Being frequently censur’d and condemn’d by different Persons for
printing Things which they say ought not to be printed, I have
sometimes thought it might be necessary to make a standing Apology
for my self, and publish it once a Year, to be read upon all
Occasions of that Nature. Much Business has hitherto hindered the
execution of this Design; but having very lately given
extraordinary Offence by printing an Advertisement with a certain
N.B. at the End of it, I find an Apology more particularly
requisite at this Juncture, tho’ it happens when I have not yet
Leisure to write such a thing in the proper Form, and can only in a
loose manner throw those Considerations together which should have
been the Substance of it.
I request all who are angry with me on the
Account of printing things they don’t like, calmly to consider
these following Particulars
1. That the Opinions of Men are almost as
various as their Faces; an Observation general enough to become a
common Proverb, So many Men so many Minds.
2. That the Business of Printing has chiefly to
do with Mens Opinions; most things that are printed tending to
promote some, or oppose others.
3. That hence arises the peculiar Unhappiness
of that Business, which other Callings are no way liable to; they
who follow Printing being scarce able to do any thing in their way
of getting a Living, which shall not probably give Offence to some,
and perhaps to many; whereas the Smith, the Shoemaker, the
Carpenter, or the Man of any other Trade, may work indifferently
for People of all Persuasions, without offending any of them: and
the Merchant may buy and sell with Jews, Turks, Hereticks, and
Infidels of all sorts, and get Money by every one of them, without
giving Offence to the most orthodox, of any sort; or suffering the
least Censure or Ill-will on the Account from any Man whatever.
4. That it is as unreasonable in any one Man or
Set of Men to expect to be pleas’d with every thing that is
printed, as to think that nobody ought to be pleas’d but
themselves.
5. Printers are educated in the Belief, that
when Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the
Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and
Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the
latter: Hence they chearfully serve all contending Writers that pay
them well, without regarding on which side they are of the Question
in Dispute.
6. Being thus continually employ’d in serving
all Parties, Printers naturally acquire a vast Unconcernedness as
to the right or wrong Opinions contain’d in what they print;
regarding it only as the Matter of their daily labour: They print
things full of Spleen and Animosity, with the utmost Calmness and
Indifference, and without the least Ill-will to the Persons
reflected on; who nevertheless unjustly think the Printer as much
their Enemy as the Author, and join both together in their
Resentment.
7. That it is unreasonable to imagine Printers
approve of every thing they print, and to censure them on any
particular thing accordingly; since in the way of their Business
they print such great variety of things opposite and contradictory.
It is likewise as unreasonable what some assert, That Printers
ought not to print any Thing but what they approve;
since if all of that Business should make such a Resolution, and
abide by it, an End would thereby be put to Free Writing, and the
World would afterwards have nothing to read but what happen’d to be
the Opinions of Printers.
8. That if all Printers were determin’d not to
print any thing till they were sure it would offend no body, there
would be very little printed.
9. That if they sometimes print vicious or
silly things not worth reading, it may not be because they approve
such things themselves, but because the People are so viciously and
corruptly educated that good things are not encouraged. I have
known a very numerous Impression of Robin Hood’s Songs go
off in this Province at 2s. per Book, in less than a
Twelvemonth; when a small Quantity of David’s Psalms (an
excellent Version) have lain upon my Hands above twice the
Time.
10. That notwithstanding what might be urg’d in
behalf of a Man’s being allow’d to do in the Way of his Business
whatever he is paid for, yet Printers do continually discourage the
Printing of great Numbers of bad things, and stifle them in the
Birth. I my self have constantly refused to print any thing that
might countenance Vice, or promote Immorality; tho’ by complying in
such Cases with the corrupt Taste of the Majority, I might have got
much Money. I have also always refus’d to print such things as
might do real Injury to any Person, how much soever I have been
solicited, and tempted with Offers of great Pay; and how much
soever I have by refusing got the Ill-will of those who would have
employ’d me. I have heretofore fallen under the Resentment of large
Bodies of Men, for refusing absolutely to print any of their Party
or Personal Reflections. In this Manner I have made my self many
Enemies, and the constant Fatigue of denying is almost
insupportable. But the Publick being unacquainted with all this,
whenever the poor Printer happens either through Ignorance or much
Persuasion, to do any thing that is generally thought worthy of
Blame, he meets with no more Friendship or Favour on the above
Account, than if there were no Merit in’t at all. Thus, as Waller
says,
Yet are censur’d for every bad Line found in their Works with
the utmost Severity.
I come now to the particular Case of the
N.B. above-mention’d. about which there has been more
Clamour against me, than ever before on any other Account. In the
Hurry of other Business an Advertisement was brought to me to be
printed; it signified that such a Ship lying at such a Wharff,
would sail for Barbadoes in such a Time, and that Freighters and
Passengers might agree with the Captain at such a Place; so far is
what’s common: But at the Bottom this odd Thing was added, N.B.
