as to be monopolized and traded in by tickets and statutes and standards. We must not think to make a staple commodity of all the knowledge in the land, to mark and license it like our broadcloth and our woolpacks. What is it but a servitude like that imposed by the Philistines, not to be allowed the sharpening of our own axes and colters, but we must repair from all quarters to twenty licensing forges.

Had any one written and divulged erroneous things and scandalous to honest life, misusing and forfeiting the esteem had of his reason among men, if after conviction this only censure were adjudged him, that he should never henceforth write but what were first examined by an appointed officer, whose hand should be annexed to pass his credit for him that now he might be safely read, it could not be apprehended less than a disgraceful punishment. Whence to include the whole nation, and those that never yet thus offended, under such a diffident and suspectful prohibition, may plainly be understood what a disparagement it is; so much the more, whenas debtors and delinquents may walk abroad without a keeper, but inoffensive books must not stir forth without a visible jailer in their title. Nor is it to the common people less than a reproach; for if we be so jealous over them as that we dare not trust them with an English pamphlet, what do we but censure them for a giddy, vicious, and ungrounded people, in such a sick and weak estate of faith and discretion as to be able to take nothing down but through the pipe of a licenser? That this is care or love of them we cannot pretend, whenas in those Popish places where the laity are most hated and despised, the same strictness is used over them. Wisdom we cannot call it, because it stops but one breach of license, nor that neither, whenas those corruptions which it seeks to prevent break in faster at other doors which cannot be shut.

And in conclusion it reflects to the disrepute of our ministers also, of whose labors we should hope better, and of the proficiency which their flock reaps by them, than that after all this light of the gospel which is, and is to be, and all this continued preaching, they should be still frequented with such an unprincipled, unedified, and laic rabble, as that the whiff of every new pamphlet should stagger them out of their catechism and Christian walking.

SELDEN'S TABLE-TALK.

[John Selden, one of the ablest of English lawyers, antiquarians, and scholars, and a leader of the moderate constitutional party in the reigns of James I. and Charles I., was born in Sussex, 1584; studied at Hart Hall, Oxford; was a friend of Ben Jonson, Drayton, Camden, Lord Herbers of Cherbury, and the other literary lights of the time, his fame as scholar and author outweighing even his great distinction as a lawyer. He wrote abridgments of parliamentary records, treatises on early English law, "Titles of Honor" (1614), still of prime value, etc.; "De Diis Syriis" (1617), even yet in the first rank of works on Semitic mythology; and in 1618 the famous "" History of Tithes," so crushing against the bishops' claims that they got James to suppress it and forbid Selden to reply to the assaults on it. This drew him into political action; he incited the "Protestation" of 1621, and was committed to the Tower; became member of Parliament in 1623, and drew up the Petition of Right in 1628. Later, however, in reply to Grotius' contention that the ocean was free to all nations alike, he wrote "Mare Clausum" and dedicated it to Charles I. Elected a member of the Long Parliament in 1640, he was of the committee that impeached Laud; wrote "De Jure Naturali " (1640), “Privileges of the Baronage of England (1642). He became master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in 1646, and died 1654. His "Table Talk" was published posthumously.]

CEREMONY.-Ceremony keeps up all things. 'Tis like a penny glass to a rich spirit, or some excellent water: without it the water were spilt, the spirit lost. Of all people, ladies have no reason to cry down ceremony; for they take themselves slighted without it. And were they not used with ceremony, with compliments and addresses, with bowing and kissing of hands, they were the pitifulest creatures in the world. But yet methinks to kiss their hands after their lips, as some do, is like little boys that after they eat the apple fall to the paring, out of a love they have to the apple.

Competency.

That which is a competency for one man is not enough for another, no more than that which will keep one man warm will keep another man warm; one man can go in doublet and hose, when another man cannot be without a cloak and yet have no more clothes than is necessary for him.

Conscience. He that hath a scrupulous conscience is like a horse that is not well wayed, he starts at every bird that flies out of the hedge. A knowing man will do that which a tenderconscience man dares not do by reason of his ignorance; the other knows there is no hurt: as a child is afraid to go into the dark when a man is not, because he knows there is no danger.

Councils. They talk (but blasphemously enough) that the Holy Ghost is president of their general councils, when the truth is the odd man is the Holy Ghost.

Evil-speaking. He that speaks ill of another, commonly, before he is aware, makes himself such a one as he speaks against; for if he had civility or breeding, he would forbear such kind of language. A gallant man is above ill words; an example we have in the old Lord of Salisbury, who was a great wise man. Stone had called some lord about court, Fool; the lord complains, and has Stone whipped. Stone cries, "I might have called my Lord of Salisbury Fool often enough before he would have had me whipped."

Speak not ill of a great enemy, but rather give him good words, that he may use you the better if you chance to fall into his hands. The Spaniard did this when he was dying. His confessor told him (to work him to repentance) how the devil tormented the wicked that went to hell: the Spaniard, replying, called the devil "my lord ": "I hope my lord the devil is not so cruel." His confessor reproved him. "Excuse me," said the Don, "for calling him so I know not into whose hands I may fall, and if I happen into his, I hope he will use me the better for giving him good words."

