Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7: Little Journeys to the Homes of Eminent Orators

In Short

This work examines how public speech shapes human history by tracing the lives, struggles, and ideas of notable orators from ancient Greece to nineteenth-century America. Through biographical portraits of figures like Pericles, Martin Luther, Edmund Burke, Robert Ingersoll, and Thomas Starr King, the text explores how personal character and eloquence intersect with political upheaval and religious reform. The work endures because it connects individual oratorical genius directly to broader struggles for human freedom, showing that lasting eloquence requires moral purpose, practical labor, and an unwavering commitment to truth over mere rhetorical performance.

The Story

The narrative arc opens in ancient Athens with Pericles, whose modest lifestyle and wise governance exemplify how civic eloquence can transform public funds into enduring art and architecture rather than military waste. The text contrasts this noble civic stewardship with self-made commercial success, such as Indiana grocer Heinrich Schliemann, whose pursuit of wealth leads to material comfort rather than public beauty. In Rome, the story exposes the fragility of worldly power through Mark Antony, who demonstrates strength during hardship alongside Octavius and Cicero but collapses into wild bacchic revelry at Ephesus once victory leaves him without purpose. This struggle between spiritual duty and institutional decay carries into medieval Europe, where Benedict and Cassiodorus reform corrupted monasteries by combining manual labor with artistic craftsmanship, establishing bookmaking as an act of divine devotion. In Renaissance Florence, Savonarola preaches stern Christian simplicity against the extravagant pageantry of Lorenzo the Magnificent, striving to protect the poor from aristocratic excess.

The fight for individual conscience reaches its peak during the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther openly defies papal authority by lighting a bonfire of the Pope’s Bull of Excommunication outside Wittenberg’s Elster gate, utilizing the newly invented printing press and public debate to spread arguments against ecclesiastical display and financial exploitation. Moving to eighteenth-century Britain, political rhetoric becomes a vital tool of governance. Edmund Burke shuns formal legal textbooks at the Middle Temple to immerse himself in classical literature, while young William Pitt sharpens his command of English through translation exercises, standing unyielding against Sir Robert Walpole despite being stripped of his military commission. Throughout these portraits, formal university degrees—such as those granted by Saint Andrews—are criticized as empty badges, proving that genuine wisdom arises from creative expression and independent thought rather than rigid rhetorical rules.

In nineteenth-century America, the democratic voice matures within frontier societies. Rural grocery stores, spelling bees, and local courtroom lawsuits serve as the primary training grounds for self-taught speakers like Robert Ingersoll, who leverages his legal platform to dismantle terrifying dogmas of hellfire in favor of human reason and compassion. Patrick Henry demonstrates the sudden, transformative power of oratorical illumination, adopting unconventional legal practices and passionate conviction to champion his clients. During the Civil War, Thomas Starr King dedicates his fragile health to saving the Union, traveling continuously across California to inspire citizens and send financial support to President Lincoln. Finally, the narrative culminates in the brutal struggle against American slavery. While William Lloyd Garrison endures bitter public condemnation to publish The Liberator, speakers like Henry Ward Beecher and anti-slavery activists gathering in Faneuil Hall argue that protecting free speech and bodily freedom constitutes the highest calling of human eloquence, securing democratic values for future generations.

How It Unfolds

Athenian stewardship and Roman excess Pericles redirects public war revenues into timeless art and civic harmony, choosing personal simplicity and rejecting lavish titles as Athens' First Citizen. In contrast, Mark Antony demonstrates immense fortitude during times of defeat but rapidly surrenders his greatness to hedonistic riot in Ephesus once victory leaves him without active rivals.

Monastic renewal and Renaissance confrontation Benedict and Cassiodorus revitalize corrupted monasteries by introducing bookmaking, manual labor, and artistic creation as essential pathways to spiritual peace and mental growth. Centuries later in Florence, Savonarola preaches intense Christian austerity to a luxury-loving public, clashing with the gilded pageantry established under Lorenzo the Magnificent.

Reformation defiance and parliamentary grit Martin Luther publicly burns the Pope's Bull of Excommunication at Wittenberg, utilizing the printing press to champion private interpretation of Scripture and denounce institutional greed. In Great Britain, Edmund Burke casts aside technical legal texts for wide literature reading, while young William Pitt sharpens his English through translation to boldly challenge government corruption.

Frontier debating and religious dissent Rural groceries, village lawsuits, and country debating societies form the informal academies where frontier youths learn the mechanics of self-governance and public speech. Robert Ingersoll rises from this rustic background to wage a relentless campaign against orthodoxy, arguing that the doctrine of eternal hellfire corrupts human mercy.

