books. The formation of school catalogues, sub-divided for special divisions of the school, would have to be undertaken by the librarian or the head teachers of the various schools. I would carry the principle of book loans to scholars from the baby class of the infant school to the post-graduate class of the university college. The noblest fairy stories and folklore of all nations, nobly illustrated, should be at the service of the babies; the most advanced treatises on philosophy, theology, medicine, law, science and mathematics, and the most admirable texts of the authors of all times, should be at the service of the graduate. So with all intermediate classes. But certain books, rare editions and manuscripts for instance, and books of great cost should only be available in the central library, and all scholars should be encouraged to resort there. The library authorities should appeal for gifts of works likely to add to the permanent value of the library, for rare editions and for manuscripts, and for books specially illustrating local history. In order to create a taste for actual

library study, and to overcome the shyness that often excludes the young from great libraries, classes should actually be held in the library itself; and there should be in the library buildings a local museum where everything could be learnt that belongs to the history of the locality, whether it be its natural history or the history of its human affairs, or the history of its relationship to its country or the world. A concrete instance will illustrate this need. Greenwich is the most interesting historical spot in England. It had till this year no public library and no museum. Yet in the Park are burying-grounds of the Bronze Age, Roman villas, remains of the Danish occupation, and in the town resided the Kings of England throughout the middle period of our history. Greenwich Hospital is associated with the greatest period in our naval annals, and the Royal Observatory is one of the most famous centres of scientific research. This quaint little town, now submerged in the flowing, murky tide of the Metropolis, has indeed more historical and

scientific associations than has any other place in the world of the same size. Yet its average school child could with difficulty distinguish it from Poplar or Barking.

In some such way as has been indicated the public library should be brought into the actual life of the people. Nor should it stop there. The library should be made an example. Good books to-day are cheap, if all cheap books are not good. From the first children should be taught to collect good books and slowly to build up personal libraries. There is nothing that reflects a man's personality more truthfully, more brutally, than his collection of books. A man can see himself in his books more adequately than in his mirror. If they are his deliberate choice he sees himself, his whole self and nothing but but himself himself—nothing but his attenuated self it may be in the row or rows of them. The child should be brought up to look at himself in the face in this way and to be able to look without shame. There are a hundred best books for every person, but the

Our

century varies with every person. educational system should, with the help of the public library and its gifted librarian, and with the continual stimulus of school classes dealing with the choice of books, enable every child to collect the hundred books that best reflect his true and nobler personality. So life will acquire for the many a new interest, a new inspiration, and culture will leaven the living dough that Time is always kneading.

EDUCATION AND INSPIRATION

MATTHEW ARNOLD, in his famous critical essay of 1853, declares that "What is not interesting is that which does not add to our knowledge of any kind; that which is vaguely conceived and loosely drawn ; a representation which is general, indeterminate and faint, instead of being particular, precise and firm. Any accurate representation may, therefore, be expected to be interesting; but if the representation be a poetical one, more than this is demanded. It is demanded, not only that it shall interest, but also that it shall inspirit and rejoice the reader; that it shall convey a charm and infuse delight." This truth with respect to poetical representation applies indeed to all art, and with peculiar force to that representation of accumulated thought which is the result of education. Education is the process by which a series of representations is given a place in the human