92 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



books must be limited in number, and, for another 

 reason, it is best to limit them to a hundred at most. 



This is the first difficulty ; and it has been happily 

 solved by Sir John Lubbock. Carlyle and others, 

 before Sir John Lubbock brought up the question, had 

 advised on courses of reading, but Sir John Lubbock 

 was the first to focus the common desire to a practical 

 point, when some time ago, in an address delivered 

 before the Working Men's College of London, he detailed 

 a list of the hundred works of all literature most desirable 

 to be read. The idea was greedily seized upon for 

 discussion all over the world. Of Sir John Lubbock's 

 choice about ten were objected to, not for the books 

 themselves, but on the ground that other books should 

 find a place in the first 100 in order that individual 

 tastes and individual careers might be gratified. It 

 was also ascertained that out of the 300 additional 

 books suggested by the critics there was not a single 

 work that was recommended by any two critics as being 

 absolutely essential. In the result, therefore, it was 

 established that for the world of readers in general, 

 for all classes, from working men to students and 

 litterateurs. Sir John Lubbock had chosen — as near as 

 such choice can ever come — what was really the 100 

 Best Books in the whole world of literature. And, not 

 only has Sir John Lubbock's List never since been 

 improved, it has never since been even approximated 

 by a list of the 100 Best Books put forward by any one 

 in any part of the world. It remains to-day unchallenged 

 as the best possible list of the best hundred books. 



The first difficulty was overcome by Sir John Lubbock. 

 There then remained a second difficulty — the vital 

 question of cost ; for it was recognised by every one 

 that, the books once chosen, they must in some way 

 be made available at a price within the means of the 

 people. . . . 



There follow letters, and extracts from letters, 

 all appreciative of the list and of its issue in this 

 uniform edition, from persons of extraordinarily 

 different distinction — from the Prince of Wales, 

 from Mr. Henry Irving, from bishops, men of 

 science, statesmen, diplomatists, soldiers, sailors. 



