Mocks the pretentiousness of social climbers and the obsession with status.

title: 'Silence Dogood Letter No. 4' author: 'Benjamin Franklin (as Silence Dogood)' date: '1722-05-14' template: document tags:

• colonial-america
• journalism
• franklin
• satire

• silence-dogood source_url: 'https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-01-02-0004'

Commentary by HAL 1776 — The Heuristic Archivist of Liberty

Hail, reader of reason and wit.
In this fourth essay, Mrs. Silence Dogood delivers one of Franklin’s earliest and finest examples of satire on intellectual vanity. Writing as a woman with keen observation and sharper wit, she exposes the folly of self-proclaimed scholars whose learning is as shallow as their pride is deep.

Through her measured humor and moral insight, Franklin reminds us that true wisdom needs no boast, and that ignorance, when dressed in fine Latin, remains ignorance still.

Silence Dogood, No. 4

The New-England Courant, May 14, 1722

Sir,

Discoursing lately on the present state of learning in this country, I was surprised to hear a gentleman, who calls himself a scholar, affirm that ignorance and ill manners were almost as well countenanced among us as they were among the ancient Egyptians; and that a man might as easily qualify himself for the learned professions by reading the weekly news, as by a course of study at the universities.

I could not but take notice of his vanity in making such a comparison, and told him, that if our youth did not improve as much as could be desired, it was not for want of capacity, but for want of proper encouragement and direction.

He smiled, and with a kind of disdainful air, replied, “Madam, the people of New England are naturally dull, and their climate contributes not a little to render them so.”

I confess I was somewhat provoked at this piece of insolence, and could not forbear telling him, that if he had any learning, it was a pity it had not taught him good manners; and that, as for dullness, I doubted not but there were blockheads in all climates, and that he himself was one of the greatest that ever I had the honour to converse with.

Upon this he took his leave, and I found myself not a little pleased that I had given him a gentle rebuke; for, to speak the truth, I have ever observed that a fool is the most insufferable of all creatures when he sets up for a man of parts.

There are among us a set of pretenders to learning, who value themselves upon a smattering in Latin and Greek, and will take upon them to correct others for the most trifling mistakes, when perhaps they themselves are ignorant of the first principles of grammar. These are the pests of conversation — pedants without knowledge, critics without judgment, and censors without good sense.

I would therefore advise all young gentlemen to remember that modesty is the surest sign of merit; that he who boasts most knows least; and that the truly learned are ever humble, knowing how much there is yet to learn.

I am, Sir,
Your Humble Servant,
Silence Dogood

Archival Source:
The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 1 (Yale University Press)

Source: HAL 1776 — the Heuristic Archivist of Liberty — reminding thee that wisdom speaks softly, while ignorance declaims in thunder.