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Areopagitica - Wikipedia

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<span>Synopsis</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Synopsis-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Synopsis subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Synopsis-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Origins_of_licensing_system" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Origins_of_licensing_system"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Origins of licensing system</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Origins_of_licensing_system-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Use_of_books_and_reading" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Use_of_books_and_reading"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Use of books and reading</span> </div> </a> <ul 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class="vector-toc-numb">2.5</span> <span>Conclusion</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Conclusion-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Critical_response" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Critical_response"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Critical response</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Critical_response-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Modern_references_to_Areopagitica" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Modern_references_to_Areopagitica"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Modern references to <i>Areopagitica</i></span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Modern_references_to_Areopagitica-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Editions" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Editions"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Editions</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Editions-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet 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Available in 23 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-23" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">23 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A2%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%A7" title="آريوباجيتيكا – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="آريوباجيتيكا" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitika" title="Areopagitika – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Areopagitika" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CF%81%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AC" title="Αρεοπαγιτικά – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Αρεοπαγιτικά" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopag%C3%ADtica" title="Areopagítica – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Areopagítica" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%95%84%EB%A0%88%EC%98%A4%ED%8C%8C%EC%A7%80%ED%8B%B0%EC%B9%B4" title="아레오파지티카 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="아레오파지티카" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%92%D7%99%D7%98%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%94" title="אראופגיטיקה – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="אראופגיטיקה" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%85%E0%B4%B0%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%AF%E0%B5%8B%E0%B4%AA%E0%B4%9C%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%B1%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%B1%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%95%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%95" title="അരിയോപജിറ്റിക്ക – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="അരിയോപജിറ്റിക്ക" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A8%80%E8%AB%96%E3%83%BB%E5%87%BA%E7%89%88%E3%81%AE%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1_%E3%82%A2%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AA%E3%83%91%E3%82%B8%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E3%82%AB" title="言論・出版の自由 アレオパジティカ – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="言論・出版の自由 アレオパジティカ" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Ареопагитика – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Ареопагитика" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areopagitica" title="Areopagitica – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Areopagitica" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" 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<div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">1644 prose polemic by John Milton</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><caption class="infobox-title" style="font-size:125%; font-style:italic; padding-bottom:0.2em;">Areopagitica <span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=book&amp;rft.btitle=Areopagitica&amp;rft.author=%5B%5BJohn+Milton%5D%5D&amp;rft.date=1644&amp;rft.place=%5B%5BKingdom+of+England%5D%5D&amp;rft.pages=30+pages"></span></caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Areopagitica_bridwell.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Areopagitica_bridwell.jpg/220px-Areopagitica_bridwell.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="309" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Areopagitica_bridwell.jpg/330px-Areopagitica_bridwell.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Areopagitica_bridwell.jpg 2x" data-file-width="399" data-file-height="561" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Title page circa 1644</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Author</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/John_Milton" title="John Milton">John Milton</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Original&#160;title</th><td class="infobox-data"><i>Areopagitica; A Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc'd Printing, To the Parlament of England.