RUSKIN SAYS 



f IFE being short, and the quiet hours of it few, we 

 __j ought to waste none of them in reading valueless 

 books ; and valuable books should, in a civilised 

 country, be within the reach of everyone, printed in 

 excellent form for a just price ; but not in any vile, vulgar, 

 or, by reason of smallness of type, physically injurious 

 form, at a vile price. For we none of us need many books, 

 but those which we need ought to be clearly printed, on 

 the best paper, and strongly bound. 



" I should urge upon every young man, as the beginning 

 of his due and wise provision for his household, to obtain 

 as soon as he can, by the severest economy, a restricted, 

 serviceable, and steadily — however slowly — increasing 

 series of books for use through life; making his little 

 library, of all the furniture in his room, the most studied 

 and decorative piece ; every volume having its assigned 

 place, like a little statue in its niche, and one of the 

 earliest and strictest lessons to the children of the house 

 being how to turn the pages of their own literary 

 possessions lightly and deliberately, with no chance of 

 tearing or dogs' ears." So says Ruskin in Sesame a?id Lilies. 



The Harmsworth Library is the ideal collection of 

 books for carrying out Ruskin's exhortation. It consists 

 of the world's great books : the books that live : the books 

 to which we should devote our leisure hours. In all 

 respects they fulfil Ruskin's requirements. 



The books are printed " on the best paper " ; the 

 type is large ; it is not " physically injurious." The books 

 are " strongly bound," and every volume is published at 

 " a just price " — the price of one shilling net. This is a 

 price which brings the world's great literature within 

 reach of the humblest home. No home in future need be 

 without its own library of great books. 



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