The Classics Club - One Year with the Harvard Classics

My goal for the Classics Club challenge is to complete the entire Harvard Classics Reading Guide. Each day I am going to read the classic work chosen by the creator of the Harvard Classics, Professor Charles Eliot, for that day. According to Eliot, if a person would spend 15 minutes a day reading from this list, upon completion they will have obtained all the elements of a liberal education. I intend to read each day from the interactive reading guide at My Harvard Classics that links me to the exact volume and chapter of the Harvard Classics and then blog about the classic I just read. The site also allows me to listen to the daily reading as I follow along or download a mp3 for the daily reading and listen in my car. I can even track my progress right on the site. So I should have no excuse for not completing the Harvard Classics Reading Guide in one year.

 

 

 

Jan 1: FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 Franklin's Advice for the New Year

"Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without
fail what you resolve"—was one of the rules for success
framed by America's first "self-made" man.

Read from FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ..........     Vol. I, pp. 79-85


 

Jan 2: MILTON'S POEMS

 School-Day Poems of John Milton

At the age of sixteen, Milton first appeared before the public
eye as a promising young poet. These early verses, written while
he was a boy in school, indicate his brilliant future.

Read: MILTON'S POEMS ............................    Vol. 4, pp. 7-18


 

Jan 3: Cicero ON FRIENDSHIP

 Cicero on Friendship

"Fire and water are not of more universal use than friendship"—
such is the high value put upon this great human relationship
by the most famous orator of Rome.

Read from Cicero ON FRIENDSHIP ...............  Vol. 9, pp. 16-26


 

Jan 4: GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES

 A Flounder Fish Story

A fisherman, so the story goes, once caught a flounder that spoke,
begging to be released. This was granted, whereupon the fisherman's
wife demanded that it grant her one miracle after another,
until even the flounder was disgusted.

Read from GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES ........................  Vol. 17, pp. 83-90



 

Jan 5: Mazzini's BYRON AND GOETHE

 The Soaring Eagle and Contented Stork

Mazzini labored for the freedom of Italy, but was exiled. Byron
and Goethe also battled for liberty. Mazzini wrote an essay
in which he compared Byron to a soaring eagle and Goethe to
a contented stork.

Read: Mazzini's BYRON AND GOETHE ........  Vol. 32, pp. 377-396


 

Jan 6: Virgil's AENEID

 Warned by Hector's Ghost

In the dead of night Hector's ghost appeared to warn Aeneas
of the impending doom to come upon the walled city of Troy.
Aeneas lifted his aged father on his back and, taking his son by
the hand, sought safety in flight. Off to Latium!

Read from Virgil's AENEID ..................  Vol. 13, pp. 109-127


 

Jan 7: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

If He Yawned, She Lost Her Head!

 

The Sultan had a habit of beheading each dawn his beautiful
bride of the night before, until he encountered Scheherazade.
Cleverly she saved her life a thousand and one mornings.

 

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ......  Vol. 16, pp. 5-13

 

 

Jan 8: THE BOOK OF JOB

Trying the Patience of Job

 

God was pleased with the piety of Job, but Satan accredited the
piety to Job's prosperity and happiness. So a trial was made.
See how each succeeding affliction visited on Job shook the
depths of his nature, and how he survived.

 

Read from THE BOOK OF JOB ...................   Vol. 44, pp. 71-87

 

 

Jan 9: Nichol's SIR FRANCIS DRAKE REVIVED

A Treasure Hunt in Nombre de Dios

With only fifty-two men, Sir Francis Drake conceives the idea
of attacking his archenemy, Spain, at her most vulnerable point
the treasure at Nombre de Dios.

Read from Nichol's SIR FRANCIS DRAKE REVIVED ....  Vol. 33, pp. 135-145

 

 

Jan 10: Euripides' THE BACCHAE

Where Love Lies Waiting

King Pantheus of Thebes contended against Dionysus, the God,
for the adoration of the Theban women. The god was winning
by bewitching the women when the king interceded. Euripides
tells the story in a masterpiece of Greek drama.

Read from Euripides' THE BACCHAE .........  Vol. 8, pp. 368-372

 

 

Jan 11: THE FEDERALIST

 Hamilton—Father of Wall Street

Hamilton organized the Treasury Department. He penned
most of the Federalist papers, which were greatly influential
in bringing New York into the Union—the first step toward its
eminent position in national and world finance.

Read: THE FEDERALIST ..................   Vol. 43, pp. 199-207


 

Jan 12: Burke ON TASTE

 What Is Good Taste?

A Turkish sultan, relates Burke, when shown a picture of the
beheaded John the Baptist, praised many things, but pointed
out one gruesome defect. Did this observation show the sultan
to be an inferior judge of art?

Read: Burke ON TASTE .......................    Vol. 24, pp. 11-26


 

Jan 13: Rousseau's INQUIRY ON INEQUALITY

 Rousseau Seeks Sanctuary in England

Rousseau taught that men were not created free and equal.
To substantiate his daring beliefs he traced man's history back
to his primitive beginnings. For his teachings, Rousseau was
forced to seek refuge in England.

Read from Rousseau's INQUIRY ON INEQUALITY ...   Vol. 34, pp. 215-228


 

Jan 14: THE FUNDAMENTAL ORDERS OF CONNECTICUT

 The First Step Toward Independence

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut is "the first written
constitution as a permanent limitation on governmental power,
known in history." It is the work of the Connecticut Yankee.

Read: THE FUNDAMENTAL ORDERS OF CONNECTICUT .....   Vol. 43, pp. 60-65


 

Jan 15: THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM

 "The Moving Finger Writes"

Omar Khayyam laughed and enjoyed the good things of life.
His "Rubaiyat," the most popular philosophic poem, is the best
of all books to dip into for an alluring thought.

Read from THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM .....   Vol. 41, pp. 943-953


 

Jan 16: AESOP'S FABLES

 The Old Woman and the Wine Jar

An old woman once found a wine jar, but it was empty. She
sniffed at the mouth of the jar and said: "What memories cling
'round the instruments of our pleasure."

Read from AESOP'S FABLES .......  Vol. 17, pp. 43-44; also pp. 31-43


 

Jan 17: FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 Franklin's Family Tree

Good middle-class people, Franklin boasts, were his ancestors.
Some have attributed his genius to his being the youngest son
of the youngest son for five generations. In his famous autobiography,
he reveals quaint family history.

Read from FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ...............   Vol. 1 , pp. 5-15


 

Jan 18: Aristophanes' THE FROGS

 Origin of Yale "Brekekekex-Ko-ax"

"Shall I crack any of those old jokes, master, at which the audience
never fails to laugh?" Like an up-to-date vaudeville
team, Xanthias and Dionysus start off a dialogue that mingles
wit and poetry with humor and keen satire.

Read from Aristophanes' THE FROGS ............   Vol. 8, pp. 439-449


 

Jan 19: Poe's THE POETIC PRINCIPLE

 Poe on Poetry

Regarded in Europe as one of America' s greatest writers, Poe
originated the detective story, perfected the mystery short story,
and produced America's first great poems. Here he unravels
the fabric of which all poetry is woven.

Read from Poe's THE POETIC PRINCIPLE .........  Vol. 28, pp. 371-380


 

Jan 20: Keats' EVE OF ST. AGNES

 "Ah! It Is St. Agnes' Eve"

At midnight on the eve of St. Agnes there were certain solemn
ceremonies which all virgins must perform to have "visions of
delight and soft adorings from their loves." Porphyro took advantage
of this custom to win his bride.

Read: Keats' EVE OF ST. AGNES ..................   Vol. 41, pp. 883-893


 

Jan 21: ANDERSEN'S TALES

 The Nightingale's Healing Melody

The Emperor of China lies on his deathbed grieving for the
song of his favorite bird. Hark, the song! It charms, coaxes,
and bribes Death to depart. It brings new life to the master.

Read from ANDERSEN'S TALES ...........  Vol. 17, pp. 301-310


 

Jan 22: Corneille's POLYEUCTE

 A King's Pleasure Now Yours

The classic plays of French literature are produced to-day precisely
as when they were given for the resplendent kings they
were written to please. We are fortunate to have in English,
excellent translations of these noble plays.

Read from Corneille's POLYEUCTE ................   Vol. 26, pp. 77-87


 

Jan 23: Pascal's THE ART OF PERSUASION

 Pascal Knew Men and Triangles

Pascal, the keen-minded philosopher and mathematician, fathomed
the human traits of man's nature with the same accurate
measurements which made him famous in the realm of geometry.
Read his searching analysis of man's conceit.

Read: Pascal's THE ART OF PERSUASION .........  Vol. 48, pp. 400-411


 

Jan 24: Homer's ODYSSEY

 Odysseus Silenced the Sirens

When his ship approached the siren's rock, Odysseus stuffed
the ears of his crew with wax and had himself bound to the mast
that he might hear the alluring voice of the siren and yet not
wreck his ship on the enchanted rock.

Read from Homer's ODYSSEY ..................   Vol. 22, pp. 165-173


 

Jan 25: TO A MOUSE and Burns' other poems

 A Field Mouse Made Famous

A humble Scotchman, plowing his fields, turns over the nest of
a frightened mouse. He apologizes with the deepest sincerity
and explains how "the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang
aft agley."

Read: To A MOUSE and Burns' other poems.......  Vol. 6, pp. 119-120, 388-394


 

Jan 26: Herodotus' AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT

 In the Cradle of Civilization

A king who entombed his daughter in a golden cow—the worship
of the bull and the cat—scandal of the court and the gossip
of the temples is given by Herodotus in his delightful story of
old Egypt.

Read from Herodotus' AN ACCOUNT OF ECYPT ......  Vol. 33, pp. 65-75


 

Jan 27: Dante's DIVINE COMEDY

 Dante and Beatrice in Paradise

Dante fell madly in love with Beatrice at first sight; but it is
doubted if he ever spoke to her in this world. He tells of his
happy meeting with Beatrice in Paradise.

Read from Dante's DIVINE COMEDY ......  Vol. 20, pp. 267-279


 

Jan 28: Thomas a Kempis

 Man's Wings

A pure heart, says Thomas a Kempis, comprehends the very
depths of Heaven and Hell. And it is by the wings of simplicity
and purity that man is lifted above all earthly things.

Read from Thomas a Kempis .................   Vol. 7, pp. 242-249


 

Jan 29: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

 Visits the Land of Fire

South of Patagonia is Tierra del Fuego—"The Land of Fire."
The natives of that primitive country are to-day almost extinct.
Darwin made a careful and vitally interesting study of that land
and its ill-fated inhabitants.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE .....  Vol. 29, 209-221


 

Jan 30: Sophocles' ANTIGONE

First Problem Play Popular

Antigone, an orphan princess, defies a king's mandate and risks
her life to do her duty to her brother. What is this duty which
her brother calls her to perform and the king forbids?

Read from Sophocles' ANTIGONE .............  Vol. 8, pp. 255-266

Jan 31: DON QUIXOTE

What "Don Quixote " Really Slew

Slayer of windmills, rescuer of fair damsels in distress, eccentric
Don Quixote, scores of years behind his time, set out on a mad
quest of knight-errantry. Worlds of fun and killing satire are
in this absorbing story of Cervantes.

Read from DON QUIXOTE .......................    Vol. 14, pp. 60-67

Feb 1: Malory's THE HOLY GRAIL

 King Arthur's Knights Find Holy Grail

The intrepid Knights of the Round Table were startled by
"crackling and crying of thunder" which rang through the great
hall of the castle. Then there entered " The Holy Grail covered
with white samite."

Read from Malory's THE HOLY GRAIL ......   Vol. 35, pp. 112-123


 

Feb 2: Shakespeare's HAMLET

 "Apparel Oft Proclaims the Man "

Before his son, Laertes, departs for a foreign country, Polonius
advises him as to his conduct and dress, while Hamlet, the king's
son, has to learn by experience.

Read from Shakespeare's HAMLET ...........   Vol. 46, pp. 107-120


 

Feb 3: Jonson's THE ALCHEMIST

 A House of Mirth and Revelry

While the cat's away the mice will play. Boisterous and ludicrous
happenings occur in a house left in charge of a servant.
But in midst of merriment the master returns.

Read from Jonson's THE ALCHEMIST .........   Vol. 47, pp. 543-558


 

Feb 4: Carlyle's CHARACTERISTICS

 "Genius, a Secret to Itself"

Thus wrote Carlyle, who affirms that great minds are unconscious
of their stupendous strength. And each of us has his
own peculiar mental attributes.

Read from Carlyle's CHARACTERISTICS .........  Vol. 25, pp. 319-327


 

Feb 5: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

 Diamonds, Diamonds Everywhere!

Trapped in a valley filled with huge diamonds guarded by
venomous serpents, Sindibad devised a clever means of escaping
with many of the glittering jewels.

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS .....   Vol. 16, pp. 243-250


 

Feb 6: Marlowe's EDWARD THE SECOND

 Charles Lamb Suggests To-day's Reading

"The reluctant pangs of abdicating royalty in 'Edward' furnished
hints which Shakespeare scarcely improved in his 'Richard
the Second,' and the death scene of Marlowe's King moves to pity
and terror."—CHARLES LAMB.

Read from Marlowe's EDWARD THE SECOND .......   Vol. 46, pp. 73-89


 

Feb 7: LETTER TO LORD CHESTERFIELD

 A Letter from a Lion

Johnson was not always a conventional guest. Graciously treated,
he responded in like manner, but offended, Johnson could wield
a pen dripping with vitriol.

Read: LETTER TO LORD CHESTERFIELD .........  Vol. 39, pp. 206-207


 

Feb 8: BURNS' POEMS

 Tragic Death of a World-Famous Beauty

"But I, the Queen of a' Scotland, maun lie in prison Strang."
Burns sings of poor Mary bound by chains, yearning for the day
when flowers would "bloom on her peaceful grave."

Read from BURNS' POEMS ...................   Vol. 6, pp. 396-406


 

Feb 9: Tacitus ON GERMANY

 Rest Between Wars

Tacitus, the historian, visited the virile German tribes in their
primitive homes on the banks of the Rhine. He was surprised
to learn that the men so active and eager in war lolled in indolence
during the intervals between.

Read from Tacitus ON GERMANY ....................  Vol. 33, pp. 93-102


 

Feb 10: Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH

 No Fancy for a Plain Gentleman

Voltaire once visited Congreve. This famous dramatist requested
to be regarded only as a plain gentleman. "Had you been that
I should never have come to see you," Voltaire cynically
replies.

Read from Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH ....   Vol. 34, pp. 130-140


 

Feb 11: Descartes' DISCOURSE ON METHOD

 The Queen Freezes Her Philosophy

Descartes was slain through the eccentric whim of a queen who
demanded that he tutor her in the freezing dawn in the dead
of winter. His philosophy lives in this essay.

Read from Descartes' DISCOURSE ON METHOD ....  Vol. 34, pp. 5-20


 

Feb 12: LINCOLN'S WRITINGS

 Oxford Corrects Lincoln's Mistake

Lincoln himself thought his famous Gettysburg Address was a
failure. To-day the whole world acclaims its greatness. Cast
in bronze, it hangs on the wall of Balliol College, Oxford, regarded
as the perfection of English prose.

Read: LINCOLN'S WRITINGS .......................   Vol. 43, pp. 415-420


 

Feb 13: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 The Frank Story of an Amazing Life

At the age of fifty-eight Benvenuto Cellini shaved his head
and retired to a monastery to write his own story of murder, passion,
and great deeds of the Renaissance. His life is a vivid picture
of the most colorful period in history, a period when statecraft
and religion and black magic and assassination were naively
mingled in men's lives.

