as well as the licenser doth expect a reward for every ingenious piece or jest, that is printed in books: when, with more gravity than wit, having, with great study and labour, corrected some such dangerous authors as Thomas a Thumbis; he from his learned grammatical pen, which casts no ink without Latin, drops forth that lordly word imprimatur, either because he judged no vulgar tongue was worthy to express so pure a conceit; or rather perhaps, for that our English (the language of men, ever famous and bold in the atchievements of liberty) will not easily find servile letters enough to spell such an arbitrary presumptuous word, as is that of imprimatur.

Seventhly, this trouble of licensing doth very much prejudice and injure the very licensers themselves in the calling of their ministry, if they will discharge that office as they ought: because of necessity they must neglect either the one duty or the other.

Eighthly, it robs us of that great argument we make use of against the Mahometans; and what is worse, popish religion; viz. that ignorance is the mother of their devotions; since how can we justly brand their religions, for being founded merely upon their laicks ignorance when we in the like manner discountenance knowledge ourselves? How can we upbraid papists for not daring to permit their common people to read the Bible, when we do the same thing in effect, by tying all persons up to one man's exposition and interpretation of the same, viz. the li censer's; who will not permit any exposition to come forth that thwarts his own particular judgment. I am confident, that if the Turk or the pope, could be assured to make all men expound the Alcoran and scriptures according to the sense of the Mufti and Conclave, they would neither of them be against the common people's reading them; so that we all three aim at one and thes ame thing, only by different ways. And that is our mistake: for let their falshoods use what artifice they can; yet we do in a manner libel our own truth, when by licensing and prohibiting, fearing each book, and the shaking of each leaf, we distrust her own strength. Let her and falshood grapple; who ever knew truth put to the worst in a free and open encounter? Her confuting is the best and surest oppression, when it leaves all standers-by no room to doubt.* "The punishing of wits enhancestheir authority, and forbidding writing is thought to be a certain spark of truth, that flies up in the face of them who seek to tread it out.' When a man hath been working at the hardest labour in the deep mines of knowledge, and hath furnished himself out in all equipage, drawn forth his reasons as it were in battle-array; scattered and defeated all objections in his way, summons his adversary into the field, offers him the advantage of wind and sun if he pleases, only that he might try the matter by dint of argument; for his opponent then to sculk and lie in ambuscade, to keep a narrow bridge of licensing, where the challenger should pass; this, though it be courage enough in a soldier, is but weakness and cowardice in the wars of truth. For truth needs no policies, no stratagems, no licensings to render her victorious; these are only the shifts and defences that error uses against her power. So that, if it once come to prohibiting, there is nothing more

* Lord Bacon.

likely to be prohibited than truth itself, even the very Bible; as we may see it is by the first inventors of this monopoly. To justify the suppression of books, some may cite the burning of those Ephesian books by St. Paul's converts; but that agrees not with our case, for there it was not the magistrate, but the owners of the books themselves who burnt them in remorse.

Ninthly, and lastly, give me leave to tell you, that licensing and persecution of conscience are two sisters that ever go hand in hand toge. ther, being both founded upon one and the same principle: therefore, to asperse the one, permit me to defame the other. Now although I allow no difference to those religions whose principles destroy government, nor those religions that teach ill life (both which errors the papists are guilty of :)* yet I cannot but wish, that all men would use one another so gently and so charitably, that no violent compulsion should introduce hypocrisy, and render sincerity as well troublesome as unsafe.' It would be hard measure for any man to blame that surgeon who refused to cut off a man's head, only to cure a wart or pimple upon his chin or cheek: now the case is altogether the same, and we may as well decree a wart to be mortal, as a various opinion in re alio. qui non necessaria to be capital and damnable. I would fain know why is not any vicious habit as bad or worse, than a false opinion? Why are we so zealous against the non-conformists, or hereticks, and yet at the same time dear friends with drunkards, fornicators, swearers, in. temperate and idle persons? I am certain that a drunkard is as contrary to God, and lives as contrary to the laws of Christianity as any heretick; and I am also sure that I know what drunkenness is ; but I am not sure, that such an opinion is heresy, nor would any man else be so dogmatical in these matters, did he not mistake confidence for certainty. Faction and heresy were things unknown in the world, till the increase of interest, and abatement of Christian simplicity; when the church's fortune grew better, her sons worse, and her fathers worst of all. Why should I hate men, because their understandings have not been brought up like mine, have not had the same masters, have not met with the same books, nor the same company, or have not the same interest, or are not so wise, or are much wiser; and therefore do not determine their school-questions to the sense of my sect or interest? I think they are in an error, but they believe me to be in the wrong; if they err, they do it not through obstinacy, but ignorance; and if God affords them patience, why should we not lend them ours? It was nobly and bravely answered, for a heathen, of Tamerlain the Great; who, when his high priest desired him to reduce all that part of the world to one religion, replied: No, I will not; for that how, saith 'he, do I know but the same God, who hath delighted himself so ⚫ much with the variety of all other things, as appears in men, beasts, birds, fish, trees, herbs, flowers, &c. may not also delight himself as 'much in variety of worship? Therefore I will punish none but such as deny either a God, or his providence, and him will I put to death.' Certainly 'tis very unreasonable for men to press and pretend every opi.

