27th June 2025
A quick further note on Charles Blount
In 2016 I had extracted a significant discussion from Macaulay’s History of England on the role played by Charles Blount in ending censorship.
I’ve had occasion to study his work a little further.
In his 1693 pamphlet against state licensing/ censorship, Charles Blount traced censorship (and licensing) to the Inquisition.
This Project of Licencing crept out of the Inquisition. After the Emperors became Christian, the Books of those whom they took to be grand Hereticks, were examined, refuted and condemned in the General Councils; and not until then were prohibited or burnt by Authority of the Emperor. The Primitive Councils and Bishops were wont to declare what Books were not commendable, passing no further, but leaving it to each one’s conscience to read or lay by; till after the Year 800, as observed by Padre Paolo [Sarpi], the great Unmasker of the Trentine Council. After which time the Popes of Rome engrossing what they pleased of political role into their own hands, extended their Dominion over men’s eyes, as they had before over their Judgments; burning and prohibiting to be read , what they fancied not.
That he was a great plagiarist is very clear:
BLOUNT: 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 Junillo(?) sate cross-legg’d over the Nativity of any Man’s Intellectual Off-spring; but if it prov’d a Monster, who denies but that it was justly burnt?
BUT THIS IS VIRTUALLY A REPLICA OF JOHN MILTON (1644):
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?
Macaulay was right to question his moral character. But there seems to be no doubt that he played a crucial role in bringing an end to censorship in the UK.
BUT BLOUNT IS RELEVANT EVEN TODAY
Despite his plagiarism, his persistence in pushing for liberty of speech is an important contribution
https://x.com/sabhlok/status/1938734763952742906
I wanted to check if Charles Blount had really said this: “Liberty is the Nursery of Science”. And it is true.
Here’s the fuller extract. Given Macaulay’s caution about Blount, I’m not ruling out plagiarism here but I’ll leave that question to others to work out. For now, I’m QUITE IMPRESSED. Remember, this is 1679! J.S. Mill’s On Liberty was to come nearly 200 years later.
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5. It reflects upon our Church and Clergy, of whose labours we should hope better, and of the proficiency which their Flock reaps by them; then alter all this Light of the Gospel, this continual Preaching, they should be still frequented with such an un-principled, un-edify’d and Laick rabble, as that the Whiff of every new Pamphlet should stagger them out of their Catechism and Christian walking. This may have much reason to slagger and to discourage the Ministers, when such a low conceit is had of all their Exhortations, and the benefiting of their Hearers, at that they are not thought fit to be turned loose to three Sheets of Paper, without a License; that all the Sermons, all the Lectures Preached, Printed and Vented in such numbers and such Volumes, should not be Armour sufficient against one single Enchyridion Unlicensed: I am confident that a Kingdom governed by the rules of Justice and Fortitude, or a Church built and founded upon the rock of Faith and true Knowledge, cannot be so Pusillanimous. That all freedom of Writing should be thus restrained with the proud curb of an Imprimatnr, must needs administer cause of doubt, and discouragement to all Learned and Religious men, who may justly suspect the Reason and Power of that cause which durst not stand a Tryal of Skill. Every Author Writes either Truth or Falshood; If he Writes Truth, why should he be oppressed or stifled? And if he delivers what is False, let him be confuted by Answer, whereunto every Author is subject; since no cause ever suffered by being answered, only by Fire and Faggot. That Liberty is the Nursery of Science, appears in that there is nothing hath so much clouded and discouraged the Italian Wits, as their Inquisition; which restraining all manner of Philosophick freedom, hath for these many years produced nothing but obsequious flattery: In which Country the Famous Galileo was oppressed under the Inqusitions Tyranny, for thinking otherwise in Astronomy, then the Dominican and Franciscan Licensers thought