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。