After some while meditation, I walk up to my masters and companions, my
books: and, sitting down amongst them, with the best contentment, I dare
not reach forth my hand to salute any of them till I have first looked
up to heaven, and craved favour of Him to whom all my studies are duly
referred, without whom I can neither profit nor labour. After this, out
of no over-great variety, I call forth those which may best fit my
occasions; wherein I am not too scrupulous of age: sometimes I put
myself to school, to one of those ancients, whom the Church hath
honoured with the name of Fathers, whose volumes I confess not to open
without a secret reverence of their holiness and gravity: sometimes to
those latter doctors, which want nothing but age to make them classical:
always to God's Book. That day is lost whereof some hours are not
improved in those divine monuments: others I turn over out of choice;
these out of duty.--JOSEPH HALL. (Letter to Lord Denny.)