Read from CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ..............   Vol. 31, pp. 68-80


 

Feb 14: Pascal's DISCOURSE ON THE PASSION OF LOVE

 Love Always Young

Pascal—an original genius—purposed to master everything that
was new in art and science. He was a mathematician and scientist
as well as a religious enthusiast and moralist, and he shows a
decidedly human side of his nature in this superb essay on Love.

Read: Pascal's DISCOURSE ON THE PASSION OF LOVE ......  Vol. 48, pp. 411-421


 

Feb 15: Dryden's ALL FOR LOVE

 The World Well Lost?

The romantic and heedless loves of Antony and Cleopatra figure
prominently in history, literature, and drama. Dryden made a
fascinating play from the story of Antony, who sacrificed the
leadership of Rome, reputation, and life itself for love of the
Egyptian queen, who followed h im in death.

Read from Dryden's ALL FOR LOVE ...........   Vol. 18, pp. 53-69


 

Feb 16: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

 Social Circles Among Ants

Ants have slaves who work for them. These slaves make the
nests, feed the master ants, tend the eggs, and do the moving
when a colony of ants migrate. Darwin minutely describes the
habits and lives of the industrious ants and their marvelous social
organization—a wonder to mankind.

Read from Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES .........   Vol. 11, pp. 264-268


 

Feb 17: Moliere's TARTUFFE

 Death His Curtain Call

While acting in one of his own plays, Moliere was suddenly
stricken and died shortly after the final curtain. He took an important
role in "Tartuffe" which introduces to literature a character
as famous as Shakespeare's Falstaff.

Read from Moliere's TARTUFFE ....................   Vol. 26, pp. 199-217


 

Feb 18: TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN

 Lasting Peace with Great Britain

All Americans should know this treaty which finally inaugurated
an era of peace and good understanding with England.
For over a hundred years this peace has been unbroken.

Read: TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN (1814) .......  Vol. 43, pp. 255-264


 

Feb 19: BUDDHIST WRITINGS

 Earthly Experience of a Chinese Goddess

The thousandth celestial wife of the Garland God slipped and
fell to earth, where she took mertal form and served as an attendant
in a temple. Death finally released her and she went
back to heaven to tell her lord of the ways of men.

Read from the BUDDHIST WRITINGS ...............  Vol. 45, pp. 693-701


 

Feb 20: Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH

 Voltaire Observes the Quakers

Because the early Quakers shook, trembled, and quaked when
they became inspired—they received the title of "Quakers." This
sect attracted the keen-minded Voltaire, who made interesting
notes on them during his visit to England.

Read from Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH ....  Vol. 34, pp. 65-78


 

Feb 21: Newman's THE IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY

 Does Football Make a College?

Just what makes a university? A group of fine buildings? A
library? A staff of well-trained teachers? A body of eager students?
A winning football team? Cardinal Newman defines
the prime functions of a university.

Read from Newman's THE IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY ....  Vol. 28, pp. 31-39


 

Feb 22: BURNS' POEMS

 An Ode for Washington's Birthday

Burns asks for Columbia's harp, and then sings of liberty. He
bewails the sad state of the land of Alfred and Wallace which
once championed liberty, and now fights for tyranny.

Read from BURNS' POEMS ..................   Vol. 6, pp. 492-494


 

Feb 23: Stevenson's SAMUEL PEPYS

 Pepys' Nose for News

Gossipy, witty Pepys had a curiosity that made him famous. He
knew all the news of court and street. Stevenson, who never
put his pen to a dull subject, writes of Pepys.

Read from Stevenson's SAMUEL PEPYS .....  Vol. 28, pp. 285-292


 

Feb 24: MILTON'S POEMS

 Lights and Shadows of Milton

In a superb poem, Milton bids Loathed Melancholy begone to
some dark cell. He calls for the joys of youth and vows eternal
faith with them.

Read: MILTON'S POEMS .........................   Vol. 4, pp. 30-38


 

Feb 25: THE SHORTEST WAY WITH DISSENTERS

 Punished for Too Sharp a Wit

The brilliant wit and cutting satire of Defoe made for him
friends and enemies—but mostly enemies. So piercing and twoedged
was "The Shortest-Way with Dissenters" that he was
fined, imprisoned and pilloried.

Read: THE SHORTEST-WAY WITH DISSENTERS .....  Vol. 27, pp. 133-147


 

Feb 26: HUGO'S PREFACE TO CROMWELL

 A David Who Side-stepped Goliath

Hugo was insulted by the most powerful critics in France. He
put into the preface of a play "his sling and his stone" by which
others might slay "the classical Goliath."

Read: HUGO'S PREFACE TO CROMWELL .....  Vol. 39, pp. 337-349


 

Feb 27: LONGFELLOW'S POEMS

 Poet Apostle of Good Cheer

"Tell me not in mournful numbers, life is but an empty dream . . ."
"Stars of the summer night! Far in yon azure deeps—"
So begin poems that have charmed and cheered thousands.

Read from LONGFELLOW'S POEMS ..........   Vol. 42, pp. 1264-1280


 

Feb 28: Montaigne's ESSAYS

 Spoke Latin First

Proficient in Latin even before he knew his own tongue, Montaigne
received an unusual education. His whole life was spent
in storing up his choice thoughts for our profit and pleasure.

Read from Montaigne's ESSAYS ......................  Vol. 32, pp. 29-40


 

Feb 29: HERMANN AND DOROTHEA

 Goethe's Tale of a Maiden in Love

To either Saint Patrick or the Scottish Parliament of 1228 go
the honors—or dishonors—of originating the traditions attending
this day; says the latter, "ilka maiden ladee, of baith high and
lowe estait, shall hae libeitie to speak ye man she likes." The
course of true love runs smooth in Goethe's narrative poem, enduring
today for its characterization and swift-flowing lines.

Begin HERMANN AND DOROTHEA .............  Vol. 19, p. 337; also pp. 395-410










 

Mar 1: THE SPECTATOR CLUB

Invented Sir Roger de Coverly

Word pictures are often more vivid than photographs. Steele
had a gift for originating characters that are remembered longer
than flesh and blood people. Sir Roger de Coverly and Will
Honeycomb are now bold figures in literature.

Read: THE SPECTATOR CLUB .....................  Vol. 27, pp. 83-87

Mar 2: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

 What Sailors Do on Sunday

"A sailor's liberty is but for a day," as Dana explains. Dressed
in his Sunday best, the sailor feels like a dashing Beau Brummel;
and sets out to enjoy his freedom. "While it lasts it is perfect.
He is under no one's eye and can do whatever he pleases."

Read from Dana's Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST ...   Vol. 23, pp. 112-119


 

Mar 3: Walton's LIFE OF GEORGE HERBERT

 For Poets and Fishermen

Isaak Walton, famed patron of fishermen, appreciated other
arts and hobbies. He writes of George Herbert, a preacher
whose hobby was poetry.

Read from Walton's LIFE OF GEORGE HERBERT ....  Vol. 15, pp. 373-382


 

Mar 4: Penn's SOME FRUITS OF SOLITUDE

Penn—Pioneer, Thinker, and Builder

Penn, true to Quaker beliefs, came before the king with his
hat on. The king overlooked this and later made him governor
of Pennsylvania. A sagacious Penn is revealed in his writings.

Read from Penn's SOME FRUITS OF SOLITUDE .....  Vol. 1, pp. 321-330

Mar 5: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 Laughed at Locks

Prison walls were the least of Cellini's troubles. "Lock me well
up and watch me, for I shall certainly contrive to escape." In
spite of this warning, the utmost care of the jailers only furnished
amusement for the dauntless Cellini.

Read from CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ...........  Vol. 31, pp. 214-224


 

Mar 6: Poe's THE RAVEN

 West Point's Outcast, America's First Great Poet

Edgar Allan Poe was expelled from West Point and disinherited.
So poor was he that when his young wife lay dying, he could
not afford a fire to warm her. The weirdness and despair of
"The Raven" is particularly symbolic of his life.

Read: Poe's THE-RAVEN ..................   Vol. 42, pp. 1227-1230


 

Mar 7: Bacon's OF JUDICATURE

 Bacon Warns Judges

Bacon pointed out that a judge's duty was to interpret laws and
not to make laws. This single essay of Bacon's is a richly condensed
summary of the ethics of law.

Read: Bacon OF JUDICATURE .....................   Vol. 3, pp. 130-134


 

Mar 8: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

 Dangerous Experiment with a Wife

Anselmo and Lothario were close friends. Anselmo, anxious to
learn if his wife were perfect, as he believed her to be, makes
an unusual proposal to his old friend.

Read from Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE .........  Vol. 14, pp. 307-319


 

Mar 9: TREATISE ON GOOD MANNERS

 Common Sense and Good Manners

Swift regretted the laws against dueling because dueling at least
was a good means of ridding the country of bores and fools.
His keen eye penetrated social customs and saw the common
sense that governed good manners.

Read: TREATISE ON GOOD MANNERS .............  Vol. 27, pp. 99-103


 

Mar 10: PHILASTER

 Beaumont—The Adonis of Elizabethan Playwrights

In the days when contact with the theatre meant exile from the
best society, Beaumont and Fletcher, men from good families,
dared to ally themselves with the stage as playwrights. "Philaster"
won them immortal praise.

Read from PHILASTER .........................    Vol. 47, pp. 667-677


 

Mar 11: Emerson's COMPENSATION

Gain Gleaned from Suffering

We are paid for our suffering and we pay for our happiness.
Every ache, every sorrow receives its recompense here on earth.
Emerson gives the basis for this conviction.

Read from Emerson's COMPENSATION .............   Vol. 5, pp. 85-92

Mar 12: Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUES

An Irish Bishop's Wit

Berkeley believed in a great religious future for America. He
lived three years in Rhode Island, and made plans for a college
in Bermuda.

Read from Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUES .........  Vol. 37, pp. 228-238

Mar 13: Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI

Before Noblity Ran Tea Rooms

Manzoni has pictured in this thrilling romance of the seventeenth
century nobility, the pompous and sporting life of those good old
days when nobles lived sumptuously in spacious castles surrounded
by vast estates.

Read from Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI ............  Vol. 21, pp. 318-332

 

Mar 14: THE HOLY GRAIL

A Maiden's Forfeit

"This gentlewoman that ye lead with you is a maid? " demanded
the knight. "Sir," said she, "a maid I am." "Then she must
yield us the custom of this castle."

Read from THE HOLY GRAIL ...................   Vol. 35, pp. 194-200

Mar 15: Plutarch's Caesar

Beware the Ides of March!

Twice warned of the danger that threatened him on the Ides
of March, although "the earth rocked and the stars fell and
headless men walked in the Forum," Caesar goes to the doom
awaiting him in the Senate Chamber.

Read from Plutarch's CESAR ...............   Vol. 12, pp. 315-321

Mar 16: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

Crabs Climb Trees?

Many amazing things happen in the Malay jungles. For example,
Darwin tells about a crab that climbs trees and walks
down the trunks for an occasional bath in a pool.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ....   Vol. 29, pp. 466-475

 

Mar 17: THE POETRY OF THE CELTIC RACES

An Old Irish Legend

An old Irish legend tells how, while St. Patrick was preaching
about Paradise and Hell, several of his audience begged to be
allowed to investigate the reality of these places. St. Patrick
actually satisfied their curiosity.

Read from THE POETRY OF THE CELTIC RACES ....  Vol. 32, pp. 174-182

 

Mar 18: A NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS

New Way to Pay Old Debts

A cunning uncle cheats his worthless nephew out of his fortune.
The nephew, laughing stock of his former servants, sets out to
retrieve his old position and riches.

Read from A NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS .....  Vol. 47, pp. 859-870

 

Mar 19: Herodotus' AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT

Seeing Old Egypt

The mysterious Egyptian temples, the floating islands, the huge
pyramids and the many wonders of ancient Egypt are pictured
for you by Herodotus.

Read from Herodotus' AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT ....  Vol. 33, pp. 72-84

 

Mar 20: Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH

 Apples, Feathers, and Coals

Sir Isaac Newton was aided in his momentous discoveries by the
most insignificant objects—even apples, feathers, and coal. Voltaire
discusses the wondrous discoveries of Newton.

Read from Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH ....  Vol. 34, pp. 113-124


 

Mar 21: Virgil's AENEID

 1,000 Years of History on the Surface of a Shield

Venus, mother of Aeneas and wife of Vulcan, obtained from
her husband, by seductive witchery, a marvelous shield whose
surface reflected a thousand years of future events. Venus describes
the wonders of the magic armor.

Read from Virgil's AENEID ...........................   Vol. 13, pp. 280-292


 

Mar 22: Goethe's FAUST

 From Puppet Show to Majestic Drama

The Faust legend, which can be traced to puppet shows of earlier
days, portrays a philosopher who, through Satan's aid and in return
for the price of his soul, works magic at will. From this
rude framework Goethe has reared a drama of sublime grandeur.

Read from Goethe's FAUST ..........................   Vol. 19, pp. 23-36


 

Mar 23: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

 First of a Thousand Harem Stories

Shahrazad, favorite of the treacherous Sultan's harem, selected
a most thrilling story for her bridal night. By leaving it unfinished
she was privileged to live to continue it the next night—and
so on for a thousand and one nights.

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS .......  Vol. 16, pp. 15-24


 

Mar 24: Morris' DEFENSE OF GUENEVERE

A Queen Pleads

Guenevere, King Arthur's queen, justly accused but harshly
treated, makes a noble and brave attempt to convince her court
that Gawaine lied and that Launcelot was true.

Read: Morris' DEFENSE OF GUENEVERE ......  Vol. 42, pp. 1183-1193

 

Mar 25: Shakespeare's HAMLET

 How Conscience Makes Cowards of Us All

Hamlet pondered over which course contained the least unhappiness—
whether to suffer here and not incur new dangers, or
whether to end it all and chance the unknown terrors of the
next world. See how Hamlet reasoned.

Read from Shakespeare's HAMLET ..................   Vol. 46, pp. 144-158


 

Mar 26: Aesop’s FABLES

 "2,500 Years Ago Aesop Said . . ."

Men in all ages have recognized the ingenuity of the practical
philosophy and freshness of Aesop's allegories. Spend a few
delightful moments with the wit and wisdom of Aesop.

Read from Aesop's FABLES ...................   Vol. 17, pp. 21-30


 

Mar 27: Stevenson's TRUTH OF INTERCOURSE

When Is a Lie Not a Lie?

Is lying or quibbling ever permissible? May one juggle words
so a truth is conveyed through a lie and a lie told by a truth?
Stevenson unravels this puzzle.

Read: Stevenson's TRUTH OF INTERCOURSE .....  Vol. 28, pp. 277-284

 

Mar 28: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

 Pins and Other Points

The making of a simple pin is one of the most complex affairs
of modern industry. Adam Smith regards the process from the
worker's point of view, and shows the many and varied economic
principles that are involved in pin making.

Read from Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS ....  Vol. 10, pp. 9-17


 

Mar 29: EPIC AND SAGA

Hero and Goddess Break Engagement

Brynhild, favorite goddess of Norse mythology, plighted troth
with Sigurd, fearless warrior. But Sigurd forgot Brynhild and
married Gudrun, whose brother, Gunner, then set out to win
the beautiful Brynhild. Complications very like a modern triangle
arose.

Read from EPIC AND SAGA ....................   Vol. 49, pp. 307-317

 

Mar 30: Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI

 The Plague of Milan

"I Promessi Sposi," a seventeenth century novel, vividly describes
the devastating plague of Milan. Then whole families sickened
in a few hours and died in less than a day's time of strange and
violent complaints whose symptoms were unknown to physicians.

