diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/68988-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68988-0.txt | 1175 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 1175 deletions
diff --git a/old/68988-0.txt b/old/68988-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 468805e..0000000 --- a/old/68988-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1175 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of On reading in relation to literature, -by Lafcadio Hearn - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: On reading in relation to literature - Atlantic readings, number 17 - -Author: Lafcadio Hearn - -Release Date: September 14, 2022 [eBook #68988] - -Language: English - -Produced by: hekula03, Thomas Frost and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was - produced from images made available by the HathiTrust - Digital Library.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON READING IN RELATION TO -LITERATURE *** - - - - - - ATLANTIC READINGS - - NUMBER 17 - - ON READING IN RELATION - TO LITERATURE - - BY - LAFCADIO HEARN - - [Illustration] - - The Atlantic Monthly Press, Inc. - BOSTON - - - - - _Copyright, 1921, by_ - THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS - - - - -As the term approaches its close, I wish to keep my promise regarding -a series of lectures relating to literary life and work, to be given -independently of texts or authorities, and to represent, as far as -possible, the results of practical experience among the makers of -literature in different countries. The subject for this term will be -Reading--apparently, perhaps, a very simple subject, but really not so -simple as it looks, and much more important than you may think it. I -shall begin this lecture by saying that very few persons know how to -read. Considerable experience with literature is needed before taste -and discrimination can possibly be acquired; and without these, it is -almost impossible to learn how to read. I say _almost_ impossible; -since there are some rare men who, through a natural inborn taste, -through a kind of inherited literary instinct, are able to read very -well even before reaching the age of twenty-five years. But these are -great exceptions, and I am speaking of the average. - -For, to read the characters or the letters of the text does not mean -reading in the true sense. You will often find yourselves reading words -or characters automatically, even pronouncing them quite correctly, -while your minds are occupied with a totally different subject. This -mere mechanism of reading becomes altogether automatic at an early -period of life, and can be performed irrespective of attention. Neither -can I call it reading, to extract the narrative portion of a text from -the rest simply for one’s personal amusement, or, in other words, -to read a book “for the story.” Yet most of the reading that is done -in the world is done in exactly this way. Thousands and thousands of -books are bought every year, every month, I might even say every day, -by people who do not read at all. They only think that they read. -They buy books just to amuse themselves, “to kill time,” as they call -it; in one hour or two their eyes have passed over all the pages, and -there is left in their minds a vague idea or two about what they have -been looking at; and this they really believe is reading. Nothing is -more common than to be asked, “Have you read such a book?” or to hear -somebody say, “I have read such and such a book.” But these persons do -not speak seriously. Out of a thousand persons who say, “I have read -this,” or “I have read that,” there is not one perhaps who is able to -express any opinion worth hearing about what he has been reading. Many -and many a time I hear students say that they have read certain books; -but if I ask them some questions regarding the book, I find that they -are not able to make any answer, or at best, they will only repeat -something that somebody else has said about what they think that they -have been reading. But this is not peculiar to students; it is in all -countries the way that the great public devours books. And to conclude -this introductory part of the lecture, I would say that the difference -between the great critic and the common person is chiefly that the -great critic knows how to read, and the common person does not. No man -is really able to read a book who is not able to express an original -opinion regarding the contents of a book. - -No doubt you will think that this statement of the case confuses -reading with study. You might say, “When we read history or philosophy -or science, then we do read very thoroughly, studying all the meanings -and bearings of the text, slowly, and thinking about it. This is hard -study. But when we read a story or a poem out of class-hour, we read -for amusement. Amusement and study are two different things.” I am not -sure that you all think this; but young men generally do so think. As a -matter of fact, every book worth reading ought to be read in precisely -the same way that a scientific book is read--not simply for amusement; -and every book worth reading should have the same amount of value in -it that a scientific book has, though the value may be of a totally -different kind. For, after all, the good book of fiction or romance or -poetry is a scientific work; it has been composed according to the best -principles of more than one science, but especially according to the -principles of the great science of life, the knowledge of human nature. - -In regard to foreign books, this is especially true; but the advice -suggested will be harder to follow when we read in a language which is -not our own. Nevertheless, how many