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world； he says； beside this； to keep up and add to his English。
This is about as much as the college…bred generally do or aspire to
do； and they take an English paper for the purpose。 One who has
just come from reading perhaps one of the best English books will
find how many with whom he can converse about it？ Or suppose he
comes from reading a Greek or Latin classic in the original； whose
praises are familiar even to the so…called illiterate； he will find
nobody at all to speak to； but must keep silence about it。 Indeed；
there is hardly the professor in our colleges； who； if he has
mastered the difficulties of the language； has proportionally
mastered the difficulties of the wit and poetry of a Greek poet； and
has any sympathy to impart to the alert and heroic reader； and as
for the sacred Scriptures； or Bibles of mankind； who in this town
can tell me even their titles？ Most men do not know that any nation
but the Hebrews have had a scripture。 A man； any man； will go
considerably out of his way to pick up a silver dollar； but here are
golden words； which the wisest men of antiquity have uttered； and
whose worth the wise of every succeeding age have assured us of；
and yet we learn to read only as far as Easy Reading； the primers
and class…books； and when we leave school； the 〃Little Reading；〃 and
story…books； which are for boys and beginners； and our reading； our
conversation and thinking； are all on a very low level； worthy only
of pygmies and manikins。
I aspire to be acquainted with wiser men than this our Concord
soil has produced； whose names are hardly known here。 Or shall I
hear the name of Plato and never read his book？ As if Plato were my
townsman and I never saw him my next neighbor and I never heard
him speak or attended to the wisdom of his words。 But how actually
is it？ His Dialogues； which contain what was immortal in him； lie
on the next shelf； and yet I never read them。 We are underbred and
low…lived and illiterate； and in this respect I confess I do not
make any very broad distinction between the illiterateness of my
townsman who cannot read at all and the illiterateness of him who
has learned to read only what is for children and feeble intellects。
We should be as good as the worthies of antiquity； but partly by
first knowing how good they were。 We are a race of tit…men； and
soar but little higher in our intellectual flights than the columns
of the daily paper。
It is not all books that are as dull as their readers。 There
are probably words addressed to our condition exactly； which； if we
could really hear and understand； would be more salutary than the
morning or the spring to our lives； and possibly put a new aspect on
the face of things for us。 How many a man has dated a new era in
his life from the reading of a book！ The book exists for us；
perchance； which will explain our miracles and reveal new ones。 The
at present unutterable things we may find somewhere uttered。 These
same questions that disturb and puzzle and confound us have in their
turn occurred to all the wise men； not one has been omitted； and
each has answered them； according to his ability； by his words and
his life。 Moreover； with wisdom we shall learn liberality。 The
solitary hired man on a farm in the outskirts of Concord； who has
had his second birth and peculiar religious experience； and is
driven as he believes into the silent gravity and exclusiveness by
his faith； may think it is not true； but Zoroaster； thousands of
years ago； travelled the same road and had the same experience； but
he； being wise； knew it to be universal； and treated his neighbors
accordingly； and is even said to have invented and established
worship among men。 Let him humbly commune with Zoroaster then； and
through the liberalizing influence of all the worthies； with Jesus
Christ himself； and let 〃our church〃 go by the board。
We boast that we belong to the Nineteenth Century and are making
the most rapid strides of any nation。 But consider how little this
village does for its own culture。 I do not wish to flatter my
townsmen； nor to be flattered by them； for that will not advance
either of us。 We need to be provoked goaded like oxen； as we
are； into a trot。 We have a comparatively decent system of common
schools； schools for infants only； but excepting the half…starved
Lyceum in the winter； and latterly the puny beginning of a library
suggested by the State； no school for ourselves。 We spend more on
almost any article of bodily aliment or ailment than on our mental
aliment。 It is time that we had uncommon schools； that we did not
leave off our education when we begin to be men and women。 It is
time that villages were universities； and their elder inhabitants
the fellows of universities； with leisure if they are； indeed； so
well off to pursue liberal studies the rest of their lives。
Shall the world be confined to one Paris or one Oxford forever？
Cannot students be boarded here and get a liberal education under
the skies of Concord？ Can we not hire some Abelard to lecture to
us？ Alas！ what with foddering the cattle and tending the store； we
are kept from school too long； and our education is sadly neglected。
In this country； the village should in some respects take the place
of the nobleman of Europe。 It should be the patron of the fine
arts。 It is rich enough。 It wants only the magnanimity and
refinement。 It can spend money enough on such things as farmers and
traders value； but it is thought Utopian to propose spending money
for things which more intelligent men know to be of far more worth。
This town has spent seventeen thousand dollars on a town…house；
thank fortune or politics； but probably it will not spend so much on
living wit； the true meat to put into that shell； in a hundred
years。 The one hundred and twenty…five dollars annually subscribed
for a Lyceum in the winter is better spent than any other equal sum
raised in the town。 If we live in the Nineteenth Century； why
should we not enjoy the advantages which the Nineteenth Century
offers？ Why should our life be in any respect provincial？ If we
will read newspapers； why not skip the gossip of Boston and take the
best newspaper in the world at once？ not be sucking the pap of
〃neutral family〃 papers； or browsing 〃Olive Branches〃 here in New
England。 Let the reports of all the learned societies come to us；
and we will see if they know anything。 Why should we leave it to
Harper & Brothers and Redding & Co。 to select our reading？ As the
nobleman of cultivated taste surrounds himself with whatever
conduces to his culture genius learning wit books
paintings statuary music philosophical instruments； and the
like； so let the village do not stop short at a pedagogue； a
parson； a sexton； a parish library； and three selectmen； because our
Pilgrim forefathers got through a cold winter once on a bleak rock
with these。 To act collectively is accord