ABSTRACT
In Areopagitica, Milton most fully and richly discusses reading, spirituality, and truth in relation to the book itself. The tremendous explosion of print materials during the early 1640s demanded some form of response, and Milton’s asserts the liberty to read all texts while coupling that reading to an imperative for critical interpretation.1 In his tract, Milton argues against Parliament’s Licensing Order of 1643, which itself responded to the printing boom by reinstating a system of government oversight and approval over the printed word. While those with the power to grant licenses had changed, from the court of Star Chamber established by Charles to officials appointed by the Long Parliament, the basic objective remained the same: to constrain and contain revolutionary and radical ideas in order to promote stability. For Milton, this particular form of stability was synonymous with servility.
