The calling of a scholar ... fitteth a man for all conditions and
fortunes; so that he can enjoy prosperity with moderation, and sustain
adversity with comfort: he that loveth a book will never want a faithful
friend, a wholesome counsellor, a cheerful companion, an effectual
comforter.... The reading of books, what is it but conversing with the
wisest men of all ages and all countries, who thereby communicate to us
their most deliberate thoughts, choicest notions, and best inventions,
couched in good expression, and digested in exact method? The perusal of
history, how pleasant illumination of mind, how useful direction of
life, how spritely incentives to virtue doth it afford! How doth it
supply the room of experience, and furnish us with prudence at the
expense of others, informing us about the ways of action, and the
consequences thereof by examples, without our own danger or trouble!--I.
BARROW. _Of Industry in our Particular Calling as Scholars._