cient evidence and commendation of his own piety; so that a man may say his religion is now no more within himself, but is become a dividual moveable, and goes and comes near him as that good man frequents the house. He entertains him, gives him gifts, feasts him, lodges him; his religion comes home at night, prays, is liberally supped, and sumptuously laid to sleep; rises, and is saluted, and (after the malmsy, or some well-spiced beverage, and better breakfasted than he whose morning appetite would have gladly fed on green figs between Bethany and Jerusalem,) his religion walks abroad at eight, and leaves his kind entertainer in the shop, trading all day without his religion!

"Nor much better will be the consequence among the clergy themselves. It is no new thing, never heard of before, for a parochial minister who has his reward, and is at his Hercules Pillars in a warm benefice, to be easily inclinable (if he has nothing else to rouse up his studies) to finish his circuit in an English concordance, and a Topic folio. The gatherings and sayings of a sober graduateship, a harmony, and a Catina, treading the constant round of certain common doctrinal heads, attended with their uses, motives, marks, and means; out of which, as out of an alphabet, or sol fa mi, by forming and transforming, joining and disjoining variously, a

little book-craft, and two hours' meditation, he might furnish himself unspeakably to the performance of more than a weekly charge of sermoning; not to reckon up the infinite helps of interlinearies, breviaries, cynopses, and other loitering gear. But, as for the multitude of sermons already printed on every text that is not difficult, he need never fear penury of pulpit provision; yet if his rear and flanks be not inspected, if his back-door be not secured by the rigid Licenser, but that a bold book may now and then issue forth, and give an assault to some of his old collections in their trenches, it will concern him to keep waking, to stand in watch, to set good guards and centinels about his received opinions, to walk the round and counterround with his fellow-inspectors, fearing lest any of his flock be seduced, who also then would be better instructed, better exercised and disciplined: and God send that the fear of this diligence, which must then be used, do not make us effect the laziness of a licensing church."

The following burst of noble eloquence is perhaps unrivalled in sublimity of thought and adaptedness of words :-" Methinks I see in 66 my mind a noble and puissant nation rousing herself like a strong man after sleep, and shaking her invincible locks: methinks I see her as an eagle mewing

her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full mid-day beam; purging and unsealing her long-abused sight at the fountain itself of heavenly radiance; while the whole noise of timorous and flocking birds, with those also that love the twilight, flutter about amazed at what she means*, and in their envious gabble would prognosticate a year of sects and schisms."

This most energetic appeal, and most poignant satire, produced no effect upon a contracted, presbyterian government. That they remained inexorably determined to put chains and locks upon the printing presses, appeared from the following circumstance. The arguments used by MILTON, induced one MABAL, a licenser, to offer his reasons against licensing, and at his own request he was permitted to give up the office !†

* It is amusing to read the remarks of Symmons on this passage. He says, "the passage should have ended with 'means.' The imagery is spoilt and broken by the concluding words, sects and schisms.'" Yes, it might have been more elegant; but then his object in writing it would have been lost: he meant, that "the birds who loved the twilight" should take a hint, that they could not bear that light of truth which led men off from the established church.

+ The following history, from a note in the 4th vol. of Blackstone's Commentaries, p. 152, (eleventh edition,) shows that Corruption is a monster that will not die easily, when there are paid servants of the state to nourish it, and cherish it,

In his thirty-fifth year, he entered into the marriage state, at Whitsuntide, 1643, with MARY, the daughter of RICHARD POWELL, of ForestHill, near Shotover in Oxfordshire: he was a justice of the peace, and a person of great respectability in that part of the country. Toland

and keep it alive." The art of printing, soon after its introduction, was looked upon (as well in England as in other countries) as merely a matter of state, and subject to the coercion of the crown. It was therefore regulated with us by the king's proclamation, prohibitions, charters of privilege, and of license, and finally by the decrees of the court of starchamber, which limited the number of printers, and of presses which each should employ, and prohibited new publications, unless previously approved by proper licensers. On the demolition of this odious jurisdiction in 1641, the long parliament of Charles I. after their rupture with that prince, assumed the same powers as the star-chamber exercised with respect to the licensing of books; and in 1643, 1647, 1649, and 1652, (Scobell I. 44, 134; II. 88, 232;) issued their ordinances for that purpose, founded principally on the star-chamber decree of 1637. In 1662 was passed the statute 13 and 14 Car. II. c. 33, which (with some few alterations) was copied from the parliamentary ordinances. This act expired in 1679, but was revived by statute 1 Jac. II. c. 17, and continued till 1692. It was then continued for two years longer by statute 4th W. and M. c. 24. But though frequent attempts were made by the government to revive it, in the subsequent part of that reign, (Com. Journ. II. Feb. 1694, 26th Nov. 1695, 22nd Oct. 1696, 9th Feb. 1697, 31st Jan. 1698,) yet the parliament resisted it so strongly, that it finally expired, and the press became properly free in 1694, and has ever since so continued."

says: "But whether it was that this young woman, accustomed to a large jovial family, could not live in a philosophical retirement; or that she was not perfectly satisfied with the person of her husband; or lastly, that because all her relations were all addicted to the royal interest, his democratical principles were disagreeable to their humour, (nor is it improbable the father repented of his match, upon the prospect of some success on the king's side, who then had his headquarters at Oxford) or whatever was the reason, 'tis certain, that after he had enjoyed her company at London for about a month, she was invited by her friends to spend the rest of the summer in the country; to which he consented, on condition that she returned at Michaelmas. Yet he saw her not at the time appointed, and after receiving several of his letters without sending him any answer, she did at length positively refuse to come, dismissing his messenger with contempt."

That a man of his high and honourable spirit, should have been incensed at such contemptuous conduct, from so near and endeared a companion as his wife, may be easily conceived, and ought not to be condemned as improper resentment: whether all the steps which he took in consequence were alike justifiable, will admit of a serious question, and respecting which there will perhaps be different opinions.