Read from Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI ........  Vol. 21, pp. 500-512


 

Mar 31: Walton's LIFE OF DR. DONNE

 The Ghastly Whim of John Donne

Monuments are usually made from death masks, but John Donne
took pleasure in posing for his, wrapped from head to foot in a
shroud. Isaak Walton tells of this in his fascinating biography
of the eccentric poet.

Read from Walton's LIFE OF DR. DONNE .......  Vol. 15, pp. 364-369









 

Apr 1: BROWNING'S POEMS

"Oh! to Be in England Now That April's There"

Everyone knows the pangs of homesickness in the spring. Even
bright, sparkling Italy could not wean Browning's affection from
the green hedgerows of misty England.

Read: BROWNING'S POEMS .................   Vol. 42, pp. 1068-1074

Apr 2: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

 A Spoon Dances in the Moonlight

A huge spoon dressed in human finery, placed on a grave, appears
to become convulsed when the moon's rays fall on it and
dances to the tune of chanting natives. Weird sights, according
to Darwin, abound in the South Seas.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE .....  Vol. 29, pp. 462-471


 

Apr 3: Walton's LIFE OF GEORGE HERBERT

Romance with a Happy Ending

"As a conqueror enters a surprised city; love made such resolutions
as neither party was able to resist. She changed her name
into Herbert the third day after this first interview."

Read from Walton's LIFE OF GEORGE HERBERT ........   Vol. 15, pp. 392-404

Apr 4: SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER

 The Mistakes of a Night

Genial and rollicking fun are provided in this highly entertaining
story of a man who mistakes a private house for an inn,
and who treats his host's daughter like a serving maid.

Read from SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER ........  Vol. 18, pp. 205-215


 

Apr 5: Hobbes' LEVIATHAN

 You and Your Dreams

Dreams and their causes interested Hobbes. Without superstition,
the philosopher weighed the evidence of ghosts, goblins,
and witches.

Read from Hobbes' LEVIATHAN ................  Vol. 34, pp. 313-322


 

Apr 6: MARCUS AURELIUS' MEDITATIONS

Who Is Bad?

Badness has many interpretations, a different definition has been
the dictate of each new generation. The solution of the eternal
riddle was earnesdy sought by Marcus Aurelius.

Read: MARCUS AURELIUS' MEDITATIONS ........  Vol. 2, pp. 243-253

Apr 7: WORDSWORTH'S POEMS

Nature Guided His Pen

Wordsworth was so closely in touch with Nature that the simple
beauty of flowers, woods, and fields is reflected in his poems as
if Nature herself took up the pen and wrote.

Read: WORDSWORTH'S POEMS ................  Vol. 41, pp. 639-651

Apr 8: Aeschylus' THE LIBATION BEARERS

Beware the Vengeful Hounds!

Orestes, holding an avenging sword over his mother, is told:
"Beware thy mother's vengeful hounds." How he pays for disregarding
his mother's warning is told in this drama where a
mother is slain to avenge a father's ghost.

Read from Aeschylus' THE LIBATION BEARERS .......  Vol. 8, pp.111-121

 

Apr 9: Bacon's NEW ATLANTIS

A Perfect Land in a Wilderness of Waters

West of Peru there was reported to be a land where Truth and
Science were used to promote the happiness and freedom of man.
Here is Bacon's description of this ideal commonwealth.

Read from Bacon's NEW ATLANTIS ...............   Vol. 3, pp. 145-155

 

Apr 10: First Charter of Virginia

Americans—by Will of the King

Before English adventurers could attempt settlement in America
it was necessary first to get permission from the King . The
charter of King James to the oldest American colony is an extremely
important historical document.

Read: FIRST CHARTER OF VIRGINIA .................  Vol. 43, pp. 49-58

 

Apr 11: Goethe's FAUST

 Danger in Being Young and Fair

The virgin beauty of Margaret enchanted Faust, who dazzled
her with the brilliance of many gems. Margaret innocently took
his gifts, believing that beauty should not "blush unseen"—but
unmindful of consequences to follow.

Read from Goethe's FAUST ...................  Vol. 19, pp. 115-131


 

Apr 12: Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUES

 The Perfect Argument

You would doubdess like to know how to hold your own in any
argument. Read what Leslie Stephen declares the finest specimen
in our language of the conduct of argument.

Read from Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUES ......  Vol. 37, pp. 230-240


 

Apr 13: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 Michelangelo His Boon Companion

Kings, emperors, the greatest artists and sculptors of the Renaissance
at its most magnificent period, walk through the pages of
his autobiography—not as cold, austere, historical character,
but as the intimate friends of Cellini.

Read from CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ...............  Vol. 31, pp. 23-35


 

Apr 14: Biggs' DRAKE'S GREAT ARMADA

 A Raid on Spanish Treasure in America

Spanish towns in the New World were rich in treasure and tempting
booty for English soldiers of fortune, who were venturesome
and merciless. "Ho! for the Spanish Main!" was the rallying
cry for all freebooters and buccaneers.

Read from Biggs' DRAKE'S GREAT ARMADA .......  Vol. 33, pp. 229-242


 

Apr 15: WHITMAN'S POEMS

 O Captain! My Captain!

The rugged, genuine Lincoln was idealized by Walt Whitman—
the founder of the new school of American poetry. Two of
Whitman's finest poems were inspired by Lincoln.

Read: WHITMAN'S POEMS ...............  Vol. 42, pp. 1412-1420


 

Apr 16: Dante's DIVINE COMEDY

 Inside the Gates of Hell

The city of Dis, within the gates of Hell, was guarded by monsters
and surrounded by a moat filled with the tormented. Dante,
protected by Virgil, entered the forbidden city, and viewed
sights never before seen by living man.

Read from Dante's DIVINE COMEDY ...............  Vol. 20, pp. 32-39


 

Apr 17: FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 Benjamin Franklin—Book Salesman

In 1731 there were not many books in America. Franklin saw
the need for more books and by house-to-house canvassing persuaded
Philadelphians to aid him in founding a public library
which to-day stands as a lasting memorial to Franklin.

Read from FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ..............   Vol. 1, pp. 66-77


 

Apr 18: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

 Ready for Adventures and Conquests

Reading too many romances of knights and valorous deeds caused
a poor Spanish gentleman to polish up his great-grandfather's
armor, rechristen his old nag, and sally forth. "Don Quixote,"
besides holding a secure niche in literature as the work that
quashed the romantic school of knight-errantry, is at the same
time one of the most widely-read stories in the world.

Read from Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE ...........  Vol. 14, pp. 17-28


 

Apr 19: Emerson's CONCORD HYMN

 Battle of Concord

Dr. Eliot says of the opening stanza of the "Concord Hymn":
"In twenty-eight words here are the whole scene and all the
essential circumstances . . . what an accurate, moving, immortal
description is this!"

Read: Emerson's CONCORD HYMN ..........  Vol. 42, pp. 1245-1246


 

Apr 20: BYRON'S POEMS

 Byron Gave His Life for Freedom

England's romantic poet died while fighting against the Turkson
the side of the Greeks. His poems, "The Isles of Greece" and
"The Prisoner of Chillon," proclaim freedom.

Read: BYRON'S POEMS ......................  Vol. 41, pp. 801-815


 

Apr 21: INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE

 Books as Windows to the Past

Through the pages of a book the reader sees the life of past days.
Carnivals, processions, battles, coronations, voyages—the whole
history of the world and its people is revealed in a stupendous
pageant. Taine was a Frenchman who wrote an unsurpassed
history of English literature; its introduction reveals the unusual
combination of an imaginative and an analytical style.

Read from INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE ....  Vol. 39, pp. 410-418


 

Apr 22: FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MORALS

Happiness as a Duty

Immanuel Kant, the most influential of German philosophers,
taught that it was man's duty to be happy, for an unhappy man
is tempted to sin. Seekers after happiness find aid and inspiration
in Kant's writings.

Read from FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MORALS ........    Vol. 32, pp. 310-317

 

Apr 23: Shakespeare's KING LEAR

"If You Have Poison for Me, I Will Drink It"

Shaken and disillusioned by the treachery of his elder daughter,
King Lear suspected even the faithful Cordelia of evil designs.
Her most tender efforts to comfort him failed to drive away the
insistent specter of his madness.

Read from Shakespeare's KING LEAR .........  Vol. 46, pp. 293-303

Apr 24: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

Nineteen Million Elephants

At the rate at which elephants naturally increase, Darwin estimated
that in 750 years there could be nearly 19,000,000 elephants.
But did Darwin consider the ravages of civilization and circuses?

Read from Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES ............  Vol. 11, pp. 74-86

Apr 25: Tacitus' ON GERMANY

Mighty Rome Feared These Men

Men who danced among sharp swords—who gambled with their
lives—who took their women to the battlefields to encourage the
brave and shame the cowardly—these were the primitive Germans
who made Roman emperors tremble.

Read from Tacitus' ON GERMANY ...............   Vol. 33, pp. 106-120

 

Apr 26: Hume ON MIRACLES

Do Miracles Still Happen

Just what constitutes a miracle? Does Science indorse miracles?
One wonders why such marvelous things do not happen often
nowadays. Hume tells why.

Read from Hume ON MIRACLES ..............   Vol. 37, pp. 375-385

Apr 27: Emerson's BEAUTY

He Dared to See Forbidden Beauty

The Puritan world feared Beauty. Emerson, great American
essayist and philosopher, declared that the world was made for
beauty, and openly worshiped at beauty's shrine.

Read: Emerson's BEAUTY .......................   Vol. 5, pp. 297-310

 

Apr 28: THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

"Vanity of Vanities," Saith the Preacher

Three hundred years before Christ, a preacher in Jerusalem complained
that there was no new thing under the sun. Everything
considered new had really existed in the time of the fathers.
Sophisticated and modern is this writer of 2,300 years ago.

Read from THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES ..............   Vol. 44, pp. 335-341

 

Apr 29: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

How I Got Rich — by Sindbad the Sailor

Sindbad, a poor man, recited woeful verses before the magnificent
dwelling of Sindbad of the Sea. The great Sindbad, hearing him,
invited the poor Sindbad to a feast and told the wonderful story
of his fabulous fortune.

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS .....  Vol. 16, pp. 231-242

 

Apr 30: Washington's FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS

 Washington's Dictum on Private Life

Washington declared that the strength of the new nation lay in
the "pure and immutable principles of private morality." A free
government, fortified by the virtues and affection of its citizens,
can command the respect of the world.

Read: Washington's FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS ....  Vol. 43, pp. 225-228









 

May 1: PERSONS ONE WOULD WISH TO HAVE SEEN

 What Would You Ask Judas Iscariot?

Once Hazlitt and his friends took to discussing the famous people
they would like to meet—Guy Fawkes, Sir Isaac Newton,
Chaucer, Boccaccio, Cromwell, Garrick, and Judas.

Read: PERSONS ONE WOULD WISH TO HAVE SEEN .....  Vol. 27, pp. 270-283


 

May 2: Faraday's MAGNETISM—ELECTRICITY

 First Sparks of Electricity

Everything has to have a beginning, so too with the science of
electricity. Here we learn the very rudiments, the inceptions
of science that have revolutionized the world. Faraday explains
in a simple way the truths of electricity.

Read: Faraday's MAGNETISM—ELECTRICITY ......  Vol. 30, pp. 61-72


 

May 3: Machiavelli's THE PRINCE

 Why "Machiavellian"?

Traveling from court to court in the stirring days of the Renaissance,
Machiavelli studied the intrigues of princes. His writings
have affected the destiny of mighty dynasties.

Read from Machiavelli's THE PRINCE .................   Vol. 36, pp. 7-17


 

May 4: SCIENCE AND CULTURE

A Champion of Science

When science was struggling for a place in popular education,
Huxley distinguished himself as its champion. While the arts
were to beautify life and increase pleasure, Huxley saw science
as a means of benefiting man's prosperity.

Read from SCIENCE AND CULTURE ..........   Vol. 28, pp. 209-319

 

May 5: Calderon's LIFE IS A DREAM

 Strange Adventures in Man's Clothes

Disguised as a man, a Russian noblewoman exploring the mountains
of Poland came upon a secret prison. Fate linked the
lives of this woman and the unknown prisoner.

Read from Calderon's LIFE IS A DREAM .............   Vol. 26, pp. 7-21


 

May 6: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

A Poor Artist Defies a Rich Duke

"Benvenuto, the figure cannot succeed in bronze," so spoke the
patron Duke. Cellini, stung to fury, passionately burst out:
"You do not understand art." Feverishly he began the casting
of the statue—but read his own account of the tilt with the Duke.

Read from CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ........   Vol. 31, pp. 373-384

 

May 7: BROWNING'S POEMS

 A Bishop Bargains

A haughty aristocrat, who murdered his wife for enjoying life
more than he, now bargaining for a new bride; a crafty bishop
begging and bullying his heirs for a tomb richer than that of
his rival; these are subjects of Browning's pen.

Read from BROWNING'S POEMS .........   Vol. 42, pp. 1074-1078


 

May 8: Sheridan's SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL

Behind the Screen in t h e School for Scandal

Lady Teazle hides in haste when her husband is unexpectedly
announced. Situations which set many tongues wagging and
fed the fire of gossip in Scandal-land, startle the reader.

Read from Sheridan's SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL .....  Vol. 18, pp. 164-176

 

May 9: Schiller's ON AESTHETIC EDUCATION

 Relation of Art to Freedom

Who has ever thought the arts had anything to do with freedom?
Schiller did. Forced by a German noble to enter a military
school, he escaped. Struggling to achieve freedom, he wrote
a series of letters on the relation of art to freedom.

Read: Schiller's ON AESTHETIC EDUCATION .....   Vol. 32, pp. 209-217


 

May 10: Raleigh's DISCOVERY OF GUIANA

A Knight Among Cannibals

Savages who drink the powdered bones of their dead mixed with
wine, Amazons who hold riotous festivals, the worship of golden
statues, all the primitive wonders of Guiana are described by
the famous Elizabethan gallant, Sir Walter Raleigh.

Read from Raleigh's DISCOVERY OF GUIANA ....  Vol. 33, pp. 326-341

 

May 11: Webster's THE DUCHESS OF MALFI

 Latest Gossip in Malfi

Latest news abroad in Malfi: The Duchess has run off with her
butler. But this happened before the days of newspapers or
radio, so Webster made from it an exciting play.

Read from Webster's THE DUCHESS OF MALFI ....  Vol. 47, pp. 721-737


 

May 12: ROSSETTI'S POEMS

His Wife's Golden Hair Enshrined His Poems

The manuscripts of many of the best poems of Rossetti were
buried with his wife. Friends prevailed upon him to allow
them to be exhumed—and these poems, once buried with the
dead, are now a treasure of the living.

Read: ROSSETTI'S POEMS ....   Vol. 42, pp. 1149-1153, 1178-1181

May 13: Burns' THE TWA DOGS

What Does Your Dog Think of You?

Two dogs fell a-gossiping about their masters and about a dog's
life among the humble Scotch folk. Each "rejoic'd they werena
men but dogs; an' each took aff his several way."

Read: Burns' THE TWA DOGS ................   Vol. 6, pp. 151-157

May 14: VACCINATION AGAINST SMALLPOX

Jenner's Amazing Smallpox Cure

Edward Jenner found that disease in the heel of a horse, transmitted
through a cow to the dairy attendants, was an agent in
making human beings immune from smallpox. His amazing
experiments inaugurated a new epoch.

Read: VACCINATION AGAINST SMALLPOX .........   Vol. 38, pp. 145-154

 

May 15: Dante's DIVINE COMEDY

Glimpses Into the Beyond

The best part of the Divine Comedy for a few minutes'
reading is the "Inferno." There the reader finds the most vivid
descriptions, the most startling and unforgettable pictures.

