Contents：

LectureI——SesameLectureII——LiliesPrefacetotheLaterEditionsLectureIII——TheMysteryofLifeanditsArtsLECTUREI——SESAME。OFKING’STREASURIES

"Youshalleachhaveacakeofsesame，——andtenpound。"

Lucian：TheFisherman。

Myfirstdutythiseveningistoaskyourpardonfortheambiguityoftitleunderwhichthesubjectoflecturehasbeenannounced：forindeedIamnotgoingtotalkofkings，knownasregnant，noroftreasuries，understoodtocontainwealth;butofquiteanotherorderofroyalty，andanothermaterialofriches，thanthoseusuallyacknowledged。Ihadevenintendedtoaskyourattentionforalittlewhileontrust，and（assometimesonecontrives，intakingafriendtoseeafavouritepieceofscenery）tohidewhatIwantedmosttoshow，withsuchimperfectcunningasImight，untilweunexpectedlyreachedthebestpointofviewbywindingpaths。But——

andasalsoIhavehearditsaid，bymenpractisedinpublicaddress，thathearersareneversomuchfatiguedasbytheendeavourtofollowaspeakerwhogivesthemnocluetohispurpose，——Iwilltaketheslightmaskoffatonce，andtellyouplainlythatIwanttospeaktoyouaboutthetreasureshiddeninbooks;andaboutthewaywefindthem，andthewaywelosethem。Agravesubject，youwillsay;andawideone！Yes;sowidethatIshallmakenoefforttotouchthecompassofit。Iwilltryonlytobringbeforeyouafewsimplethoughtsaboutreading，whichpressthemselvesuponmeeverydaymoredeeply，asIwatchthecourseofthepublicmindwithrespecttoourdailyenlargingmeansofeducation;andtheansweringlywiderspreadingonthelevels，oftheirrigationofliterature。

IthappensthatIhavepracticallysomeconnexionwithschoolsfordifferentclassesofyouth;andIreceivemanylettersfromparentsrespectingtheeducationoftheirchildren。InthemassoftheselettersIamalwaysstruckbytheprecedencewhichtheideaofa"positioninlife"takesaboveallotherthoughtsintheparents’——

moreespeciallyinthemothers’——minds。"TheeducationbefittingsuchandsuchaSTATIONINLIFE"——thisisthephrase，thistheobject，always。Theyneverseek，asfarasIcanmakeout，aneducationgoodinitself;eventheconceptionofabstractrightnessintrainingrarelyseemsreachedbythewriters。But，aneducation"whichshallkeepagoodcoatonmyson’sback;——whichshallenablehimtoringwithconfidencethevisitors’bellatdouble—belleddoors;whichshallresultultimatelyinestablishmentofadouble—

belleddoortohisownhouse;——inaword，whichshallleadtoadvancementinlife;——THISweprayforonbentknees——andthisisALLweprayfor。"Itneverseemstooccurtotheparentsthattheremaybeaneducationwhich，initself，ISadvancementinLife;——thatanyotherthanthatmayperhapsbeadvancementinDeath;andthatthisessentialeducationmightbemoreeasilygot，orgiven，thantheyfancy，iftheysetaboutitintherightway;whileitisfornoprice，andbynofavour，tobegot，iftheysetaboutitinthewrong。

Indeed，amongtheideasmostprevalentandeffectiveinthemindofthisbusiestofcountries，Isupposethefirst——atleastthatwhichisconfessedwiththegreatestfrankness，andputforwardasthefitteststimulustoyouthfulexertion——isthisof"Advancementinlife。"MayIaskyoutoconsiderwithme，whatthisideapracticallyincludes，andwhatitshouldinclude？

Practically，then，atpresent，"advancementinlife"means，becomingconspicuousinlife;obtainingapositionwhichshallbeacknowledgedbyotherstoberespectableorhonourable。Wedonotunderstandbythisadvancement，ingeneral，themeremakingofmoney，butthebeingknowntohavemadeit;nottheaccomplishmentofanygreataim，butthebeingseentohaveaccomplishedit。Inaword，wemeanthegratificationofourthirstforapplause。Thatthirst，ifthelastinfirmityofnobleminds，isalsothefirstinfirmityofweakones;and，onthewhole，thestrongestimpulsiveinfluenceofaveragehumanity：thegreatesteffortsoftheracehavealwaysbeentraceabletotheloveofpraise，asitsgreatestcatastrophestotheloveofpleasure。

Iamnotabouttoattackordefendthisimpulse。Iwantyouonlytofeelhowitliesattherootofeffort;especiallyofallmoderneffort。Itisthegratificationofvanitywhichis，withus，thestimulusoftoilandbalmofrepose;socloselydoesittouchtheveryspringsoflifethatthewoundingofourvanityisalwaysspokenof（andtruly）asinitsmeasureMORTAL;wecallit"mortification，"usingthesameexpressionwhichweshouldapplytoagangrenousandincurablebodilyhurt。Andalthoughafewofusmaybephysiciansenoughtorecognisethevariouseffectofthispassionuponhealthandenergy，Ibelievemosthonestmenknow，andwouldatonceacknowledge，itsleadingpowerwiththemasamotive。

Theseamandoesnotcommonlydesiretobemadecaptainonlybecauseheknowshecanmanagetheshipbetterthananyothersailoronboard。HewantstobemadecaptainthathemaybeCALLEDcaptain。

Theclergymandoesnotusuallywanttobemadeabishoponlybecausehebelievesthatnootherhandcan，asfirmlyashis，directthediocesethroughitsdifficulties。Hewantstobemadebishopprimarilythathemaybecalled"MyLord。"Andaprincedoesnotusuallydesiretoenlarge，orasubjecttogain，akingdom，becausehebelievesnooneelsecanaswellservetheState，uponitsthrone;but，briefly，becausehewishestobeaddressedas"YourMajesty，"byasmanylipsasmaybebroughttosuchutterance。

This，then，beingthemainideaof"advancementinlife，"theforceofitapplies，forallofus，accordingtoourstation，particularlytothatsecondaryresultofsuchadvancementwhichwecall"gettingintogoodsociety。"Wewanttogetintogoodsociety，notthatwemayhaveit，butthatwemaybeseeninit;andournotionofitsgoodnessdependsprimarilyonitsconspicuousness。

