spectacle, because, as you know, humility is a rare and fragrant virtue;
and what can be more humble than to surrender your morals and your
intellect to the judgment of one of your tradesmen? I suppose that there
are some very perfect people who allow the Army and Navy Stores to censor
their diet. So much merit, however, I imagine, is not frequently met
with here below. The flesh, alas! is weak, and--from a certain point of
view--so important!

A superficial person might be rendered miserable by the simple question:
What would become of us if the circulating libraries ceased to exist? It
is a horrid and almost indelicate supposition, but let us be brave and
face the truth. On this earth of ours nothing lasts. _Tout passe, tout
casse, tout lasse_. Imagine the utter wreck overtaking the morals of our
beautiful country-houses should the circulating libraries suddenly die!
But pray do not shudder. There is no occasion.

Their spirit shall survive. I declare this from inward conviction, and
also from scientific information received lately. For observe: the
circulating libraries are human institutions. I beg you to follow me
closely. They are human institutions, and being human, they are not
animal, and, therefore, they are spiritual. Thus, any man with enough
money to take a shop, stock his shelves, and pay for advertisements shall
be able to evoke the pure and censorious spectre of the circulating
libraries whenever his own commercial spirit moves him.

For, and this is the information alluded to above, Science, having in its
infinite wanderings run up against various wonders and mysteries, is
apparently willing now to allow a spiritual quality to man and, I
conclude, to all his works as well.