To revisit Carpeaux and his History of Western Literature for a little more than a consultation is to return, after half an hour’s reading, with a list of thirty or forty works to read. That is to say: a list sufficient to guide a good few months of study. Really, Carpeaux’s History is unparalleled; it is an inexhaustible source and a faithful companion for a lifetime. It never, ever disappoints; and when we evolve, when we mature and our mind wanders to new places, we can return to it and find treasures that were previously neglected or consciously overlooked, and then conclude that we change, but Carpeaux, despite our change, will always remain at our disposal.