The goddess and her train, having mounted the chariot, which was drawn by tame geese, flew over infinite regions, shedding her influence in due places, till at length she arrived at her beloved island of Britain; but in hovering over its metropolis, what blessings did she not let fall upon her seminaries of Gresham and Covent Garden! And now she reached the fatal plain of St. James's library, at what time the two armies were upon the point to engage; where, entering with all her caravan unseen, and landing upon a case of shelves, now desert, but once inhabited by a colony of virtuosos, she stayed awhile to observe the posture of both armies.--J. SWIFT. _The Battle of the Books._ OLD AUTHORS TO READ Alonso of Aragon was wont to say, in commendation of Age, that Age appeared to be best in four things; Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.--F. BACON, LORD VERULAM. _Apophthegmes._ CLASSICUS Classicus is a man of learning, and well versed in all the best authors of antiquity. He has read them so much that he has entered into their spirit, and can very ingeniously imitate the manner of any of them. All their thoughts are his thoughts, and he can express himself in their language. He is so great a friend to this improvement of the mind that if he lights on a young scholar he never fails to advise him concerning his studies. Classicus tells his young man he must not think that he has done enough when he has only learnt languages; but that he must be daily conversant with the best authors, read them again and again, catch their spirit by living with them, and that there is no other way of becoming like them, or of making himself a man of taste and judgement. How wise might Classicus have been and how much good might he have done in the world, if he had but thought as justly of devotion as he does of learning!... The two testaments would not have had so much as a place amongst his books, but that they are both to be had in Greek. Classicus thinks that he sufficiently shows his regard for the holy scriptures when he tells you that he has no other book of piety besides them.--W. LAW. _A serious Call to a devout and holy Life._ THE DEAD ALONE CANONIZED That critic must indeed be bold Who pits new authors against old. Only the ancient coin is prized, The dead alone are canonized: What was even Shakespeare until then? A poet scarce compared with Ben: And Milton in the streets no taller Than sparkling easy-ambling Waller. Waller now walks with rhyming crowds, While Milton sits above the clouds, Above the stars, his fixed abode, And points to men their way to God. W. S. LANDOR. THE CLASSICS