第8部分(第4/7 頁)

that　a　few　books　are　〃noticed〃；　granting　that　the　〃notice〃　is　in　any　way　noticeable；　pare　the　space　it　occupies　with　that　devoted　to　the　material　interests　of　life：　you　have　a　gauge　of　the　real　importance　of　intellectual　endeavour　to　the　people　at　large。　No；　the　public　which　reads；　in　any　sense　of　the　word　worth　considering；　is　very；　very　small；　the　public　which　would　feel　no　lack　if　all　book…printing　ceased　to…morrow；　is　enormous。　These　announcements　of　learned　works　which　strike　one　as　so　encouraging；　are　addressed；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　to　a　few　thousand　persons；　scattered　all　over　the　English…　speaking　world。　Many　of　the　most　valuable　books　slowly　achieve　the　sale　of　a　few　hundred　copies。　Gather　from　all　the　ends　of　the　British　Empire　the　men　and　women　who　purchase　grave　literature　as　a　matter　of　course；　who　habitually　seek　it　in　public　libraries；　in　short　who　regard　it　as　a　necessity　of　life；　and　I　am　much　mistaken　if　they　could　not　fortably　assemble　in　the　Albert　Hall。

But　even　granting　this；　is　it　not　an　obvious　fact　that　our　age　tends　to　the　civilized　habit　of　mind；　as　displayed　in　a　love　for　intellectual　things？　Was　there　ever　a　time　which　saw　the　literature　of　knowledge　and　of　the　emotions　so　widely　distributed？　Does　not　the　minority　of　the　truly　intelligent　exercise　a　vast　and　profound　influence？　Does　it　not　in　truth　lead　the　way；　however　slowly　and　irregularly　the　multitude　may　follow？

I　should　like　to　believe　it。　When　gloomy　evidence　is　thrust　upon　me；　I　often　say　to　myself：　Think　of　the　frequency　of　the　reasonable　man；　think　of　him　everywhere　labouring　to　spread　the　light；　how　is　it　possible　that　such　efforts　should　be　overborne　by　forces　of　blind　brutality；　now　that　the　human　race　has　got　so　far？……Yes；　yes；　but　this　mortal　whom　I　caress　as　re