[6]Nowbooksofthiskindhavebeenwritteninallagesbytheirgreatestmen: bygreatreaders, greatstatesmen, ; ; yethaveyoumeasuredandmappedoutthisshortlifeanditspossibilities? Doyouknow, ifyoureadthis, thatyoucannotreadthat—thatwhatyouloseto-dayyoucannotgainto-morrow? Willyougoandgossipwithyourhousemaid, oryourstable-boy, whenyoumaytalkwithqueensandkings; orflatteryourselfthatitiswithanyworthyconsciousnessofyourownclaimstorespect, thatyoujostlewiththehungryandcommoncrowdforentreehere, andaudiencethere, whenallthewhilethiseternalcourtisopentoyou, withitssociety, wideastheworld, multitudinousasitsdays, thechosen, andthemighty, ofeveryplaceandtime? Intothatyoumayenteralways; inthatyoumaytakefellowshipandrankaccordingtoyourwish; fromthat, onceenteredintoit, youcanneverbeoutcastbutbyyourownfault; byyouraristocracyofcompanionshipthere, yourowninherentaristocracywillbeassuredlytested, andthemotiveswithwhichyoustrivetotakehighplaceinthesocietyoftheliving, measured, astoallthetruthandsinceritythatareinthem, bytheplaceyoudesiretotakeinthiscompanyoftheDead.
AfterYouRead
KnowledgeFocus
: Discussthefollowingquestionswithyourpartner.
1)Doyouagreewiththesayingthatwhenthelivingpeopletalkofthingsthatarepassing, theyareofimmediateinteresttoyou? Whyorwhynot?
2)Whatareyourunderstandingsaboutthemotivesthatinfluencepeople’sattitudetowardbooksmentionedinthetext?
3)HowdidJohnRuskindividethebooksintotwotypes?
4)Whydidtheauthorsay “wemaketheworstpossibleuseifweallowthebooksofthehourtousurptheplaceoftruebooks”?
