First，thatexcellentspeech，evenspeech_really_excellent，isnot，andneverwas，thechieftestofhumanfaculty，orthemeasureofaman’sability，foranytruefunctionwhatsoever；onthecontrary，thatexcellent_silence_neededalwaystoaccompanyexcellentspeech，andwasandisamuchrarerandmoredifficultgift。
_Secondly_，thatreallyexcellentspeech——whichI，beingpossessedoftheHebrewBibleorBook，aswellasofotherbooksinmyownandforeignlanguages，andhavingoccasionallyheardawiseman’swordamongthecrowdofunwise，doalmostunspeakablyesteem，asahumangift——isterriblyapttogetconfoundedwithitscounterfeit，sham-excellentspeech！Andfurthermore，thatifreallyexcellenthumanspeechisamongthebestofhumanthings，thensham-excellentdittodeservestoberankedwiththeveryworst。Falsespeech，——capableofbecoming，assomeonehassaid，thefalsestandbasestofallhumanthings：——putthecase，onewerelisteningto_that_astothetruestandnoblest！Which，littleasweareconsciousofit，Itaketobethesadlotofmanyexcellentsoulsamongusjustnow。Somanyasadmireparliamentaryeloquence，divinepopularliterature，andsuchlike，aredreadfullyliabletoitjustnow：andwholenationsandgenerationsseemasifgettingthemselves_asphyxiaed_，constitutionallyintotheirlastsleep，bymeansofitjustnow！
Foralas，muchasweworshipspeechonallhands，hereisa_third_assertionwhichamanmayventuretomake，andinviteconsideratementoreflectupon：Thatinthesetimes，andforseveralgenerationsback，therehasbeen，strictlyconsidered，noreallyexcellentspeechatall，butsham-excellentmerely；thatistosay，falseorquasi-falsespeechgettingitselfadmiredandworshipped，insteadofdetestedandsuppressed。Atrulyalarmingpredicament；andnotthelesssoifwefinditaquitepleasantoneforthetimebeing，andwelcometheadventofasphyxia，aswewouldthatofcomfortablenaturalsleep；——as，insomanysenses，wearedoing！Surlyjudgestherehavebeenwhodidnotmuchadmirethe“BibleofModernLiterature，“oranythingyoucoulddistilfromit，incontrastwiththeancientBibles；
andfoundthatinthematterofspeaking，ourfarbestexcellence，wherethatcouldbeobtained，wasexcellentsilence，whichmeansenduranceandexertion，andgoodworkwithlipsclosed；andthatourtolerablestspeechwasofthenatureofhonestcommonplaceintroducedwhereindispensable，whichonlysetupforbeingbriefandtrue，andcouldnotbemistakenforexcellent。
ThesearehardsayingsformanyaBritishreader，unconsciousofanydamage，nayjoyfullyconscioustohimselfofmuchprofit，fromthatsideofhispossessions。Surelyonthisside，ifonnoother，mattersstoodnotillwithhim？Theingenuousartshadsoftenedhismanners；theparliamentaryeloquencessuppliedhimwithasuccedaneumforgovernment，thepopularliteratureswiththefinersensibilitiesoftheheart：surelyonthis_wind_wardsideofthingstheBritishreaderwasnotilloff？——UnhappyBritishreader！