It is very clear throughout Areopagitica that Milton opposes the pre-publication censorship imposed by Parliament’s Licensing Order of 1643, but he doesn’t entirely disagree with all of the order’s regulations. In addition to mandating pre-publication licensing, Parliament’s Order also dictated that every “book, pamphlet, or paper” must bear the name of the author, as well as the printer and publisher, and be registered at Stationer’s Hall, the official censor appointed by Parliament. Milton failed to register Areopagitica at Stationer’s Hall—it likely would have been heavily censored or banned had he done so—but he did proudly sign his name to it, as he did with many of his polemics. Milton was ready and willing to answer for his writing, a responsibility he considered particularly important for authors of written works. Milton advocates for the freedom of all types of speech in Areopagitica, but he is particularly outspoken over the preservation of written speech, which, Milton ultimately argues, takes precedence over other forms of speech.
Milton’s title, Areopagitica, is itself a reference to written speech, which underscores Milton’s central argument of the importance of preserving it. “I could name him who from his private house wrote that discourse to the parliament of Athens, that persuades them to change the form of democracy which was then established,” Milton writes. This passage points to Greek orator, Isocrates, and his famous speech, the Areopagitic Discourse, which was delivered to an assembly of Athenians regarding the power of the Court of the Areopagus, the high court of ancient Greece. Isocrates’s speech successfully persuaded the assembly, just as Milton hopes to do with Areopagitica. At the time Isocrates wrote his Areopagitic Discourse, however, he was physically unable to deliver the speech. Therefore, Isocrates intended for his speech to be read by the assembly, not spoken before them. This, too, is Milton’s intention with Areopagitica. Milton did not stand up in front of Parliament and actually give a speech; he wrote it, much like Isocrates, and in it, he directly addresses Parliament. Areopagitica is Milton’s written speech in defense of written speech, and this reinforces his opinion that writing is the most important sort of speech.
In addition to the reference within Areopagitica’s title, Milton explicitly outlines the benefits of written speech compared to that which is spoken. “Christ urged it as wherewith to justify himself, the he preached in public,” Milton says, “yet writing is more public than preaching.” Spoken words only reach those who can hear them, while writing has the ability to reach a much wider audience. Writing can be read repeatedly, throughout time and by endless numbers of people, making it infinitely more public than preaching. Milton argues that writing is “more easy to refutation, if need be, there being so many whose business and profession merely it is, to be the champions of truth.” This is undoubtedly meant as sarcasm related to the sheer number of censors combing through books, but Milton’s point is nonetheless clear: written works are easier to question and prove right, wrong, or libelous. Compared to other types of speech, Milton contends that written speech, like that in Areopagitica, can easily be traced to its author. When speech can be attributed to a single person, that person may be compelled to answer for said speech and explain, if necessary. This type of accountability is difficult with other types of speech, Milton implies, and as such, he appears to support the portion of Parliament’s Licensing Order that demands the names of authors.
Still, it is Milton’s identity as a writer that makes him most sensitive to Parliament’s Licensing Order. He is resentful of Parliament’s attempts to censor and ban his speech, and he questions their authority to do so. He writes of “the hasty view of an unleasured licenser,” who, Milton points out, may be “younger,” or “inferior in judgement,” or “perhaps one who never knew the labour of book-writing.” There is respect and authority to be found in writing, Milton implies, and Parliament’s attempts to censor that authority is an affront to all written speech. Thus, Parliament’s Licensing Order of 1643 is “but a dishonour and derogation to the author” and “to the book.”
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Writing and Authorship Quotes in Areopagitica
Which though I stay not to confess ere any ask, I shall be blameless, if it be no other than the joy and gratulation which it brings to all who wish and promote their country’s liberty; whereof this whole discourse proposed will be a certain testimony, if not a trophy. For this is not the liberty which we can hope, that no grievance ever should arise in the commonwealth, that let no man in this world expect; but when complaints are freely heard, deeply considered and speedily reformed, then is the utmost bound of civil liberty attained, that wise men look for. To which if I now manifest by the very sound of this which I shall utter, that we are already in good part arrived, and yet from such a steep disadvantage of tyranny and superstition grounded into our principles as was beyond the manhood of a Roman recovery, it will be attributed first, as is most due, to the strong assistance of God our deliverer, next to your faithful guidance and undaunted wisdom. Lords and Commons of England.
