Early Kings of Norwayby Thomas CarlyleThe Icelanders, in their long winter, had a great habit of writing; and were, and still are, excellent in penmanship, says Dahlmann. It is to this fact, that any little history there is of the Norse Kings and their old tragedies, crimes and heroisms, is almost all due. The Icelanders, it seems, not only made beautiful letters on their paper or parchment, but were laudably observant and desirous of accuracy; and have left us such a collection of narratives (_Sagas_, literally "Says") as, for quantity and quality, is unexampled among rude nations. Snorro　

A LAW BEYOND THE CONSTITUTION_To John B. Colvin__Monticello, September 20, 1810_SIR, Your favor of the 14th has been duly received, and Ihave to thank you for the many obliging things respecting myselfwhich are said in it. If I have left in the breasts of my fellowcitizens a sentiment of satisfaction with my conduct in thetransaction of their business, it will soften the pillow of my reposethrough the residue of life.The question you propose, whether circumstances do notsometimes occur, which make it a duty in officers of high trust, to...　

Rosamund, Queen of the Lombardsby Algernon Charles SwinburnePERSONS REPRESENTEDALBOVINE, King of the Lombards.ALMACHILDES, a young Lombard warrior.NARSETES, an old leader and counsellor.ROSAMUND, Queen of the LombardsHILDEGARD, a noble Lombard maiden.SCENE, VERONATime, June 573ACT IA hall in the Palace: a curtain drawn midway across it.Enter ALBOVINE and NARSETES.ALBOVINE.This is no matter of the wars: in warThy king, old friend, is less than king of thine,And comrade less than follower. Hast thou lovedEverloved woman, not as chance may love,...　

The Lake Gunby James Fenimore CooperThe Seneca is remarkable for its "Wandering Jew," and the"Lake Gun." The first is a tree so balanced that when itsroots are clear of the bottom it floats with its broken andpointed trunk a few feet above the surface of the water,driving before the winds, or following in the course of thecurrents. At times, the "Wandering Jew" is seen offJefferson, near the head of this beautiful sheet; and next itwill appear anchored, as it might be, in the shallow waternear the outlet.{"Wandering Jew" = The medieval legend of Ahasueras,...　

Erewhon Revisitedby Samuel ButlerErewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later Both by the OriginalDiscoverer of the Country and by his Son.I forget when, but not very long after I had published "Erewhon" in1872, it occurred to me to ask myself what course events in Erewhonwould probably take after Mr. Higgs, as I suppose I may now callhim, had made his escape in the balloon with Arowhena. Given apeople in the conditions supposed to exist in Erewhon, and giventhe apparently miraculous ascent of a remarkable stranger into theheavens with an earthly bridewhat would be the effect on the...　

Lizzie Leighby Elizabeth GaskellCHAPTER I.When Death is present in a household on a Christmas Day, the verycontrast between the time as it now is, and the day as it has oftenbeen, gives a poignancy to sorrowa more utter blankness to thedesolation. James Leigh died just as the far-away bells of RochdaleChurch were ringing for morning service on Christmas Day, 1836. Afew minutes before his death, he opened his already glazing eyes, andmade a sign to his wife, by the faint motion of his lips, that he hadyet something to say. She stooped close down, and caught the broken...　

FAIRY TALES OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSENHOLGER DANSKEby Hans Christian AndersenIN Denmark there stands an old castle named Kronenburg, close bythe Sound of Elsinore, where large ships, both English, Russian, andPrussian, pass by hundreds every day. And they salute the old castlewith cannons, "Boom, boom," which is as if they said, "Good-day."And the cannons of the old castle answer "Boom," which means "Manythanks." In winter no ships sail by, for the whole Sound is coveredwith ice as far as the Swedish coast, and has quite the appearance...　

"POLIKUSHKA;"OR,The Lot of a Wicked Court Servant.CHAPTER I.Polikey was a court manone of the staff of servants belongingto the court household of a boyarinia (lady of the nobility).He held a very insignificant position on the estate, and lived ina rather poor, small house with his wife and children.The house was built by the deceased nobleman whose widow he stillcontinued to serve, and may be described as follows: The fourwalls surrounding the one izba (room) were built of stone, andthe interior was ten yards square. A Russian stove stood in the...　

