waits on your proceedings. His highest praifing is not flattery, and his plaineft advice is a kinde of praifing; for though I fhould affirme and hold by argument, that it would fare better with truth, with learning, and the Commonwealth, if one of your publifht Orders which I fhould name, were call'd in, yet at the fame time it could not but much redound to the luftre of your milde and equall Government, when as private perfons are hereby animated to thinke ye better pleas'd with publick advice, then other statists have been delighted heretofore with publicke flattery. And men will then fee what difference there is between the magnanimity of a trienniall Parlament, and that jealous hautineffe of Pre

I

lates

lates and cabin Counsellours that ufurpt of late, when as they fhall observe yee in the midd'ft of your Victories and fucceffes more gently brooking writt'n exceptions against a voted Order, then other Courts, which had produc't nothing worth memory but the weake oftentation of wealth, would have endur'd the leaft fignifi'd dislike at any fudden Proclamation. If I fhould thus farre prefume upon the meek demeanour of

your civill and gentle greatneffe, Lords and Commons, as what your publifht Order hath directly faid, that to gainfay, I might defend my felfe with eafe, if any fhould accufe me of being new or infolent, did they but know how much better I find

ye

efteem it to imitate the old and ele

Q 3

gant

gant humanity of Greece, then the barbarick pride of a Hunnish and Norwegian atelines. And out of those ages, to whofe polite wisdom and letters we ow that we are not yet Gothes and Jutlanders, I could name him who from his private house wrote that discourse to the Parlament of Athens, that perfwades them to change the forme of Democraty which was then eftablifht. Such honour was done in thofe dayes to men who profest the study of wisdome and eloquence, not only in their own Country, but in other Lands, that Cities and Siniories heard them gladly, and with great refpect, if they had ought in publick to admonish the State. Thus did Dion Prufæus a ftranger and a privat Ora

tor

tor counfell the Rhodians against a former edict and I abound with other like examples, which to fet heer would be fuperfluous. But if from the industry of

life wholly dedicated to studious labours, and thofe naturall endowments haply not the worft for two and fifty degrees of northern latitude, fo much must be derogated, as to count me not equall to any of thofe who had this priviledge, I would obtain to be thought not fo inferior, as your felves are fuperior to the most of them who receiv'd their counfell and how farre you excell them, be affur'd, Lords and Commons, there can no greater teftimony appear, then when your prudent fpirit acknowledges and obeyes the voice of reafon

from what quarter foever it be heard fpeaking; and renders ye as willing to repeal any Act of your own setting forth, as any fet forth by your Predeceffors.

If ye be thus refolv'd, as it were injury to thinke ye were not, I know not what fhould withhold me from prefenting ye with a fit inftance wherein to shew both that love of truth which ye eminently profeffe, and that uprightneffe of your judgement which is not wont to be partial to your felves; by judging over again that Order which ye have ordain'd to regulate Printing. That no Book, pamphlet, or paper shall be henceforth Printed, unleffe the fame be firft approv'd and licenc't by fuch, or at least one of fuch as fhall be thereto appointed. For

that