When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists; but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more.

Summary

This quote suggests that the idea of true freedom in writing, speaking, or thinking is illusionary. The speaker finds the notion laughable, asserting that in the past there was no real freedom, presently there is none, but perhaps, in the distant future, there might be. The quote conveys a sense of skepticism about the current state of freedom in expression, emphasizing the challenging road to achieving true liberty of thought and expression, which may only be attained many years from now.

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