tterance；I　find　that；　in　this　case；　the　field　it　has　in　England　is　narrow　to　an　extreme；　is　perhaps　narrower　than　ever　offered　itself；　for　the　like　object；　in　this　world　before。　　Parliament；　Church；　Law：　　let　the　young　vivid　soul　turn　whither　he　will　for　a　career；　he　finds　among　variable　conditions　one　condition　invariable；　and　extremely　surprising；　That　the　proof　of　excellence　is　to　be　done　by　the　tongue。　　For　heroism　that　will　not　speak；　but　only　act；　there　is　no　account　kept：The　English　Nation　does　not　need　that　silent　kind；　then；　but　only　the　talking　kind？　　Most　astonishing。　Of　all　the　organs　a　man　has；　there　is　none　held　in　account；　it　would　appear；　but　the　tongue　he　uses　for　talking。　　Premiership；　woolsack；　mitre；　and　quasi…crown：　　all　is　attainable　if　you　can　talk　with　due　ability。　Everywhere　your　proof…shot　is　to　be　a　well…fired　volley　of　talk。　　Contrive　to　talk　well；　you　will　get　to　Heaven；　the　modern　Heaven　of　the　English。　　Do　not　talk　well；　only　work　well；　and　heroically　hold　your　peace；　you　have　no　chance　whatever　to　get　thither；　with　your　utmost　industry　you　may　get　to　Threadneedle　Street；　and　accumulate　more　gold　than　a　dray…horse　can　draw。　Is　not　this　a　very　wonderful　arrangement？
  I　have　heard　of　races　done　by　mortals　tied　in　sacks；　of　human　competitors；　high　aspirants；　climbing　heavenward　on　the　soaped　pole；　seizing　the　soaped　pig；　and　clutching　with　cleft　fist；　at　full　gallop；　the　fated　goose　tied　aloft　by　its　foot；which　feats　do　prove　agility；　toughness　and　other　useful　faculties　in　man：　　but　this　of　dexterous　talk　is　probably　as　strange　a　competition　as　any。　　And　the　question　rises；　Whether　certain　of　these　other　feats；　or　perhaps　an　alternation　of　all　of　them；　relieved　now　and　then　by　a　bout　of　grinning　through　the　collar；　might　not　be　profitably　substituted　for　the　solitary　proof…feat　of　talk；　now　getting　rather　monotonous　by　its　long　continuance？　　Alas；　Mr。　Bull；　I　do　find　it　is　all　little　other　than　a　proof　of　toughness；　which　is　a　quality　I　respect；　with　more　or　less　expenditure　of　falsity　and　astucity　superadded；　which　I　entirely　condemn。　　Toughness　_plus_　astucity：perhaps　a　simple　wooden　mast　set　up　in　Palace…Yard；　well　soaped　and　duly　presided　over；　might　be　the　honester　method？　　Such　a　method　as　this　by　trial　of　talk；　for　filling　your　chief　offices　in　Church　and　State；　was　perhaps　never　heard　of　in　the　solar　system　before。　　You　are　quite　used　to　it；　my　poor　friend；　and　nearly　dead　by　the　consequences　of　it：　　but　in　the　other　Planets；　as　in　other　epochs　of　your　own　Planet　it　would　have　done　had　you　proposed　it；　the　thing　awakens　incredulous　amazement；　world…wide　Olympic　laughter；　which　ends　in　tempestuous　hootings；　in　tears　and　horror！　　My　friend；　if　you　can；　as　heretofore　this　good　while；　find　nobody　to　take　care　of　your　affairs　but　the　expertest　talker；　it　is　all　over　with　your　affairs　and　you。　　Talk　never　yet　could　guide　any　man's　or　nation's　affairs；　nor　will　it　yours；　except　towards　the　_Limbus　Patrum_；　where　all　talk；　except　a　very　select　kind　of　it；　lodges　at　last。
