areopagitica-第6部分

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

is　also　no　mean　injury。　　If　he　be　of　such　worth　as　behooves　him；

there　cannot　be　a　more　tedious　and　unpleasing　journey…work；　a

greater　loss　of　time　levied　upon　his　head；　than　to　be　made　the

perpetual　reader　of　unchosen　books　and　pamphlets；　ofttimes　huge

volumes。　　There　is　no　book　that　is　acceptable　unless　at　certain

seasons；　but　to　be　enjoined　the　reading　of　that　at　all　times；　and

in　a　hand　scarce　legible；　whereof　three　pages　would　not　down　at　any

time　in　the　fairest　print；　is　an　imposition　which　I　cannot　believe

how　he　that　values　time　and　his　own　studies；　or　is　but　of　a

sensible　nostril；　should　be　able　to　endure。　　In　this　one　thing　I

crave　leave　of　the　present　licensers　to　be　pardoned　for　so

thinking；　who　doubtless　took　this　office　up；　looking　on　it　through

their　obedience　to　the　Parliament；　whose　command　perhaps　made　all

things　seem　easy　and　unlaborious　to　them；　but　that　this　short　trial

hath　wearied　them　out　already；　their　own　expressions　and　excuses　to

them　who　make　so　many　journeys　to　solicit　their　licence　are

testimony　enough。　　Seeing　therefore　those　who　now　possess　the

employment　by　all　evident　signs　wish　themselves　well　rid　of　it；　and

that　no　man　of　worth；　none　that　is　not　a　plain　unthrift　of　his　own

hours；　is　ever　likely　to　succeed　them；　except　he　mean　to　put

himself　to　the　salary　of　a　press　corrector；　we　may　easily　foresee

what　kind　of　licensers　we　are　to　expect　hereafter；　either　ignorant；

imperious；　and　remiss；　or　basely　pecuniary。　　This　is　what　I　had　to

show；　wherein　this　Order　cannot　conduce　to　that　end　whereof　it

bears　the　intention。



I　lastly　proceed　from　the　no　good　it　can　do；　to　the　manifest　hurt

it　causes；　in　being　first　the　greatest　discouragement　and　affront

that　can　be　offered　to　learning；　and　to　learned　men。



It　was　the　complaint　and　lamentation　of　prelates；　upon　every

least　breath　of　a　motion　to　remove　pluralities；　and　distribute　more

equally　Church　revenues；　that　then　all　learning　would　be　for　ever

dashed　and　discouraged。　　But　as　for　that　opinion；　I　never　found

cause　to　think　that　the　tenth　part　of　learning　stood　or　fell　with

the　clergy：　nor　could　I　ever　but　hold　it　for　a　sordid　and　unworthy

speech　of　any　churchman　who　had　a　competency　left　him。　　If

therefore　ye　be　loath　to　dishearten　utterly　and　discontent；　not　the

mercenary　crew　of　false　pretenders　to　learning；　but　the　free　and

ingenuous　sort　of　such　as　evidently　were　born　to　study；　and　love

learning　for　itself；　not　for　lucre　or　any　other　end　but　the　service

of　God　and　of　truth；　and　perhaps　that　lasting　fame　and　perpetuity

of　praise　which　God　and　good　men　have　consented　shall　be　the　reward

of　those　whose　published　labours　advance　the　good　of　mankind；　then

know　that；　so　far　to　distrust　the　judgment　and　the　honesty　of　one