WillyoupardonmeifIpauseforamomenttoputwhatIfearyoumaythinkanimpertinentquestion？InevercangoonwithanaddressunlessIfeel，orknow，thatmyaudienceareeitherwithmeoragainstme：Idonotmuchcarewhich，inbeginning;butImustknowwheretheyare;andIwouldfainfindout，atthisinstant，whetheryouthinkIamputtingthemotivesofpopularactiontoolow。Iamresolved，to—night，tostatethemlowenoughtobeadmittedasprobable;forwhenever，inmywritingsonPoliticalEconomy，Iassumethatalittlehonesty，orgenerosity，——orwhatusedtobecalled"virtue，"——maybecalculateduponasahumanmotiveofaction，peoplealwaysanswerme，saying，"Youmustnotcalculateonthat：thatisnotinhumannature：youmustnotassumeanythingtobecommontomenbutacquisitivenessandjealousy;nootherfeelingeverhasinfluenceonthem，exceptaccidentally，andinmattersoutofthewayofbusiness。"Ibegin，accordingly，tonightlowinthescaleofmotives;butImustknowifyouthinkmerightindoingso。Therefore，letmeaskthosewhoadmittheloveofpraisetobeusuallythestrongestmotiveinmen’smindsinseekingadvancement，andthehonestdesireofdoinganykindofdutytobeanentirelysecondaryone，toholduptheirhands。（Aboutadozenhandsheldup——theaudience，partly，notbeingsurethelecturerisserious，and，partly，shyofexpressingopinion。）Iamquiteserious——Ireallydowanttoknowwhatyouthink;however，Icanjudgebyputtingthereversequestion。Willthosewhothinkthatdutyisgenerallythefirst，andloveofpraisethesecond，motive，holduptheirhands？（Onehandreportedtohavebeenheldupbehindthelecturer。）Verygood：Iseeyouarewithme，andthatyouthinkIhavenotbeguntooneartheground。Now，withoutteasingyoubyputtingfartherquestion，Iventuretoassumethatyouwilladmitdutyasatleastasecondaryortertiarymotive。

Youthinkthatthedesireofdoingsomethinguseful，orobtainingsomerealgood，isindeedanexistentcollateralidea，thoughasecondaryone，inmostmen’sdesireofadvancement。Youwillgrantthatmoderatelyhonestmendesireplaceandoffice，atleastinsomemeasureforthesakeofbeneficentpower;andwouldwishtoassociateratherwithsensibleandwell—informedpersonsthanwithfoolsandignorantpersons，whethertheyareseeninthecompanyofthesensibleonesornot。Andfinally，withoutbeingtroubledbyrepetitionofanycommontruismsaboutthepreciousnessoffriends，andtheinfluenceofcompanions，youwilladmit，doubtless，thataccordingtothesincerityofourdesirethatourfriendsmaybetrue，andourcompanionswise，——andinproportiontotheearnestnessanddiscretionwithwhichwechooseboth，——willbethegeneralchancesofourhappinessandusefulness。

But，grantingthatwehadboththewillandthesensetochooseourfriendswell，howfewofushavethepower！or，atleast，howlimited，formost，isthesphereofchoice！Nearlyallourassociationsaredeterminedbychanceornecessity;andrestrictedwithinanarrowcircle。Wecannotknowwhomwewould;andthosewhomweknow，wecannothaveatoursidewhenwemostneedthem。

Allthehighercirclesofhumanintelligenceare，tothosebeneath，onlymomentarilyandpartiallyopen。Wemay，bygoodfortune，obtainaglimpseofagreatpoet，andhearthesoundofhisvoice;

orputaquestiontoamanofscience，andbeansweredgood—

humouredly。Wemayintrudetenminutes’talkonacabinetminister，answeredprobablywithwordsworsethansilence，beingdeceptive;orsnatch，onceortwiceinourlives，theprivilegeofthrowingabouquetinthepathofaprincess，orarrestingthekindglanceofaqueen。Andyetthesemomentarychanceswecovet;andspendouryears，andpassions，andpowers，inpursuitoflittlemorethanthese;while，meantime，thereisasocietycontinuallyopentous，ofpeoplewhowilltalktousaslongaswelike，whateverourrankoroccupation;——talktousinthebestwordstheycanchoose，andofthethingsnearesttheirhearts。Andthissociety，becauseitissonumerousandsogentle，andcanbekeptwaitingroundusalldaylong，——kingsandstatesmenlingeringpatiently，nottograntaudience，buttogainit！——inthoseplainlyfurnishedandnarrowante—rooms，ourbookcaseshelves，——wemakenoaccountofthatcompany，——perhapsneverlistentoawordtheywouldsay，alldaylong！

Youmaytellme，perhaps，orthinkwithinyourselves，thattheapathywithwhichweregardthiscompanyofthenoble，whoareprayingustolistentothem;andthepassionwithwhichwepursuethecompany，probablyoftheignoble，whodespiseus，orwhohavenothingtoteachus，aregroundedinthis，——thatwecanseethefacesofthelivingmen，anditisthemselves，andnottheirsayings，withwhichwedesiretobecomefamiliar。Butitisnotso。

Supposeyouneverweretoseetheirfaces;——supposeyoucouldbeputbehindascreeninthestatesman’scabinet，ortheprince’schamber，wouldyounotbegladtolistentotheirwords，thoughyouwereforbiddentoadvancebeyondthescreen？Andwhenthescreenisonlyalittleless，foldedintwoinsteadoffour，andyoucanbehiddenbehindthecoverofthetwoboardsthatbindabook，andlistenalldaylong，nottothecasualtalk，buttothestudied，determined，chosenaddressesofthewisestofmen;——thisstationofaudience，andhonourableprivycouncil，youdespise！

Butperhapsyouwillsaythatitisbecausethelivingpeopletalkofthingsthatarepassing，andareofimmediateinteresttoyou，thatyoudesiretohearthem。Nay;thatcannotbeso，forthelivingpeoplewillthemselvestellyouaboutpassingmattersmuchbetterintheirwritingsthanintheircarelesstalk。YetIadmitthatthismotivedoesinfluenceyou，sofarasyoupreferthoserapidandephemeralwritingstoslowandenduringwritings——books，properlysocalled。Forallbooksaredivisibleintotwoclasses，thebooksofthehour，andthebooksofalltime。Markthisdistinction——itisnotoneofqualityonly。Itisnotmerelythebadbookthatdoesnotlast，andthegoodonethatdoes。Itisadistinctionofspecies。Therearegoodbooksforthehour，andgoodonesforalltime;badbooksforthehour，andbadonesforalltime。ImustdefinethetwokindsbeforeIgofarther。

Thegoodbookofthehour，then，——Idonotspeakofthebadones，——

issimplytheusefulorpleasanttalkofsomepersonwhomyoucannototherwiseconversewith，printedforyou。Veryusefuloften，tellingyouwhatyouneedtoknow;verypleasantoften，asasensiblefriend’spresenttalkwouldbe。Thesebrightaccountsoftravels;good—humouredandwittydiscussionsofquestion;livelyorpatheticstory—tellingintheformofnovel;firmfact—telling，bytherealagentsconcernedintheeventsofpassinghistory;——allthesebooksofthehour，multiplyingamongusaseducationbecomesmoregeneral，areapeculiarpossessionofthepresentage：weoughttobeentirelythankfulforthem，andentirelyashamedofourselvesifwemakenogooduseofthem。Butwemaketheworstpossibleuseifweallowthemtousurptheplaceoftruebooks：