</i></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Language</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Early_Modern_English" title="Early Modern English">Early Modern English</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Genre</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Speech" title="Speech">Speech</a>, prose <a href="/wiki/Polemic" title="Polemic">polemic</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;">Publication date</div></th><td class="infobox-data">1644</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Publication place</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_England" title="Kingdom of England">Kingdom of England</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Pages</th><td class="infobox-data">30 pages</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"><a href="/wiki/Dewey_Decimal_Classification" title="Dewey Decimal Classification">Dewey Decimal</a></div></th><td class="infobox-data">323.445</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/wiki/LCC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="LCC (identifier)"><abbr title="Library of Congress Classification">LC&#160;Class</abbr></a></th><td class="infobox-data">Z657 .M66</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Text</th><td class="infobox-data"><i><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Areopagitica_(1644)" class="extiw" title="s:Areopagitica (1644)">Areopagitica</a></i> at <a href="/wiki/Wikisource" title="Wikisource">Wikisource</a></td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:DesWilson1987.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/DesWilson1987.jpg/220px-DesWilson1987.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="225" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/DesWilson1987.jpg/330px-DesWilson1987.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/DesWilson1987.jpg 2x" data-file-width="438" data-file-height="448" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Des_Wilson" title="Des Wilson">Des Wilson</a> in 1987 as president of the <a href="/wiki/Liberal_Party_(UK)" title="Liberal Party (UK)">Liberal Party</a>, holding as symbol of his office a copy of <i>Areopagitica</i></figcaption></figure> <p><i><b>Areopagitica; A speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc'd Printing, to the Parlament of England</b></i> is a 1644 prose <a href="/wiki/Polemic" title="Polemic">polemic</a> by the English poet, scholar, and polemical author <a href="/wiki/John_Milton" title="John Milton">John Milton</a> opposing <a href="/wiki/Licensing_Order_of_1643" title="Licensing Order of 1643">licensing</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> <i>Areopagitica</i> is among history's most influential and impassioned philosophical defences of the principle of a right to <a href="/wiki/Freedom_of_speech" title="Freedom of speech">freedom of speech and expression</a>. Many of its expressed principles have formed the basis for modern justifications of that right. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Background">Background</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=1" title="Edit section: Background"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Areopagus_hill.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Areopagus_hill.jpg/220px-Areopagus_hill.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Areopagus_hill.jpg/330px-Areopagus_hill.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/Areopagus_hill.jpg/440px-Areopagus_hill.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/Areopagus" title="Areopagus">Areopagus</a>, viewed from the <a href="/wiki/Acropolis" title="Acropolis">Acropolis</a></figcaption></figure> <p><i>Areopagitica</i> was published on 23 November 1644 at the height of the <a href="/wiki/English_Civil_War" title="English Civil War">English Civil War</a>. It takes its title in part from <i>Areopagitikós</i> (<a href="/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a>: <span lang="el">Ἀρεοπαγιτικός</span>), a speech written by <a href="/wiki/Athens" title="Athens">Athenian</a> orator <a href="/wiki/Isocrates" title="Isocrates">Isocrates</a> in the 4th century BC. (The <a href="/wiki/Areopagus" title="Areopagus">Areopagus</a> is a hill in <a href="/wiki/Athens" title="Athens">Athens</a>, the site of real and legendary tribunals, and was the name of a council whose power Isocrates hoped to restore.) Some argue that it is more importantly also a reference to <a href="/wiki/Areopagus_sermon" title="Areopagus sermon">the defence</a> that <a href="/wiki/St_Paul" class="mw-redirect" title="St Paul">St Paul</a> made before the Areopagus in <a href="/wiki/Athens" title="Athens">Athens</a> against charges of promulgating foreign gods and strange teachings, as recorded in <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17:18–34&amp;version=nasb">Acts 17:18–34</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p><p>Like Isocrates, Milton (who was not a <a href="/wiki/Member_of_parliament" title="Member of parliament">member of parliament</a>) did not mean his work to be an oral speech to that assembly. Instead, it was distributed via pamphlet, thus defying the same publication censorship which he argued against. As a radical, Milton had supported the <a href="/wiki/Presbyterianism" title="Presbyterianism">Presbyterians</a> in <a href="/wiki/Parliament_of_England" title="Parliament of England">Parliament</a>, and would later work as a civil servant for the new republic,<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> but in this work he argued forcefully against Parliament's 1643 <i>Ordinance for the Regulating of Printing</i>, also known as the <a href="/wiki/Licensing_Order_of_1643" title="Licensing Order of 1643">Licensing Order of 1643</a>, in which Parliament required authors to have a licence approved by the government before their work could be published. </p><p>According to the British Library, "State control of printing was introduced by Henry VIII and continued into the 17th century. In April 1638, political agitator <a href="/wiki/John_Lilburne" title="John Lilburne">John Lilburne</a> was arrested for importing subversive books. He was fined £500 and flogged for the two miles between the Fleet Prison and the pillory. Milton wrote his pamphlet as a protest against Lilburne's treatment."