Read from Dante's DIVINE COMEDY ........   Vol. 20, pp. 102-114

 

May 16: THE POETRY OF THE CELTIC RACES

Favorite Superstitions of Celtic Imagination

Chessboards on which, of their own accord, black pieces played
against white; chariots that swiftly turned hither and yon without
a driver; pots in which a coward's meat would not cook—
all these are woven into bewitching stories.

Read from THE POETRY OF THE CELTIC RACES ....  Vol. 32, pp. 145-155

 

May 17: Plato's APOLOGY OF SOCRATES

 An Honest Life's Reward

Condemned for impiety, Socrates felt so justified in the virtue
of his past action that instead of receiving a death sentence, he
told the judges he should be maintained at public expense as a
public benefactor.

Read: Plato's APOLOGY OF SOCRATES ..........   Vol. 2, pp. 24-30


 

May 18: ANDERSEN'S TALES

The Night Life of Flowers

Flowers often tire of their stationary life and sometimes at night
frolic away to a ball in a beautiful castle. Thus a fanciful storyteller
accounts for their drooping condition in the morning.

Read: ANDERSEN'S TALES ........................    Vol. 17, pp. 334-341

 

May 19: Epictetus' GOLDEN SAYINGS

 Golden Advice on Manners

When a man is invited to a banquet he must be satisfied with
the dishes put before him. Epictetus reasoned that man should
be content with what life offers, and in serenity find happiness.

Read: Epictetus' GOLDEN SAYINGS ............   Vol. 2, pp. 128-138


 

May 20: Shakespeare's SONNETS

 Shakespeare's Finest Work

The most concentrated beauty of Shakespeare's unbounded creative
genius is found in his sonnets. Written as personal messages
to friends and not intended for publication, they reveal the
inner Shakespeare more truly than do any of his great plays.

Read from Shakespeare's SONNETS ...............  Vol. 40, pp. 270-276


 

May 21: Pope's ESSAY ON MAN

 An Honest Man Defined

The sharp tongue of Alexander Pope made him celebrated, yet
widely feared. In a representative product of his versatile pen,
he gracefully combines his flashing wit with sage advice.

Read from Pope's ESSAY ON MAN ...........   Vol. 40, pp. 430-440


 

May 22: Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI

 True Love in Difficulty

Because of a fancy for a peasant girl, the tyrannical lord of an
Italian village sent desperadoes to threaten the priest if he married
the girl to her village lover.

Read from Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI .............  Vol. 21, pp. 7-24


 

May 23: HOOD'S POEMS

A Plea for an Unfortunate

From the river her body was tenderly lifted—the girl who could
find no place in the vast city. Thomas Hood pleads for her—
eloquently and justly. Read this gem of pathos.

Read: HOOD'S POEMS ........................   Vol. 41, pp. 907-911

 

May 24: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

 They Had No Money—Yet Bought and Sold

Debts were not always paid in money. Not so long ago the
butcher paid for his keg of beer with a slab of beef, and oxen
were exchanged for land and wives. Adam Smith tells the interesting
story of the origin and use of money.

Read from Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS ......  Vol. 10, pp. 22-33


 

May 25: Emerson's HEROISM

Do What You Fear

Emerson startled the world by fearlessly declaring his beliefs.
Such apparent paradoxes as we find in his inspirational essay,
"Heroism," makes him the most stimulating yet profound thinker
America has produced.

Read: Emerson's HEROISM ....................  Vol. 5, pp. 121-131

 

May 26: Shakespeare's KING LEAR

 Daughter Declares Her Love

Goneril and Regan falsely swore they loved their father, King
Lear, more than life itself. Cordelia could find no words to express
her sincere devotion. Then King Lear made the decision
that started a series of exciting events.

Read from Shakespeare's KING LEAR ...........  Vol. 46, pp. 215-225


 

May 27: THE EDUCATION OF THE HUMAN RACE

 Lessing's Courageous Stand for Toleration

To advance freedom of thought, Lessing published an essay of
one hundred paragraphs outlining the history of religion. The
wrath of orthodox churchmen was hurled at his head, and Lessing
was left alone to defend his daring theories.

Read from THE EDUCATION OF THE HUMAN RACE .....  Vol. 32, pp. 185-195


 

May 28: MOORE'S POEMS

Master of Melodious Lyrics

Any one of these poems, " The Harp That Once Through Tara's
Halls," "The Last Rose of Summer," "The Light of Other
Days," would alone have made Moore immortal.

Read: MOORE'S POEMS .....................   Vol. 41, pp. 816-822

May 29: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

Adventures in Bagdad

A Bagdad merchant dreamed of the money he would make from
the sale of a tray of glassware, and of marrying the king's daughter.
But, daydreaming, he kicked over the tray.

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS .....  Vol. 16, pp. 177-184

 

May 30: Longfellow's THE BUILDING OF THE SHIP

When the Throb of the War Drum Is Stifl'd

At the close of the war, a torn and bleeding nation set about to
rebuild its shattered frame. The result was a stronger nation
rising from an almost disrupted union.

Read: Longfellow's THE BUILDING OF THE SHIP ....   Vol. 42, pp. 1280-1290

 

May 31: Whitman's PREFACE TO LEAVES OF GRASS

 America's Most Surprising Poet

Walt Whitman is the most original and startling of modern poets.
An irony of his life is that while he wrote for the contemporary
masses, only a limited number of followers appreciated his
genius, now universally recognized.

Read: Whitman's PREFACE TO LEAVES OF GRASS ....   Vol. 39, pp. 388-398









 

Jun 1: Marlowe's DR. FAUSTUS

 Thrilling Play by Tutor of Shakespeare

For the best blank verse in English, read "Dr. Faustus," the masterpiece
of Marlowe, who gave Shakespeare lessons in playwriting.
This genius knew the secret of gripping drama.

Read from Marlowe's DR. FAUSTUS ...................  Vol. 19, pp. 241-250


 

Jun 2: Rousseau's A SAVOYARD VICAR

"Back to Nature" in the Seventeenth Century

A "Back to Nature" movement in the seventeenth century was
headed by Rousseau, who believed that civilization was degrading.
To save money for his work, he entrusted each of his children
to the tender mercies of a foundling house.

Read from Rousseau's A SAVOYARD VICAR .....  Vol. 34, pp. 239-249

 

Jun 3: MOTION OF THE HEART AND BLOOD

 Pulse Aids Epochal Discoveries

Galileo, by holding his pulse while watching a swinging cathedral
lamp, evolved a theory that made clocks possible. Harvey,
by feeling his pulse, educed that arteries carry blood.

Read from MOTION OF THE HEART AND BLOOD ....  Vol. 38, pp. 75-86


 

Jun 4: Goethe's EGMONT

'Neath the Iron Hand of Spain

Spain sent the Duke of Alva to subdue the Netherlands. In
quelling disorder he killed the people's hero, Count Egmont.
From this story Goethe made a famous play.

Read from Goethe's EGMONT ............  Vol. 19, pp. 253-259

Jun 5: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

The Rent of Land from Human Food

Even to-day rent is paid in terms of human food. It sounds
primitive, but it happens right at your door—here in the United
States, in compliance with a law as old as man.

Read from Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS ....  Vol. 10, pp. 149-157

Jun 6: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

A Shrill Cry in the Night!

A crew faced the hazardous prospect of rounding the bleak Cape
Horn in midwinter. Imagine the terror when a sudden scream
pierced the misery-laden air. What was it? A man overboard
or a lost soul?

Read from Dana's Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST ....  Vol. 23, pp. 285-295

Jun 7: HAMLET

"There's Rosemary—that's for Remembrance!"

Do you know the rest of Ophelia's famous line? "Hamlet" is
the most popular play in the entire world. It has been quoted
so often that reading it is like meeting an old friend.

Read from HAMLET ........................    Vol. 46, pp. 176-183

Jun 8: WOOLMAN'S JOURNAL

Eloquence Wins Over Prejudice

The plain, homely appearance of Woolman impressed unfavorably
the orthodox Quakers in London whom he was sent to
meet. They told him his coming was not necessary. But
Woolman spoke with such simplicity and sincerity that even
those most opposed became his friends.

Read from WOOLMAN'S JOURNAL .............   Vol. 1, pp. 302-312

 

Jun 9: THE PSALMS

Enchanting Songs of David

The songs of David pleased King Saul, but when David became
too popular with the people, the king feared for his throne and
banished him.

Read from THE PSALMS .....................   Vol. 44, pp. 168-179

 

Jun 10: Sophocles' OEDIPUS, KING OF THEBES

Horrible Prophecy Fulfilled

King OEdipus of Thebes as a babe was abandoned on Mount
Cithaeron to die. Years after he was thought dead he returns
to Thebes and unknowingly slays his father, marries his mother—
and thus fulfills the word of the oracle.

Read from Sophocles' OEDIPUS, KING OF THEBES ...  Vol. 8, pp. 209-223

 

Jun 11: Spenser's THE EPITHALAMIUM

He Sang of His Beautiful Elizabeth

To commemorate his marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth, Spenser
wrote one of the most enchanting nuptial hymns.

Read: Spenser's THE EPITHALAMIUM ...........  Vol. 40, pp. 234-245

 

Jun 12: THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

Vishnu Holds Up a Battle

"Two armies of ancient India were about to engage in a momentous
battle. Arjuna, heroic leader of the Pandu hosts, foreseeing
great slaughter, hesitates. He implores the divine Vishnu to
intervene. The conversation of the warrior and the god is a
gem of Hindu literature.

Read from THE BHAGAVAD-GITA ................   Vol. 45, pp. 785-798

 

Jun 13: Plutarch's ARISTIDES

 Athens Flouts Aristides

Athenians gave Aristides the title of "The Just." Later they
wanted to banish him. One voter wanted Aristides banished
merely because he was weary of hearing him called " The Just."

Read from Plutarch's ARISTIDES ...............   Vol. 12, pp. 85-94


 

Jun 14: Plato's CRITO

A Philosopher Prefers Prison Cell

"Socrates unceasingly strove for beauty, truth, and perfection.
Sentenced to death on a false charge, he refused to escape from
the death cell, even when opportunity was offered.

Read: Plato's CRITO ...............................    Vol. 2, pp. 31-43

Jun 15: Froissart's WAT TYLER'S REBELLION

Strikers Storm the Tower of London

Led by Wat Tyler in 1381, great troops of villagers and rustics
marched on London—laid siege to the Tower—sacked the apartments
of the King and murdered his ministers. Froissart gives
first-hand information of this rebellion.

Read from Froissart's WAT TYLER'S REBELLION .......  Vol. 35, pp. 60-72

 

Jun 16: Byron's MANFRED

Spirits at the Top of the World

The inaccessible mountain tops were ever venerated as the haunts
of all mysteries. Manfred, hero of Byron's play, seeks upon the
high Alps the aid of spirits, specters, and goblins. What unearthly
adventures await him!

Read from Byron's MANFRED ....................   Vol. 18, pp. 415-428

 

Jun 17: Eliot's BRIEF NARRATIVE

 Risked His Scalp in Prayer

John Eliot put his life at the mercy of the redmen to get them
to listen to his preachings. He wrote vividly about his settlements
of Christian Indians. Now villages and Indians have disappeared.
Only his story remains.

Read: Eliot's BRIEF NARRATIVE ................   Vol. 43, pp. 138-146


 

Jun 18: GRIMM'S TALES

Cinderella Lives To-day

Cinderella inspires all alike—the artist's brush, the author's pen,
the child's fancy. To-day she is a living, vital character to be seen
on stage and screen. No one ever forgets her lightning change.

Read from GRIMM'S TALES .......................    Vol. 17, pp. 98-104

 

Jun 19: Holinshed's OUR ENGLISH DOGS

 Freaks of the Dog Fad in England

A writer of Elizabethan times said that no other country had as
many dogs as England. Once Henry VII ordered all mastiffs
to be hung because they "durst presume to fight against the
lion," England's regal beast.

Read: Holinshed's OUR ENGLISH DOGS .......   Vol. 35, pp. 350-356


 

Jun 20: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

No Salt for These Birds

Galapagos Islands are the home of fearless birds, to which horses,
cows, and men are only roosting places. Darwin saw the South
Pacific when few travelers knew that wonderland.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ....   Vol. 29, pp. 403-413

Jun 21: Ruskin's SESAME

Would You Converse with Royalty?

Why gossip with lesser persons when you might be talking to
queens and kings? Just how we may get to talk to queens
and kings, Ruskin delightfully points out and escorts us to the
very doors of the audience chamber.

Read from Ruskin's SESAME ..................   Vol. 28, pp. 99-110

Jun 22: Pliny's LETTERS

Pliny Tells Ghost Stories

Pliny, who lived in the first century after Christ, tells of a ghost
who dragged his jangling chains through a house in Athens and
so terrified the inmates that they fled panic-stricken. But the
ghost met his equal.

Read from Pliny's LETTERS ....................  Vol. 9, pp. 311-314

 

Jun 23: Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Greek Scholar at Three

John Stuart Mill—one of the greatest intellects in England—tells
how his father educated him. At the early age of three years
he began the study of Greek, and at twelve started writing a
book of his own .

Read from Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHY .............   Vol. 25, pp. 9-20

 

Jun 24: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

Had No Right Hand

A handsome young man was seen to eat only with his left hand,
which was contrary to the customs of Arabia. The youth, when
urged, told why he used only his left hand, and revealed a
story of love and adventure and the lover's need for gold—all
happening in ancient Cairo.

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ....  Vol. 16, pp. 120-133

 

Jun 25: HERRICK'S POEMS

 Advice to Virgins from a Wise Man

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today, to-morrow will be
dying? "Herrick was only a humble country minister with a
wealth of wisdom and a keen appreciation of life, which he
expressed in lyrics of wonderful beauty and melody.

Read: HERRICK'S POEMS ..................   Vol. 40, pp. 334-340


 

Jun 26: BEOWULF

 In the Lair of the Green-Eyed Monster

At the bottom of the ocean was the home of the monster who
had desolated the king's halls. Beowulf, bravest of warriors,
descended beneath the waves to fight the beast. The king's
men, waiting above, saw the waves become colored with blood.
Hero or monster—who had won?

Read from BEOWULF ............................   Vol. 49, pp. 45-50


 

Jun 27: BACON'S ESSAYS

 Do You Take Poison Daily?

There is a human trait most poisonous to a man's blood. Man
seeks to avoid it because he knows that it lies like a curse upon
him. Just what is the poisonous human failing? Who are most
subject to it? Bacon tells you in one of his best essays.

Read from BACON'S ESSAYS .....................   Vol. 3, pp. 22-26


 

Jun 28: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

 Pages from the Pampas Book of Etiquette

A very definite etiquette is followed by a stranger on the vast
plains of South America. "Ave Maria" is the common salutation.
If the stranger is on horseback, he does not alight until
invited to do so by his host. Once in the house, the stranger must
converse a while before asking shelter for the night.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ......  Vol. 29, pp. 51-60


 

Jun 29: Shakespeare's MACBETH

"Is That a Dagger I See Before Me?"

Macbeth, spurred on by the ambitious and crafty Lady Macbeth,
committed murder to secure the crown of Scotland. But he
paid dearly for his gain. Ghostly guests appeared at his banquet
and threatened him with dire threats.

Read from Shakespeare's MACBETH ..........   Vol. 46, pp. 357-365

 

Jun 30: Mill's ON LIBERTY

 Rather King Than Majority

"Democracy" has not always been the choice of oppressed people.
The tyranny of the majority is a recognized evil as harmful as the
misrule of a king. And rather than exchange a lesser evil for a
greater, a rule by king has often been preferred to a republic.

