From Ariel Poetica. Milton's defence of the freedom of the Press written to Parliament.
And now the time in special is my privilege to write and speak what may help to the further discussing of matters in agitation.
The Temple of Janus with his two controversial faces, might now not insignificantly be set open.
And though all the windows of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth.
So truth be in the field we do injurious by licensing and prohibiting to miss doubt her strength
let her and falsehood grapple who ever knew truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter,
her consulting is the best and surest suppressing he who hears what praying that is for light and clear knowledge
to be sent down among us would think of other matters to be constituted beyond the discipline of Geneva,
framed and fabricate already to our hands.
Yet when the new light which we beg for shines in upon us,
there be who envy and oppose if it come not first in it that casement's water collusion is this when,
as we are exhorted by the wise man to use diligence to seek for wisdom as for hidden
treasures early and late that another order shall enjoin us to know nothing.
But by statute,
when a man have been labouring the hardest labour in the deep mines of knowledge hath furnished out his findings in all their equipage,
drawn forth his reasons, as it were, a battle ranged scattered and defeated.
All objections in his way calls out his adversary into the plane, offers him the advantage of wind and sun,
if he please, only that he may try the matter by dint of argument for his opponents then to skulk,
to lay ambush months to keep a narrow bridge of licensing where the challenger should pass
though it be valour enough in soldier ship is but weakness and cowardice in the wars of truth.
For? Who knows? Not the truth is strong next to the Almighty.
She needs no policies nor stratagems, nor licensing to make her victorious.
Those are the ships and the defences that ERA uses against her power.
Give her much room and do not bind her when she sleeps.
But then she speaks. Not true, as the old Proteus did, who spake oracles only when he was caught and bound.
But then, rather, she turns herself into all shapes except her own, and perhaps tunes her voice according to the time,
as Micaiah did before Ahab, until she be abjured into her own likeness.
Yet is it not impossible that she may have more shapes than one?