Education is an arm, for knowledge is power, and the ignorant man is but
an infant, and to give him knowledge is like putting a loaded blunderbuss
into the hands of a child. What can an ignorant man do with knowledge? He
is as likely to use it wrong end uppermost as in any other manner.
Learning is a ticklish thing; it was said by Festus to have maddened even
the wise and experienced Paul and what may we not expect it to do with
your downright ignoramus? What is thy name prisoner?"
"Tommaso Santi; sometimes known among my friends as San Tommaso; called by
my enemies, Il Maledetto, and by my familiars, Maso."
"Thou hast a formidable number of aliases, the certain sign of a rogue.
Thou hast confessed that thou canst read----"
"Nay, Signor Bailiff, I would not be taken to have said----"
"By the faith of Calvin, thou didst confess it, before all this goodly
company! Wilt thou deny thine own words, knave, in the very face of
justice? Thou canst read--thou hast it in thy countenance, and I would go
nigh to swear, too, that thou hast some inkling of the quill, were the
truth honestly said.
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