themselves well ridd 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 Presse-corrector, we may easily foresee what kind of Licencers we are to expect hereafter, either ignorant, imperious, and remisse, or basely pecuniary. This is 2 Seeing therefore those who now possesse the imployment, by all evident signs wish themselves well ridd of it-] Toland represents, that "such was the effect of our Author's AREOPAGITICA, that "the following year Mabbot, a Licenser, offer'd Reasons against "Licensing; and, at his own request, was discharged that "office."-The Biographer was inaccurate as to the date. Mabbot continued in the office till 1649; and was then at his own desire discharged the employment: see Note to this quotation in Hollis's Edit. of Toland's Life of MILTON; p. 56. 8vo. 1761; Where too Mabbot's Reasons are given at length. As they contain some practical answers against a revival of an Imprimatur, and sustain Toland's account of the cogency of MILTON's vindication of an open Press, I will reprint them.—See ILLUSTRATION, K. We may regret, that Toland's Biographical Memoir should not have been fuller, and written with more attention. Had he bestowed the time, it appears to have been within his power to have communicated considerably more information than he has given us for he writes in a Letter to a Person of Quality in Holland that he was "conversant with many of MILTON's inti"mate Friends, and acquaintance; who, beside other informa"tions, readily presented me with what Manuscripts of his, or any way relating to him, they had in their hands." A Collection of several Pieces of Mr. John Toland; I. 352. 8vo. 1726. by Des Maizeaux. At the same time, every friend to Literature and to Liberty must willingly render his acknowlegements to Toland's memory. for collecting and editing the political writings of Harrington, Sydney, and MILTON. These labours call for unqualified praise. : what I had to shew 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 offer'd to Learning and to learned men. It was the complaints and lamentation of Prelats, upon every least breath of a motion to remove Pluralities, and distribute more equally Church revennu's, that then all Learning would be for ever dasht and discourag'd. 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 mer3 It was the complaint, &c.] See ILLUSTRATION, L. Nor could I ever but hold it for a sordid and unworthy speech of any Churchman who had a competency left him.] Ludlow relates an argumentative conversation on this question wherein he delivered with characteristic frankness an opinion similar to MILTON'S: "Dr. Earl accused the Parliament of endeavour"ing the destruction of Learning, which I desiring him to make appear, he told me that by abolishing Episcopacy we took " away all encouragement to it; for that men would not send "their sons to the university had they not some hopes that they "might attain to that preferment. To this I replied, That it "would be much more honest for such men to train up their "children at the plow, whereby they might be certainly pro❝vided with a livelihood than to spend their time and money to "advance them to an office pretended to be spiritual and insti"tuted for spiritual ends upon such a sordid principle and con"sideration. Sir Francis [Doddington], as I conceive, ashamed H cenary crew of false pretenders to Learning, but the free and ingenuous sort of such as evidently were born to study, and love Lerning for it self, not for lucres, 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 publisht labours advance the good of Mankind: then know, that so far to distrust the judgement and the honesty of one who hath but a common repute in 6 "of the Doctor's discourse put an end to the conversation.". Memoirs; p. 40. fol. 1751. 5 Such as evidently were born to study, and love Learning for it self, not for lucre.] On the contrary, the Poet Waller, in his Speech on behalf of Episcopacy as established, argued thus: "If these great innovations proceed, I shall expect a flat and "level in Learning too, as well as in Church-preferments: Honos alit Artes. And though it be true, that grave and pious "men do study for learning-sake, and embrace Virtue for itself; "yet it is true, that Youth, which is the season when Learning "is gotten, is not without ambition; nor will ever take pains "to excel in any thing, when there is not some hope of excell"ing others in reward and dignity." I give this as reprinted in Johnson's Biographical Preface to Waller. GoD and good Men have consented-] that is, agreed. As in Spenser ; "Such musick is wise words with time consented." F. Q. B. 4. Cant. 2. St. 2. And Ben Jonson; Dan.-" How their Excuses meet! Cle." What a consent there is i'the Handles." Epicane; A. 4. S. 6. 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 scapt the ferular, to come under the fescu of an Imprimatur ? if serious and elaborat writings, as if they were no more then the theam of a grammar Lad under his Pedagogue, must not be utter'd without the cursory eyes of a temporizing and extemporizing Licencer". He who is not trusted with his own actions, his drift not being known to be evill, 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 then a fool or a foreiner. When a man writes to the world, he summons up all his reason and deliberation to assist him; he searches, meditats, is industrious, and likely consults and conferrs with his judicious friends; after all which done he takes himself to be "Must not be utter'd without the cursory eyes of a temporizing and extemporizing Licencer.] So afterward in this Speech, -"differences or rather indifferences."-Such playing on words. was much in vogue in our Authour's day; and if it had been observed to him that it was beneath the dignity of Oratory, he would probably have replied, that Cicero did not reject it; and would have vouched from him such jeux de mots as, “¡idemque "bustum in foro facerent, qui illam insepultam sepulturam refe"cerant."-Philip. prim. sect. 2. inform'd in what he writes, as well as any that writ before him; if in this the most consummat act of his fidelity and ripenesse, 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, unlesse he carry all his considerat diligence, all his midnight watchings, and expence of Palladian oyl, to the hasty view of an unleasur'd Licenser, perhaps much his younger, perhaps far his inferiour in judgement, perhaps one who never knew the labour of book-writing, and if he be not repulst, or slighted, must appear in print like a Punie with his Guardian, and his censors hand on & Unlesse he carry all his considerat diligence, all his midnight watchings, and expence of Palladian oyl, to the hasty view of an unleasur'd Licenser.] He has in il Penseroso a parallel image: "Or let my Lamp at midnight hour, v. 85. -"expence of Palladian oyl"-is an expression drawn from the Classics: "Non deflebimus, ne & opera, & oleum philologiæ "nostræ perierit: sed conferemus tranquillo animo."-Cic. ad Atticum, Lib. 2. Epist. 17. I should, when it occurred in p. 40. have noticed, that when he says-" to the Press, or to the Spunge-" he is also speaking in classical diction: "Nam tragædiam magno impetu exorsus, non "succedente stylo, abolevit: quærentibusque amicis quidnam "Ajax ageret? respondit, Ajacem suum in spongiam incubuisse." Sueton. August. Lib. 2. 85. 9 Like a Punie with his Guardian-] i. e. "like a Minor:" "This is (complained our Authour) the master-piece of a |