* Dr. Taylor's Liberty of Prophesying.

nion in matters of religion, as necessary in so high a degree, that if they spoke truth, or indeed two of them in five-hundred sects which are now in the world (and, for aught I know, there may be five thousand) it is five hundred to one, but every man is damned; for every sect damns all but itself, and yet that is damned of four hundred and ninetynine, and it is excellent fortune then, if that escape. All wise princes heretofore, till they were overborne with faction, gave toleration to dif ferent sects, whose opinions did not disturb the publick interest: and not without reason; for that being restrained, and made miserable, mutually endears the discontented party, and so begets more hearty and dangerous confederations against the oppressing government.

Now how unreasonable soever such kind of prosecutions may appear to all tender-hearted Christians; yet, if once a license prevails, when men shall not be permitted to justify their innocence to the world, 'tis greatly to be feared that these mischiefs, and worse than these, if possible, will be the consequence of it. Having therefore thus plainly and at large demonstrated the inconveniences of a licensing press, give me leave to write upon the square, and shew you the objections of our adversaries, which, without wrong to their cause, may be justly comprehended under one head, and that is this.

Objection. If, say they, a restraint be not laid upon printing, and some supervisors assigned over the press; how then can we be secured from libels against the king, the church, the state, and private men? As also from popish books of all sorts? Now this I take to be the only material objection, wherewith they can have any shew of a pretence to baffle and obstruct our design.

To which I answer: first, that to expect any assurance, that no such books shall be written, is more than mortal man can give; since we see that during this late act, and should there be even a Spanish inquisition erected amongst us; yet there are some authors and some printers so bold, that the one to vent his humour, and the other for the lucre of money, would write and print such books in spight of the strictest enquiry, and in defiance of the severest penalty. And these are the au thors that are most dangerous, and also most incorrigible; being persons, however, that are more likely to be silenced by liberty, than by restraint for experience hath already shewed, that all such acts will prove ineffectual as to them. Secondly, supposing any such authors are taken and discovered; why, we need no other new laws for the pu nishing of them, as I humbly conceive, than what are already in force; as for example, if any audacious villain shall publish treason, he is already liable to suffer as a traitor; or, if he writes scandalous reflexions upon the government, I presume he is, by the present laws of the land, subject to a fine and imprisonment. Again, if he publishes any atheism, heresy, or schism, he is liable to an excommunication, and to be proceeded against accordingly in the spiritual court: or, if in his writing he defames any particular person, he is obnoxious to a scandalum magnatum, if he be a peer; and to an action upon the case for slander, if he be a commoner. And last of all, for popish books, quere, whether there be not statutes already in force, for the abolishing them, made 3 and 4 of Ed. vi. For, although this statute was once repealed by the

1 M. 2. yet that of the 1 M. 2. was likewise afterwards repealed by the 1 Jac. 28. So that I cannot apprehend wherein we have need of any other new law of this nature, unless it be to preserve to the poor booksellers their just and undoubted property of their copies, which is their house and land, they having the same title for the one, as we have for the other.

