Letters to His Son, 1752by The Earl of ChesterfieldLETTERS TO HIS SONBy the EARL OF CHESTERFIELDon the Fine Art of becoming aMAN OF THE WORLDand aGENTLEMANLETTER CLVLONDON, January 2, O. S. 1752.MY DEAR FRIEND: Laziness of mind, or inattention, are as great enemies to knowledge as incapacity; for, in truth, what difference is there between a man who will not, and a man who cannot be informed? This difference only, that the former is justly to be blamed, the latter to be pitied. And yet how many there are, very capable of receiving knowledge, who from laziness, inattention, and incuriousness, will not so much as ask for it, much less take the least pains to acquire it!...　

How Tell a Story and Othersby Mark TwainCONTENTS:HOW TO TELL A STORYTHE WOUNDED SOLDIERTHE GOLDEN ARMMENTAL TELEGRAPHY AGAINTHE INVALIDS STORYHOW TO TELL A STORYThe Humorous Story an American Development.Its Differencefrom Comic and Witty Stories.I do not claim that I can tell a story as it ought to be told. I onlyclaim to know how a story ought to be told, for I have been almost dailyin the company of the most expert story-tellers for many years.There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kindthehumorous. I will talk mainly about that one. The humorous story is...　

Concerning Christian Libertyby Martin LutherCONCERNING CHRISTIAN LIBERTYLETTER OF MARTIN LUTHER TO POPE LEO XAmong those monstrous evils of this age with which I have now forthree years been waging war, I am sometimes compelled to look toyou and to call you to mind, most blessed father Leo. In truth,since you alone are everywhere considered as being the cause ofmy engaging in war, I cannot at any time fail to remember you;and although I have been compelled by the causeless raging ofyour impious flatterers against me to appeal from your seat to afuture councilfearless of the futile decrees of yourpredecessors Pius and Julius, who in their foolish tyranny...　

Ivanoffby Anton CheckovA PLAYCHARACTERSNICHOLAS IVANOFF, perpetual member of the Council of PeasantAffairsANNA, his wife. Nee Sarah AbramsonMATTHEW SHABELSKI, a count, uncle of IvanoffPAUL LEBEDIEFF, President of the Board of the ZemstvoZINAIDA, his wifeSASHA, their daughter, twenty years oldLVOFF, a young government doctorMARTHA BABAKINA, a young widow, owner of an estate and daughterof a rich merchantKOSICH, an excisemanMICHAEL BORKIN, a distant relative of Ivanoff, and manager of hisestateAVDOTIA NAZAROVNA, an old womanGEORGE, lives with the LebedieffsFIRST GUESTSECOND GUESTTHIRD GUESTFOURTH GUEST...　

SHERLOCK HOLMESTHE ADVENTURE OF THE VEILED LODGERby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleWhen one considers that Mr. Sherlock Holmes was in active practicefor twenty-three years, and that during seventeen of these I wasallowed to cooperate with him and to keep notes of his doings, it willbe clear that I have a mass of material at my command. The problem hasalways been not to find but to choose. There is the long row ofyear-books which fill a shelf, and there are the dispatch-cases filledwith documents, a perfect quarry for the student not only of crime butof the social and official scandals of the late Victorian era....　

1594THE RAPE OF LUCRECEby William ShakespeareDEDICATIONTO THERIGHT HONOURABLEHENRY WRIOTHESLEY,EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON, AND BARONOF TITCHFIELDThe love I dedicate to your lordship is without end: whereof thispamphlet, without beginning is but a superfluous moiety. The warrant Ihave of your honourable disposition, not the worth of my untutoredlines, make it assured of acceptance. What I have done is yours;...　

by Charles DarwinNext ChapterChapter 1 - Variation Under DomesticationWHEN we look to the individuals of the same variety or sub-variety of our older cultivated plants and animals, one of the first points which strikes us, is, that they generally differ much more from each other, than do the individuals of any one species or variety in a state of nature. When we reflect on the vast diversity of the plants and animals which have been cultivated, and which have varied during all ages under the most different climates and treatment, I think we are driven to conclude that this greater variability is simply due to our domestic productions having been raised under conditions of life not so unifor　