Read: Mill's ON LIBERTY .....................    Vol. 25, pp. 195-203









 

Jul 1: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

 Darwin Not First Evolutionist

While Darwin was working on his theory of evolution, another
scientist independently arrived at the same conclusions. Darwin,
then, was not the first to study evolution.

Read from Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES .........   Vol. 11, pp. 5-17


 

Jul 2: Plutarch's CESAR

 "Julius" Becomes "July"

So that the date for certain festivals would not fall one year in
midwinter and in the heat of summer another year, Cesar reformed
the calendar. July was named for him.

Read from Plutarch's CESAR ......................   Vol. 12, pp. 310-315


 

Jul 3: Haskell's BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG

 Gettysburg by an Eyewitness

An officer in that momentous battle narrates every major action
of both armies. Thus we see the swarming lines of Confederates
advance—the hand-to-hand struggle.

Read from Haskell's BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG ....   Vol. 43, pp. 326-335


 

Jul 4: DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

 Some Chose to Remain British Subjects

Some Americans preferred to be loyal to England and did not
want independent government. Their hesitation is better understood
when the finality of the Declaration is realized.

Read: DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ...........   Vol. 43, pp. 150-155


 

Jul 5: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

 A Tailor Entertains a King

Here is another of those fanciful Oriental stories that proclaims
the democracy of Eastern despotism. A tailor might talk with a
king and receive either a death sentence or the office of Grand
Vizier as a reward.

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ....   Vol. 16, pp. 149-162


 

Jul 6: More's UTOPIA

 The Origin of "Utopia"

When Europe was suffering from evil rulers, heavy taxes, and
despair, Sir Thomas More dreamed of a happy land where an
intelligently managed state perfected happiness.

Read from More's UTOPIA .................    Vol. 36, pp. 135-142


 

Jul 7: Sheridan's SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL

 Scandal That Lurked Behind Lace and Powder

The painted lips of the eighteenth century ladies and gallants
vied with one another in whispering scathing gossip, in gleefully
furthering the destruction of a good name. Sheridan depicts
this gay world with a brilliant spicy pen.

Read from Sheridan's SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL ......   Vol. 18, pp. 115-128


 

Jul 8: Shelley's CENCI

 Italy's Fair Assassin

When the monstrous Cenci forced his daughter Beatrice into a
horrible situation, she revolted and boldly struck for freedom.
Shelley tells her pitiful story in one of his best works.

Read from Shelley's CENCI ..................  Vol. 18, pp. 288-300


 

Jul 9: BACON'S ESSAYS

 A Little Lying Now and Then

"What is Truth?" asked Pilate. For an answer Bacon discourses
not on human nature as it should be, but as it is. These shrewd
observations on making a life and a living admit occasional departures
from truth.

Read from BACON'S ESSAYS ...............................   Vol. 3, pp. 7-19


 

Jul 10: THE VOYAGES TO VINLAND

 America's First Immigrants

The shadow of a phantom cast upon the cradle of Snorri, the
first white child born in America, was a warning of an Indian
attack on the settlement of courageous Norsemen who had
risked the terrors of unknown seas to visit "Wineland."

Read from THE VOYAGES TO VINLAND .....   Vol. 43. pp. 14-20


 

Jul 11: Newcomb's THE EXTENT OF THE UNIVERSE

 Star Gazing—A Cure for Tired Minds

The greatest spectacle offered man is a view of the magnificent
vault of heaven. Under the stupendous arch of the Milky Way
the cares of the world roll off.

Read: Newcomb's THE EXTENT OF THE UNIVERSE .....  Vol. 30, pp. 311-321


 

Jul 12: Thoreau's WALKING

 But He Walked!

Thoreau's individuality was unique and original. He had no
profession; he never married; he never went to church; he never
voted or paid taxes; he never smoked; he never drank wine. His
amusement was walking, to observe and meditate.

Read from Thoreau's WALKING ..................  Vol. 28, pp. 395-405


 

Jul 13: Plutarch's PERICLES

 Athenians Also Complained of Taxes

Pericles used public money to beautify Athens. The citizens
protested against the expense, as citizens in all ages do. By a
clever stroke Pericles w o n their support to his ambitious plans.

Read from Plutarch's PERICLES .................   Vol. 12, pp. 47-57


 

Jul 14: Burke's THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE

 The French People Triumph

What the Fourth of July is to Americans, the Fourteenth of July
is to Frenchmen. It commemorates an oppressive tyranny overthrown
by a freedom-loving people.

Read from Burke's THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE .....  Vol. 24, pp. 268-273


 

Jul 15: HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES

 When Elizabeth Dined

Meals in the houses of the gentry and noblemen in Elizabethan
England were taken most seriously. No one spoke. Holinshed
records the strange table etiquette of our ancestors.

Read from HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES ........   Vol. 35, pp. 271-288


 

Jul 16: THE KORAN

 The Mohammedan Jesus

The sacred book of the Moslems, the Koran, gives an account of
the birth of Christ. The Koran gives Jesus a high position among
the prophets but holds the first place for Mohammed.

Read from THE KORAN .........................   Vol. 45, pp. 908-913


 

Jul 17: Racine's PHAEDRE

 A Throne for Son or Stepson?

Phaedre first persecuted Hippolytus, her handsome stepson, then
loved him. Suddenly he and her own son became rivals for the
throne. Should she push her son's claims or let Hippolytus take
the crown?

Read from Racine's PHAEDRE ...................   Vol. 26, pp. 133-148


 

Jul 18: Browning's BLOT IN THE 'SCUTCHEON

 They Loved in Vain

"Browning's play has thrown me into a perfect passion of sorrow,"
wrote Charles Dickens of "The Blot in the 'Scutcheon."
Like Shakespeare's Juliet, Browning's Mildred plays the role of
a youthful lover in a tragic drama.

Read from Browning's BLOT IN THE 'SCUTCHEON .......   Vol. 18, pp. 359-368


 

Jul 19: Raleigh's DISCOVERY OF GUIANA

 She Wanted Heroes All to Herself

The famous gallant who spread his gorgeous cloak so the dainty
slipper of his queen would be unspotted, soon lost the high favor
this action won for him. In spite of his glorious voyages, Raleigh
condemned himself when he fell in love with another woman.

Read from Raleigh's DISCOVERY OF GUIANA .....  Vol. 33, pp. 311-320


 

Jul 20: Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

 A Cobbler in Jail

John Bunyan, imprisoned for preaching without a license, gave
to the world "Pilgrim's Progress," the greatest allegory in any
language, second only to the Bible.

Read from Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS .......   Vol. 15, pp. 59-69


 

Jul 21: BURNS' POEMS

 Scotland's Own Poet

The songs of Burns are the links, the watchwords, the symbols
of the Scots. He is the last of the ballad singers. In his works
are preserved the best songs of his people.

Read from BURNS' POEMS .......................   Vol. 6, pp. 70-79


 

Jul 22: Homer's ODYSSEY

 Trapped in a Cave with a Frenzied Giant

Odysseus was wrecked with his men on an island inhabited
by one-eyed giants. Trapped in the cave of a giant who gobbled
up some of the crew for supper, the cunning Odysseus blinded
the giant and rescued the survivors of his crew.

Read from Homer's ODYSSEY ...................  Vol. 22, pp. 120-129


 

Jul 23: BACON'S ESSAYS

 Friendship Above Love?

There are styles in friendship as well as in clothes. The mode
of friendship of Bacon's time went out with plumed hats and
long hose. But Bacon knew the true test of a friend.

Read from BACON'S ESSAYS ...................   Vol. 3, pp. 65-72


 

Jul 24: Darwin's THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

 Indian Sorcery Blamed for an Earthquake

Darwin visited a South American city ruined by an earthquake.
There he heard the superstitious account of the phenomenon.
The ignorant people accused Indian women of bewitching the
volcano. But Darwin has another explanation.

Read from Darwin's THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ......  Vol. 29, pp. 306-316


 

Jul 25: LAY OF BRYNHILD

 A Goddess and Her Mortal Lover

Brynhild, Woden's daughter, carried the dead heroes to Valhalla
where they could feast and fight without dying; until a sin divested
her of divinity, and she fell in love with Sigurd.

Read: LAY OF BRYNHILD ..........................   Vol. 49, pp. 391-395


 

Jul 26: Thomas a Kempis

 Peace Amid Strife

While Europe was shaken with wars, Thomas a Kempis lived
in happy seclusion in his convent. His writings convincingly
reflect the serenity and happiness of a man who has found peace—
a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Read from Thomas a Kempis .......................   Vol. 7, pp. 205-211


 

Jul 27: ON THE ANTISEPTIC PRINCIPLES

 Once Surgeons Operated in Frock Coats

The use of antiseptics in surgery is new. Hardly more than a
half century ago surgeons operated in frock coats. Lord Lister,
surgeon to Queen Victoria, was among the first to advocate
scrupulous cleanliness in dressing wounds.

Read: ON THE ANTISEPTIC PRINCIPLES ..........   Vol. 38, pp. 257-267


 

Jul 28: Cowley's OF AGRICULTURE

 An Idyl of Agriculture

Cowley portrays the ideal life—that of a farmer, and blazons it
forth in heraldry. "A plow in a field arable"—to him, the most
honorable of all emblems.

Read: Cowley's OF AGRICULTURE .............   Vol. 27, pp. 61-69


 

Jul 29: Emerson's STONEHENGE

Stonehenge—England's Unsolved Mystery

Stonehenge, that group of huge, rudely architectural stones on a
vast plain in England, was erected no man knows when, nor
why, nor how. Emerson, America's greatest thinker, visited this
monument and was amazed at the "uncanny stones."

Read: Emerson's STONEHENGE .................    Vol. 5, pp. 453-462

 

Jul 30: Gilbert's VOYAGE TO NEWFOUNDLAND

 The First English Colony in North America

When the whole coast of America north of Florida was free to
the first comer, Sir Humphrey Gilbert naively chose to settle
on the rugged shores of Newfoundland. Read the glowing account
of his great adventure "to plant Christian inhabitants in
places convenient."

Read: Gilbert's VOYAGE TO NEWFOUNDLAND .......   Vol. 33, pp. 263-273


 

Jul 31: Defoe's EDUCATION OF WOMEN

 Charm School for Women

Lack of education, writes Defoe, makes a woman "turbulent,
clamorous, noisy—" Defoe defied his generation and preached
equal education for women. To-day we have co-education, but
have we the benefits Defoe predicted?

Read: Defoe's EDUCATION OF WOMEN .........  Vol. 27, pp. 148-150









 

Aug 1: Calvin's DEDICATION

 His Influence Still Lives

Steadfast allegiance to duty, simple living and adherence to plain,
honest, homely doctrines are Calvin's principles. Are not these
same old-fashioned truths followed to-day?

Read from Calvin's DEDICATION ...................   Vol. 39, pp. 27-33


 

Aug 2: DRUMMOND'S POEMS

 Poems from a Heart of Love

"Here is the pleasant place—and nothing wanting is, save She,
alas!" How often we too are faced with like adversity. So
sings Drummond—a master songster and composer.

Read from DRUMMOND'S POEMS ...........   Vol. 40, pp. 326-330


 

Aug 3: Virgil's AENEID

 When the Greeks Sacked Troy

They battered down the palace gates and ravaged with fire and
sword the chambers of King Priam's hundred wives. Through
halls resounding with shrieks of terror, Priam and his household
fled to sanctuary.

Read from Virgil's AENEID .....................  Vol. 13, pp. 110-117


 

Aug 4: ANDERSEN'S TALES

 World's Greatest Bedtime Stories

Hans Christian Andersen had an extraordinary capacity for amusing
children. Were he living to-day he might be in great demand
as a radio bedtime story man.

Read: ANDERSEN'S TALES ..........................   Vol. 17, pp. 221-230


 

Aug 5: Burns' COTTERS' SATURDAY NIGHT

 Joys of the Simple Life

"Cotter's Saturday Night" for generations to come will remain
the choicest picture of Scotch home life. Into this poem Burns
instills the sense of all-pervading peace and happiness that comes
at the end of a well-spent day.

Read: Burns' COTTERS' SATURDAY NIGHT ...........   Vol. 6, pp. 134-140


 

Aug 6: Tennyson's LOCKSLEY HALL

 A Prophet of Aerial Warfare

"For I dipt into the future—saw the nation's airy navies grappling
in the central blue." We are amazed at the accuracy of
Tennyson's prediction. But he also foretells "the federation of
the world"—yet to be fulfilled.

Read: Tennyson's LOCKSLEY HALL .............   Vol. 42, pp. 979-986


 

Aug 7: Plato's PHAEDO

 The Last Golden Words of Socrates

The death sentence of Socrates could not be executed until the
return of the sacred ship from Delos. One day his friends learned
that the ship had returned. They hastened to the prison to listen
to the last words of Athens' sage.

Read from Plato's PHAEDO ..........................   Vol. 2, pp. 45-54


 

Aug 8: Homer's ODYSSEY

 Men Transformed by Circe's Wand

Unfavorable winds sent by angry gods blew the ships of Odysseus
far off their course. The sailors were cast upon a remote island,
governed by an enchantress where, for their coarse manners, they
were put under a magic spell.

Read from Homer's ODYSSEY .......................  Vol. 22, pp. 133-144


 

Aug 9: Walton's LIFE OF DR. DONNE

 English Bridal Party Jailed

Minister and witness, bride and groom were arrested by an enraged
father when John Donne married his employer's niece.
Donne was soon released, but he found himself without money,
position or bride.

Read from Walton's LIFE OF DR. DONNE ..........   Vol. 15, pp. 326-334


 

Aug 10: Burke's THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE

 "Give Them Cake," said the Queen

When the people of Paris howled because they had no bread to
eat, Queen Marie Antoinette exclaimed: "Well, then, let them
eat cake!" Such an attitude hastened the revolution.

Read from Burke's THE REVOLUTION IN FRANCE ......    Vol. 24, pp. 143-157


 

Aug 11: Epictetus' GOLDEN SAYINGS

 Clever Repartee of Epictetus

Epictetus advises that if a person speaks ill of you, make no defense,
but answer: "He surely knew not of my other faults, else
he would not have mentioned these only."

Read from Epictetus' GOLDEN SAYINGS ..............    Vol. 2, pp. 176-182


 

Aug 12: LOWELL'S POEMS

 Zekle's Courtin'

Huldy, the rustic belle, sat alone peeling apples. She was bashful
in her consciousness that Zekle would come soon. When he did,
she merely blushed and timidly said: "Ma's sprinklin' clo'es," and
then—

Read: LOWELL'S POEMS .....................  Vol. 42, pp. 1376-1379


 

Aug 13: Southey's AFTER BLENHEIM and Other Poems

 Too Close to See the Battle

England and France came to battle near Blenheim. Years later
the people of Blenheim called it a "famous victory," but could
not tell whose victory it was.

Read: Southey's AFTER BLENHEIM and other poems ......   Vol. 41, pp. 732-735


 

Aug 14: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

 A College Boy Goes to Sea

Leaving Harvard on account of ill health, Dana sought adventure
and thrilling experience aboard a sailing vessel that rounded
Cape Horn. He turned the dangers, hardships, and keen joys
of a sailor's life into a fascinating story.

Read from Dana's Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST .....  Vol. 23, pp. 30-37


 

Aug 15: THE SONG OF ROLAND

 Into Death's Face He Flung This Song

Charlemagne's rear guard was attacked by the Basques in the
valley of Roncesvaux. Roland, its leader, fought a courageous
fight, and, though conquered, became immortal.