POSTSCRIPT.

Having thus, therefore, my lords and gentlemen, tendered to your serious consideration these few reasons against any such inquisition upon the press, I shall presume to offer but this one proposal to your judgment, and so conclude, viz. That, if these forementioned arguments prove so ineffectual, as that your prudence shall think fit to take some further care, about the regulating of the press; then, if it be enacted, that any book may be printed without a license, provided that the printer's, and the author's name, or, at least, the printer's be registered, whether or no this will not have all the good, but none of the bad consequence of a licenser? And that those, which otherwise come forth, if they be found mischievous and libellous, shall be committed to the flames, as also the author to condign punishment; but in this, as in all other things, I most humbly submit myself to your supreme wisdom and judicature.

DAY-FATALITY:

OR,

SOME OBSERVATION OF DAYS LUCKY AND UNLUCKY;

Concluding with some Remarks upon the Fourteenth of October,

The auspicious Birth-day of his Royal Highness James Duke of York.

THA

HAT there be good and evil days and times, not only the sacred scriptures, but profane authors mention: see 1 Sam. xxv. 8. Esther viii. 17. and ix. 19, 22. Ecclus. xiv. 14.

The fourteenth day of the first month was a memorable and blessed day amongst the children of Israel: see Exod. xii. 18, 40, 41, 42, 51. and xiii. 4. Levit. xxiii. 5. Numb. xxviii. 16. Four hundred and thirty years being expired of their dwelling in Egypt, even in the selfsame day departed they thence.

A thing somewhat parallel to this we read in the Roman Histories :

That, that very day four years that the civil wars were begun by Pompey the father, Cæsar made an end of them with his sons; Cneus Pompeius being then slain, and it being also the last battle Cæsar was ever in. [Heylin in the kingdom of Corduba.] The calendar to Ovid's Fastorum says, Aprilis erat mensis Græcis auspicatissimus, a most auspicious month to the Græcians.

As to evil days and times, see Amos v. 13. Psalm xxxvii. 19. Obad. 12. Jer. xlvi. 21. ing his birth-day, chap. iii. ver. 1 to 11. old rhymes deriding the Scots.

Ery in a morneuing,

In an evil tyming,

and vi. 3. Eccles. ix. 12. And Job hints it, in cursSee Weaver, p. 458. the

Went they from Dunbarre:

Horace, Lib. II. Ode 13, cursing the tree that had like to have fallen upon him, says, Ille nefasto te posuit die; intimating, that it was planted in an unlucky day.

The Romans counted February the thirteenth an unlucky day, and therefore then never attempted any business of importance; for on that day they were overthrown at Allia by the Gauls; and the Fabii, attacking the city of the Veil, were all slain save one. [Heylin speaking of St. Peter's patrimony.] And see the calendar annexed to Ovid's Fastorum, as to the last circumstance.

The Jews counted August the tenth an unfortunate day; for on that the temple was destroyed by Titus, the son of Vespasian; on which day also the first temple was consumed with fire by Nebuchadnezzar. [Heylin.] The Treasury of the times says, the eighth of Loyon (August) the very same day six hundred seventy-nine years one after

another.

And not only among the Romans and Jews, but also among Christians, a like custom of observing such days is used, especially Childermas or Innocents day. Comines tells us, that Lewis the Eleventh used not to debate any matter, but accounted it a sign of great misfortune towards him, if any man communed with him of his affairs; and would be very angry with those about him, if they troubled him in any matter whatsoever upon this day.

But I will descend to more particular instances of lucky and unlucky days.

Upon the sixth of April, Alexander the Great was born: upon the same day he conquered Darius, won a great victory at sea, and died the same day.

Neither was this day less fortunate to his father Philip; for on the same he took Potidea; Parmenio, his general, gave a great overthrow to the Illyrians; and his horse was victor at the Olympick Games. Therefore his prophets foretold to him, filium cujus natalis, &c. That a son, whose birth-day was accompanied with three victories, should prove invincible. Pezelius in Mellificio Historico.

Upon the thirtieth of September, Pompey the Great was born: upon that day he triumphed for his Asian conquest; and on that day died.