Englishmen do you suppose really -read a good book in English? how many Frenchmen read a great book -in their own tongue? Probably not more than one in two thousand of -those who think that they read. What is more, although there are now -published every year in London upwards of six thousand books, at no -time has there been so little good reading done by the average public -as to-day. Books are written, sold, and read after a fashion--or rather -according to the fashion. There is a fashion in literature as well as -in everything else; and a particular kind of amusement being desired by -the public, a particular kind of reading is given to supply the demand. -So useless have become to this public the arts and graces of real -literature, the great thoughts which should belong to a great book, -that men of letters have almost ceased to produce true literature. When -a man can obtain a great deal of money by writing a book without style -or beauty, a mere narrative to amuse, and knows at the same time that -if he should give three, five, or ten years to the production of a -really good book, he would probably starve to death, he is forced to -be untrue to the higher duties of his profession. Men happily situated -in regard to money matters might possibly attempt something great from -time to time; but they can hardly get a hearing. Taste has so much -deteriorated within the past few years, that, as I told you before, -style has practically disappeared--and style means thinking. And this -state of things in England has been largely brought about by bad habits -of reading, by not knowing how to read. - -For the first thing which a scholar should bear in mind is that a book -ought not to be read for mere amusement. Half-educated persons read -for amusement, and are not to be blamed for it; they are incapable -of appreciating the deeper qualities that belong to a really great -literature. But a young man who has passed through a course of -university training should discipline himself at an early day never to -read for mere amusement. And once the habit of the discipline has been -formed, he will even find it impossible to read for mere amusement. -He will then impatiently throw down any book from which he cannot -obtain intellectual food, any book which does not make an appeal to -the higher emotions and to his intellect. But on the other hand, the -habit of reading for amusement becomes with thousands of people exactly -the same kind of habit as wine-drinking or opium-smoking; it is like a -narcotic, something that helps to pass the time, something that keeps -up a perpetual condition of dreaming, something that eventually results -in destroying all capacity for thought, giving exercise only to the -surface parts of the mind, and leaving the deeper springs of feeling -and the higher faculties of perception unemployed. - -Let us simply state what the facts are about this kind of reading. A -young clerk, for example, reads every day on the way to his office -and on the way back, just to pass the time; and what does he read? A -novel, of course; it is very easy work, and it enables him to forget -his troubles for a moment, to dull his mind to all the little worries -of his daily routine. In one day or two days he finishes the novel; -then he gets another. He reads quickly in these days. By the end of the -year he has read between a hundred and fifty and two hundred novels; -no matter how poor he is, this luxury is possible to him, because of -the institution of circulating libraries. At the end of a few years -he has read several thousand novels. Does he like them? No; he will -tell you that they are nearly all the same, but they help him to pass -away his idle time; they have become a necessity for him; he would -be very unhappy if he could not continue this sort of reading. It is -utterly impossible that the result can be anything but a stupefying of -the faculties. He cannot even remember the names of twenty or thirty -books out of thousands; much less does he remember what they contain. -The result of all this reading means nothing but a cloudiness in his -mind. That is the direct result. The indirect result is that the mind -has been kept from developing itself. All development necessarily -means some pain; and such reading as I speak of has been employed -unconsciously as a means to avoid that pain, and the consequence is -atrophy. - -Of course this is an extreme case; but it is the ultimate outcome of -reading for amusement whenever such amusement becomes a habit, and -when there are means close at hand to gratify the habit. At present in -Japan there is little danger of this state of things; but I use the -illustration for the sake of its ethical warning. - -This does not mean that there is any sort of good literature which -should be shunned. A good novel is just as good reading as even the -greatest philosopher can possibly wish for. The whole matter depends -upon the way of reading, even more than upon the nature of what is -read. Perhaps it is too much to say, as has often been said, that -there is no book which has nothing good in it; it is better simply -to state that the good of a book depends incomparably more for its -influence upon the habits of the reader than upon the art of the -writer, no matter how great that writer may be. In a previous lecture I -tried to call your attention to the superiority of the child’s methods -of observation to those of the man; and the same fact may be noticed -in regard to the child’s method of reading. Certainly the child can -read only very simple things; but he reads most thoroughly; and he -thinks and thinks untiringly about what he reads; one little fairy -tale will give him mental occupation for a month after he has read