Author:

Publisher: Forgotten Books

Published: 2017-01-08

Total Pages: 424

ISBN-13: 9781334944338

Excerpt from The Christian Examiner and General Review, 1840, Vol. 27 This distinction, I admit, is very general. But I think it will be found, without being very accurate, to'answer the practical purpose which I have in View. Reading, doubtless, may com bine both instruction and amusement, and the reader may seek both. In history, biography, and travels, he may Often find both. But every one must be aware, that there is a great deal of reading among us, merely for entertainment. Novels are commonly read with no other View or thought. On the other hand, I wish it to be considered, that there is a kind of readin which is of a far higher character. A man may take a booe with the express intent to think over it. His purpose is not passively to receive what the book communicates, but to think, to examine what the book says; to give his mind a task; to strengthen his powers. His mind is a crucible and what he takes into it, is to be melted, and moulded into a form that makes it his own makes it his own, not by reception, but by re-formation not by simple transfusion, but by thorough trans mutation. And no mind is worth much, without something, more or less, of this habit. This is the essential characteristic Of an original mind. It is not, as many seem to suppose, that its thoughts are absolutely new; that no such thoughts ever entered the human mind before; but that it re-forms, re-arranges Old thoughts, and presents them in new aspects and applica tions. I dwell upon this point a moment, for in this new coun try, where we are apt to suppose that many things are new, which are old enough, it is needful that this matter be under stood. Sciolists, dreamers, fanciful and extravagant men, may have conceptions so strange, that it may seem to them and to others, that nobody ever thought the like before; and in some sense, it is very possible that nobody ever did; one may hope so, at least but the truly comprehensive and original mind knows that it is working with materials as old as the creation and that not its materials, but only its method of working, can be new, or peculiar to itself. All true progress is but the re production Of the Old, aye, and commonly of the well known and familiar, in new forms. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.