Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 edition. Excerpt: ... the Church and Commonwealth, to have a vigilant eye how Bookes demeane themfelves as well as men; and thereafter to confine, imprifon, and do fharpeft, juftice on them as malefactors: For Books are not abfolutely dead things, but doe contain a potencie of life in them to be as active as that foule was whofe progeny they are; nay they do preferve as in a violl the purest efficacie and extraction of that living intellect that bred them. I inow they are as lively, and as vigorously productive, as thofe fabulous Dragons teeth; and being fown up and down, may chance to fpring up armed men. And yet on the other hand unlesfe warinesse be us'd, as good almost kill a Man as kill a good Book; who kills a Man kills a reafonable creature, Gods Image; but hee who destroyes a good Booke, kills reafon it feife, kills the Image of God, as it were in the eye. Many a man lives a burden to the Earth; but a good Booke is the pretious life-blood of a master fpirit, imbalm'd and treafur'd up on purpofe to a life beyond life. 'Tis true, no age can restore a life, whereof perhaps there is no great losse; and revolutions of ages doe not oft recover the losse ot a rejected truth, for the want of which whole Nations fare the worfe. We fhould be wary therefore what perfecution we raife against the living labours of publick men, how we fpill that feafon'd life of man preferv'd and stor'd up in Books; since we fee a kinde of homicide may be thus committed, fometimes a martyrdome, and if it extend to the whole impression, a kinde of masfacre, whereof the execution ends not in the slaying of an elemental! life, but strikes at that ethereall and fift essence, the breath of reafon it feise, flaies an immortality rather then a life. But lest I fhould be condemn'd of...