who　hath　but　a　common　repute　in　learning；　and　never　yet　offended；

as　not　to　count　him　fit　to　print　his　mind　without　a　tutor　and

examiner；　lest　he　should　drop　a　schism；　or　something　of　corruption；

is　the　greatest　displeasure　and　indignity　to　a　free　and　knowing

spirit　that　can　be　put　upon　him。



What　advantage　is　it　to　be　a　man；　over　it　is　to　be　a　boy　at

school；　if　we　have　only　escaped　the　ferula　to　come　under　the　fescue

of　an　Imprimatur；　if　serious　and　elaborate　writings；　as　if　they

were　no　more　than　the　theme　of　a　grammar…lad　under　his　pedagogue；

must　not　be　uttered　without　the　cursory　eyes　of　a　temporizing　and

extemporizing　licenser？　　He　who　is　not　trusted　with　his　own

actions；　his　drift　not　being　known　to　be　evil；　and　standing　to　the

hazard　of　law　and　penalty；　has　no　great　argument　to　think　himself

reputed　in　the　Commonwealth　wherein　he　was　born　for　other　than　a

fool　or　a　foreigner。　　When　a　man　writes　to　the　world；　he　summons　up

all　his　reason　and　deliberation　to　assist　him；　he　searches；

meditates；　is　industrious；　and　likely　consults　and　confers　with　his

judicious　friends；　after　all　which　done　he　takes　himself　to　be

informed　in　what　he　writes；　as　well　as　any　that　writ　before　him。　

If；　in　this　the　most　consummate　act　of　his　fidelity　and　ripeness；

no　years；　no　industry；　no　former　proof　of　his　abilities　can　bring

him　to　that　state　of　maturity；　as　not　to　be　still　mistrusted　and

suspected；　unless　he　carry　all　his　considerate　diligence；　all　his

midnight　watchings　and　expense　of　Palladian　oil；　to　the　hasty　view

of　an　unleisured　licenser；　perhaps　much　his　younger；　perhaps　his

inferior　in　judgment；　perhaps　one　who　never　knew　the　labour　of

bookwriting；　and　if　he　be　not　repulsed　or　slighted；　must　appear　in

print　like　a　puny　with　his　guardian；　and　his　censor's　hand　on　the

back　of　his　title　to　be　his　bail　and　surety　that　he　is　no　idiot　or

seducer；　it　cannot　be　but　a　dishonour　and　derogation　to　the　author；

to　the　book；　to　the　privilege　and　dignity　of　learning。



And　what　if　the　author　shall　be　one　so　copious　of　fancy；　as　to

have　many　things　well　worth　the　adding　come　into　his　mind　after

licensing；　while　the　book　is　yet　under　the　press；　which　not　seldom

happens　to　the　best　and　diligentest　writers；　and　that　perhaps　a

dozen　times　in　one　book？　　The　printer　dares　not　go　beyond　his

licensed　copy；　so　often　then　must　the　author　trudge　to　his　leave…

giver；　that　those　his　new　insertions　may　be　viewed；　and　many　a

jaunt　will　be　made；　ere　that　licenser；　for　it　must　be　the　same　man；

can　either　be　found；　or　found　at　leisure；　meanwhile　either　the

press　must　stand　still；　which　is　no　small　damage；　or　the　author

lose　his　accuratest　thoughts；　and　send　the　book　forth　worse　than　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　silent；　whenas　all　he　teaches；　all　he　delivers；