Faith and Works. - 'Twas an unhappy division that has been made between faith and works. Though in my intellect I may divide them, just as in the candle I know there is both light and heat; but yet put out the candle, and they are both gone; one remains not without the other. So 'tis betwixt faith and works. Nay, in a right conception, faith is works; for if I believe a thing because I am commanded, that is works.

Friends.— Old friends are best. King James used to call for his old shoes: they were easiest for his feet.

Humility.— Humility is a virtue all preach, none practice, and yet everybody is content to hear. The master thinks it good doctrine for his servant, the laity for the clergy, and the clergy for the laity.

If a man does not take notice of that excellency and perfection that is in himself, how can he be thankful to God, who is the Author of all excellency and perfection? Nay, if a man hath too mean an opinion of himself, 'twill render him unserviceable both to God and man. Pride may be allowed to this or that degree, else a man cannot keep up his dignity.

Judgments. We cannot tell what is a judgment of God; 'tis presumption to take upon us to know. In time of plague we know we want health; and therefore we pray to God to give us health; in time of war we know we want peace, and there

fore pray to God to give us peace. Commonly we say a judgment falls upon a man for something in him we cannot abide. An example we have in King James, concerning the death of Henry the Fourth of France. One said he was killed for his wenching, another said he was killed for turning his religion. "No," says King James (who could not abide fighting), "he was killed for permitting duels in his kingdom."

King Charles' Policy.—The king calling his friends from the Parliament, because he had use of them at Oxford, is as if a man should have use of a little piece of wood and he runs down into the cellar and takes [out] the spigot; in the meantime all the beer runs about the house.

Law. -A man may plead not guilty, and yet tell no lie; for by the law no man is bound to accuse himself: so that when I say, "Not guilty," the meaning is as if I should say, by way of paraphrase, "I am not so guilty as to tell you: if you will bring me to a trial, and have me punished for this you lay to my charge, prove it against me."

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Opinion. Opinion and affection extremely differ. affect a woman best, but it does not follow I must think her the handsomest woman in the world. I love apples best of any fruit, but it does not follow I must think apples to be the best fruit. Opinion is something wherein I go about to give reason why all the world should think as I think. Affection is a thing wherein I look after the pleasing of myself.

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Oratory. That rhetoric is best which is most seasonable and most catching. An instance we have in that old blunt commander at Cadiz, who showed himself a good orator; being to say something to his soldiers, which he was not used to do, he made them a speech to this purpose: "What a shame will it be, you Englishmen, that feed upon good beef and brewess, to let V those rascally Spaniards beat you that eat nothing but oranges and lemons ;" and so put more courage into his men than he could have done with a learned oration. Rhetoric is very good, or stark naught. There's no medium in rhetoric. If I am not fully persuaded, I laugh at the orator.

Patience. Patience is the chiefest fruit of study. A man that strives to make himself a different thing from other men by much reading gains this chiefest good that in all fortunes he hath something to entertain and comfort himself withal.

Pleasure. Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of V

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pain; the enjoying of something I am in great trouble for till I have it.

'Tis a wrong way to proportion other men's pleasures to ourselves; 'tis like a child's using a little bird, "O poor bird, thou shalt sleep with me"; so lays it in his bosom, and stifles it with his hot breath: the bird had rather be in the cold air. And yet, too, 'tis the most pleasing flattery to like what other men like.

Prayer.- Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why he should grant this, or that; he knows best what is good for us. If your boy should ask you a suit of clothes, and give reasons, "otherwise he cannot wait upon you, he cannot go abroad but he will discredit you," would you endure it? You know it better than he let him ask a suit of clothes.

Preaching. -Nothing is text but what was spoken in the Bible, and meant there for person and place; the rest is application, which a discreet man may do well, but 'tis his Scripture, not the Holy Ghost's.

The tone in preaching does much in working upon the people's affections. If a man should make love in an ordinary tone, his mistress would not regard him; and therefore he must whine. If a man should cry Fire! or Murder! in an ordinary voice, nobody would come out to help him.

Repetition. 'Tis good to preach the same thing again; for that's the way to have it learned. You teach a bird, by often whistling, to learn a tune, and a month after she will record it to herself.

Reason. In giving reasons, men commonly do with us as the woman does with her child; when she goes to market about her business, she tells it she goes to buy it a fine thing, to buy it a cake or some plums. They give us such reasons as they think we shall be catched withal, but never let us know the truth.

When the schoolmen talk of Recto Ratio in morals, either they understand reason as it is governed by a command from above, or else they say no more than a woman when she says a thing is so because it is so; that is, her reason persuades her 'tis so. The other acception has sense in it. As take a law of the land, I must not depopulate, my reason tells me so. Why? Because if I do I incur the detriment.

The reason of a thing is not to be inquired after till you