t nothing。 Is Society become wholly a bag of wind； then； ballasted by guineas？ Are our interests in it as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal？In Army or Navy； when unhappily we have war on hand； there is； almost against our will； some kind of demand for certain of the silent talents。 But in peace； that too passes into mere demand of the ostentations； of the pipeclays and the blank cartridges； and；except that Naval men are occasionally； on long voyages； forced to hold their tongue； and converse with the dumb elements； and illimitable oceans； that moan and rave there without you and within you； which is a great advantage to the Naval man；our poor United Services have to make conversational windbags and ostentational paper…lanterns of themselves； or do worse； even as the others。
My friends； must I assert； then； what surely all men know； though all men seem to have forgotten it； That in the learned professions as in the unlearned； and in human things throughout； in every place and in every time； the true function of intellect is not that of talking； but of understanding and discerning with a view to performing！ An intellect may easily talk too much； and perform too little。 Gradually； if it get into the noxious habit of talk； there will less and less performance come of it； talk being so delightfully handy in comparison with work； and at last there will no work； or thought of work； be got from it at all。 Talk； except as the preparation for work； is worth almost nothing；sometimes it is worth infinitely less than nothing； and becomes； little conscious of playing such a fatal part； the general summary of pretentious nothingnesses； and the chief of all the curses the Posterity of Adam are liable to in this sublunary world！ Would you discover the Atropos of Human Virtue； the sure Destroyer； 〃by painless extinction；〃 of Human Veracities； Performances； and Capabilities to perform or to be veracious；it is this； you have it here。
Unwise talk is matchless in unwisdom。 Unwise work； if it but persist； is everywhere struggling towards correction； and restoration to health； for it is still in contact with Nature； and all Nature incessantly contradicts it； and will heal it or annihilate it： not so with unwise talk； which addresses itself； regardless of veridical Nature； to the universal suffrages； and can if it be dexterous； find harbor there till all the suffrages are bankrupt and gone to Houndsditch； Nature not interfering with her protest till then。 False speech； definable as the acme of unwise speech； is capable； as we already said； of becoming the falsest of all things。 Falsest of all things：and whither will the general deluge of that； in Parliament and Synagogue； in Book and Broadside； carry you and your affairs； my friend； when once they are embarked on it as now？
Parliament； _Parliamentum_； is by express appointment the Talking Apparatus； yet not in Parliament either is the essential function； by any means； talk。 Not to speak your opinion well； but to have a good and just opinion worth speaking；for every Parliament； as for every man； this latter is the point。 Contrive to have a true opinion； you will get it told in some way； better or worse； and it will be a blessing to all creatures。 Have a false opinion； and tell it with the tongue of Angels； what can that profit？ The better you tell it； the worse it will be！
In Parliament and out of Parliament； and everywhere in this Universe； your one salvation is； That you can discern with just insight； and follow with noble valor； what the law of the case before you is； what the appointment of the Maker in regard to it has been。 Get this out of one man； you are saved； fail to get this out of the most August Parliament wrapt in the sheepskins of a thousand years； you are lost；your Parliament； and you； and all your sheepskins are lost。 Beautiful talk is by no means the most pressing want in Parliament！ We have had some reasonable modicum of talk in Parliament！ What talk has done for us in Parliament； and is now doing； the dullest of us at length begins to see！
Much has been said of Parliament's breeding men to business； of
the training an Official Man gets in this school of argument and talk。 He is here inured to patience； tolerance； sees what is what in the Nation and in the Nation's Government attains official knowledge； official courtesy and mannersin short； is polished at all points into official articulation； and here better than elsewhere qualifies himself to be a Governor of men。 So it is said。Doubtless； I think； he will see and suffer much in Parliament； and inure himself to several things；he will； with what eyes he has； gradually _see_ Parliament itself； for one thing； what a high…soaring； helplessly floundering； ever…babbling yet inarticulate dark dumb Entity it is （certainly one of the strangest under the sun just now）： which doubtless； if he have in view to get measures voted there one day； will be an important acquisition for him。 But as to breeding himself for a Doer of Work； much more for a King； or Chief of Doers； here in this element of talk； as to that I confess the fatalest doubts； or rather； alas； I have no doubt！ Alas； it is our fatalest misery just now； not easily alterable； and yet urgently requiring to be altered； That no British man can attain to be a Statesman； or Chief of _Workers_； till he has first proved himself a Chief of _Talkers_： which mode of trial for a Worker； is it not precisely； of all the trials you could set him upon； the falsest and unfairest？