400 BCON FRACTURESby HippocratesTranslated by Francis AdamsIN TREATING fractures and dislocations, the physician must makethe extension as straight as possible, for this is the most naturaldirection. But if it incline to either side, it should rather turnto that of pronation, for there is thus less harm than if it be towardsupination. Those, then, who act in such cases without deliberation,for the most part do not fall into any great mistake, for the person...　

The Essays of Montaigne, V19by Michel de MontaigneTranslated by Charles CottonEdited by William Carew Hazilitt1877CONTENTS OF VOLUME 19.XIII. Of Experience.CHAPTER XIIIOF EXPERIENCEThere is no desire more natural than that of knowledge. We try all waysthat can lead us to it; where reason is wanting, we therein employexperience,"Per varios usus artem experientia fecit,Exemplo monstrante viam,"["By various trials experience created art, example shewing theway."Manilius, i. 59.]which is a means much more weak and cheap; but truth is so great a thing...　

The Pond in WinterAfter a still winter night I awoke with the impression that somequestion had been put to me, which I had been endeavoring in vain toanswer in my sleep, as what how when where? But there wasdawning Nature, in whom all creatures live, looking in at my broadwindows with serene and satisfied face, and no question on her lips.I awoke to an answered question, to Nature and daylight. The snowlying deep on the earth dotted with young pines, and the very slopeof the hill on which my house is placed, seemed to say, Forward!...　

440 BCANTIGONEby Sophoclestranslated by R. C. JebbCHARACTERS IN THE PLAYdaughters of Oedipus:ANTIGONEISMENECREON, King of ThebesEURYDICE, his wifeHAEMON, his sonTEIRESIAS, the blind prophetGUARD, set to watch the corpse of PolyneicesFIRST MESSENGERSECOND MESSENGER, from the houseCHORUS OF THEBAN ELDERSANTIGONEANTIGONEANTIGONE...　

A History of Science, Volume 1by Henry Smith Williams, M.D., LL.D.ASSISTED BYEDWARD H. WILLIAMS, M.D.IN FIVE VOLUMESVOLUME I.THE BEGINNINGS OF SCIENCEBOOK I.CONTENTSCHAPTER I. PREHISTORIC SCIENCECHAPTER II. EGYPTIAN SCIENCECHAPTER III. SCIENCE OF BABYLONIA AND ASSYRIACHAPTER IV. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ALPHABETCHAPTER V. THE BEGINNINGS OF GREEK SCIENCECHAPTER VI. THE EARLY GREEK PHILOSOPHERS IN ITALYCHAPTER VII. GREEK SCIENCE IN THE EARLY ATTIC PERIODCHAPTER VIII. POST-SOCRATIC SCIENCE AT ATHENSCHAPTER IX. GREEK SCIENCE OF THE ALEXANDRIAN OR HELLENISTIC...　

Palace of the Alhambra.TO THE traveller imbued with a feeling for the historical andpoetical, so inseparably intertwined in the annals of romanticSpain, the Alhambra is as much an object of devotion as is the Caabato all true Moslems. How many legends and traditions, true andfabulous; how many songs and ballads, Arabian and Spanish, of love andwar and chivalry, are associated with this oriental pile! It was theroyal abode of the Moorish kings, where, surrounded with the splendorsand refinements of Asiatic luxury, they held dominion over what they...　

THE SON OF TARZANby Edgar Rice BurroughsTO HULBERT BURROUGHSChapter 1The long boat of the Marjorie W. was floating down the broad Ugambi with ebb tide and current. Her crew were lazily enjoying this respite from the arduous labor of rowing up stream. Three miles below them lay the Marjorie W. herself, quite ready to sail so soon as they should have clambered aboard and swung the long boat to its davits. Presently the attention of every man was drawn from his dreaming or his gossiping to the northern bank of the river. There, screaming at them in a cracked falsetto and with skinny arms out　

had nothing left but his mill and a large apple-tree behindit. Once when he had gone into the forest to fetch wood, anold man stepped up to him whom he had never seen before, andsaid, why do you plague yourself with cutting wood, I willmake you rich, if you will promise me what is standing behindyour mill. What can that be but my apple-tree, thought themiller, and said, yes, and gave a written promise to thestranger. He, however, laughed mockingly and said, when threeyears have passed, I will come and carry away what belongs to me,and then he went. When the miller got home, his wife came