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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 worft 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 reafon

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from what quarter foever it be heard fpeaking; and renders ye as willing to repeal any Act of your own setting 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 partial to your selves; 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 firft approv'd and licenc't by fuch, or at leaft 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 abuse 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 fuch a Homily, as fhall lay before ye, firft the inventors of it to beethose 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 flop 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 Wifdome.

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;

are; nay they do preferve as in a violl the pureft efficacie and extraction of that living intellect that bred them. I know they are as lively, and as vigoroufly productive, as thofe fabulous Dragons teeth; and being fown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men. And yet on the other hand, unleffe warineffe be us'd, as good almost kill a man as kill a good Book; who kills a Man kills a reasonable creature, GOD's image; but hee who deftroyes a good Booke, kills reafon itself, kills the image of GOD, as it were in the eye. Many a man lives a burden to the Earth; but a good Booke is the pretious lifeblood of a master fpirit, imbalm'd and treafur'd up on purpose to a life beyond

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