Mason, like the famous _Ben Johnson_, with his _Horace_ and a Trowel.

The want of a generous Education is an irretrieveable Misfortune, and
the Negligence of an Inspector of the Literature of Youth ought to be
unpardonable; how many Persons of Distinction have curs'd their aged
Parents for not bestowing on them a liberal Education? And how many of
the Commonalty have regretted the mispending of the precious Time of
Youth? A Man arriv'd to Maturity has the Mortification of observing an
Inferior in Circumstances superior in Literature, and wants the
Satisfaction of giving a tollerable Reason for any Thing he says or
does, or in any respect to judge of the Excellency of others; and, in
my Opinion, a generous Education, with a bare Subsistence only, is to
be preferr'd to the largest Patrimony, and a want of Learning.

Without Education it is impossible to Write or Read any Thing
distinctly; without a frequent turning of the Dictionary, no Person
can be compleat in the _English_ Language, neither can he give Words
their proper Accent and Pronunciation, or be any ways Master of
Elocution; and a Man without Learning, though he appears tollerable in
Conversation, (which I have known some Persons do by a constant
enjoyment of good Company, and a strength of Memory) is like an
_Empirick_, that takes Things upon trust: And whenever he comes to
exercise the Pen, that the Subject is uncommon, and Study is requir'd,
you'll find him oftentimes not capable of writing one single Line of
Senfe, and scarcely one Word of _English_. And, on the other Hand, I
have known some Persons who could talk Latin very fluently, who have
us'd Phrases and Sentences perpetually in that Language, in
Conversation, vulgar and deficient in the Mother-Tongue, and who have
written most egregious Nonsense; from whence it is evident, that
Writing is the only Test of Literature.