Walt Whitman   Literary File   Prose   "American National Literature," AMs, ca. 1891
Box 1 Folder 9
(LC Catalog # 274)Think a moment what are [the] to day [*to be*] the [sub?] [books?].
Books, profoundly considered, show
a great nation more than [their] any
thing else - more than their laws 
[and] or manners (This is probably
the [last] deep-down meaning of that well-buried, but
ever-vital platitude let me [make] sing a
people's songs and I don't care who
makes their laws.) Books
[Books] too reflect on [the [?]]
humanity en-masse, and [give]
[the latter a strange glow] surely [and]
[prove] show them splendidly or the reverse, and prove
& celebrate their prevalent traits (these last the main things.)

Homer has grown out of and held the ages [by] and reigns [to day] yet by the
prevalent admiration for personal
prowess, [and] courage, [and]
leadership - inherent in the
whole human race. Shakspere
concentrates the brilliancy
of centures of fear[?] in the personalities produced and painted the
amorous passion. The books
of the Bible stand for the
final superiority of [the] Devout emotions and
intellect over all the rest and of religious
adoration & [of] of absolute justice,
[finally] ultimately more powerful than the haughtiest
King[s]Memorandum
Sheet by Whitman
manuscript given to
Percival [arcell]
in Boston August
nineteen hundred
seven by me.
Homer Lanbel

Walt Whitman 
Camden
New Jersey

Care of Artesian Water Co.
Memphis
Tenn.