<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> This issue was personal for Milton, as he had suffered censorship himself in his efforts to publish <a href="/wiki/Milton%27s_divorce_tracts" title="Milton&#39;s divorce tracts">several tracts defending divorce</a> (a radical stance which met with no favour from the censors). In particular, <i><a href="/wiki/Doctrine_and_Discipline_of_Divorce" title="Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce">The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce</a></i> (1643), which he published anonymously and unlicensed, was condemned by the <a href="/wiki/Puritans" title="Puritans">Puritan</a> clergy as being heretical and intending to foster sexual <a href="/wiki/Libertine" title="Libertine">libertinism</a>, and it was cited in petitions to parliament as evidence of the need to reinstall a system of prepublication licensing.<sup id="cite_ref-Milton_versus_the_mob_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Milton_versus_the_mob-5"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> <i>Areopagitica</i> is full of Biblical and classical references which Milton uses to strengthen his argument. This is particularly fitting because it was being addressed to the <a href="/wiki/Calvinist" class="mw-redirect" title="Calvinist">Calvinist</a> Presbyterians who composed Parliament at that time.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p><p>According to <a href="/wiki/George_H._Sabine" class="mw-redirect" title="George H. Sabine">George H. Sabine</a>, the <i>Areopagitica</i> presumed and was written for an engaged public: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>Its basic principle was the right and also the duty of every intelligent man as a rational being, to know the grounds and take responsibility for his beliefs and actions. Its corollary was a society and a state in which decisions are reached by open discussion, in which the sources of information are not contaminated by authority in the interest of party, and in which political unity is secured not by force but by a consensus that respects variety of opinion.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Synopsis">Synopsis</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=2" title="Edit section: Synopsis"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Before presenting his argument, Milton defends the very idea of writing a treatise such as <i>Areopagitica</i>. He compliments England for having overcome the tyranny of <a href="/wiki/Charles_I_of_England" title="Charles I of England">Charles I</a> and the prelates, but his purpose is to voice his grievances. Milton defends this purpose, holding that to bring forth complaints before the Parliament is a matter of civil liberty and loyalty, because constructive criticism is better than false flattery.<sup id="cite_ref-test_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-test-8"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> He concludes his introduction by encouraging Parliament to obey "the voice of reason" and to be "willing to repeal any Act" for the sake of truth and upright judgment.<sup id="cite_ref-test_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-test-8"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Origins_of_licensing_system">Origins of licensing system</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=3" title="Edit section: Origins of licensing system"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Milton begins with historical evidence noting that <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greece" title="Ancient Greece">Ancient Greece</a> and <a href="/wiki/Roman_Republic" title="Roman Republic">Rome</a> did not adhere to the practice of licensing. In some cases, blasphemous or libellous writings were burnt and their authors punished, but it was after production that these texts were rejected rather than prior to it. Milton argues that a work should be "examined, refuted, and condemned" rather than prohibited before examination. Milton points out that licensing was first instituted by the Catholics with the <a href="/wiki/Inquisition" title="Inquisition">Inquisition</a>. This fact appealed to Parliament's religious beliefs since it was dominated by Protestants, and there were <a href="/wiki/Reformation" title="Reformation">conflicts between the Protestants and Catholics in England</a>. Milton provides historical examples of the aftermath following the Inquisition, including how there were popes in Rome beginning in the 14th century who became tyrannical licensers. For example, <a href="/wiki/Pope_Martin_V" title="Pope Martin V">Pope Martin V</a> became the first to prohibit the reading of heretical books, and then in the 16th century the <a href="/wiki/Council_of_Trent" title="Council of Trent">Council of Trent</a> and <a href="/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition" title="Spanish Inquisition">Spanish Inquisition</a> prohibited texts that were not even necessarily heretical, but only unfavourable to the friars. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Use_of_books_and_reading">Use of books and reading</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=4" title="Edit section: Use of books and reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Milton precedes his argument by discussing the purpose of reading. He mentions that <a href="/wiki/Moses" title="Moses">Moses</a>, <a href="/wiki/David" title="David">David</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle" title="Paul the Apostle">Paul</a> were all learned, which reminds his Protestant audience that being learned involves reading "books of all sorts". He argues that this includes even the "bad" or heretical books, because we can learn from their wrongs and discover what is true by considering what is not true. Milton's point is that God endowed every person with the reason, free will, and conscience to judge ideas for themselves, so the ideas in a text should be rejected by the reader's own choice, not by a licensing authority. Also, the mind is not corrupted simply by encountering falsehood. Milton points out that encountering falsehood can actually lead to virtuous action, such as how St. Paul's converts had privately and voluntarily burned Ephesian books considered to be "magick". </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Usefulness_of_licensing_order">Usefulness of licensing order</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=5" title="Edit section: Usefulness of licensing order"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Milton then argues that Parliament's licensing order will fail in its purpose to suppress scandalous, seditious, and libellous books: "this order of licencing conduces nothing to the end for which it was fram'd". The order was meant to rectify manners by preventing the spread of an "infection" caused by bad books. Milton objects, arguing that the licensing order is too sweeping, because even the Bible itself had been historically limited to readers for containing offensive descriptions of blasphemy and wicked men. Milton also points out that Parliament will not protect the ignorant from bad books by this order, because the books would more likely have been read by the learned anyhow. Furthermore, whatever bad ideas were written can still be taught through word of mouth or otherwise, so "infection" or corruption is not prevented. Milton's point is that licensing books cannot possibly prevent societal corruption (it is "far insufficient to the end which it intends"), so there is no viable stopping point: "If we think to regulat Printing, thereby to rectifie manners, we must regulate all recreations and pastimes, all that is delightful to man". Finally, Milton also points out that, if there are even licensers fit for making these judgments, then the possibility of error in licensing books is still great, and the amount of time that the job would take is impractical. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Harmfulness_of_licensing_order">Harmfulness of licensing order</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=6" title="Edit section: Harmfulness of licensing order"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Milton argues that licensing is "a dishonour and derogation to the author, to the book, to the privilege and dignity of Learning". This is because many authors will produce a written work with genuinely good intentions only to have it censored by what amounts to a subjective, arbitrary judgment of the licenser. </p><p>Milton also thinks that England needs to be open to truth and understanding, which should not be monopolised by the government's standards. Faith and knowledge need exercise, but this order will lead to conformity and laziness. Licensing will hinder discovery of truth by the government's prejudice and custom, because there will always be more truth to be found that we do not yet know of. Milton thinks that licensing could potentially hinder God's plans, since it gives the licenser the power to silence others. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Conclusion">Conclusion</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=7" title="Edit section: Conclusion"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div><p> Milton recognises individual rights, but he is not completely <a href="/wiki/Libertarianism" title="Libertarianism">libertarian</a> in <i>Areopagitica</i> as he argues that the <i><a href="/wiki/Status_quo_ante_bellum" title="Status quo ante bellum">status quo ante</a></i> worked best. According to the previous English law, all books had to have at least a printer's name (and preferably an author's name) inscribed in them. Under that system, Milton argues, if any <a href="/wiki/Blasphemy" title="Blasphemy">blasphemous</a> or libellous material is published, those books can still be destroyed after the fact. "Those which otherwise come forth, if they be found mischievous and libellous, the fire and the executioner will be the timeliest and the most effectual remedy, that mans prevention can use." Milton seeks a means by which to ensure that authors and publishers remain culpable for any "mischievous" or "libellous" work that they produce. Regardless, Milton certainly is not without remorse for the libellous author, nor does he promote unrestricted free speech. In addition, he admits that his tolerance is limited: <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"></p><blockquote class="templatequote"><p>I mean not tolerated Popery, and open superstition, which as it extirpats all religions and civill supremacies, so it self should be extirpate, provided first that all charitable and compassionate means be used to win and regain the weak and the misled.</p></blockquote><p> According to Nicholas McDowell, the second part of the forecited statement is usually left out by those quoting the first part to show that Milton was, at heart, a religious bigot, and that his ideas about free speech and intellectual liberty have little to teach us about liberalism today. (Whether the second half of the statement is actually an effective mitigation to the bigotry is a question eminently suited for discussion.)<sup id="cite_ref-Milton_versus_the_mob_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Milton_versus_the_mob-5"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Critical_response">Critical response</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=8" title="Edit section: Critical response"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><i>Areopagitica</i> did not persuade the Presbyterians in Parliament to invalidate the prepublication censorship component of the Licensing Order of 1643; freedom of the press in this sense was not achieved until 1695, when the Parliament chose not to renew the order.