The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-11-25
Lecture upon Books, by Rev. Mr.. Giles.


The Rev Henry Giles delivered the second ecare Of
at the Brsokyn Institute Tuesday evening" before
hrge and attentive audience Hs subject was the Love
II Books In commencing, he related the anecdoe of the
Irish schoclnaster, of whom he mad read in his youth,
who possessed certain mysterious book, which in his
conversations he occasionally alluded the most won
derful the world ever possessed There but two
others that bore sembance to 1.-THE in possession
q the Pope and the other in the keeping of the Grand
Turk, bu. his book was the most wonderful II
treated upon the Of cudgels and the misuse Of
globes pafcuarzed the geese which aroused the Romans
from sleep gave account Of the Grst Scotchman that
breeches and inc ubable record of Jonah's
ditatens in the whale and while the listeners Of the
Eehoolmaster yet sstonshed he would turn the
pubjsc. TO reading. Some, he would say mark the
stops well enough, but that was not reading; it
was the mind, he would explain, that reads, and
it i, mind which gets spirit cut OF the mater
pie with note from missionary to at distance,
and be receives that which he knew the sender needed
And he VIII think !: magic and it is from this point Of
de a1esthen awful TO the multitude and to the
mon man thing Of fear. Books had multiplied, and
their power greatin the world and enters into
~ orevce Of life. Fragments Of divine biography swept
away the bloody power Of the Casars and books may set
m action the most resisiess pauresoveturn and OBJ
hteate empires The elements even weak to what
book may be. The most accessible the most geabe
may possesf that which y change ations and make
srature, and each has it's admirers Students but out
eide Of which they know nothing and SO it often found
that the ei Of is not The literature of the 9TH
or. There is a. literature which is persuasive or
generatiye OF thought, and expressive, and there
v a literature which does net contain these
qualities; but ell have their uses When we ina 1ire
what 1t s that the words Of to live upon the
earth after they have departed may ssy, truth but
that indetnable but if could arrive at the greatest
cause, we would FAY humanty-those attributes which
constitute mans universal nature. The writer passes
away, Tut Lis soul lives in the words he Leases behind
writer's Of that class Of lers ture which yes cr day
and then passes with the things that were and those
HE servantes and other writer's, whore works ati live
The former only shake the camera into the pencil and
their works reflect but transient images from
lace Of society while the latter che contrary, ente
into the spirit Of man. and their works live The sub
stance upon which their genius works does not wear
alter Those books esquire most readers which grasp
in the whole compass OF his morality and tho cook
which will continue to have interest must not only b.
true TO nature but to general nature and any
book which bellies contradics nature des as 1t ought
ute, bad book; tu. book which makes the mind the
aave Of the body, lie most pernicous and most perish
alternating the face blush that peruses its pages and
therefore, dIes "A book may he an originality; but
novelty without truth II paradox Novelty and truth
render book distinctive, and individuality s genius
which the mind developes itself There are writers OF
wit and writer's OF sympathy but there are no writings so
interesting those where self Is reveaed-where the
writer's egotitm is evident. A man may not like to
listen 70 that which he would admire 20 read good book
among the best Of good things and ite contents are
snbamsd and treasured up TO lie above se.o Good Is
not alone that which u fact, but that which gives i'm
pulse-whioh does not fater into content but quickens
INTO inspiration; and while good beck is the best of
good things, bsd book ia the wos. Of bad things Bat
must take free literature with its imperfecous
well ~ its advantages, for nqssition Of literature
would be no more toIersbe than inquison Of reli
gcn. Preaching even, bad books is than vaiu
1T only adverses them and makes the bearer eager
read and examine its contents for how the preacher
tncw that II is bad book unless he reads t2 why
his hearers not capable 20 judge well as him.
s9 The true guard against them s education and the
next step is TO treat them with silence and contempt
There those who desire book living companion
Il the mind and to such good work is society TO his
loneliness--a balm to his trouDles-a friend 10 the
tnendless--weslth to the poor, and, moreover,
keep the mind In action though the body dies. u
Plato who went 20 play when he was elected 70 the
ssnsushp, but the evening before no died be read.
Mind lives by mind II has been developed and preserved
and man by this medium has shown himself ii action Eke
an angel, in WORKS like God. Take this from him and
he nothing The lecturer went 20 show that it was not
Aene oy reading that elevated and instanced
she Romans who, without literature, conquered the
World end Afterwards learning to read bound down
In letters il the spirit which was infused
mind BY reading that made the mani books are but dead