force of illustration, and not, in any
sense, as applying an exclusive princi-
ple of selection. The books of life are
to be found in every language, and are
the product of almost every age; and
no one attains genuine culture who
does not, through them, make him-
self familiar with the life of each suc-
cessive generation. To be ignorant
of the thought and art of one's time
involves a narrowness of intelligence
which is inconsistent with the maturity
of taste and ripeness of nature which
have been emphasised in these chap-
ters as the highest and finest fruits of
culture. The more generous a man's
culture becomes, the more catholic
becomes his taste and the keener his
insight. The man of highest intelli-
gence will be the first to recognise the
fresh touch, the new point of view,
the broader thought. He will bring

[[272]]

p271 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p272w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p273

v?