Did you know you could fly

I have been reading, among other things, selections from the Harvard Classics, a 51-book set that was compiled by then-Harvard University President Charles W. Eliot in 1909. Elliot claimed that the set included everything needed for a well-rounded liberal education. The full set (which runs about $300, used) was my high school graduation present from my parents (yes it was what I had asked for - I am, in fact, that much of a geek). I have been making sadly slow progress in the 12 years since I received my present, largely because many of the selections, while worthwhile, are somewhat dull, and I really don't have that much time on my hands. I'm persevering, however, and imagine I'll be able to complete the set at least by the time I retire :)

One of my biggest complaints, however, is that Eliot clearly assumed the reader *already had* a liberal education, or what was considered one in 1909, and thus although all the actual text is in English, he does not feel the need to translate bits of Latin and French that show up in the text, and indeed often adds to the confusion in his own footnotes, such as the one I just came across.

It was a annotation to a line by Pliny in one of his letters: "As for myself, they will never be able to persuade me I can be guilty of an excess in friendship." Elliot's note observes that Balzac expresses a similar sentiment when he states, [insert long quotation in French]. *sigh* This leads to much time spent on online translators and my own limited knowledge of French to determine that Balzac quote roughly translates as "There are rivers which never do so much good as when they overflow; likewise, in friendship there is nothing better than excess."

So much work. Pah!