for，strictlyspeaking，theyarenotbooksatall，butmerelylettersornewspapersingoodprint。Ourfriend’slettermaybedelightful，ornecessary，to—day：whetherworthkeepingornot，istobeconsidered。Thenewspapermaybeentirelyproperatbreakfasttime，butassuredlyitisnotreadingforallday。So，thoughboundupinavolume，thelongletterwhichgivesyousopleasantanaccountoftheinns，androads，andweather，lastyearatsuchaplace，orwhichtellsyouthatamusingstory，orgivesyoutherealcircumstancesofsuchandsuchevents，howevervaluableforoccasionalreference，maynotbe，intherealsenseoftheword，a"book"atall，nor，intherealsense，tobe"read。"Abookisessentiallynotatalkingthing，butawrittenthing;andwritten，notwithaviewofmerecommunication，butofpermanence。Thebookoftalkisprintedonlybecauseitsauthorcannotspeaktothousandsofpeopleatonce;ifhecould，hewould——thevolumeismereMULTIPLICATIONofhisvoice。YoucannottalktoyourfriendinIndia;ifyoucould，youwould;youwriteinstead：thatismereCONVEYANCEofvoice。Butabookiswritten，nottomultiplythevoicemerely，nottocarryitmerely，buttoperpetuateit。Theauthorhassomethingtosaywhichheperceivestobetrueanduseful，orhelpfullybeautiful。Sofarasheknows，noonehasyetsaidit;sofarasheknows，nooneelsecansayit。Heisboundtosayit，clearlyandmelodiouslyifhemay;clearlyatallevents。

Inthesumofhislifehefindsthistobethething，orgroupofthings，manifesttohim;——this，thepieceoftrueknowledge，orsight，whichhisshareofsunshineandearthhaspermittedhimtoseize。Hewouldfainsetitdownforever;engraveitonrock，ifhecould;saying，"Thisisthebestofme;fortherest，Iate，anddrank，andslept，loved，andhated，likeanother;mylifewasasthevapour，andisnot;butthisIsawandknew：this，ifanythingofmine，isworthyourmemory。"Thatishis"writing;"itis，inhissmallhumanway，andwithwhateverdegreeoftrueinspirationisinhim，hisinscription，orscripture。Thatisa"Book。"

Perhapsyouthinknobookswereeversowritten？

But，again，Iaskyou，doyouatallbelieveinhonesty，oratallinkindness，ordoyouthinkthereisneveranyhonestyorbenevolenceinwisepeople？Noneofus，Ihope，aresounhappyastothinkthat。Well，whateverbitofawiseman’sworkishonestlyandbenevolentlydone，thatbitishisbookorhispieceofart。{5}

Itismixedalwayswithevilfragments——ill—done，redundant，affectedwork。Butifyoureadrightly，youwilleasilydiscoverthetruebits，andthoseAREthebook。

Nowbooksofthiskindhavebeenwritteninallagesbytheirgreatestmen：—bygreatreaders，greatstatesmen，andgreatthinkers。Theseareallatyourchoice;andLifeisshort。Youhaveheardasmuchbefore;——yethaveyoumeasuredandmappedoutthisshortlifeanditspossibilities？Doyouknow，ifyoureadthis，thatyoucannotreadthat——thatwhatyouloseto—dayyoucannotgainto—morrow？Willyougoandgossipwithyourhousemaid，oryourstable—boy，whenyoumaytalkwithqueensandkings;orflatteryourselfthatitiswithanyworthyconsciousnessofyourownclaimstorespect，thatyoujostlewiththehungryandcommoncrowdforENTREEhere，andaudiencethere，whenallthewhilethiseternalcourtisopentoyou，withitssociety，wideastheworld，multitudinousasitsdays，thechosen，andthemighty，ofeveryplaceandtime？Intothatyoumayenteralways;inthatyoumaytakefellowshipandrankaccordingtoyourwish;fromthat，onceenteredintoit，youcanneverbeoutcastbutbyyourownfault;byyouraristocracyofcompanionshipthere，yourowninherentaristocracywillbeassuredlytested，andthemotiveswithwhichyoustrivetotakehighplaceinthesocietyoftheliving，measured，astoallthetruthandsinceritythatareinthem，bytheplaceyoudesiretotakeinthiscompanyoftheDead。

"Theplaceyoudesire，"andtheplaceyouFITYOURSELFFOR，Imustalsosay;because，observe，thiscourtofthepastdiffersfromalllivingaristocracyinthis：—itisopentolabourandtomerit，buttonothingelse。Nowealthwillbribe，nonameoverawe，noartificedeceive，theguardianofthoseElysiangates。Inthedeepsense，novileorvulgarpersoneverentersthere。AttheportieresofthatsilentFaubourgSt。Germain，thereisbutbriefquestion：—"Doyoudeservetoenter？Pass。Doyouasktobethecompanionofnobles？

Makeyourselfnoble，andyoushallbe。Doyoulongfortheconversationofthewise？Learntounderstandit，andyoushallhearit。Butonotherterms？——no。Ifyouwillnotrisetous，wecannotstooptoyou。Thelivinglordmayassumecourtesy，thelivingphilosopherexplainhisthoughttoyouwithconsideratepain;

buthereweneitherfeignnorinterpret;youmustrisetothelevelofourthoughtsifyouwouldbegladdenedbythem，andshareourfeelings，ifyouwouldrecogniseourpresence。"

This，then，iswhatyouhavetodo，andIadmitthatitismuch。

Youmust，inaword，lovethesepeople，ifyouaretobeamongthem。

Noambitionisofanyuse。Theyscornyourambition。Youmustlovethem，andshowyourloveinthesetwofollowingways。

（1）First，byatruedesiretobetaughtbythem，andtoenterintotheirthoughts。Toenterintotheirs，observe;nottofindyourownexpressedbythem。Ifthepersonwhowrotethebookisnotwiserthanyou，youneednotreadit;ifhebe，hewillthinkdifferentlyfromyouinmanyrespects。

（2）Veryreadywearetosayofabook，"Howgoodthisis——that’sexactlywhatIthink！"Buttherightfeelingis，"Howstrangethatis！Ineverthoughtofthatbefore，andyetIseeitistrue;orifIdonotnow，IhopeIshall，someday。"Butwhetherthussubmissivelyornot，atleastbesurethatyougototheauthortogetatHISmeaning，nottofindyours。Judgeitafterwardsifyouthinkyourselfqualifiedtodoso;butascertainitfirst。Andbesure，also，iftheauthorisworthanything，thatyouwillnotgetathismeaningallatonce;——nay，thatathiswholemeaningyouwillnotforalongtimearriveinanywise。Notthathedoesnotsaywhathemeans，andinstrongwordstoo;buthecannotsayitall;

andwhatismorestrange，willnot，butinahiddenwayandinparables，inorderthathemaybesureyouwantit。Icannotquiteseethereasonofthis，noranalysethatcruelreticenceinthebreastsofwisemenwhichmakesthemalwayshidetheirdeeperthought。Theydonotgiveityoubywayofhelp，butofreward;andwillmakethemselvessurethatyoudeserveitbeforetheyallowyoutoreachit。Butitisthesamewiththephysicaltypeofwisdom，gold。Thereseems，toyouandme，noreasonwhytheelectricforcesoftheearthshouldnotcarrywhateverthereisofgoldwithinitatoncetothemountaintops，sothatkingsandpeoplemightknowthatallthegoldtheycouldgetwasthere;andwithoutanytroubleofdigging，oranxiety，orchance，orwasteoftime，cutitaway，andcoinasmuchastheyneeded。ButNaturedoesnotmanageitso。Sheputsitinlittlefissuresintheearth，nobodyknowswhere：youmaydiglongandfindnone;youmustdigpainfullytofindany。

