Itellyou，theignobleintellectcannotthinkthe_truth_，evenwithinitsownlimits，andwhenitseriouslytries！Andoftheignobleintellectthatdoesnotseriouslytry，andhasevenreachedthe“ignobleness“ofseriouslytryingthereverse，andoflyingwithitsverytongue，whatarewetoexpect？Itisfrightfultoconsider。Sincerewisespeechisbutanimperfectcorollary，andinsignificantoutermanifestation，ofsincerewisethought。Hewhoseverytongueuttersfalsities，whathashisheartlongbeendoing？Thethoughtofhisheartisnotitswisest，noteven_its_wisest；itisitsfoolishest；——andevenofthatwehaveafalseandfoolishcopy。AnditisNature’sFact，ortheThoughtoftheEternal，whichwewanttoarriveatinregardtothematter，——whichifwedo_not_arriveat，weshallnotsavethematter，weshalldrivethematterintoshipwreck！
　　ThepracticeofmodernParliaments，withreporterssittingamongthem，andtwenty-sevenmillionsmostlyfoolslisteningtothem，fillsmewithamazement。Inregardtono_thing_，orfactasGodandNaturehavemadeit，canyougetsomuchastherealthoughtofanyhonorablehead，——evensofaras_it_，thesaidhonorablehead，stillhascapacityofthought。Whatthehonorablegentleman’swisestthoughtisorwouldhavebeen，hadheledfrombirthalifeofpietyandearnestveracityandheroicvirtue，you，andhehimselfpoordeep-sunkcreature，vainlyconjectureasfromimmensedimdistancesfarintherearofwhatheisledto_say_。Andagain，farintherearofwhathisthoughtis，——surelylonginfinitudesbeyondall_he_couldeverthink，——liestheThoughtofGodAlmighty，theImageitselfoftheFact，thethingyouareinquestof，andmustfindordoworse！
　　Evenhis，thehonorablegentleman’s，actualbewildered，falsified，vaguesurmiseorquasi-thought，eventhisisnotgivenyou；butonlysomefalsifiedcopyofthis，suchashefanciesmaysuitthereportersandtwenty-sevenmillionsmostlyfools。Anduponthatlatteryouaretoact；——withwhatsuccess，doyouexpect？ThatisthethoughtyouaretotakefortheThoughtoftheEternalMind，——thatdouble-distilledfalsityofablockheadismfromonewhoisfalseevenasablockhead！
　　DoImakemyselfplaintoMr。Peter’sunderstanding？Perhapsitwillsurprisehimlessthatparliamentaryeloquenceexcitesmorewonderthanadmirationinme；thatthefateofcountriesgovernedbythatsublimealchemydoesnotappearthehopefulestjustnow。
　　Notbythatmethod，Ishouldapprehend，willtheHeavensbescaledandtheEarthvanquished；notbythat，butbyanother。
　　Abenevolentmanonceproposedtome，butwithoutpointingoutthemethodshow，thisplanofreformforourbenightedworld：Tocutfromonegeneration，whetherthecurrentoneorthenext，allthetonguesaway，prohibitingLiteraturetoo；andappointatleastonegenerationtopassitslifeinsilence。“There，thouoneblessedgeneration，fromthevainjargonofbabblethouartbeneficentlyfreed。Whatsoeveroftruth，traditionaryororiginal，thyowngod-givenintellectshallpointouttotheeastrue，thatthouwiltgoanddo。Indoingofittherewillbeaverdictforthee；ifaverdictofTrue，thouwiltholdbyit，andeveragaindoit；ifofUntrue，thouwiltnevertryitmore，butbeeternallydeliveredfromit。Todoaughtbecausethevainhearsaysorderthee，andthebigclamorsofthesanhedrimoffools，isnotthylot，——whatworldsofmiseryaresparedthee！
　　Nature’svoiceheardinthyowninnerbeing，andthesacredCommandmentofthyMaker：theseshallbethyguidances，thouhappytonguelessgeneration。Whatisgoodandbeautifulthoushaltknow；notmerelywhatissaidtobeso。Nottotalkofthydoings，andbecometheenvyofsurroundingflunkies，buttotasteofthefruitofthydoingsthemselves，isthine。WhattheEternalLawswillsanctionforthee，do；whattheFrothGospelsandmultitudinouslong-earedHearsaysneversoloudlybid，allthisisalreadychaffforthee，——driftingrapidlyalong，thouknowestwhitherward，ontheeternalwinds。“
　　GoodHeavens，ifsuchaplanwerepracticable，howthechaffmightbewinnowedoutofeveryman，andoutofallhumanthings；
　　andninety-ninehundredthsofourwholebigUniverse，spiritualandpractical，mightblowitselfaway，asmeretorrentsofchaffwholetrade-windsofchaff，manymilesdeep，rushingcontinuallywiththevoiceofwhirlwindstowardsacertainFIRE，whichknowshowtodealwithit！Ninety-ninehundredthsblownaway；alltheliesblownaway，andsomeskeletonofaspiritualandpracticalUniverseleftstandingforuswhichweretrue：OHeavens，isitforeverimpossible，then？Byagenerationthathadnotongueitreallymightbedone；butnotsoeasilybyonethathad。
　　Tongues，platforms，parliaments，andfourth-estates；unfetteredpresses，periodicalandstationaryliteratures：wearenearlyallgonetotongue，Ithink；andourfateisveryquestionable。