Nevertheless there being three principal things, without which all praising is but courtship and flattery: first, when that only is praised which is solidly worth praise: next, when greatest likelihoods are brought that such things are truly and really in those persons to whom they are ascribed: the other, when he who praises, by showing that such his actual persuasion is of whom he writes, can demonstrate that he flatters not; the former two of these I have heretofore endeavoured, rescuing the employment from him who went about to impair your merits with a trivial and malignant encomium; the latter as belonging chiefly to mine own acquittal, that whom I so extolled I did not flatter, hath been reserved opportunely to this occasion.
Lords and Commons, as what your published order hath directly said, that to gainsay, I might defend myself with ease if any should accuse me of being new or insolent, did they but know how much better I find ye esteem it to imitate the old and elegant humanity of Greece, than the barbaric pride of a Hunnish and Norwegian stateliness. And out of those ages, to whose polite wisdom and letters we owe that we are not yet Goths and Jutlanders, I could name him who from his private house wrote that discourse to the parliament of Athens, that persuades them to change the form of democracy which was then established. Such honour was done in those days to men who professed the study of wisdom and eloquence, not only in their own country, but in other lands, that cities and signories heard them gladly, and with great respect, if they had aught in public to admonish the state.
By judging over again that order which ye have ordained to regulate printing: ‘That no book, pamphlet, or paper shall be henceforth printed, unless the same be first approved and licensed by such’, or at least one of such as shall be thereto appointed. For that part which preserves justly every man’s copy to himself, or provides for the poor, I touch not, only wish they be not made pretences to abuse and persecute honest and painful men, who offend not in either of these particulars. But that other clause of licensing books, which we thought had died with his brother ‘quadragesimal’ and ‘matrimonial’ when the prelates expired, I shall now attend with such a homily, as shall lay before ye, first the inventors of it to be those whom ye will be loath to own; […].
And yet on the other hand unless wariness be used, as good almost kill a man as kill a good book; who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God’s image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye. Many a man lives a burden to the earth; but a good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.
Therefore we do not read that either Epicurus, or that libertine school of Cyrene, or what the Cynic impudence uttered, was ever questioned by the laws. Neither is it recorded that the writings of those old comedians were suppressed, though the acting of them were forbid; and that Plato commended the reading of Aristophanes the loosest of them all, to his royal scholar Dionysius, is commonly known, and may be excused, if holy Chrysostom as is reported nightly studied so much the same author, and had the art to cleanse a scurrilous vehemence into the style of a rousing sermon. That other leading city of Greece, Lacedaemon, considering that Lycurgus their lawgiver was so addicted to elegant learning as to have been the first that brought out of Ionia the scattered works of Homer, and sent the poet Thales from Crete to prepare and mollify the Spartan surliness with his smooth songs and odes, the better to plant among them law and civility, it is to be wondered how museless and unbookish they were, minding nought but the feats of war.
We have it not, that can be heard of, from any ancient state, or polity, or church, nor by any statute left us by our ancestors elder or later; nor from the modern custom of any reformed city or church abroad; but from the most antichristian council, and the most tyrannous inquisition that ever enquired. Till then books were ever as freely admitted into the world as any other birth: the issue of the brain was no more stifled than the issue of the womb: no envious Juno sat cross-legged over the nativity of any man’s intellectual offspring; but if it proved a monster, who denies, but that it was justly burnt, or sunk into the sea
Christ urged it as wherewith to justify himself, that he preached in public; yet writing is more public than preaching; and more easy to refutation, if need be, there being so many whose business and profession merely it is, to be the champions of truth.