Read from THE SONG OF ROLAND ............   Vol. 49, pp. 166-173


 

Aug 16: THE PSALMS

 Inspiring Ritual of Temple Worship

David—the psalm singer—knew the wondrous ways of the Lord
and praised H im in his psalms. Burdened souls in all ages have
found comfort in these songs that once were used in the gorgeous
ritual of Jerusalem's temple.

Read from THE PSALMS .........................    Vol. 44, pp. 286-295


 

Aug 17: Luther's ADDRESS TO THE NOBILITY

 Three Walls Luther Saw

Luther declared that the unreformed church had drawn its doctrines
like three walls so closely about the people that they served
not as protection but were the cause of untold misery and distress.
This he hoped to relieve by the Reformation.

Read: Luther's ADDRESS TO THE NOBILITY ..........   Vol. 36, pp. 263-275


 

Aug 18: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 "I Took Her by the Hair and Dragged Her Up and Down"

In Cellini's day the model's life was a hazardous one. Cellini's
Autobiography reveals how some models were treated. You
will find it more thrilling than the most modern novel.

Read from CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY .......  Vol. 31, pp. 312-323


 

Aug 19: Pare's JOURNEYS IN DIVERSE PLACES

 Roses Boiled in Wine

Astonishing treatments and cures are related by Ambroise Pare,
famed surgeon of the fifteenth century. One remedy, for instance,
used to cure a distinguished nobleman, was red roses
boiled in white wine,—and it was effective.

Read from Pare's JOURNEYS IN DIVERSE PLACES ......   Vol. 38, pp. 50-58


 

Aug 20: Milton's PARADISE LOST

 Plot Against Eve

Driven from Heaven, Satan meditated revenge. He decided
his greatest opportunity to injure God was to bring sin to mankind.
Satan's plot against Eve is told by Milton.

Read from Milton's PARADISE LOST ................  Vol. 4, pp. 154-164


 

Aug 21: CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

 Hidden Treasures in an Old Book

A certain man was willed a Bible. He scorned the legacy until
one day, penniless and downcast, he turned to the book for consolation.
Imagine his amazement on finding hundred dollar
bills between the pages. St. Augustine explains how he found
even greater treasures in the Bible.

Read from CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE ............   Vol. 7, pp. 118-126


 

Aug 22: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

 Aboard the Old Sailing Ships

In the days when sailing ships plied the seven seas, common
sailors were often subject to a brutal captain whose whim was
law. Dana, a Boston college boy, makes an exciting story of his
sea experiences.

Read from Dana's Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST ......   Vol. 23, pp. 99-111


 

Aug 23: Burke's ON THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL

 Which Is a Beautiful Woman?

The Hottentot thinks his wife beautiful. Every American believes
his wife also to be beautiful. But the American and the
Hottentot are quite different. What, after all, is Beauty?

Read from Burke's ON THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL .......   Vol. 24, pp. 78-88


 

Aug 24: Pliny's LETTERS

 Survivor's Story of Vesuvius

The eruption of Vesuvius that demolished Pompeii and buried
thousands of people was witnessed by Pliny. He describes his
panic-stricken flight with his mother from the doomed villa
through falling ashes and sulphurous fumes. His famous uncle,
the elder Pliny, lost his life while investigating the eruption and
aiding refugees.

Read from Pliny's LETTERS ......................   Vol. 9, pp. 284-291


 

Aug 25: Kelvin's TIDES

 Britain Saved by a Full Moon

We to-day know that there is a direct relation between the moon
and tides. When Julius Caesar went to conquer Britain his transports
were wrecked because he did not know the tides on the
English coast; a knowledge of which might have changed the
whole course of history.

Read from Kelvin's TIDES ...........................   Vol. 30, pp. 274-285


 

Aug 26: FROISSART'S CHRONICLES

 The Prince of Wales Wins His Spurs

A brilliant victory for the English king was gained in this battle,
a fight in which vast numbers of French nobility, many princes,
and the aged King John of Bohemia were slain. Froissart describes
all in detail.

Read from FROISSART'S CHRONICLES ...............   Vol. 35, pp. 27-33


 

Aug 27: Burns' POEMS AND SONGS

 Priceless Treasures of Memory

"A man's a man for a' that." "Should auld acquaintance be forgot."
"To see her is to love her and love but her forever." "Flow
gently, sweet Afton." Every stanza of Burns is treasured. How
many have you stored up?

Read from Burns' POEMS AND SONGS .........   Vol. 6, pp. 317, 417, 442, 511


 

Aug 28: Goethe's FAUST

 The World's Love Tragedy

"Almighty God, I am undone." With this cry of despair, Margaret
witnessed the fiendish work of Faust, her lover, who bartered
his immortal soul for worldly pleasure. A thrilling drama, based
on a famous medieval legend.

Read from Goethe's FAUST ...................   Vol. 19, pp. 158-167


 

Aug 29: Plutarch's ANTONY

 Cleopatra Bewitches Mark Antony

Cleopatra rode to meet Antony in a gilded barge with sails of
purple; oars of silver beat time to the music of flutes and fifes
and harps. She went as Venus, and her attendants were dressed
as Cupids and Nymphs.

Read from Plutarch's ANTONY ..................  Vol. 12, pp. 339-349


 

Aug 30: Marcus Aurelius' MEDITATIONS

 Simple Life in a Palace

Every luxury, all the wealth in the world at his command—yet
Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of haughty Rome, led a simple life
even in a palace. He left his secret in his "Meditations."

Read from Marcus Aurelius' MEDITATIONS ......   Vol. 2, pp. 222-228


 

Aug 31: Emerson's AMERICAN SCHOLAR

 America's Greatest Thinker

Emerson was included in Dr. Eliot's recent selection of the
world's ten greatest educators of all time. Here the great thinker
discusses this force within man that makes him a scholar.

Read: Emerson's AMERICAN SCHOLAR ................   Vol. 3, pp. 5-15









 

Sep 1: Penn's SOME FRUITS OF SOLITUDE

 Expelled from College, Founded a City

While at Oxford, Penn rejected the student's gown and thereby
created a furore. Later he founded a city where he sought to
put his new ideas into practice.

Read from Penn's SOME FRUITS OF SOLITUDE ........   Vol. 1, pp. 321-331


 

Sep 2: Dryden's ALL FOR LOVE

 Too Great a Price for Love

While his soldiers fought the battle of Actium, Antony fled to
the arms of Cleopatra. By his flight he forfeited his right to an
empire. Dryden's story of Antony's love makes us realize the
folly of his infatuation for the Nile siren.

Read from Dryden's ALL FOR LOVE ...........   Vol. 18, pp. 88-100


 

Sep 3: TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN

 Seven Years to Reach England

Until 1783 the British refused to believe that the Liberty Bell
had rung. Then they signed a treaty formally recognizing the
Colonies as free and independent states.

Read: TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN (1783) .......    Vol. 43, pp. 174-179


 

Sep 4: Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH

 Voltaire Criticizes

Voltaire's daring courage led him to publish a series of letters
which contained unfavorable comparisons of French customs
with the English. For this he was threatened with the Bastille.

Read: Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH ......  Vol. 34, pp. 85-93



 

Sep 5: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

 Survival of the Fittest

Just as the individual has a definite length of life, so have species
a limited duration. The progress and transition of the world,
Darwin declares, will see the extinction of certain variants of
human life.

Read from Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES ..........   Vol. 11 , pp. 353-357


 

Sep 6: Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTT

 The Pride of All Scotchmen

Many sons of Scotland have striven eagerly for the great place
held by Sir Walter Scott. Carlyle describes the qualities that combined
to make him the idol of his people and the master of historical
romance.

Read Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTT .....................   Vol. 25, pp. 393-403


 

Sep 7: DESTRUCTION OF DA DERGA'S HOSTEL

 The King's Love

There she was undoing her hair—the loveliest woman the eyes of
men ever beheld, the light of wooing in her regal eyes. A longing
for her overwhelmed the warrior-king.

Read from DESTRUCTION OF DA DERGA'S HOSTEL .....   Vol. 49, pp. 199-209


 

Sep 8: Helmholtz's ICE AND GLACIERS

 When Europe Lay Under Ice

There was a time when the snow fell and did not melt in summer.
Then from the frozen north there descended huge masses
of ice that covered northern Europe and most of North America.
Glaciers reveal a new world to us.

Read from Helmholtz's ICE AND GLACIERS ......     Vol. 30, pp. 211-223


 

Sep 9: Emerson's NATURE

 When Nature Beckons

"There are days during the year," says Emerson, "when the
world of nature reaches perfection." Can anyone escape this call,
especially in the glorious Indian Summer?

Read: Emerson's NATURE ........................   Vol. 5, pp. 223-230


 

Sep 10: Holmes' POEMS

 Famous Poet-Physician

One of America's famous New Englanders, Oliver Wendell
Holmes, devoted his life principally to medicine. His name,
however, was made famous through his poem, "Old Ironsides,"
by which he saved America's most famous battleship from destruction
when her fighting days were ended.

Read: Holmes' POEMS .............................   Vol. 42, pp. 1365-1370


 

Sep 11: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

 Wages—Why and How Much?

What regulates wages, on what do they depend? Adam Smith,
world's authority on economic problems, advances his theories
on these matters.

Read from Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS ......   Vol. 10, pp. 66-74


 

Sep 12: SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE

 Love Letters of Elizabeth Browning

In all literary history there is no happier love story than that of
Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. During their secret
courtship Miss Barrett sent Browning many beautiful love letters
written in verse.

Read: SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE ......   Vol. 41, pp. 923-932


 

Sep 13: Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

 Good That Came from a Game Pit

From cockfighting, bear baiting, and like sports, the wife of John
Bunyan converted him to a life of humility and reverence. While
imprisoned for preaching, he used his idle time in writing a fantastic
story of a soul's salvation—probably the most famous allegory
ever written.

Read from Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS ...........  Vol. 15, pp. 13-23


 

Sep 14: Dante's DIVINE COMEDY

 Dante and St. Peter

Dante, having journeyed through Hell and Purgatory, comes at
last to St. Peter on his throne. St. Peter calls for the aid of St.
James and St. John before passing final judgment on Dante's
righteousness.

Read from Dante's DIVINE COMEDY ............   Vol. 20, pp. 387-395


 

Sep 15: Washington's FAREWELL ADDRESS

 Refused to Serve Three Terms

George Washington retired to private life in 1796, entrusting
"the preservation of the Union" to the "love of liberty." His
last appeal is a vital message to American citizens, as pertinent
today as when he penned it.

Read: Washington's FAREWELL ADDRESS .........   Vol. 43, pp. 233-249


 

Sep 16: HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES

 Penalty for Silence

"Such felons as stand mute [do not confess] are pressed to death
by huge weights laid upon a board that lieth over their breast
and a sharp stone under their backs." Old English punishments,
recorded by Holinshed, make startling reading.

Read from HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES ..............   Vol. 35, pp. 363-370


 

Sep 17: WHITTIER'S POEMS

 Romance on a New England Farm

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It
might have been.' " On this theme Whittier based the story of
a fair farmer girl and a rich judge.

Read: WHITTIER'S POEMS ....................   Vol. 42, pp. 1351-1364


 

Sep 18: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

 Home After Storms and Adventures

"Every sight was full of beauty. We were coming back to our
homes, and the signs of civilization from which we had been so
long banished—" wrote Dana, as his ship entered Boston Harbor.

Read from Dana's Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST .......   Vol. 23, pp. 348-356


 

Sep 19: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

 Humor That Survived Slavery

Held as a Moorish slave for five years, Cervantes was submitted
to almost daily tortures. But even the horrors of slavery could
not dull his sense of humor, as evinced by his most witty and
amusing novel.

Read from Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE ..........   Vol. 14, pp. 48-54


 

Sep 20: THE KORAN

 Women's Rights in the Harem

The Koran defines the powers of a husband over his wives. Thus
a woman unfaithful to her lord may be walled up alive.

Read from THE KORAN ........................   Vol. 45, pp. 967-974


 

Sep 21: Virgil's AENEID

 Aeneas and the Old Witch

The Sybil, an old witch, personally conducts Aeneas through the
gate and into the jaws of hell, where terrors abound on every
hand and frightful mysterious forms rule. There he is told of
the greatness and glory that was to come.

Read from Virgil's AENEID ...................    Vol. 13, pp. 207-218


 

Sep 22: FROISSART'S CHRONICLES

 A King for a Souvenir

In the days when kings rode to battle leading their troops it was
possible to make good the boast of the doughboy: "I'll bring you
a king for a souvenir."

Read from FROISSART'S CHRONICLES ..............    Vol. 35, pp. 42-53


 

Sep 23: Montaigne's TO LEARN HOW TO DIE

 Dying Concerns Every Man

The Romans made an art of dying. The Egyptians looked on
death with complacency. Moderns fear it. Montaigne argues
that the purpose of philosophy is to teach men how to die.

Read from Montaigne's To LEARN HOW TO DIE ......   Vol. 32, pp. 9-22


 

Sep 24: Plutarch's THEMISTOCLES

 Citizens Lured from Their Homes

When the serpent of Minerva disappeared from her temple, the
priests said that the goddess had left Athens for the sea. Moreover,
the oracles urged the Athenians to seek safety in their ships.
Themistocles prompted these deceits. Why?

Read from Plutarch's THEMISTOCLES ................    Vol. 12, pp. 13-23


 

Sep 25: Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 A Courtship of Twenty Years

John Stuart Mill in his autobiography boldly tells of his love for
his friend's wife. After twenty years, she was freed from her first
husband and was happily married to John Stuart Mill. Read the
account of Mill's courtship.

Read from Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHY .........    Vol. 25, pp. 116-120, 149


 

Sep 26: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

 And the World Rocked with Laughter

The gaunt lunatic, Don Quixote, saw the world through glasses
colored with romanticism that had gone out of style hundreds of
years before he was born. Cervantes made the world laugh at
the exaggerated stories it had been devouring.

Read from Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE ...............    Vol. 14, pp. 29-35


 

Sep 27: PASCAL'S THOUGHTS

 Pascal's Fundamentals of Religion

To-day we have Fundamentalists and Modernists, each striving
for the same goal. Pascal, two hundred and fifty years ago, gave
his precepts of the fundamentals of religious thought.

Read from PASCAL'S THOUGHTS ................    Vol. 48, pp. 181-192


 

Sep 28: Pasteur's THE GERM THEORY

 He Introduced the Germ

Proof that germs cause many contagious diseases was established
by Louis Pasteur. His discoveries revolutionized modern science
and lessened the ravages of every type of disease.

Read: Pasteur's THE GERM THEORY ................    Vol. 38, pp. 364-370


 

Sep 29: SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS

 Prophet of 400 Million People

Confucius was a Chinese magistrate in 500 B.C. He lost the favor
of the Emperor and wandered from city to city, teaching and giving
counsel. After his death, Emperor and people alike bowed
before his shrine.

Read from SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS ..................    Vol. 44, pp. 5-14


 

Sep 30: Emerson's MANNERS

 A Gentleman According to Emerson

An etiquette book and a good tailor do not always produce a
gentleman—neither does the Social Register include only gentlemen.
Emerson by quaint stories tells how fashion and manners
combine to make that rare product—a gentleman.

Read from Emerson's MANNERS ......................    Vol. 5, pp. 199-208









 

Oct 1: Machiavelli's THE PRINCE

 Princes To-day and Yesterday

To-day the chief duty of a prince is to be the nation's friend
maker. Years ago princes desired supreme power and, by fair
means or foul, strove for control. Machiavelli was a guide for
such ambitious princes.