　　Truly，itislittleknownatpresent，andoughtforthwithtobecomebetterknown，whatruintoallnoblenessandfruitfulnessandblessednessinthegeniusofapoormortalyougenerallybringabout，byorderinghimtospeak，todoallthingswithaviewtotheirbeingseen！Fewgoodandfruitfulthingseverweredone，orcouldbedone，onthoseterms。Silence，silence；andbedistantyeprofane，withyourjargoningsandsuperficialbabblements，whenamanhasanythingtodo！Eye-service，——dostthouknowwhatthatis，poorEngland？——eye-serviceisallthemancandointhesesadcircumstances；growstobeallhehastheideaofdoing，ofhisoranyotherman’severdoing，oreverhavingdone，inanycircumstances。Sad，enough。Alas，itisoursaddestwoeofall；——toosadforbeingspokenofatpresent，whileallornearlyallmenconsideritanimaginarysorrowonmypart！
　　LettheyoungEnglishsoul，inwhateverlogic-shopandnonsense-verseestablishmentofanEton，Oxford，Edinburgh，Halle，Salamanca，orotherHighFinishing-School，hemaybegettinghisyoungideataughthowtospeakandspout，andprintsermonsandreview-articles，andtherebyshowhimselfandfondpatronsthatit_is_anidea，——laythissolemnlytoheart；thisismydeepestcounseltohim！Theideayouhaveoncespoken，ifitevenwereanidea，isnolongeryours；itisgonefromyou，somuchlifeandvirtueisgone，andthevitalcirculationsofyourselfandyourdestinyandactivityarehenceforthdeprivedofit。
　　Ifyoucouldnotgetitspoken，ifyoucouldstillconstrainitintosilence，somuchthericherareyou。Betterkeepyourideawhileyoucan：letitstillcirculateinyourblood，andtherefructify；inarticulatelyincitingyoutogoodactivities；givingtoyourwholespirituallifearuddierhealth。Whenthetimedoescomeforspeakingit，youwillspeakitallthemoreconcisely，themoreexpressively，appropriately；andifsuchatimeshouldnevercome，haveyounotalreadyactedit，anduttereditasnowordscan？Thinkofthis，myyoungfriend；forthereisnothingtruer，nothingmoreforgottenintheseshabbygold-laceddays。Incontinenceishalfofallthesinsofman。
　　Andamongthemanykindsofthatbasevice，Iknownonebaser，oratpresenthalfsofellandfatal，asthatsameIncontinenceofTongue。“Publicspeaking，““parliamentaryeloquence：“itisaMoloch，beforewhomyoungsoulsaremadetopassthroughthefire。Theyenter，weepingorrejoicing，fondparentsconsecratingthemtothered-hotIdol，astotheHighestGod：
　　andtheycomeoutspiritually_dead_。Deadenough；tolivethenceforthagalvaniclifeofmereStump-Oratory；screechingandgibbering，wordswithoutwisdom，withoutveracity，withoutconvictionmorethanskin-deep。Adivinegift，that？Itisathingadmiredbythevulgar，andrewardedwithseatsintheCabinetandotherpreciosities；buttothewise，itisathingnotadmirable，notadorable；unmelodiousrather，andghastlyandbodeful，asthespeechofsheetedspectresinthestreetsatmidnight！
　　BenotaPublicOrator，thoubraveyoungBritishman，thouthatartnowgrowingtobesomething：notaStump-Orator，ifthoucansthelpit。Appealnottothevulgar，withitslongearsanditsseatsintheCabinet；notbyspokenwordstothevulgar；
　　_hate_theprofanevulgar，andbiditbegone。Appealbysilentwork，bysilentsufferingiftherebenowork，tothegods，whohavenoblerthanseatsintheCabinetforthee！TalentforLiterature，thouhastsuchatalent？Believeitnot，beslowtobelieveit！Tospeak，ortowrite，Naturedidnotperemptorilyorderthee；buttoworkshedid。Andknowthis：thereneverwasatalentevenforrealLiterature，nottospeakoftalentslostanddamnedindoingshamLiterature，butwasprimarilyatalentforsomethinginfinitelybetterofthesilentkind。OfLiterature，inallways，beshyratherthanotherwise，atpresent！Therewherethouart，work，work；whatsoeverthyhandfindethtodo，doit，——withthehandofaman，notofaphantasm；bethatthyunnoticedblessednessandexceedinggreatreward。Thywords，letthembefew，andwell-ordered。Lovesilenceratherthanspeechinthesetragicdays，when，forveryspeaking，thevoiceofmanhasfalleninarticulatetoman；andhearts，inthisloudbabbling，sitdarkanddumbtowardsoneanother。Witty，——aboveall，ohbenotwitty：noneofusisboundtobewitty，underpenalties；tobewiseandtrueweallare，undertheterriblestpenalties！
　　Braveyoungfriend，deartome，and_known_tooinasense，thoughneverseen，nortobeseenbyme，——youare，whatIamnot，inthehappycasetolearnto_be_somethingandto_do_
　　something，insteadofeloquentlytalkingaboutwhathasbeenandwasdoneandmaybe！Theoldarewhattheyare，andwillnotalter；ourhopeisinyou。England’shope，andtheworld’s，isthattheremayoncemorebemillionssuch，insteadofunitsasnow。_Macte；ifaustopede_。Andmayfuturegenerations，acquaintedagainwiththesilences，andoncemorecognizantofwhatisnobleandfaithfulanddivine，lookbackonuswithpityandincredulousastonishment！
　　End