It has been more than a century now since this unique compilation of famous quotations was brought out in this country by a literate and enterprising New England publisher. Copiously quoted by nineteenth-century writers and speakers, avidly consulted by students and teachers alike, has soon become a household classic, taking its place beside the family Bible in every cultivated American home. Since the "Familiar Quotations" has gone through many editions, seen many revisions. Now, for the first time, this printing restores to circulation the original first edition, just as John Bartlett himself arranged it. With time's added perspective, today's readers will find it an even more enchanting reflection of American culture than did their enthusiastic ancestors.