Anditisjustthesamewithmen’sbestwisdom。Whenyoucometoagoodbook，youmustaskyourself，"AmIinclinedtoworkasanAustralianminerwould？Aremypickaxesandshovelsingoodorder，andamIingoodtrimmyself，mysleeveswelluptotheelbow，andmybreathgood，andmytemper？"And，keepingthefigurealittlelonger，evenatcostoftiresomeness，foritisathoroughlyusefulone，themetalyouareinsearchofbeingtheauthor’smindormeaning，hiswordsareastherockwhichyouhavetocrushandsmeltinordertogetatit。Andyourpickaxesareyourowncare，wit，andlearning;yoursmeltingfurnaceisyourownthoughtfulsoul。Donothopetogetatanygoodauthor’smeaningwithoutthosetoolsandthatfire;oftenyouwillneedsharpest，finestchiselling，andpatientestfusing，beforeyoucangatheronegrainofthemetal。

And，therefore，firstofall，Itellyouearnestlyandauthoritatively（IKNOWIamrightinthis），youmustgetintothehabitoflookingintenselyatwords，andassuringyourselfoftheirmeaning，syllablebysyllable——nay，letterbyletter。Forthoughitisonlybyreasonoftheoppositionoflettersinthefunctionofsigns，tosoundsinthefunctionofsigns，thatthestudyofbooksiscalled"literature，"andthatamanversedinitiscalled，bytheconsentofnations，amanoflettersinsteadofamanofbooks，orofwords，youmayyetconnectwiththataccidentalnomenclaturethisrealfact：—thatyoumightreadallthebooksintheBritishMuseum（ifyoucouldlivelongenough），andremainanutterly"illiterate，"uneducatedperson;butthatifyoureadtenpagesofagoodbook，letterbyletter，——thatistosay，withrealaccuracy，——

youareforevermoreinsomemeasureaneducatedperson。Theentiredifferencebetweeneducationandnon—education（asregardsthemerelyintellectualpartofit），consistsinthisaccuracy。Awell—

educatedgentlemanmaynotknowmanylanguages，——maynotbeabletospeakanybuthisown，——mayhavereadveryfewbooks。Butwhateverlanguageheknows，heknowsprecisely;whateverwordhepronounces，hepronouncesrightly;aboveall，heislearnedinthePEERAGEofwords;knowsthewordsoftruedescentandancientblood，ataglance，fromwordsofmoderncanaille;remembersalltheirancestry，theirintermarriages，distantrelationships，andtheextenttowhichtheywereadmitted，andofficestheyheld，amongthenationalnoblesseofwordsatanytime，andinanycountry。Butanuneducatedpersonmayknow，bymemory，manylanguages，andtalkthemall，andyettrulyknownotawordofany，——notawordevenofhisown。Anordinarilycleverandsensibleseamanwillbeabletomakehiswayashoreatmostports;yethehasonlytospeakasentenceofanylanguagetobeknownforanilliterateperson：soalsotheaccent，orturnofexpressionofasinglesentence，willatoncemarkascholar。Andthisissostronglyfelt，soconclusivelyadmitted，byeducatedpersons，thatafalseaccentoramistakensyllableisenough，intheparliamentofanycivilizednation，toassigntoamanacertaindegreeofinferiorstandingforever。

Andthisisright;butitisapitythattheaccuracyinsistedonisnotgreater，andrequiredtoaseriouspurpose。ItisrightthatafalseLatinquantityshouldexciteasmileintheHouseofCommons;

butitiswrongthatafalseEnglishMEANINGshouldNOTexciteafrownthere。Lettheaccentofwordsbewatched;andclosely：lettheirmeaningbewatchedmorecloselystill，andfewerwilldothework。Afewwordswellchosen，anddistinguished，willdoworkthatathousandcannot，wheneveryoneisacting，equivocally，inthefunctionofanother。Yes;andwords，iftheyarenotwatched，willdodeadlyworksometimes。TherearemaskedwordsdroningandskulkingaboutusinEuropejustnow，——（thereneverweresomany，owingtothespreadofashallow，blotching，blundering，infectious"information，"orratherdeformation，everywhere，andtotheteachingofcatechismsandphrasesatschoolinsteadofhumanmeanings）——therearemaskedwordsabroad，Isay，whichnobodyunderstands，butwhicheverybodyuses，andmostpeoplewillalsofightfor，livefor，orevendiefor，fancyingtheymeanthisorthat，ortheother，ofthingsdeartothem：forsuchwordswearchameleoncloaks——"ground—lion"cloaks，ofthecolourofthegroundofanyman’sfancy：onthatgroundtheylieinwait，andrendthemwithaspringfromit。Thereneverwerecreaturesofpreysomischievous，neverdiplomatistssocunning，neverpoisonerssodeadly，asthesemaskedwords;theyaretheunjuststewardsofallmen’sideas：whateverfancyorfavouriteinstinctamanmostcherishes，hegivestohisfavouritemaskedwordtotakecareofforhim;thewordatlastcomestohaveaninfinitepoweroverhim，——youcannotgetathimbutbyitsministry。

AndinlanguagessomongrelinbreedastheEnglish，thereisafatalpowerofequivocationputintomen’shands，almostwhethertheywillorno，inbeingabletouseGreekorLatinwordsforanideawhentheywantittobeawful;andSaxonorotherwisecommonwordswhentheywantittobevulgar。Whatasingularandsalutaryeffect，forinstance，wouldbeproducedonthemindsofpeoplewhoareinthehabitoftakingtheFormofthe"Word"theyliveby，forthePowerofwhichthatWordtellsthem，ifwealwayseitherretained，orrefused，theGreekform"biblos，"or"biblion，"astherightexpressionfor"book"——insteadofemployingitonlyintheoneinstanceinwhichwewishtogivedignitytotheidea，andtranslatingitintoEnglisheverywhereelse。Howwholesomeitwouldbeformanysimplepersonsif，insuchplaces（forinstance）asActsxix。19，weretainedtheGreekexpression，insteadoftranslatingit，andtheyhadtoread——"Manyofthemalsowhichusedcuriousarts，broughttheirbiblestogether，andburntthembeforeallmen;

andtheycountedthepriceofthem，andfounditfiftythousandpiecesofsilver"！Orif，ontheotherhand，wetranslatedwhereweretainit，andalwaysspokeof"TheHolyBook，"insteadof"HolyBible，"itmightcomeintomoreheadsthanitdoesatpresent，thattheWordofGod，bywhichtheheavenswere，ofold，andbywhichtheyarenowkeptinstore，{6}cannotbemadeapresentoftoanybodyinmoroccobinding;norsownonanywaysidebyhelpeitherofsteamploughorsteampress;butisneverthelessbeingofferedtousdaily，andbyuswithcontumelyrefused;andsowninusdaily，andbyus，asinstantlyasmaybe，choked。