Read from Machiavelli's THE PRINCE ........    Vol. 36, pp. 36-44


 

Oct 2: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

 Veteran Tells of Indian War

Just before Darwin visited Bahia Blanca, an Indian insurrection
had been ruthlessly put down. A veteran of the Indian war told
Darwin how Indians had been treated.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ......    Vol. 29, pp. 107-111


 

Oct 3: CHAUCER'S POEMS

 Good Enough for Chaucer

When polite English society conversed in French—considering
English a vulgar tongue, fit only for servants and working people—
Chaucer, nevertheless, wrote poems in this "vulgar" English,
which charm us because of their quaint words.

Read: CHAUCER'S POEMS ........................     Vol. 40, pp. 11-20


 

Oct 4: Plutarch's DEMOSTHENES

 His Mouth Full of Pebbles

The man who put pebbles in his mouth and orated to the sea,
shaved one-half of his head so that he would be obliged to stay
at home until he had perfected his oratory—a strange method of
attaining eminence, but a successful one.

Read from Plutarch's DEMOSTHENES .............    Vol. 12, pp. 196-205


 

Oct 5: Newman's UNIVERSITY LIFE AT ATHENS

 Amateur Athlete in Old Athens

A boxer in public games desired to study philosophy at Athens.
There were no furnaces to tend, no tables to wait on, no books
or magazines to peddle, yet this sturdy young Greek managed
to work his way through college.

Read from Newman's UNIVERSITY LIFE AT ATHENS .......    Vol. 28, pp. 51-61


 

Oct 6: Burke's REVOLUTION IN FRANCE

 The Atrocious Spectacle of October 6th

Wakened by the death cries of her sentry, Marie Antoinette,
Queen of France, fled by a secret passage from the fury of a vile
mob. The royal family was arrested and taken to Paris to await
their fate.

Read from Burke's REVOLUTION IN FRANCE ........    Vol. 24, pp. 208-217


 

Oct 7: THE JOURNAL OF JOHN WOOLMAN

 An Uncanonized American Saint

John Woolman was the foremost leader of the early Quakers
and contributed much to the spiritual life of the American Colonies.
He was a pioneer in the crusade against slavery.

Read from THE JOURNAL OF JOHN WOOLMAN ..........    Vol. 1, pp. 283-288


 

Oct 8: Fielding's PREFACE TO JOSEPH ANDREWS

 Fielding's Parody Becomes History

Fielding wrote a lengthy story to burlesque a novel of Richardson.
But the travesty overshot its mark. Instead of a mere parody,
it became a masterpiece.

Read: Fielding's PREFACE TO JOSEPH ANDREWS ......    Vol. 39, pp. 176-181


 

Oct 9: LATIN HYMNS

 Songs Shake the Walls of Jericho

Do you know that many of your favorite hymns have echoed
for hundreds of years through vast cathedrals, and resounded
from the walls of Jericho during the Crusades?

Read: LATIN HYMNS ...........     Vol. 45, pp. 546-556; also pp. 567-568


 

Oct 10: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

 A Fugitive in Boy's Clothes

The romance-stricken Don Quixote sees a fair youth seated by the
side of a stream, "his feet like two crystals, his hands like snowflakes."
The youth was a charming girl!

Read from Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE ................    Vol. 14, pp. 252-266


 

Oct 11: Virgil's AENEID

 Aeneas Flees from an Inconsolable Love

Aeneas, mythological founder of the Roman race, leaving Carthage
and its lovely Queen Dido, was driven by a storm to the
coast of Sicily. There the hospitality of King Acestes helped
him to forget his relinquished love.

Read from Virgil's AENEID .......................     Vol. 13, pp. 178-188


 

Oct 12: LETTER OF COLUMBUS

 
Columbus' Letter Miraculously Found

Historical documents, now priceless, were often used as wrapping
paper. Rescued by chance was a letter of Columbus telling of
his voyages—of the amazing bargains made with timid natives—
of Amazon women who fought like men and made marriage
treaties with cannibals.

Read: LETTER OF COLUMBUS.....................     Vol. 43, pp. 21-27


 

Oct 13: Marcus Aurelius' MEDITATIONS

 
Pagan Virtue Perpetuated

A man of virtue, although a pagan, Marcus Aurelius ruled with
benevolence and wisdom. Cruel in persecution of Christians as
lawbreakers, no trace of this sternness appears in his writings.

Read from Marcus Aurelius' MEDITATIONS ..........   Vol. 2, pp. 193-199


 

Oct 14: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

 
No Spice and Little Gold

All colonies are founded to gain territory or treasure. Spain
expected spice and gold from Columbus's expedition, but got no
spice and little gold. Adam Smith tells the true motive of the
colonizing Greeks, Romans, English, and Spaniards.

Read from Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS .........    Vol. 10, pp. 395-404


 

Oct 15: VESPUCCI'S ACCOUNT OF HIS FIRST VOYAGE

 
First Families of America

"They are a people smooth and clean of body because of continually
washing themselves—they eat all their enemies whom
they kill or capture." Amerigo Vespucci thus writes of the New
World inhabitants.

Read: VESPUCCI'S ACCOUNT OF HIS FIRST VOYAGE .......   Vol. 43, pp. 28-44


 

Oct 16: HIPPOCRATES' OATH AND LAW

 
When Medicine Was a Mystery

Once physicians treated the sick with a mixture of medicine and
charms. In those days medicine was regarded as a dark art like
magic, and those practicing it formed guilds to protect themselves.

Read: HIPPOCRATES' OATH AND LAW ................    Vol. 38, pp. 3-5


 

Oct 17: Browne's RELIGIO MEDICI

 
Reason His Only Religion

The religion of Thomas Browne—a liberal man in a most intolerant
time—was not taken from either Rome or Geneva, but
from his own reason.

Read from Browne's RELIGIO MEDICI ................   Vol. 3, pp. 253-265


 

Oct 18: SHELLEY'S POEMS

 
"If Winter Comes"

From the title of a recently popular novel, we know that one
prominent fiction writer of to-day was inspired by the verses of
Shelley. Many others have also felt the stirring vigor of his poetry.
What is your reaction?

Read: SHELLEY'S POEMS ..........................    Vol. 41, pp. 829-835


 

Oct 19: Hunt's ESSAYS

 
Virtue in Smiles

Weep if you must. It is far better than to repress your tears.
But Leigh Hunt finds greater virtue in cheerfulness. Fanciful
and graceful—his writings exerted a wholesome influence on all
nineteenth century journalism.

Read: Hunt's ESSAYS ...........................    Vol. 27, pp. 285-295


 

Oct 20: Homer's ODYSSEUS

 
Odysseus Adrift on a Raft

The gods met in council and decreed that Odysseus be set adrift.
Poseidon, God of the Sea, shattered the raft and Odysseus was cast
ashore to encounter further adventures.

Read from Homer's ODYSSEUS ..........................    Vol. 22, pp. 68-80


 

Oct 21: Cicero's ON OLD AGE

 
No Fault to Find with Old Age

Cicero agrees with Browning that old age is the golden time of
life, when the fruits of a well-spent life are harvested. Cicero,
the wise Roman, welcomed old age for its gifts: wisdom, sound
judgment, and contentment.

Read from Cicero's ON OLD AGE ................    Vol. 9, pp. 45-56


 

Oct 22: Thackeray's JONATHAN SWIFT

 
Swift's Love Problems

Swift was embarrassed by two women; Stella, whom he really
loved, and Vanessa, with whom he had flirted and who had
taken him seriously. Marriage to either one would break the
heart of the other.

Read from Thackeray's JONATHAN SWIFT ...........    Vol. 28, pp. 23-28


 

Oct 23: Plutarch's CAESAR

 
When Caesar Turned the Tables

When only a boy, Caesar was captured by pirates. While awaiting
ransom he entered into every sport and game with them. Once
freed, he quickly returned with forces that captured the outlaws.
Then he took deliberate revenge.

Read from Plutarch's CESAR ....................   Vol. 12, pp. 264-273


 

Oct 24: Aeschylus' AGAMEMNON

 Clytemnestra Meets Her Rival

Cassandra knew through a prophetic vision that a sword would
pierce her heart. Agamemnon, her captor, took her to his home
where an avenging wife, Clytemnestra, awaited. The tragedies
of the doom that requited the sins of the House of Atreus are
among the most powerful ever written.

Read from Aeschylus' AGAMEMNON ..............   Vol. 8, pp. 52-64


 

Oct 25: Macaulay's MACHIAVELLI

 
Greatly Encouraged Intrigue

After the publication of Machiavelli's " The Prince," the Sultans
became more addicted to strangling their brothers, tyrants became
more merciless, and murderous plots increased. The
influence of that book, as Macaulay points out, spread over Europe
and Asia.

Read from Macaulay's MACHIAVELLI ................    Vol. 27, pp. 363-372


 

Oct 26: Franklin's AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 
Franklin Learned the Secret

Poor at twenty, rich at forty, internationally famous at fifty. Benjamin
Franklin once walked the streets of Philadelphia alone,
poor, and with no education. Yet he rose to be a leader because
he learned the secret of careful reading.

Read from Franklin's AUTOBIOGRAPHY ...................    Vol. 1, pp. 14-21


 

Oct 27: BUDDHIST WRITINGS

 
Fruit of Seven Years' Silence

Siddhartha Gautama, who became the god Buddha, renounced
the world and spent seven years in meditation. Then one day,
while sitting under a fig tree, he became inspired with exalted
and sublime conceptions of life and death. The rest of his life
was spent in teaching and converting mankind.

Read from BUDDHIST WRITINGS ...............   Vol. 45, pp. 661-674


 

Oct 28: SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING EDUCATION

 
How Dice Taught Spelling

Locke taught children by means of games. He tells of a game
whereby children were taught to spell with dice on which the
letters of the alphabet were pasted. This was more than 200 years
before modern kindergarten methods. Today's children would
respond to such wise direction as Locke recommends.

Read: SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING EDUCATION .........   Vol. 37, pp. 128-136


 

Oct 29: KEATS' POEMS

 Genius Rises from a Stable

Though the son of a stable man, John Keats wrote the most exquisite
and sublime poetry in our language. He was the friend
of Shelley, Lord Byron, and the other literary leaders of the time—
his genius recognized by all.

Read: KEATS' POEMS ................................    Vol. 41, pp. 874-882


 

Oct 30: Lyell's THE PROGRESS OF GEOLOGY

 
Geology's Greatest Benefactor

Lyell has been called the founder of modern geology. Darwin,
the master scientist, called h im "Geology's Greatest Benefactor."
Lyell's research revolutionized ideas on that subject.

Read from Lyell's THE PROGRESS OF GEOLOGY ...........    Vol. 38, pp. 385-391


 

Oct 31: BURNS' POEMS

 Witches Walk To-night

Beware of magic! Once a year uneasy spirits are released and
walk the earth from midnight until dawn. Spooks and goblins
invade the most secure homes and the canniest must watch out
for danger lurking in every dark corner.

Read from BURNS' POEMS ...........................    Vol. 6, pp. 110-119









 

Nov 1: Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST

 
Last Strokes of Shakespeare's Pen

Monsters of the earth, weird creatures of the air, magic romance,
and shipwreck are mingled by a master hand in his thrilling
drama. The fanciful, enchanting "Tempest" is the last work
of the great bard of Stratford.

Read from Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST ...........    Vol. 46, pp. 397-410


 

Nov 2: Dante's DIVINE COMEDY

 
Journey Through a Hot Country

Dante recorded the awful scenes of a journey through the pits
of the underworld, and wrote in such a vivid, realistic way that
men tremble at the terrors depicted.

Read from Dante's DIVINE COMEDY .............    Vol. 20, pp. 13-20


 

Nov 3: Pliny's LETTERS

 
Letters to an Emperor

Pliny sought the advice of the Emperor Trajan for dealing with
the Christians who were alarmingly on the increase. He casually
relates how he had tortured two Christians.

Read from Pliny's LETTERS ....................     Vol. 9, pp. 404-406


 

Nov 4: Corneille's POLYEUCTE

 
Gold or Glory?

Polyeucte, an Armenian noble, wanted to become a Christian. If
he were baptized, he would have to give up his high position,
his wealth and his pagan wife. Was the heavenly crown worth
this sacrifice?

Read from Corneille's POLYEUCTE .............    Vol. 26, pp. 87-97


 

Nov 5: Roper's LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORE

 
Costly Opinion on Divorce

A divorce always means trouble for some one. So with Sir
Thomas More when he refused to agree with King Henry over
the king's separation. More was made to pay one of the highest
prices ever paid for a difference of opinion.

Read from Roper's LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORE ........    Vol. 36, pp. 89-99


 

Nov 6: Faraday's FORCE OF GRAVITATION

 
A Genius Needs Few Tools

Two sticks, a table, and a pail were the commonplace implements
used by Michael Faraday to demonstrate great scientific truths.

Read: Faraday's FORCE OF GRAVITATION ..........    Vol. 30, pp. 13-21


 

Nov 7: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

 
The Voice from a Stone-Dead City

Suddenly all the sinful city's inhabitants were turned to stone.
When a beautiful woman from Bagdad came to the dead city,
night overtook her there. Sleeping in the palace, she was awakened
by a man's voice calling.

Read from THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS ........   Vol. 16, pp. 100-107


 

Nov 8: Milton's PARADISE REGAINED

 
Blind But Unconquered

Milton's indomitable courage kept him at his work even after he
lost his sight. Blind, he dictated a sequel to his "Paradise Lost,"
which he called "Paradise Regained."

Read from Milton's PARADISE REGAINED ........   Vol. 4, pp. 359-369


 

Nov 9: THE PSALMS

 
Once War Songs, Now Pious Prayers

The Psalms have been an inspiration to men in many ages. They
have become so associated with the peaceful spirit of Christianity
that we forget some of them were once war songs and songs of
triumph.

Read from THE PSALMS ..........................    Vol. 44, pp. 318-327


 

Nov 10: Goldsmith's THE DESERTED VILLAGE

 
A Poet Who Piped for His Supper

Goldsmith traveled through Belgium, France, and Italy, winning
his daily bread by playing at farmhouses. He wrote the
most brilliant comedy, the best novel, and the finest poem of
his age.

Read: Goldsmith's THE DESERTED VILLACE .........   Vol. 41, pp. 509-520


 

Nov 11: WHITMAN'S POEMS

 
America's Doughboy Glorified

The youth of America—typified in the doughboy of the past
war—was gloriously portrayed by Walt Whitman. He also sang
of the vast plains and the beauty of America.

Read: WHITMAN'S POEMS .................    Vol. 42, pp. 1402-1412


 

Nov 12: Milton's PARADISE LOST

 
Story of the First Dresses

Milton's version tells how the Serpent induced Eve to eat the
forbidden fruit. Eve offered it to Adam. Then they became
conscious for the first time that they were not clothed.

Read from Milton's PARADISE LOST ............   Vol. 4, pp. 278-290


 

Nov 13: CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

 
When Carthage Was Monte Carlo

Carthage was the playground of the ancient world. In that city
of many sins, Augustine was a leader of the revels. His conversion
to Christianity amazed those who knew him.

Read from the CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE ......    Vol. 7, pp. 31-38


 

Nov 14: Lyell's UNIFORMITY OF CHANGE

 
He Worried About It

We wonder if the man who worried about the "scientifical" prediction
that "The sun's heat will give out in ten million years
more," had read Lyell on the gradual changes in the earth's
surface.

Read: Lyell's UNIFORMITY OF CHANGE ...............   Vol. 38, pp. 398-405


 

Nov 15: Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI

 
Food Profiteers 300 Years Ago

Food profiteering was as active in plague-stricken Milan 300 years
ago as in modern times. Shops were stormed for food. Read how
the Council strove heroically to fix fair rates.

