'd will be a certaine testimony, if not a Trophey. For this is not the liberty which wee can hope, that no grievance

B

ever should arise in the Commonwealth, that let no man in this World expect; but when complaints are freely heard, deeply consider'd, and speedily reform'd, then is the utmost bound of civil liberty attain'd, that wise 5 men looke for. To which if I now manifest by the very sound of this which I shall utter that wee are already in good part arriv'd, and yet from such a steepe disadvantage of tyranny and superstition grounded into our principles as was beyond the manhood of a Roman recovery, it 10 will bee attributed first, as is most due, to the strong assistance of God our deliverer, next to your faithfull guidance and undaunted Wisdome, Lords and Commons. of England. Neither is it in Gods esteeme the diminution of his glory, when honourable things are spoken of 15 good men and worthy Magistrates; which if I now first should begin to doe, after so fair a progresse of your laudable deeds, and such a long obligement upon the whole Realme to your indefatigable vertues, I might be justly reckn'd among the tardiest and the unwillingest 20 of them that praise yee. Neverthelesse there being three principall things, without which all praising is but Courtship and flattery, First, when that only is prais'd which is solidly worth praise: next, when greatest likelihoods are brought that such things are truly and really 25 in those persons to whom they are ascrib'd: the other, when he who praises, by shewing that such his actuall perswasion is of whom he writes, can demonstrate that he flatters not, the former two of these I have heretofore endeavour'd, rescuing the employment from him 30 who went about to impaire your merits with a triviall and

.

malignant Encomium; the latter as belonging chiefly to mine owne acquittall, that whom I so extoll'd I did not flatter, hath been reserv'd opportunely to this occasion.

For he who freely magnifies what hath been nobly done, and fears not to declare as freely what might be done better, gives ye the best cov'nant of his fidelity, and that his loyalest affection and his hope waits on your 5 proceedings. His highest praising is not flattery, and his plainest advice is a kinde of praising; for though I should affirme and hold by argument, that it would fare better with truth, with learning, and the Commonwealth, if one of your publisht Orders which I should name, were Io call'd in, yet at the same time it could not but much redound to the lustre of your milde and equall Government, when as private persons are hereby animated to thinke ye better pleas'd with publick advice then other statists have been delighted heretofore with publicke 15 flattery. And men will then see what difference there is between the magnanimity of a trienniall Parlament and that jealous hautinesse of Prelates and cabin Counsellours that usurpt of late, when as they shall observe yee in the midd'st of your Victories and successes more 20 gently brooking writt'n exceptions against a voted Order then other Courts, which had produc't nothing worth memory but the weake ostentation of wealth, would have endur'd the least signifi'd dislike at any sudden Proclamation. If I should thus farre presume upon the meek 25 demeanour of your civill and gentle greatnesse, Lords and Commons, as what your publisht Order hath directly said, that to gainsay, I might defend my selfe with ease, if any should accuse me of being new or insolent, did they but know how much better I find ye esteem it to 30 imitate the old and elegant humanity of Greece then the barbarick pride of a Hunnish and Norwegian state-lines. And out of those ages, to whose polite wisdom and letters we ow that we are not yet Gothes and Jutlanders,