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

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