areopagitica-第5部分

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that　Plato　meant　this　law　peculiarly　to　that　commonwealth　which　he

had　imagined；　and　to　no　other；　is　evident。　　Why　was　he　not　else　a

lawgiver　to　himself；　but　a　transgressor；　and　to　be　expelled　by　his

own　magistrates；　both　for　the　wanton　epigrams　and　dialogues　which

he　made；　and　his　perpetual　reading　of　Sophron　Mimus　and

Aristophanes；　books　of　grossest　infamy；　and　also　for　commending　the

latter　of　them；　though　he　were　the　malicious　libeller　of　his　chief

friends；　to　be　read　by　the　tyrant　Dionysius；　who　had　little　need　of

such　trash　to　spend　his　time　on？　　But　that　he　knew　this　licensing

of　poems　had　reference　and　dependence　to　many　other　provisos　there

set　down　in　his　fancied　republic；　which　in　this　world　could　have　no

place：　and　so　neither　he　himself；　nor　any　magistrate　or　city；　ever

imitated　that　course；　which；　taken　apart　from　those　other

collateral　injunctions；　must　needs　be　vain　and　fruitless。　　For　if

they　fell　upon　one　kind　of　strictness；　unless　their　care　were　equal

to　regulate　all　other　things　of　like　aptness　to　corrupt　the　mind；

that　single　endeavour　they　knew　would　be　but　a　fond　labour；　to　shut

and　fortify　one　gate　against　corruption；　and　be　necessitated　to

leave　others　round　about　wide　open。



If　we　think　to　regulate　printing；　thereby　to　rectify　manners；　we

must　regulate　all　recreation　and　pastimes；　all　that　is　delightful

to　man。　　No　music　must　be　heard；　no　song　be　set　or　sung；　but　what

is　grave　and　Doric。　　There　must　be　licensing　dancers；　that　no

gesture；　motion；　or　deportment　be　taught　our　youth　but　what　by

their　allowance　shall　be　thought　honest；　for　such　Plato　was

provided　of。　　It　will　ask　more　than　the　work　of　twenty　licensers　to

examine　all　the　lutes；　the　violins；　and　the　guitars　in　every　house；

they　must　not　be　suffered　to　prattle　as　they　do；　but　must　be

licensed　what　they　may　say。　　And　who　shall　silence　all　the　airs　and

madrigals　that　whisper　softness　in　chambers？　　The　windows　also；　and

the　balconies　must　be　thought　on；　there　are　shrewd　books；　with

dangerous　frontispieces；　set　to　sale；　who　shall　prohibit　them；

shall　twenty　licensers？　　The　villages　also　must　have　their　visitors

to　inquire　what　lectures　the　bagpipe　and　the　rebeck　reads；　even　to

the　ballatry　and　the　gamut　of　every　municipal　fiddler；　for　these

are　the　countryman's　Arcadias；　and　his　Monte　Mayors。



Next；　what　more　national　corruption；　for　which　England　hears　ill

abroad；　than　household　gluttony：　who　shall　be　the　rectors　of　our

daily　rioting？　　And　what　shall　be　done　to　inhibit　the　multitudes

that　frequent　those　houses　where　drunkenness　is　sold　and　harboured？　

Our　garments　also　should　be　referred　to　the　licensing　of　some　more

sober　workmasters　to　see　them　cut　into　a　less　wanton　garb。　　Who

shall　regulate　all　the　mixed　conversation　of　our　youth；　male　and

female　together；　as　is　the　fashion　of　this　country？　　Who　shall

still　appoint　what　shall　be　discoursed；　what　presumed；　and　no

further？　　Lastly；　who　shall　forbid　and　separate　all　idle　resort；

all　evil　company？　　These　things　will　be；　and　must　be；　but　how　they

shall　be　least　hurtful；　how　least　enticing；　herein　consists　the

grave　and　governing　wisdom　of　a　state。



To　sequester　out　of　the　world　into　Atlantic　and　Utopian　polities；

which　never　can　be　drawn　into　use；　will　not　mend　our　condition；　but

