dream, for reading Cicero; or elfe it was a fantasm bred by the feaver which had then feis'd him. For had an Angel bin his difcipliner, unleffe it were for dwelling too much upon Ciceronianifin, and had chaftiz'd the reading, not the vanity, it had bin plainly partiall; first to correct him for grave Cicero, and not for fcurrill Plautus whom he confeffes to have bin reading not long before; next to correct him only, and let fo many more ancient Fathers wax old in those pleafant and florid studies without the lafh of fuch a tutoring apparition; infomuch that Bafil teaches how fome good ufe may be made of Margites a fportfull Poem, not now extant, writ by Homer; and why not then of Morgante

an

year

an Italian Romanze much to the fame purpose. But if it be agreed we shall be try'd by vifions, there is a vision recorded by Eufebius far ancienter then this tale of ferom to the Nun Euftochium, and befides has nothing of a feavor in it. Dionyfius Alexandrinus was about the 240, a perfon of great name in the Church for piety and learning, who had wont to avail himself much against hereticks by being converfant in their Books; untill a certain Prefbyter laid it fcrupulously to his confcience, how he durft venture himselfe among thofe defiling volumes. The worthy man loath to give offence fell into a new debate with himselfe what was to be thought; when fuddenly a vifion fent from GOD, it

is his own Epiftle that fo averrs it, confirm'd him in thefe words: Read any books what ever come to thy hands, for thou art fufficient both to judge aright, and to examine each matter. To this revelation he affented the fooner, as he confeffes, because it was answerable to that of the Apoftle to the Theffalonians, Prove all things, hold faft that which is good. And he might have added another remarkable faying of the fame Author; To the pure all things are pure, not only meats and drinks, but all kinde of knowledge whether of good or evill; the knowledge cannot defile, nor con. fequently the books, if the will and confcience be not defil'd. For books are as meats and viands are; fome of good, fome

fome of evill fubftance; and yet God, in that unapocryphall vifion, faid without exception, Rife Peter, kill and eat, leav

ing the choice to each mans difcretion. Wholefome meats to a vitiated ftomach differ little or nothing from unwholefome; and best books to a naughty mind are not unappliable to occafions of evill. Bad meats will fcarce breed good nourifhment in the healthieft concoction ; but herein the difference is of bad books, that they to a difcreet and judicious Reader ferve in many refpects to difcover, to confute, to forewarn, and to illuftrate. Wherof what better witnefs can ye expect I fhould produce, then one of your own now fitting in Parlament, the chief of learned men reputed

in this Land, Mr. Selden, whofe volume of naturall & national laws proves, not only by great authorities brought together, but by exquifite reafons and theorems almoft mathematically demonftrative, that all opinions, yea errors, known, read, and collated, are of main fervice and affiftance towards the speedy attainment of what is trueft. I conceive therefore, that when God did enlarge the univerfall diet of mans body, faving ever the rules of temperance, he then alfo, as before, left arbitrary the dyeting and repafting of our minds; as wherein every mature man might have to exercife his owne leading capacity. How great a vertue is temperance, how much of moment through the whole life

of