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（octavos） in the middle； and the light…bobs （duodecimos） at the top！''
Samuel Johnson； dancing attendance upon Lord Chesterfield； could
hardly have felt his humiliation more keenly than did the historian Gibbon
when his grace the Duke of Cumberland met him bringing the third
volume of his ‘‘Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' to the ducal
mansion。 This history was originally printed in quarto； Gibbon was
carrying the volume and anticipating the joy of the duke upon its arrival。
What did the duke say？ ‘‘What？'' he cried。 ‘‘Ah； another big
square book； eh？''
It is the fashion nowadays to harp upon the degeneracy of humanity； to
insist that taste is corrupted； and that the faculty of appreciation is dead。
We seem incapable of realizing that this is the golden age of authors； if not
the golden age of authorship。
In the good old days authors were in fact a despised and neglected
class。 The Greeks put them to death； as the humor seized them。 For a
hundred years after his death Shakespeare was practically unknown to his
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countrymen； except Suckling and his coterie： during his life he was
roundly assailed by his contemporaries； one of the latter going to the
extreme of denouncing him as a daw that strutted in borrowed plumage。
Milton was accused of plagiarism； and one of his critics devoted many
years to compiling from every quarter passages in ancient works which
bore a similarity to the blind poet's verses。 Even Samuel Johnson's satire
of ‘‘London'' was pronounced a plagiarism。
The good old days were the days； seemingly； when the critics had their
way and ran things with a high hand； they made or unmade books and
authors。 They killed Chatterton； just as； some years later； they hastened
the death of Keats。 For a time they were all…powerful。 It was not until
the end of the eighteenth century that these professional tyrants began to
lose their grip； and when Byron took up the lance against them their doom
was practically sealed。
Who would care a picayune in these degenerate days what Dr。
Warburton said pro or con a book？ It was Warburton （then Bishop of
Gloucester） who remarked of Granger's ‘‘Biographical History of
England'' that it was ‘‘an odd one。'' This was as high a compliment as he
ever paid a book； those which he did not like he called sad books； and
those which he fancied he called odd ones。
The truth seems to be that through the diffusion of knowledge and
the multiplicity and cheapness of books people generally have reached the
point in intelligence where they feel warranted in asserting their ability to
judge for themselves。 So the occupation of the critic； as interpreted and
practised of old； is gone。
Reverting to the practice of lamenting the degeneracy of humanity； I
should say that the fashion is by no means a new one。 Search the records
of the ancients and you will find the same harping upon the one string of
present decay and former virtue。 Herodotus； Sallust； Caesar； Cicero； and
Pliny take up and repeat the lugubrious tale in turn。
Upon earth there are three distinct classes of men： Those who
contemplate the past； those who contemplate the present； those who
contemplate the future。 I am of those who believe that humanity
progresses； and it is my theory that the best works of the past have
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survived and come down to us in these books which are our dearest
legacies； our proudest possessions； and our best…beloved companions。
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XV
A BOOK THAT BRINGS SOLACE AND CHEER
One of my friends had a mania for Bunyan once upon a time； and；
although he has now abandoned that fad for the more fashionable passion
of Napoleonana； he still exhibits with evident pride the many editions of
the ‘‘Pilgrim's Progress'' he gathered together years ago。 I have
frequently besought him to give me one of his copies； which has a curious
frontispiece illustrating the dangers besetting the traveller from the City of
Destruction to the Celestial City。 This frontispiece； which is prettily
illuminated； occurs in Virtue's edition of the ‘‘Pilgrim's Progress''； the
book itself is not rare； but it is hardly procurable in perfect condition； for
the reason that the colored plate is so pleasing to the eye that few have
been able to resist the temptation to make away with it。
For similar reasons it is seldom that we meet with a perfect edition of
Quarles' ‘‘Emblems''； indeed； an ‘‘Emblems'' of early publication that does
not lack the title…page is a great rarity。 In the ‘‘good old days；'' when
juvenile books were few； the works of Bunyan and of Quarles were vastly
popular with the little folk； and little fingers wrought sad havoc with the
title…pages and the pictures that with their extravagant and vivid
suggestions appealed so directly and powerfully to the youthful fancy。
Coleridge says of the ‘‘Pilgrim's Progress'' that it is the best summary
of evangelical Christianity ever produced by a writer not miraculously
inspired。 Froude declares that it has for two centuries affected the
spiritual opinions of the English race in every part of the world more
powerfully than any other book； except the Bible。 ‘‘It is；'' says Macaulay；
‘‘perhaps the only book about which； after the lapse of a hundred years；
the educated minority has come over to the opinion of the common
people。''
Whether or not Bunyan is； as D'Israeli has called him； the Spenser of
the people； and whether or not his work is the poetry of Puritanism； the
best evidence of the merit of the ‘‘Pilgrim's Progress'' appears； as Dr。
Johnson