Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-05-14

no. I.-BY PRESIDENT BucKHAM.

no. I.-BY PRESIDENT BuCKHAM.
The first of series of lectures at the
University, similar to those which in previ
GUS years have been so instructive and inter
esting to those privileged to attend them,
was given in tho College chapel, Wednesday
afternoon, by President Buckham. Ills
subject was
TIE CHOICE AND USE OF BOOKS.
Promising that he had had chiefly in mind
in the preparation of the lecture, the needs
of the Undergraduate student, the lecturer re-
marked that the character of ones reading is
a test of his mental condition. He who
finds every book but u story book dull, can
have but little mind and ought to know it.
To Il mind enlarged by study and culliva
ton. History, or careful discussions of
great living questions, may become more in
teresting than the best fiction and the hard
est reading will give the most satisfaction.
While fiction is well enough in its place, it is
true that one who is interested only in light
reading, has no special advantage over one
who is not interested in any reading. Al
luding TO some of the social helps to literary
cultivation, President Buckham lamented
the decadencc of the old literary societies in
the University, which in their day had so
strong an influence in stimulating intellectual
activity, and he expressed the wish that in
some shape they might be revived. As
rule the boy whe comes to College has not
read much. Realizing his deficiency he com
monty begins course of reading with Glib
bon's Rome or some equally ponderous
work. some simpler history, or some STIR
ring biography, or good book of essays,
would make a better introduction to his
course. The secret of judicious and profit
able reading is to read the book your mind
Graves or ut least needs. A healthy mind
needs only the alienation between active oc-
cupation and sleep, and reading may be
resource and relaxation from business, or
severcr study. The 'Prometheus Bound,
and Millions prose writings, are commonly
revelations to the unread student, which
stimulate and enlarge and invigorate him.
For every mind, at any given time, there is
a book SO well adapted to its immediate
needs, that the reading of it will be as re-
freshing us Strawberries in the time Of early
fruits. Unhappy he, who does not some
times light on such Il book.
President Buckham deprecated the spend
ing of much time on inferior literature. 1t
is of the first importance TO the scholar TO
who wrote for all time. The effect of con-
filming ones reading to the short essays of
periodical literature, is to alternate the
mind by making it unused TO continuous
thinking. Ii is feeble mind that can say
all it wants TO say, or hear all it wants 10
hear, or review all it wants 10 learn, in short
instruments. The popularity of brief arti-
Giles and short speeches and scrmonettes, be-
tokens deterioration. The student should
make himself reasonably familiar with the
few great hooks which form the basis of lit
erary education. Sir William Hamilton
says lone book read ten times is worth more
than ten read once" and the tenth reading
will often be the most fruitful. 1t is well 10
read play of Shakespeare once a month
in Winter to take Millions prose, Jeremy
Taylor, and such solid reading: in Summer
one may alternate with Sir Roger De Cover
ly or the essays of Ella. 1t is well to read
eA,eneiv-iy in one direction. He who .le"o
not concentrate his reading becomesa sciolist,
while any ont. who will give continuous study
and attention to any special branch, may be-
GENE an authority in 1t. As an instance of
this the lecturer cited the case Of the late
Mr.. Frost of Brattleboro. He was shoe
maker by trade and made that his business
but giving his leisure hours to his specially
of cryptogamous botany, he became known
and honored in it, on both sides of the At
lantic. With enthusiastic attention to par
ticular subject will come the sense OF mas
terry till the reader of a book will SO read
rs TO detect the errors of his author-will
traverse his statements and make his own de-
auctions and his own history and thus
himself become producer.
When one is willing TO put cork into his
reading he may make it one of the most
stimulating and fructifying of occupations.
As illustrations of the benefits of extensive
reading, Mr.. Buckham cited Hon. George p.
Marsh, and Mr.. Gladstone. Mr.. Gladstone's
writings and speeches show that he reads all
the new books, scizing on and mastering all
that is really new and valuable in them.
What such great minds do in large sphere,
we all can do in smaller ones. A few hours
work every day, on good books. expands the
intellect, broadcns the view, and natures the
judgment The test Of the well-read man,
is not the number of books he has read, but
the breadth of his outlook on life and
his grasp of the great questions and problems
of humanity.
For vigorous minds the lecturer advised
reading in large quantities. in great variety,
and generally at II brisk rate. While some
books can only be read glowly, others can
Only lliNC lHtlI lftSl tlltCl WHICH, lul tHIOu1l
rapidly Thackeray's advice TO read heaps
of History was good
Concluding with a reference to the moral
side of his subject, President Buckham said
that our reading is necessarily an impor-
tant force in the formation OF character.
BY our choice of books We can gather the
best thoughts and the purest feelings of great
minds, can inspire our hope and increase
our faith in God and man or we can there
by habiluate ourselves TO thoughts that faint
and debase, that take all the enthusiasm out
of life, and stimulate every bad passion.
The grossest and most openly immoral books
are not the worst and but those that insin-
uate false views of TRUTH fritter away all
reverence, befog duty, and hide from sight
the life TO come. Every good book and
every bad book leaves something of itself in
the mind of its reader; and we cannot cs-
cape responsibility either for our reading or
for our not reading.
The lecture comprised numerous illusions
10 books and authors. illustrating not only
the special points enforced, but also Presi-
dent Buckham's ample reading and scholar
ship. 1t was listened to with gratiticd aiten-
ton, and was received at its close with cor
dial applause by the audience of students
and the few others who had received notice
of the lccture-an invitation to the general
public having been accidentally omitted from
our columns.
The second lecture of the series will be de
livered on Wednesday afternoon, May eGth,
at . o'clock, by Prof. Rice. His subject
will be prehistoric Greece" and the public,
to the extent of the capacity Of the College
chapel, will be welcome TO attend this and
the subsequent lectures.