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AREOPAGITICA;

A SPEECH of Mr. JOHN MILTON,

For the Liberty of unlicenc'd Printing.

HEY who to States and Gover

THE

nours of the Commonwealth direct their Speech, High Court of Parlament, or wanting fuch acceffe in a private condition, write that which they foresee may advance the publick good; I fuppose them as at the beginning of no meane endeavour, not a little alter'd and mov'd inwardly in their mindes: Some with doubt of what will be the fucceffe, others with feare of what will be the cenfure; fome with hope, others

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with confidence of what they have to fpeake. And me perhaps each of these difpofitions, as the subject was whereon I enter'd, may have at other times variously affected; and likely might in these formoft expreffions now alfo difelofe which of them fway'd moft, but

that the very attempt of this addreffe

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thus made, and the thought of whom it hath recourse to, hath got the power within me to a paffion, farre more wel¬ come then incidentall to a Preface. Which though I ftay not to confeffe ere any afke, I fhall be blameleffe, if it be no other, then the joy and gratulation which it brings to all who wish and promote their Countries liberty; whereof this whole difcourfe propos'd will be a certaine

certaine teftimony, if not a Trophey. For this is not the liberty which wee can hope, that no grievance ever fhould arife in the Commonwealth, that let no man in this World expect; but when complaints are freely heard, deeply confider'd, and speedily reform'd, then is the utmost bound of civil liberty attain'd, that wife men looke for.

I now manifeft by the

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very found of this which I fhall utter, that wee are already in good part arriv'd, and yet from fuch a fteepe disadvantage of tyranny and fuperstition grounded into our principles as was beyond the manhood of a Roman recovery, it will bee attributed first, as is moft due, to the ftrong affiftance of GOD our deliverer, next to your faithfull guidance

guidance and undaunted Wisdome, Lords and Commons of England. Neither is it in God's efteeme the diminution of his

glory, when honourable things are spoken of good men and worthy Magiftrates; which if I now first should begin to doc, after so fair a progreffe of your laudable deeds, and fuch a long obligement upon the whole Realme to your indefatigable vertues, I might be justly reckn'd among the tardieft, and unwillingeft of them that praife yee. Nevertheleffe there being three principall things, without which all praifing is but courtship and flattery, Firft, when that only is prais'd which is folidly worth praife next when greatest likelihoods are brought that fuch things are truly

and

and really in those perfons to whom they are afcrib'd, the other, when he who praises, by fhewing that such his actuall perfwafion is of whom he writes, can demonftrate that he flatters not; the former two of thefe I have heretofore endeavour'd, refcuing the employment from him who went about to impaire your merits with a triviall and malignant Encomium; the latter as belonging chiefly to mine owne acquittall, that whom I fo extoll'd I did not flatter, hath been referv'd opportunely to this occafion. For he who freely magnifies what hath been nobly done, and fears not to declare as freely what might be done better, gives ye the best cov'nant of his fidelity; and that his loyaleft affection and his hope

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