  Medicine；　guarded　too　by　preliminary　impediments；　and　frightful　medusa…heads　of　quackery；　which　deter　many　generous　souls　from　entering；　is　of　the　_half_…articulate　professions；　and　does　not　much　invite　the　ardent　kinds　of　ambition。　　The　intellect　required　for　medicine　might　be　wholly　human；　and　indeed　should　by　all　rules　be；the　profession　of　the　Human　Healer　being　radically　a　sacred　one　and　connected　with　the　highest　priesthoods；　or　rather　being　itself　the　outcome　and　acme　of　all　priesthoods；　and　divinest　conquests　of　intellect　here　below。　　As　will　appear　one　day；　when　men　take　off　their　old　monastic　and　ecclesiastic　spectacles；　and　look　with　eyes　again！　　In　essence　the　Physician's　task　is　always　heroic；　eminently　human：　　but　in　practice　most　unluckily　at　present　we　find　it　too　become　in　good　part　_beaverish_；　yielding　a　money…result　alone。　　And　what　of　it　is　not　beaverish；does　not　that　too　go　mainly　to　ingenious　talking；　publishing　of　yourself；　ingratiating　of　yourself；　a　partly　human　exercise　or　waste　of　intellect；　and　alas　a　partly　vulpine　ditto；making　the　once　sacred　＇Gr。＇　_'Iatros_；　or　Human　Healer；　more　impossible　for　us　than　ever！
  Angry　basilisks　watch　at　the　gates　of　Law　and　Church　just　now；　and　strike　a　sad　damp　into　the　nobler　of　the　young　aspirants。　　Hard　bonds　are　offered　you　to　sign；　as　it　were；　a　solemn　engagement　to　constitute　yourself　an　impostor；　before　ever　entering；　to　declare　your　belief　in　incredibilities；your　determination；　in　short；　to　take　Chaos　for　Cosmos；　and　Satan　for　the　Lord　of　things；　if　he　come　with　money　in　his　pockets；　and　horsehair　and　bombazine　decently　wrapt　about　him。　　Fatal　preliminaries；　which　deter　many　an　ingenuous　young　soul；　and　send　him　back　from　the　threshold；　and　I　hope　will　deter　ever　more。　　But　if　you　do　enter；　the　condition　is　well　known：　　〃Talk；　who　can　talk　best　here？　　His　shall　be　the　mouth　of　gold；　and　the　purse　of　gold；　and　with　my　＇Gr。＇　_mitra_　（once　the　head…dress　of　unfortunate　females；　I　am　told）　shall　his　sacred　temples　be　begirt。〃
  Ingenuous　souls；　unless　forced　to　it；　do　now　much　shudder　at　the　threshold　of　both　these　careers；　and　not　a　few　desperately　turn　back　into　the　wilderness　rather；　to　front　a　very　rude　fortune；　and　be　devoured　by　wild　beasts　as　is　likeliest。　　But　as　to　Parliament；　again；　and　its　eligibility　if　attainable；　there　is　yet　no　question　anywhere；　the　ingenuous　soul；　if　possessed　of　money…capital　enough；　is　predestined　by　the　parental　and　all　manner　of　monitors　to　that　career　of　talk；　and　accepts　it　with　alacrity　and　clearness　of　heart；　doubtful　only　whether　he　shall　be　_able_　to　make　a　speech。　　Courage；　my　brave　young　fellow。　　If　you　can　climb　a　soaped　pole　of　any　kind；　you　will　certainly　be　able　to　make　a　speech。　　All　mortals　have　a　tongue；　and　carry　on　some　jumble；　if　not　of　thought；　yet　of　stuff　which　they　could　talk。　　The　weakest　of　animals　has　got　a　cry　in　it；　and　can　give　voice　before　dying。　　If　you　are　tough　enough；　bent　upon　it　desperately　enough；　I　engage　you　shall　make　a　speech；but　whether　that　will　be　the　way　to　Heaven　for　you；　I　do　not　engage。
