Withalittlemoredeliberationinthechoiceoftheirpursuits,allmenwouldperhapsbecomeessentiallystudentsandobservers,forcertainlytheirnatureanddestinyareinterestingtoallalike.Inaccumulatingpropertyforourselvesorourposterity,infoundingafamilyorastate,oracquiringfameeven,wearemortalbutindealingwithtruthweareimmortal,andneedfearnochangenoraccident.TheoldestEgyptianorHindoophilosopherraisedacorneroftheveilfromthestatueofthedivinityandstillthetremblingroberemainsraised,andIgazeuponasfreshagloryashedid,sinceitwasIinhimthatwasthensobold,anditisheinmethatnowreviewsthevision.Nodusthassettledonthatrobenotimehaselapsedsincethatdivinitywasrevealed.Thattimewhichwereallyimprove,orwhichisimprovable,isneitherpast,present,norfuture.
Myresidencewasmorefavorable,notonlytothought,buttoseriousreading,thanauniversityandthoughIwasbeyondtherangeoftheordinarycirculatinglibrary,Ihadmorethanevercomewithintheinfluenceofthosebookswhichcirculateroundtheworld,whosesentenceswerefirstwrittenonbark,andarenowmerelycopiedfromtimetotimeontolinenpaper.SaysthepoetM?rCamarUdd?nMast,“BeingseatedtorunthroughtheregionofthespiritualworldIhavehadthisadvantageinbooks.TobeintoxicatedbyasingleglassofwineIhaveexperiencedthispleasurewhenIhavedrunktheliquoroftheesotericdoctrines.”IkeptHomer’sIliadonmytablethroughthesummer,thoughIlookedathispageonlynowandthen.Incessantlaborwithmyhands,atfirst,forIhadmyhousetofinishandmybeanstohoeatthesametime,mademorestudyimpossible.YetIsustainedmyselfbytheprospectofsuchreadinginfuture.Ireadoneortwoshallowbooksoftravelintheintervalsofmywork,tillthatemploymentmademeashamedofmyself,andIaskedwhereitwasthenthatIlived.
ThestudentmayreadHomeror?schylusintheGreekwithoutdangerofdissipationorluxuriousness,foritimpliesthatheinsomemeasureemulatetheirheroes,andconsecratemorninghourstotheirpages.Theheroicbooks,evenifprintedinthecharacterofourmothertongue,willalwaysbeinalanguagedeadtodegeneratetimesandwemustlaborious