The Companionship of Books and Other PapersThe author of The Companionship of Books and Other Papers makes this explanation with regard to the book he now presents to the reading public. The sentences and paragraphs and, in some instances, more lengthy articles which compose this work were written at various times, and many of them have been published in magazines and literary periodicals. To those already published have been added a number that here for the first time make their appearance in print. They sustain little or no relation to each other, and, therefore, admit of only a very general arrangement. The last page in the collection was finished two years ago, but the author did not feel that the work was completed, and could not bring himself to deliver the manuscript into the hands of his publisher. The generous reception, however, given to his Last Words of Distinguished Men and Women, and his Flowers of Song from Many Lands has encouraged him to place this book upon the list of his published works. Its preparation furnished to him many delightful hours in the library, and he now sends it forth with the hope that it may bring to others both pleasure and profit. |
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Common terms and phrases
Abelard anagram Beatrice Beatrice Portinari beautiful believe Brookfarm called century charity Christian chrysoprase Church Clotilde de Vaux culture Damien Dante Dante's death delight diamonds divine dream dust earth earthly emerald Emerson England English eternity eyes faith fear feeling flowers Fra Dolcino Francesca friends genius gentleman George Peele George Ripley Gianciotto gifted grace grave Guittone d'Arezzo Hafiz hand heart heaven heavenly Heloise hero Holy hour human Italian Jacopone da Todi John knew lady letter light literary lived lovers man's Margaret Fuller mind moral Moudon nature never noble once Paolo Paraclete passion pearl Petrarch philosopher poem poet religious riddle Ripley sacred saint San Geminiano Saviour sing song sonnet sorrow soul spirit Stephen Pearl Andrews stone sweet thee thing thou thought thousand tion tomb true truth Universology unto verse words writes wrote youth
Popular passages
Page 188 - I meet with the grief of parents upon a tomb-stone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow. When I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind.
Page 188 - When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow.
Page 166 - No, when the fight begins within himself, A man's worth something. God stoops o'er his head, Satan looks up between his feet — both tug — He's left, himself, i' the middle: the soul wakes And grows.
Page 283 - Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.
Page 53 - We are all a little wild here with numberless projects of social reform. Not a reading man but has a draft of a new community in his waistcoat pocket.
Page 241 - And they saw the God of Israel : and there was under his feet, as it were, a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
Page 239 - The appearance, instantaneously disclosed, Was of a mighty City — boldly say A wilderness of building, sinking far And self-withdrawn into a wondrous depth, Far sinking into splendour — without end ! Fabric it seemed of diamond and of gold, With alabaster domes, and silver spires, And blazing terrace upon terrace, high Uplifted...
Page 168 - It was very strange to me to discover this ; and very dreadful — but I saw it to be quite an undeniable fact. The common notion that peace and the virtues of civil life flourished together, I found, to be wholly untenable. Peace and the vices of civil life only flourish together. We talk of peace and...
Page 22 - Tis true, with shame and grief I yield, Thou like the van first took'st the field, And gotten hast the victory In thus adventuring to die Before me, whose more years might crave A just precedence in the grave. But hark ! my pulse, like a soft drum, Beats my approach, tells thee I come ; And slow howe'er my marches be, I shall at last sit down by thee.
Page 240 - Thy walls are made of precious stones, Thy bulwarks diamonds square; Thy gates are of right orient pearl, Exceeding rich and rare. Thy turrets and thy pinnacles With carbuncles do shine; Thy very streets are paved with gold, Surpassing clear and fine.