discipline in this point I do not find to have been more severe than what was formerly in practice. The books of those whom they took to be grand heretics were examined, refuted, and condemned in the general Councils; and not till then were prohibited, or burnt, by authority of the emperor. As for the writings of heathen authors, unless they were plain invectives against Christianity, as those of Porphyrius and Proclus, they met with no interdict that can be cited till about the year 400, in a Carthaginian Council, wherein bishops themselves were 260 forbid to read the books of Gentiles, but heresies they might read: while others long before them on the contrary scrupled more the books of heretics than of Gentiles. And that the primitive Councils and Bishops were wont only to declare what books were not commendable, passing no further, but leaving it to each one's conscience to read or to lay by, till after the year 800, is observed already by Padre Paolo, the great unmasker of the Trentine Council. After which time the Popes of Rome, engrossing what they pleased of political rule into their own hands, extended their dominion over men's eyes, as they had 270 256. authority. spelling is autority. Milton's 258. Porphyrius, who flourished about the year A.D. 300, wrote a treatise against the Christian religion, which was publicly burnt by order of the Emperor Constantine. 258. Proclus, died A.D. 485. 259. year 400. The Carthaginian Council met in A.D. 398. 260, 261. were forbid; cf. 7. 186. 262, 263. scrupled more, supply "concerning." 264. primitive Councils, the early Church Councils. 265. passing, going. Milton writes furder for "further." 267. Padre Paolo, a Servite monk whose real name was Pietro Sarpi, died A.D. 1623. He defended the secular govern ment of Venice from papal 268. the Trentine Council; 268. After which time, i.e., after the year A.D. 800, when the Popes began to claim more and more secular power. 269. engrossing, taking in gross, seizing hold of all, monopolising. 270. over men's eyes; cf., the phrase "as it were in the eye" (l. 147). They took their dominion by forbidding men to see in books anything to which they objected. The Council of Trent formed two lists of books: those which must not be allowed at all, and those which could before over their judgments, burning and prohibiting to be read what they fancied not; yet sparing in their censures, and the books not many which they so dealt with: till Martin the Fifth by his bull not only prohibited, but was the first that excommunicated the reading of heretical books; for about that time Wicklef and Huss growing terrible were they who first drove the Papal Court to a stricter policy of prohibiting. Which course Leo the Tenth and his successors followed, until the Council of Trent and the Spanish Inquisition engendering 280 together brought forth or perfected those Catalogues and expurging indexes, that rake through the entrails of many an old good author with a violation worse than any could be offered to his tomb. Nor did they stay in matters heretical, only be allowed after expurga- 272. censures, judgments, 273, 274. Martin the Fifth was Pope from 1417 to 1431. 274. his bull. The commands of the Pope were called "bulls,' from the bulla, or seal, which was attached to them. 275. excommunicated, forbade, under pain of excommunication. 276. Wicklef and Huss. Wicklef or Wycliffe, the father of Reform, died 1384. The story of his work and of the Lollards whom he directed is part of English History. Wycliffe was favoured by Queen Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II., and it was through her influence that the reforming spirit spread to Bohemia and to Huss, the leader of the Bohemian Reformers. Huss was burnt at the stake in 1415. In England an Act De heretico comburendo, "Concerning the burning of heretics," was passed in 1401, to suppress the growing Lollardism. 278. Leo the Tenth, Pope 1513-1521. Leo's Bull of 1515 required Bishops and Inquisitors to examine all books before they were printed, and to suppress heretical opinions. 279. Spanish Inquisition. Milton knew that his argument would be more acceptable through these references to the Popes and Spain. It was, however the Italian, and not the Spanish Inquisition which first introduced the Index Expurgatorius. 279. engendering, bringing forth. Old French engendrer, from Latin ingenerare = to generate. 280. Catalogues, the two Indexes mentioned above. 281. expurging, modern form expurgating. 282. worse. Milton's spelling is wors, 283. did they stay in, did they limit themselves to. |