to　ordain　wisely　as　in　this　world　of　evil；　in　the　midst　whereof　God

hath　placed　us　unavoidably。　　Nor　is　it　Plato's　licensing　of　books

will　do　this；　which　necessarily　pulls　along　with　it　so　many　other

kinds　of　licensing；　as　will　make　us　all　both　ridiculous　and　weary；

and　yet　frustrate；　but　those　unwritten；　or　at　least　unconstraining；

laws　of　virtuous　education；　religious　and　civil　nurture；　which

Plato　there　mentions　as　the　bonds　and　ligaments　of　the

commonwealth；　the　pillars　and　the　sustainers　of　every　written

statute；　these　they　be　which　will　bear　chief　sway　in　such　matters

as　these；　when　all　licensing　will　be　easily　eluded。　　Impunity　and

remissness；　for　certain；　are　the　bane　of　a　commonwealth；　but　here

the　great　art　lies；　to　discern　in　what　the　law　is　to　bid　restraint

and　punishment；　and　in　what　things　persuasion　only　is　to　work。



If　every　action；　which　is　good　or　evil　in　man　at　ripe　years；　were

to　be　under　pittance　and　prescription　and　compulsion；　what　were

virtue　but　a　name；　what　praise　could　be　then　due　to　well…doing；

what　gramercy　to　be　sober；　just；　or　continent？　　Many　there　be　that

complain　of　divine　Providence　for　suffering　Adam　to　transgress；

foolish　tongues！　　When　God　gave　him　reason；　he　gave　him　freedom　to

choose；　for　reason　is　but　choosing；　he　had　been　else　a　mere

artificial　Adam；　such　an　Adam　as　he　is　in　the　motions。　　We

ourselves　esteem　not　of　that　obedience；　or　love；　or　gift；　which　is

of　force：　God　therefore　left　him　free；　set　before　him　a　provoking

object；　ever　almost　in　his　eyes；　herein　consisted　his　merit；　herein

the　right　of　his　reward；　the　praise　of　his　abstinence。　　Wherefore

did　he　create　passions　within　us；　pleasures　round　about　us；　but

that　these　rightly　tempered　are　the　very　ingredients　of　virtue？



They　are　not　skilful　considerers　of　human　things；　who　imagine　to

remove　sin　by　removing　the　matter　of　sin；　for；　besides　that　it　is

a　huge　heap　increasing　under　the　very　act　of　diminishing；　though

some　part　of　it　may　for　a　time　be　withdrawn　from　some　persons；　it

cannot　from　all；　in　such　a　universal　thing　as　books　are；　and　when

this　is　done；　yet　the　sin　remains　entire。　　Though　ye　take　from　a

covetous　man　all　his　treasure；　he　has　yet　one　jewel　left；　ye　cannot

bereave　him　of　his　covetousness。　　Banish　all　objects　of　lust；　shut

up　all　youth　into　the　severest　discipline　that　can　be　exercised　in

any　hermitage；　ye　cannot　make　them　chaste；　that　came　not　hither　so；

such　great　care　and　wisdom　is　required　to　the　right　managing　of

this　point。　　Suppose　we　could　expel　sin　by　this　means；　look　how

much　we　thus　expel　of　sin；　so　much　we　expel　of　virtue：　for　the

matter　of　them　both　is　the　same；　remove　that；　and　ye　remove　them

both　alike。



This　justifies　the　high　providence　of　God；　who；　though　he　command

us　temperance；　justice；　continence；　yet　pours　out　before　us；　even

to　a　profuseness；　all　desirable　things；　and　gives　us　minds　that　can

wander　beyond　all　limit　and　satiety。　　Why　should　we　then　affect　a

rigour　contrary　to　the　manner　of　God　and　of　nature；　by　abridging　or

scanting　those　means；　which　books　freely　permitted　are；　both　to　the

trial　of　virtue　and　the　exercise　of　truth？　　It　would　be　better

done；　to　learn　that　the　law　must　needs　be　frivolous；　which　goes　to

restrain　things；　uncertainly　and　yet　equally　working　to　good　and　to

