2. Andspeakingoffreedom，isnottheauthorfree，asfewmenarefree?Ishenotsecure，asfewmenaresecure?Thetoolsofhisindustryaresocommonandsocheapthattheyhavealmostceasedtohavecommercialvalue.Heneedsnobulkypileofrawmaterial，noelaborateapparatus，noserviceofmenoranimals.Heisdependentforhisoccupationuponnoonebuthimself,andnothingoutsidehimthatmatters.Heisthesovereignofanempire，self-supporting，self-contained.Noonecansequestratehisestates.Noonecandeprivehimofhisstockintrade；noonecanforcehimtoexercisehisfacultyagainsthiswill；noonecanpreventhimexercisingitashechooses.Theepenisthegreatliberatorofmenandnations.Nochainscanbind，nopovertycanchoke，notariffcanre-strictthefreeplayofhismind，andeventhe「Times」BookClubcanonlyexertamoderatelydepressinginfluenceuponhisrewards.Whetherhisworkisgoodorbad，solongashedoeshisbestheishappy.IoftenfortifymyselfamidtheuncertaintiesandvexationsofpoliticallifebybelievingthatIpossessalineofretreatintoapeacefulandfertilecountrywherenorascalcanpursueanywhereoneneedneverbedulloridleorevenwhollywithoutpower.Itisthen，indeed，thatIfeeldevoutlythankfultohavebeenbornfondofwriting.Itisthen，indeed，thatIfeelgratefultoallthebraveandgenerousspiritswho，ineveryageandineveryland，havefoughttoestablishthenowun-questionedfreedomofthepen.
3. AndwhatanoblemediumtheEnglishlanguageis.Itisnotpossibletowriteapagewithoutexperiencingpositivepleasureattherichnessandvariety，theflexibilityandtheprofoundnessofourmothertongue.IfanEnglishwritercannotsaywhathehastosayinEnglish，andinsimpleEnglish，dependuponitisprobablynotworthsaying.WhatapityitisthatEnglishisnotmoregenerallystudied.Iamnotgoingtoattackclassicaleducation.NoonewhohastheslightestpretensiontoliterarytastescanbeinsensibletotheattractionofGreeceandRome.ButIconfessourpresenteducationalsystemexcitesinmymindgravemisgivings.Icannotbelievethatasystemisgood，orevenreasonable，whichthrustsuponreluctantanduncomprehendingmultitudestreasureswhichcanonlybeappreciatedbytheprivilegedandgiftedfew.Tothevastmajorityofboyswhoattendourpublicschoolsaclassicaleducationisfrombeginningtoendonelonguseless，meaninglessrigmarole.IfIamtoldthatclassesarethebestpreparationforthestudyofEnglish，Ireplythatbyfarthegreaternumberofstudentsfinishtheireducationwhilethispreparatorystageisstillincompleteandwithoutderivinganyofthebenefitswhicharepromisedasitsresult.
4. Andevenofthosewho，withoutbeinggreatscholars，attainacertaingeneralacquaintancewiththeancientwriters，canitreallybesaidthattheyhavealsoobtainedthemasteryofEnglish？HowmanyyounggentlementherearefromtheuniversitiesandpublicschoolswhocanturnaLatinversewithafacilitywhichwouldmaketheoldRomanssquirmintheirtombs?Howfewtherearewhocanconstructafewgoodsentences，orstilllessafewgoodparagraphsofplain，correct，andstraightforwardEnglish.Now，IamagreatadmireroftheGreeks，although，ofcourse，Ihavetodependuponwhatotherstellmeaboutthem，-andIwouldliketoseeoureducationistsimitateinonerespect，atleast，theGreekexample.HowisitthattheGreeksmadetheirlanguagethemostgracefulandcompendiousmodeofexpressioneverknownamongmen?Didtheyspendalltheirtimestudyingthelanguageswhichhadprecededtheirs?Didtheyexplorewithtirelesspersistencytheancientrootdialectsofthevanishedworld？Notatall.TheyonlystudiedGreek.Theystudiedtheirownlanguage.Theylovedit，theycherishedit，theyadornedit，theyexpandedit，andthatiswhyitsurvivesamodelanddelighttoallposterity.Surelywe，whosemothertonguehasalreadywonforitselfsuchanunequalledempireoverthemodernworld，canlearnthislessonatleastfromtheancientGreeksandbestowalittlecareandsomeproportionoftheyearsofeducationtothestudyofalanguagewhichisperhapstoplayapredominantpartingthefutureprogressofmankind.