Read from Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI .............    Vol. 21, pp. 450-460


 

Nov 16: TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

 
Just Before the Gold Rush

When the glorious Western coast was only partly settled, Dana
visited the Presidios. He saw frontier life at a time when Spanish
splendor still gilded California.

Read from Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST ..........   Vol. 23, pp. 164-168


 

Nov 17: Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTT

 
At Thirty Scott Began to Write

Are you curious about famous people, their lives, habits, personalities?
Carlyle discusses the intimate life of his illustrious countryman,
and reveals Scott, the man, and Scott, the genius who
entertained Christendom with his stories.

Read: Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTT .....................    Vol. 25, pp. 410-420


 

Nov 18: Schiller's WILHELM TELL

Apple or Son the Arrow's Mark

The arrow shot from his bow with a twang and whizzed through
the air. Tell covered his eyes, fearing to see where the arrow hit.
Then the shout of triumph, a shout of the people and not of the
tyrant—but the end was not yet.

Read from Schiller's WILHELM TELL .................    Vol. 26, pp. 441-449

 

Nov 19: Tennyson's MORTE D'ARTHUR

 
No Man Knows His Resting Place

A barge with black sails bearing three black robed queens with
crowns of gold carried away the dying King Arthur. Will they
bring him back and fulfill Merlin's prophecy?

Read: Tennyson's MORTE D'ARTHUR ............    Vol. 42, pp. 986-992


 

Nov 20: GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES

 
Old Stories Ever New

When the cold winds howled about the thatched huts of the
German peasant, the mother drew her children to her side and
told them stories. Collected and retold by the Grimm brothers,
these stories have perennial charm.

Read from GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES .................    Vol. 17, pp. 90-98


 

Nov 21: Voltaire's LETTERS

 
Bargains in Wives

The beautiful daughters of the Circassians were in demand for
the seraglios of the Turkish Sultan. Voltaire tells how these
beauties were protected from smallpox centuries before modern
vaccination.

Read from Voltaire's LETTERS ....................     Vol. 34, pp. 93-97


 

Nov 22: Virgil's AENEID

 
How a Queen Died for Love

Deserted by her lover, Queen Dido applied to her heart the only
balm that could ease her pain.

Read from Virgil's AENEID ..........................    Vol. 13, pp. 167-177


 

Nov 23: PASCAL'S THOUGHTS

 
Less Than Star Dust

According to Pascal, a man is not even as significant as a speck
of star dust in the universe. Pascal's thoughts on the subject are
startling to the modern reader, and they furnish rich food for
the imagination.

Read from PASCAL'S THOUGHTS ....................    Vol. 48, pp. 26-36


 

Nov 24: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

 
The Book that Upset Tennessee

The signal for the beginning of a great controversy, still raging,
was the publication of Darwin's "Origin of Species." This was
the first complete statement of the evolution theory, which had
been privately advanced but never publicly taught. A new epoch
in science dates from this great work.

Read from Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES .............     Vol. 11, pp. 23-30


 

Nov 25: Dekker's THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAY

 
Cupid as a Shoemaker

We are indebted to Thomas Dekker for one of the most humorous
characters in all Elizabethan literature; namely, Simon Eyre, an
old shoemaker whose affairs became hilariously involved with
those of the gentry.

Read from Dekker's THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAY .........    Vol. 47, pp. 469-483


 

Nov 26: Lamb ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE

 
Shakespeare Should Be Heard

Charles Lamb, favorite essayist, thought that no stage could do
justice to Shakespeare's tragedies. He advocated reading the
plays, and with the imagination costuming the players and building
the gorgeous scenery in a way equaled by no scene painter
or costumer.

Read: Lamb ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE ..............    Vol. 27, pp. 299-310


 

Nov 27: Sir Thomas More's UTOPIA

 
What Land is This?

In wondrous Utopia pearls and precious stones were used as
playthings for little children. Gold rings and bracelets were only
worn by outcasts, while great golden chains shackled criminals
and felons. When ambassadors from foreign lands came in fine
raiment, the Utopians treated the plainest dressed as the greatest;
the others seemed to them like children.

Read from Sir Thomas More's UTOPIA ...............    Vol. 36, pp. 191-204


 

Nov 28: BLAKE'S POEMS

 
Poems Made from Visions

"To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower—"
Such was the exaltation of the mysticism of William Blake, who
reflected in his poetry the ecstasy of his visions. Simplicity is the
keynote of his genius.

Read: BLAKE'S POEMS ..........................    Vol. 41, pp. 583-592


 

Nov 29: Hume's OF THE ORIGIN OF IDEAS

 
How Ideas Originate

Did you ever stop to think just how you thought? What inner
emotions, what outer influences make up the fathomless depths
of mind and intellect? Hume explains how we draw our
thoughts, then clumsily put them into tangible shape called ideas.

Read: Hume's OF THE ORIGIN OF IDEAS ...............     Vol. 37, pp. 299-303


 

Nov 30: Swift's ESSAY ON CONVERSATION

 
"Don'ts" for Conversation

To harp on one's illnesses, giving all the symptoms and circumstances,
has been a blemish on conversation for ages. Two
hundred years ago Swift complained of persons who continually
talked about themselves.

Read: Swift's ESSAY ON CONVERSATION ..............      Vol. 27, pp. 91-98









 

Dec 1: Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUES

 
Are Skeptics Faulty Thinkers?

Offhand we say a skeptic is one who doubts everything. But
does he? And are his doubts caused by too much learning, or too
little? Berkeley presents both sides of skepticism.

Read from Berkeley's THREE DIALOGUES .............     Vol. 37, pp. 189-199


 

Dec 2: THE HOLY GRAIL

 
Practical Jokes in King Arthur's Day

Attacked in fun by two masked knights, Sir Galahad smote one
so that both horse and rider went down. Turning on the other
jester, he slashed open his helmet.

Read from THE HOLY GRAIL ................    Vol. 35, pp. 128-134


 

Dec 3: THE BIRTH OF THE BUDDHA

 
Met the Gods of Ten Thousand Worlds

After three awesome messengers have issued three warnings, the
gods of ten thousand worlds decide who is to be the new Buddha.
Then the parents, the conception, the birth of the god-child demand
constant vigilance.

Read: THE BIRTH OF THE BUDDHA ...................   Vol. 45, pp. 603-612


 

Dec 4: Virgil's AENEID

 
The Queen Weds a Poor Stranger

Aeneas and Dido, world-famous lovers, while hunting in the
forest, were trapped in a cave by a furious storm. There the
marriage between the proud African queen and the homeless
wanderer was completed.

Read from Virgil's AENEID ...................    Vol. 13, pp. 152-162


 

Dec 5: CHRISTINA ROSSETTI'S POEMS

 
Poems by an Artist's Model

So beautiful that many painters sought her for a model—
Christina Rossetti, sister of the famous poet, Dante Rossetti, combined
with her unusual beauty a rare poetic sense.

Read: CHRISTINA ROSSETTI'S POEMS ....................    Vol. 42, pp. 1181-1183


 

Dec 6: Addison's ESSAYS

 
Moralizing as a Seductive Art

"The Vision of Mirza" and "Westminster Abbey," first printed
in "The Spectator," are examples of Addison's wondrous gift
of expression. He leads us to higher realms.

Read: Addison's ESSAYS ......................    Vol. 27, pp. 73-80


 

Dec 7: Plutarch's CICERO

 
What Cicero Least Expected

After being governor of Sicily, Cicero returned to Rome expecting
a hero's welcome. When he asked what the Romans thought
of his recent achievements, he received an astounding answer.

Read from Plutarch's CICERO ......................    Vol. 12, pp. 222-231


 

Dec 8: LEVANA AND OUR LADIES OF SORROW

 
Dream Women Shaped His Destiny

De Quincy imagined that three women were sent to him so that
he might know the depths of his soul. Real women could not
have wielded greater influence. It is fortunate that everyone does
not meet these weird women.

Read: LEVANA AND OUR LADIES OF SORROW ................    Vol. 27, pp. 319-325


 

Dec 9: THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT

 
Slavery's Last Stand

By the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 stringent laws were made to
prevent assistance being given to any slaves attempting to escape.
The antislavery answer to these laws was a perfection of the
"Underground Railroad."

Read: THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT .....................    Vol. 43, pp. 306-312


 

Dec 10: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

 
Benvenuto Boasts of Gallantry

Taking offense at a soldier who made advances toward his
favorite lady, Cellini jumped from the window, knife in hand,
to avenge himself. This incident was recorded with characteristic
conceit by Cellini in his amazing diary.

Read from CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY ...............   Vol. 31, pp. 62-72


 

Dec 11: Plutarch's ALCIBIADES

 The Most Dashing Figure in Athens

The handsome Alcibiades, cunning in politics, bold in war, was
the lion of Athenian society until he violated the secrets of a
mysterious religious cult. Then all outraged Athens united to
dash their idol to the ground.

Read from Plutarch's ALCIBIADES ...............    Vol. 12, pp. 106-117


 

Dec 12: BROWNING'S POEMS

 
How the Glorious News was Carried to Aix

Three brave men began the heroic ride from Ghent to Aix. Only
one man arrived to tell the thrilling story of the tempestuous
ride. In one of his most bewitching poems, in lines that haunt
the memory, Browning retells the story.

Read: BROWNING'S POEMS ................     Vol. 42, pp. 1066-1068


 

Dec 13: DRAKE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

 
To the South Seas with the Gallant Drake

A famous voyage was Sir Francis Drake's around the world.
Drake's crew, the first white men to visit many parts of the
world, received amazing receptions from the natives.

Read from DRAKE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD ........    Vol. 33, pp. 199-208


 

Dec 14: MARVELL'S POEMS

 
Pastoral Poems and Politics

The many-sided Marvell, who wielded a pen that was both
feared and courted, is seen at his best in stirring verse. "A
Garden," "Prospect of Flowers," with the "Horatian Ode upon
Cromwell," show the power of his genius.

Read: MARVELL'S POEMS ....................    Vol. 40, pp. 370-379


 

Dec 15: Homer's ODYSSEY

 
Odysseus Talks with Ghosts

This is another of those marvelous and unforgetable tales of the
wandering Odysseus. The fantasy takes him into regions where
he discourses with deceased heroes.

Read from Homer's ODYSSEY ...................    Vol. 22, pp. 145-153


 

Dec 16: Burke's THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL

How Man's Courtship Differs from Animal's

Beauty is an important factor in the attraction between man and
woman. It is knowing beauty that differentiates man from the
animals, which only require that their mates be of the same
species.

Read from Burke's THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL ............    Vol. 24, pp. 37-48

 

Dec 17: CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

 
Dies on the Eve of Her Son's Conversion

The mother of St. Augustine prayed unceasingly for her son's
conversion. The most touching, most soul-revealing writing St.
Augustine did is in the description of his mother's death.

Read from CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE ..........    Vol. 7, pp. 150-160


 

Dec 18: SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING EDUCATION

 
For a Gentleman

Every schoolboy asks: "What's the use of learning Latin?"
John Locke, one of the greatest educators of all time, maintains
that Latin is absolutely essential to a well-bred gentleman, and
explains why.

Read from SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING EDUCATION ............   Vol. 37, pp. 136-145


 

Dec 19: Milton's SAMSON AGONISTES

 
Samson Finds a Champion

The mighty Samson was blinded while a captive of the
Philistines. He sought revenge—a revenge devastating and cosdy.
Milton, himself a giant of intellect, blind and imprisoned, wrote
of this sightless giant of other days.

Read: Milton's SAMSON AGONISTES ................    Vol. 4, pp. 444-459


 

Dec 20: Herodotus' AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT

 
Egypt Visited by the First Reporter

All phases of life were pictured by Herodotus in his history.
Like a modern newspaper reporter, he combines weird stories,
scandals, and battle accounts with descriptions of places, persons,
and sights about town.

Read from Herodotus' AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT ............    Vol. 33, pp. 7-17


 

Dec 21: Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

 
"Madam Bubble" Not to Be Discouraged

"Madam Bubble," or this vain world, presented both herself and
her purse to the wayfarer. Repulsed and scorned, yet she serenely
flaunts her bribes enticingly before his bewildered eyes.

Read from Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS .............    Vol. 15, pp. 306-318


 

Dec 22: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

 
Rubbing Noses in New Zealand

Darwin, in exploring New Zealand, finds cannibalism, tattooing,
and many weird customs among the natives. Instead of shaking
hands, the salutation is by rubbing noses.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE ...........    Vol. 29, pp. 425-434


 

Dec 23: Sainte-Beuve's WHAT IS A CLASSIC?

 
Saved from a Bonfire of Books

If all the books in the world were on fire, some men would risk
their lives to save certain priceless writings: the world's classics.
Sainte-Beuve here tells why.

Read: Sainte-Beuve's WHAT IS A CLASSIC? ............    Vol. 32, pp. 121-133


 

Dec 24: HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES

 
Christmas Made a Dull Day

Before the Reformation in England almost every third day was
a holy day. But the Puritans abolished all the holy days, even
Christmas.

Read from HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES ..........    Vol. 35, pp. 266-270


 

Dec 25: GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

 
The Christmas Story

Luke was a Greek physician, a man of culture, trained in the
best universities of the ancient world. He became imbued with
the spirit of Christ, and wrote the most beautiful story of the
birth and life of Jesus.

Read from the GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE ...........    Vol. 44, pp. 357-360


 

Dec 26: Shakespeare's KING LEAR

 
Silence Cost Her a Kingdom

Cordelia, daughter of old King Lear, could not convince her
father of her love for him. Afterward, when misfortunes made
him accept her aid, he learned too late of her real devotion.

Read from Shakespeare's KING LEAR ..........    Vol. 46, pp. 288-300


 

Dec 27: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

 
Million-Year-Old Islands

It was the new-old lands that Darwin visited on his voyage of
the "Beagle." The strange specimens of prehistoric life he saw
there made the world gape and shudder.

Read from Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE .........    Vol. 29, pp. 376-389


 

Dec 28: DRAKE'S GREAT ARMADA

 
Ho! for the Spanish Main!

Drake with a fleet of twenty-five ships and twenty-three hundred
men sets sail to plunder and lay waste Spain's treasure hoards in
the New World. Gold and silver bar, nuggets and jewels awaited
the bold adventurers.

Read from DRAKE'S GREAT ARMADA .............     Vol. 33, pp. 229-240


 

Dec 29: Homer's ODYSSEY

 
These Guests Outstayed Their Welcome

After twenty years' absence, Odysseus returned home to find his
house filled with strangers rioting and wasting his treasure.
Crafty Odysseus, with the aid of his son and the gods, devised a
bold plan to rid his home of the unwelcome guests.

Read from Homer's ODYSSEY ......................     Vol. 22, pp. 296-309


 

Dec 30: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

 
Dana Meets a Tattooed Sailor

Dana's description of the picturesque, pre-gold-rush California
is unique. While he was on the Pacific coast he met a British
sailor who was elaborately tattooed and of an unforgetable appearance
and personality.

Read from Dana's Two YEARS BEFORE THE MAST ...............    Vol. 23, pp. 77-86


 

Dec 31: Carlyle's INAUGURAL ADDRESS

 
Curiosity and Interest as Guides to Reading

The most unhappy man, Carlyle says, is the man who has no
real work—no interest in life. To avoid this miserable state, he
advises faithful and diligent reading along the lines dictated by
curiosity and interest.

Read from Carlyle's INAUGURAL ADDRESS ............    Vol. 25, pp. 364-374