evil。　　And　were　I　the　chooser；　a　dream　of　well…doing　should　be

preferred　before　many　times　as　much　the　forcible　hindrance　of　evil…

doing。　　For　God　sure　esteems　the　growth　and　completing　of　one

virtuous　person　more　than　the　restraint　of　ten　vicious。



And　albeit　whatever　thing　we　hear　or　see；　sitting；　walking；

travelling；　or　conversing；　may　be　fitly　called　our　book；　and　is　of

the　same　effect　that　writings　are；　yet　grant　the　thing　to　be

prohibited　were　only　books；　it　appears　that　this　Order　hitherto　is

far　insufficient　to　the　end　which　it　intends。　　Do　we　not　see；　not

once　or　oftener；　but　weekly；　that　continued　court…libel　against　the

Parliament　and　City；　printed；　as　the　wet　sheets　can　witness；　and

dispersed　among　us；　for　all　that　licensing　can　do？　　Yet　this　is　the

prime　service　a　man　would　think；　wherein　this　Order　should　give

proof　of　itself。　　If　it　were　executed；　you'll　say。　　But　certain；　if

execution　be　remiss　or　blindfold　now；　and　in　this　particular；　what

will　it　be　hereafter　and　in　other　books？　　If　then　the　Order　shall

not　be　vain　and　frustrate；　behold　a　new　labour；　Lords　and　Commons；

ye　must　repeal　and　proscribe　all　scandalous　and　unlicensed　books

already　printed　and　divulged；　after　ye　have　drawn　them　up　into　a

list；　that　all　may　know　which　are　condemned；　and　which　not；　and

ordain　that　no　foreign　books　be　delivered　out　of　custody；　till　they

have　been　read　over。　　This　office　will　require　the　whole　time　of

not　a　few　overseers；　and　those　no　vulgar　men。　　There　be　also　books

which　are　partly　useful　and　excellent；　partly　culpable　and

pernicious；　this　work　will　ask　as　many　more　officials；　to　make

expurgations　and　expunctions；　that　the　commonwealth　of　learning　be

not　damnified。　　In　fine；　when　the　multitude　of　books　increase　upon

their　hands；　ye　must　be　fain　to　catalogue　all　those　printers　who

are　found　frequently　offending；　and　forbid　the　importation　of　their

whole　suspected　typography。　　In　a　word；　that　this　your　Order　may　be

exact　and　not　deficient；　ye　must　reform　it　perfectly　according　to

the　model　of　Trent　and　Seville；　which　I　know　ye　abhor　to　do。



Yet　though　ye　should　condescend　to　this；　which　God　forbid；　the

Order　still　would　be　but　fruitless　and　defective　to　that　end

whereto　ye　meant　it。　　If　to　prevent　sects　and　schisms；　who　is　so

unread　or　so　uncatechized　in　story；　that　hath　not　heard　of　many

sects　refusing　books　as　a　hindrance；　and　preserving　their　doctrine

unmixed　for　many　ages；　only　by　unwritten　traditions？　　The　Christian

faith；　for　that　was　once　a　schism；　is　not　unknown　to　have　spread

all　over　Asia；　ere　any　Gospel　or　Epistle　was　seen　in　writing。　　If

the　amendment　of　manners　be　aimed　at；　look　into　Italy　and　Spain；

whether　those　places　be　one　scruple　the　better；　the　honester；　the

wiser；　the　chaster；　since　all　the　inquisitional　rigour　that　hath

been　executed　upon　books。



Another　reason；　whereby　to　make　it　plain　that　this　Order　will

miss　the　end　it　seeks；　consider　by　the　quality　which　ought　to　be　in

every　licenser。　　It　cannot　be　denied　but　that　he　who　is　made　judge

to　sit　upon　the　birth　or　death　of　books；　whether　they　may　be　wafted

into　this　world　or　not；　had　need　to　be　a　man　above　the　common

measure；　both　studious；　learned；　and　judicious；　there　may　be　else

no　mean　mistakes　in　the　censure　of　what　is　passable　or　not；　which

is　also　no　mean