Book Quote by Hilaire Belloc
“Child! do not throw this book about Refrain from the unholy pleasure Of cutting all the pictures out! Preserve it as your chiefest treasure.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Book of the Holy" by Hilaire Belloc, 1915
The speaker urges protecting a treasured book from destruction, valuing its spiritual and cultural worth over fleeting pleasures.
In simple terms: Protect valuable things from careless harm.
Key Takeaway
Guard what you cherish.
Themes
preservation
spirituality
value
care
heritage
Mood
protective
reflective
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- library handling
- family heirloom care
- museum curation
- personal memory keeping
Key Concepts
cultural reverence
symbolic protection
Questions to Reflect On
- What do you consider a 'chiefest treasure'?
- How do you balance preservation with critical engagement?
A Different Perspective
The book may hold harmful ideas for some readers; preservation can become obsessive.
![“For no one, in our long decline,So dusty, spiteful and divided,Had quite such pleasant friends as mine,Or loved them half as much as I did. [stanza 3]The library was most inviting:The books upon the crowded shelvesWere mainly of our private writing:We kept a school and taught ourselves. [stanza…” quote by Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/913/hilaire-belloc-2294_book_for-no-one-in-our-long-decline-so-dusty_140002.jpg)