So，again，considerwhateffecthasbeenproducedontheEnglishvulgarmindbytheuseofthesonorousLatinform"damno，"intranslatingtheGreek[Greektextwhichcannotbereproduced]，whenpeoplecharitablywishtomakeitforcible;andthesubstitutionofthetemperate"condemn"forit，whentheychoosetokeepitgentle;

andwhatnotablesermonshavebeenpreachedbyilliterateclergymenon——"Hethatbelievethnotshallbedamned;"thoughtheywouldshrinkwithhorrorfromtranslatingHeb。xi。7，"Thesavingofhishouse，bywhichhedamnedtheworld，"orJohnviii。10—11，"Woman，hathnomandamnedthee？Shesaith，Noman，Lord。Jesusansweredher，NeitherdoIdamnthee：goandsinnomore。"AnddivisionsinthemindofEurope，whichhavecostseasofblood，andinthedefenceofwhichthenoblestsoulsofmenhavebeencastawayinfranticdesolation，countlessasforest—leaves——though，intheheartofthem，foundedondeepercauses——haveneverthelessbeenrenderedpracticallypossible，mainly，bytheEuropeanadoptionoftheGreekwordforapublicmeeting，"ecclesia，"togivepeculiarrespectabilitytosuchmeetings，whenheldforreligiouspurposes;

andothercollateralequivocations，suchasthevulgarEnglishoneofusingtheword"Priest"asacontractionfor"presbyter。"

Now，inordertodealwithwordsrightly，thisisthehabityoumustform。Nearlyeverywordinyourlanguagehasbeenfirstawordofsomeotherlanguage——ofSaxon，German，French，Latin，orGreek;（nottospeakofeasternandprimitivedialects）。Andmanywordshavebeenallthese——thatistosay，havebeenGreekfirst，Latinnext，FrenchorGermannext，andEnglishlast：undergoingacertainchangeofsenseanduseonthelipsofeachnation;butretainingadeepvitalmeaning，whichallgoodscholarsfeelinemployingthem，evenatthisday。IfyoudonotknowtheGreekalphabet，learnit;

youngorold——girlorboy——whoeveryoumaybe，ifyouthinkofreadingseriously（which，ofcourse，impliesthatyouhavesomeleisureatcommand），learnyourGreekalphabet;thengetgooddictionariesofalltheselanguages，andwheneveryouareindoubtaboutaword，huntitdownpatiently。ReadMaxMuller’slecturesthoroughly，tobeginwith;and，afterthat，neverletawordescapeyouthatlookssuspicious。Itisseverework;butyouwillfindit，evenatfirst，interesting，andatlastendlesslyamusing。Andthegeneralgaintoyourcharacter，inpowerandprecision，willbequiteincalculable。

Mind，thisdoesnotimplyknowing，ortryingtoknow，GreekorLatin，orFrench。Ittakesawholelifetolearnanylanguageperfectly。ButyoucaneasilyascertainthemeaningsthroughwhichtheEnglishwordhaspassed;andthosewhichinagoodwriter’sworkitmuststillbear。

Andnow，merelyforexample’ssake，Iwill，withyourpermission，readafewlinesofatruebookwithyou，carefully;andseewhatwillcomeoutofthem。Iwilltakeabookperfectlyknowntoyouall。NoEnglishwordsaremorefamiliartous，yetfewperhapshavebeenreadwithlesssincerity。IwilltakethesefewfollowinglinesofLycidas：—

"Lastcame，andlastdidgo，ThepilotoftheGalileanlake。

Twomassykeysheboreofmetalstwain，（Thegoldenopes，theironshutsamain，）

Heshookhismitredlocks，andsternbespake，’HowwellcouldIhavesparedforthee，youngswain，Enowofsuchasfortheirbellies’sakeCreep，andintrude，andclimbintothefold！

Ofothercaretheylittlereckoningmake，Thanhowtoscrambleattheshearers’feast，Andshoveawaytheworthybiddenguest;

Blindmouths！thatscarcethemselvesknowhowtoholdAsheep—hook，orhavelearn’daughtelse，theleastThattothefaithfulherdman’sartbelongs！

Whatrecksitthem？Whatneedthey？Theyaresped;

Andwhentheylist，theirleanandflashysongsGrateontheirscrannelpipesofwretchedstraw;

Thehungrysheeplookup，andarenotfed，But，swolnwithwind，andtherankmisttheydraw，Rotinwardly，andfoulcontagionspread;

BesideswhatthegrimwolfwithprivypawDailydevoursapace，andnothingsaid。’"

Letusthinkoverthispassage，andexamineitswords。

First，isitnotsingulartofindMiltonassigningtoSt。Peter，notonlyhisfullepiscopalfunction，buttheverytypesofitwhichProtestantsusuallyrefusemostpassionately？His"mitred"locks！

MiltonwasnoBishop—lover;howcomesSt。Petertobe"mitred"？

"Twomassykeyshebore。"Isthis，then，thepowerofthekeysclaimedbytheBishopsofRome？andisitacknowledgedherebyMiltononlyinapoeticallicence，forthesakeofitspicturesqueness，thathemaygetthegleamofthegoldenkeystohelphiseffect？

Donotthinkit。Greatmendonotplaystagetrickswiththedoctrinesoflifeanddeath：onlylittlemendothat。Miltonmeanswhathesays;andmeansitwithhismighttoo——isgoingtoputthewholestrengthofhisspiritpresentlyintothesayingofit。Forthoughnotaloveroffalsebishops，heWASaloveroftrueones;

andtheLake—pilotishere，inhisthoughts，thetypeandheadoftrueepiscopalpower。ForMiltonreadsthattext，"Iwillgiveuntotheethekeysofthekingdomofheaven，"quitehonestly。Puritanthoughhebe，hewouldnotblotitoutofthebookbecausetherehavebeenbadbishops;nay，inordertounderstandHIM，wemustunderstandthatversefirst;itwillnotdotoeyeitaskance，orwhisperitunderourbreath，asifitwereaweaponofanadversesect。Itisasolemn，universalassertion，deeplytobekeptinmindbyallsects。Butperhapsweshallbebetterabletoreasononitifwegoonalittlefarther，andcomebacktoit。Forclearlythismarkedinsistenceonthepowerofthetrueepiscopateistomakeusfeelmoreweightilywhatistobechargedagainstthefalseclaimantsofepiscopate;orgenerally，againstfalseclaimantsofpowerandrankinthebodyoftheclergy;theywho，"fortheirbellies’sake，creep，andintrude，andclimbintothefold。"

NeverthinkMiltonusesthosethreewordstofilluphisverse，asaloosewriterwould。Heneedsallthethree;——especiallythosethree，andnomorethanthose——"creep，"and"intrude，"and"climb;"

nootherwordswouldorcouldservetheturn，andnomorecouldbeadded。Fortheyexhaustivelycomprehendthethreeclasses，correspondenttothethreecharacters，ofmenwhodishonestlyseekecclesiasticalpower。First，thosewho"CREEP"intothefold;whodonotcareforoffice，norname，butforsecretinfluence，anddoallthingsoccultlyandcunningly，consentingtoanyservilityofofficeorconduct，soonlythattheymayintimatelydiscern，andunawaresdirect，themindsofmen。Thenthosewho"intrude"