it. -All the energies of his little fancy are exhausted upon the tale; and -if his parents be wise, they do not allow him to read a second tale, -until the pleasure of the first, and its imaginative effect, has begun -to die away. Later habits, habits which I shall venture to call bad, -soon destroy the child’s power of really attentive reading. But let us -now take the case of a professional reader, a scientific reader; and -we shall observe the same power, developed of course to an enormous -degree. In the office of a great publishing house which I used to -visit, there are received every year sixteen thousand manuscripts. All -these must be looked at and judged; and such work in all publishing -houses is performed by what are called professional readers. The -professional reader must be a scholar, and a man of very uncommon -capacity. Out of a thousand manuscripts he will read perhaps not more -than one; out of two thousand he may possibly read three. The others -he simply looks at for a few seconds--one glance is enough for him to -decide whether the manuscript is worth reading or not. The shape of a -single sentence will tell him that, from the literary point of view. As -regards subject, even the title is enough for him to judge, in a large -number of cases. Some manuscripts may receive a minute or even five -minutes of his attention; very few receive a longer consideration. Out -of sixteen thousand, we may suppose that sixteen are finally selected -for judgment. He reads these from beginning to end. Having read them, -he decides that only eight can be further considered. The eight are -read a second time, much more carefully. At the close of the second -examination the number is perhaps reduced to seven. These seven are -destined for a third reading; but the professional reader knows better -than to read them immediately. He leaves them locked up in a drawer, -and passes a whole week without looking at them. At the end of the -week he tries to see whether he can remember distinctly each of these -seven manuscripts and their qualities. Very distinctly he remembers -three; the remaining four he cannot at once recall. With a little -more effort, he is able to remember two more. But two he has utterly -forgotten. This is a fatal defect; the work that leaves no impression -upon the mind after two readings cannot have real value. He then takes -the manuscripts out of the drawer, condemns two (those he could not -remember), and re-reads the five. At the third reading everything -is judged--subject, execution, thought, literary quality. Three are -discovered to be first class; two are accepted by the publishers only -as second class. And so the matter ends. - -Something like this goes on in all great publishing houses; but -unfortunately not all literary work is now judged in the same severe -way. It is now judged rather by what the public likes; and the public -does not like the best. But you may be sure that in a house such -as that of the Cambridge or the Oxford University publishers, the -test of a manuscript is very severe indeed; it is there read much -more thoroughly than it is likely ever to be read again. Now this -professional reader whom we speak of, with all his knowledge and -scholarship and experience, reads the book very much in the same -way as the child reads a fairy tale. He has forced his mind to exert -all its powers in the same minute way that the child’s mind does, to -think about everything in the book, in all its bearings, in a hundred -different directions. It is not true that a child is a bad reader; the -habit of bad reading is only formed much later in life, and is always -unnatural. The natural and also the scholarly way of reading is the -child’s way. But it requires what we are apt to lose as we grow up, -the golden gift of patience; and without patience nothing, not even -reading, can be well done. - -Important then as careful reading is, you can readily perceive that it -should not be wasted. The powers of a well-trained and highly educated -mind ought not to be expended upon any common book. By common I mean -cheap and useless literature. Nothing is so essential to self-training -as the proper choice of books to read; and nothing is so universally -neglected. It is not even right that a person of ability should -waste his time in “finding out” what to read. He can easily obtain -a very correct idea of the limits of the best in all departments of -literature, and keep to that best. Of course, if he has to become a -specialist, a critic, a professional reader, he will have to read what -is bad as well as what is good, and will be able to save himself from -much torment only by an exceedingly rapid exercise of judgment, formed -by experience. Imagine, for example, the reading that must have been -done, and thoroughly done, by such a critic as Professor Saintsbury. -Leaving out of the question all his university training, and his -mastery of Greek and Latin classics, which is no small reading to -begin with, he must have read some five thousand books in the English -of all centuries--learned thoroughly everything that was in them, the -history of each one, and the history of its author, whenever that -was accessible. He must also have mastered thoroughly the social and -political history relating to all this mass of literature. But this -is still less than half his work. For, being an authority upon two -literatures, his study of French, both old and new French, must have -been even more extensive than his study of English. And all his work -had to be read as a master reads; there was little more amusement in -the whole from beginning to end. The only pleasure could be in results; -but these results are very great. Nothing is more difficult