Now the
discredits and disgraces are many it hath received through men's
study of depravation or calumny; their practice being to give it
diminution of credit, by lessening the professor's estimation, and
making the age afraid of their liberty; and the age is grown so
tender of her fame, as she calls all writings aspersions.
That is the state word, the phrase of court (placentia college),
which some call Parasites place, the Inn of Ignorance.
D. Hieronymus.--Whilst I name no persons, but deride follies, why
should any man confess or betray himself why doth not that of S.
Hierome come into their mind, Ubi generalis est de vitiis
disputatio, ibi nullius esse personae injuriam? {133a} Is it such
an inexpiable crime in poets to tax vices generally, and no offence
in them, who, by their exception confess they have committed them
particularly? Are we fallen into those times that we must not -
"Auriculas teneras mordaci rodere vero." {133b}
Remedii votum semper verius erat, quam spes. {133c}--Sexus faemin.--
If men may by no means write freely, or speak truth, but when it
offends not, why do physicians cure with sharp medicines, or
corrosives? is not the same equally lawful in the cure of the mind
that is in the cure of the body? Some vices, you will say, are so
foul that it is better they should be done than spoken.
Pages:
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123