WHAT IS MAN?Ia. Man the Machine. b. Personal Merit[The Old Man and the Young Man had been conversing. The OldMan had asserted that the human being is merely a machine, andnothing more. The Young Man objected, and asked him to go intoparticulars and furnish his reasons for his position.]Old Man. What are the materials of which a steam-engine is made?Young Man. Iron, steel, brass, white-metal, and so on.O.M. Where are these found?Y.M. In the rocks.O.M. In a pure state?Y.M. Noin ores.O.M. Are the metals suddenly deposited in the ores?Y.M. Noit is the patient work of countless ages....
THE STARIt was on the first day of the New Year that the announcementwas made, almost simultaneously from three observatories, that themotion of the planet Neptune, the outermost of all the planetsthat wheel about the sun, had become very erratic. Ogilvy hadalready called attention to a suspected retardation in its velocityin December. Such a piece of news was scarcely calculated tointerest a world the greater portion of whose inhabitants wereunaware of the existence of the planet Neptune, nor outside theastronomical profession did the subsequent discovery of a faintremote speck of light in the region of the perturbed planet cause...
The Lady of LyonsorLove and Prideby Edward Bulwer LyttonTo the author of "Ion."Whose genius and example have alike contributed towards the regenerationof The National Drama,This play is inscribed.PREFACE.An indistinct recollection of the very pretty little tale,called "The Bellows-Mender," suggested the plot of this Drama.The incidents are, however, greatly altered from those in the tale,and the characters entirely re-cast.Having long had a wish to illustrate certain periods of the Frenchhistory, so, in the selection of the date in which the scenes of thisplay are laid, I saw that the era of the Republic was that in which...
The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches-Volume Iby Lord MacaulayPREFACE.Lord Macaulay always looked forward to a publication of his miscellaneous works, either by himself or by those who should represent him after his death. And latterly he expressly reserved, whenever the arrangements as to copyright made it necessary, the right of such publication.The collection which is now published comprehends some of the earliest and some of the latest works which he composed. He was born on 25th October, 1800; commenced residence at Trinity College, Cambridge, in October, 1818; was elected Craven University Scholar in 1821; graduated as B.A. in 1822; was elected fellow of the college in October, 18
Over the Teacupsby Oliver W. HolmesPREFACE.The kind way in which this series of papers has been received hasbeen a pleasure greater than I dared to anticipate. I felt that Iwas a late comer in the midst of a crowd of ardent and eagercandidates for public attention, that I had already had my day, andthat if, like the unfortunate Frenchman we used read about, I had"come again," I ought not to surprised if I received the welcome of"Monsieur Tonson."It has not proved so. My old readers have come forward in thepleasantest possible way and assured me that they were glad to see meagain. There is no need, therefore, of apologies or explanations. I...
The White Peopleby Frances Hodgson BurnettTO LIONEL "The stars come nightly to the sky; The tidal wave unto the sea; Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high Can keep my own away from me."THE WHITE PEOPLECHAPTER IPerhaps the things which happened could only have happened to me. I do not know. I never heard of things like them happening to any one else. But I am not sorry they did happen. I am in secret deeply and strangely glad. I have heard other people say thingsand they were not always sad people, eitherwhich made me feel that if they knew what I know it would seem to them as though some awesome, heavy load they had always dragged about with them had fallen from their shoulders. To
SYLLA138-78 B.C.by Plutarchtranslated by John DrydenLUCIUS Cornelius Sylla was descended of a patrician or noble family.Of his ancestors, Rufinus, it is said, had been consul, and incurred adisgrace more signal than his distinction. For being found possessedof more than ten pounds of silver plate, contrary to the law, he wasfor this reason put out of the senate. His posterity continued everafter in obscurity, nor had Sylla himself any opulent parentage. Inhis younger days he lived in hired lodgings, at a low rate, which inaftertimes was adduced against him as proof that he had been fortunate...
Father Damienby Robert Louis StevensonAN OPEN LETTER TO THE REVEREND DR. HYDE OF HONOLULUSYDNEY,FEBRUARY 25, 1890.Sir, - It may probably occur to you that we have met, and visited,and conversed; on my side, with interest. You may remember thatyou have done me several courtesies, for which I was prepared to begrateful. But there are duties which come before gratitude, andoffences which justly divide friends, far more acquaintances. Yourletter to the Reverend H. B. Gage is a document which, in my sight,if you had filled me with bread when I was starving, if you had satup to nurse my father when he lay a-dying, would yet absolve me...
The Wandering Jew, Volume 9by Eugene SueBOOK IX.XV. The Constant WandererXVI. The LuncheonXVII. Rendering the AccountXVIII. The Square of Notre DameXIX. The Cholera MasqueradeXX. The DefianceXXI. Brandy to the RescueXXII. MemoriesXXIII. The PoisonerXXIV. CathedralXXV. The MurderersXXVI. The PatientXXVII. The LureXXVIII. Good NewsXXIX. The OperationXXX. The TortureXXXI. Vice and VirtueXXXII. SuicideCHAPTER XV.THE CONSTANT WANDERER.It is night. The moon shines and the stars glimmer in the midst of aserene but cheerless sky; the sharp whistlings of the north wind, that...
The Lumley Autographby Susan Fenimore Cooper[Not long since an American author received an application from aGerman correspondent for "a few Autographs"the number of namesapplied for amounting to more than a hundred, and covering severalsheets of foolscap. A few years since an Englishman of literary notesent his Album to a distinguished poet in Paris for his contribution,when the volume was actually stolen from a room where every otherarticle was left untouched; showing that Autographs were morevaluable in the eyes of the thief than any other property. Amusedwith the recollection of these facts, and others of the same kind,some idle hours were given by the writer to the following view of th
BOOK II: OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE UTOPIANSTHERE are several sorts of religions, not only in different partsof the island, but even in every town; some worshipping the sun,others the moon or one of the planets: some worship such men ashave been eminent in former times for virtue or glory, not only asordinary deities, but as the supreme God: yet the greater andwiser sort of them worship none of these, but adore one eternal,invisible, infinite, and incomprehensible Deity; as a being thatis far above all our apprehensions, that is spread over the wholeuniverse, not by His bulk, but by His power and virtue; Him they...
Balladsby Robert Louis StevensonTHE SONG OF RAHEROA LEGEND OF TAHITITO ORI A ORIORI, my brother in the island mode,In every tongue and meaning much my friend,This story of your country and your clan,In your loved house, your too much honoured guest,I made in English. Take it, being done;And let me sign it with the name you gave.TERIITERA.I. THE SLAYING OF TAMATEAIT fell in the days of old, as the men of Taiarapu tell,A youth went forth to the fishing, and fortune favoured him well.Tamatea his name: gullible, simple, and kind,Comely of countenance, nimble of body, empty of mind,...