A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.

This line is widely known from a passage praising books as enduring vessels of a writer’s mind and vitality, originally written in a polemical defense of free expression and printing.

The quote suggests that a truly valuable book preserves the essence of its creator—ideas, character, and insight—so it can continue to influence readers long after the author’s death.