The Twins of Table Mountainby Bret HarteCONTENTSI. THE TWINS OF TABLE MOUNTAINII. AN HEIRESS OF RED DOGIII. THE GREAT DEADWOOD MYSTERYIV. A LEGEND OF SAMMTSTADTV. VIEWS FROM A GERMAN SPIONTHE TWINS OF TABLE MOUNTAIN.CHAPTER I.A CLOUD ON THE MOUNTAIN.They lived on the verge of a vast stony level, upheaved so farabove the surrounding country that its vague outlines, viewed fromthe nearest valley, seemed a mere cloud-streak resting upon thelesser hills. The rush and roar of the turbulent river that washedits eastern base were lost at that height; the winds that strovewith the giant pines that half way climbed its flanks spent their...　

The Divine Comedyby DANTE ALIGHIERI(1265-1321)TRANSLATED BYHENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW(1807-1882)Incipit Comoedia Dantis Alagherii,Florentini natione, non moribus.The Divine Comedytranslated by Henry Wadsworth LongfellowINFERNOInferno: Canto IMidway upon the journey of our lifeI found myself within a forest dark,For the straightforward pathway had been lost.Ah me! how hard a thing it is to sayWhat was this forest savage, rough, and stern,Which in the very thought renews the fear.So bitter is it, death is little more;But of the good to treat, which there I found,Speak will I of the other things I saw there....　

The Ancient RegimeThe Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 1by Hippolyte A. TainePREFACE.BOOK FIRST. The Structure of the Ancient Society.CHAPTER I. The Origin of Privileges.CHAPTER II. The Privileged Classes.CHAPTER III. Local Services Due by the Privileged Classes.CHAPTER IV. Public services due by the privileged classes.BOOK SECOND. Habits and Characters.CHAPTER I. Social Habits.CHAPTER II. Drawing room Life .CHAPTER III. Disadvantages of this Drawing room Life.BOOK THIRD. The Spirit and the Doctrine.CHAPTER I. Scientific Acquisition....　

The Wife and Other Storiesby Anton ChekhovTranslated by CONSTANCE GARNETTCONTENTSThe WifeDifficult PeopleThe GrasshopperA Dreary StoryThe Privy CouncillorThe Man in CaseGooseberriesAbout LoveThe Lottery TicketTHE WIFEII RECEIVED the following letter:"DEAR SIR, PAVEL ANDREITCH!"Not far from you that is to say, in the village of Pestrovo very distressing incidents are taking place, concerning which I feel it my duty to write to you. All the peasants of that village sold their cottages and all their belongings, and set off for the province of Tomsk, but did not succeed in getting there, and have come back. Here, of course, they have nothing now; everything belongs to other people. They have 　

To Have and To Holdby Mary JohnstonTOTHE MEMORY OFMY MOTHERCONTENTSCHAPTER I. IN WHICH I THROW AMBS-ACECHAPTER II. IN WHICH I MEET MASTER JEREMY SPARROWCHAPTER III. IN WHICH I MARRY IN HASTECHAPTER IV. IN WHICH I AM LIKE TO REPENT AT LEISURECHAPTER V. IN WHICH A WOMAN HAS HER WAYCHAPTER VI. IN WHICH WE GO TO JAMESTOWNCHAPTER VII. IN WHICH WE PREPARE TO FIGHT THE SPANIARDCHAPTER VIII. IN WHICH ENTERS MY LORD CARNALCHAPTER IX. IN WHICH TWO DRINK OF ONE CUPCHAPTER X. IN WHICH MASTER PORY GAINS TIME TO SOME PURPOSECHAPTER XI. IN WHICH I MEET AN ITALIAN DOCTORCHAPTER XII. IN WHICH I RECEIVE A WARNING AND REPOSE A TRUSTCHAPTER XIII. IN WHICH THE SANTA TERESA DROPS DOWN-STREAM...