（thrust，thatis）themselvesintothefold，whobynaturalinsolenceofheart，andstouteloquenceoftongue，andfearlesslyperseverantself—assertion，obtainhearingandauthoritywiththecommoncrowd。

Lastly，thosewho"climb，"who，bylabourandlearning，bothstoutandsound，butselfishlyexertedinthecauseoftheirownambition，gainhighdignitiesandauthorities，andbecome"lordsovertheheritage，"thoughnot"ensamplestotheflock。"

Nowgoon：—

"Ofothercaretheylittlereckoningmake，Thanhowtoscrambleattheshearers’feast。

BLINDMOUTHS——"

Ipauseagain，forthisisastrangeexpression;abrokenmetaphor，onemightthink，carelessandunscholarly。

Notso：itsveryaudacityandpithinessareintendedtomakeuslookcloseatthephraseandrememberit。Thosetwomonosyllablesexpressthepreciselyaccuratecontrariesofrightcharacter，inthetwogreatofficesoftheChurch——thoseofbishopandpastor。

A"Bishop"means"apersonwhosees。"

A"Pastor"means"apersonwhofeeds。"

ThemostunbishoplycharacteramancanhaveisthereforetobeBlind。

Themostunpastoralis，insteadoffeeding，towanttobefed，——tobeaMouth。

Takethetworeversestogether，andyouhave"blindmouths。"Wemayadvisablyfollowoutthisideaalittle。NearlyalltheevilsintheChurchhavearisenfrombishopsdesiringPOWERmorethanLIGHT。

Theywantauthority，notoutlook。Whereastheirrealofficeisnottorule;thoughitmaybevigorouslytoexhortandrebuke：itistheking’sofficetorule;thebishop’sofficeistoOVERSEEtheflock;tonumberit，sheepbysheep;tobereadyalwaystogivefullaccountofit。Nowitisclearhecannotgiveaccountofthesouls，ifhehasnotsomuchasnumberedthebodies，ofhisflock。Thefirstthing，therefore，thatabishophastodoisatleasttoputhimselfinapositioninwhich，atanymoment，hecanobtainthehistory，fromchildhood，ofeverylivingsoulinhisdiocese，andofitspresentstate。Downinthatbackstreet，Bill，andNancy，knockingeachother’steethout！——Doesthebishopknowallaboutit？

Hashehiseyeuponthem？HasheHADhiseyeuponthem？CanhecircumstantiallyexplaintoushowBillgotintothehabitofbeatingNancyaboutthehead？Ifhecannot，heisnobishop，thoughhehadamitreashighasSalisburysteeple;heisnobishop，——hehassoughttobeatthehelminsteadofthemasthead;hehasnosightofthings。"Nay，"yousay，"itisnothisdutytolookafterBillinthebackstreet。"What！thefatsheepthathavefullfleeces——youthinkitisonlythoseheshouldlookafterwhile（gobacktoyourMilton）"thehungrysheeplookup，andarenotfed，besideswhatthegrimwolf，withprivypaw"（bishopsknowingnothingaboutit），"dailydevoursapace，andnothingsaid"？

"Butthat’snotourideaofabishop。"{7}Perhapsnot;butitwasSt。Paul’s;anditwasMilton’s。Theymayberight，orwemaybe;

butwemustnotthinkwearereadingeitheroneortheotherbyputtingourmeaningintotheirwords。

Igoon。

"Butswolnwithwind，andtherankmisttheydraw。"

Thisistomeetthevulgaranswerthat"ifthepoorarenotlookedafterintheirbodies，theyareintheirsouls;theyhavespiritualfood。"

AndMiltonsays，"Theyhavenosuchthingasspiritualfood;theyareonlyswollenwithwind。"Atfirstyoumaythinkthatisacoarsetype，andanobscureone。Butagain，itisaquiteliterallyaccurateone。TakeupyourLatinandGreekdictionaries，andfindoutthemeaningof"Spirit。"ItisonlyacontractionoftheLatinword"breath，"andanindistincttranslationoftheGreekwordfor"wind。"Thesamewordisusedinwriting，"Thewindblowethwhereitlisteth;"andinwriting，"SoiseveryonethatisbornoftheSpirit;"bornoftheBREATH，thatis;foritmeansthebreathofGod，insoulandbody。Wehavethetruesenseofitinourwords"inspiration"and"expire。"Now，therearetwokindsofbreathwithwhichtheflockmaybefilled，——God’sbreath，andman’s。ThebreathofGodishealth，andlife，andpeacetothem，astheairofheavenistotheflocksonthehills;butman’sbreath——thewordwhichHE

callsspiritual，——isdiseaseandcontagiontothem，asthefogofthefen。Theyrotinwardlywithit;theyarepuffedupbyit，asadeadbodybythevapoursofitsowndecomposition。Thisisliterallytrueofallfalsereligiousteaching;thefirstandlast，andfatalestsignofit，isthat"puffingup。"Yourconvertedchildren，whoteachtheirparents;yourconvertedconvicts，whoteachhonestmen;yourconverteddunces，who，havinglivedincretinousstupefactionhalftheirlives，suddenlyawakingtothefactoftherebeingaGod，fancythemselvesthereforeHispeculiarpeopleandmessengers;yoursectariansofeveryspecies，smallandgreat，CatholicorProtestant，ofhighchurchorlow，insofarastheythinkthemselvesexclusivelyintherightandotherswrong;

and，pre—eminently，ineverysect，thosewhoholdthatmencanbesavedbythinkingrightlyinsteadofdoingrightly，bywordinsteadofact，andwishinsteadofwork;——thesearethetruefogchildren——

clouds，these，withoutwater;bodies，these，ofputrescentvapourandskin，withoutbloodorflesh：blownbag—pipesforthefiendstopipewith——corrupt，andcorrupting，——"Swollenwithwind，andtherankmisttheydraw。"

Lastly，letusreturntothelinesrespectingthepowerofthekeys，fornowwecanunderstandthem。NotethedifferencebetweenMiltonandDanteintheirinterpretationofthispower：foronce，thelatterisweakerinthought;hesupposesBOTHthekeystobeofthegateofheaven;oneisofgold，theotherofsilver：theyaregivenbySt。Petertothesentinelangel;anditisnoteasytodeterminethemeaningeitherofthesubstancesofthethreestepsofthegate，orofthetwokeys。ButMiltonmakesone，ofgold，thekeyofheaven;theother，ofiron，thekeyoftheprisoninwhichthewickedteachersaretobeboundwho"havetakenawaythekeyofknowledge，yetenterednotinthemselves。"