in this -world than to read a book and then to express clearly and truly in a -few lines exactly what the literary value of the book is. There are -not more than twenty people in the world who can do this, for the -experience as well as the capacity required must be enormous. Very few -of us can hope to become even third or fourth class critics after a -lifetime of study. But we can all learn to read; and that is not by any -means a small feat. The great critics can best show us the way to do -this, by their judgment. - -Yet after all, the greatest of critics is the public--not the public -of a day or a generation, but the public of centuries, the consensus -of national opinion or of human opinion about a book that has been -subjected to the awful test of time. Reputations are made not by -critics, but by the accumulation of human opinion through hundreds of -years. And human opinion is not sharply defined like the opinion of a -trained critic; it cannot explain; it is vague, like a great emotion of -which we cannot exactly describe the nature; it is based upon feeling -rather than upon thinking; it only says, “we like this.” Yet there is -no judgment so sure as this kind of judgment, for it is the outcome of -an enormous experience. The test of a good book ought always to be the -test which human opinion, working for generations, applies. And this is -very simple. - -The test of a great book is whether we want to read it only once or -more than once. Any really great book we want to read the second -time even more than we wanted to read it the first time; and every -additional time that we read it we find new meanings and new beauties -in it. A book that a person of education and good taste does not care -to read more than once is very probably not worth much. Some time ago -there was a very clever discussion going on regarding the art of the -great French novelist, Zola; some people claimed that he possessed -absolute genius; others claimed that he had only talent of a very -remarkable kind. The battle of argument brought out some strange -extravagances of opinion. But suddenly a very great critic simply put -this question: “How many of you have read, or would care to read, one -of Zola’s books a second time?” There was no answer; the fact was -settled. Probably no one would read a book by Zola more than once; and -this is proof positive that there is no great genius in them, and no -great mastery of the highest form of feeling. Shallow or false any book -must be, that, although bought by a hundred thousand readers, is never -read more than once. But we cannot consider the judgment of a single -individual infallible. The opinion that makes a book great must be the -opinion of many. For even the greatest critics are apt to have certain -dullnesses, certain inappreciations. Carlyle, for example, could not -endure Browning; Byron could not endure some of the greatest of English -poets. A man must be many-sided to utter a trustworthy estimate of many -books. We may doubt the judgment of the single critic at times. But -there is no doubt possible in regard to the judgment of generations. -Even if we cannot at once perceive anything good in a book which has -been admired and praised for hundreds of years, we may be sure that by -trying, by studying it carefully, we shall at last be able to feel the -reason of this admiration and praise. The best of all libraries for -a poor man would be a library entirely composed of such great works -only, books which have passed the test of time. - -This then would be the most important guide for us in the choice of -reading. We should read only the books that we want to read more than -once, nor should we buy any others, unless we have some special reason -for so investing money. The second fact demanding attention is the -general character of the value that lies hidden within all such great -books. A great book is not apt to be comprehended by a young person -at the first reading except in a superficial way. Only the surface, -the narrative, is absorbed and enjoyed. No young man can possibly see -at first reading the qualities of a great book. Remember that it has -taken humanity in many cases hundreds of years to find out all that -there is in such a book. But according to a man’s experience of life, -the text will unfold new meanings to him. The book that delighted -us at eighteen, if it be a good book, will delight us much more at -twenty-five, and it will prove like a new book to us at thirty years -of age. At forty we shall re-read it, wondering why we never saw how -beautiful it was before. At fifty or sixty years of age the same facts -will repeat themselves. A great book grows exactly in proportion to the -growth of the reader’s mind. It was the discovery of this extraordinary -fact by generations of people long dead that made the greatness of such -works as those of Shakespeare, of Dante, or of Goethe. Perhaps Goethe -can give us at this moment the best illustration. He wrote a number of -little stories in prose, which children like, because to children they -have all the charm of fairy tales. But he never intended them for fairy -tales; he wrote them for experienced minds. A young man finds very -serious reading in them; a middle aged man discovers an extraordinary -depth in their least utterance; and an old man will find in them all -the world’s philosophy, all the wisdom of life. If one is very dull, -he may not see much in them, but just in proportion as he is a superior -man, and in proportion as his knowledge of life has been extensive, so -will he discover the greatness of the mind that conceived them. - -This does not mean that the authors of such books could have -preconceived the entire range and depth of that which