Forthesmartmustbeborne；someonemustbearit，assureasGodlives。Everywordofmaniseitheranoteoraforgednote：——havetheseeternalskiesforgottentobeinearnest，thinkyou，becausemengogrinninglikeenchantedapes？Foolishsouls，thisnowasofoldistheunalterablelawofyourexistence。Ifyouknowthetruthanddoit，theUniverseitselfsecondsyou，bearsyouontosurevictoryeverywhere：——and，observe，tosuredefeateverywhereifyoudonotdothetruth。Andalas，ifyou_know_onlytheeloquentfallacioussemblanceofthetruth，whatchanceisthereofyoureverdoingit？Youwilldosomethingverydifferentfromit，Ithink！——Hewhowellconsiders，willfindthissame“artofspeech，“aswemodernshaveit，tobeatrulyastonishingproductoftheAges；andthelongerheconsidersit，themoreastonishingandalarming。Ireckonitthesaddestofallthecursesthatnowlieheavyonus。Withhorrorandamazement，oneperceivesthatthismuch-celebrated“art，“sodiligentlypractisedinallcornersoftheworldjustnow，isthechiefdestroyerofwhatevergoodisborntoussoftly，swiftlyshuttingupallnascentgood，asifunderexhaustedglassreceivers，theretochokeanddie；andthegrandparentmanufactoryofeviltous，——asitwere，thelastfinishingandvarnishingworkshopofalltheDevil’swarethatcirculatesunderthesun。NoDevil’sshamisfitforthemarkettillithavebeenpolishedandenamelledhere；thisisthegeneralassaying-houseforsuch，wheretheartistsexamineandanswer，“Fitforthemarket；notfit！“Wordswillnotexpresswhatmischiefsthemisuseofwordshasdone，andisdoing，intheseheavy-ladengenerations。
Doyouwantaman_not_topractisewhathebelieves，thenencouragehimtokeepoftenspeakingitinwords。Everytimehespeaksit，thetendencytodoitwillgrowless。Hisemptyspeechofwhathebelieves，willbeawearinessandanafflictiontothewiseman。Butdoyouwishhisemptyspeechofwhathebelieves，tobecomefartheraninsincerespeechofwhathedoesnotbelieve？Celebratetohimhisgiftofspeech；assurehimthatheshallriseinParliamentbymeansofit，andachievegreatthingswithoutanyperformance；thateloquentspeech，whetherperformedornot，isadmirable。Myfriends，eloquentunperformedspeech，inParliamentorelsewhere，ishorrible！Theeloquentmanthatdelivers，inParliamentorelsewhere，abeautifulspeech，andwillperformnothingofit，butleavesitasifalreadyperformed，——whatcanyoumakeofthatman？Hehasenrolledhimselfamongthe_IgnesFatui_andChildrenoftheWind；meanstoserve，asbeautifullyilluminatedChineseLantern，inthatcorpshenceforth。Ithink，theserviceablethingyoucoulddotothatman，ifpermissible，wouldbeasevereone：Toclipoffabitofhiseloquenttonguebywayofpenanceandwarning；anotherbit，ifheagainspokewithoutperforming；andsoagain，tillyouhadcliptthewholetongueawayfromhim，——andweredelivered，youandhe，fromatleastonemiserablemockery：
“There，eloquentfriend，seenowinsilenceiftherebeanyredeemingdeedinthee；ofblasphemouswind-eloquence，atleast，weshallhavenomore！“Howmanyprettymenhavegonethisroad，escortedbythebeautifulestmarchingmusicfromallthe“publicorgans；“andhavefoundatlastthatitended——where？Itisthe_broad_road，thatleadsdirecttoLimboandtheKingdomoftheInane。Giftedmen，andoncevaliantnations，andasitwerethewholeworldwithoneaccord，aremarchingthither，inmelodioustriumph，allthedrumsandhautboysgivingouttheircheerfulest_Ca-ira_。Itistheuniversalhumoroftheworldjustnow。Myfriends，Iamverysureyouwill_arrive_，unlessyouhalt！——
Consideredasthelastfinishofeducation，orofhumanculture，worthandacquirement，theartofspeechisnoble，andevendivine；itislikethekindlingofaHeaven’slighttoshowuswhatagloriousworldexists，andhasperfecteditself，inaman。Butifnoworldexistintheman；ifnothingbutcontinentsofemptyvapor，ofgreedyself-conceits，common-placehearsays，andindistinctloomingsofasordid_chaos_existinhim，whatwillbetheuseof“light“toshowusthat？Betterathousandtimesthatsuchamandonotspeak；butkeephisemptyvaporandhissordidchaostohimself，hiddentotheutmostfromallbeholders。Tolookonthat，canbegoodfornohumanbeholder；
tolookawayfromthat，mustbegood。Andif，bydelusivesemblancesofrhetoric，logic，first-classdegrees，andtheaidofelocution-mastersandparliamentaryreporters，thepoorproprietorofsaidchaosshouldbeledtopersuadehimself，andgetotherspersuaded，——whichitisthenatureofhissadtasktodo，andwhich，incertainerasoftheworld，itisfatallypossibletodo，——thatthisisacosmoswhichheowns；that_he_，beingsoperfectintongue-exerciseandfullofcollege-honors，isan“educated“man，andpearlofgreatpriceinhisgeneration；