Wehaveseenthatthedutiesofbishopandpastoraretosee，andfeed;andofallwhodosoitissaid，"Hethatwatereth，shallbewateredalsohimself。"Butthereverseistruthalso。Hethatwaterethnot，shallbeWITHEREDhimself;andhethatseethnot，shallhimselfbeshutoutofsight——shutintotheperpetualprison—

house。Andthatprisonopenshere，aswellashereafter：hewhoistobeboundinheavenmustfirstbeboundonearth。Thatcommandtothestrongangels，ofwhichtherock—apostleistheimage，"Takehim，andbindhimhandandfoot，andcasthimout，"issues，initsmeasure，againsttheteacher，foreveryhelpwithheld，andforeverytruthrefused，andforeveryfalsehoodenforced;sothatheismorestrictlyfetteredthemorehefetters，andfartheroutcastashemoreandmoremisleads，tillatlastthebarsoftheironcagecloseuponhim，andas"thegoldenopes，theironshutsamain。"

Wehavegotsomethingoutofthelines，Ithink，andmuchmoreisyettobefoundinthem;butwehavedoneenoughbywayofexampleofthekindofword—by—wordexaminationofyourauthorwhichisrightlycalled"reading;"watchingeveryaccentandexpression，andputtingourselvesalwaysintheauthor’splace，annihilatingourownpersonality，andseekingtoenterintohis，soastobeableassuredlytosay，"ThusMiltonthought，"not"ThusIthought，inmisreadingMilton。"Andbythisprocessyouwillgraduallycometoattachlessweighttoyourown"ThusIthought"atothertimes。YouwillbegintoperceivethatwhatYOUthoughtwasamatterofnoseriousimportance;——thatyourthoughtsonanysubjectarenotperhapstheclearestandwisestthatcouldbearrivedatthereupon：—

infact，thatunlessyouareaverysingularperson，youcannotbesaidtohaveany"thoughts"atall;thatyouhavenomaterialsforthem，inanyseriousmatters;{8}——norightto"think，"butonlytotrytolearnmoreofthefacts。Nay，mostprobablyallyourlife（unless，asIsaid，youareasingularperson）youwillhavenolegitimaterighttoan"opinion"onanybusiness，exceptthatinstantlyunderyourhand。Whatmustofnecessitybedone，youcanalwaysfindout，beyondquestion，howtodo。Haveyouahousetokeepinorder，acommoditytosell，afieldtoplough，aditchtocleanse？Thereneedbenotwoopinionsabouttheseproceedings;itisatyourperilifyouhavenotmuchmorethanan"opinion"onthewaytomanagesuchmatters。Andalso，outsideofyourownbusiness，thereareoneortwosubjectsonwhichyouareboundtohavebutoneopinion。Thatrogueryandlyingareobjectionable，andareinstantlytobefloggedoutofthewaywheneverdiscovered;——thatcovetousnessandloveofquarrellingaredangerousdispositionseveninchildren，anddeadlydispositionsinmenandnations;——that，intheend，theGodofheavenandearthlovesactive，modest，andkindpeople，andhatesidle，proud，greedy，andcruelones;——onthesegeneralfactsyouareboundtohavebutone，andthataverystrong，opinion。Fortherest，respectingreligions，governments，sciences，arts，youwillfindthat，onthewhole，youcanknowNOTHING，——judgenothing;thatthebestyoucando，eventhoughyoumaybeawell—

educatedperson，istobesilent，andstrivetobewisereveryday，andtounderstandalittlemoreofthethoughtsofothers，whichsosoonasyoutrytodohonestly，youwilldiscoverthatthethoughtsevenofthewisestareverylittlemorethanpertinentquestions。

Toputthedifficultyintoaclearshape，andexhibittoyouthegroundsforINdecision，thatisalltheycangenerallydoforyou！——

andwellforthemandforus，ifindeedtheyareable"tomixthemusicwithourthoughtsandsaddenuswithheavenlydoubts。"Thiswriter，fromwhomIhavebeenreadingtoyou，isnotamongthefirstorwisest：heseesshrewdlyasfarashesees，andthereforeitiseasytofindoutitsfullmeaning;butwiththegreatermen，youcannotfathomtheirmeaning;theydonotevenwhollymeasureitthemselves，——itissowide。SupposeIhadaskedyou，forinstance，toseekforShakespeare’sopinion，insteadofMilton’sonthismatterofChurchauthority？——orforDante’s？Haveanyofyou，atthisinstant，theleastideawhateitherthoughtaboutit？Haveyoueverbalancedthescenewiththebishopsin’RichardIII。’againstthecharacterofCranmer？thedescriptionofSt。FrancisandSt。

DominicagainstthatofhimwhomadeVirgilwondertogazeuponhim，——"disteso，tantovilmente，nell’eternoesilio;"orofhimwhomDantestoodbeside，"come’lfratecheconfessaloperfidoassassin？"{9}ShakespeareandAlighieriknewmenbetterthanmostofus，Ipresume！Theywerebothinthemidstofthemainstrugglebetweenthetemporalandspiritualpowers。Theyhadanopinion，wemayguess。Butwhereisit？Bringitintocourt！PutShakespeare’sorDante’screedintoarticles，andsendITupfortrialbytheEcclesiasticalCourts！

Youwillnotbeable，Itellyouagain，formanyandmanyaday，tocomeattherealpurposesandteachingofthesegreatmen;butaverylittlehoneststudyofthemwillenableyoutoperceivethatwhatyoutookforyourown"judgment"wasmerechanceprejudice，anddrifted，helpless，entangledweedofcastawaythought;nay，youwillseethatmostmen’smindsareindeedlittlebetterthanroughheathwilderness，neglectedandstubborn，partlybarren，partlyovergrownwithpestilentbrakes，andvenomous，wind—sownherbageofevilsurmise;thatthefirstthingyouhavetodoforthem，andyourself，iseagerlyandscornfullytosetfiretoTHIS;burnallthejungleintowholesomeash—heaps，andthenploughandsow。Allthetrueliteraryworkbeforeyou，forlife，mustbeginwithobediencetothatorder，"Breakupyourfallowground，andSOWNOTAMONGTHORNS。"

II。{10}Havingthenfaithfullylistenedtothegreatteachers，thatyoumayenterintotheirThoughts，youhaveyetthishigheradvancetomake;——youhavetoenterintotheirHearts。Asyougotothemfirstforclearsight，soyoumuststaywiththem，thatyoumayshareatlasttheirjustandmightyPassion。Passion，or"sensation。"Iamnotafraidoftheword;stilllessofthething。

Youhaveheardmanyoutcriesagainstsensationlately;but，Icantellyou，itisnotlesssensationwewant，butmore。Theennoblingdifferencebetweenonemanandanother，——betweenoneanimalandanother，——ispreciselyinthis，thatonefeelsmorethananother。

Ifweweresponges，perhapssensationmightnotbeeasilygotforus;ifwewereearth—worms，liableateveryinstanttobecutintwobythespade，perhapstoomuchsensationmightnotbegoodforus。

Butbeinghumancreatures，ITISgoodforus;nay，weareonlyhumaninsofaraswearesensitive，andourhonourispreciselyinproportiontoourpassion。

