New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-11-15
Mercantile Library Associarion-ReN' Mr.
IIfe.'s Lecture.

tiles's Lecture
The curse Of Lectures before the NsTcah'e
Library Association vas opened lssi evening y s's
Henry Gl,s in the arsi discourse Of series 90 some
Of tie prominent agencies Of Hlnsn and sociAi Ou'
,ure The sub Get Of tbs lecture which was soo"
Va, introduced BY NJ Giles viii humorous naTrsnVe
Of A. sh scr oolaster who was accustomed 70 boast
0fs book IN his possession which treated Of s. topics
from hierosyph'cs hyirosstic', and Ike It's owner
taught IT, use Of TIE cGdse and The sbuse Of the globes
Mr. Giles said be would repeat the question often put
By Ehis schoolnaster. DO you know waAi book 10
The tes Of genuine book 10 thst il possesses human
liy according 70 tie measure CT "a desiEn L must
come home % whatever q most Intrinsic, vita snd
profound 10 The nature Of man or i "a no book, ou
counterfeit lit Il addressed 10 the intellect i must
make th,nk-fit appeals TO TIE heart i must IN
lock the foantsinS Of sincere d'nif Il belongs to
the sphere Of Imagination, 1t must wrap the soul in
visions Of IDEAL excellence snd l0ve.ness Al books
IN limited circle but every book mus, be true 10
our nsture-,o general nature book tbs, ls5ors -
dstort humsnlty-ths, Is false 10 the mighty heart
whose sstous bes, In every individual OF race
s thing die. No ephemerA popularity can save Il
from the oblivion which Is its certain doom
Life book must have In Itself and must b sbe 70
give life % others u 10 better often that book shou
be o. vgcstve than dsmCnstratve better suPpressve
trAn expressive. IN THIS way u g'Fts more potent
impulse % cur best energes by what Il significantly
shadows forth than By vhst Z fully lrrsdatss Gcnu-
Inc originality consists IN the vital union between nov
city and truth. The two elements must coaesce In
order 20 form perfect whole Novelty without truth
is monstrosity. truth without novelty ia common
place Unite them both ard we have living book
one Kind OF originality deals With the universal nature
Of man. ard another knd with the individuality OF tie
writer The sharp luminous wel-detned distinctness
Of person aty which constitutes the charm OF many
books proceeds from the constitution OF the man ~
mannesm but character tis this which us
in such writer's A. Rabelsis Montague Swift Richter.
Hood Charles Lamb. This style has been qaiokened
and cheri she'd 10 great degree by Christianity. be-
cause thst tends elevate the ndlv.tua-to arouse
bis self bring him into the sub sctye
sphere OF redsction-aud 10 make bic nature an ooect
II supreme importance o. Itself We have al Kinds Of
esotism set forth in bo0ks-the egotsm Of repentance
BIZ 81 Augustine-tho egotism OF vanity, By Rousseau
the egotism OF intellect by G1cihe-the egousm OF VIII
and passion BY Byron, and no books are 50 sure OF
universal interest those OF aIrsr character TO the
most subjective productions OF such writer's The
reason Of this may easily be explained Lie STROUD
Cd 10 dark aud fearful mystery No one has vet been
able % raise the veil. Hence we love - commune
with the experience Of others our own eg0tsm
makes Us syrnpsthze with the egosm OF others whom
Il, is expressed % books and not "a conversation We
love 20 read about IT, but not 10 talk about IL In talk
eyotl.rn i vugsr but In books itis fascinating.
Many smlufy themselves with tho use OF books IN
stead Of gaining from them wholesome reiresnment
They indulge in them "a an Incorporate stimulus IN
delirium tremens Il more common diseaSe than
book apoplexy. and many drug themselves more dan
gerousy on A new romance than they would on ne"
rum
We cannot read author well, unless We enter Truly
into his sprii-we must be- IN circle around him. or
in circle within hm-by All means ccncenIic with
him Living reading is not rhetoric, not dramatic, mol
that which Is prot In commas semicoioDs which
makes distinctions between enctcs ami proclitics >,
and IS sitve 10 the slightest waves IN the rising IN
fsc,on and the falling infection but that which taxes
YOU most directly most speedily most earnestly TO the
heart of the author oar appreciation OF book IL the
reflection o. our our own spiritual state. common
book NAV seem inspired because We muse into Il the
lie of our own spirit The eloquent themselves are
most alive 10 eoquence Ia others speech 10 thought
m ade eloquent Words are bat points 10 the highest
souls from which dash their Interior nres Others
cannot be klnded ~ the MODEST expression OF the
subhmest themes. The most quickenug books on the
sou and the Deity, Lie, Death, and Humanity, Right
and Wrong Progress and Perfection, are 10 their eye
no more the letters which spell the words 10 their
ear NJ more than the sylRbles which sound them.
Nj Giles continued ais Discourse for nearly an hour
ln vein Of mingled humor sarcasm, shrewdness ar
pathos 10 the evident delight Of bis crowded audience
il wss redolent OF the fragrant atmosphere OF old
books and highly splced with piqusnt criticisms on
| modern folues He closed with deeply impressive
tribute to the sublime spirit OF humanity which per
wade. the Sacred Volume irrespective OF the claims OF
its theology or the sanctty of us inspiration.