founded upon this politick ſuppoſition, that when they had got a new Printing-houſe, they could never want new books; but by what means ſoever it was built, my lord Clarendon has the honour, and we, his happy poſterity, the invaluable benefit of it.
I ſhould think it an undertaking well worthy the laborious Mr. Hearne, to give the world an account, from year to year, of the many incomparable tomes, which iſſue from that illuſtrious preſs. This, I apprehend, would do great honour to the unverſity, and to its learned authors, ſince the catalogue would not be crouded with any of thoſe heretical, pernicious, and free-thinking tracts, which are the noiſom ſpawn of other modern preſſes: we ſhould find there no ill-meaning Eſſays upon human Underſtanding, no Oceana's, no Hypotheſes of Liberty, no deſcants upon Original Contracts, nor enquiries into the State of Nature, no Appeals to the Laity and common Senſe in matters of religion, no vindications of Conſcience and private Judgment, no defences of Reſiſtance in any poſſible caſes, no apologies for the Revolution, and the preſent Government, &c. to ſully the Academical Types, and reproach the ſolemn Imprimatur of the unverſity——New, accurate Editions of primitive Fathers, and antient Chronicles, or modern ſermons, and long ſyſtems of Logick, Metaphyſicks, and School-divinity are the ſolid productions of this auguſt Typographeum——Such are the effects, and ſuch the advantages of reſtraining the licence of the preſs! How would letters flouriſh? how would arts revive? how would religion lift up her awful front? and how would the church rejoyce, if ſuch a wholeſome check were put upon the preſs throughout the world?
But Printing is not the only, nor the principal uſe, for which theſe ſtupendous ſtone-walls were
