Travels.
Marco Polo, by Yule.
Hakluyt Society's Publications.
Arctic Voyages (many).
African Explorations (many).
Philosophy.
Herbert Spencer's Works.
Poetry and General Literature.
Chaucer's Canterbury Pilgrimage.
Ben Jonson's Works.
Butler's Hudibras.
Young—Jas. Thomson—Colins—Gray—Burns—Cowper—Coleridge—Byron—Moore—Shelley—Campbell—Keats.
Essayists.
Bacon.
Sir Thomas Browne.
Thomas Fuller.
Charles Lamb.
Fiction.
Don Quixote (of which many English translations exist).
Gil Blas.
Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews.
Other books might be named which people will read if they have the leisure, but the above-named I think are indispensable.
VIII.—The Publishers and Booksellers.
NO class of people's opinion on the best books would be more interesting than that of the publishers. How much of all the literature that they present to the world do they genuinely think worth the world's acceptance? Frank answers here are hardly to be expected, and our readers will not be surprised at the fewness of the letters given under this head.
MR. A. BLACK.
Dear Sir,—To draw up a detailed list of books suitable for a liberal education is not an easy task in itself, and in some senses of doubtful advantage. It may be useful, however, to make a sketch of the field of reading to be occupied by those who desire to acquire a more or less complete store of knowledge, and the following may be submitted:—
1. History.—This subject may be divided into two great epochs, ancient, ranging from early Persian history to the fall of the Roman Empire, and modern, from then till now. There are unfortunately no single works devoted to these epochs in their entirety, and they are much wanted.
2. Philosophy.—A history of mental philosophy from ancient to modern times should be sufficient to give the reader a general knowledge of this branch of science, and prove whether he has a taste for the special study of metaphysics, psychology, ethics, and logic.
3. Religion.—There is no digest of this great subject in a popular and accessible form, and the reader must confine himself to the books of the religious teachers themselves—the Bible, the Koran, &c.
4. Natural Science.—This division of knowledge is very much broken up, and can only be overtaken by the
ordinary reader by means of the primers and handbooks on geology, physical geography, astronomy, electricity, physiology, zoology, botany, &c.
5. Literary Style.—For a digest of the principal writings in prose and verse the reader must turn to the histories of the literatures of the different countries, and select those works which are there pronounced to be of standard value. The outstanding authors, such as Dante, Shakspeare, Goethe, &c., cannot be overlooked, and those of a lower grade may be left to the free selection of the reader according to his tastes.
6. Literary Entertainment.—Besides those of the five great English novelists there are many works of fiction and humour that might fitly be classed under this heading, but whose recommendation depends entirely on the taste of the reader, who should here have his own way.
The key to the above classification will be found in such a work as the "Encyclopædia Britannica."—I am, &c.,
A partner in one of the best-known London publishing firms wrote to us as follows:—
I see that in the list of books which Sir John Lubbock drew up he has excluded all books by living authors. No doubt he felt some delicacy in either mentioning or omitting the names of writers who were his personal friends. Sir John Lubbock's delicacy of feeling detracts from the value of his teaching, and a man who assumes the position of a public instructor ought to be able to put personal feelings altogether aside. The result of this limitations is, for instance, that in Sir John Lubbock's list Hume's is the only History of England recommended, and Tennyson's name is omitted from the list of poets whom it is desirable to read. It seems to me that to draw up a list of writers so mutilated as this is worse than useless. If, however, Sir John Lubbock felt some difficulty in mentioning the names of living writers, you will easily see that it would be impossible for me to do so, as I should be under the imputation of puffing my own wares, depreciating those of other people.
Mr. Galpin (of Messrs. Cassell and Co., Limited) wrote, on the other hand, that he "cannot do better than send you an extract of about one hundred of the volumes which we propose to produce in our 'National Library,' which is being received on all hands with extraordinary enthusiasm."
A BOOKSELLER'S OPINION.
Mr. Bernard Quaritch, the famous bookseller in Piccadilly, wrote to us as follows:—
Sir John's "working man" is an ideal creature; I have known many working men, but none of them could have digested such a feast as he has prepared for them.
Our "working men," to compete successfully with their foreign rivals in France, Belgium, Germany, and in America, should have a good scientific and artistic training before they enjoy the pleasure of reading Plato and the "Mahabharata." I am a freethinker, yet I constantly recommend to my son, who hopes to be my
