and scope of this work is to condense into one volume the precious life-blood master spirits of the literary world. It desires to introduce all lovers of good that charmed circle of great authors, and asks them to sit down with Homer nd Pope and Addison and Lamb, and drink at the overflowing fountain of to become guests at the table around which sit Shakespeare and Dante and Goethe and Cervantes, and partake of a feast far richer than any ever e dainty Lucullus; to learn of the genius and all-embracing humanity of of the magic of Byron and Coleridge, of the ever murmuring music of pore, of the enchanting verse of Tennyson and Longfellow; to wander by brooks and amid the fragrant flowers of these great gardeners of men, and refrom the sweet and rare exotics that have exhilarated and intoxicated ce of the past, and will continue to do so for ages to come.

e prescribed limits of our volume, many authors of fair reputation will, of ssed. The number is so great that it would be utterly impossible to give We have, therefore, confined ourselves to first rank, making a few exceptions for which we leave our readers to judge whether or not we have been doing.

en truly said: "The world of thought is so large and the span of human hat it is impossible for one man to be profound on many subjects, or to be -ersant with the writings of many authors."

mpilation of this work we have sought to gather within its pages, not est authors that have written for the edification of their fellow-men, but from the finest passages and parts of their greatest efforts. We have rary field as a bountiful harvest, from which to gather abundant stores food. Taking a careful survey of the entire field, sickle in hand we have cost fertile spots and gathered sheaves of the tallest, ripest and most

our readers who have not time and means for securing a thorough and the master minds of the past and present, may herein be enabled to a slight acquaintance with them.

PREFACE.

While every sentiment that is pure and lofty is expressed in words that breathe thoughts that burn, no attempt is made to classify them, believing that indiscriminate commingling of the various subjects add brilliancy and luster to its pages. The tall and stately oak loses much of its grandeur when surrounded only with others of equal height and dimensions; and the vine that encircles it and clings to its sides loses much of its sentiment when torn away and placed amid any other surroundings. Even the fire-fly, that emits ever and anon its luminous spark, in the depths of the forest shades, would not be half so charming if transported to other scenes. The volume will be as it is intended, not as a text-book on literature, but a book to pick up and read during a leisure hour, with greatest possible benefit and enjoyment.

Our thanks are due to the many friends for their kind suggestions and valuable assistance in this arduous task, and we take this method of expressing our appreciation. With this introduction, we send our work forth upon its mission accompanied with the earnest wish that the pleasure derived from its perusal may equal that resulting from its preparation.

DAPHNE DALE.