"Many politicians are in the habit of laying it down as a self-evident proposition that no people ought to be free till they are fit to use their freedom. The maxim is worthy of the fool in the old story who resolved not to go into the water till he had learned to swim"

This quote by Thomas B. Macaulay is a criticism of the concept that people must be "in shape" to use their liberty prior to they can be totally free. Macaulay compares this idea to the foolishness of the individual in the old story who declined to enter into the water till they had discovered to swim. This contrast suggests that the concept of people requiring to be "healthy" to utilize their freedom is simply as outrageous as the idea of somebody discovering to swim before they go into the water. Macaulay is suggesting that flexibility ought to not be withheld from people up until they are "fit" to utilize it, as this is a difficult job. Rather, he thinks that people must be offered the opportunity to learn and grow in their liberty, rather than being denied it up until they have actually accomplished a certain level of "fitness".