With this peculiarity of temperament, I could master only a rather
restricted amount of mental material. My father's library was once more
ransacked. I found not much that was of any use to me, for it contained
chiefly theological works; but I seized with the greatest enjoyment on a
book which had come out some ten years before in Gotha, a general view
of all the sciences and fine arts in their various ramifications, with a
short sketch of the object of the several sciences and of the literature
of each department. The arrangement was based upon the usual division
of the faculties, but it served to give me a general outlook, long
desired, over the whole of human knowledge, and I was right glad to have
found this "Mappe du monde litteraire"--for that was its title. I
resolved to turn this book to the best advantage I could, and set about
putting my resolution into practice. In order to make a collection of
comprehensive extracts of scientific matters from the several
periodicals received by my father (who shared for that purpose in a
joint subscription with other preachers and educated people), I had
already begun a sort of diary. The form of this journal was
shapeless--everything was put down as it came, one thing after the
other; and thereby the use of it all was rendered very inconvenient.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83