Transformative conviction and national service Patrick Henry experiences a profound personal awakening that transforms his presence, allowing him to dominate courtrooms with intense conviction while demanding advance fees to filter out unjust cases. Later, Thomas Starr King gives his life to the Union cause, traveling across California to rally citizens and raise funds for President Lincoln.

The anti-slavery crusade and free speech William Lloyd Garrison publishes The Liberator despite severe financial hardship and widespread public scorn, forcing society to confront the moral atrocity of human slavery. At Boston's Faneuil Hall, orators declare that defending free speech against mob violence is a duty far nobler than any dispute over taxes or civil interests.

The People

Pericles desires to transform wartime treasure into lasting Athenian art and civic beauty. Impeded by political rivalry and war, he maintains an unpretentious lifestyle, ruling his own spirit and calmly surrendering his life to the gods.

Mark Antony seeks worldly dominion over the Roman Republic following Caesar's death. Blocked by the shrewd political maneuvering of Octavius and his own inability to handle leisure, he succumbs to wild, unbridled decadence in the East.

Martin Luther aims to purify the Church of financial corruption and restore private interpretation of Scripture. Threatened with papal excommunication and summons to Rome, he openly burns the Pope's Bull, rallying German public opinion through published writings.

Robert Ingersoll wants to liberate human minds from the terrifying doctrine of eternal punishment. Confronting centuries of entrenched religious orthodoxy, he uses legal training and public platforms to advocate for mercy, reason, and human sympathy.

Thomas Starr King strives to keep California loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Hindered by a fragile physical constitution, he continuously travels and speaks to huge crowds, successfully securing the state for Lincoln before dying from physical exhaustion at age forty.

William Lloyd Garrison seeks the immediate abolition of slavery and complete freedom of the press. Facing mob hostility, poverty, and clerical silence, he persistently prints The Liberator, compelling the nation to confront its moral failings.

In Its Own Voice

Reflecting on the fleeting nature of Athenian splendor, the text observes how temporary wealth was transformed into lasting cultural achievement.

"For thirty years Pericles turned the revenues of war into art, beauty and usefulness."

In evaluating monastic reforms, Cassiodorus explains that manual artistic creation serves a higher moral purpose than passive indulgence.

"The pleasurable emotion that follows the making of beautiful forms with one's hands is not a sin, like unto the pleasure that is gained for the sake of pleasure--rather to do good and beautiful work is incense to the nostrils of God."

Regarding rhetorical training, the narrative argues that true eloquence emerges only after formal academic guidelines are completely cast aside.

"We learn things only to throw them away: no man ever wrote well until he had forgotten every rule of rhetoric, and no orator ever spake straight to the hearts of men until he had tumbled his elocution into the Irish Sea."

What It's Really About

Beneath its biographical portraits, the work argues that true eloquence is never a trick of technique or institutional polish, but a natural byproduct of earnest moral purpose. The text continually contrasts empty formal education—symbolized by sterile university degrees—with the dynamic learning gained through manual labor, independent reading, and active public debate. It contends that nations and institutions inevitably decay when prosperity leads to greed, luxury, and oppression. True power belongs to those who direct public resources toward art, beauty, and human emancipation rather than war and dogma. Ultimately, the work asks how individual speakers can resist systemic corruption, champion free speech, and use the power of the spoken word to cultivate human sympathy and freedom.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to political history, classical rhetoric, and nineteenth-century social reform will find this volume a stirring, opinionated companion. Reading it feels like sitting with a conversational, sharp-witted observer who views history through the lens of individual character and moral conviction. The prose moves fluidly between grand historical narratives and vivid, unpretentious sketches of human foibles.

However, modern readers should be prepared for its distinct period flavor and deliberate stylistic choices. The text freely employs satirical caricature—such as depicting an Indiana grocer in mock-heroic terms or labeling academic degrees as badges for the "ignorant-vulgar"—and relies on informal, colloquial phrasings ("argufying", "coppers", "deestrick school"). Furthermore, its digressive structure frequently pauses biographical narratives to deliver biting social commentary on contemporary topics, including the Boer War and military expenditures. The period attitudes reflect nineteenth-century anti-clerical skepticism and a pronounced disdain for formal academic institutions. For those willing to navigate these idiosyncratic detours and nineteenth-century biases, the text offers a vibrant celebration of free speech, artistic creation, and the enduring power of human speech to inspire justice.