The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1856-08-23

RUE
Our >,nr.t- fi' III their urris.
From books they receive most cFther cu'
ture and by them are disciplined in youth,
stimulated in manhood, and so!aced in age.
when l am reading book" SAID Swift,
..wh.,har W.. .tn.. II seems 10 ne IL nc
alive and talking TO me- Such is the feel
ing of every student who appreciates the au
thor he reads
There are those who desire book as a
living companion of the mini; and to such
good work is society TO his lonrlinrsS-a t3lu
to his trouhlc>-a friend 10 the trienlcs>-
wealth to the poor and norovcr. can keep
the mind in action. though the body dies II
was Plato who went t" play when he wa~
elected to the consulship. but t'laevening se-
fore he died he read Mind lives bv mind
as it has been de.e!opc! and preserved and
man, by this medium. has shown hm>c!t in
action like an angel in words like a god
. Take this from him and he is nothing.
in books We have friends for every mood
comforts for every sorrow; a glorious com
ranv OF Inmorta!>. scattering their sweet in
fluenccs on the worn and beaten paths of oar
daily life, Shapes that haunt thon.ht'> will
dernc,s.' are around us. in toll, and suffer
ing. and joy mitigating labor, soothin. care,
1,,k IL,
the heroic string in our nature with a noble
sentiment kindlin. our hcarts. lifting our
una .inaiions. and hoverln. alike over III,
couch of health and the sick pillow. to bless
and cheer, and animate and console"
Book making, once a science. acquired bv
long laborous toll, has, by the applrnces OF
modern machinery. become a mcrcantll" pUr-
suit of almost unlimited extent. In ol1cl
times the N.yI'1S ana parchment were the me
cbanical essentials Of book, and years were
often devoted to It's proiuc'lon now. by the
magic of metal type and the steam. press, vol
umcs are multiplied almost by the hour
., d
,hani-m, was the sole work Of ;hr monk ol
scribe now there is a division Of The
author writes il, ;he steam press prints II. and
the publisher is IFS purveyor to the pnhlc.
By this cXpcdient, tie universal diffusion
department of the la; or been rendered NOR,
perfect But for this. the light Of learning
would not have been reflected from the lu
m;nous page, While the C:mmc~ean G'oou
of the dark aces" would have still cast dee,
shadows over the NATIONS
The Pm tie PEt>SES bc>,'d alliance collbi,
To soften the heart and e,I .cn ,he mind:
For INIT 10 the treasures OF know zee! - gHvt
birth,
And THIS sent them forth to he ends 81 -" earth
lheir battles for truth trlumpnant. il..ccd.
And The ro! .,t the tvrant snapped Ike rccd
iicv were made To ex,r IL TO teach To br-~.
Hose ulvincibie Brothcr--thc Pm and I'll,
lEt>>.
\ book has been curou>iv Il, fined "brai,
preserved in ink, and when there is l,nt,
most capriciouS palate. In ancient tunes
books were written on the bark of trees
hence the Latin wore. Hl,r, from which w
derive our English term library" Book
is from the Saxon, "bor." beech tree.
\ tablet made from he main body of frc
was called codeX or caudvX. SrIp'o Mall
5 distinguishes >qnare and round books by III
term, codcN and lihcr respectively. 1t
doubtful whether harks or stones were fr,
written on although the Dtcaio.ur. The fir,
writI" Of which We have any authentic a,
u count, wa, on the latter. The leaves O.
n plants were lon. used for writing on-ch;ri'
Il those OF the pain. papyIuS. tiles. e.. Lcatl
er and goa, >krs were used 10y the E.NI
T tians. Plates OF copper and lead We're ais
; used in the East. According To .Josc,hu
u the children of Seth wrote their invention
" in Astronomy, &c. on s'onc pillars. IL,
: siod's works were first written on tables o
lead Soion's laws on wooden r!anks. Iii
i wood was sometimes covered with wax.
that the writing could be easily eh.ccd-
Pliny thinks that writing on lead succcede
II that of bark.
e The term volume" is from rolro, to rol
: the earlier manuscripts bcin" in the form 0
u a scroll or roll.
$ The Chinese manufacture paper Of liner
! the tibres of the Young bamboo-oi the mu
berry, the envelope of the silk worm-ot
+ native tree called c'u or locLu-but especia
y Of cotton. They were in possession Of tl'
y ant long before it was known in Europe All
as Mecca was sort of depot for tle product
OF China, it is by some very reasonably SUI
posed, that the paper was brought from thd
country. Whatever might have been II
origin, the art was undoubtedly empIoye
and improved by The Arabs. who in their c;
reer OF conquest, carried it into Spain, ahor
J. the beginning OF the tenth century. Othe
i. accounts ascrbe the invention Of cotton T.;
per to Greece; indeed, not only its origi,
but the various Improvements in its manuta.
ture and the different substitutions of ne,
: materials, have long been the subject Of con
trUversy.
Cotton paper was called chata bomIyciao
it was very white and strong, but not equa