tention to books as documents of
spiritual history.

It must not be forgotten that books
become literature by virtue of a cer-
tain quality which is diffused through
every true literary work, and which
separates it at once and forever from
all other writing. To miss this
quality, therefore, is to miss the
very essence of the thing with which
we are in contact; to treat the inspired
books as if they were uninspired.
The first discovery which the real
reader makes is the perception of
some new and individual beauty or
power; the discovery of life and
truth is secondary in order of time,
and depends in no small measure
on the sensitiveness of the spirit
to the first and obvious charm. If
one wishes to study the life -- not
the mere structure -- of an apple-

[[57]]

p056 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p057w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p058

v?