<sup id="cite_ref-CBH198200_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-CBH198200-9"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> However, despite Milton's treatise being overwhelmingly praised, it was unsuccessful because the objective did not appeal to the target audience. Milton and the Presbyterians had together abolished the <a href="/wiki/Star_Chamber" title="Star Chamber">Star Chamber</a> under <a href="/wiki/King_Charles_I_of_England" class="mw-redirect" title="King Charles I of England">Charles I</a>, but now that they were not being oppressed and they held the power, the Presbyterians in Parliament no longer held to their defence of freedom of the press. Through the Licensing Order of 1643, they were set on silencing the more radical Protestants and the Independents as well as works supporting the King which had begun to appear in London. Milton's treatise is his response to that licensing order, which clearly came at a time when he and the Parliament were already at odds.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p><p>In addition, by the time Milton wrote <i>Areopagitica</i> he had already unsuccessfully challenged Parliament in other areas of privilege and right. <a href="/wiki/Milton%27s_divorce_tracts" title="Milton&#39;s divorce tracts">Milton's divorce tracts</a> proved too radical for his immediate day, as did this work. Milton's ideas were ahead of his time in the sense that he anticipated the arguments of later advocates of freedom of the press by relating the concept of free will and choice to individual expression and right. Milton's treatise "laid the foundations for thought that would come after and express itself in such authors as <a href="/wiki/John_Locke" title="John Locke">John Locke</a> and <a href="/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill" title="John Stuart Mill">John Stuart Mill</a>".<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p><p>However, although Milton's ideas were initially resisted by the Puritans, they were incorporated into the official charter of the Puritan church within a few years. The Westminster Confession of Faith, written between 1643 and 1650, allows for divorce on two grounds: infidelity and abandonment.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> The Westminster Confession of Faith states: "Adultery or fornication, committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract. In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce, and after the divorce to marry another, as if the offending party were dead."<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Modern_references_to_Areopagitica">Modern references to <i>Areopagitica</i></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=9" title="Edit section: Modern references to Areopagitica"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A quotation from <i>Areopagitica</i> is prominently displayed over the entrance to the renovated Main Reading Room of the <a href="/wiki/New_York_Public_Library" title="New York Public Library">New York Public Library</a>: "A good Booke is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, imbalm'd and treasur'd up on purpose to a life beyond life".<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States" title="Supreme Court of the United States">Supreme Court of the United States</a> has referred to <i>Areopagitica</i>, in interpreting the <a href="/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" title="First Amendment to the United States Constitution">First Amendment to the United States Constitution</a>, to explain the Amendment's protections. The Court has cited <i>Areopagitica</i> by name in four cases. Most notably, the Court cited <i>Areopagitica</i> in the landmark case <i><a href="/wiki/New_York_Times_Co._v._Sullivan" title="New York Times Co. v. Sullivan">New York Times Co. v. Sullivan</a></i> to explain the inherent value of false statements.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> The Court cited Milton to explain the dangers of prior restraint in <i><a href="/wiki/Times_Film_Corporation_v._City_of_Chicago" title="Times Film Corporation v. City of Chicago">Times Film Corporation v. City of Chicago</a></i>.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> Later, Justice Douglas concurred in <i><a href="/wiki/Eisenstadt_v._Baird" title="Eisenstadt v. Baird">Eisenstadt v. Baird</a></i>, citing the pamphlet to support striking down restrictions on lecturing about birth control.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> Finally, Justice Black cited <i>Areopagitica</i> when he dissented from the Court's upholding of restrictions on the Communist Party of the United States against a free speech and free association challenge in <i><a href="/wiki/Communist_Party_of_the_United_States_v._Subversive_Activities_Control_Board" class="mw-redirect" title="Communist Party of the United States v. Subversive Activities Control Board">Communist Party of the United States v. Subversive Activities Control Board</a></i>.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">&#91;</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">&#93;</span></a></sup> In each instance, Milton is cited by the Court's members to support a broad and expansive protection of free speech and association. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Editions">Editions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=10" title="Edit section: Editions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFRosenblatt2011" class="citation book cs1">Rosenblatt, Jason P., ed. (2011). <i>Milton's Selected Poetry and Prose: Authoritative Texts, Biblical Sources, Criticism</i>. New York: W. W. Norton. pp.&#160;337–380. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a>&#160;<a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-393-97987-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-393-97987-9"><bdi>978-0-393-97987-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=book&amp;rft.btitle=Milton%27s+Selected+Poetry+and+Prose%3A+Authoritative+Texts%2C+Biblical+Sources%2C+Criticism&amp;rft.place=New+York&amp;rft.pages=337-380&amp;rft.pub=W.+W.+Norton&amp;rft.date=2011&amp;rft.isbn=978-0-393-97987-9&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">Milton, John (1918). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/milton-areopagitica-1644-jebb-ed"><i>Areopagitica, A Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc'd Printing to the Parliament of England with a Commentary by Sir Richard C. Jebb and with Supplementary Material</i></a>. Cambridge: University Press<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">16 April</span> 2016</span> &#8211; via Online Library of Liberty.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=book&amp;rft.btitle=Areopagitica%2C+A+Speech+of+Mr.+John+Milton+for+the+Liberty+of+Unlicenc%27d+Printing+to+the+Parliament+of+England+with+a+Commentary+by+Sir+Richard+C.+Jebb+and+with+Supplementary+Material&amp;rft.place=Cambridge&amp;rft.pub=University+Press&amp;rft.date=1918&amp;rft.aulast=Milton&amp;rft.aufirst=John&amp;rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Foll.libertyfund.org%2Ftitles%2Fmilton-areopagitica-1644-jebb-ed&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/Edward_Arber" title="Edward Arber">Arber, Edward</a>, ed. (1903). <i>John Milton </i>Areopagitica<i> [24 November] 1644 preceded by illustrative documents</i>. English Reprints series. Westminster: Constable and Co.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=book&amp;rft.btitle=John+Milton+Areopagitica+%5B24+November%5D+1644+preceded+by+illustrative+documents&amp;rft.place=Westminster&amp;rft.series=English+Reprints+series&amp;rft.pub=Constable+and+Co&amp;rft.date=1903&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span>; includes Arber's introduction and the text of the Star Chamber decree 11-07-1637 and orders of the House of Commons 29-01-1642, 9-03-1643 and of the Lords and Commons 14-06-1643</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=11" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Book_censorship" title="Book censorship">Book censorship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chilling_effect" title="Chilling effect">Chilling effect</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Of_Education" title="Of Education">Of Education</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Peter_Zenger" title="John Peter Zenger">John Peter Zenger</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=12" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMilton1644" class="citation book cs1">Milton, John (1644). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=nejQAAAAMAAJ&amp;q=areopagitica&amp;pg=PP13"><i>Areopagitica, A Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc'd Printing to the Parliament of England</i></a> (1&#160;ed.). London<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">1 February</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=book&amp;rft.btitle=Areopagitica%2C+A+Speech+of+Mr.+John+Milton+for+the+Liberty+of+Unlicenc%27d+Printing+to+the+Parliament+of+England&amp;rft.place=London&amp;rft.edition=1&amp;rft.date=1644&amp;rft.aulast=Milton&amp;rft.aufirst=John&amp;rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DnejQAAAAMAAJ%26q%3Dareopagitica%26pg%3DPP13&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span> via Google Books</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Stephen Burt, "To The Unknown God": St Paul and Athens in Milton's "Areopagitica", <i>Milton Quarterly</i>, Vol. 32, No. 1 (March 1998), pp. 23–31.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">C. Sullivan, 'Milton and the Beginning of Civil Service', in <i>Literature in the Public Service</i> (2013), Ch. 2.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/areopagitica-by-john-milton-1644">"British Library"</a>. <i>www.bl.uk</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">26 May</span> 2022</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&amp;rft.genre=unknown&amp;rft.jtitle=www.bl.uk&amp;rft.atitle=British+Library&amp;rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bl.uk%2Fcollection-items%2Fareopagitica-by-john-milton-1644&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Milton_versus_the_mob-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Milton_versus_the_mob_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Milton_versus_the_mob_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://aeon.co/essays/reading-john-miltons-areopagitica-in-the-information-age">"Milton versus the mob"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">13 June</span> 2021</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=unknown&amp;rft.btitle=Milton+versus+the+mob&amp;rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Faeon.co%2Fessays%2Freading-john-miltons-areopagitica-in-the-information-age&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">St. Lawrence Institute of Advanced Learning <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.stlawrenceinstitute.org/vol14mit.html">Retrieved 10 September 2016.</a> This includes the text of the polemic.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/George_H._Sabine" class="mw-redirect" title="George H. Sabine">George H. Sabine</a> (1951), Introduction to <i>Areopagitica</i> and <i>On Education</i>, page ix, <a href="/wiki/Appleton-Century-Crofts" title="Appleton-Century-Crofts">Appleton-Century-Crofts</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-test-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-test_8-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-test_8-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFRosenblatt2011">Rosenblatt 2011</a>, pp.&#160;339–340</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-CBH198200-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-CBH198200_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPalmerPalmer1992" class="citation book cs1">Palmer, Alan; Palmer, Veronica (1992). <i>The Chronology of British History</i>. London: Century Ltd. pp.&#160;198–200. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a>&#160;<a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7126-5616-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7126-5616-0"><bdi>978-0-7126-5616-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=book&amp;rft.btitle=The+Chronology+of+British+History&amp;rft.place=London&amp;rft.pages=198-200&amp;rft.pub=Century+Ltd&amp;rft.date=1992&amp;rft.isbn=978-0-7126-5616-0&amp;rft.aulast=Palmer&amp;rft.aufirst=Alan&amp;rft.au=Palmer%2C+Veronica&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRyan" class="citation web cs1">Ryan, Jennifer. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.utm.edu/departments/english/documents/scholarly_essay_winner.pdf">"The Rhetorical Efficacy of John Milton's Areopagitica"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=unknown&amp;rft.btitle=The+Rhetorical+Efficacy+of+John+Milton%27s+Areopagitica&amp;rft.aulast=Ryan&amp;rft.aufirst=Jennifer&amp;rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.utm.edu%2Fdepartments%2Fenglish%2Fdocuments%2Fscholarly_essay_winner.pdf&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">&#91;<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title="&#160;Dead link tagged July 2017">permanent dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">&#8205;</span>&#93;</span></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKendall1960" class="citation journal cs1">Kendall, Willmoore (1960). "How to Read Milton's Areopagicita". <i>The Journal of Politics</i>. <b>22</b> (3): 439–473. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2126891">10.2307/2126891</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a>&#160;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2126891">2126891</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a>&#160;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:154483945">154483945</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&amp;rft.genre=article&amp;rft.jtitle=The+Journal+of+Politics&amp;rft.atitle=How+to+Read+Milton%27s+Areopagicita&amp;rft.volume=22&amp;rft.issue=3&amp;rft.pages=439-473&amp;rft.date=1960&amp;rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A154483945%23id-name%3DS2CID&amp;rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F2126891%23id-name%3DJSTOR&amp;rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.2307%2F2126891&amp;rft.aulast=Kendall&amp;rft.aufirst=Willmoore&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">See <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/">W.C.F., Chapter 24, Section 5</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130208055259/http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/glossary/westminster-assembly.htm">"The Westminster Assembly"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/glossary/westminster-assembly.htm">the original</a> on 8 February 2013<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 July</span> 2014</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=unknown&amp;rft.btitle=The+Westminster+Assembly&amp;rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.british-civil-wars.co.uk%2Fglossary%2Fwestminster-assembly.htm&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPetersen2003" class="citation web cs1">Petersen, Aili (1 April 2003). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.washingtonian.com/bookreviews/160.html">"A Certain Somewhere: Writers on the Places They Remember"</a>. Washingtonian.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&amp;rft.genre=unknown&amp;rft.btitle=A+Certain+Somewhere%3A+Writers+on+the+Places+They+Remember&amp;rft.pub=Washingtonian&amp;rft.date=2003-04-01&amp;rft.aulast=Petersen&amp;rft.aufirst=Aili&amp;rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonian.com%2Fbookreviews%2F160.html&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AAreopagitica" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">376 U.S. 254, 279 (1963)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">365 U.S. 43, 67, 82, 84 (1960)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">405 U.S. 438, 458 (1971)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">367 U.S. 1, 151 (1960)</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Areopagitica&amp;action=edit&amp;section=13" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 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template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="John_Milton" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/John_Milton" title="John Milton">John Milton</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Topics</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/John_Milton%27s_poetic_style" title="John Milton&#39;s poetic style">Poetic style</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Milton%27s_reception_history" title="John Milton&#39;s reception history">Reception history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious_views_of_John_Milton" title="Religious views of John Milton">Religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Milton%27s_politics" title="John Milton&#39;s politics">Politics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Early_life_of_John_Milton" title="Early life of John Milton">Early life</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Milton%27s_relationships" title="John Milton&#39;s relationships">Relationships</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="9" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:John-milton.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/John-milton.jpg/120px-John-milton.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="151" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/John-milton.jpg/180px-John-milton.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/John-milton.jpg/240px-John-milton.jpg 2x" data-file-width="636" data-file-height="800" /></a></span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Poetry</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Milton%27s_1645_Poems" title="Milton&#39;s 1645 Poems"><i>Poems</i> 1645</a> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/On_the_Morning_of_Christ%27s_Nativity" title="On the Morning of Christ&#39;s Nativity">On the Morning of Christ's Nativity</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Upon_the_Circumcision" title="Upon the Circumcision">Upon the Circumcision</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Passion_(Milton)" title="The Passion (Milton)">The Passion</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Arcades_(Milton)" title="Arcades (Milton)">Arcades</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Comus_(Milton)" title="Comus (Milton)">Comus</a></i></li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/Lycidas" title="Lycidas">Lycidas</a>"</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/L%27Allegro" title="L&#39;Allegro">L'Allegro</a>"</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/Il_Penseroso" title="Il Penseroso">Il Penseroso</a>"</li></ul></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Paradise_Lost" title="Paradise Lost">Paradise Lost</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Paradise_Regained" title="Paradise Regained">Paradise Regained</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Samson_Agonistes" title="Samson Agonistes">Samson Agonistes</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Milton%27s_1673_Poems" class="mw-redirect" title="Milton&#39;s 1673 Poems"><i>Poems</i> 1673</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Milton%27s_antiprelatical_tracts" title="Milton&#39;s antiprelatical tracts">Antiprelatical tracts</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0;font-style:italic;"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Of_Reformation" title="Of Reformation">Of Reformation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Of_Prelatical_Episcopacy" title="Of Prelatical Episcopacy">Of Prelatical Episcopacy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Animadversions" title="Animadversions">Animadversions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Reason_of_Church-Government_Urged_against_Prelaty" title="The Reason of Church-Government Urged against Prelaty">The Reason of Church-Government</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apology_for_Smectymnuus" title="Apology for Smectymnuus">Apology for Smectymnuus</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Milton%27s_divorce_tracts" title="Milton&#39;s divorce tracts">Divorce tracts</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0;font-style:italic;"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Doctrine_and_Discipline_of_Divorce" title="Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce">Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Judgement_of_Martin_Bucer_Concerning_Divorce" title="Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce">Judgement of Martin Bucer Concerning Divorce</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tetrachordon" title="Tetrachordon">Tetrachordon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Colasterion" title="Colasterion">Colasterion</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/John_Milton%27s_politics" title="John Milton&#39;s politics">Political tracts</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0;font-style:italic;"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Areopagitica</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Tenure_of_Kings_and_Magistrates" title="The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates">The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eikonoklastes" title="Eikonoklastes">Eikonoklastes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Defensio_pro_Populo_Anglicano" title="Defensio pro Populo Anglicano">Defensio pro Populo Anglicano</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Defensio_Secunda" title="Defensio Secunda">Defensio Secunda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/A_Treatise_of_Civil_Power" title="A Treatise of Civil Power">A Treatise of Civil Power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Ready_and_Easy_Way_to_Establish_a_Free_Commonwealth" title="The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth">The Ready and Easy Way</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Other writings</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><i><a href="/wiki/Of_Education" title="Of Education">Of Education</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_History_of_Britain_(Milton)" title="The History of Britain (Milton)"> The History of Britain</a></i></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Of_True_Religion" title="Of True Religion">Of True Religion</a></i></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Individual sonnets</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>"<a href="/wiki/When_I_Consider_How_My_Light_is_Spent" title="When I Consider How My Light is Spent">When I Consider How My Light is Spent</a>"</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/On_the_Late_Massacre_in_Piedmont" title="On the Late Massacre in Piedmont">On the Late Massacre in Piedmont</a>"</li> <li>"<a href="/wiki/Methought_I_Saw_my_Late_Espoused_Saint" title="Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint">Methought I Saw my Late Espoused Saint</a>"</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Disputed</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/De_Doctrina_Christiana_(Milton)" title="De Doctrina Christiana (Milton)"><i>De Doctrina Christiana</i></a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/John_Milton_(composer)" title="John Milton (composer)">John Milton (father)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Edward_Phillips" title="Edward Phillips">Edward Phillips (nephew)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Phillips_(author)" title="John Phillips (author)">John Phillips (nephew)</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Milton:_A_Poem_in_Two_Books" title="Milton: A Poem in Two Books">Milton: A Poem in Two Books</a></i> (1804–1810)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neo-Miltonic_syllabics" title="Neo-Miltonic syllabics">Neo-Miltonic syllabics</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-label="Navbox" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority 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