they put into -their work. Great art works unconsciously without ever suspecting that -it is great; and the larger the genius of a writer, the less chance -there is of his ever knowing that he has genius; for his power is less -likely to be discovered by the public until long after he is dead. -The great things done in literature have not usually been done by men -who thought themselves great. Many thousand years ago some wanderer -in Arabia, looking at the stars of the night, and thinking about the -relation of man to the unseen powers that shaped the world, uttered all -his heart in certain verses that have been preserved to us in the Book -of Job. To him the sky was a solid vault; of that which might exist -beyond it, he never even dreamed. Since his time how vast has been the -expansion of our astronomical knowledge! We now know thirty millions of -suns, all of which are probably attended by planets, giving a probable -total of three hundred millions of other worlds within sight of our -astronomical instruments. Probably multitudes of these are inhabited by -intelligent life; it is even possible that within a few years more we -shall obtain proof positive of the existence of an older civilization -than our own upon the planet Mars. How vast a difference between our -conception of the universe and Job’s conception of it. Yet the poem of -that simple-minded Arab or Jew has not lost one particle of its beauty -and value because of this difference. Quite the contrary! With every -new astronomical discovery the words of Job take grander meanings to -us, simply because he was truly a great poet and spoke only the truth -that was in his heart thousands of years ago. Very anciently also -there was a Greek story-teller who wrote a little story about a boy -and girl in the country, called _Daphnis and Chloe_. It was a little -story, telling in the simplest language possible how that boy and -girl fell in love with each other, and did not know why, and all the -innocent things they said to each other, and how grown-up people kindly -laughed at them and taught them some of the simplest laws of life. What -a trifling subject, some might think. But that story, translated into -every language in the world, still reads like a new story to us; and -every time we re-read it, it appears still more beautiful, because it -teaches a few true and tender things about innocence and the feeling -of youth. It never can grow old, any more than the girl and boy whom -it describes. Or, to descend to later times, about three hundred years -ago a French priest conceived the idea of writing down the history -of a student who had been charmed by a wanton woman, and led by her -into many scenes of disgrace and pain. This little book, called _Manon -Lescaut_, describes for us the society of a vanished time, a time when -people wore swords and powdered their hair, a time when everything -was as different as possible from the life of to-day. But the story -is just as true of our own time as of any time in civilization; the -pain and the sorrow affect us just as if they were our own; and the -woman, who is not really bad, but only weak and selfish, charms the -reader almost as much as she charmed her victim, until the tragedy -ends. Here again is one of the world’s great books that cannot die. -Or, to take one more example out of a possible hundred, consider the -stories of Hans Andersen. He conceived the notion that moral truths and -social philosophy could be better taught through little fairy tales -and child stories than in almost any other way; and with the help of -hundreds of old-fashioned tales, he made a new series of wonderful -stories that have become a part of every library and are read in all -countries by grown-up people much more than by children. There is in -this astonishing collection of stories, a story about a mermaid, which -I suppose you have all read. Of course there can be no such thing -as a mermaid; from one point of view the story is quite absurd. But -the emotions of unselfishness and love and loyalty which the story -expresses are immortal, and so beautiful that we forget about all the -unreality of the framework; we see only the eternal truth behind the -fable. - -You will understand now exactly what I mean by a great book. What -about the choice of books? Some years ago you will remember that an -Englishman of science, Sir John Lubbock, wrote a list of what he called -the best books in the world--or at least the best hundred books. Then -some publishers published the hundred books in cheap form. Following -the example of Sir John, other literary men made different lists of -what they thought the best hundred books in existence; and now quite -enough time has passed to show us the value of these experiments. They -have proved utterly worthless, except to the publishers. Many persons -may buy the hundred books; but very few read them. And this is not -because Sir John Lubbock’s idea was bad; it is because no one man can -lay down a definite course of reading for the great mass of differently -constituted minds. Sir John expressed only his opinion of what most -appealed to him; another man of letters would have made a different -list; probably no two men of letters would have made exactly the same -one. The choice of great books must, under all circumstances, be an -individual one. In short, you must choose for yourselves according to -the light that is in you. Very few persons are so many-sided as to -feel inclined to give their best attention to many different kinds of -literature. In the average of cases it is better for a man to confine -himself to a small class of subjects--the subjects best according with -his natural powers and inclinations, the subjects that please him. And -no man can decide for us, without knowing our personal character and -disposition perfectly well and being in sympathy with it, where our -powers lie. But one thing is easy to do--that is, to decide, first, -what subject in literature has already given you pleasure; to decide, -secondly, what is the best that has been written upon that subject, -and then to study that best to the exclusion of ephemeral and trifling -books which profess to deal with the same theme, but which have not yet -obtained the approbation of great critics or of a great public opinion. - -Those books which have obtained both are not so many in number as -you might suppose. Each great civilization has produced only two or -three of the first rank, if we except the single civilization of the -Greeks. The sacred books embodying the teaching of all great religions -necessarily take place in the first rank, even as literary productions; -for they have been polished and repolished, and have been given the -highest possible literary perfection of which the language in which -they are written is capable. The great epic poems which express the -ideals of races, these also deserve a first place. Thirdly, the -masterpieces of drama, as reflecting life, must be considered to belong -to the highest literature. But how many books are thus represented? -Not very many. The best, like diamonds, will never be found in great -quantities. - -Besides such general indications as I have thus ventured, something may -be said regarding a few choice books--those which a student should wish -to possess good copies of and read all his life. There are not many of -these. For European students it would be necessary to name a number of -Greek authors. But without a study of the classic tongues such authors -could be of much less use to the students of this country; moreover, -a considerable knowledge of Greek life and Greek civilization is -necessary to quicken appreciation of them. Such knowledge is best -gained through engravings, pictures, coins, statues--through those -artistic objects which enable the imagination to see what has existed; -and as yet the artistic side of classical study is scarcely possible -in Japan, for want of pictorial and other material. I shall therefore -say very little regarding the great books that belong to this category. -But as the whole foundation of European literature rests upon classical -study, the student should certainly attempt to master the outlines of -Greek mythology, and the character of the traditions which inspired the -best of Greek literature and drama. You can scarcely open an English -book belonging to any high class of literature, in which you will -not find allusions to Greek beliefs, Greek stories, or Greek plays. -The mythology is almost necessary for you; but the vast range of the -subject might well deter most of you from attempting a thorough study -of it. A thorough study of it, however, is not necessary. What is -necessary is an outline only; and a good book, capable of giving you -that outline in a vivid and attractive manner would be of inestimable -service. In French and German there are many such books; in English, I -know of only one, a volume in Bohn’s Library, Keightley’s _Mythology -of Ancient Greece and Italy_. It is not an expensive work; and it has -the exceptional quality of teaching in a philosophical spirit. As for -the famous Greek books, the value of most of them for you must be -small, because the number of adequate translations is small. I should -begin by saying that all verse translations are useless. No verse -translation from the Greek can reproduce the Greek verse--we have only -twenty or thirty lines of Homer translated by Tennyson, and a few -lines of other Greek poets translated by equally able men, which are -at all satisfactory. Under all circumstances take a prose translation -when you wish to study a Greek or Latin author. We should of course -consider Homer first. I do not think that you can afford not to read -something of Homer. There are two excellent prose translations in -English, one of the Iliad and one of the Odyssey. The latter is for -you the more important of the two great poems. The references to it -are innumerable in all branches of literature; and these references -refer usually to the poetry of its theme, for the Odyssey is much more -a romance than is the Iliad. The advantage of the prose translation -by Lang and Butcher is that it preserves something of the rolling -sound and music of the Greek verse, though it is only prose. That -book I should certainly consider worth keeping constantly by you; its -utility will appear to you at a later day. The great Greek tragedies -have all been translated; but I should not so strongly recommend these -translations to you. It would be just as well, in most cases, to -familiarize yourselves with the stories of the dramas through other -sources; and there are hundreds of these. You should at least know -the subject of the great dramas of Sophocles, Æschylus, and above all -Euripides. Greek drama was constructed upon a plan that requires much -study to understand correctly; it is not necessary that you should -understand these matters as an antiquarian does, but it is necessary -to know something of the stories of the great plays. As for comedy, -the works of Aristophanes are quite exceptional in their value and -interest. They require very little explanation; they make us laugh -to-day just as heartily as they made the Athenians laugh thousands -of years ago; and they belong to immortal literature. There is the -Bohn translation in two volumes, which I would strongly recommend. -Aristophanes is one of the great Greek dramatists whom we can read over -and over again, gaining at