English Reprints. JOHN MILTON. AREOPAGITICA. [24 November] 1644. PRECEDED BY ILLUSTRATIVE DOCUMENTS. Edited by EDWARD ARBER, F.S.A. Fellow of King's College, London; Hon. Member of the Virginia Historical Society; BIRMINGHAM: 35 WHEELYS ROAD. No. I. (All rights reserved.) Ge ĥ w w w N N N N W 36 42 49 35 29 I. The origin, inventors and object of Book licen- 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 (3) It brings disrepute upon the Ministers, 5. It may prove a nursing mother to fects, 6. It will be the step-dame to Truth :- (2) By the incredible loss it entails in hindering AREOPAGITI NIVERSITY. INTRODUCTION. A10082 HAT half-living thing-a book: may be re garded in many ways. It may be confidered in connection with the circumstances which led to its conception and creation; and in the midst of which it appeared. It may be ftudied, as exhibiting the moral intent, the mental power of its author. Its contents may be analysed as to their intrinsic truthfulness or falfity. We may trace and identify its influence upon its own age and on fucceeding generations. This is an apprehenfion of the mind. of a book. The More than this. We may examine its style, its power and manner of expreffing that mind. ringing collocation of its words, the harmonious cadence of its fentences, the flashing gem-like beauty of isolated paffages, the juft mapping out of the general argument, the due fubordination of its several parts, their final inweaving into one overpowering conclufion: these are the features, discovering, illuminating, enforcing the mind of a book. Much of what is in books is false, much only half true, much true. It is impoffible to separate the tares from the wheat. Every one, therefore-of neceffity-must read discriminatively; often fifting and searching for first principles, often testing the catenation of an argument, often treasuring up incidental truths for future use; enjoying-as delights by the way-whatever felicity of expreffion, gorgeousness of imagination, vividness of description, or aptness of illustration may glance, like funshine, athwart the path: the journey's end being Truth. The purpose through these English Reprints is to bring this modern age face to face with the works of our forefathers. The Editor and his clumsy framework |