  These；　then；　are　our　two　careers　for　genius：　　mute　Industrialism；　which　can　seldom　become　very　human；　but　remains　beaverish　mainly：　　and　the　three　Professions　named　learned；that　is　to　say；　able　to　talk。　　For　the　heroic　or　higher　kinds　of　human　intellect；　in　the　silent　state；　there　is　not　the　smallest　inquiry　anywhere；　apparently　a　thing　not　wanted　in　this　country　at　present。　　What　the　supply　may　be；　I　cannot　inform　M'Croudy；　but　the　market…demand；　he　may　himself　see；　is　_nil_。　　These　are　our　three　professions　that　require　human　intellect　in　part　or　whole；　not　able　to　do　with　mere　beaverish；　and　such　a　part　does　the　gift　of　talk　play　in　one　and　all　of　them。　　Whatsoever　is　not　beaverish　seems　to　go　forth　in　the　shape　of　talk。　　To　such　length　is　human　intellect　wasted　or　suppressed　in　this　world！
  If　the　young　aspirant　is　not　rich　enough　for　Parliament；　and　is　deterred　by　the　basilisks　or　otherwise　from　entering　on　Law　or　Church；　and　cannot　altogether　reduce　his　human　intellect　to　the　beaverish　condition；　or　satisfy　himself　with　the　prospect　of　making　money；what　becomes　of　him　in　such　case；　which　is　naturally　the　case　of　very　many；　and　ever　of　more？　　In　such　case　there　remains　but　one　outlet　for　him；　and　notably　enough　that　too　is　a　talking　one：　　the　outlet　of　Literature；　of　trying　to　write　Books。　Since；　owing　to　preliminary　basilisks；　want　of　cash；　or　superiority　to　cash；　he　cannot　mount　aloft　by　eloquent　talking；　let　him　try　it　by　dexterous　eloquent　writing。　　Here　happily；　having　three　fingers；　and　capital　to　buy　a　quire　of　paper；　he　can　try　it　to　all　lengths　and　in　spite　of　all　mortals：　　in　this　career　there　is　happily　no　public　impediment　that　can　turn　him　back；　nothing　but　private　starvationwhich　is　itself　a　_finis_　or　kind　of　goalcan　pretend　to　hinder　a　British　man　from　prosecuting　Literature　to　the　very　utmost；　and　wringing　the　final　secret　from　her：　　〃A　talent　is　in　thee；　No　talent　is　in　thee。〃　　To　the　British　subject　who　fancies　genius　may　be　lodged　in　him；　this　liberty　remains；　and　truly　it　is；　if　well　computed；　almost　the　only　one　he　has。
  A　crowded　portal　this　of　Literature；　accordingly！　　The　haven　of　expatriated　spiritualisms；　and　alas　also　of　expatriated　vanities　and　prurient　imbecilities：　　here　do　the　windy　aspirations；　foiled　activities；　foolish　ambitions；　and　frustrate　human　energies　reduced　to　the　vocable　condition；　fly　as　to　the　one　refuge　left；　and　the　Republic　of　Letters　increases　in　population　at　a　faster　rate　than　even　the　Republic　of　America。　　The　strangest　regiment　in　her　Majesty's　service；　this　of　the　Soldiers　of　Literature：would　your　Lordship　much　like　to　march　through　Coventry　with　them？　　The　immortal　gods　are　there　（quite　irrecognizable　under　these　disguises）；　and　also　the　lowest　broken　valets；an　extremely　miscellaneous　regiment。　　In　fact　the　regiment；　superficially　viewed；　looks　like　an　immeasurable　motley　flood　of　discharged　play…actors；　funambulists；　false　prophets；　drunken　ballad…singers；　and　marches　not　as　a　regiment；　but　as　a　boundless　canaille；without　drill；　uniform；　captaincy　or　billet；　with　huge　over…proportion　of　drummers；　you　would　say；　a　regiment　gone　whol