The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-04-07

The three practical rules, which have
to offer, are,-1 Never read any book
that is not year odd. 2 Never read an
but famed books. 8. Never read any
but what you like; or, in Shakespeare
phrase,
"No profit goes where is no pleasure ta'en
In brief, sir, study what you most anect.
VITAL BOOKS.
Montague says, " Books are languid
pleasure y: but I find certain books vital
and spermatic, rot leaving the reader
where he was he shuts the book richer
man. I would never willingly read any
others than such. And I will venture, at
the risk of indicting list OF Old primers
and pramlnars, to count the few books
which superficial reader must thankful
ly use.
OF the old Greek books, think there
are FIVE which we cannot spare: /. Ho-
mer, who in spite of Pope and all the
learned uproar of centuries, has really the
true fire, and is good for simple minds,
is the true and adequate germ OF Greece,
and occupies that place as history, which
nothing can supply. It holds through
all Iii nature, that our best history is still
poetry. 1t is so in Hebrew, in Sanscrit,
and in Greek English history is best
known through Shakespeare; how much
through Merlin, Robin Hood and the
Scottish ballads!-th German through
the Nibelungenlied the Spanish
through the Cid. Of Homer, George
Chapman's is the historic translation,
though the most literal proso version is
the best of all. 2. Herodotua, whose his
In afn
which brought it with the learned into
sort of disesteem; but n these DAYS
when it is found that what 10 most mem
orahle of history is a few anecdotes, and
that we need not be alarmed though wei
should find it is not dull, it is regaining
credit. 8. Eschylus, the grsudest Of the
three tragediars, who has given us under
e hin veil the first plantation of Europe. |
The "Pometheus is a poem of the like
dignity and scope as the book Of Job or
the Morse Edda 4 Of Plato hesitate
to speak, lest there shonli be no end.
You find in him that which you have al
ready found in Homer, now ripened to
thought-the poet converted to philoso-
pher, with loftier strains of musical wis
aom than Homer reached; as if Homer
were the youth, and Plato the finished
man; yet with no less security OF bold ana
perfect song, when he cares to use II, ana
with some harpstrings fetched from a
higher heaven. fIe contains the future,
as he came out the past In Plato, you
explore modern Europe in its causes and
seed,-all that in thought, which the his
tory of Europe embodies or has yet to
embody. The wel.informed man finds
himself anticipated. Plato is up with
him too Nothing hes escaped him
Every new crop in the fertile harvest OF
reform, every fresh suggestion of modern
humanity. is there Plutarch cannot
he spared from the.smallest library; first,
because he is so readable, which is much;
then that he is medicinal and invigor-
Grating. The lives of Cimon, Lycurgus,
Alexander, Demosthenes, PhociOn, Mar
cellus, and the rest, are what history has
of best. But this book has taken care OF
itself. and the opinion of the world is ex
pressed in the 1nnumerble cheap editions,
which make it accessible as paper.
Plutarch's " Morals is less known. and
seldom reprinted. Yet such reader as
am writing to can as i'll spare it as the
Lives" He will read in it the essays
con the Demon of Socrates" Son Isis
and Osiris" On Progress in Virtue"
ION Garrulity," "On Love-" and thank
anew the art of printing, and the cheerful
domain of ancient thinking. Plutarch
charms by the facility of his associations;
so that it signifies little where you open
his book, you find yourselfatthe Olympiap
tables. His memoryis like the Isthmiam
Games, where ali that was excellent in
Greece, was assembled.and you are stimu-
lated and recruited by lyric verses, by phi
losophic sentiments, by the forms and be-
havior of heroes, by the worship of the
gods, and by the passing of. fillets, pars-
lev and laurel wreaths, chariots, armor,
sacred cups, and utensils of sacrafce.
An inestimable triolcgy of ancient social
pictures are the three "Banquets" re-
spectively of Plato, Xenophon, and Plu-
tarch Plutarch has the least approach
to historical accuracy; but the meeting
of the Seven Wise Masters is charming
portraiture of ancient manners and dis
course, and is as clear as the voice of a
fife. and entertaining as a French novel
Xenophon's delineation of Athenian man
ners is an accessory to Plato, and supplies
traits of Socrates, whilst Plato's has mer
it's of every kind-beinga repertory OF
the wisdom OF the ancients onthe subject
OF iOYc--tb plCGuIc III ID SttSt VI WlCoS NV
les descriptive thans Aristophanes-and
lastly, containing that ironical eulogy O
Socrates which is the source from which
all the portraits of that philosopher cur
rent in Europe have been drawn.
TRANSACTIONS.
The respectable and sometimes excel
lent translations of Bohn's Library hav
done for literature what raIlroada hav
done for internal intercourse. / do no
hesitate to read all the books have nam