every reading. Of the lyrical poets there -is also one translation likely to become an English classic, although -a modern one; that is Lang’s translation of Theocritus, a tiny little -book, but very precious of its kind. You see I am mentioning very -few; but these few would mean a great deal for you, should you use -them properly. Among later Greek work, work done in the decline of -the old civilization, there is one masterpiece that the world will -never become tired of--I mentioned it before, the story of _Daphnis -and Chloe_. This has been translated into every language, and I am -sorry to say that the best translation is not English, but French--the -version of Amyot. But there are many English translations. That book -you certainly ought to read. About the Latin authors, it is not here -necessary to say much. There are very good prose translations of Virgil -and Horace, but the value of these to you cannot be very great without -a knowledge of Latin. However, the story of the Æneid is necessary to -know, and it were best read in the version of Conington. In the course -of your general education it is impossible to avoid learning something -regarding the chief Latin writers and thinkers; but there is one -immortal book that you may not have often seen the name of; and it is -a book everybody should read--I mean the _Golden Ass_ of Apuleius. You -have this in a good English translation. It is only a story of sorcery, -but one of the most wonderful stories ever written, and it belongs to -world literature rather than to the literature of a time. - -But the Greek myths, although eternally imperishable in their beauty, -are not more intimately related to English literature than are the -myths of the ancient English religion, the religion of the Northern -races, which has left its echoes all through our forms of speech, even -in the names of the days of the week. A student of English literature -ought to know something about Northern mythology. It is full of beauty -also, beauty of another and stranger kind; and it embodies one of the -noblest warrior-faiths that ever existed, the religion of force and -courage. You have now in the library a complete collection of Northern -poetry, I mean the two volumes of the _Corpus Poeticum Boreali_. -Unfortunately you have not as yet a good collection of the Sagas and -Eddas. But, as in the case of the vaster subject of Greek mythology, -there is an excellent small book in English, giving an outline of all -that is important--I mean necessary for you--in regard to both the -religion and the literature of the Northern races, Mallet’s _Northern -Antiquities_. Sir Walter Scott contributed the most valuable portion of -the translations in this little book; and these translations have stood -the test of time remarkably well. The introductory chapters by Bishop -Percy are old-fashioned, but this fact does not in the least diminish -the stirring value of the volume. I think it is one of the books that -every student should try to possess. - -With regard to the great modern masterpieces translated into English -from other tongues, I can only say that it is better to read them in -the originals, if you can. If you can read Goethe’s _Faust_ in German, -do not read it in English; and if you can read Heine in German, the -French translation in prose, which he superintended, and the English -translations (there are many of them) in verse can be of no use to you. -But if German be too difficult, then read _Faust_ in the prose version -of Hayward, as revised by Dr. Buchheim. You have that in the library; -and it is the best of the kind in existence. _Faust_ is a book that a -man should buy and keep, and read many times during his life. As for -Heine, he is a world poet, but he loses a great deal in translation; -and I can only recommend the French prose version of him; the English -versions of Browning and Lazarus and others are often weak. Some -years ago a series of extraordinary translations of Heine appeared in -_Blackwood’s Magazine_; but these have not appeared, I believe, in book -form. - -As for Dante, I do not know whether he can make a strong appeal to you -in any language except his own; and you must understand the Middle Ages -very well to feel how wonderful he was. I might say something similar -about other great Italian poets. Of the French dramatists, you must -study Molière; he is next in importance only to Shakespeare. But do not -read him in any translation. Here I should say positively, that one -who cannot read French might as well leave Molière alone; the English -language cannot reproduce his delicacies of wit and allusion. - -As for modern English literature, I have tried in the course of -my lectures to indicate the few books deserving of a place in -world-literature; and I need scarcely repeat them here. Going back -a little further, however, I should like to remind you again of the -extraordinary merit of Malory’s book the _Morte d’Arthur_, and to -say that it is one of the very few that you should buy and keep and -read often. The whole spirit of chivalry is in that book; and I need -scarcely tell you how deep is the relation of the spirit of chivalry to -all modern English literature. I do not recommend you to read Milton, -unless you intend to make certain special studies of language; the -linguistic value of Milton is based upon Greek and Latin literature. -As for his lyrics--that is another matter. Those ought to be studied. -As there is little more to say, except by way of suggestion, I think -that you ought, every one of you, to have a good copy of Shakespeare, -and to read Shakespeare through once every year, not caring at first -whether you can understand all the sentences or not; that knowledge can -be acquired