The World's Best Books : A Key to the Treasures of Literature

Part 7

Chapter 72,025 wordsPublic domain

[318] Froissart's "Chronicles" constitute a graphic story of the States of Europe from 1322 to the end of the 14th century. Scott said that Froissart was his master. Breadth demands at least a glance at the old itinerant tale-gatherer. Note especially the great rally of the rebels of Ghent.

[319] This masterpiece of Old German Minstrelsy is too much neglected by us. Read it with the three preceding. (Early German.)

[320] _Saga_ means "tale" or "narrative," and is applied in Iceland to every kind of tradition, true or fabulous. Read the "Heimskringla," Njal's Saga, and Grettir's Saga, (9th-13th cents.)

[321] Along with the last should be read the poems of the elder Edda. (Compiled by Samund the Wise, 12th cent.)

[322] The epic of Spain, containing a wonderful account of the prowess of a great leader and chief. (Spain, before the 13th cent.)

[323] A collection of fragments about the famous King Arthur and his Round Table. They crop out in every age of English literature. Read the book with Tennyson's "Idylls of the King,"--a poem inspired by Malory's "Morte D'Arthur,"--Cervantes' "Don Quixote," and Twain's "Yankee in the Court of King Arthur," Lanier's "Boy's King Arthur," Ritson's "Ancient English Metrical Romances," Ellis' Introduction to the Study of the same, Preston's "Troubadours and Trouveres," Sismondi's "Literature of Southern Europe," Chapon's "Troubadours," and Van Laun's "History of French Literature" may be referred to with advantage by the student of Malory.

[324] A collection of Chinese odes.

[325] This and the last are recommended, not for intrinsic merit, but for breadth, and to open the way to an understanding of and sympathy with four hundred millions of mankind who hold these books in profound veneration. (China, as early as 5th cent. B. C.)

[326] This is the Bible of the Sufis of Persia, one of the manifestations of that great spirit of mysticism which flows like a great current through the world's history, side by side with the stream of Rationalism. It found certain outlets in Schelling, Swedenborg, Emerson, etc., and is bubbling up even now through the strata of worldliness in the United States in the shape of Theosophy. (7th cent.)

[327] Read Saint Hilaire's "Buddha" and Arnold's "Light of Asia." They will open great regions of thought.

[328] These are epitomized by Talboys Wheeler in his "History of India." Very interesting and broadening. (Very ancient.)

[330] Not valuable reading intrinsically, but as opening the doors of communication with the minds and hearts of whole races of men, most useful. The Vedas are the Bible of the Hindus, and contain the revelation of Brahma (15th cent.). The Koran is the Mohammedan Bible (6th cent.). The Talmud belongs to the Rabbinical literature of the Jews, and is a collection of Jewish traditions (3d cent.).

[333] The works of Hooker, Swedenborg, Newton, Kepler, Copernicus, Laplace, should be actually _handled_ and _glanced through_ to form a nucleus of experience, around which may gather a little knowledge of these famous men and what they did. This remark applies with more or less of force to all the names on the second shelf. Few can hope to _read all_ these books, but it is practicable by means of general works, such as those mentioned in Column 13, to gain an idea of each man, his character and work; and there is no better way to put a hook in the memory on which such knowledge of an author may be securely kept, than to take his book in your hands, note its size and peculiarities (visual and tactual impressions are more easily remembered than others as a rule), glance through its contents, and read a passage or two.

SHORT COURSES.

When the reader has a special purpose in view, it is of the greatest advantage to arrange in systematic order the books that will be most helpful in the accomplishment of his purpose, study them one after the other, mark them, compare them, make cross references from one to another, digest and assimilate the vital portions of each, and seek to obtain a mastery of all that the best minds of the past have given us in reference to the object of his effort. For example: a person who has devoted himself exclusively to one line of ideas will be greatly benefited by reading a short course of books that will give him a glimpse of each of the great fields of thought. One who is lacking in humor should get a good list of fine humorous works and devote himself to them, and to the society of fun-loving people, until he can see and enjoy a good joke as keenly as they do,--not only to quicken his perception of humor, but that the organ of fun (the gland that secretes wit and humor) may be roused into normal activity. Again, if a gentleman finds that he does not appreciate Shakspeare, Dante, Irving, etc., as he sees or is told that literary people do; if he prefers his newspaper to the English classics as a source of pleasure and profit; if he sees little difference between Tennyson and Tupper, enjoys Bill Nye as much or more than Holmes, and is able to compare the verses he writes to his sweetheart with Milton without any very distinct feeling except perhaps a disgust for Milton,--if any of these things are true, he has need of a course to develop a literary taste.

In the three tables following will be found a suggestion of several important short courses, and others will be found on page 123 _et seq._

TABLE II.

A short special course, to gather _ideas_ of practical importance to every life, and to make a beginning in the gaining of that _breadth of mind_ which is of such vital value by reason of its influence on morals and the aid it gives in the attainment of truth.

1. Physiology and Hygiene. Read and digest the best books. See Table I. Col. 3.

2. "Our Country," by Strong; the Constitution of the United States; the Declaration of Independence, and Washington's Farewell. (All m. R. D.)

3. Mill's Logic; at any rate, the Canons of Induction and the Chapter on Fallacies, (m. R. D. C. G.)

4. Smiles's "Self-Help." (m. R. D.)

5. Wood's books on Natural History; especially his anecdotes of animals, and evidences of mind, etc., in animals (e. R. D.). Proctor's books on Astronomy, "Other Worlds than Ours," etc. (e. R. G.). Lubbock's "Primitive Condition of Man" (m. R.). Dawson's "Chain of Life" (m. R.). In some good brief way, as by using the "Encyclopaedia Britannica," read _about_ Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Darwin, Herschel, Lyell, Harvey, and Torricelli.

6. Spencer's "First Principles." (d. R. D. G.)

7. Green's "Short History of the English People" (m. R. D. G.). Bancroft's "History of the United States" (m. R. D. G). Guizot's "History of Civilization" (m. R. D. G.).

8. Max Mueller's philological works, or some of them (m. R.). Taylor's "Words and Places" (m. R.).

9. In some public library, if the books are not accessible elsewhere, get into your hands the books named in Columns 12 and 13 of Table I., and not already spoken of in this table, and glance through each, reading a little here and there to make a rapid survey of the ground, acquire some idea of it, and note the places where it may seem to you worth while to dig for gold.

TABLE III.

A short course of the choicest selections from the whole field of general literature. It may easily be read through in a year, and will form a taste and provide a standard that will enable the reader ever after to judge for himself of the quality and value of whatever books may come before the senate of his soul to ask for an appropriation of his time in their behalf.

Very few books are requisite for this course, but it will awaken a desire that will demand a library of standard literature. No. 1, No. 2, etc., refer to the numbers of the "100 Choice Selections." Monroe's "Sixth Reader" and Palgrave's "Golden Treasury" are also referred to, because they contain a great number of these gems, and are books likely to be in the possession of the reader.

For the meaning of the other abbreviations, see the last section of the Introductory Remarks.

GROUP I.--_Poetry._

[*] in headings denotes "Degree of Difficulty."

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GROUP II.--_Short Poetical Selections._