560 dear to the Italian courtiers. I name not him for posterity's sake, whom Harry the Eighth named in merriment his Vicar of Hell. By which compendious way all the contagion that foreign books can infuse will find a passage to the people far easier and shorter than an Indian voyage, though it could be sailed either by the north of Cataio eastward, or of Canada westward, while our Spanish licensing gags the English press never so severely. But on the other side, that infection which is from books of controversy in religion is more doubtful and dangerous to the learned than to the ignorant; and yet those books must be permitted untouched by the licenser. It will be hard to instance where any ignorant man hath been ever seduced by papistical book in English, unless it were commended and expounded to him by some of that clergy: and indeed all 570 such tractates, whether false or true, are as the prophecy of Isaiah was to the eunuch, not to be understood without a guide. But of our priests and doctors how many have been corrupted by studying the comments of Jesuits and Sorbonnists, and how Hell. 556, 557. for posterity's sake, 558. compendious, long, but 560. Indian voyage. Although the route to India via the Cape of Good Hope had been discovered by Vasco da Gama in 1492, attempts were made to find a shorter route, either by a north-western passage via America or a northeastern via North Asia and China, 561. Cataio, Cathay, was the ancient name of the northern division of China. 562. Spanish licensing, as being the progeny of the Spanish Inquisition. 66 563. never so, a favourite expression of the time, equal to "however." Cf. Charming never so wisely" (Ps. lviii. 5). 564. doubtful, full of doubt, causing more doubt. 569. that clergy, i.e., the Roman Catholic clergy. 570, 571. prophecy of Isaiah, A reference to the story of Philip and the eunuch (Acts viii. 30). 573. Jesuits and Sorbonnists. The Society of Jesus was founded by Ignatius Loyola, who became its first "general by a Papal bull in 1540 A.D. Its members took vows of poverty, fast they could transfuse that corruption into the people, our experience is both late and sad. It is not forgot, since the acute and distinct Arminius was perverted merely by the perusing of a nameless discourse written at Delft, which at first he took in hand to confute. Seeing therefore that those books, and those in great abundance which are likeliest to taint both life and doctrine, cannot be suppressed without the fall of learning and 580 of all ability in disputation, and that these books of either sort are most and sconest catching to the learned, from whom to the common people whatever is heretical or dissolute may quickly be conveyed, and that evil manners are as perfectly learnt without books a thousand other ways which cannot be stopped, and evil doctrine not with books can propagate, except a teacher guide, which he might also do without writing, and so beyond prohibiting, I am not able to unfold how this cautelous enterprise of licensing can be exempted from the number of vain and impossible attempts. And he who were 590 pleasantly disposed could not well avoid to liken it to the chastity and implicit obedience. The last was their principal characteristic, and by its means the Brotherhood became a formidable agent of the Romish Church. Their code of morality allowed interest and external circumstances to determine their conduct. The Society was abolished in 1773 by Pope Clement XIV., but was reinstituted in 1814. They conduct schools at Stonyhurst and other places in England. The Sorbonne was originally the theological school of Paris, the name afterwards being extended to the whole university. Its professors were learned and active expounders of the Roman Catholic tenets, and actively opposed to the Protestants. 575. both late and sad. 575. forgot, forgotten, like 576. Arminius, died 1609. 577. nameless, anonymous. 586. not with books can propagate, cannot spread, even with the best of books. 588. so beyond prohibiting, so be beyond the power of being prohibited. 589. cautelous, over suspicious; Lat. cautela. exploit of that gallant man who thought to pound up the crows by shutting his park gate. Besides another inconvenience, if learned men be the first receivers out of books and dispreaders both of vice and error, how shall the licensers themselvers be confided in, unless we can confer upon them, or they assume to themselves above all others in the land, the grace of infallibility and uncorruptedness? And again, if it be true that a wise man like a good refiner can gather gold out of the drossiest 600 volume, and that a fool will be a fool with the best book, yea, or without book, there is no reason that we should deprive a wise man of any advantage to his wisdom, while we seek to restrain from a fool that which being restrained will be no hindrance to his folly. For if there should be so much exactness always used to keep that from him which is unfit for his reading, we should in the judgment of Aristotle not only, but of Solomon and of our Saviour, not vouchsafe him good precepts, and by consequence not willingly admit him to good books, as being certain that a wise man will make better use of an idle 610 pamphlet than a fool will do of sacred Scripture.✓ 'Tis next alleged we must not expose ourselves to temptations without necessity, and next to that, not employ our time in vain things. To both these objections one answer will serve, out of the grounds already laid, that to all men such books are not temptations, nor vanities, but useful drugs and materials wherewith to temper and compose effective and strong medicines, which man's life cannot want. The rest, as children and childish men, who have not the art to qualify and 592. pound up; A.S. pyndan 594. dispreaders, spreaders We 598. uncorruptedness. 606. Aristotle, the famous tutor of Alexander the Great. See "Historical Notes." 606. not only, in modern construction would precede "of Aristotle." 616. temper, modify. 617. want, do without. 618. qualify, to read with qualifications, or with judgment, |