(from *censere*, to estimate or judge), the title of two magistrates of high authority in the Roman republic. It was their duty to take a *census* or register of the effects of the citizens, to impose taxes in proportion to what each man possessed, and to superintend the public morals. In virtue of this last part of their office they had authority to censure vice and immorality, by inflicting some public mark of ignominy on the offender. They had even a power to create the *princeps senatus*, and to expel from the senate such as they deemed unworthy of that office. But this power they sometimes exercised without sufficient grounds; and therefore a law was at length passed that no senator should be degraded or disgraced in any manner until he had been formally accused and found guilty by both the censors. It was also a part of the censorial jurisdiction to fill up the vacancies in the senate, upon any remarkable deficiency in their number; to let out to farm all the lands, revenues, and customs of the republic; and to contract with artificers for the charge of building and repairing the public works and edifices, both in Rome and the colonies of Italy. In all parts of their office, however, they were subject to the jurisdiction of the people; and an appeal always lay from the judgment of the censors to that of an assembly of the people.

The first two censors were created in the year of Rome 311 (B.C. 442), upon the senate observing that the consuls were so much occupied with war as not to have time to look into other matters. The office continued to the time of the emperors, who assumed the censorial power, calling themselves *morum prefecti*; though Vespasian and his son took also the title of censors. Decius attempted to restore the dignity to a particular magistrate. But after this we hear no more of it till the time of Constantine, who made his brother censor; and he seems to have been the last who filled the office.

The office of censor was so considerable, that for a long time no one aspired to it till he had passed all the rest; and hence it was thought aspiring in Crassus to seek to be admitted as censor without having been either consul or praetor. At first the censors enjoyed their dignity for five years; but in B.C. 433 the dictator Mamercus made a law restraining it to a year and a half, which was afterwards observed very strictly. At first one of the censors was elected from a patrician and the other from a plebeian family; and upon the death of either the other was discharged from his office, and new censors were elected, though not till the next lustrum. In the year B.C. 132, both censors were chosen from among the plebeians; and after that time the office was shared between the senate and the people. On their election in the comitia centuriata, the censors proceeded to the capitol, where they took an oath not to be guided either by favour or disaffection, but to act equitably and impartially throughout the whole course of their administration. See Census.

CENSORS OF Books, persons authorized in different countries to examine all publications before they go to press, that they contain nothing contrary to faith and good manners. In England there was formerly an officer of this kind under the title of licenser of the press; but since the Revolution our press has been laid under no such restraint. See Bibliography.