ReadingWith a little more deliberation in the choice of their pursuits,all men would perhaps become essentially students and observers, forcertainly their nature and destiny are interesting to all alike. Inaccumulating property for ourselves or our posterity, in founding afamily or a state, or acquiring fame even, we are mortal; but indealing with truth we are immortal, and need fear no change noraccident. The oldest Egyptian or Hindoo philosopher raised a cornerof the veil from the statue of the divinity; and still the tremblingrobe remains raised, and I gaze upon as fresh a glory as he did,since it was I in him that was then so bold, and it is he in me that...　

ARTAXERXES437-359 B.C.by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenTHE first Artaxerxes, among all the kings of Persia the mostremarkable for a gentle and noble spirit, was surnamed theLong-handed, his right hand being longer than his left, and was theson of Xerxes. The second, whose story I am now writing, who had thesurname of the Mindful, was the grandson of the former, by hisdaughter Parysatis, who brought Darius four sons, the eldestArtaxerxes, the next Cyrus, and two younger than these, Ostanes andOxathres. Cyrus took his name of the ancient Cyrus, as he, they say,...　

Muratby Alexander Dumas, pereITOULONOn the 18th June, 1815, at the very moment when the destiny of Europewas being decided at Waterloo, a man dressed like a beggar wassilently following the road from Toulon to Marseilles.Arrived at the entrance of the Gorge of Ollioulles, he halted on alittle eminence from which he could see all the surrounding country;then either because he had reached the end of his journey, orbecause, before attempting that forbidding, sombre pass which iscalled the Thermopylae of Provence, he wished to enjoy themagnificent view which spread to the southern horizon a littlelonger, he went and sat down on the edge of the ditch which bordered...　

The Darwinian Hypothesisby Thomas H. HuxleyDARWIN ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES.THERE is a growing immensity in the speculations of science to which nohuman thing or thought at this day is comparable. Apart from theresults which science brings us home and securely harvests, there is anexpansive force and latitude in its tentative efforts, which lifts usout of ourselves and transfigures our mortality. We may have apreference for moral themes, like the Homeric sage, who had seen andknown much:"Cities of menAnd manners, climates, councils, governments";yet we must end by confession that"The windy ways of menAre but dust which rises up...　

TOADS AND DIAMONDSTHERE was once upon a time a widow who had twodaughters. The eldest was so much like her in the faceand humor that whoever looked upon the daughter sawthe mother. They were both so disagreeable and so proudthat there was no living with them.The youngest, who was the very picture of her fatherfor courtesy and sweetness of temper, was withal one ofthe most beautiful girls ever seen. As people naturallylove their own likeness, this mother even doted on hereldest daughter and at the same time had a horribleaversion for the youngestshe made her eat in the kitchenand work continually.Among other things, this poor child was forced twice a...　

A Defence of Poesie and Poemsby Philip SidneyContents:Introduction by Henry MorleyA Defence of PoesiePoemsINTRODUCTIONPhilip Sidney was born at Penshurst, in Kent, on the 29th of November, 1554. His father, Sir Henry Sidney, had married Mary, eldest daughter of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, and Philip was the eldest of their family of three sons and four daughters. Edmund Spenser and Walter Raleigh were of like age with Philip Sidney, differing only by about a year, and when Elizabeth became queen, on the 17th of November, 1558, they were children of four or five years old.In the year 1560 Sir Henry Sidney was made Lord President of Wales, representing the Queen in Wales and the fou　

The Land of Footprintsby Stewart Edward WhiteI. ON BOOKS OF ADVENTUREBooks of sporting, travel, and adventure in countries little known to the average reader naturally fall in two classes-neither, with a very few exceptions, of great value. One class is perhaps the logical result of the other.Of the first type is the book that is written to make the most of far travels, to extract from adventure the last thrill, to impress the awestricken reader with a full sense of the danger and hardship the writer has undergone. Thus, if the latter takes out quite an ordinary routine permit to go into certain districts, he makes the most of travelling in "closed territory," implying that he has obtained 　

The Path of the Lawby O. W. Holmes, Jr.10 Harvard Law Review 457 (1897)When we study law we are not studying a mystery but a well-knownprofession. We are studying what we shall want in order to appearbefore judges, or to advise people in such a way as to keep them out ofcourt. The reason why it is a profession, why people will pay lawyersto argue for them or to advise them, is that in societies like ours thecommand of the public force is intrusted to the judges in certain cases,and the whole power of the state will be put forth, if necessary, tocarry out their judgments and decrees. People want to know under whatcircumstances and how far they will run the risk of coming against what...　

The Religion of Babylonia and Assyriaby Theophilus G. PinchesCHAPTER IFOREWORDPosition, and Period.The religion of the Babylonians and Assyrians was the polytheistic faith professed by the peoples inhabiting the Tigris and Euphrates valleys from what may be regarded as the dawn of history until the Christian era began, or, at least, until the inhabitants were brought under the influence of Christianity. The chronological period covered may be roughly estimated at about 5000 years. The belief of the people, at the end of that time, being Babylonian heathenism leavened with Judaism, the country was probably ripe for the reception of the new faith. Christianity, however, by no means replaced t　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENTHE STORY OF THE WINDby Hans Christian Andersen"NEAR the shores of the great Belt, which is one of the straitsthat connect the Cattegat with the Baltic, stands an old mansionwith thick red walls. I know every stone of it," says the Wind. "I sawit when it was part of the castle of Marck Stig on the promontory. Butthe castle was obliged to be pulled down, and the stone was used againfor the walls of a new mansion on another spot- the baronial residenceof Borreby, which still stands near the coast. I knew them well, thosenoble lords and ladies, the successive generations that dwelt there;...　

Fraternityby John GalsworthyCHAPTER ITHE SHADOWIn the afternoon of the last day of April, 190-, a billowy sea of little broken clouds crowned the thin air above High Street, Kensington. This soft tumult of vapours, covering nearly all the firmament, was in onslaught round a patch of blue sky, shaped somewhat like a star, which still gleameda single gentian flower amongst innumerable grass. Each of these small clouds seemed fitted with a pair of unseen wings, and, as insects flight on their too constant journeys, they were setting forth all ways round this starry blossom which burned so clear with the colour of its far fixity. On one side they were massed in fleecy congeries, so crowding 　

A Ramble Among the Hills.I USED frequently to amuse myself towards the close of the day, whenthe heat had subsided, with taking long rambles about theneighboring hills and the deep umbrageous valleys, accompanied by myhistoriographic squire, Mateo, to whose passion for gossiping I onsuch occasions gave the most unbounded license; and there was scarce arock, or ruin, or broken fountain, or lonely glen, about which hehad not some marvellous story; or, above all, some golden legend;for never was poor devil so munificent in dispensing hidden treasures.In the course of one of these strolls Mateo was more than usuallycommunicative. It was toward sunset that we sallied forth from the...