Chapter XVIII -- The Unconscious Element

While it is true that the greatest
books betray the most intimate
acquaintance with the time in which
they are written, and disclose the im-
press of that time in thought, struc-
ture, and style, it is also true that such
books are so essentially independent
of contemporary forms and moods
that they largely escape the vicissi-
tudes which attend those forms and
moods. The element of enduring
interest in them outweighs the acci-
dents of local speech or provincial
knowledge, as the force and genius
of Caesar survive the armor he wore
and the language he spoke. A great

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v?