The Pleasures of Life

The Pleasures of Life

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Title: The Pleasures of Life
Author: Sir John Lubbock
Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7952] [This file was first posted on
June 4, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English

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PLEASURES OF LIFE ***

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THE PLEASURES OF LIFE
SIR JOHN LUBBOCK

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I
">
PART I

CHAPTER I
THE DUTY OF HAPPINESS

CHAPTER II
THE HAPPINESS OF DUTY

CHAPTER III
A SONG OF BOOKS

CHAPTER IV
THE CHOICE OF BOOKS

CHAPTER V
THE BLESSING OF FRIENDS

CHAPTER VI
THE VALUE OF TIME

CHAPTER VII
THE PLEASURES OF TRAVEL

CHAPTER VIII
THE PLEASURES OF HOME

CHAPTER IX
SCIENCE

CHAPTER X
EDUCATION

CHAPTER I
">
PART II

CHAPTER I
AMBITION

CHAPTER II
WEALTH

CHAPTER III
HEALTH

CHAPTER IV
LOVE

CHAPTER V
ART

CHAPTER VI
POETRY

CHAPTER VII
MUSIC

CHAPTER VIII
THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE

CHAPTER IX
THE TROUBLES OF LIFE

CHAPTER X
LABOR AND REST

CHAPTER XI
RELIGION

CHAPTER XII
THE HOPE OF PROGRESS

CHAPTER XIII
THE DESTINY OF MAN

PREFACE
Those who have the pleasure of attending the opening meetings of
schools and colleges, and of giving away prizes and certificates, are
generally expected at the same time to offer such words of counsel and
encouragement as the experience of the world might enable them to
give to those who are entering life.
Having been myself when young rather prone to suffer from low spirits,
I have at several of these gatherings taken the opportunity of dwelling
on the privileges and blessings we enjoy, and I reprint here the
substance of some of these addresses (omitting what was special to the
circumstances of each case, and freely making any alterations and
additions which have since occurred to me), hoping that the thoughts
and quotations in which I have myself found most comfort may
perhaps be of use to others also.
It is hardly necessary to say that I have not by any means referred to all
the sources of happiness open to us, some indeed of the greatest
pleasures and blessings being altogether omitted.
In reading over the proofs I feel that some sentences may appear too
dogmatic, but I hope that allowance will be made for the circumstances
under which they were delivered.
HIGH ELMS,
DOWN, KENT, _January 1887_.

PREFACE

TO THE TWENTIETH EDITION.
A lecture which I delivered three years ago at the Working Men's
College, and which forms the fourth chapter of this book, has given rise
to a good deal of discussion. The Pall Mall Gazette took up the subject
and issued a circular to many of those best qualified to express an
opinion. This elicited many interesting replies, and some other lists of
books were drawn up. When my book was translated, a similar
discussion took place in Germany. The result has been very gratifying,
and after carefully considering the suggestions which have been made,
I see no reason for any material change in the first list. I had not
presumed to form a list of my own, nor did I profess to give my own
favorites. My attempt was to give those most generally recommended
by previous writers on the subject. In the various criticisms on my list,
while large additions, amounting to several hundred works in all, have
been proposed, very few omissions have been suggested. As regards
those works with reference to which some doubts have been
expressed--namely, the few Oriental books, Wake's Apostolic Fathers
etc.--I may observe that I drew up the list, not as that of the hundred
best books, but, which is very different, of those which have been most
frequently