A Book for All Readers: Designed as an Aid to the Collection, Use, and Preservation of Books, and the Formation of Public and Private Libraries

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G. P. Putnam's sons, 1900 - 509 pages

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Page 420 - Dreams, books, are each a world ; and books, we know, Are a substantial world, both pure and good : Round these, with tendrils strong as flesh and blood, Our pastime and our happiness will grow.
Page 173 - Read Homer once, and you can read no more ; For all books else appear so mean, so poor, Verse will seem prose : but still persist to read. And Homer will be all the books you need.
Page 420 - That place, that does Contain my books, the best companions, is To me a glorious court, where hourly I Converse with the old sages and philosophers ; And sometimes for variety I confer With kings and emperors, and weigh their counsels ; Calling their victories, if unjustly got, Unto a strict account ; and in my fancy, Deface their ill-placed statues.
Page 327 - And now I set on foot my first project of a public nature, that for a subscription library. I drew up the proposals, got them put into form by our great scrivener, Brockden, and, by the help of my friends in the Junto...
Page 428 - This, Books can do; — nor this alone; they give New views to life, and teach us how to live. They soothe the grieved, the stubborn they chastise ; Fools they admonish, and confirm the wise : Their aid they yield to all; they never shun The man of sorrow, nor the wretch undone.
Page 320 - I CAN wonder at nothing more than how a man can be idle ; but of all others, a scholar ; in so many improvements of reason, in such sweetness of knowledge, in such variety of studies, in such importunity of thoughts : other artizans do but practise, we still learn ; others run still in the same gyre to weariness, to satiety ; our choice is infinite ; other labors require recreations ; our very labor recreates our sports ; we can never want either somewhat to do, or somewhat that we would do.
Page 488 - SOME COMMON ERRORS OF SPEECH. Suggestions for the Avoiding of Certain Classes of Errors, together with Examples of Bad and of Good Usage. By ALFRED G. COMPTON, Professor in College of the City of New York.
Page 421 - ... comedies; Each tract that flutters in the breeze For him is charged with hopes and fears, In mouldy novels fancy sees Aldines, Bodonis, Elzevirs. With restless eyes that peer and spy, Sad eyes that heed not skies nor trees, In dismal nooks he loves to pry, Whose motto evermore is Spes! But ah! the fabled treasure flees; Grown rarer with the fleeting years, In rich men's shelves they take their ease, — Aldines, Bodonis, Elzevirs!
Page 425 - I LOVE my books as drinkers love their wine ; The more I drink, the more they seem divine ; With joy elate my soul in love runs o'er, And each fresh draught is sweeter than before ! Books bring me friends where'er on earth 1 be, — Solace of solitude, bonds of society.
Page 428 - The noblest road to happiness below; Or men and manners prompt the easy page To mark the flying follies of the age: Whatever good ye boast, that good impart; Inform the head and rectify the heart.

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