iliareventothesocalledilliteratehewillfindnobodyatalltospeakto,butmustkeepsilenceaboutit.Indeed,thereishardlytheprofessorinourcolleges,who,ifhehasmasteredthedifficultiesofthelanguage,hasproportionallymasteredthedifficultiesofthewitandpoetryofaGreekpoet,andhasanysympathytoimparttothealertandheroicreaderandasforthesacredScriptures,orBiblesofmankind,whointhistowncantellmeeventheirtitles?MostmendonotknowthatanynationbuttheHebrewshavehadascripture.Aman,anyman,willgoconsiderablyoutofhiswaytopickupasilverdollarbutherearegoldenwords,whichthewisestmenofantiquityhaveuttered,andwhoseworththewiseofeverysucceedingagehaveassuredusof—andyetwelearntoreadonlyasfarasEasyReading,theprimersandclass-books,andwhenweleaveschool,the“LittleReading,”andstorybooks,whichareforboysandbeginnersandourreading,ourconversationandthinking,areallonaverylowlevel,worthyonlyofpygmiesandmanikins.
IaspiretobeacquaintedwithwisermenthanthisourConcordsoilhasproduced,whosenamesarehardlyknownhere.OrshallIhearthenameofPlatoandneverreadhisbook?AsifPlatoweremytownsmanandIneversawhim,—mynextneighborandIneverheardhimspeakorattendedtothewisdomofhiswords.Buthowactuallyisit?HisDialogues,whichcontainwhatwasimmortalinhim,lieonthenextshelf,andyetIneverreadthem.Weareunderbredandlow-livedandilliterateandinthisrespectIconfessIdonotmakeanyverybroaddistinctionbetweentheilliteratenessofmytownsmanwhocannotreadatall,andtheilliteratenessofhimwhohaslearnedtoreadonlywhatisforchildrenandfeebleintellects.Weshouldbeasgoodastheworthiesofantiquity,butpartlybyfirstknowinghowgoodtheywere.Wearearaceoftit-men,andsoarbutlittlehigherinourintellectualflightsthanthecolumnsofthedailypaper.
Itisnotallbooksthatareasdullastheirreaders.Thereareprobablywordsaddressedtoourconditionexactly,which,ifwecouldreallyhearandunderstand,wouldbemoresalutarythanthemorningorthespringtoourlives,andpossiblyputanewaspectonthefaceofthingsforus.Howmanyamanhasdatedanewerainhislifefromtherea