No Sea Hens nor Black Gowns will be admitted on
any Terms. I printed it, and receiv’d my Money; and the
Advertisement was stuck up round the Town as usual. I had not so
much Curiosity at that time as to enquire the Meaning of it, nor
did I in the least imagine it would give so much Offense. Several
good Men are very angry with me on this Occasion; they are pleas’d
to say I have too much Sense to do such things ignorantly; that if
they were Printers they would not have done such a thing on any
Consideration; that it could proceed from nothing but my abundant
Malice against Religion and the Clergy: They therefore declare they
will not take any more of my Papers, nor have any farther Dealings
with me; but will hinder me of all the Custom they can. All this is
very hard!
I believe it had been better if I had refused
to print the said Advertisement. However, ’tis done and cannot be
revok’d. I have only the following few Particulars to offer, some
of them in my Behalf, by way of Mitigation, and some not much to
the Purpose; but I desire none of them may be read when the Reader
is not in a very good Humour.
1. That I really did it without the least
Malice, and imagin’d the N.B. was plac’d there only to make
the Advertisement star’d at, and more generally read.
2. That I never saw the Word Sea-Hens
before in my Life; nor have I yet ask’d the meaning of it; and tho’
I had certainly known that Black Gowns in that Place
signified the Clergy of the Church of England, yet I have that
confidence in the generous good Temper of such of them as I know,
as to be well satisfied such a trifling mention of their Habit
gives them no Disturbance.
3. That most of the Clergy in this and the
neighbouring Provinces, are my Customers, and some of them my very
good Friends; and I must be very malicious indeed, or very stupid,
to print this thing for a small Profit, if I had thought it would
have given them just Cause of Offence.
4. That if I have much Malice against the
Clergy, and withal much Sense; ’tis strange I never write or talk
against the Clergy my self. Some have observed that ’tis a fruitful
Topic, and the easiest to be witty upon of all others. I can print
any thing I write at less Charge than others; yet I appeal to the
Public that I am never guilty this way, and to all my Acquaintance
as to my Conversation.
5. That if a Man of Sense had Malice enough to
desire to injure the Clergy, this is the foolishest Thing he could
possibly contrive for that Purpose.
6. That I got Five Shillings by it.
7. That none who are angry with me would have
given me so much to let it alone.
8. That if all the People of different Opinions
in this Province would engage to give me as much for not printing
things they don’t like, as I can get by printing them, I should
probably live a very easy Life; and if all Printers were every
where so dealt by, there would be very little printed.
9. That I am oblig’d to all who take my Paper,
and am willing to think they do it out of meer Frienship. I only
desire they would think the same when I deal with them. I thank
those who leave off, that they have taken it so long. But I beg
they would not endevour to dissuade others, for that will look like
Malice.
10. That ’tis impossible any Man should know
what he would do if he was a Printer.
11. That notwithstanding the Rashness and
Inexperience of Youth, which is most likely to be prevail’d with to
do things that ought not to be done; yet I have avoided printing
such Things as usually give Offense either to Church or State, more
than any Printer that has followed the Business in this Province
before.
12. And lastly, That I have printed above a
Thousand Advertisements which made not the least mention of
Sea-Hens or Back Gowns; and this being the
first Offense, I have the more Reason to expect Forgiveness.
I take leave to conclude with an old Fable,
which some of my Readers have heard before, and some have not.
“A certain well-meaning Man and his Son, were
travelling towards a Market Town, with an Ass which they had to
sell. The Road was bad; and the old Man therefore rid, but the Son
went a-foot. The first Pasenger they met, asked the Father if he
was not ashamed to ride by himself, and suffer the poor Lad to wade
along thro’ the Mire; this induced him to take up his Son behind
him: He had not travelled far, when he met others, who said, they
were two unmerciful Lubbers to get both on the Back of that poor
Ass, in such a deep Road. Upon this the old Man gets off, and let
his Son ride alone. The next they met called the Lad a graceless,
rascally young Jackanapes, to ride in that Manner thro’ the Dirt,
while his aged father trudged along on Foot; and they said the old
Man was a Fool, for suffering it. He then bid his Son come down,
and walk with him, and they travell’d on leading the Ass by the
Halter; ’till they met another Company, who called them a Couple of
sensless Blockheads, for going both on Foot in such a dirty Way,
when they had an empty Ass with them, which they might ride upon.
The old Man could bear no longer; My Son, said he, it grieves me
much that we cannot please all these People: Let us throw the Ass
over the next Bridge, and be no farther trobled with him.”
Had the old Man been seen acting this last
resolution, he would probably have been call’d a Fool for troubling
himself about the different Opinions of all that were pleas’d to
find Fault with him: Therefore, tho’ I have a Temper almost as
complying as his, I intend not to imitate him in this last
Particular. I consider the Variety of Humours among Men, and
despair of pleasing every Body; yet I shall not therefore leave off
Printing. I shall continue my Business. I shall not burn my Press
and melt my Letters.