gant humanity of Greece, then the barbarick pride of a Hunnish and Norwegian ftatelines. And out of thofe ages, to whofe polite wifdom and letters we ow that we are not yet Gothes and futlanders, I could name him who from his private house wrote that difcourfe to the Parlament of Athens, that perfwades them to change the forme of Democraty which was then establisht. Such honour was done in thofe dayes to men who profeft the ftudy of wifdome and eloquence, not only in their own Country, but in other Lands, that Cities and Siniories heard them gladly, and with great refpect, if they had ought in publick to admonish the State. Thus did

Dion Prufaus a ftranger and a privat Ora

tor

tor counfell the Rhodians against a former edict and I abound with other like examples, which to fet heer would be fuperfluous. But if from the industry of a life wholly dedicated to ftudious labours, and thofe naturall endowments haply not the worst for two and fifty degrees of northern latitude, so much must be derogated, as to count me not equal to any of those who had this priviledge, I would obtain to be thought not fo inferior, as your felves are fuperior to the most of them who receiv'd their counfell and how farre you excell them, be affur'd, Lords and Commons, there can no greater teftimony appear, then when your prudent fpirit acknowledges and obeyes the voice of reason

from what quarter foever it be heard fpeaking; and renders ye as willing to repeal any Act of your own fetting forth, as any fet forth by your Predeceffors.

If ye be thus refolv'd, as it were injury to thinke ye were not, I know not what fhould withhold me from prefenting ye with a fit inftance wherein to fhew both that love of truth which ye eminently profeffe, and that uprightneffe of your judgement which is not wont to be partiall to your felves; by judging over again that Order which ye have ordain'd to regulate Printing. That no Book, pamphlet, or paper shall be henceforth Printed, unleffe the fame be first approv'd and licenc't by fuch, or at least one of fuch as fhall be thereto appointed. For

that

that part which preferves juftly every mans Copy to himfelfe, or provides for the poor, I touch not, only wish they be not made pretenfes to abufe and perfecute honeft and painfull Men, who offend not in either of these particulars.. But that other claufe of Licencing. Books, which we thought had dy'd with. his brother quadragefimal and matrimonial when the Prelats expir'd, I fhall now attend with such a Homily, as fhall lay before ye, firft the inventors of it to bee those whom ye will be loath to own; next what is to be thought in generall of reading, whatever fort the Books be;. and that this Order avails nothing to the fuppreffing of fcandalous, feditious, and libellous Books, which were mainly in

tended

tended to be fuppreft. Laft, that it will be primely to the difcouragement of all learning, and the ftop of Truth, not only by difexercifing and blunting our abilities in what we know already, but by hindring and cropping the discovery that might bee yet further made both in religious and civill Wisdome.

I deny not, but that it is of greatest concernment in the Church and Commonwealth, to have a vigilant eye how Bookes demeane themselves as well as men; and thereafter to confine, imprifon, and do fharpeft juftice on them as malefactors: For Books are not abfolutely dead things, but doe contain a potencie of life in them to be as active as that foule was whofe progeny they

are;