Produced by Bryan Ness, Christine Aldridge and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) Transcriber's Notes: 1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_. 2. Illustrations falling inside paragraphs have been relocated to the top or bottom. Where possible, text of Title Page Facsimles is provided, in addition to image captions. 4. Additional transcriber notes are located at the end of this e-text. [Illustration (with text): MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARES COMEDIES, HISTORIES, & TRAGEDIES. Published according to the True Originall Copies. [Portrait] LONDON Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount. 1623 TITLE PAGE OF THE CELEBRATED FIRST FOLIO EDITION OF SHAKESPEARE THE PLAYS COLLECTED AND EDITED IN 1623 BY HEMINGE AND CONDELL] COMFORT FOUND IN GOOD OLD BOOKS BY GEORGE HAMLIN FITCH _I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine._ --_Goldsmith._ [Illustration] _Illustrated_ PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS, SAN FRANCISCO _Copyright, 1911_ _by_ PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY The articles in this book appeared originally in the Sunday book-page of the San Francisco _Chronicle_. The privilege of reproducing them here is due to the courtesy of M. H. de Young, Esq. TO THE MEMORY OF MY SON HAROLD, MY BEST CRITIC, MY OTHER SELF, WHOSE DEATH HAS TAKEN THE LIGHT OUT OF MY LIFE. CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION ix COMFORT FOUND IN GOOD OLD BOOKS xi Nothing Soothes Grief Like Sterling Old Books--How the Sudden Death of an Only Son Proved the Value of the Reading Habit. THE GREATEST BOOK IN THE WORLD 3 How to Secure the Best that is in the Bible--Much Comfort in Sorrow and Stimulus to Good Life may be Found in its Study. SHAKESPEARE STANDS NEXT TO THE BIBLE 14 Hints on the Reading of Shakespeare's Plays--How to Master the best of these Dramas, the Finest of Modern Work. HOW TO READ THE ANCIENT CLASSICS 29