younger, perhaps far his inferiour in judgement, perhaps one who never knew the labour of book-writing, and if he be not repulft, or flighted, muft appear in Print like a punie with his guardian, and his cenfors hand on the back of his title to be his bayl and furety, that he is no idiot, or feducer, it cannot be but a difhonor and derogation to the author, to the book, to the priviledge and dignity of Learning. And what if the author fhall be one fo copious of fancie, as to have many things well worth the adding, come into his mind after licencing, while the book is yet under the Preffe, which not feldom happ'ns to the best and diligenteft writers: and that perhaps a dozen times in one book. The Prin

ter

ter dares not go beyond his licenc't copy; fo often then muft the author trudge to his leav-giver, that those his new infertions may be viewd; and many a jaunt will be made, ere that licencer, for it must be the fame man, can either be found, or found at leifure; mean while either the Preffe muft ftand ftill, which is no fmall damage, or the author loofe his accurateft thoughts, & fend the book forth wors then he had made it, which to a diligent writer is the greatest melancholy and vexation that can befall. And how can a man teach with authority, which is the life of teaching, how can he be a Doctor in his book as he ought to be, or else had better be filent, whenas all he teaches,

all

all he delivers, is but under the tuition, under the correction of his patriarchal licencer to blot or alter what precifely accords not with the hidebound humor which he calls his judgement. When every acute reader upon the firft fight of a pedantick licence, will be ready with thefe like words to ding the book a coits diftance from him, I hate a pupil teacher, I endure not an inftructer that comes to me under the wardship of an overseeing fift. I know nothing of the licencer, but that I have his own hand here for his arrogance; who fhall warrant me his judgement? The State Sir, replies the Stationer, but has a quick return, The State fhall be my governours, but not my criticks; they may be mistak'n in

the

4

the choice of a licencer, as eafily as this licencer may be mistak'n in an author: This is fome common ftuffe; and he might adde from Sir Francis Bacon, That fuch authoriz'd books are but the language of the times. For though a licencer should happ'n to be judicious more then ordnary, which will be a great jeopardy of the next fucceffion, yet his very office and his commiffion enjoyns him to let paffe nothing but what is vulgarly receiv'd already. Nay, which is more lamentable, if the work of any deceased author, though never fo famous in his life-time, and even to this day, come to their hands for licence to be Printed, or

Reprinted, if there be found in his book

one fentence of a ventrous edge, utter'd

in the height of zeal, and who knows whether it might not be the dictat of a divine Spirit, yet not fuiting with every low decrepit humor of their own, though it were Knox himfelf, the Reformer of a Kingdom that fpake it, they will not, pardon him their dafh: the fenfe of that great man fhall to all pofterity be loft, for the fearfulneffe, or the prefumptuous rafhneffe of a perfunctory licencer. And to what an author this violence hath bin lately done, and in what book of greate confequence to be faithfully publifht, I could now inftance, but shall forbear till a more convenient season. Yet if thefe things be not refented seriously and timely by them who have the remedy in their power, but that fuch iron moulds as

thefe