The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-12-01
What Shall We Read9


Will some Of the learned Professors iu
the Colleges and Public Schools of this
county advise young man what authors
to read as the best and most profitable
course of study in general literature, ire
spectiye Of the professions of law, medicine
and divinity. A judicious course of read
ing is very important TO ono who wishes
to make proper intellectual advancement,
without pursuing any special science. |
respectfully call upon these learned Pro-
fessors to respond to this request by pub
fishing in your columns list of the best
authors to be read by young man desir-
Gus of acquainting himself by course Of
systematic reading, with the polite litera-
ture Of the day. The writer commenced
course of reading when about twelve
years of age. The first book which he
took up, after getting through with Mother
Goose, Tom Thumb, Jack the Giant Kill
Ter, and Robinson Crusoe, was Bunyans
Pilgrims Progress. This book interested
him greatly and although read at the
tender age Of twelve years, yet the great
allegory was perfectly comprehended by
him. 1t was followed by the celebrated
tracts The Dairyman's Daughter and The
Shepherd of salisbury Plains, works which
left profound moral impress upon the
youthful mind. These were followed by
the Vicar of Wakefield, Young's Night
Thoughts, Pollock's Course of Time, Pa
ley's Philosophy, Dicks Philosophy of a
Future State, Seneca's Morals, Drue on
the Soul, Watts on the Mind, Lock on the
Understanding, Bacon's Essays, Pope
Essay on Man, Hervey's Meditations
among the Tombs, Milton's Paradise Lost
and Paradise Regained, Josephus, Confu-
cius, Cowpers Task, Burke on the Sub
lime and Beautiful, the poetic works of
Shakespeare, Milton, Byron, Burns, Scott,
also the prose writings of the latter; Cook S
Voyages, the Arabian Knights, Swift's
Satires, Cooper's Novels, Fielding's, Irv-
ing's and Channing's works, Junius, Car
ver's Travels among the Indians, Tristram
Shandy, Don Quixot, Biographies of EN-
inent Men, Lives Of the Signers, History
Of the Revolution, History Of the War of
1812-l5, The French Revolution, History
Of the Mexican War, Rollins Ancient
History, the Thirty Years War, the Cru
sades, The World Displayed, The Spec
tator, Jeffersons Notes, The Federalist,
Say, Vethake and Adam Smiths Political
Economy, Bishop Hopkins American Cit.
izen, Upshur's Review of Story, and many
works of like character. My mind
craved everything / heard of, and curiosi
ty impelled me to read books not safe "a
be trusted in the hands Of those not thor.
oughly established in a pure and living
faith. Among these were Humes Eng.
land, Volney's Ruins, Paynes Rights Of
Man and Age of Reason, all of which
served only to strengthen that faith the
groundwork of which had been previously
laid, But, they are books rather to be
avoided. The Bible was read through con.
secutively with the best commentaries at
hand. 1t will be observed that there was
not much system in my reading, and
herein, think, is great fault in the lit
erary pursuits Of the day,--a lack of sys-
tenn. During the scholastic period the
studies of a young man are prescribed for
him. But, after he emerges from college
he is left to his own tastes or the dictates
of his own judgment, which may not be
altogether mature. A little advice upon
the subject of systematic reading and the
proper authors to be selected would be a
great help to one who has not the leisure
and the means to turn book-worn and de-
YOUR every thing that issues from the press.
| hope some of the learned gentlemen
whose eye may fall upon this subject will
respond to the request, and facilitate the
progress of an inquirer after knowledge.