at a later day. I am sure that if you follow this advice -you will find Shakespeare become larger every time that you read him, -and that at last he will begin to exercise a very strong and very -healthy influence upon your methods of thinking and feeling. A man does -not require to be a great scholar in order to read Shakespeare. And -what is true of reading Shakespeare, you will find to be true also in -lesser degree of all the world’s great books. You will find it true of -Goethe’s _Faust_. You will find it true of the best chapters in the -poems of Homer. You will find it true of the best plays of Molière. You -will find it true of Dante, and of those books in the English Bible -about which I gave a short lecture last year. And therefore I do not -think that I can better conclude these remarks than by repeating an -old but very excellent piece of advice which has been given to young -readers: “Whenever you hear of a new book being published, read an old -one.” - - - - - ATLANTIC READINGS - - -Teachers everywhere are cordially welcoming our series of _Atlantic -Readings_; for material not otherwise available is here published -for classroom use in convenient and inexpensive form. In most cases -the selections reprinted have been suggested by teachers in schools -and colleges where a need for a particular essay or story has been -urgently felt. Supplied for one institution, the reprint has created an -immediate market elsewhere. - -The Atlantic Monthly Press most warmly invites conference and -correspondence that will suggest additions to this growing list. It is -of course apparent from the titles below that the material is chosen -only in part from the files of the _Atlantic Monthly_. - - -The titles already published follow:-- - - 1. THE LIE - By Mary Antin 15c - - 2. RUGGS--R.O.T.C. - By William Addleman Ganoe 15c - - 3. JUNGLE NIGHT - By William Beebe 15c - - 4. AN ENGLISHWOMAN’S MESSAGE - By Mrs. A. Burnett-Smith 15c - - 5. A FATHER TO HIS FRESHMAN SON - By Edward Sanford Martin 15c - - 6. A PORT SAID MISCELLANY - By William McFee 15c - - 7. EDUCATION: THE MASTERY OF THE ARTS OF LIFE - By Arthur E. Morgan 15c - - 8. INTENSIVE LIVING - By Cornelia A. P. Comer 15c - - 9. THE PRELIMINARIES - By Cornelia A. P. Comer 15c - - 10. THE MORAL EQUIVALENT OF WAR - By William James 15c - - 11. THE STUDY OF POETRY - By Matthew Arnold 15c - - 12. BOOKS - By Arthur C. Benson 15c - - 13. ON COMPOSITION - By Lafcadio Hearn 15c - - 14. THE BASIC PROBLEM OF DEMOCRACY - By Walter Lippmann 15c - - 15. THE PILGRIMS OF PLYMOUTH - By Henry Cabot Lodge 25c - - 16. AFTER THIRTY-FIVE YEARS - By Professor Frederick J. E. Woodbridge 15c - - 17. ON READING IN RELATION TO LITERATURE - By Lafcadio Hearn 15c - - - _We are constantly adding new titles to this series_ - - _Address The Educational Department_ - - THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY PRESS, INC. - 8 ARLINGTON STREET, BOSTON (17) - - - - - ATLANTIC TEXTS - - - _TEXTBOOKS IN LIBRARY FORM_ - - ATLANTIC CLASSICS, _First Series_ $1.50 - - ATLANTIC CLASSICS, _Second Series_ 1.50 - Both volumes collected and edited by ELLERY SEDGWICK, Editor - of the _Atlantic Monthly_. - For classes in American literature. - - ESSAYS AND ESSAY-WRITING 1.25 - Collected and edited by WILLIAM M. TANNER, University of Texas. - For literature and composition classes. - - ATLANTIC NARRATIVES, _First Series_ 1.25 - For college use in classes studying the short story. - - ATLANTIC NARRATIVES, _Second Series_ 1.25 - For secondary schools. - Both volumes collected and edited by CHARLES SWAIN THOMAS, - Editorial department of the Atlantic Monthly Press, and - Lecturer at Harvard University. - - ATLANTIC PROSE AND POETRY 1.00 - Collected and edited by CHARLES SWAIN THOMAS and HARRY G. PAUL - of the University of Illinois. - A literary reader for upper grammar grades and junior high - schools. - - THE PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM 1.25 - Collected and edited by WILLARD G. BLEYER, University of - Wisconsin. - For college use. - - THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY AND ITS MAKERS 1.00 - By M. A. DEWOLFE HOWE, Editorial department of the Atlantic - Monthly Press. - Biographical and literary matter for the English class. - - WRITING THROUGH READING .90 - By ROBERT M. GAY, Simmons College. - A short course in composition for colleges and normal schools. - - THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS: The Principle and the Practice 2.50 - Edited by STEPHEN P. DUGGAN, College of the City of New York. - A basic text on international relations. - - THE LIGHT: An Educational Pageant .65 - By CATHERINE T. BRYCE, Yale University. - Especially suitable for public presentation at Teachers’ - Conventions. - - PATRONS OF DEMOCRACY .80 - By DALLAS LORE SHARP, Boston University. - For classes interested in discussing democracy in our public - schools. - - AMERICANS BY ADOPTION 1.50 - By JOSEPH HUSBAND. - For Americanization courses. - - THE VOICE OF SCIENCE IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE 2.00 - Collected and edited by ROBERT E. ROGERS and HENRY G. PEARSON, - Massachusetts Institute of Technology. - - - The Atlantic Monthly Press, INC. - 8 Arlington Street, Boston (17) - - - - -Transcriber’s Note - - -In this file, text in _italics_ is indicated by underscores, and text in -SMALL CAPS is in uppercase. - -On page 22, the “15c” which appears opposite title 17 was moved opposite -the name of the author, rather than that of the book title, to match -the other items in the table. Otherwise, as far as possible, the -original text was maintained. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON READING IN RELATION TO -LITERATURE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |