The Star Chamber was an English court and major governing body of England from about 1422 until it was abolished in 1641, three years before Milton wrote Areopagitica. In 1637, The Star Chamber issued a decree that was particularly restrictive of certain liberties, such as freedom of speech. It mandated many of the same printing and publication restrictions as Parliament’s Licensing Order, and when the Star Chamber Decree was abolished in 1641, all the restrictions were lifted. Printing and publishing of all types exploded only to have Parliament impose the same restrictions again just two years later.
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The Star Chamber Decree Term Timeline in Areopagitica
The timeline below shows where the term The Star Chamber Decree appears in Areopagitica. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Areopagitica
...Milton claims, “will prove the most unlicensed book itself within a short while,” like the Star-Chamber Decree , which has “now fallen from the stars with Lucifer.” Milton claims to know that...
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