d? With these illustrations, I will recommend Johnson's
advice to you.

"Another thing, and only one other, I will say. All books are properly
the record of the history of past men--what thoughts past men had in
them--what actions past men did: the summary of all books whatsoever
lies there. It is on this ground that the class of books specifically
named History can be safely recommended as the basis of all study of
books--the preliminary to all right and full understanding of anything
we can expect to find in books. Past history, and especially the past
history of one's own native country, everybody may be advised to begin
with that. Let him study that faithfully; innumerable inquiries will
branch out from it; he has a broad-beaten highway, from which all
the country is more or less visible; there travelling, let him choose
where he will dwell.

"Neither let mistakes and wrong directions--of which every man, in
his studies and elsewhere, falls into many--discourage you. There is
precious instruction to be got by finding that we are wrong. Let a
man try faithfully, manfully, to be right, he will grow daily more
and more right. It is, at bottom, the condition which all men have
to cultivate themselves. Our very walking is an incessant falling--a
falling and a catching of ourselves before we come actually to the
pavement!--it is emblematic of all things a man does.

"In conclusion, I will remind you that it is not by books alone, or
by books chiefly, that a man becomes in all points a man. Study to do
faithfully whatsoever thing in your actual situation, there and now,
you find either expressly or tacitly laid to your charge; that is
your post; stand in it like a true soldier. Silently devour the many
chagrins of it, as all human situations have many; and see you aim not
to quit it without doing all that _it_, at least, required of you.
A man perfects himself by work much more than by reading. They are a
growing kind of men that can wisely combine the two things--wisely,
valiantly, can do what is laid to their hand in their present sphere,
and prepare themselves withal for doing other wider things, if such
lie before them.

"With many good wishes and encouragements, I remain, yours sincerely,

"THOMAS CARLYLE.

"Chelsea, 13th March, 1843."

The publication of "Past and Present" elicited a paper "On the Genius
and Tendency of the Writings of Thomas Carlyle," from Mazzini, which
appeared in the "British and For