You can send him to the proper authorities. On almost any detail in general history, if he live near one of the metropolitan libraries, you can say to him, "If you choose to study a fortnight on this thing, you will very likely know more about it than does any person in the world." It is encouraging to young people to know that they can thus take literature and history at first hand. It pleases them to know that "the book" is not absolute. With such resources that has resulted which such far-seeing men as Edward Everett and George Ticknor and Charles Coffin Jewett hoped for,--the growth, namely, of a race of students who do not take anything on trust. As Professor Agassiz was forever driving up his pupils to habits of original observation in natural history, the Public Library provokes and allures young students to like courage in original research in matters of history and literature. EDWARD E. HALE. ROXBURY, April 1, 1885. CONTENTS. PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 9 II. ARCHIMEDES 20 III. FRIAR BACON 36 Of the Parents and Birth of Fryer Bacon, and how he addicted himself to Learning, 39. How Fryer Bacon made a Brazen Head to speak, by the which he would have walled England about with Brass, 41. How Fryer Bacon by his Art took a Town, when the King had lain before it three Months, without doing it any Hurt, 45. How Fryer Bacon burnt his Books of Magic and gave himself to the Study of Divinity only; and how he turned Anchorite, 49. How Virgilius was set to School, 53. Howe the Emperor asked Counsel of Virgilius, how the Night Runners and Ill Doers might be rid-out of the Streets, 55. How Virgilius made a Lamp that at all Times burned, 56. IV. BENVENUTO CELLINI 58 Life of Benvenuto Cellini, 59. Benvenuto's Autobiography, 60. V. BERNARD PALISSY 82 Bernard Palissy the Potter, 83. VI. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 97 Franklin's Method of Growing Better, 100. Musical Glasses, 112. VII. THEORISTS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 119 Richard Lovell Edgeworth, 119. Edgeworth's Telegraph, 124. Mr. Edgeworth's Telegraph in Ireland, 127. Mr. Edgeworth's Machine, 136. More of Mr. Edgeworth's Fancies, 140. Jack the Darter, 142. A One-wheeled Chaise, 144. VIII. JAMES WATT 146