YouknowIsaidofthatgreatandpuresocietyoftheDead，thatitwouldallow"novainorvulgarpersontoenterthere。"WhatdoyouthinkImeantbya"vulgar"person？Whatdoyouyourselvesmeanby"vulgarity"？Youwillfinditafruitfulsubjectofthought;but，briefly，theessenceofallvulgarityliesinwantofsensation。

Simpleandinnocentvulgarityismerelyanuntrainedandundevelopedbluntnessofbodyandmind;butintrueinbredvulgarity，thereisadreadfulcallousness，which，inextremity，becomescapableofeverysortofbestialhabitandcrime，withoutfear，withoutpleasure，withouthorror，andwithoutpity。Itisintheblunthandandthedeadheart，inthediseasedhabit，inthehardenedconscience，thatmenbecomevulgar;theyareforevervulgar，preciselyinproportionastheyareincapableofsympathy，——ofquickunderstanding，——ofallthat，indeepinsistenceonthecommon，butmostaccurateterm，maybecalledthe"tact"or"touch—faculty，"ofbodyandsoul：thattactwhichtheMimosahasintrees，whichthepurewomanhasaboveallcreatures;——finenessandfulnessofsensation，beyondreason;——

theguideandsanctifierofreasonitself。Reasoncanbutdeterminewhatistrue：—itistheGod—givenpassionofhumanitywhichalonecanrecognisewhatGodhasmadegood。

WecomethentothatgreatconcourseoftheDead，notmerelytoknowfromthemwhatisTrue，butchieflytofeelwiththemwhatisjust。

Now，tofeelwiththem，wemustbelikethem;andnoneofuscanbecomethatwithoutpains。Asthetrueknowledgeisdisciplinedandtestedknowledge，——notthefirstthoughtthatcomes，sothetruepassionisdisciplinedandtestedpassion，——notthefirstpassionthatcomes。Thefirstthatcomearethevain，thefalse，thetreacherous;ifyouyieldtothemtheywillleadyouwildlyandfar，invainpursuit，inhollowenthusiasm，tillyouhavenotruepurposeandnotruepassionleft。Notthatanyfeelingpossibletohumanityisinitselfwrong，butonlywrongwhenundisciplined。Itsnobilityisinitsforceandjustice;itiswrongwhenitisweak，andfeltforpaltrycause。Thereisameanwonder，asofachildwhoseesajugglertossinggoldenballs;andthisisbase，ifyouwill。Butdoyouthinkthatthewonderisignoble，orthesensationless，withwhicheveryhumansouliscalledtowatchthegoldenballsofheaventossedthroughthenightbytheHandthatmadethem？Thereisameancuriosity，asofachildopeningaforbiddendoor，oraservantpryingintohermaster’sbusiness;——andanoblecuriosity，questioning，inthefrontofdanger，thesourceofthegreatriverbeyondthesand，——theplaceofthegreatcontinentsbeyondthesea;—

—anoblercuriositystill，whichquestionsofthesourceoftheRiverofLife，andofthespaceoftheContinentofHeaven，——thingswhich"theangelsdesiretolookinto。"Sotheanxietyisignoble，withwhichyoulingeroverthecourseandcatastropheofanidletale;butdoyouthinktheanxietyisless，orgreater，withwhichyouwatch，orOUGHTtowatch，thedealingsoffateanddestinywiththelifeofanagonizednation？Alas！itisthenarrowness，selfishness，minuteness，ofyoursensationthatyouhavetodeploreinEnglandatthisday;——sensationwhichspendsitselfinbouquetsandspeeches：inrevellingsandjunketings;inshamfightsandgaypuppetshows，whileyoucanlookonandseenoblenationsmurdered，manbyman，withoutaneffortoratear。

Isaid"minuteness"and"selfishness"ofsensation，butitwouldhavebeenenoughtohavesaid"injustice"or"unrighteousness"ofsensation。Forasinnothingisagentlemanbettertobediscernedfromavulgarperson，soinnothingisagentlenation（suchnationshavebeen）bettertobediscernedfromamob，thaninthis，——thattheirfeelingsareconstantandjust，resultsofduecontemplation，andofequalthought。Youcantalkamobintoanything;itsfeelingsmaybe——usuallyare——onthewhole，generousandright;butithasnofoundationforthem，noholdofthem;youmayteaseortickleitintoany，atyourpleasure;itthinksbyinfection，forthemostpart，catchinganopinionlikeacold，andthereisnothingsolittlethatitwillnotroaritselfwildabout，whenthefitison;——nothingsogreatbutitwillforgetinanhour，whenthefitispast。Butagentleman’s，oragentlenation’s，passionsarejust，measured，andcontinuous。Agreatnation，forinstance，doesnotspenditsentirenationalwitsforacoupleofmonthsinweighingevidenceofasingleruffian’shavingdoneasinglemurder;andforacoupleofyearsseeitsownchildrenmurdereachotherbytheirthousandsortensofthousandsaday，consideringonlywhattheeffectislikelytobeonthepriceofcotton，andcaringnowisetodeterminewhichsideofbattleisinthewrong。Neitherdoesagreatnationsenditspoorlittleboystojailforstealingsixwalnuts;andallowitsbankruptstostealtheirhundredsofthousandswithabow，anditsbankers，richwithpoormen’ssavings，toclosetheirdoors"undercircumstancesoverwhichtheyhavenocontrol，"witha"byyourleave;"andlargelandedestatestobeboughtbymenwhohavemadetheirmoneybygoingwitharmedsteamersupanddowntheChinaSeas，sellingopiumatthecannon’smouth，andaltering，forthebenefitoftheforeignnation，thecommonhighwayman’sdemandof"yourmoneyORyourlife，"intothatof"yourmoneyANDyourlife。"Neitherdoesagreatnationallowthelivesofitsinnocentpoortobeparchedoutofthembyfogfever，androttedoutofthembydunghillplague，forthesakeofsixpencealifeextraperweektoitslandlords;{11}andthendebate，withdrivellingtears，anddiabolicalsympathies，whetheritoughtnotpiouslytosave，andnursinglycherish，thelivesofitsmurderers。

Also，agreatnationhavingmadeupitsmindthathangingisquitethewholesomestprocessforitshomicidesingeneral，canyetwithmercydistinguishbetweenthedegreesofguiltinhomicides;anddoesnotyelplikeapackoffrost—pinchedwolf—cubsontheblood—

trackofanunhappycrazedboy，orgrey—hairedclodpateOthello，"perplexedi’theextreme，"attheverymomentthatitissendingaMinisteroftheCrowntomakepolitespeechestoamanwhoisbayonetingyounggirlsintheirfathers’sight，andkillingnobleyouthsincoolblood，fasterthanacountrybutcherkillslambsinspring。And，lastly，agreatnationdoesnotmockHeavenanditsPowers，bypretendingbeliefinarevelationwhichassertstheloveofmoneytobetherootofALLevil，anddeclaring，atthesametime，thatitisactuated，andintendstobeactuated，inallchiefnationaldeedsandmeasures，bynootherlove。{12}

Myfriends，Idonotknowwhyanyofusshouldtalkaboutreading。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读