our understandings? A people have "Liberty," faid a truly good king of England, "when they are free as thought is free. What is it that makes a city, (faid the good Alcæus, a poet, whose mufe was always facred and faithful to the best of caufes) it is not walls and buildings; no, it is being inhabited by men by men, who know them felves to be men, and have fuitable "notions of the dignity of human nature: by men, who know what it is alone that exalts them above the brutes." Can we be either virtuot or religious, without the free use of our reafon, without the means of knowledge? And can we have knowledge, if men **Elfrid. dare dare not freely ftudy, and as freely communicate the fruits of their Audies? What is it that diftinguishes human fociety from a brutish herd, but the flou rifhing of the Arts and Sciences, the free exercise of Wit and Reafon? What can government mean, intend, or produce, that is worthy of man, or beneficial to him, as he is a rational creature, besides Wisdom, Knowledge, Virtue, and Science? Is it merely indeed that we may eat, drink, fleep, fing, and dance, with fecurity, that we choose governours, fubject ourselves to their adminiftration, and pay taxes? Take away the Arts, Religion, Knowledge, Vertue, (all of which must flourish, or fink together) and, in the name of goodness, what P what is left to us that is worth enjoying or protecting? Yet take away the Liberty of the prefs, and we are all at once ftript of the use of our noblest faculties: our fouls themfelves are imprifoned in a dark dungeon: we may breathe, but we cannot be faid to live. If the end of governors and govern ment is not to diffufe with a liberal unfparing equal hand, true rational happinefs; but to make the bulk of mankind beafts of burden, that a few may wallow in brutish pleasures: then it is confiftent politicks to root out the defire and love of Light and Knowledge. Certain Scythian flaves, that they might work the harder, had only their eyes deftroyed. But to extinguish human underftanding, ftanding, and establish a kingdom of darkness, is juft fo far more barbarous than even that monftrous cruelty, as the mind excels the body; or as understanding and reafon are fuperior to sense. Cardinal Richlieu fays, in his Political Teftament, "That fubjects with know"ledge, fenfe, and reafon, are as mon"ftrous as a beaft with hundreds of eyes "would be; and that fuch a beaft will "never bear its burden peaceably. "Whence he infers, it is impoffible to 66 promote defpotick power, while learn"ing is encouraged and extended. The "people must be hood-winked, or ra"ther blinded, if one would have them "tame and patient drudges. In short, you must treat them every way like "pack-horfes or mules, not excepting "the bells about their necks, which by their perpetual jingling may be of use "to drown their cares." Now this is plain dealing, and confiftent politicks. But to talk of Liberty and Free Government, Publick Good and Rational Happinefs, as requiring limitations on the Prefs, and Licensers of books, is as abfurd as to speak of liberty in a dungeon with chains on every limb. Hobbes too was confiftent with himself, and advises those who aim at abfolute dominion, to deftroy all the antient Greek and Latin authors; because, if those are read, Principles of Liberty, and juft Sentiments of the Dignity and Rights of Mankind must be imbib'd. But can there be more |