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labors of the ancients。 They only talk of forgetting them who never
knew them。 It will be soon enough to forget them when we have the
learning and the genius which will enable us to attend to and
appreciate them。 That age will be rich indeed when those relics
which we call Classics； and the still older and more than classic
but even less known Scriptures of the nations； shall have still
further accumulated； when the Vaticans shall be filled with Vedas
and Zendavestas and Bibles； with Homers and Dantes and Shakespeares；
and all the centuries to come shall have successively deposited
their trophies in the forum of the world。 By such a pile we may
hope to scale heaven at last。
The works of the great poets have never yet been read by
mankind； for only great poets can read them。 They have only been
read as the multitude read the stars； at most astrologically； not
astronomically。 Most men have learned to read to serve a paltry
convenience； as they have learned to cipher in order to keep
accounts and not be cheated in trade； but of reading as a noble
intellectual exercise they know little or nothing； yet this only is
reading； in a high sense； not that which lulls us as a luxury and
suffers the nobler faculties to sleep the while； but what we have to
stand on tip…toe to read and devote our most alert and wakeful hours
to。
I think that having learned our letters we should read the best
that is in literature； and not be forever repeating our a…b…abs； and
words of one syllable； in the fourth or fifth classes； sitting on
the lowest and foremost form all our lives。 Most men are satisfied
if they read or hear read； and perchance have been convicted by the
wisdom of one good book； the Bible； and for the rest of their lives
vegetate and dissipate their faculties in what is called easy
reading。 There is a work in several volumes in our Circulating
Library entitled 〃Little Reading；〃 which I thought referred to a
town of that name which I had not been to。 There are those who；
like cormorants and ostriches； can digest all sorts of this； even
after the fullest dinner of meats and vegetables； for they suffer
nothing to be wasted。 If others are the machines to provide this
provender； they are the machines to read it。 They read the nine
thousandth tale about Zebulon and Sophronia； and how they loved as
none had ever loved before； and neither did the course of their true
love run smooth at any rate； how it did run and stumble； and get
up again and go on！ how some poor unfortunate got up on to a
steeple； who had better never have gone up as far as the belfry； and
then； having needlessly got him up there； the happy novelist rings
the bell for all the world to come together and hear； O dear！ how he
did get down again！ For my part； I think that they had better
metamorphose all such aspiring heroes of universal noveldom into man
weather…cocks； as they used to put heroes among the constellations；
and let them swing round there till they are rusty； and not come
down at all to bother honest men with their pranks。 The next time
the novelist rings the bell I will not stir though the meeting…house
burn down。 〃The Skip of the Tip…Toe…Hop； a Romance of the Middle
Ages； by the celebrated author of ‘Tittle…Tol…Tan；' to appear in
monthly parts； a great rush； don't all come together。〃 All this
they read with saucer eyes； and erect and primitive curiosity； and
with unwearied gizzard； whose corrugations even yet need no
sharpening； just as some little four…year…old bencher his two…cent
gilt…covered edition of Cinderella without any improvement； that
I can see； in the pronunciation； or accent； or emphasis； or any more
skill in extracting or inserting the moral。 The result is dulness
of sight； a stagnation of the vital circulations； and a general
deliquium and sloughing off of all the intellectual faculties。 This
sort of gingerbread is baked daily and more sedulously than pure
wheat or rye…and…Indian in almost every oven； and finds a surer
market。
The best books are not read even by those who are called good
readers。 What does our Concord culture amount to？ There is in this
town； with a very few exceptions； no taste for the best or for very
good books even in English literature； whose words all can read and
spell。 Even the college…bred and so…called liberally educated men
here and elsewhere have really little or no acquaintance with the
English classics； and as for the recorded wisdom of mankind； the
ancient classics and Bibles； which are accessible to all who will
know of them； there are the feeblest efforts anywhere made to become
acquainted with them。 I know a woodchopper； of middle age； who
takes a French paper； not for news as he says； for he is above that；
but to 〃keep himself in practice；〃 he being a Canadian by birth； and
when I ask him what he considers the best thing he can do in this
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
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