many, but there are a few books
which he must read; among them,
first and foremost, are the Bible, and
the works of Homer, Dante, Shake-
speare, and Goethe. These are the
supreme books of life as distinguished
from the books of knowledge and
skill. They hold their places because
they combine in the highest degree
vitality, truth, power, and beauty.
They are the central reservoirs into
which the rivulets of individual ex-
perience over a vast surface have been
gathered; they are the most complete
revelations of what life has brought
and has been to the leading races;
they bring us into contact with the
heart and soul of humanity. They
not only convey information, and,
rightly used, impart discipline, but
they transmit life. There is a vital-
ity in them which passes on into the

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v?