xxvn AT HOME AND ABROAD 38 



and Japanese (3 Editions). It was made a text- 

 book in more than one of the Indian Universities. 

 Whatever may be the view of men of learning, it 

 is impossible to deny an importance to a book 

 which is read by such large numbers and such 

 different sections of the human race as these few 

 statistics indicate. 



The reviews would fill a volume, and are in 

 almost all the written languages of the earth. 



As a quoter of choice fragments of wisdom and know- 

 ledge, Sir J. Lubbock is without an equal. 



The felicity with which the quotations are chosen, 

 the taste for true wisdom which they show, and the 

 apposite way in which they are put together to make up 

 a full discourse upon the subject in hand, amount to 

 little less than a genius for philosophical speculation. 



Quand viendra-t-il en France un moraliste qui 

 comprenne notre ame comme Sir John Lubbock a com- 

 pris celle de sa patrie ? ^ 



Apophthegms are apt to stick in the throat instead of 

 the mind. Sir John Lubbock's great merit is that he is 

 able to render a good many dry morsels of knowledge 

 easy of digestion, and thus convert them into actual 

 food for the mind. 



We should hesitate to say that a man could find a 

 complete philosophy of life in this little book, but one 

 can certainly find in it a great deal of philosophy, of 

 wholesome observation, good taste, good temper and 

 cheerful inspiration. 



If we could put a copy of this book by Sir John 

 Lubbock in the hands of every young man of our 

 acquaintance, we should feel that we had done a work 

 to be proud of. 



We may say at once that this new book of Sir John's 

 is one of the most interesting, most helpful, healthiest 

 books we have read for some time past. 



These are a few notes struck here and there 



1 Figaro, 25.10.94. 

 VOL. II B 



