The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-01-03

teolum OF his long imprisonment and throw a
charm over the pages of his Memoirs which
have made them, as have said one of the
most delightful and instructive books, but in
reading Them you perceive that it was in the
wise maxims and reflections of the great
writers of the world that he learned much of
that political wisdom which, joined to great
Christian courage and fidelity to principle,
made him one of the most eminent of those
great Christian statesmen who have shed 80
mach glory around the Holy See. 1 cherish
1t as one of the most pleasing remembrances
OF my life that I was permitted to this
great man, and 1 will never forget his still
tellectual face and erect form,
though he was then in che ninety second year
of his ago.
1 might go at any length quoting from
ancient and modern authors in praise of books
and the advantages of reading and study, but
1t is not necessary.
1t stands to reason, constituted as we are,
that there is no better way in which we can
employ the leisure time that may be left us,
after attending to the religious and temporal
dutes of life, than in reading and study. 1t
instruots and elevates the mind, fills it with
fruitful reflection, with principles to guide
our conduct and enable MS more fully to dis
charge our duty in whatever condition of life
we may be placed. But in order that reading
and study may have this effect, it is hardly
books read must be carefully selected. 1t is
with food for the mind as with food for the
body: it must be sound and good in order to
give health and vigor. To read with advan-
and what to avoid. Aud if the reader is not
able to do this himself, he should take the ad-
vice of well educated and judicious persons on
the matter. One of the most i'm portant parts
Of knowledge is the knowledge of where
knowledge is to be found, and it is this which
makes the study of photography not only one
of the most delightful, but one of the most
useful branches of study to know the authors
who have written upon certain subjects, to be
able to distingu amongst them, SO as to
select the best; to be informed of their char
acter, the circumstances under which they
wrote, the value of their testimony, the best
editions of their works, all this constitutes O
most important branch of knowledge, and is
not only necessary for literary men, but most
useful to those who read for instruction and
Improvement, as it saves them from wasting
their time upon inaccurate and useless works.
The fact is that life is too short to be consumed
in reading anything but the best books. In
every subject, there are O few authors who are
recognized masters. The large
number of worthless books issuing from the
press caused q witty critic to say that "when O
new book came out he read an old one."
But then best books must be really best, not
merely books that enjoy great reputation on
account of the putting of prejudiced partizans,
but such as have received their imprematar
from those folly capable of Judging. Some
time since the State superintendent of the
Public Schools in New jersey published list
of books suitable for Public School libraries.
This list showed that he was either very
prejudiced man or else very ignorant of
photography or the true character of many of
the books which he recommended, for only q
very ignorant man or very prejudiced one
would name Llorentes History of the Inquisi-
tion and d'Aubigne's History of the Reforma-
ton, two of the most one-sided and inaccurate
books ever written as guides to the truth upon
these subjects. As long as man remains man
it is perhaps unavoidable, but nothing is more
to be regretted than the small number of truly
accurate historical works.
ALL OUR GREAT ENGLISH HISTORIANS,
Hume. Robinson, Gibbon, Macauley, particu-
larly Froude, and in our own country, Prescott
and Motley, have allowed their peculiar ideas
and prejudices 80 to pervert their statements,
especially when anything connected with the
Catholic Church was to be treated of (and it
pervades all history, as almost to justify the
famous diction of SIR Robert Walpole in regard
to the untruthfulness of modern history.
Then, after referring to fondness for books
and the bibliomania of some, and the high
prices realized for rare works, the Archbishop
said: Thus, of the first edition of the new
Bible, of which there are only two copies in
England, and none in France; one eff these
copies was purchased by a Mr.. Sandford in q
book shop in the Strand for half q guinea
He gave it to the Exeter College, Oxford. 1t
would no doubt sell for one Thousand
dollars if put up at auctinn. Many of yon will
recOllect
SIR WALTER SCOTS
description of David Wilson-Snuffy Davy as
he was called. The Archbishop here read
from the Antiquary Oldhuck's description of
this famous scout after old books. Richard
Heber, wealthy En3lShmau, n man of high
culture and intelligence, was perhaps, one of
the most remarkable examples of thorough
bibliomaniac. He wonld set off any day a
journey of several hundred miles, and that
before railroads in search of book not in his
collection. When he died the family seat st
Hodnet, an immense old country-house, was
literally stuffed with books. His house in
London was also full another at Pimlico, at
Oxford, at Antwerp. The sale catalogue was in
five thick octave volumes. 1t will do none of
us any harm to have the disease in a mild way. |
Having learned what the best books are the
next best thing is to read with attention not
merely for curiosity and for the passing in
terest it excites, but attentively and thought |
fully, digesting it, as it were, in your mind so
as to make it q part and parcel of your mental |
substance. 1 have known many persons who
were always reading but never seemed to re-
member anything they had read. In CONVEX
'ation you asked them if they had read such
and such book; they would answer yes, but
when you began to talk with them about it
you find out that no useful Impression had
been made upon their minds Owing
TO the careless, superficial systems of teaching,
so common in our days, many years of study in
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