Fellow of King's College, London; Hon. Member of the Virginia Historical Society;
Examiner in English Language and Literature, Victoria University, Manchester;
Professor of English Language and Literature,
Sir Josiah Mason's College, Birmingham.

I. The origin, inventors and object of Book licen-
cing,

2. What is to be thought in general of reading books,

3. The Order [of 14 June 1643] conduces nothing

to the end for which it was framed,

4. The manifeft hurt it causes :---

(1) It is the greatest discouragement and affront

that can be offered to learning and to learned

(2) It is an undervaluing and vilifying of the

whole nation

(3) It brings disrepute upon the Ministers,

Proof. The fervile condition of learning in Italy,
the home of licencing,

5. It may prove a nursing mother to sects,

6. It will be the step-dame to Truth :-

(1) By difenabling us in the maintenance of what

(2) By the incredible loss it entails in hindering
the fearch after new Truth,

Description of the English nation,

The power of Truth,

An appeal for toleration, spiritual unity and peace,

NOTES,

HARVARD

COLLEGE

Mar 14, 1934

LIBRARY

Mrs. Newton Bosworth

AREOPAGITICA.'

INTRODUCTION.

HAT half-living thing-a book: may be regarded in many ways. It may be confidered in connection with the circumftances which led to its conception and creation; and in ne midst of which it appeared. It may be studied, s exhibiting the moral intent, the mental power of s author. Its contents may be analysed as to their trinsic truthfulness or falfity. We may trace and dentify its influence upon its own age and on fucceedng generations. This is an apprehenfion of the mind. f a book.

More than this. We may examine its ftyle, its ower and manner of expreffing that mind. The inging collocation of its words, the harmonious adence of its fentences, the flashing gem-like beauty f ifolated paffages, the juft mapping out of the eneral argument, the due fubordination of its several arts, their final inweaving into one overpowering onclusion: these are the features, discovering, illumiating, enforcing the mind of a book.

Much of what is in books is false, much only half rue, much true. It is impoffible to separate the tares om the wheat. Every one, therefore-of neceffityuft read difcriminatively; often fifting and searching or first principles, often tefting the catenation of an rgument, often treasuring up incidental truths for iture ufe; enjoying-as delights by the way-whatver felicity of expreffion, gorgeousness of imagination, ividness of description, or aptness of illuftration may lance, like funshine, athwart the path: the journey's nd being Truth.

The purpose through these English Reprints is to ring this modern age face to face with the works of ur forefathers. The Editor and his clumsy framework