ROYAL ROAD TO LEARNING.

Colonist, Volume XLVI, Issue 10660, 7 March 1903, Page 2

ROYAL ROAD TO LEARNING.

j The Century Dictionary & Cyclopedia & Atlas may be fairly considered to provide a royal road to learning— to that sort of learning which enables us to think intelligently and tb talk intelligently about the current topics of the day. The occurrence in one's newspaper of an unfamiliar word, the mention of an unknown substance, or an unknown process, arouses in the*average reader's mind enough of curiosity to make him turn to work of reference, if he knows that the information he desires will easily be found. A literary man, accustomed to the use of books, cannot but perceive the value of "The Century." But any man of affairs can test the work in a thorough and satisfactorily manner, if he will look up the definitions in his own business or profession. For instance let the doctor turn to such words as "fever" or "operation"; the clergyman to "church," "liturgy," "catholic"; the engineer to "arch," " water-supply," " aqueduct"; the life-insurance man to "endowment", "tontine," "annuity": the mechanic to "puddling," ' ' steel, ' " * engine, " " bloomery ' ' ; the jeweller to "brilliant," "cameo," "intaglio," "diamond"; and then let him remember that every other field of inquiry is covered with equal {fulness and accuracy. Or let him open any of the other dictionaries at any word he pleases, and then open "The Century" at the same and compare the two. He will often look in the older dictionaries for a word and not find it; he will never turn to " The Century " in vain. "The Times" presents you with an opportunity to secure this great work of reference in 10 royal octavo volumes for a short time longer on most liberal torms, and at a discount of over 40 per cent from the publishers' prices.