Pathfinders of the Soul-Country; And Other Sermons for Today

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1918 Excerpt: ... VIII THE MASTERY OF THE BOOK The ears of all the people were attentive unto the read' ing of the words of the book.--Nehemiah 8:3. PLEADING guilty to increasing the agony of a world already surfeited with books, Robert Burton, the Oxford sage, in his Anatomy of Melancholy, recalls the complaint first uttered by the Wise Man of long ago: Of the writing of many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness to the flesh. 'Tis most true, slyly comments the quaint Burton. In this scribbling age, especially, 'wherein the number of books is without number (as a worthy man saith), presses be oppressed, ' and out of an itching humour that every man hath to show himself desirous of fame and honour, he will write no matter what and scrape together it boots not whence. But what would the Wise Man, who was King in Jerusalem three thousand years ago, and the Other Wise Man, who was King of English literati three hundred years ago, say, if they could see the formidable announcement of ten thousand new books in this country alone each year and listen to the rumbling of the printing presses multiplying these into ten million copies! And what do we say of such formidable literary output? We rejoice in the great variety of books that are at our command. Our library is our chief joy. Rich argosies of the poetic and prose treasuries of the past, there lie at anchor awaiting our command. New gems of truth just discovered by some diligent brain-toiler of today are constantly taking their place for enlightenment. Poet and essayist, philosopher and scientist, biographer and humourist, bid us share their wealth without money and without price. As happy-hearted vacationists we still love to take with us the bright-winged messengers of the books. By the cool ocean or i...