We have said that a man may be known by the company he keeps in
his books. Let us mention a few of the favourites of the best-
known men. Plutarch's admirers have already been referred to.
Montaigne also has been the companion of most meditative men.
Although Shakspeare must have studied Plutarch carefully, inasmuch
as he copied from him freely, even to his very words, it is
remarkable that Montaigne is the only book which we certainly know
to have been in the poet's library; one of Shakspeare's existing
autographs having been found in a copy of Florio's translation of
'The Essays,' which also contains, on the flyleaf, the autograph
of Ben Jonson.

Milton's favourite books were Homer, Ovid, and Euripides. The
latter book was also the favourite of Charles James Fox, who
regarded the study of it as especially useful to a public speaker.
On the other hand, Pitt took especial delight in Milton--whom Fox
did not appreciate--taking pleasure in reciting, from 'Paradise
Lost,' the grand speech of Belial before the assembled powers of
Pandemonium. Another of Pitt's ,favourite books was Newton's
'Principia.' Again, the Earl of Chatham's favourite book was
'Barrow's Sermons,' which he read so often as to be able to repeat
them from memory; while Burke's companions were Demosthenes,
Milton, Bolingbroke, and Young's 'Night Thoughts.'

Curran's favourite was Homer, which he read through once a year.
Virgil was another of his favourites; his biographer, Phillips,
saying that he once saw him reading the 'Aeneid' in the cabin
of a Holyhead packet, while every one about him was prostrate
by seasickness.