Nay； I doubt much you are not likely ever to meet the fittest material for a Statesman； or Chief of Workers； in such an element as that。 Your Potential Chief of Workers； will he come there at all； to try whether he can talk？ Your poor tenpound franchisers and electoral world generally； in love with eloquent talk； are they the likeliest to discern what man it is that has worlds of silent work in him？ No。 Or is such a man； even if born in the due rank for it； the likeliest to present himself； and court their most sweet voices？ Again； no。
The Age that admires talk so much can have little discernment for inarticulate work； or for anything that is deep and genuine。 Nobody； or hardly anybody； having in himself an earnest sense for truth； how can anybody recognize an inarticulate Veracity； or Nature…fact of any kind； a Human _Doer_ especially； who is the most complex； profound； and inarticulate of all Nature's Facts？ Nobody can recognize him： till once he is patented； get some public stamp of authenticity； and has been articulately proclaimed； and asserted to be a Doer。 To the worshipper of talk； such a one is a sealed book。 An excellent human soul； direct from Heaven；how shall any excellence of man become recognizable to this unfortunate？ Not except by announcing and placarding itself as excellent；which； I reckon； it above other things will probably be in no great haste to do。
Wisdom； the divine message which every soul of man brings into this world； the divine prophecy of what the new man has got the new and peculiar capability to do； is intrinsically of silent nature。 It cannot at once； or completely at all； be read off in words； for it is written in abstruse facts； of endowment； position； desire； opportunity； granted to the man；interprets itself in presentiments； vague struggles； passionate endeavors and is only legible in whole when his work is _done_。 Not by the noble monitions of Nature； but by the ignoble； is a man much tempted to publish the secret of his soul in words。 Words； if he have a secret； will be forever inadequate to it。 Words do but disturb the real answer of fact which could be given to it； disturb； obstruct； and will in the end abolish； and render impossible； said answer。 No grand Doer in this world can be a copious speaker about his doings。 William the Silent spoke himself best in a country liberated； Oliver Cromwell did not shine in rhetoric； Goethe； when he had but a book in view； found that he must say nothing even of that； if it was to succeed with him。
Then as to politeness； and breeding to business。 An official man must be bred to business； of course he must： and not for essence only； but even for the manners of office he requires breeding。 Besides his intrinsic faculty； whatever that may be； he must be cautious； vigilant； discreet；above all things； he must be reticent； patient； polite。 Certain of these qualities are by nature imposed upon men of station； and they are trained from birth to some exercise of them： this constitutes their one intrinsic qualification for office；this is their one advantage in the New Downing Street projected for this New Era； and it will not go for much in that Institution。 One advantage； or temporary advantage； against which there are so many counterbalances。 It is the indispensable preliminary for office； but by no means the complete outfit；a miserable outfit where there is nothing farther。
Will your Lordship give me leave to say that； practically； the intrinsic qualities will presuppose these preliminaries too； but by no means _vice versa_。 That； on the whole； if you have got the intrinsic qualities； you have got everything； and the preliminaries will prove attainable； but that if you have got only the preliminaries； you have yet got nothing。 A man of real dignity will not find it impossible to bear himself in a dignified manner； a man of real understanding and insight will get to know； as the fruit of his very first study； what the laws of his situation are； and will conform to these。 Rough old Samuel Johnson； blustering Boreas and rugged Arctic Bear as he often was； defined himself； justly withal； as a polite man： a noble manful attitude of soul is his； a clear； true and loyal sense of what others are； and what he himself is； shines through the rugged coating of him； comes out as grave deep rhythmus when his King honors him； and he will not 〃bandy compliments with his King；〃is traceable too in his indignant trampling down of the Chesterfield patronages； tailor…made insolences； and contradictions of sinners； which may be called his _revolutionary_ movements； hard and peremptory by the law of them； these could not be soft like his _constitutional_ ones； when men and kings took him for somewhat li