punishment. Whence to include the whole nation, and those that never yet thus offended, under such a diffident and suspectful prohibition, may plainly be understood what a disparagement it is. So much the more, whenas debtors and delinquents may walk abroad without a keeper, but unoffensive books must not stir forth without a visible jailor in their title. Nor is it to the common people less than a reproach; for if we so jealous over them as that we dare not trust them with an English pamphlet, what do we but censure them for a giddy, vicious, and ungrounded people, in such a sick and weak state of faith and discretion as to be able to take nothing down but through the pipe of a licenser? That this is care or love of them we cannot pretend, whenas in those popish places where the laity are most hated and despised, the same strictness is used over them. Wisdom we cannot call it, because it stops but one breach of license, nor that neither: whenas those corruptions which it seeks to prevent, break in faster at other doors which cannot be shut. And in conclusion it reflects to the disrepute of our ministers also, of whose labours we should hope better, and of the proficiency which their flock reaps by them, than that after all this light of the gospel which is, and is to be, and all this continual preaching, they should be still frequented with such an unprincipled, unedified, and laic rabble, as that the whiff of every new pamphlet should stagger them out of their catechism and Christian walking. This may have much reason to discourage the ministers, when such a low conceit is had of all their exhortations, and the benefiting of their hearers, as that they are not thought fit to be turned loose to three sheets of paper without a licenser; that all the sermons, all the lectures preached, printed, vented in such numbers and such volumes as have now well-nigh made all other books unsaleable, should not be armour enough against one single Enchiridion, without the castle of St Angelo of an imprimatur. NOTES. Complaint, &c. 'When the Bill for abolishing Bishops, Deans, and Chapters was before the House of Commons, Dr Hacket was heard in their defence (1641), and urged "that their endowments were encouragements to Industry and Virtue, and were serviceable for the advancement of Learning." These were the arguments usually adopted in their favour' (Osborn). Mr Holt White quotes in illustration another passage of Milton's, beginning with this bitter sentence: 'Yea, they [= such as use the reasoning of Dr Hacket] and their seminaries shame not to profess, to petition, and never lin (= give over] pealing our ears, that unless we fat them like boars, and cram them as they list with wealth, with deaneries and pluralities, with baronies and stately preferments, all learning and religion will go under foot.' Pluralities, cases where one clergyman holds more than one benefice. Lat. pluralis, from plures (more). Elsewhere, Milton denounces most severely the system of pluralities, and also (as below) the general ignorance of the clergy. If therefore mankind. The conditional clause is lengthened by contrasting expressions, one starting from another. Consented, agreed. Lat. con-sentire (to think together, or the same way). Then emphatically recapitulates by reference the conditional clause, and shews pointedly its bearing upon the principal statement. That... upon him, Noun clause, object to 'know.' To distrust. Infin., subj. to 'is the greatest displeasure,' &c. Point out exactly the succession of adjuncts clustering upon 'to distrust,' and fill up any ellipsis. Schism, Fr. schisme, Gr. schisma (from schizo, split, rend), a split, division of opinion in a body so as to break it up, especially in a church party, sect, or congregation. Over it is what it is,' &c. school. For over Suggest a reason for the ellipsis. What is the whole expression an adjunct to ? Only is probably misplaced. Place it immediately before what it is meant to modify. Scaped, for 'escaped,' initial e being dropt. (See other examples in Shak. and later extracts.) Cf. scapegoat, scarce (O. Fr. escars), crawfish (Fr. écrevisse), scorch (O. Fr. es-corcer), strange (O. Fr. estrange), &c. Greater decapitations were frequent in Elizabethan authors: 'cause for 'because,' 'cide for 'decide,' 'joy'd for enjoyed,' 'longs for 'belongs,' &c. So 'story' is just 'history' without its head. Ferular, or 'ferula:' ferule, rod, cane. Fescue, wand, pointer. Also written 'festue.' O. Fr. festu, Lat. festuca (stalk, young shoot). Imprimātur, Lat. 'it may be printed.' approved of a book by writing this 'word of command' and signing his name. 'let it be printed,' The censor Theme, essay, exercise in composition. Literally, what is laid down, the 'subject' of the exercise: Fr. thème, Lat. and Gr. thēma, from Gr. tithēmi (I place or set). Grammar-lad, grammar-school lad. Pedagogue, Gr. paidos agōgos, boy's guide, boy-leader or -trainer ; teacher. Lit. Guardian. What case is 'guardian' in? Uttered, issued, published. outered, sent out. Cf. 'to utter coin.' Cursory, running over the writings. Hence, hasty, superficial; from Lat. cursum (to run). 'Cursory' is in contrast with 'serious and elaborate;' it is monstrous that writings composed with much thought and deliberation should be sent to the press or to the spunge' at the word of a man that has merely run his eye over them. Cf. (second sentence below) 'the hasty view of an unleisured licenser,' and the con trast. Temporising and extemporising. A play on the words (Cf. Par. Reg., iv. 434, note, for less admissible cases), here really epigrammatic, effectively satirising the preposterous arrangement. Temporising' is suiting the times (Lat. tempora), not looking beyond what is expedient at the present moment; 'extemporising' is acting ex tempore, or on the spur of the moment, without taking time to deliberate. (Cf. 'cursory eyes,' 'hasty view,' &c.) Foreigner. Orig. text has no g. 