is　but　under　the　tuition；　under　the　correction　of　his　patriarchal

licenser　to　blot　or　alter　what　precisely　accords　not　with　the

hidebound　humour　which　he　calls　his　judgment？　　When　every　acute

reader；　upon　the　first　sight　of　a　pedantic　licence；　will　be　ready

with　these　like　words　to　ding　the　book　a　quoit's　distance　from　him：

I　hate　a　pupil　teacher；　I　endure　not　an　instructor　that　comes　to　me

under　the　wardship　of　an　overseeing　fist。　　I　know　nothing　of　the

licenser；　but　that　I　have　his　own　hand　here　for　his　arrogance；　who

shall　warrant　me　his　judgment？　　The　State；　sir；　replies　the

stationer；　but　has　a　quick　return：　The　State　shall　be　my　governors；

but　not　my　critics；　they　may　be　mistaken　in　the　choice　of　a

licenser；　as　easily　as　this　licenser　may　be　mistaken　in　an　author；

this　is　some　common　stuff；　and　he　might　add　from　Sir　Francis　Bacon；

THAT　SUCH　AUTHORIZED　BOOKS　ARE　BUT　THE　LANGUAGE　OF　THE　TIMES。

For　though　a　licenser　should　happen　to　be　judicious　more　than

ordinary；　which　will　be　a　great　jeopardy　of　the　next　succession；

yet　his　very　office　and　his　commission　enjoins　him　to　let　pass

nothing　but　what　is　vulgarly　received　already。



Nay；　which　is　more　lamentable；　if　the　work　of　any　deceased

author；　though　never　so　famous　in　his　lifetime　and　even　to　this

day；　come　to　their　hands　for　licence　to　be　printed；　or　reprinted；

if　there　be　found　in　his　book　one　sentence　of　a　venturous　edge；

uttered　in　the　height　of　zeal　（and　who　knows　whether　it　might　not

be　the　dictate　of　a　divine　spirit？）　yet　not　suiting　with　every　low

decrepit　humour　of　their　own；　though　it　were　Knox　himself；　the

reformer　of　a　kingdom；　that　spake　it；　they　will　not　pardon　him

their　dash：　the　sense　of　that　great　man　shall　to　all　posterity　be

lost；　for　the　fearfulness　or　the　presumptuous　rashness　of　a

perfunctory　licenser。　　And　to　what　an　author　this　violence　hath

been　lately　done；　and　in　what　book　of　greatest　consequence　to　be

faithfully　published；　I　could　now　instance；　but　shall　forbear　till

a　more　convenient　season。



Yet　if　these　things　be　not　resented　seriously　and　timely　by　them

who　have　the　remedy　in　their　power；　but　that　such　iron…moulds　as

these　shall　have　authority　to　gnaw　out　the　choicest　periods　of

exquisitest　books；　and　to　commit　such　a　treacherous　fraud　against

the　orphan　remainders　of　worthiest　men　after　death；　the　more　sorrow

will　belong　to　that　hapless　race　of　men；　whose　misfortune　it　is　to

have　understanding。　　Henceforth　let　no　man　care　to　learn；　or　care

to　be　more　than　worldly…wise；　for　certainly　in　higher　matters　to　be

ignorant　and　slothful；　to　be　a　common　steadfast　dunce；　will　be　the

only　pleasant　life；　and　only　in　request。



And　it　is　a　particular　disesteem　of　every　knowing　person　alive；

and　most　injurious　to　the　written　labours　and　monuments　of　the

dead；　so　to　me　it　seems　an　undervaluing　and　vilifying　of　the　whole

nation。　　I　cannot　set　so　light　by　all　the　invention；　the　art；　the

wit；　the　grave　and　solid　judgment　which　is　in　England；　as　that　it

can　be　comprehended　in　any　twenty　capacities　how　good　soever；　much

less　that　it　should　not　pass　except　their　superintendence　be　over

it；　except　it　be　sifted　and　strained　with　their　strainers；　that　it

should　be　uncurrent　without　their　manual　stamp。　　Truth　and

understanding　are　not　such　wares　as　to　be　monopolized　and　traded　in

by　tickets　and　statutes　and　standards。　　We　must　not　think　to　make

a　staple　commodity　of　all　the　knowledge　in　the　land；　to　mark　and

licence　it　like　our　broadcloth　and　our　woolpacks。　　What　is　it　but

a　servitude　like　that　imposed　by　the　Philistines；　not　to　be　allowed

the　sharpening　of　our　own　axes　and　coulters；　but　we　must　repair

from　all　quarters　to　twenty　licensing　forges？　　Had　anyone　written

and　divulged　erroneous　things　and　scandalous　to　honest　life；

misusing　and　forfeiting　the　esteem　had　of　his　reason　among　men；　if

after　conviction　this　only　censure　were　adjudged　him　that　he　should

never　henceforth　write　but　what　were　first　examined　by　an　appointed

officer；　whose　hand　should　be　annexed　to　pass　his　credit　for　him

that　now　he　might　be　safely