be drawn into use, will not mend our condition; but to ordain wisely as in this world of Evill, in the midd'st whereof GOD hath plac't us unavoidably. Nor is it Plato's Licencing of Books will doe this, which necessarily pulls along with it so many other kinds of Licencing, as will make us all both ridiculous and weary, and yet frustrat; but those unwritt❜n, or at least unconstraining laws of vertuous Education, religious and civill nurture, which Plato there mentions, as the bonds and ligaments of the Commonwealth, the pillars and the sustainers of every writt❜n Statute; these they be which will bear chief sway in such matters as these, when all Licencing will be easily eluded. Impunity and remissenes for certain are the bane of a Common "of their spirits by teaching this our world better and exacter "things, then were yet known, or us'd." p. 10. 4to. 1642. Why in the text there should be a deviation from the ordinary mode of spelling Utopia, I know not. The pronunciation is the same. Would he by this signify that he favoured the composition of this factitious Name from au and Toros rather than from OU TOTOS? It is perhaps to be regretted, that Bacon had not given to the world his idea of a perfect model of Government. But he shrunk, it may be suspected, from that part of his undertaking, for fear he might by giving offence at Court throw any obstacle in the way of his professional advancement. That he did not fulfil his intention, Dr. Rawley, the Editor of this and others of his posthumous pieces, attributes to his foreseeing that it would prove a long work, and that his desire of collecting "the natu"ral History" diverted him from pursuing it. Yet I cannot but think Bacon was aware that this was tender ground, on which he did not like to venture. Nurture.] See ILLUSTRATION, H. wealth; but here the great art lyes, to discern in what the Law is to bid restraint" and punishment, and in what things perswasion only is to work. If every action which is good or evill in man at ripe years, were to be under pittance, and prescription, and compulsion, what were Vertue but a name3, what praise could be then due to well-doing, what grammercy to be sober, just or continent? (many there be that complain of divin Providence for suf "In what the Law is to bid restraint, &c.] This latinized use of bid is become obsolete: "Tullum-regem populus jussit." Liv. I. 22. A contemporary has this word in the same sense: "Unto him it did belong to bid holy-days, and to provide all "things necessary for publick sacrifices.”—Godwyn's Roman Antiquities; p. 53. 4to. 1680. 8 What were Vertue but a name,-] " inane est."-Hor. L. 1. Ep. 17. v. 41. "Aut Virtus nomen The thought was formed from the dying ejaculation of the second Brutus: " Ω τλῆμον ̓Αρετή, λόγος ὰρ ἦσθ', ἐγὼ δέ σε See Dion Cassius; xlvii. 49. 9 What grammercy to be sober, &c.] Johnson passes this term over in his Dictionary as nothing more than " an obsolete expression of surprise, contracted from grant me mercy." Here it carries a different sense, and obviously signifies great thanks; literally from the French grand merci. "This childe is a good "boie, gramercie rodde."-The Rule of Reason, containyng the Arte of Logike: by Thomas Wilson. Fol. 36. sm. 4to. 1567. Again: "Syr I have thank for the shew that Ionys made you "and daily gramercy, and ye thaire prayer."-Paston Letters; II. 232. But their Editor adopted Johnson's erroneous explanation. fering Adam to transgresse: foolish tongues! when GOD gave him Reason, he gave him freedom to choose, for Reason is but choosing; he had bin else a meer artificiall Adam, such an Adam as he is in the Motions'.) We our selves 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 creat passions When GOD gave him Reason, he gave him freedom to choose, for Reason is but choosing; he had bin else a meer artificiall Adam, such an Adam as he is in the Motions.] He transferred this thought into Par. Lost, where he dilates the argu ment: "Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. "Where only what they needs must do appear'd, "Not what they would? What praise could they receive? "What pleasure I from such obedience paid, "When Will and Reason (Reason also is Choice) "Not me?" III. 102. And he again made Liberty coexistent with Reason: "But GOD left free the will; for what obeys Ib. IX. 351. A Puppet-play was formerly called a Motion: "He com"pass'd a Motion of the Prodigal Son," says Shakspeare in the Winter's Tale, describing the vagrant life of Autolycus. within us, pleasures round about us, but that these rightly temper'd are the very ingredients of Vertu? They are not skilfull considerers of human things, who imagin to remove Sin by removing the matter of Sin; for, besides that it is a huge heap mcreasing 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 universall 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 jewell left, ye cannot bereave him of his covetousnesse. Banish all objects of lust, shut up all youth into the severest discipline that can be exercis'd in any hermitage, ye cannot make them chaste, that came not thither so such great care and wisdom is requir'd to the right managing of this point. Suppose we could expell Sin by this means; look how much we thus expell of Sin, so much we expell of Vertue: for the matter of them both is the same; remove that, and ye remove them both alike. This justifies the high Providence of GOD3, who though he command us Temperance, Justice, Continence, yet powrs out before us ev'n to a profusenes all desirable things, and gives us minds that can wander beyond all limit and satiety. Why should we then This justifies the high Providence of GOD.] A pious awe toward the ineffable Being who pervades and sustains the Universe, as well as submissive resignation to his Dispensations were feelings deeply-seated in MILTON's mind. They led him affect a rigor contrary to the manner of GOD and of Nature, by abridging or scanting those means, which Books freely permitted are, both to the triall of Vertue, 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 Evill, And were I the chooser, a dram of well-doing should be preferr'd before many times as much the forcible hindrance of evill-doing3. For God sure esteems into this theme whenever the occasion offered. He makes the Chorus remind Samson under the misery that had befallen him, "Just are the ways of GOD "And justifiable to Men." D. 293. And in the invocation with which he opens Par. Lost he implores the aid of the Divine Spirit, "That to the hight of this great argument « And justify the ways of GOD to Men.” 3 A dram of well-doing should be preferr'd before many times as much the forcible hindrance of evill-doing.] This sentiment agrees with that which is expressed by Horace, in the two following Verses: "Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore; « Tu nihil admittes in te formidine pœnæ." It better agrees, I think, with the succeeding passage in Cicero: "Quòd verò viros bonos jure civili fieri putas, quia legibus & "præmia proposita sint virtutibus, et supplicia vitiis; equidem "putabam virtutem hominibus (si modò tradi ratione possit) in"stituendo & persuadendo, non minis et vi ac metu tradi: nam |