'Foreign' (earlier 'forein') is Fr. forain, low Lat. foraneus, from foras (out of doors, abroad). After all which done. A common Latinism. Cf. note to 'under pretence,' &c., page 111. Palladian oil, oil granted by, and devoted to, Pallas; learned oil, oil consumed over his studies, literary labour. Pallas (Athēna or Minerva) was the goddess of learning, and to her the olive-tree was sacred. his inferior. Cf. Cowley, Vision, note on 'his equals and betters.' His younger ... Puny, minor, infant, youngster. Now used only as adj.: small, feeble. Fr. puîné (younger), O. Fr. puisné, that is, puis-né, from Lat. post-natus (after-born). Cf. the puisne (=junior) barons of the Exchequer, the senior judge being called Chief Baron. Under the press. We say ' in the press.' But cf. 'sub prelo' (16th century), Fr. 'sous presse,' and Ger. 'unter der presse.' Accuratest, most carefully thought out. Lat. accurātus, prepared with care (Lat. cura), elaborate. Had made it, would have made it, if &c. Melancholy, mortification, 'vexation,' annoyance. Gr. melancholia, a bad state of the bile (Gr. chole), in which it becomes black (Gr. melas); hence the moods induced by this state of body. Doctor, lit. teacher. Lat. doctorem, from doctum (to teach), from docor dic- (to point out). Patriarchal licenser. "There is an allusion to [Archbishop] Laud here. There was a popular rumour that he wished to become the Patriarch of the Western Church." Patriarchal = patriarch-like, who assumes the authority of a patriarch or head of "the House." Patriarches, compounded of patria and archos, = race-chief. In Eccl. Greek it was the title borne by the Bishops of Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria' (Hales). Hide-bound, skin-bound, morbid, diseased. A morbid tightness of the skin characterises certain forms of disease, in animals, especially horses, cows, &c. So trees are said to be 'hide-bound' when their growth is impeded by closeness and firmness of the bark. Pedantic, lit. schoolmaster-like; as if the author were but a schoolboy, and his writings were unfit to appear unless sanctioned by his schoolmaster, the licenser. From the contrast between the school and the outside world, 'pedantic' came to denote vain, ostentatious, out-ofplace parade of learning. Ding, strike, push, fling, dash, hurl. Pupil teacher. The author instructs, Which not on his own account, but under Till a more convenient season. never came. Cf. Acts xxiv. 25. superior orders. Overseeing fist. 'Fist' is 'hand,' | Resented. Resent' is Fr. ressentir, famous.' Resolve the condensation. 'Ever' is often used for 'never.' Venturous, venturesome, daring. Decrepit. Lat. decrepitus (worn out, old and feeble), from de (down, away, in negative sense) and crepitum (to rustle, jingle, clatter, make noise). Knox. John Knox (1505-72), the celebrated 'reformer of Scotland to the Presbyterian discipline' (Milton). Pardon him their dash, pardon him and so spare him their dash; refrain from scoring their dash, or sign of erasure or cancelling, upon his writings. Fearfulness, timidity. Owing to his being afraid to let pass 'one sentence of a venturous edge.' Perfunctory, lit. performing, discharging and so getting rid of (one's work). Hence, doing work in a purely official spirit, the chief regard being to get through with it; superficial, careless. What book, &c. The posthumous vols. of Coke's Institutes of the Laws of England (1641), and Knox's History of the Reformation in Scotland (1644), have both been suggested. 'lively,' notes, page 149. But that, perhaps 'but (if) that.' Or the clause may be more naturally explained by supplying an ellipsis, but (the matter be left so) that.' Iron-moulds, cancers. 'Mould' is the substance that gathers upon bodies when exposed to damp air; 'ironmould' is rust. Mould corrodes, gnaws, or eats into the object it settles upon. A treacherous fraud. How is it so? that 'light' is the ancient lite, lyte It can be &c. 'It' refers comprehensively to the 'invention,' ‘art,' &c. just spoken of: the mental power that is in England. Manual, connected with the hand (Lat. manus). Cf. (above) 'overseeing fist,' and note. Monopolised, held (for sale) by a single trader. Fr. monopoliser, from Gr. monos (alone) and põleō (sell). The monopolies or exclusive right to deal in certain articles-granted by the Crown to courtiers and others had been exceedingly oppressive and exasperating in preceding reigns, some of the absolute necessaries of life having been thus raised to exor bitant prices; and even Elizabeth had been compelled to promise thorough-going redress. Tickets. 'Acknowledgments for goods obtained on credit' (Holt White). Hence, 'on tick.' Statutes. 'Securities given for debts contracted by purchase of merchandise' (Holt White). Standards, authorised weights, mea- A staple commodity," a law-defined, And those that never yet &c. Con- Laic rabble. Gr. laikos, pertaining to Conceit. Cf. Ben Jonson, page 154, notes. Enchiridion, hand-book, manual, Gr. encheiridion (hand-knife or dagger; also hand-book), from en (in) and cheir (hand). Milton plays upon the two uses of the Greek word; cf. 'armour enough,' &c. Without the castle of St Angelo, &c., 'without the protection of some Papacy-born license. He refers to the fact that the Castle of St Angelo [at Rome], then the Pope's prison, was once the papal fortress. Originally the Mausoleum of Hadrian [Roman emperor, 117-138 A.D.], it was first occupied as a papal fortress by Pope John XII. in the tenth century' (Hales). Divulged, published. Cf. This was printed and carefully divulged over the kingdom' (Clarendon). Lat. di (asunder) and vulgare (to spread among the vulgus or people at large). Consider how far the various cases of tautology may be justified. The placing of adjuncts may not unfrequently be managed better. Long sentences may be divided with difficulty. Re-write in your own language. SONNET. TO THE LORD GENERAL CROMWELL, MAY 1652, On the proposals of certain Ministers at the Committee for Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud Not of war only, but detractions rude, Guided by faith and matchless fortitude, To peace and truth thy glorious way hast ploughed, Hast reared God's trophies, and his work pursued, 5 |