"or fom well fpic'd brewage, and better break"fafted than he whofe morning-appetit would "have gladly fed on green figs between Bethany " and Jerufalem) his religion walks abroad at eight, and leaves his kind entertainer in the fhop trading all day without his religion. "Another fort there be, who, when they hear "that all things fhall be order'd, all things regulated and fetled, nothing written but what "paffes thro the customhouse of certain publicans "that have the tunnaging and poundaging of all "freespoken truth, will ftraight give themselves "s up into your hands, make 'em and cut 'em out "what religion you pleafe; there be delights, "there be recreations, and jolly pastimes that will "fetch the day about from fun to fun, and rock "the tedious year as in a delightful dream. What "need they torture their heads with that which "others have taken fo ftrictly and fo unalterably "into their own purveying? These are the fruits "which a dull eafe and ceffation of our knowlege "will bring forth among the people. Nor much "better will be the confequence among the clergy "themselves. It is no new thing never heard of "before for a parochial minifter, who has his re"ward, and is at his HERCULES pillars in a warm "benefice, to be easily inclinable (if he has no thing else that may rouse up his studies) to finish "his circuit in an English concordance, and a topic folio, the gatherings and fayings of a fober gra"duatship, a harmony and a catena, treading the "conftant round of certain common doctrinal E 3 head heads, attended with their uses, motives, marks "and means; out of which, as out of an alpha"bet or fol fa mi, by forming and transforming, joining and disjoining variously a little bookcraft, "and two hours meditation, he might furnish himfelf unfpeakably to the performance of more "than a weekly charge of fermoning; not to "reckon up the infinit helps of interlinearies, "breviaries, fynopfes, and other loitering gear. "But, as for the multitude of fermons already "printed on every text that is not difficult, he "need never fear penury of pulpit provifion; yet "if his rear and flanks be not impal'd, if his હું v backdoor be not fecur'd by the rigid licenfer, "but that a bold book may now and then issue "forth and give the affault to fom of his old col"lections in their trenches, it will concern him to keep waking, to ftand in watch, to fet good guards and fentinels about his receiv'd opinions, 66 to walk the round and counterround with his fellow-inspectors, fearing left any of his flock "be feduc'd, who alfo then would be better "inftructed, better exercis'd and difciplin'd. And "God fend that the fear of this diligence, which "must then be us'd, do not make us affect the lazinefs of a licenfing church." Such was the effect of our author's Areopagitica, that the following year MABOT, a licenser *, offer'd reasons against licenfing; * GILBERT MABBOT continued in his office till May 22, 1649, when, as Mr. WHITELOCKE obferves, " upon his defire, and "reasons against licenfing of books to be printed, he was dif "charged licenfing; and, at his own rèquest, was discharg'd that office. And certainly there's nothing deferves "charged of that employment." And we find a particular account of the affair in a weekly paper, printed in 4to, and intitled, A perfect diurnall of some passages in parliament, &c. from Munday, May 21, to Munday, May 28, 1649.... in which, under Tuesday, May 22, we read as follows: "Mr. MABBOT hath long defired several members of the "Houfe, and lately the Councell of State, to move the House, "that he might be discharged of licencing books for the future "upon the reafons following, viz. "1. Because many thoufand of fcandalous and malignant pamphlets have been published with his name thereunto, as if he had licensed the fame (though he never faw them) on purσε pofe (as he conceives) to prejudice him in his reputation "amongst the honeft party of this nation. "2. Because that employment (as he conceives) is unjust and illegall, as to the ends of its first institution, viz. to stop the preffe from publishing any thing, that might discover the "corruption of Church and State in the time of popery, episcopacy, and tyranny, the better to keep the people in ignorance, and carry on their popifh, factious, and tyrannical defigns, for the enflaving and deftruction both of the bodies and fouls of "all the free people of this nation. 66 3. Becaufe licencing is as great a monopoly as ever was in "this nation, in that all mens judgments, reafons, &c. are to "be bound up in the licenfers (as to licenfing;) for if the au"thor of any sheete, booke, or treatise, wrote not to please the i fancy, and come within the compaffe of the licenfers judg"ment, then hee is not to receive any stamp of authority for publishing thereof. 66 4. Because it is lawfull (in his judgment) to print any "booke, fheete, &c. without licenfing, fo as the authors and "printers do fubscribe their true names thereunto, that so they 86 may be liable to answer the contents thereof; and if they "offend therein, then to be punished by fuch lawes, as are, or fhall be, for thofe cafes provided. A committee of the Coun"cell of State being fatisfied with thefe and other reasons of "M. MABBOT concerning licenfing, the Councell of State reἐσ ports to the Houfe; upon which the House ordered this day, that the faid M. MABBOT fhould be discharged of licenfing books for the future." Dr. BIRCH's Life of MILTON, p. xxx more wonder, than that any wife people should fuffer a fmail number of injudicious fellows, always ready to fupprefs whatever is not relifh'd by their own fect or the magiftrat, to be the fole mafters and judges of what should or should not be printed; that is, of what the nation is to know, fpeak, or understand and I need not befitat to affirm that fuch a power in the hands of any prince (the licensers being always his creatures) is more dangerous even than a Standing army to civil liberty; nor in point of religion is it inferior to the inquifition. Bur to return to his privat affairs, left he might feem by his feveral treatises of divorce not to act from an intire conviction, but out of fudden refentment, or to fhew his parts in maintaining a paradox, he was feriously treating a marriage with a young lady of great wit and beauty, when one day as he was at a relations houfe whom he often visited, he was extremely furpriz❜d to find his wife (whom he thought never to have feen more) acknowleging her fault at his feet, and begging forgiveness with tears. At first he seem'd inexorable, but his own generofity, and the interceffion of friends, foon procur'd a perfect reconciliation, with an act of oblivion for all that was past. The first fruit of her return was a girl, born within a year after And fo far was he from remembring former provocations, that the kings intereft in every place vifibly declining, he receiv'd his wives father and mother, feveral of her fifters and brothers into his own house, where they had protection and free entertainment till their affairs were in a better condition. And now both his own father dying, and and his wives relations returning to their feveral habitations, he reviv'd his academic inftitution of fom young gentlemen, with a defign, perhaps, of putting in practice the model of education lately publish'd by himself. Yet this courfe was of no long continuance; for he was to be made adjutant general to Sir WILLIAM WALLER, but that the new modelling of the army foon following, and Sir WILLIAM turning cat in pan, this design was fruftrated. A LITTLE after FAIRFAX and CROMWEL had march'd thro the city with the whole army to quell the infurrection of BROWN and MASSY, now grown discontented likewife with the parlament, our author chang'd his great house for one more accommodated to his circumftances, where in the midst of all the noife and confufion of arms, he led a quiet and privat life, wholly delighted with the mufes, and profecuting his indefatigable search after useful and folid knowlege. HAVING Occafionally mention'd that great man general FAIRFAX, I fhall fubjoin here, because it is not printed among his other poems, a fonnet our author fent him. FAIRFAX, whofe name in arms thro Europe rings, Victory home, while new rebellions raise O yet |