NELSON'S LITERATURE Readers No. I. Selected and Annotated by Dr. Richard Garnett, C.B. Late Keeper of Printed Books, British Museum With Numerous Illustrations Thomas Nelson and Sons 1902 No one of literary taste, it is probable, ever saw a selection of passages from literature, excerpted from books or complete in themselves, without deeming that he could have made a better. This is as much as to say that the satisfactory compilation of a book of extracts is an undertaking of considerable difficulty; and perhaps the most difficult variety of it is the preparation of such a work for young readers. The compiler's ideal cannot entirely correspond to the ideal of his public. Young people—unless they are very exceptional young people--only want to be amused, and do not particularly care whether or no enlargement of knowledge and elevation of character follow in the train of amusement. The compiler, if justly conscious of the real importance of his mission, though quite willing that they should be amused, will feel himself to have failed if he achieves "only this, and nothing more." His aims should be, so far as permitted by the limitation of his sphere, to fortify character while refining it; to foster a taste for reading far beyond the power of his humble compilation to satisfy; to display to the reader that excellence whose imitation conducts to real culture; to promote knowledge, not so much by the actual communication of matters of fact, as by offering fascinating glimpses of the vast unknown. effect of a good reading book upon the reader should be that of Robertson's introduction to his Charles the Fifth upon the boyish Carlyle, to delight and amaze by opening new worlds of knowledge, vistas in all directions." 66 The With this object before him, the compiler will nevertheless remember that to overdo his work will be to defeat his purpose. If he pitches his standard too high, and sets before his readers pieces beyond their comprehension, he may actually do them a disservice by inspiring them with a distaste for reading. But neither, on the other hand, is it fair that the bright boy should be sacrificed to the dull. Lord Methuen is said to have observed, when campaigning in South Africa, that the speed of an army carrying its own provisions could be no greater than that of the slowest ox in its train. In South Africa, unfortunately, the slow ox was master of the situation, but such should not be the case in Great Britain. On the whole, if perfection cannot be attained, it seems better to be a little in advance than somewhat in the rear of the ordinary capacity. The dull boy may, by the help of a good teacher, who will take care that he understands the meaning of every exceptional word, whether in the glossary or not, read himself up to the standard; the quick boy should not read himself down to it. A still more important consideration is the stimulus to superior minds of casual suggestions from books out of the beaten track, which awake to effort by the stimulus they afford to curiosity. Miss Martineau took up Milton without any desire to read him, when her attention was attracted by the word "argument," and the wish |